Ammon, Law, and Moreno are back to fill your face holes with joyous verbal garbage. There’s the Google Voice game, Tiny House talk, a banning from the show, questions, answers, burps, and not a single pee break to be seen. We do it all for you. NOTE: Moreno does fall asleep before the end of the show. This can not be helped.
TV Round-Up has tons of talk about the final season of The Killing, Ray Donovan, The Strain, The Americans, Drunk History, Tyrant, and others.
What Did You Watch gets funky with reviews of TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES, CHEF, ANCHORMAN 2, OLD BOY, ZOMBIELAND, PREDATORS, THE KARATE KID PART II, and some Universal Monsters classics.
Stay tuned for The Strain commentary later this week and a Binge Music Cast whenever Moreno wakes up (December).
Well, it took about a month, but I finally finished Jules Verne’s THE MYSTERIOUS ISLAND. Sometimes you just need to dive balls-deep into classic fiction to appreciate the fluidity of modern-day literature. Written in 1874 as a loose sequel to 20,000 LEAGUES UNDER THE SEA, it was quite the struggle to get through, but damnit… I was determined and I’m happy to report I finished it. While it starts off slow, by the end the pace picks up and some crazy shit goes down, making it quite an entertaining read. But hear this: THE MYSTERIOUS ISLAND is nothing like JOURNEY 2: THE MYSTERIOUS ISLAND, you know, the movie sequel to JOURNEY TO THE CENTER OF THE EARTH starring The Rock. I’m not sure if the movie is supposed to be based off the book, but if it is… it’s the worst adaptation I’ve ever seen. There is no character like The Rock, or Josh Hutcherson, or Vanessa Hudgens, or Luis Guzman… the closet character that actually shows up in both is Michael Caine, and even that’s a stretch. The events don’t match up, the giant iguanas and prehistoric insects don’t exist in the novel either. Basically, the only similarities between the two is the name and the ending with the exploding volcano… and by similar, I mean they both feature an exploding volcano. All in all, the book is solid and worth a read (though beware, that 1874 language doesn’t make for a quick read), and the movie is OK if you’re 8 and you don’t care about the source material.
I’ve been on a John Carpenter stint this week and checked out a couple of his action classics: THEY LIVE and ESCAPE FROM NEW YORK. Holy crap, this dude knew how to make a movie back in the day! THEY LIVE is amazing, not only as a solid action movie, but as a solid sci-fi flick, with ideals and theories of being controlled subliminally that are still relevant today. How can anyway watch THEY LIVE and watch TV or read a magazine the same ever again? I only wish they sold sunglasses that made everyone’s face a screaming alien skull. That would be awesome. I’d totally wear those. ESCAPE FROM NEW YORK is also entertaining as hell. Snake Plissken is one of the greatest characters to ever hit the silver screen and Adrienne Barbeua has one of the nicest racks in the history of movies. I mean, holy shit people… holy shit. Watching the two back to back, it’s impossible not to wonder… who would win in a fight? Kurt Russell’s Snake Plissken or Roddy Piper’s Nada? Both rock an impressive head of 80s hair and both are fairly beefed up. What a fucking fight that would be.
After this week’s episode of THE STRAIN, I’m thinking of tapping out. Not sure if it’s Moreno’s deplorable attitude about the show that has me doubting my enjoyment, or if the show has just gone way off course, but this last episode fuckin’ sucked assholes. Who cares about the dude who killed his dog and chained himself to his shed? I sure don’t… that guy was an asshole and he’s still an asshole. Why is Sean Astin such a turd? I get that’s the point, but seriously, yo, grow some balls. And what’s up with the gangster with a heart of gold who loves his mom and hates his brother? Stealing cars? How does this crap even make the final cut? Stupid. All I want at this point is old Walder Frey fuckin’ shit up with his sword, dick-mouthed zombie vampires fuckin’ shit up, and the Exterminator. WHERE THE HEL WAS THE EXTERMINATOR??? I’ll give it another week, but sweet Jesus, this show had so much potential, and yet all I’ve really seen so far is ‘meh’. At least we’re only a month away from the new season of SONS OF ANARCHY….
