Man of Steel: The Good, The Not-So Good and The...oh my gosh Henry Cavill is H-O-T!

I love Superman. I could watch and read about him for days. I love him as a superhero, I love him as an allegorical representation of American values and of globalization. I love him as a semiotic interpretation of what it means to be American (more on that here). He is the ultimate hero. I think that it is because of this love, not in-spite of it, that the latest incarnation of this hero leaves me wanting and yearning for a Superman who may not want to be the embodiment of a culture and who may not be the man I thought he was. I'm not sure I can exactly explain why Man of Steel doesn't have me doing cartwheels naked in the rain, but I'll try below.

Here is the requisite spoiler alert...of course, there are going to be spoilers. If you've never seen a Superman movie or watched "Smallville" or "Lois and Clark" or a Star Wars movie, or the Matrix trilogy, you might want to avert your eyes.

The Good

1. It's Superman, how could it not be good. There are so many touching human scenes (mostly told in flashback, my favorite device) to tell us the story of Superman and, if you think you know the story think again because some aspects have been turned on their heads in surprising mostly not unpleasant ways.
2. It would seem that everyone knows who Superman really is, as he's been traveling the world under assumed names, which I found interesting to see played out in the movie.
3. Lois Lane is not a girly girl, although she looks like one. Because she figures out who Superman is early on, we get to see all the mushy romantic stuff and it doesn't get kissed away at the end.
4. I love that there's so much time devoted to Krypton and Krypton is marvelous. There's some sort of flying dragon creature and tall dark buildings and pod babies (think The Matrix, not Pod people). Russell Crowe rocks as Jor-El (and, he better as we get to see a lot of him throughout the movie--another pleasant surprise) and I like the Lara is a fleshed out character who doesn't just wilt into the snowy white background.
5. General Zod isn't just a villain he's a terrorist. And, like most terrorist he's literally been programmed to keep Krypton and his way of life safe by any means necessary. Wow, that's powerful to watch.

The Not-So Good

1. I am tired, literally, of fight scenes that last so long that I forget who's fighting and why; I forget what I'm watching. There is a fight scene at the end of this movie that makes those long scenes in The Matrix: Reloaded and Revolutions seem short and kind of wimpy). Where are all the people? Aren't Superman and General Zod killing half of Metropolis as they throw each other into the sky to come crashing down on cars and lamp poles? Isn't Metropolis smashed into the ground, as they use each other to knock down entire buildings and turn whole entire city blocks into burning piles of debris? It feels like the filmmakers thought we'd just forget that. I can't, as that's some epic destruction that will take years to rebuild. That's a lot of trauma to the innocent lives of people we see scurrying away from the ruble and the flames.
2. Call me a purist, but I really don't like Jonathan Kent in this movie. To clarify or muddy the waters, whatever, I totally like the way Kevin Costner plays Jonathan Kent, but his stubborn, Jesus-like sacrifice is a bit much.
3. Where's my funny witty dialogue via Lois and Clark banter?
4. Where's my NERDY Clark!? He was on screen for about 10 seconds...instead we get Rugged Frontier Clark for about half the movie. Rugged? Clark? Even shirtless, I didn't really like it.
   
5. Ok, so I'm only well-schooled in certain aspects of Superman lore and mythology, but isn't he not supposed to kill anyone? I do not like that he snaps the neck of General Zod to save that family. I understand that Zod didn't give him a choice, I understand that Zod couldn't go on living if his plan didn't work, I understand that it would have been improbable if Zod had lived in the end but did Superman really HAVE TO SNAP HIS [INSERT YOUR CUSSWORD OF CHOICE] NECK!? I don't think so and that whole bit felt like it was on purpose as I think I was able to adjust to every part of this reboot, but that. It kind of reminded me of that part in Star Wars Episode III...I spent most of I and II wondering how they were going to make Anakin evil enough that he'd go to the dark side and when he kills that group of little adorable Jedi padawans it broke my heart in a way that I've yet to recover. I'm having that same feeling now. And, while he feels remorse and cries into Lois' waiting arms he friggin' SNAPPED HIS NECK! Ohhhh, the humanity.

The...oh my gosh Henry Cavill is H-O-T
I'm sorry I only gave him a slight nod when seeing him in Stardust a few years back. Perfect Superman...the proof is below.

and, finally...

