Spidey...again?

I stumbled across a post on Tumblr talking about another Spider-Man reboot.

And I freaked out. I loved Andrew Garfield as Spider-Man, because I felt like he really captured the character from the comics. He was awkward and adorable as Peter Parker—yet a sarcastic smartass as your friendly neighborhood Spidey. While I wasn’t as familiar with the “Amazing Spider-Man” series as I was with Tobey Maguire’s rendition, I enjoyed the movies greatly and even went to say I liked Garfield’s portrayal more than Maguire’s.

So another reboot was a big no-no in my eyes, until I read a little further.

Apparently, Sony and Disney’s Marvel are talking about some sort of deal to get a Spider-Man cameo in the upcoming Captain America: Civil War. Which means Spider-Man working with the Avengers! Those of you who have visited my blog before know how much I want that to happen in the movies—I talked about it in a previous post. So this is basically great news for me, and I was starting to get on board with this new Spidey reboot.

The only problem? Garfield would no longer be Spider-Man, which would be disappointing.

The upside? MY FAVORITE ACTOR EVER IS MARVEL’S NUMBER ONE CHOICE TO PLAY PETER PARKER.

Logan Lerman, who I have also mentioned quite a few times previously, is the “heavy favorite” for the role. Lerman, who was rumored to play Spidey when The Amazing Spider-Man was introduced, has already stated his interest in being the masked vigilante by saying that Spidey is one of his favorite comic book characters. He’s fantastic at acting in the hero role (see The Three Muskateers or Percy Jackson. While the PJ movies were TERRIBLE, Lerman was always the highlight of them, playing Percy exactly how I pictured him in the books). He’s got talent, and can get into those emotional roles very well, like in The Perks of Being a Wallflower and Fury. I feel like he would nail Peter’s awkwardness perfectly as well as his humorous side. Basically, I really want to see him as Spider-Man and I always have.

I’m so excited for this to happen, actually. Like, I freaked out extensively last night—ahem, and by that I mean jumped up and down multiple times while I screamed, squealed, and called my best friend. Marvel makes fantastic movies, like the most recent Captain America, the three Iron Mans, and The Avengers. I feel like if a reboot is going to happen again, Marvel will do it right.

So what do you think?

Want to know more? Here’s a few links: (x) (x) (x)

The Hobbit

As many of you are aware, The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies premiered in the U.S. on this past Tuesday. I just so happened to preorder tickets for the 7 o’clock showing in my hometown, because I’ve been waiting forever for this final installment of the book adaption.

I am a huge fan of the series, and I’ve read The Hobbit multiple times. Bilbo is a fantastic character that I really relate to. Instead of being the normal male protagonist, who usually is deadly handsome and largely muscular, Bilbo is sensitive and smart. He takes time to think things through before charging into a situation blindly. He also evolves a lot throughout the story, turning away from the soft, scared hobbit to one who is brave and saved his friends on multiple occasions. Martin Freeman plays him spectacularly, and brings out the sassier parts of Bilbo’s personality. I absolutely adore Freeman as this character. He really makes Bilbo the person that you want to survive the epic adventure; he’s the heart of the story.

In contrast, Thorin is definitely the soul of the franchise. He’s bull-headed and stubborn, and also comes off quite grumpy unless he’s sharing an emotional moment with the rest of the company. Richard Armitage was perfect; he held Thorin with that regality, power, and sense of pride that you would expect a king to possess. It’s his story that we’re following; it’s his homeland that they are attempting to reclaim. And as you slowly see his decline into madness over the treasure in the mountain, you feel sympathy and pity for the once great king who is losing his dignity over a large pile of gold. Bilbo balances that out, and acts as Thorin’s anchor throughout that time period, becoming really the only person Thorin can trust in his insanity, even over his own kin. It’s that dynamic in their friendship that keeps you wondering how two completely different people can come together to save their little world.

The movie itself was fairly good, though I would say probably the least so of all Peter Jackson’s adaptions in the Tolkien universe. There was too much “comedic relief” in a movie that should have been dark and serious. The whole thing feels drawn out and rushed at the same time. Some parts focus too much on little petty details, while other scenes could have been greatly elaborated on. There simply was not enough book to be made into three movies, but Jackson did well with the little material that he had.

                The story was still inspiring as a whole, and the ending was almost perfect. The only thing that really irks me is the character of Tauriel. While I am all for an empowered woman being inserted into the male-dominated Tolkien culture, her insertion was done horribly wrong. Instead of being placed as a badass ally, she’s demoted to love interest, who happens to have a few fight scenes. She could have been a huge step towards female involvement in the science fiction genre, but instead she’s used for male motivation in Kili’s character. It’s very disappointing, and also messes with the ending of the battle in a negative way. All in all, however, the ending was still very well done, and I bawled like a baby because it broke my heart more than I was expecting it to. Still, Bilbo’s return to Bag End was absolutely wonderful, and led into the Lord of the Rings perfectly. 

Bane, Magnus

 I feel like every teenager and their mother has read The Mortal Instruments, to be honest.