That’s all for this week, ya’ll! Tune in Monday for the new BingeCast where Jim Law and I will talk about Season 4 of THE KILLING, plus I’m hoping to finally be done with Season 2 of THE AMERICANS this week, and I’ll go into my recent revisit of ZOMBIELAND. Until then, enjoy life with the High Life!
PLOT: Aquaman and the Justice League may have stopped the war between the surface world and Atlantis, but the fight is not yet behind them. The people of Atlantis are reluctant to welcome back a king who fought against his own people, while the surface-dwellers see Atlanteans as little more than terrorists. But before Arthur can regain the support of his people, another Atlantean royal returns: The Dead King. The First King. The king who sank Atlantis!
REVIEW: For those who haven’t had a chance to dive into Geoff Johns’ Aquaman reboot for the New 52, please do that as soon as humanly possible. Quite possibly the best total makeover in the entire lineup of titles with New 52, is Johns’ Aquaman. For years many have wondered how you get Aquaman on the same level as some of our favorite heroes like Batman and Superman. Forever, Aquaman has always played second fiddle to nearly anyone in the Justice League, until now. Aquaman was brought from the depths of the ocean to the light of day, and I have to say this is definitely one of the titles I have looked forward to consistently throughout its run. Johns’ Aquaman is badass, heroic, and presented with great conflict throughout the entire series. This book finds Aquaman in yet another dilemma being the leader of Atlantis, but again he finds his way out of trouble and into this reader’s heart.
The book starts out in the aftermath of the third volume’s events, and Aquaman is at odds with his own people. Many factions have split out with their own agendas as to who should be their leader, but the first Atlantean king comes back to foil everyone’s plans. The problem with the first king is that he is dead, and comes back to reclaim the throne of Atlantis. I loved his powers and how they appeared on the page, because he uses ice and cold underwater which creates really great large spreads within the book. Those aren’t the only art pieces in the book, as the whole thing serves as a great example of why DC’s New 52 far surpasses the Marvel NOW! lineup. The art is just phenomenal, and absolutely beautiful. When you flip to the next set of two pages and it’s a big splash across the entire pages, it’s almost breathtaking. The art team on this book is one of the top notch ones working within the New 52 (see Batwoman for insanity), and kept me flipping the pages as quickly as possible. You can easily jump on the bandwagon with this fourth volume and get with the story, but I would still recommend reading the first three books as they are all just as amazing. Who would have ever thought that Aquaman would be one of the best and most badass superheroes being written at any point in time? Swim out there and read this book now!
What we thought was going to be an epic reunion turns out to be a regular everyday Binge Media reunion as our special guest bails last minute but Law, Ammon, and Moreno finally reunite for an entire show.
Google Voice boasts two of the best voicemails in a long time from DJ Alan One and Eric (Larry) King and Moreno and Law grill Ammon about his Tiny House lifestyle change.
TV Round-Up spills dirt on The Strain, Drunk History, The Killing, Ray Donovan, and The Bates Motel.
What Did You Watch gets epic with GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY, THE BATTERED BASTARDS OF BASEBALL, and SHARKNADO 2: THE SECOND ONE.
It’s still too much podcast to handle, even without our fucktard of a special guest. Fuck that guy.
PLOT: There’s a new rule in the galaxy: No one touches Earth! But why has Earth suddenly become the most important planet in the galaxy? That’s what the Guardians of the Galaxy are going to find out! Join Star-Lord, Gamora, Drax, Rocket Raccoon, Groot and – wait for it – the Invincible Iron Man as they embark upon one of the most explosive and eye-opening chapters of Marvel NOW! The secrets these galactic Avengers discover will rattle Marvel readers for years to come! But while London deals with a brutal invasion by the Badoon, the fate of the Guardians may have already been decided millions of miles away! Why wait for the movie? It all starts here! Collects Guardians of the Galaxy (2013) #1-3 & #0.1 and Guardians of the Galaxy: Tomorrow’s Avengers #1.