The Elephant in the Room
I really, really like Superman Returns. I suppose I like it because it helps me to forget those awful movies after Superman II and it reminisces a bygone era and pays homage to the late and perfectly great Christopher Reeves and his 'Superman Saga'...I don't understand how people think this is a bad thing.

In conclusion to this long Superman ramble...
Will I watch it again? Yes (maybe in the theatres, since my husband didn't go see it with me). Will I own it on Blu-Ray the second it comes out? Of course. Will I watch the next one, although I have no idea where they're going to go after this? Most definitely, and in the theatres. Will I learn to gush and love it as much as other people seem to do? I dunno, ask me tomorrow, right now I'm busy watching Superman and Superman II, after that I may watch ...Returns, you know, for closer.

Lifetime Movies: The Drinking Game

Here's the deal, I've got a rather big confession to make. I love Lifetime movies. This includes all those Sunday night movies from the 80s, Hallmark movies, and any movie that actually came out in the movie theatres that should have been a LTM--you know what movies I'm talking about Dying Young and Stepmom (what's up with the sappy movies, Julia?) and Sweet November come to mind.

I am now at the time in my summer where I'm spending my free time reading books and watching Lifetime movies. They're my favorite time-wasters, what's not to like about them? They have pretty people, romance, drama, excellent dialogue, superb acting, catchy titles and wonderful life lessons. They can be watched alone, tissue in hand (admit it, some of them really do pull at your heart-strings) or with a group where all of the above become a way for you to let off steam as you laugh at/with (?) the people and plot.

I believe the best joy of a LTM is that I can love and be totally in one of these movies while still laughing my butt off at the absurdity of it all. Of course, this brings to me my next point and to the title of my post...I have no idea why I've never thought of this before, LTMs should be a drinking game! I've googled and found several, but they don't really address some of the finer points of the reasons why I watch LTMs--the points that require the cerebrum. My friend and I decided the drinking game would be more fun if we drank kool-aide instead of alcoholic beverages (as lame/cheesetastic movies call for lame/cheesetastic entertainment), although I see how it could go either way, especially after a stressful week of grading and such.

So, here's the game, and, yes, I know this may be the most inappropriate post I've ever written, but I really wanted to share...really, really, really.

Take a drink every time...

• there's a flashback. Take two drinks if the flashback is hazy because there's some sort of filter on the lens or if the flashback is in black and white when the rest of the movie is in color.
• the mother is wretchedly horrible. Take another if that means the mother lies to 'protect' her children. Take another if the mother plots to or actually kills someone to 'protect' her children.
• someone dies. Guzzle if the death is the major plot point of the movie and requires tears from the audience.
• if the actors look at the camera, therefore breaking the fourth wall.
• the death of someone is mentioned, especially if it's a catalyst for a life-changing event.
• you see or hear the mention of a diary/journal/old letters.
• if the movie is based on a true story.
• you cry.
• a woman cries. Take two if a man cries. Take another if he cries because of some sort of abuse reversal.
• there's a montage. Add another if that montage is in a flashback.
• there's an 'inappropriate' relationship. You be the judge of what's inappropriate. My favorites are step-children falling in love with each other and May-December romances where the woman is older and the man is almost not a man. Drink another if someone you are with doesn't understand your definition of 'inappropriate', you prude!
• oh, heck, guzzle during the 15 minutes of the movie that has the couple yearning as they go their different ways--although they don't want to do so. at. all. If the whole movie revolves around this plot point, um, you may be drunk or have to pee (for those kool-aide drinkers) by the end.
• drink if there are bandages. Drink more if there are crutches. Drink more if there's a terminal illness. Drink more if there are missing limbs. If those missing limbs are due to an accident or a war, pass your drink to a friend make sure the friend drinks before giving it back.
• if it's Christmas.
• if it's Thanksgiving.
• when the title is mentioned (and, it will be mentioned, however, some are more subtle than others). If the title is the name of a person, drink every time that person is called by name. If the title is also in the title song...um...guzzle away.
• if there are abandoned children. Take 3 drinks if those abandoned children become killers.
• if there are children and the adults are hard to find or are dumb or act like children.
• every time you notice the 'acting'...shout 'acting' before drinking.
• guzzle if a person of color is in the lead-role and this person actually just has a normal life...ie. he isn't accused of a crime or...oh, wait, there are no LTMs that have people of color in lead roles. Drink if there's actually a person of color in the movie at all. Drink two if that person is defying a stereotype. Drink again because you recognized said stereotype--shame on you.
• if the guy is persistent and it doesn't seem creepy or stalkerish in any way. 
• if the movie was once a book. Drink again if you knew that without looking it up. Drink again if you had to look it up, why didn't you already read the book?
• if there's a voice-over. Drink again if the voice-over is during the montage.
• if you fall in love with the romantic lead (male or female) at the end of the movie.
• if there's a:
• cheerleader, sports player, doctor, lawyer-1 drink
• artist or writer-2 drinks 
• a divorced woman in mourning-3 drinks
• a divorced man in mourning-4 drinks
• a dentist-5 drinks...you're going to need them as the movie is going to be pretty intense

