Instruction for the Fall semester at UAA began yesterday and we are definitely feeling the crunch. If we aren’t busy with our classes then we’re busy doing work related stuff around the university. As a result, approximately 40% to 60% of our weekdays are spent on campus. Until the rush dies down, expect greater times belong blog posts.

One thing we hope to do before too long, though, is post a butt-load of new pictures we’ve taken over the past month. Every time we think we have enough free time to get them put up in the Photos section, something pops up that pulls our attention elsewhere. By hook or by crook, it will be done soon... we think... we hope...

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A buddy of ours in California, Rian Bishop, has created a new channel on YouTube for retro movie soundtracks. The channel currently houses a handful of soundtracks including Mannequin, Rad, and Better Off Dead, with more soundtracks being added all the time.

A few years ago, when Rian still lived in Anchorage, the two of us hosted a movie review website called ButteryGoodness.com. In it we had an archive of movie reviews written by us, discussion forums, news about upcoming new releases, and a lot more. Due to schedule restrictions we were unable to keep the site going, but we constantly reminisce about ways we can do something again to share our passion for movies with other internet users. Thanks to YouTube, anyone can use the new channel to find soundtracks for some of our favorite retro films. If things go well, we hope to post the occasional podcast where Rian and I discuss 80’s cinema and the music we love so much. Keep checking back!

http://www.youtube.com/user/ButteryGoodness13

- Joshua

Filed under music retro soundtrack youtube

I’m pretty sure anyone who has seen The Dark Knight will agree Heath Ledger deserves heaps of praise for his performance as The Joker. His portrayal of the mad clown is (sorry, Jack) the best to date. Dark, maniacal, and psychotic, everything about it was nothing short of masterful and deserving of an Oscar nomination. Does he deserve a win? I honestly can’t say - I won’t know until I see the performances from every nominee. That said, I’m worried the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences might give him a nomination for the wrong reasons.

Okay, I don’t think the Academy is entirely full of morons, and I’m sure if Ledger is nominated it will be partially because he deserves it for his acting chops. The cynical side of me, however, can’t help but wonder if he’ll get the nod, and quite possibly a win, in recognition of his untimely and tragic death. Nominating or awarding him for this reason will undermine his ability as an actor and make receiving the Oscar almost meaningless (which will hold true for all recipients of the award). If he truly deserves the win then he should get it, but only if he delivered the most worthy performance.

Academy judges, please understand that Ledger will be remembered regardless of how you vote. In other words, our memories of him will be no stronger or weaker whether or not he is posthumously awarded a little gold man.

- Joshua

Filed under batman joker heath ledger comic book movie dc oscar

Back when I collected comic books in individual issue format, I shied away from large crossover events, even if they promised to be huge and monumentally unforgettable. More often than not they would span across multiple series I had no interest in reading, so I just never bothered with them. The bad part was these stories would often have a major impact on other books I was collecting, I would be clueless when they referenced the events and story arcs I wasn’t reading.

Thankfully, now that I’m exclusively buying trade paperbacks, most crossover stories can be found collected in self contained books. Marvel’s Annihilation storyline is one such set I’m happy to see available in trade format. The following is a summary taken from the official website:

A destructive force punctures through the edge of our universe, barreling into the moon-sized Kyln prisons there ... Seven days later, on Xandar, the entire Corps assembles for a debriefing on the Kyln destruction and get their marching orders. During the debriefing, the forces called the Annihilation Wave struck Xandar. The ensuing battle was monumental, disastrous, vicious, and totally consuming. The Nova Corps fell all too quickly. The question now is, with the Nova Corps gone, who can possiblly hold off the Annihilation Wave?

I’m a sucker for well written outer space-based comic books, and I like that this one is a bit lighter on the “sci” and focuses more on the “fi”. It also seems far too often with large crossover events, creators do not collaborate enough to make sure their stories intertwine properly. Thankfully, the cohesiveness of all the different sub-stories in Annihilation is well maintained throughout. With well used appearances by Silver Surfer, Drax the Destroyer, Moondragon, Galactus, Nova, and others, Annihilation is shaping up to be the best thing I’ve read so far this year.

- Joshua

Filed under annihilation marvel comic book

Yes, The Watchmen trailer has been available for viewing online since a few days before The Dark Knight was released in theaters. This post, therefore, isn’t so much of a “hey, check it out,” sort of thing as it is a “holy hell, this movie looks so damn good!” Out of curiosity, though, I can’t help but wonder if it is striking the same chord for non-fans as for those who have read the graphic novel. I think the neatest aspect of the trailer is recognizing every single scene as a part of the printed version, and obviously those who haven’t read it aren’t going to be able to share in this excitement. Linda hasn’t read it yet and she’s very amped to see the movie, so maybe the scene recognition is merely a neat perk.

Here’s a crummy, lo-res YouTube copy (the link at the beginning of this post will take you to a hi-def version):

So, who watches The Watchmen? Us, at least a dozen times now. To be honest, I don’t think I’ve heard a Smashing Pumpkins song put to better use.

- Joshua

Filed under comic book watchmen movie dc

I’m not the type of person who collects action figures for their monetary value. In fact, I don’t have any that are left in their original packaging. When I buy them, or when Linda and I buy them together, they are used as inexpensive mini-statues to adorn my desk at work and areas around our condo. Sadly, a lot of action figures are very hit an miss in how well they are sculpted and manufactured. Sometimes the detail and quality are so low they look too cheap for even small children to appreciate. This being the case, when good stuff is released I tend to pay close attention, and Hasbro’s Mighty Muggs line of toys is definitely worth taking note of.

Standing approximately 6” tall (for the smaller variety), these figures are incredibly adorable yet so very cool. Also, for being so “cartoonish” in nature they are surprisingly detailed and well made, each one finely painted and composed of a hardy, lightweight plastic. Spanning the Marvel, Indiana Jones, and Star Wars universes, any genre fan should check them out. By the way, mini Dr. Doom looks awesome on my desk where he helps keep things in order with a tyrannical iron fist while I’m out of the office.

- Joshua

Filed under marvel star wars mighty muggs hasbro

After 2 and 1/2 weeks, things are returning to normal. We were so busy with wedding preparations, both pre and post, we haven’t had time to update the website. We’ve made two major changes to commemorate our return - both the Wedding Blog and Wedding RSVP sections have been removed. Over the next couple of days we’ll also be adding a ton of phots to the photos section, and we’ll probably put up a new area to house all of the wedding photos. We had a chance to see a lot of movies, visit with family, and do a ton of things while we were away, so we’ll also get new blog posts added ASAP.

It’s great to be back!