REVIEW: In preparation for the new movie, I am reading through some Guardians of the Galaxy graphic novels to further my knowledge. I was not familiar at all with the group of superheroes until recently, so all of this is very new to me. As some of you know, I’m not much of a fan of the titles in Marvel NOW! except for a few. Granted, I wasn’t a fan of many Marvel titles previous to the major reboot, but I thought I would pick up a few more favorites during the NOW! initiative. This was one of the late books to come out of it, and I was so surprised that this was the real winner of the running titles. I’ve read everything from X-Men to Avengers, and Hulk back to Iron Man, Cap, and Thor. This Guardians of the Galaxy book has it all, and is probably one of the more, if not the most, complete book or first volume I’ve read from the reboot group. Thor may be at a tie with it, but it doesn’t quite have the “fun factor” this book has and while it does not suffer for it, it’s just an element of a comic that you sometimes want to have. This book also includes a large collection of cover variants and such in the back, so don’t forget to leave the book open after the last page of the comic book itself. Some of the Deadpool variants are fantastic. As you can see on the front cover as well, Iron Man is in this book too for added shenanigans and laughs.
Cosmic Avengers’ strength though is that it is extremely funny and the equivalent of a blockbuster popcorn flick in book form. It presents an intergalactic story with new characters (for some) and does it all within four issues which is really spectacular. Most volumes or collections of comics have at least five issues in them to tell a story, and sometimes the introductory volumes can be even larger. What this book accomplishes in four issues is amazing, and that is why I would recommend this book to anyone, whether you read comics or not. It is the total package, and it starts with one of my single favorite issues in the Marvel NOW! era. The first issue is #0.1 and is the story of how Star-Lord a.k.a. Peter Quill came to be, and it is done so well. It captures you interest from the get-go, and that issue leads right into the current story with the Guardians and holds you all the way until the end. This book will make you laugh, as Groot saves the day and Rocket “Blam! murdered you”’s everyone. This book will make you cry (if you’re weak like me), as Groot saves the day and Peter grows up without a father. This book will make you read and pay attention to every detail, because the Guardians of the Galaxy are awesome and Brian Michael Bendis is one of the Marvel masters behind this book. A must read for fans and outsiders alike, and an excellent introduction to a new favorite group of heroes come August 2nd.
PLOT: Launching out of Annihilation: Conquest, Marvel’s sci-fi heroes unite to protect the cosmos. Back-to-back Annihilation wars have weakened the boundaries of our universe. Dark gods and monsters are seeping through the cracks, reigning horror upon those still reeling from the recent calamities. In the face of terror, who stands to defend a desperate universe? Star-Lord and his squad of butt-kickers – the modern day Guardians of the Galaxy. You’ve heard that Annihilation: Conquest rocks – the guy at the comic shop keeps telling you to try Nova – well, now’s your chance to experience the glory that writers Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning, and artist Paul Pelletier can unleash. All this…plus a wise-cracking raccoon and a telepathic dog. C’mon, people, time to lock and load Collecting Guardians of the Galaxy #1-6.
REVIEW: So it probably doesn’t help that I read the Marvel NOW! Guardians title first, but I didn’t enjoy this book nearly as much as that. I was disappointed because I purchased this one to brush up before the movie, but the other I borrowed from the library. I’d like to trade this one in for the other, but this book is not without its plusses. I think one of the major reasons this wasn’t entertaining for me is that I have not read the event that took place before this book to kind of set it up. The Guardians team assembled in this book is also a little different than that of the movie coming out, or in the NOW! team. All of the normal people are there, but there is also Quasar, Warlock, and a telepathic dog. Yeah, a telepathic dog. It’s definitely on the spacey wacey type of mojo that typically dominates older Marvel titles, which is yet another reason I’m more of a fan of the DC Universe. However, I did mention those plusses and it would be fair to share those too before the book has been completely ruined.