Best played with the following:
Brian's Song
Dancing at the Harvest Moon
Doing Time on Maple Drive
For the Very First Time
A Kidnapping in the Family (or, as my friend calls it, "My Mom Stole My Baby")
Our House (or, as another friend of mine and I like to call it, "Ruth's Roses")
She Fought Alone
Sin of Innocence
The Love Letter
The Promise
Thursday's Child
Tully
[insert your favorite LTM here]

More games can be found here (warning these don't call for kool-aide): HeadDesk, Philolzophy

My Take on The Trilogy Meter

So, I saw the original Trilogy Meter on FB and decided to create my own. This guy beat me to it and even has a template so EVERYONE can do it! My Trilogy Meter is below. Below the meter are some explanations if you are so inclined.

Of Note

1. Dan Meth, owner of the original, understands that some of the trilogies on the meter went way longer than 3 movies, but none of them were supposed to do so.
2. My meter, like all the meters before it, is based solely on enjoyment factor. My initial enjoyment factor and my enjoyment in relation to the movies in its given trilogy. It is in no way a science...at. all.
3. In keeping with the comments at ATOMIC DONKEY, my Star Trek trilogy is The Wrath of Khan, The Search for Spock and The Voyage Home.

Star Wars If I were going to put all six in order it would be: The Empire Strikes Back, A New Hope, Return of the Jedi, Attack of the Clones, Phantom Menace, Revenge of the Sith.

Indiana Jones All four in order...Raider's of the Lost Ark, The Last Crusade, Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, every episode of Young Indy and then The Temple of Doom.

The Matrix...why yes, no matter how cool, a fight scene CAN be too long...the first one still blows my mind.

Star Trek All 12 in order...here we go! Search for Spock, Wrath of Khan, Insurrection, First Contact, Into Darkness, Star Trek, Generations, Voyage Home, The Final Frontier, The Motion Picture, Nemesis, The Undiscovered Country (of course, ask me tomorrow and I may change my mind!).

Superman I, II, Superman Returns, The Quest for Peace, III...I'm looking forward to the new one. Although, I guess I'm one of a handful of people who liked Brandon Routh and what they did with that film. Actually I love that film.

Jurassic Park I, III, The Lost World and then Godzilla with Matthew Broderick, oh wait, that wasn't part of this series...oops. I am looking forward to IV.

X-Men X-Men, First Class, Wolverine (mostly because of Ryan Reynolds), every animated movie and I don't even want to put Last Stand on here, but, well, it's last. Looking forward to the next movie as I love, love, love the X-Men.

Spiderman Pretty much in order...haven't seen the latest one, as even Topher Grace couldn't help me over that last one, let's not even call them by name. Um, the most perfect kiss in the first one was ruined in the end. Ugh.

LoTR In order...that last one was so long. I'm loving The Hobbit and I thank the Heavens that I've read the book again and am ready for the next 2 1/2 hr. roller coaster ride.

Mad Max I love this trilogy and I created my uncle for that. What is this...dystopic? post-apocalyptic? Whatever it is...it's a wild ride for sure! And, where is that Mel Gibson, can we have him back please?

Jaws When you make a perfect first movie, it's so hard to match it, and, well Jaws is so darned perfect.

Back to the Future "Nobody calls me chicken!"...fun the first time, not so fun by the end. I love, love, love the first movie. We saw it in the theatre.

Die Hard Love the first two, love Live Free or Die Hard...I think that means there are a couple in there that I do not love, love, but I still take them over many action movies nowadays.

