Geek Rewatch: The Monster Squad

I hate nostalgia.  I really do.  Glorifying stuff from the past simply because it was a beloved thing of the past?  Not for me.  I’d much rather judge something based off its actual quality, not some warm feeling I had when I was ten.  Besides, revisiting a lot of those older things shows many of them weren’t that good to begin with.

So, with that in mind, I decided to check out The Monster Squad just before it left Netflix.  I’d seen it once from start to finish as a kid, remembered more or less liking it, and was wondering how good it actually was.  Anyway, thoughts after the cut.

Marvel’s Phase Two Box Set Artwork Is Awesome

Yes, this is the Phase 2 box set. The discs are in the base.

I might be in the minority around here at Gabbing Geek that still purchases physical media and not digital.  I do both, but there is just something I still like about having that plastic case and piece of cardboard with artwork printed on it that still appeals to me.

So on December 8th I will begin my yearning for the complete Marvel Phase 2 Blu-Ray box set.  I’m still waiting for the Phase 1 box set to become super cheap so that I can pick that one up.  Maybe THIS Black Friday is the one!

But back to Phase 2, I can give or take the elaborate Orb and Infinity Stone packaging.  But the artwork for the individual movies caught my eye.  It is in a similar style to the Phase 1 packaging and really manages to capture the essence of each movie in one minimalist image.

Check them out after the break.

Where Does the Josh Trank Fantastic Four Movie Rank Against Other Superhero Flicks?

You’ve seen me praise the film in my review.  Jenny liked it as well in her review.  The critics combined score over at Rotten Tomatoes was another story.  But again, I feel they missed the boat on this one.

To illustrate how wrong I think the critics are on this one, I decided to examine exactly where Josh Trank’s Fantastic Four ranked relative to the other DC/Marvel superhero movies in the post-Iron Man and Dark Knight era.

My findings after the jump.

Need A Refresher Of The MCU Before Seeing Ant-Man?

Editor’s Note: “Jimmy, why does a ‘refresher’ post have an image of future movies?”

Ok, I could have put any image above that was MCU related, but I saw this cool “Road To Infinity War” image and used that.  After the break, check out two videos that cover the MCU from Iron Man to Ant-Man (no Ant-Man spoilers), with…a bit of a sarcastic view of things.  (Note, some NSFW language.)

The Definitive List Of Marvel’s Phase 2 Star Wars Easter Eggs

“I’m not losing my father’s lightsaber, I’m setting up a movie 38 years from now.”

Marvel mastermind Kevin Feige has been open about his love of Star Wars and revealed years ago his secret Easter Egg nod to Empire Strikes Back in Phase 2 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.  Just like Luke Skywalker famously lost hold of his father’s lightsaber when his dad cut off his hand, every movie in the second phase of the MCU has had someone losing their hand or arm.  Now that Phase 2 is complete with the release of Ant-Man, we can prevent the final list of every Empire-based Marvel severed appendage!  The list even includes all the Marvel TV properties as well!

Jump after the break to see them all, but since the last one is from the recently released Ant-Man then BE WARNED THE REST OF THIS POST CONTAINS ANT-MAN SPOILERS!

Before You See Ant-Man Check Out This Infographic Of All Marvel Movies

This post is so awesome, this isn’t even the infographic!

While Iron Man was the first film of what we now know as the Marvel Cinematic Universe, it was far from the first Marvel film.  That distinction belongs to…ugh…Howard The Duck.  But they followed that up with The Punisher…starring Dolph Lundgren.  And then Captain America and Fantastic Four films so bad they never received theatrical release.  Marvel was really not off to a good start.

But starting in 1998, though there would still be some bumps in the road going forward, Wesley Snipes came along and saved the day.  Yes, Wesley Snipes.

Read more about Blade and all the other Marvel movies on the infographic from shirts.com after the break.

Infographic Wars! All Of Stan Lee’s Marvel Cameos

Ant-Man comes out Friday and is sure to have a Stan Lee cameo.  Need a refresher on all the cameos Stan has made over the years in Marvel films?  Check out the infographic from morphsuits after the break.

Get Your Tickets For The Marvel Movie Marathon!

With Age of Ultron right around the corner, what better to get you prepared for the big event then a Marvel movie marathon. That’s right – 27 straight hours of your favorite Marvel movies. How is this possible you ask? We’ll show you:

Maybe Ultron’s First Act Of Villainy Was To Rip-off Lethal Weapon 2

Everyone is entitled to their own opinion.  Some of them are correct (Matrix is awesome) while others are completely and insanely wrong (Last Crusade and Iron Man 3 are good movies).  But to each their own.  Maybe one of the reasons that I was disappointed with Iron Man 3…was that I had seen it before…

Does Your Favorite Superhero Movie Pass The Bechdel Test?

With Superhero movies becoming more and more popular and prevalent these days, it’s time to discuss the gender balance (or lack there of) we tend to see in such movies. We are familiar with the popularity of Batman, Superman, Spider-man, Ironman, Aquaman(? – if only to Watson), etc. But where do the female superheros fit in this male dominated franchise? With kick-ass characters like Wonder Woman, Supergirl, Blackwidow, and more…how have we failed to properly tip the scales so that movie goers are seeing equal representation on screen?