And if you are part of the small population that hasn’t, then you’ve probably seen the god-awful movie that I will not speak of ever again, because it was truly abysmal and a disgrace to the glory that the books hold.

The series itself had a great set of life lessons that are taught throughout the books. They address things like racial discrimination, prejudice, genocide, sexual orientation, sexism, what it means to be in love, and a lot of other things that teenagers of this generation can relate to. And it does so in a way that is entirely not offensive.

The same goes for The Infernal Devices, Cassandra Clare’s prequel series, but not as much because it is set in the Victorian Era, where things like sexism and sexuality were not openly addressed and opinions on the subjects were looked down upon extremely. And I’m sure each and every problem will be addressed again in her upcoming series, The Dark Artifices.

                But what I want to focus on right now is her recently released collection of short stories titled, The Bane Chronicles. The shorts had been published as ebooks originally, one at a time, and for a few dollars per download. Now, however, they are included in a large book, and available to anyone with access to a bookstore.

                When I stumbled upon the book at Barnes and Noble, I squealed quite loudly in delight. Magnus Bane, the esteemed warlock featured in both The Mortal Instruments and The Infernal Devices is one of my favorites—possibly THE favorite—fictional character that I’ve read about in my short lifespan filled with hundreds of books.

                He’s freaking fabulous, and bisexual, which is great representation for the LBGTQIA community, and it dismisses the popular opinion that bisexuality does not exist.

                The book is about his many adventures and misadventures and frankly is wonderful, because while his is an important character in Clare’s series, he is considered a background character by some. These stories allow a look into his past that we haven’t gotten to see before, and it provides a better sense of his personality, how immortality could wear on a person, and what has shaped his life. It’s great insight to get to know Magnus better, and now I love him even more.

                I think what the most impressive part of the book is that it’s not only written by Clare, but also Sarah Rees Brennan, and Maureen Johnson. You can’t really tell, however. They’re styles of writing and the tone they take throughout the stories flow together seamlessly, creating a wonderful world which revolves around the great and powerful High Warlock of Brooklyn. 

Fandom

I recently found a book by the title of Fangirl at my local book store, and I finished it earlier this week. I haven’t come across a really good book in a while that captured my attention right off the bat, but this one did, because it perfectly explains how important “fandoms” can be to the people who are in them.

                A big stereotype that I’ve heard a lot lately is that a fandom is supposed to be for children that have nothing better to do than fantasize about fictional worlds because they don’t do anything with their lives.

                Why is it portrayed as such a bad thing to be passionate about something? Who gives a crap about what it is, as long as it makes you happy, seriously.

                You want to spend your days reading fanfiction (FYI, that’s not necessarily a bad thing either. Sometimes you don’t want that fictional world to end, so you create your own stories to continue the adventures. There is literally nothing wrong with that. If you don’t agree, it doesn’t mean you have to hate on something that other people enjoy doing. It can be a creative outlet for people who love to write but can’t create their own story), then read some fanfiction. You want to curl up in bed and marathon all six—well, very nearly six—Peter Jackson’s Middle Earth films, go ahead.

                Loving something, even if it’s fictional, is the best thing in the world. You connect with the worlds that you watch and/or read about, and that’s the whole point of them existing. Authors and producers make these things for you to enjoy, and some people may like them more than others. Obsessions happen when you connect with something on an extremely personal level, and you’re supposed to. Authors write characters to be personable, so that you can see yourself or someone you love in those characters. There’s nothing wrong with that.

                Shipping” characters bring fans together, and you connect over seeing—or imagining—two characters in love (p.s. that’s the whole point of a love triangle).

                For example, Supernatural’s 200^th episode (titled, fittingly enough, Fan Fiction) was all about the fans, and what they wanted to see. The show addressed the fandom’s favorite ships, as well as a great line about Dean supporting fans that are into writing their own versions of his life because it might be important to them.

                Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell has a great message in its pages as well. “I don’t want to write my own fiction,” Cath Avery says in the novel. “I don’t want to write my own characters or my own worlds—I don’t care about them. I care about Simon Snow [her obsession]. And I know he’s not mine, but that doesn’t matter to me. I’d rather pour myself into a world I love and understand than try and make something up out of nothing.”

                I’m just fed up with labelling people as nerds or geeks when they happen to like something that isn’t Starbucks or football. 

Buy More Books!

If you’re a book lover like me, you’ll know what I am talking about when I say I have a library in my basement. And there’s no possible way I will read every single book on those shelves in my lifetime. Hell, I’ve got at least ten books sitting on my desk alone that I have yet to read, and every time I walk by them I think, soon. Soon I will find the time to sit down and scour your pages, little book, and then I will know your secrets. And I’m forced to push back that date to another day, even though all I want to do is read another book.

            The real kicker is, is that I keep buying new books that I want to read, even though my collection is far larger than it should be as it is. They keep luring me in like a fish on a hook; I drive by Half-Priced Books or Barnes and Noble and I can’t help but stop. I love the smell of freshly printed books, and I get a little sentimental when I walk into one of the shops and see rows and rows of potential literature.