Blade One of the few comic book movies that I knew nothing about going in. Love the first one, and I can watch the third one over and over...probably because of Ryan Reynolds. Hey, it isn't a problem if you admit it.

Planet of the Apes The latest one was pretty scary and the first one blew my mind...so I can watch all others.

Godfather I love it when Comedy Central plays these movies in timeline order. I love one and two together (they're like the book then)...what happened to three? Um, could it be the ending? Probably.

Rocky Um, three and four kind of killed me, or maybe they kill me now and a long time ago I liked them...there is that scene in the snow in the 4th one and the last one Rocky Balboa was kind of bittersweet.

Terminator Love them all, will watch them all in the theatre...well, as long as they keep making them.

Rambo Wow, Sly Stallone can really kick some butt, except for in that last one that felt like an Arnie movie...something that would have been just fine, had it been an Arnie movie...alas and anon.

Batman I assume this meter is for the 80s/90s Batman movies as the original Trilogy meter came out in 2009. Although I like the Christian Bale Batman best, a lot can be said for the campy Batman of my youth. Batmans in order: Christian Bale, Michael Keaton, Adam West, George Clooney and Val Kilmer...am I missing one? Chris O'Donnell as Robin...yes, please! Joseph Gordon-Levitt as the next Batman...or as Robin or whatever...yes, please!

Alien We won't talk about those Alien versus...movies...instead let's focus on how much the first two scared the heck right out of me and alien movies have been trying to do that ever since.




Thanks for geeking out with me. Feel free to link your Trilogy Meter below. I'd love to see it.

Ok, ok, I hope the new Doctor Who is a guy...

...and, here's why.

I'll be using the article The Good Doctor: Four Arguments For Why Doctor Who Should Get A Female Doctor to create my counter argument.

A little background
My sister turned me on to the good doctor. She doesn't geek out much, but when she does it's usually for a classy reason. I borrowed Series One from a friend, bought Series Two and Three and then watched Netflix, until I'd seen every show for doctors 9-11. I've watched a few of the specials of doctors 1-8, I've read a few Doctor books, but I'm pretty sure I'll never catch-up to 50 years of The Doctor. I'm truly not at all competent enough to give you a run down of the show save the last three doctors. There's too much for me to be truly obsessed, but I do LOVE, LOVE, LOVE the show.

So, here are the four arguments that Bitch magazine presents and then argues against. I'll be telling you why I agree with them.

1.  “It doesn’t fit the logic of the series to have a woman Doctor.”
We're looking at the logic of the series not the logic of the universe. As a Time Lord who travels through time and space in a SciFi show we all get that there really isn't much logic of the universe, but each SciFi show follows its only specific tenants. Here are the tenants of Doctor Who:

1] When Doctor Who is fatally wounded instead of dying he regenerates into a different person. He said at one time that he could regenerate up to 13 times...I'm guessing this isn't literally.
2] With each regeneration he retains the memories, experiences and personality of the doctors before him.
3] The first regeneration happened because the first doctor passed away and needed to be replaced.

So, the logic of the series dictates that the doctor will regenerate and that this regeneration, caused by Matt Smith leaving the show, will retain the memories, experiences and personality of the other doctors. This includes his marriage to River Song, who never once recalls him being a girl, his love of Rose, K-9, Sara Jane and so on...

It isn't that a female Doctor is unbelievable, it's just that it doesn't follow with the lore, legacy...the logic of the series. A series that has been on so long has so much history that must be adhere to, or that history must be rewritten. I'm not going to deny the fact that writers can do anything with a show, but I'm not sure I can do more rewrites (I'm onboard with Star Trek, I'm excited about Star Wars, but...please don't make me relearn Doctor Who).

2. “But he always has been played by a white British/Scottish actor, so he always will be.”
Hmmmm...in this case gender is more important than race. I can't believe I just wrote that, but it is a fact. An actor who isn't white, but still British/Scottish can still be written into the lore/legacy/logic of the story. Again, I go back to The Doctors I know, when we first meet River Song, she's calling herself by a different name and she's definitely black. She isn't, however, a boy. We learn along with everyone else that she is Rory and Amy's daughter. She doesn't regenerate into a boy and tell us that the doctor is her husband. She is Melody Pond from beginning to end. Now, I understand that the doctor doesn't have to always be a girl, just as he doesn't have to always be black. I understand that it's time for The Doctor to reflect the culture in which he lives. He can do that by being whatever race at all and still be the male outlined in the series.

