Captain America 75 Heroic Years Special

"Captain America: 75 Heroic Years" is a one hour special that follows the history of Captain America from 1941 to the present. It explores how the character has, "been a reflection of the changing times and the world he has existed in throughout the years." The special includes interviews with Stan Lee, Joe Quesada, Clark Gregg, Ming-Na Wen, Chloe Bennet, Jeph Loeb, Louis D’Esposito, Chris Evans and Hayley Atwell, as well as family members of Cap’s creators.

 

I was finally able to watch this, they aired it before the 2 hours Agent Carter S2 premiere on Wednesday. I've always liked Captain America, but when they started to make the current Marvel movies I really got into what he stood for and could really identify with alot of his morals and ideals. I really enjoyed this hour long special. I learned more about The Captain and his creation. It was interesting to see why he was made and what he stood for during the early years and wartime. I liked that this special started at the very beginning and went all the through to the new movie that will be coming out this summer Captain America: Civil War. If you get a chance and like Captain America you need to watch this special.

Moffat Leaving Doctor Who

Today Steven Moffat announced that he will be stepping down as the show runner of Doctor Who after this tenth season is complete. I have mixed feelings about this as I think Moffat has written some of the best episodes of Who but as a show runner he's been a hit and miss. I haven't really LOVED Doctor Who since the Tennent years. I've enjoyed storylines, characters and episodes during Moffats run as show runner but not like I did with Davis as the show runner.

As I said.. Moffat is great at writing episodes, "Girl in the Fireplace" will always be my all time favorite episode of Who and his two-part episodes like The Empty Child & The Doctor Dances and Silence in the Library & Forest of the Dead are amazing. He even wrote what I think it probably one of the most popular and most fan loved episodes called Blink.. so he knows his Who. I will admit that I have really enjoyed this last season (season nine) of Who and I'm looking forward to season ten. I think overall this is a good thing. Moffat can go back to writing amazing stand alone episodes in the future.

You can read more about this departure HERE.

NerdStrong Gym - Workout Recap

Another full week of workouts for me. Saturday CON day, Sunday TEAM day, Tuesday DEX day, Wednesday CON day and Thursday STG day. 

For Saturday we continue our Deadpool mini boss battle. There were three different 8 Minute AMRAPS (As Many Rounds of Possible). First one was titled "Wade" and we had to do 10x Thrusters and 10x Scap Pulls. The next one was titled " Winton" and we had to do 20x MedBall Slams and 10x Dumbbell Lat Raises. And the final battle was titled "Wilson" and consisted of 10x Kettlebell Swings and 10x Thrusters. We also had a finisher which was 3 rounds of :30 seconds of Seated Lemon Squeezes, :30 seconds of Seated Heel Touch, :30 seconds of Side Planking Left, :30 seconds of Side Planking Right and then :30 seconds of rest. It was pretty horrible. But as horrible as it was it was a great workout.

Sunday TEAM themed workout was all about Labyrinth, which is one of my all time favorite fantasy movies so I was really looking forward to this one. We teamed up into teams of 3, one was Jareth, one Sarah and one Toby. We each take turn being each character. Every minute we would change. We spent 3 minutes at each station which meant we all got to everyone once. Jareth works with a slamball and does an overhead rotation. Sarah does whatever the workout is at the station and Toby is a baby so you got to rest when you were him.

There were five different stations, Station one was titled "Would You Go Left or Right" and we had to do 20 meter sprints. Station two was titled "We Are Helping" and we had to do Bench Dips. For Station three it was titled "Jump Magic Jump" and we had to do Jump Rope. Station four was titled "Suspended Above the Bog" and we did a Hollow Hang and the fifth Station was titled "How You Turned My World" and had to do Step Ups.

We did two rounds and about halfway through round 1 the Junk Lady showed up and we had to grab something heavy (kettlebell, mace, club, weight) and run around the parking lot once (230 meters).

For the finisher it was titled Dance Magic Dance and they played the song from Labyrinth and everytime we heard Dance Magic we had to do V-Ups and then turn over on our stomach and do Supermans when we head Jump Magic. If you know the song they say Dance Magic and Jump Magic alot.. it was some major core work but also a total blast. Had a great workout.