            In fact, just today I visited both of those stores, and I walked away with two brand new books, forty five dollars poorer, and a wide grin on my face. My two purchases just happen to be Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell and The Bane Chronicles by Cassandra Clare, and I am so excited to read them, when and if I ever find the free time. They joined other titles on my desk such as Silver Shadows by Richelle Mead, Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, and The Perilous Sea by Sherry Thomas.

            And I wonder: why am I so drawn to a book, even if I’m fully aware that I’ll never even open its cover? Maybe I just like it as decoration; after all, having more books makes you look, like, so damn smart, right? Or maybe it’s the smell, like I previously stated I love. Even now, after thinking about it for a while, I’m not entirely sure. Maybe it’s the possibility that someday I will read them all, and it’s a goal I strive to keep.

Harry Potter: More Than Just The Magic

            There are some movies that just stick with us, for reasons that are obvious and reasons that are unknown. Have you ever sat down to a movie you’ve seen a million times and realized you knew every single line before it’s even spoken? It’s that ingrained into your memory; you know it like the back of your hand, and if you’re like me, that’s exactly why you watch and re-watch and re-watch all of your favorite movies: so that you don’t forget a second.

            The current movie in question for me is Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s (Philosopher’s) Stone. I can remember watching it as a small child and immediately thinking, I want to be a wizard more than anything else. I wanted so desperately to be a part of that world; on my eleventh birthday I waited with an impossible hope that my Hogwarts letter would arrive via owl at my window, and I’d be whisked away to London. Unfortunately, that was obviously not the case, and much to my disappointment I continued to be educated on mathematics and English rather than charms and potions.

            As I grew older, however, the allure never dissipated. I still find myself as enraptured with the story as I had been as a child, and now I’m questioning why. Why is it so intriguing? Why do I squeal when I see a picture of my childhood hero (Daniel Radcliffe—or Dan Rad, as I love to call him) speaking out for homosexual or feminist rights? So I popped in the DVD…and practically revisited my entire childhood within one hundred and fifty two minutes. Throughout the entire film I found myself knowing each and every spell, as well as mouthing along with the lines: “You have dirt on your nose, by the way, did you know? Just there.” “She needs to sort out her priorities.” “You LIAR.” Etc.

            It is because I grew up around the movies as well as the books, so it’s familiar like an old friend? Maybe because I simply like the characters, or the fantasy universe? But the more I inspect the movie, it’s got quite a bit of underlying elements included in the plot as well. For one, it deals with child abuse, and how very rarely is it ever recognized or dealt with. Harry is repeatedly abused and neglected by his aunt and uncle after becoming an orphan, and nothing is ever said by any other characters, and he ends up dealing with it until he is seventeen years old. Hogwarts is like a safe haven to Harry, and you can’t help but empathize with the struggles that he deals with.

            The movie also addresses how it feels to stand out from your peers. Harry is an outsider, famous because of something he doesn’t remember, and he also grew up outside of the wizard community. This makes him ignorant of many wizard customs, causing him to stand out even more. The movies deal with bullying— Neville is constantly bullied by Professor Snape, Harry because of his fame, Ron because of his lack of wealth, and Hermione because of her Muggle upbringing. Great prejudice is evident towards Muggle-borns (hating known to racists as “Mudbloods”), which motivates Lord Voldemort’s systematic and ruthless attempts at their extinction, as well as dominating non-magic folk. The series deals with a number of dark themes, that are explored and elaborated on throughout their adventures, and they contribute greatly towards the characters’ developments.

            There are many good themes throughout the stories as well, however. The eternal struggle between good and evil, and how good always prevails. Friendship, bravery, and love are dominant themes in the movies as well as the books, and is often inspires people to rebel against Voldemort’s rise to power. Ultimately, love and loyalty are the reason Harry Potter survives, and the reason his story is so compelling.

Harry is a great role model for kids to look up to—including my younger self. And now seeing articles and quotes about the actors standing up for basic human rights adds to that. Not only do they play inspiring characters, but they are inspiring people in real life as well. Statements like, “Realizing that other people have a problem with [homosexuality] was the weirdest thing for me. As a kid it wasn't even something that was mentioned. It was never something that was even explained to me. It was just, ‘That's Mark and he's gay.’ Mark was just another friend of my dad's who would talk about his boyfriend instead of his girlfriend. I was 5. I didn't care. It seemed perfectly normal, and still does..."(x) from Daniel are amazing. Emma Watson’s UN speech was equally marvelous, as well as the #heforshe tag on twitter that arose because of it.

I just adore the work that the actors have put into the movies; the fact that they have changed lives, and continue to change lives, astounds me, and I no longer wonder why I am so obsessed with the stories. The adventures are bigger than the antagonist and the protagonist; they point out the horrible and the wonderful events of life in a way that is also entertaining. I am proud to be a fan of something that is so phenomenal, and everlasting.