If anything The Doctor can turn into an American. It would just make sense since every American comic superhero nowadays seems to be played by a British person, but I digress.

3. “As long as Steven Moffat is the Executive Producer, the Doctor will never be a woman.”
And, why does it matter if we change that? He is the Executive Producer after all. Why does The Doctor have to be a woman for us to say that Moffat is a lover of women. I enjoyed and miss Amy Pond as she is more like me than Rose will ever be. And, while I like my female characters to kick butt, I also like my female characters to do more than that.

4. “He’s the constant while everything around him changes.”
Because the Good Doctor is based on 50 years of tradition. He is the only constant in a world that changes. New writers can come in, new actors can give the doctor different bits of flair, but he still has that collective consciousness that makes him who he is. When we want a female character in a show we create a female character (think Batgirl, Supergirl etc.), sometimes we create a whole new show for that character, why are we trying to turn a male character into a female? If someone can answer that question with something other than 'It's time' or 'Why not?'...I'm ready to listen.

Finally, I have to agree with this comment, also in the article:

“As a big Doctor Who fan, I am highly resistant to anyone other than a male from the UK playing the Doctor because of history and tradition.   Change for the sake of change is not always the way to go.”

And, until you can prove to me that we won't have a girl doctor just for the sake of having a girl doctor, I'm giving two thumbs up for history and tradition.

Well, except for that American thing...who says The Doctor can't be American, I'm thinking he could be a guy much like guys from the Midwest, surely the TARDIS can fit a horse and other Midwestern stereotypical accoutrements.

Hmmmm, then again, maybe not.

65 Books in a Year: Book #16 Class of '88 Sophomore

I've been reading With Rigor for All: Meeting Common Core Standards for Reading Literature. I feel like I could've written the book (if I'd ever had my act together) as Jago says things that I either do in my classroom or believe. In one of these instances she talks about the importance of reading literature true, but she also talks about the joys of re-reading.

One of my favorite quotes:

"Books ask readers to look inward, to examine our beliefs in light of new information, to consider the world through different eyes, to take time for reverie and reflection."

After reading that don't you want to just reread every book you've ever read as just the act of reading has made you look at the themes, characters and life in generally differently.

I'm looking at this series in two ways 1] as a piece of nostalgia and 2] as a how-to manual of sorts. I'll be talking about each book in this manner.

Class of '88 Sophomore

The Story

I know that the first book in this series can be seen as the exposition and really reading again I felt like a lot of 'action' didn't necessarily happen. The second book in the series adds some of that rising action. Denying his feelings for Meg, Nick dates a lot of shallow girls. Whitney Hahn shows her true colors and not soon enough. Celia finally finds a guy who isn't all looks and he's actually more than she can handle. Allie has LP and art and a new life, but she's still mourning the loss of her best friend. Meg has buried herself in school, only to find Nick show up at the most awkward of times. And, Sean realizes that part of growing up may mean that you have to leave behind those people who don't want to see you for who you are.

As A Piece of Nostalgia

This is my favorite of the four books as I remember my sophomore year being as confusing as this. Again, I remember not liking Ceci, especially after how she treats her boyfriend. I also remember part of me understanding the part of her that wanted to do anything to be popular. In 6th grade, I remember, very vividly, not being nice to people only having to apologize for my behavior later. The fact the Celia wants to be so popular seems ridiculous now, however, and she's even more annoying than she was the first time around. Her boyfriend is definitely too good for her. Allie is pretty annoying, as well. Her neediness and need to define herself through others, however, also rings a little true. I like how these three girls are written in such a way that it's easy to see myself in each of them.

As A How to Manual

I teach sophomores so it was fun to read this book with them in mind. I simultaneously thought of my students 20 years younger than me and of the first time I read this book. These five characters will always seem older than me, even though I have surpassed them. I wonder where they are now. I wonder where my students will be in 20 years and if they'll remember their sophomore year at all.

Seriously, rereading that confrontation between Nick and Meg in the car still makes me feel so many emotions.

65 Books in a Year: Book #15 Class of '88 Freshman

Ok, so I first read this series in 6th grade. While I was completing the April A-Z Challenge, this series became my topic for "T", I decided to read the whole series again.

