Shmee.Me

August 22, 2014August 22, 2014

Take A Trip To Manhattan!

It has been kind of a slow summer, so it is always fun to find a new show to watch. My wife recently found out that even though Comcast doesn’t broadcast the channel WGN America it does have their shows On Demand, and one of those shows is Manhattan. It is not about the burrow of New York City, but rather the Manhattan project. Which as you know is where they created the Atom Bomb (You did know that right?).

The show doesn’t strive for historical accuracy, but since so much of it is a still a secret I am not sure how accurate they can be. However, it is interesting to watch these scientists try and outsmart each other all while trying to end the war before more American lives are lost, and they are driven by the fear that the enemy will create the bomb first. They think they know how destructive the bomb can be, but they are unsure and it scares them. Plus the government is so scared that secrets will leak out that the scientists and their families are under constant scrutiny.

I don’t think this show will win any awards, but it is not the type of show that comes around a lot, and definitely not one that is made by a small Middle American regional channel. I have been enjoying watching it, and I think that you would too. Hey what else do you have to watch this summer?

August 21, 2014August 21, 2014

The Simple Joys Of Archie!

Archie Comics are kind of the red-headed stepchild of the comics industry. Geeks like to say they are not real comic books. He is not a superhero, he is just apparently super attractive to people of the female persuasion. He is the cool teen stuck somewhere in the 50’s-60’s, but still manages to have a few modern conveniences.

People like rag on Archie Comics because they don’t change, the jokes are always the same, and they don’t feature adult story lines about dudes in tights (though Archie has worn tights from time to time, and it is usually Reggie’s fault), but for me it is like taking a walk in the park. They relax me. Sure I know Jughead is going to freak out about burgers, and that Betty and Veronica are always trying to outduel each other for Archie’s affection, but that familiarity is what makes them special. You know what you are getting, and they deliver the goods. It is like being mad about a hot dog tasting like a hot dog. Sure hot dogs aren’t great for you and are a little low rent, but sometimes you just want one.

Every now and then I see Archie’s mug staring at me by the check-out line and I just can’t help but pick him up and take him home. There are better comic books out there, but sometimes I just want a little smile and a laugh, and not have to think a lot. Judge me if you want, but I am one of those guys keeping Archie Comics alive, and I hope they continue for years to come. Super Duck on the other hand can jump off a cliff! He is the worst!

August 20, 2014August 20, 2014

We Know Who Shazam Is, So Who Will Be Billy?

According to the AP (they are usually reliable), The Rock (Dwayne Johnson) will indeed be in the new Shazam movie. He hasn’t said if he is going to be Black Adam or the title character, but I highly doubt that DC is going to pay tons of money for the most likable action hero working right now to be the bad guy. I mean everyone would instantly be rooting for Black Adam if that was the case! Pretty much The Rock is Shazam, but with the confirmation that DC is even making a Shazam movie it begs the question who will Captain Marvel’s twelve year old alter ego Billy Batson be played by? I, as always, am here to help, so I have my top 5 picks:

5: Nolan Gould

Nolan is best known for his role on Modern Family as Luke, and since Shazam has always been a more light hearted comic book, his comedic talent would come in handy. My only fear is that he would not be able to do the more serious parts of this film.

4: Dylan Sprayberry

If your thinking he already looks like a superhero, you would be correct. He was one of the young Clark’s in Man of Steel. He did a pretty good job, and they could just renew his contract, but then change up which movie he is in.

3: Zachary Gordon

Zachary already has been in several movies, but they are all pretty much Dairy of a Wimpy Kid flicks. Much like Nolan, I think his time in comedy would help him in this film, and he really, really looks a lot like Billy.

2: Joel Courtney

Joel was great as the main character in Super 8, so I know he can do the “kid adventure” part of this film well. I can almost see him falling off of a building with his mouth taped shut, but then just before he hits the pavement freeing his lips enough to say “Shazam!” Then the bad guys will have to smell what The Rock is cooking.

1: Liam James

I was blown away with Liam’s acting talent in The Way Way Back, and this could be his breakout role. As much as the other kids in this list have got the comedy down, I think Laim could straddle the line between the lighter Shazam and DC’s more serious movie universe.

Those are my picks, and honestly I was just surprised that I knew the names of five actors under the age of twenty.

On a side note, I blame all of you for not telling that there is Sour Patch Kids gum! It is great, and I am not sharing any of it!

August 19, 2014

Shmee Gets Lost In The Gardens of the Moon!

Gardens of the Moon is the first book in Steven Erikson’s Malazan Book of the Fallen series, and for me it wasn’t the greatest way to start the series off. For sure Steven Erikson has built a massive world with this series, but I just didn’t really enjoy my time in it. It felt like I was wandering around for awhile until I found the map, and then I raced to the end.

There are a lot of plot threads in this book, so I guess I would say that this book is about a city Darujhistan, and if it will fall to the Malazan Empire. That sounds like a simple premise, but Erikson insures that it is not. You keep circling it and waiting for it to happen, but it takes awhile to get there. Once it does get to the point it is a fun fantasy romp. It is just a shame that I had to read through three quarters of the book to get there.

When I read some background in to this book and its world, I found that it started as a universe to play GRUPS in, pretty much Advanced Dungeons and Dragons, so then the large complex world with tons of characters makes sense because you need to give your players a lot of options, but for a book it kind of comes off like a confused mess. Which is a shame because there are a lot of good ideas, I just wish that Erikson had focused on some of them.

I can tell a lot of work went in to this book, and that if I had any questions about this world at all that Erikson would be able to answer all of them. Maybe if I had visited this world as an adventurer instead of a reader I would have enjoyed myself more, but as it is, I feel like I spent a lot of time working for a small pay off.

August 18, 2014August 18, 2014

Shmee Is Divergent!

With the success of Harry Potter, Twilight and The Hunger Games it is no surprise that movie studios are making movies based on every YA book ever written. Divergent is Lionsgate/Summit Entertainment’s latest take on the genre, and it is a fine film, but it doesn’t do anything to set itself apart from other better movies. You know like the movies I listed before.

Stop me if you have heard this before, a girl in a dystopian future finds out that she is different, and only she can save the world! Well, okay, in this case it is a bombed out Chicago, but it is the world as they know it. The big change in this movie is that they have to choose factions, but they are tested, and they are supposed to choose the faction that the test tells them to pick, sort of like a sorting hat, or a district or something. Beatrice Prior’s (Shailene Woodley) test says she can be whatever she wants; she is divergent!

Anyway you get the general idea. There may be a hunky guy or two in there too just for fun. The story isn’t really that bad. It is just very familiar, and the writers didn’t do a lot to stress the differences in this world to the ones that we have seen before. Almost like they were instead playing up the similarities, which is a shame. As a lover of comic books, I am okay with seeing the same story over and over, I just appreciate it when they at least try and show me something new.

The art direction follows the same path as the writing. It is like they went ahead and copied the color pallets from other films **cough** The Hunger Games **cough**. Though the destroyed Chicago set did look cool, and the city did help his movie at least feel like it was in a different place.

What saved this movie was Shailene Woodley. She is charismatic, and even though her role forces her to be all “woe is me”, she is able to come off as a great leading lady. The rest of the cast however is not as good. Even Kate Winslet gives a pretty one note performance. Maybe now that this movie was a hit the rest of the cast will all try a little harder.

I was pretty hard on this movie, but it wasn’t terrible. It was just all done before, and better. We are getting three more of these films, so they will have a chance to pick it up a bit. I just hope that Insurgent can show us something new.