As usual, Rocket Raccoon dominates every frame and page he’s on. His humor in these books is just so doom and gloom, but with a hint of sarcasm to make it hilarious. He’s really much funnier in the newer books, but he had a great running joke throughout the second issue of this book. While they are trying to figure out their team name, he can be spotted every other frame or two suggesting names and bugging the other team members. Eventually they just give in to get him and shut up, but its his persistence despite the team’s reaction to him that draws the laughs. The main plot really isn’t as great as in Cosmic Avengers, but from what I’ve read there seems to be some basis in here for the movie coming out. I’m not sure what they’ll use, but I’d imagine if anything it will probably be very lightly lifted from this book. I think the new book benefits from the existence of the movie, as it was created after the movie’s inception. This volume of Guardians of the Galaxy by Dan Abnett is hard to find right now, but it appears that it will be published in trade paperback for the release of the new film. It’s a pretty well-reviewed volume or Marvel stuff, so if space, time, and superheroes in the Marvel Universe is your thing, I’d still give this a shot. I’m just not huge on the extraterrestrial realms of Marvel, and I think that is why the NOW! title exceeds this one because it is accessible to any reader unlike this one.
Law, Ammon, and Kupka are here to relieve you of your weekly stresses and dive head first into everything you’ve been wondering about the past week.
Google Voice messes with Kupka’s head for a bit. We also have thoughts on the BATMAN VS. SUPERMAN footage, MAD MAX: FURY ROAD trailer, GODZILLA, and KING KONG news from Comic Con.
TV Round-Up boasts talk of The Strain, The Leftovers, You’re the Worst, Married, Face Off, The Killing, and Orange is the New Black.
What Did You Watch is full of goodness from THE EXPENDABLES 3, LUCY, THE PURGE: ANARCHY, THE OTHER WOMAN and tons of other movies you’ve been secretly dreaming about.
All in all, another fine evening of Podcast from your favorite bunch of drunk idiots. Listen with caution.
PLOT: When S.H.I.E.L.D. stiffs Deadpool on a bill, you can bet that they’re going to regret it! Deadpool declares a one-man war on the world peacekeeping agency. But even as the maniacal merc pursues his revenge, S.H.I.E.L.D. discovers someone has been betraying them – and it seems to be Agent Preston! Deadpool takes his fight to the Helicarrier, intent on getting his money one way or another – and comes face-to-face with Agent Phil Coulson! Too bad COulson’s a Cap fan. Plus: Take another trip back to Deadpool’s stories past as the Merc with a Mouth wreaks havoc on a cosmic level! Collects Deadpool #20-25.
REVIEW: For those who haven’t had a chance to dig into the Marvel NOW!, you’re not really missing much in my opinion. However, one character that was rebooted in the new franchise set is actually doing better than it ever was. That character is Deadpool, the trash-talking, sword-sticking, and ass-kicking antihero that was completely butchered in the making of X-Men Origins: Wolverine. Brian Posehn, whom you may be familiar with (mail guy in Just Shoot Me! & gets shot in the head in The Devil’s Rejects) was tasked with writing the character in the new Marvel NOW! I am a big fan of Posehn’s comedy whether it be him doing stand up as himself, or showing up in a movie for a small cameo or part. As excited I was to see what he had come up with, I also had this bad feeling that Brian just wasn’t going to be able to cut it. It’s not often people like that succeed in the comics industry, and Kevin Smith is about the only example of celebrity writing great comics that I can think of. I may be inexperienced, so there could be some out there I’m unaware of, but now I for sure have two writers that have totally made their titles respectively. I think this run of Posehn’s on Deadpool, will go down as one of the great runs in the modern era, as he just knocks the character out of the park and does so well with the book. The review is obviously for this volume, but I would really suggest that you start at the beginning and work your way up. It’s not necessary for story or continuity, but it’s just that damn good and I’d hate for you to miss out on the earlier books (the first of which is outstandingly hilarious).