For Tuesday DEX class we did Hollow Holds, Handstands, Mace Squat Curls, Jumping Jacks and Leg Extensions. I love when we do handstands. I use to be able do free standing handstands but that was in my 20's. I can still do handstands but I'm not the best when it comes to moving away from the wall, which is what we worked on today. I know with practice I'll be able do to a free standing handstand once again.

Wednesday's CON class was super tough, It was all about kettlebells. We started with good warm up then did some nice stretching for our proficiency.  The quested consisted of 3 rounds of 10x Kettlebell Pendulum and 10x Kettlebell Swings. Then the battle was like a mini boss, we started with 15 Kettlebell Swings, then 30x Kettlebell Deadlifts, 15 Kettlebell Swings, 30x V-Ups, 15 Kettlebell Swings, 30x Push Ups, 15 Kettlebell Swings, 30x Goblet Squats, 15 Kettlebell Swings, 30x Scaps Push Ups, 15 Kettlebell Swings, 30x Knee Raises, 15 Kettlebell Swings, 30x Burpees and finally our last set of 15 Kettlebell Swings. As I said.. lots and lots of Kettlebell Swings.

Thursday we did my least favorite barbell workout.. the Bear Complex, which is a Clean to a front squat, to a push press, to a back squat and then back down again. It's a lot of movements and after three or four times you're arms start feeling it. After the Bear Complex we did a Farmers Walk which is walking 140 meters holding something heavy, usually a kettlebell or sandbag/bell. I pushed myself and started off with an extremely heavy kettlebell and only lasted one walk before having to drop down in weight. Farmer's Walk seems easy but after one or two times your fingers and arms start to ache. 

Overall another great week of workouts. Loving every minute I spend at NerdStrong Gym. If you live in the LA area you should come check it out. They have free classes at 10pm on Sunday, you can get more information HERE.

Addicted to The Force, Dawn of Justice Special & Wonder Woman Footage

Anyone else having this problem.. every time I see the trailer or picture from Star Wars The Force Awakens it makes me want to see the movie again. I've seen it five times so far and I can't wait for my sixth. Thinking about seeing the movie again brings a smile to my face and I love that this movie is having that effect on me. I can honestly say that I haven't been this excited about a movie weeks after seeing it's premiere since the Lord of the Ring Trilogy.

It hasn't been officially announced yet but it looked like the blu ray will be coming out on April 5th. If this is true that means I have a few more months to get in a few more screenings at the theater, I'm setting the goal of seeing it 10 tens in the theater.

Watched the DC special Dawn of Justice that aired last night. They showed a bit more Batman v Superman footage, but nothing to special.. but the best part of that special was the Wonder Women footage. They just started shooting but they had a few scenes that kind of gave you the feel of the movie. They also talked more about the Justice League movie and who would be in it. Besides Superman, Batman and Wonder Women, they have included Aquaman and Flash which we knew about but also Cyborg and The Green Lantern Corp. From the sounds of it the movies is going to be pretty spectacular. They also premiered the Suicide Squad trailer which I blogged about yesterday. Overall it was a good special. It didn't it's job and got me even more excited for the DC cinematic universe. Below is the video of the Wonder Women footage that was shown.

Agent Carter Returns!!!!

I couldn't wait to get home tonight from work because the 2 hour premiere of Marvel's Agent Carter Season Two aired. It started at 9pm which meant I was going to stay up until 11pm (my usual bed time is 10pm) but it was well worth staying up.

Here's the synopsis for S2 Ep1 "The Lady in the Lake" In 1947 New York, Chief Jack Thompson and Agent Peggy Carter of the SSR apprehend Soviet spy Dottie Underwood, after setting her up during an attempted bank robbery. Newly appointed Chief Daniel Sousa of the Los Angeles SSR office meets with Detective Andrew Henry, who has discovered a woman's body in a frozen lake during a heat wave. Sousa, doubting his inexperienced subordinates, asks Thompson for backup—Carter is sent.

