The Glitching Glass

Entertainment Journalism??????

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I Watched Superman Returns And It Was..... Refreshing?

Some of you may have come across a little comic strip review that I had drawn up for Batman V Superman on my art blog that I just started, and you’ll know that my initial reaction was very positive. I do still think it was a really fun movie, but it’s glaringly obvious that it will not be any kind of game changer.... except for maybe Batman and Wonder Woman, seriously they’re the best parts of the movie. There was just way too much being forced, too much convenience, Lex Luthor was insane for some reason, the fight between Superman and Batman had no intelligent weight to it and then it only lasts like 10 minutes. When I say intelligent weight, I mean there wasn’t the same ideals that clashed like in The Dark Knight Returns where Superman was a government dog who was being used to win wars and possibly repress other parts of the world into giving up all their power. Instead we got, “You kill people.” “Well so do you.” “Let’s fight.”

Now, for the reason I started writing this while I have work to do; I recently watched Superman Returns again and found it oddly refreshing, even as a superhero movie in general. If you can remember, there’s a part in the movie where Superman is on his way to save Lois Lane, but on the way there he realizes the earth underneath the Ocean is beginning to crack and will start an earthquake. So instead of continuing towards Lois, he turns around and goes to save the city. At this point I found myself actually smiling and almost saying to myself, “fuck yeah Superman,” because that’s exactly what Superman would do. He is so good at what he does, that he can be in the middle of trying to save the world and be able to keep people out of danger all at the same time. I think that’s something that I would REALLY REALLY love in a Superman film. Keep the action the same as in Man of Steel and Batman v Superman, but when he punches a villain, instead of chasing him down, he goes out to make sure everyone is okay. I think that would create a really hectic yet exciting back and forth where he’s trying to beat this guy, but also keep everyone safe. Also make the color pallet more vibrant and clean, leave the drab stuff to Batman. Superman is supposed to be a shining heroic example, he literally laid the ground work for superheroes as we know them. He saves the world and keeps people safe at the same time, all with a smile on his face.   

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(via https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K5rJb7R-AxE)

I want to start off by saying Angry Joe has a good reason to be angry in his latest video about Mortal Kombat not getting the support it needs for PC.

THAT BEING SAID, there is also a good reason (most likely) for WB to feel like they don’t need to support it as much as on consoles.

We all know how Steam works by now, and it’s obvious it’s very geared towards consumers. However, It is not geared towards big companies, like WB. If anything, from talking to a lot of my friends who are PC gamers, it unintentionally works against big companies. Many people within the PC community do not want to pay full price for a game, EVER. Sure, you have the hardcore fans who will jump on buying it day one, but compared to the amount of people who would rather wait until there is a huge discount on the game, those numbers are a lot smaller. There is a lot more proof that console gamers are more willing to shell out that extra cash. Why would WB support a platform that (mostly) doesn’t want to support them back? That’s what I think Angry Joe forgets to look at. I wholly agree that NetherRealm and Ed Boon probably really want to support as many people as possible, but WB is not willing to risk loosing money.

So, though it is UNINTENTIONAL, the fault has to be put on a large majority of PC gamers. It’s not WB’s fault for thinking about making the most money possible, which is their job after all.

I do want to stress, I don’t fully put the blame on the PC community, you’re allowed to be angry. I think if you express that enough and show you are willing to put out more dough, you will find the PC getting more support.

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IGN just took down the 38 second review

RIGHT WHEN I POSTED MY RANT

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In case you had any hope left in IGN, here’s a 38 SECOND review they just posted on YouTube.

I shit you not, it’s only 38 seconds long and has absolutely no depth to it. How are people supposed to trust your reviews if they’re shorter than a paragraph? You gave us no real reason to agree with the terrible score you just handed out to the game. The only statement I heard was so useless and obviously based off personal taste that you let it get in the way of being professional and actually TRYING.

Now, I’m not saying the game is good or bad; I haven’t played the damn thing, but when the only thing you have to say about it is “The writing wasn’t funny,” and nothing else, I can’t trust you and nor should anyone else. There was no mention of the game mechanics, or how they felt. There was no mention of whether or not it felt like a complete game experience, instead of being incomplete on release. No talk about any possible innovation.

Damn it IGN, I’m sure people want to like you and trust you, but how can we when you pull this shit???

38 SECONDS !?!?!?

38????

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DareDevil coming out on the same day as Batman V Superman in not a damn “CHALLENGE”

Absolutely nobody is going to skip out on a new movie because of a show on Netflix. They can come back to it and watch it for free after seeing BvS. (or before, you choose the order)

Why are there websites trying to sell this as some kind of “battle between companies”? Comic books of all kinds come out on the same day constantly, I think the public can handle a two hour movie and TV show coming out on the same day. A show, mind you, that you can watch at ANY GIVEN TIME.

WHY DO NEWS OUTLETS CONSTANTLY TREAT US LIKE WE CAN’T DO TWO THINGS IN SUCCESSION?!? 