Deadpool is obviously meant to be somewhat funny, but it’s an adult comic so it tackles adult themes and uses adult imagery to convey the story. What I love about this title is that it is unapologetic and very relevant to pop culture and world issues. With an author like Brian Posehn, most are probably looking to find heavy metal and horror jokes, mixed in with some dick and fart humor. That’s where you would be absolutely wrong, as the style of humor in these books are smarter than you would think. One of the cool things I noticed in this fourth volume is that Posehn has taken a lot of liberties to please himself, others, and fans of his work, one of those liberties being that there is an agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. named Scott Adsit. Most of you may recognize the name from 30 Rock title credits, as he played Pete Hornberger in the show, but he’s also starred in a lot of other things. Posehn throws in a dead lookalike of Adsit’s as an agent and somehow a lot of the story revolves around him. It’s ultimately a joke, but it’s not so far a joke that it’s bad and causes the story to suffer. Posehn even manages to throw in the fabled Aristocrats joke here in the book with Deadpool, which was just a surreal moment of realizing genius in a writer, and it’s sad Posehn does not get credit for being any sort of remarkable comedic talent. That’s what I love about this title though, is that no matter how absurd the jokes are and how random Deadpool’s comments are, the story always remains on a pretty straightforward track. Also, keep an eye out for the cover on Deadpool #23, as it is completely awesome. This is one of very few that I read on a regular basis, and laugh out loud at. If you like Deadpool, Brian Posehn, or just general awesomeness, I highly recommend you pick up Marvel NOW!’s Deadpool. If you don’t, Pooly may find you at your doorstep one day.
PLOT: Space and time collide! The arrival of the original X-Men in the present sent shock waves through the Marvel Universe, but we’ve only seen the effects on Earth – until now! When an alien race discovers that Jean Grey – once (or perhaps future) host of the destructive Phoenix Force – is back on Earth, they decide to hold her accountable for the genocide committed by Dark Phoenix! Now, it’s up to the spacefaring Guardians of the Galaxy to help the All-New X-Men save Jean from twisted intergalactic justice. A surprise ally from one character’s past arrives to help, but is that enough against the most powerful army in the universe? You won’t want to miss the first encounter between two of Marvel’s biggest franchies! Collects Guardians of the Galaxy (2013) #11-13 & All-New X-Men #22-24.
REVIEW: In anticipation of the new Guardians of the Galaxy film, I am brushing up on some literature to more fully enjoy the movie when it comes out. Inevitably, this crossover was born of surge in popularity for the upcoming movie, but it came at the right time for both titles. As I’ve said above, I’m not a huge fan of too many of the titles in Marvel NOW!, but Guardians of the Galaxy is one of them. It’s being written by Brian Michael Bendis whose name has been behind too many projects to count (Ultimate Spider-Man being my personal favorite). What it benefits from with Bendis is the ability for writing a good story that is taken seriously, but the characters still maintain their humanity and sense of humor. The laughs are a plenty but not overwhelming. It’s what I’ve always liked best about Bendis at his best, and thus far in the title he’s been great. So in comes the crossover, and Jean Grey is a wanted criminal by the Shi’ar empire and eventually captured. They are set to try her of all her crimes when she was possessed by the Phoenix force, but she doesn’t quite agree with their judgements.
This book was so much better than I thought it would be. I am not a fan of any of the new X-Men titles for Marvel NOW!, even though most of them showed great promise in the beginning. In the beginning of the book, the setup is told from the Guardians point of view, and then the X-Men. The team from the All-New X-Men is consisted of Cyclops, Beast, Angel, Jean Grey, Kitty Pryde, and Iceman. When Jean Grey is taken by the Shi’ar, Cyclops is tormented by the results and struggles with his own problems while Jean Grey is prepared for her trials. Bendis is able to blend these characters so well in this story because he writes All-New X-Men as well as the Guardians title for NOW! which again reinforces my earlier statement. This is definitely one of the best crossover titles I’ve read in the modern era of Marvel, but it may not be saying too much in terms of my history. However, this comic would give me hope that if ever one day movie studios could get along, there are plenty of great stories to tell that involve both the ragtag group of heroes in the Guardians of the Galaxy, and also the time-travelling All-New X-Men.
Welcome back Wednesday, so good to see you. This is gonna be a short one folks, Christmas, while relaxing, was incredibly draining and now it’s time for the vacation from the vacation, a.k.a. reality. So here’s a few things to discuss around the water cooler today while you inch closer to that weekend.