I read the series a lot while growing up and you'd think with how often I talk about it (read more about that here, here, and here) that I'd have already reread it for this blog. It wasn't that I didn't want to read the series again, it was just that I had such fond memories of it that I didn't want my adult brain to ruin it. I LOVE THIS SERIES SO MUCH!

So, I reread it with trepidation and then a funny thing happened. While thinking of myself as a freshman, sophomore, junior or senior in high school, I was also thinking about my students.

Thinking about the books in this manner made me look at each in two ways 1] as a piece of nostalgia and 2] as a how-to manual of sorts. I'll be talking about each book in this manner.

Class of '88 Freshman
The Story
I think this book has one of the best beginnings. Five friends all wrapped up in one another in their childhood hang-out, a tree house, anxiously waiting for the first day of school. Only this first day won't be like any other as they are going to a brand-new high school and several junior highs are flowing into make up the student body. Allie and Cecilia are so different that they must be best friends. Nick and Meg are the group leaders and also the best of friends. Sean is the nerdy member of the group, best friend to all, but sort of an outsider as well. Their experiences are typical of every high school freshman. Allie and Cecilia want to try out for cheerleading, but only one has the looks and the potential. The other must find another way to fit in. Their friendship slowly fades. In a different atmosphere Nick and Meg realize that they may be more than friends; the only problem is that they realize this at different times. This goes on through-out their high school experience. And, Sean has to realize that he's more than the smart hanger-on to a star football player. He must find his own merit. It takes a shocking event for him to begin the journey.

As A Piece of Nostalgia
I remembered reading this for the first time and being enthralled with the idea of high school. While the story that occurs in this book (five friends entering a new high school) doesn't happen to everyone the feelings of alienation, dependence, independence and wanting to fit in are still quite real. I thought maybe this time around that I would feel a little more for the character I like the least (Cecilia) but I found myself disliking her more as I've realized those kinds of girls actually just grow up to marry boys like them and neither of them really change much, they just have annoyingly shallow children that I have to teach. I sympathized more will Allie as a kid than I do now as well as I know that girls like her turn out alright in the end. I hate her parents, but some parents are just too selfish for words. There is a scene with Sean towards the end of the book that still breaks my heart and makes me wonder how kids (same cruelty only more passive now) can be such bullies. I still have a deep love for Nick and Meg as I see myself in Meg (aside from that long hair thing) and I believe that Nick tainted (still debating whether this is good or bad) the way that I look at all boys, even today. I love how his character develops throughout the books.

As A How to Manual
Freshmen really do have bigger fish to fry than finishing their homework. They are trying to fit into high school. They are trying to understand how and why friendships are changing. They are being looked at and talked to by upper classmen. All of this is going on outside of my class. And, although I am with some of them more than they are with their parents that doesn't mean I am with them 24/7. So much inner turmoil and feelings are churning up during this year. It's a wonder that any learning occurs at all.

Seriously, this is probably the first book that I read from my youth that stood up to my feelings as an adult. I want to read it again, right now.

Star Trek: Into Darkness...I'm rather fond of the colon

SPOILERS of everything Star Trek abound below!!!

A little history into my life as a Trekkie of the mild variety (no, I don't find the word 'trekkie' offensive and neither should you!)
I remember watching "Star Trek: The Wrath of Khan" at the drive-in at Ava, Missouri. I was six and my mother, uncles, aunts and the three of us piled into a couple cars to head out. I remember sitting in the hatch-back and looking up at the guy from "Fantasy Island". Surprisingly, I didn't notice how much of Ricardo's muscled chest we get to see (I'm not sure I like his warrior look!). We are a SciFi family and I remember watching "Star Trek" reruns after school. I remember loving Captain Pike played by Jeffrey Hunter. I love the Q and the Borg. I don't even know what ST movie is my favorite as I can talk about one and think it's the answer ("Insurrection" comes to mind) and then see one of my favorite scenes from another (the last 20 minutes of "Wrath of Khan" are so powerful) and waffle buckling under the pressure of a clever turn of phrase or plot line. I used to have ST: TNG stickers from cereal boxes stuck to my closet door. I love Commander Riker. I wanted hair like Troy. When I first went to Las Vegas I had to ride the "Star Trek Experience" at the Hilton. I bought gold-pressed Latinum chocolate bars. Um, I want to make an original Star Trek girl uniform out of a t-shirt. I want a phaser. I will watch every ST movie in the theatre. When she is old enough, I will start bringing my kiddo along.