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My Thoughts On  The TMNT 2 Trailer

I stand by having enjoyed the first movie; it was dumb but fun, and the second one looks and feels even more like a Saturday morning cartoon, which I love.

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This is like a month late

There’s no way in hell I’m ever buying Battlefront; they took the Battlefront out of Battlefront

Get your shit together EA

I’ll stick with the originals, thank you very much

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A month or so ago my xbox broke, just before all the good games came out..... this would happen.

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Shut Up Meg

I never thought I’d ever complain about people within Rooster Teeth; but really, let’s calm down over there for a second. Nintendo has already stated they don’t plan on launching full console or handheld style games to mobile phones.

I realize the people over at The Know tend to take a very negative side of the  argument towards a lot of stories, but when it gets this ridiculous it’s time to rethink some stuff.

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You Mean To Say You DON’T Like A Cartoon That’s Not Focused Towards Your Age Demographic?

Seriously, I was scrolling through Facebook (why, just why anymore?) and I saw a petition to cancel Teen Titans Go..... Just....... UGH.

Look, I don’t really care for the show that much either, except for the rare moments when it makes small in jokes about the source material. In fact, I could tolerate people hating on it for the sake of hating on it. I do believe some of the people blow it way out of proportion about how bad it is though.

THAT BEING SAID: starting a petition and whining like a bunch of bratty middle school students is straight up childish. It’s even more immature than the actual target demographic for the damn show. Cartoon Network doesn’t owe you a GOD DAMN THING. Stop acting like they do.

Kids, no, CHILDREN enjoy this show; I know this because I sit through all the commercials of children telling me so.

Why do I even have to say this!?? GROW UP

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David Cage is at it again..... sigh

Can’t wait to watch Two Best Friends tear this game up as well.

There are people jumping to defend this game already when there are so many better looking exclusives for the system. Every David Cage game can be boiled down to a tech demo with a poorly executed concept and shit show writing.

SERIOUSLY THOUGH, Horizon Zero Dawn shows so much more promise

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(via https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4qlvFuvUvR4)

Just this trailer, no review of it. If you want an idea of my thoughts.... search Beatles fan girls into YouTube and see what you get; that’s probably the closest equivalent.

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If I wanted to hear/read about the console sales, what feels like every waking minute of my life, I would build a god damn shrine to IGN

we get it, the PS4 is doing better

MOVE ON PLEASE

(obviously, nothing against the PS4)

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Inside Out : Review

     First off, did any of us really suspect this movie to not be good? No, none of us? That’s what I thought. Before writing this review I thought about whether or not I should actually write one, or just fill up as much space praising it as I could. I think I’d like to do both as much as I can.

     Inside Out is a fantastic film; it’s beautifully animated, full of smart dialogue and one of the best stories Pixar has ever put out (and that’s a promise). Being a story based around emotions, it doesn’t hold back, you might cry.... probably will, or at least want to. This really is no surprise considering it’s the same director who brought us Up and Monsters Inc.

     I would give a quick rundown of the plot, but I don’t want to, and I don’t think it needs it. If you don’t know entirely what this film is about, then good, the mystery of what it is about is half the fun. The only thing I ever really knew about it was that it involved the different emotions; frankly, that’s all you need.

     One thing that is especially amazing about this movie is how surprisingly adult and complex it is. Kids will enjoy it, but older people will definitely find a lot to relate to, having lived.

     What else is there to say? I loved this film, you will love this film, I don’t know what else to say without spoiling anything. The early showing I went to had a surprisingly low turn out, which is disappointing, especially since Pixar makes such amazing films. Maybe it’s just where I live, but that’s their problem. Go see this movie.... and bring tissues.

-Aiden Thomson

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Jurassic World: Review

     I’m just gonna start off by saying I was not super excited for Jurassic World, I feel like I am the only one, none of the trailers got me super hyped up like everyone else seemed to get. That being said, I did still go see the early viewing at my nearest movie theater and actually did get more excited once I was sitting down in my seat and the Universal logo popped up. I have to say, this movie is good, I had quite a bit a fun, it’s not amazing, and it’s not terrible, but it also doesn’t personally quite live up to the wonder of the first film. However, this is the best sequel so far, I would feel very comfortable pretending like the second and third films never happened (and frankly I think so would this movie). 

     Let’s get the bad things out of the way, starting off with pacing, the pacing isn’t terrible but I did find that certain sections were bordering on being too long and slow. (I would like to note this could just be because of the time I saw it at, but I still feel I have to mention it.) There were plenty of times where characters were just talking, but in a way that was just talking and if they had cut them by like a minute or a minute and a half it would have gotten the film moving at a more comfortable pace. My second problem is character building, to which I say there is little to none, basically once you see a character that is how they will act the entire movie, they never really grow into any other direction except for Bryce Dallas Howard’s character, she is the only one.