Vic Armstrong
A few years back Law and Moreno spoke about a book entitled ‘The True Adventures of the World’s Greatest Stuntman: My Life as Indiana Jones, James Bond, Superman and Other Movie Heroes’. What it should have been called was I’m Vic Armstrong, You’re Welcome. The book is a look back at the UNBELIEVABLE career Vic Armstrong has had in the movie business. From his early days as a stuntman to recent directorial efforts and everything in between and I’m sure it’s only a fraction of the tales the man can tell. If you’re a fan of film you’ve definitely seen something he’s worked on and he most likely talks about it in this book. It is a very candid and informative tale from a Hollywood Legend. I highly recommend it to even the most casual movie fan. You can purchase it here.
Dominion
In case you didn’t know, I’m a gamer. From checkers to WoW and just about everything in between I have probably played it and loved it and would play it again. During my tenure I admittedly still have some games/game types to attempt. One of these, until this weekend, was what is called a “Deck Builder”. What the fuck is a deck builder you ask. Well stop interrupting I was just getting there. A deck building game is one where players start with a small amount of cards in their deck and during the course of the game they buy/obtain cards from the play area to build their deck into a more useful/powerful one. Anyone still with me? Good. So the title that introduced me to this game type is called Dominion. The ultimate goal of dominion is to have the most points in your hand at the end of the game. The game ends when two of the “action card” piles are gone or the highest victory card pile is gone. At least this was the case for the game we were playing. You see with this deck building game you have a variety of cards across various categories but they are not all used during each game. You pick and choose what decks you will be using to create games of different difficulty and play styles. There are even a few expansions available which create even more possible games when mixed with the “Main Game” or other expansions. If you’re into board games, card games, or both, I recommend giving this one a whirl, you may find yourself having a damn good time. You can purchase Dominion here.
That’ll do it for this week. Any comments, questions, or concerns? Leave ’em below. You can also follow me on twitter @jekupka Until next week I leave you with this…
It’s that time of year again when work can go fuck itself and I pack up the van full of tiny Laws and head to cottage country. There’s few things I need while on vacation. A lake. Beer. Sunscreen. That alone could get me through the week. However, while some people like to make cottage playlists on their iPod, I tend to organize a variety of movie marathons to be enjoyed by everybody (me). We need a “driving five hours to get there” marathon. A “parents only night time” marathon. A cautious “it’s raining everyday / worst vacation ever” marathon. And various other viewing options throughout the week just because.
So here’s the list of what I’ll be powering through in the next week while driving, relaxing, drinking, napping, and eating. In that order.
STAN LEE’S MIGHTY 7
I’m proud of the fact that my kids know who Stan Lee is. They actually pick him out in all his Marvel movie cameos. Now that he’s a character in his own cartoon movie it was a no-brainer that I’d hook them up. Sadly, he looks like the coolest part of this.
TARZAN
This is more of a test for my kids. The film currently has one star and is 19% fresh on Rotten Tomatoes. If they like this, they like anything, and greatly lower my respect for their tastes. Also, I pray none of them want to go out as this asshole for Halloween.
JUSTICE LEAGUE: WAR
This looks pretty great. I really enjoy every third or fourth DC animated movie. They seem to come out every month. I have to be on my toes here though, the last time I let my boys watch one of these they seemed a little too interested in Power Girl’s rack.
VIDEO GAMES: THE MOVIE
Even though I’m not much of a gamer any more, this one is more for Daddy. The kids will get excited when they see Sonic and Mario on the cover but quickly lose interest the very second a real human talks. Who raised these little assholes?
NOAH
Have little interest in this to be honest but I figured the in-laws go to church and stuff so they might be impressed with my selection. This is how my mind works.
THE OTHER WOMAN
This is another one for the family. My wife and her sister can bask in the girl power while I cringe at Cameron Diaz’s face and act like I don’t notice Kate Upton in a bikini.
I also have some reading material for down time and poops.
THE HEDGE KNIGHT
My brother bought me these last Christmas but I’ve been waiting for the right time to settle in with them. Now seems better than ever. I poop a lot on vacation.
My beers of choice at this years festivities are Alexander Keith’s (of course, this is my shit), some Steam Whistle, and Crabbies Raspberry Ginger Beer when I want to get crazy. It’s like pop and it gets me drunk. That is pretty awesome.
So there you have it, my entire agenda for the next week. No Binge Cast for me, no blog next week, no worries. I’ll be the drunk guy by the water.