OK, so now we've got that out of the way...whew...I'd like to talk about this latest reason to watch Benedict Cumberbatch...er I mean the latest Star Trek movie. We watched Into Darkness for my birthday, thank-you husband for the lovely present and thanks friends for the lovely day of used bookstore shopping and awesome dinnertime fun after the movie.

Spock versus Spock, Or How I Stopped Gasping and Learned to Love the Melding of Timelines
Going into the 2009 ST I wondered how Abrams was going to pull off rebooting the story while keeping the franchise intact. Literally the whole audience cheered when Leonard Nemoy appeared and I began to understand that making a 'what-if' timeline allowed everyone to have the best of both worlds. AND...there are two perfectly multifaceted Spocks...yes, the best darned reason of all! I don't think I need to mention that new timeline Spock dates a black girl (don't think I didn't notice that one)...actually, that little argument as they headed to Kronos seemed a little too familiar. Hmmm...It's nice to think I'm married to Spock. Seriously, "The Wrath of Khan" and "The Search for Spock" made me cry buckets and still would if I let them. I love that we get the bitter (so many death scenes) with the sweet in this timelines. I do wonder, though, who else are they going to bring back and what does that mean for both timelines and while my husband says that things go downhill when you add alternate universes and people coming back from the dead JJ Abrams, cinema god that he is, makes it all work so beautifully. I also love the humor that we see in these films. And, if you want to see the dueling Spocks check this out. Thank-you lovely Barkers for showing it to us the other evening.

Khhhhaaaaannn!
Holy wow! so my friends and I all hung out the other day so I could watch "The Wrath of Khan" with "Into Darkness" in my mind and my friends could watch "Khan" for the first time--I know, I know, I'm such a bad friend--I didn't know they'd never seen it. Ricardo Montalban's Khan seemed a wee bit one-sided...you killed my wife blah, blah, blah, revenge, blah, blah, blah, the more I suffer the more you suffer blah, blah, blah. I never felt any type of positive feeling for him. I was never on his side and I never wanted him to win to prove a point. Benedict Cumberbatch, however, plays Khan with so many facets that at one point I thought that we were going to be joining sides and I was thinking about how amazingly fun it would be on the Enterprise with Khan as we fought the Borg (pre-Hugh, of course) or tongue-twisted with Q. I was beginning to like him, and I didn't care that he killed Marcus and I was sad that he was so upset at being reanimated (or, whatever it is that you do when you unthaw someone whose been cryogenically frozen). Poor Khan. I'm glad that Spock got to beat the dickens out of him. I'm glad he isn't dead in the end.

Oh my gosh, that ending! *SPOILERS*
So, we've already talked about the timelines, but let's talk about what that means. It means that really nerdy/geeky Trek fans can compare the bifurcations against one another. And, it's in these branches that we see what great care Abrams and crew have taken to preserve the Roddenberry universe while creating a new universe. I love watching these movies taking what I know from the previous movies and seeing where things are going to change and what that means for the rest of the storyline. Throughout we are reminded of the "Kobayashi Maru"; we are reminded that every choice, even the right one has consequences. I can't wait to see what refreezing Khan and using his blood to save Kirk does to this new universe.

Favorite Quotes
"I have no idea what I'm supposed to do. I only know what I can do."

"Attention John Harrison. This is Captain Hikaru Sulu of the USS Enterprise. A shuttle of highly trained officers is on its way to your location. If you do not surrender to them immediately, I will unleash the entire payload of advanced long-range torpedoes currently lock on to your location. You have two minutes to confirm your compliance. Refusal to do so will result in your obliteration. And, if you test me, you will fail."

"Tell me, are you feeling homicidal, power mad, despotic?"

And, because I have a friend from Iowa and I need more ways to tease her about her Iowegianess
"Are you out of your corn fed mind?"

To wrap up: love the reboot, love that we've got Star Trek with TNG wittiness, I may be in love with JJ Abrams, love Spock, more Uhura/Spock liplocking please, can't wait for the next one.

Oh, and I really want to see it again...any takers?