     Now the good, starting with what everyone is thinking, Chris Pratt has basically become a reason to see any movie from this point on. He started with Guardians of The Galaxy, but he’s really solidified his place with now two great performances in a row. He’s thankfully a lot lighter hearted (when he needs to be) than the first trailers would make you believe, which is good, the only good brooding hero is Batman, and even his best parts have him cracking some sarcastic dry humor. There are also a lot of call backs to the first movie, and don’t worry, they are all in good taste, even at times when it feels like they’re doing something because the first film did it, (hamster ball scene especially). Finally, of course, the dinosaurs are the best part of this entire film; who could have guessed? The last 30 minutes of this film, are the most exciting, and 10 of those minutes are even more exciting that the first 20, and I can’t say why, trust me. None of the trailers ruin the end of it, avoid anything talking about, you will want this to be a surprise.

     All in all, a very fun film, not as amazing as the first one, but a definite must see for this year’s lineup, of which there are many.

-Aiden Thomson

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Mad Max: Fury Road - Review

     Never before have I seen such a colorful, vibrant and energizing post apocalyptic movie; Mad Max: Fury Road is one hell of a ride (excuse my pun).

     George Miller isn’t afraid to throw us right into the action, basically immediately after the film starts; he’s been in this world before and he wants everyone to know what kind of place it is, whether you’ve seen it before or not. It starts off pretty fast, but not too fast; however, once it gets going it basically grows in pace the entire film, give or take a few spots where it slows down just long enough to catch your breath.

     One thing I absolutely loved about this movie is the amount of color it has, especially for a desert setting. It does tend to stick towards a large amount of very warm exciting colors, but does have a long sequence of blue shades, a certain setting also has some greenery that contrasts nicely to the stark desert landscape; this insane place kind of becomes a paradise looking area because of it.

     You wouldn’t expect it in a film based around action set-pieces, but there is a really good understanding of the lore that lives within it. There’s a strong belief in immortality and Valhalla; there’s also a lot of world specific language or slang that is used and doesn’t really need any explanation because it fits so well.

     Another thing I would like to praise this movie for is the size of its important female cast; this is the only action movie I can think of where the heroine cast is significantly larger than the male cast (for those who are wondering there are two male heroes this entire film, there are like 10 women). On top of that, they aren’t generic weak helpless girls or generic butch girls, they feel like actual characters; and on top of even that, they get the most screen time. Don’t worry, Max is in it, but he’s a hero of few words and more action, and I feel like it really works.

     Now, I could say a lot about the action, how much I loved it; however, I’ll just let the action speak for itself when you see it and instead say this: Miller really knows how to make a violent movie without getting too overly gory, the color in this film comes from the landscape and the action itself, if that makes sense, not the blood.

     Go see this movie, it’s one of the best action films I’ve ever seen (and I just saw the new Avengers, its better than that), there’s an amazing cast (Charlize Theron is my favorite, she’ll be yours too), and there’s fantastic character writing. Just go see it.... do it.

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Cautiously Optimistic (Avengers Spoilers)

     I just saw Avengers: Age of Ultron; being fashionably late to the party, I’m gonna spare you all yet another review (let’s be honest, you’ve all seen it anyway). If you want a short impression on what I thought, then what I have to say is this: I liked it, it was good mix of fun, darkness and great action set pieces, my only problem is the amount of plots (that’s plot with an S) that this movie has. At times it felt way too rushed or just like a big set up, and there was too many of them. I will say that it wasn’t as bad as the set ups in Amazing Spiderman 2, that movie was just one giant 2 hour teaser trailer, it was awful. So the plots didn’t completely ruin the experience, but I did notice some of my friends had a hard time clinging to all the concepts (even if they only missed one of the movies), and you never want your audience to be confused.

   Getting to the point at hand however, right at the end of the movie, as we all know, they introduce the new Avengers team and I don’t hate the new team, I’m just left with asking “why?”. Now, I have faith in Marvel and I’m sure we’ll get a taste of how the new team works in the next Captain America movie, but I’m just worried how the people who don’t read comics might react. People know and love Cap, IronMan, Hulk and Thor and Black Widow, ecs; but Vision, Scarlet Witch and Falcon; people don’t know them as much, WarMachine has gotten more screen time out of anyone on the new team (Captain America aside), Falcon and Scarlet Witch tie for second I think, and Vision is in dead last. A lot of my friends didn’t even know The Vision’s name. Like I said though, I don’t hate these guys, I think they make an awesome new team, in fact I feel like most of the new people have more of a drive for teamwork than the original team. I’m just afraid most people who don’t know comics will look at them and go, “oh it’s just all the side-kicks.” Maybe that mentality will change after they introduce Ant-Man and the new SpiderMan, but as it stands right now, I’m worried how people will react.

     That being said, I’m still extremely excited for the rest of the movies and will definitely be seeing Ant-Man in theaters, then sit in wait for phase 3 to take hold; which, by the way, looks amazing just on paper, so it’ll be even better when it actually happens.