An autopsy shows that the body glows in the dark, likely caused by Isodyne Energy's particle accelerator. Carter learns from Isodyne scientist Jason Wilkes that the woman was a physicist there who had an affair with Isodyne owner and prospective senator Calvin Chadwick. Underwood is taken into FBI custody, with Thompson's mentor Vernon Masters warning him that the SSR will soon be replaced by a new, peace-time organization. Henry attempts to kill Wilkes, but is killed himself by a police officer; Henry and the officer were hired to cover up the murder by Chadwick and his actress wife Whitney Frost following the former's affair.

Next was S2 Ep2 "A View in the Dark" Chadwick meets with the secretive Council of Nine, who shut down his Zero Matter program due to its seeming lack of results, and want him to focus on his senatorial ambitions. Chadwick informs Frost, who is the true brains behind the program while struggling with her acting due to sexism in Hollywood. Wilkes meets with Carter to help with her investigation, though he is hesitant to turn on Isodyne as it was the only company willing to hire him as a black man. Wilkes explains that Isodyne had attempted to replicate the success of the Manhattan Project and in doing so had discovered Zero Matter.

The frozen woman must have come into physical contact with it, though its effects are not limited to that. Carter and Wilkes agree to steal the Zero Matter, and at Isodyne find agents of the Council destroying the program. Wilkes manages to get to the Zero Matter, but is confronted by Frost, who is there to steal it herself. The two are exposed to the Zero Matter in the ensuing scuffle, leaving Wilkes missing and Frost having absorbed Zero Matter. 

It was two hours of AWESOME!!!! It was great seeing Peggy Carter back in action. I liked her re-connection with Jarvis (the chemistry between those two actors is amazing) and we finally get to meet Jarvis' wife  Ana who is nothing like I expected her to be.. but she's awesome. We see that Sousa is trying to move on with his life in LA and has found a new love interested but you can tell he still has feelings for Peggy. Jack Thompson is still a douche bag, I was hoping after the events of last season he'd have a little bit more respect for Peggy but I guess once a douche bag, always a douche bag.

We are introduced to a new character Jason and as I was watching I was talking to my buddy Erik via skype asking how a black man could have such an important job or be seen with a white women back in the late 40's early 50's and sure enough the show actually brought those points up and did a great job at explaining how this could happen. We were introduced to the season villains, who turn out to be Hydra but they are the least of Peggy's worry as it turns out there is even a greater threat in Mrs Whitney Frost. This was a great set up for what I will assume will be another kick ass season.

LARPs The Series Goodies, Star Wars 8 Moves & Suicide Squad Trailer

Today I got my Kickstarter rewards from LARPs The Series. I contributed to season two of LARPs as I really enjoyed season one and wanted to see a season two. My package included a LARPs The Series calendar, several buttons and the thing I wanted most.. DVD or season one and two with extras. I can't wait to sit down and watch all the cool DVD extras and then I'll binge watch the entire 2 seasons.

Disney announced that they are going to be pushing the release date of Star Wars Episode VIII from May 26, 2017, to Dec. 15, 2017. They didn't give a reason for the change in date but since episode VII is doing amazing at the box office maybe they thought it was a good idea to release the next one at the same time of year. It also gives them a few more months to work on the sfx and that can only be a good thing. I'm fine with the move though it does mean we have to watch another seven months for episode VIII. If it helps with the overall look of the film and story then it's all good to me.

They released an official trailer for DC's Suicide Squad. The only thing I know about this group of people is from the TV series Arrow. I do know they are the baddest of the bad but are now helping the government. I have a hard time getting behind anti-heros but this trailer really did it's job and now I want to see this movie. Of course the music selection has to be one of the best part of the trailer. Check it out below.

Middle-earth Sweater, Poe Jacket, Justice League Pix & Upcoming Arrow

Everybody knows I'm a Lord of the Ring junkie.. I love all things Middle-earth so when I saw this sweater my heart went pitter patter. The price is really good and I was this close to buying it but then I asked myself if I would actually wear it. Would I buy it and leave it hanging in my closet never to be worn. I tried to picture myself in it and honestly I couldn't. I love the Middle-earth map but it's something that I would hang on my wall (which I do) not something that I would wear on my body. It was tough not picking this up but I think it was a the right choice for me. Though now that I'm blogging about it and seeing it again it's tempting me to buy it... I must resist!!

Speaking of resisting, I came across this little gem on Amazon. If you read my blog you know I'm a huge fan of Poe Dameron from the new Star Wars movie The Force Awakens. Not only do I like the character but the actor Issac Oscar is adorable. So when I saw that they have a replica of Poe/Finn's jacket it crossed my mind to pick it up. It's expensive, costing about $190 and it's not even an official jacket from the movie but the temptation was there. Of course I resisted not only because I really don't need it but I shouldn't be spending money unnecessarily. So once again I control the urge to buy, buy, buy

If you want to check out and maybe pick up your very own Middle-earth Sweater click HERE and Poe Dameron's Jacket click HERE.

Warner Bros released a conceptual picture of what their new Justice League will look like. They have casted the majority of the key players so they know what they will look like. I'm super excited for this new Justice League. I have always been a much bigger fan of DC then Marvel especially when I was a kid.  Superman is my all time favorite super hero with Wonder Woman and Aquaman a close 2nd and 3rd. I know folks have been criticizing the new look of the DC universe but I've been loving it. Not only all the amazing TV Stuff (ie Arrow, Flash, Supergirl and Legends of Tomorrow) but also Man of Steel and the upcoming Batman v Superman. I'm super pumped for the coming years.. I think we're going to see some amazing superhero movies.

Speaking of DC, Warner Brothers released a trailer for the second half of season 4 of Arrow. I've been enjoying this season so far. I've really enjoyed all the seasons of Arrow but last year was a bit tedious watch at time. Oliver was a idiot for alot of the season. I know he thought he was doing right but it didn't make it easy to watch. So when we got this much happier Oliver at the beginning of this season I was excited and the first few episodes were great but I'm seeing that other side of Oliver rear it's ugly face again. I hope we don't go back down that path.. been there, didn't like it. But from this preview it looks like we  have a lot in store for Arrow and his team. Though I might not like where they take the character of Oliver from time to time this series is still amazing and has some of the best fight scenes on TV.  It may not be my favorite of the DC TV shows but I'll stick with it until the very end.

I love these side by side visual effect videos that were released for Star Wars The Force Awakens. It really shows you how much is practical and how much is cg effects. I didn't realize that a majority of effects were a mixture of both.

Call The Midwife Is Back - S5 Ep1

Season five of Call the Midwife starts today in the UK. So of course that means I have to jump online and find it so I can watch it as well as I can't wait until spring for it to start here in the U.S. I adore Call the Midwife almost as much as I adored Downton Abbey and not that Abbey is over all I have is Midwife.

Tonight I watched S5 episode 1, here's a shot synopsis: It is now 1961. When a baby is born with severe deformities of the kind later identified as caused by the drug thalidomide, the midwives find it difficult to handle the situation, and the baby's father rejects her completely, to his wife's dismay. Trixie's new sideline as a keep fit instructor brings her into conflict with Sister Julienne, and she also becomes suspicious of the relationship between Barbara and Tom. Rather than return to Wales as her mother wishes, Delia is invited to move into Nonnatus House.

It was good to be back at the nunnery (that's something that I didn't think I would ever write). We got the Christmas special at the end of last year but before that it's been nine months since getting new episodes on a regular bases. I wasn't sure when the main character (the one who narrates the show) decided to leave after only three seasons if the show would survive. I mean Jenny was the main character of the storyline but honestly it was more of an ensemble cast and it's been more so since her departure. Each main character is getting her spotlight. I don't know how the overall characters arches have changed since Jenny left but I'm really liking what they are doing with everyone.

Tonight's episodes was no different. I love that they are tying back in to a storyline that was in last season. We are now seeing the deformation of children (due to a new drug that was introduced last year) of course our characters don't know that.. yet. The conflict between Trixie and Sister Julienne was rough. I get Trixie's point but still the way she talked to and treated Sister Julienne was uncalled for. I'm really liking the budding relationship of Tom and Barbara but I know it won't last as Barbara is to nice of a girl to hurt her friend Trixie... but will have to wait and see. I like that Delia has moved into the house to be closer to Patsy. After last years tragic accident when we thought these two would never be together.. they have finally turned things around. I just hope it lasts.

One thing that is fairly practicable is that everything ends on a happy note or at least if feels that way. Yes there are heartbreaking stories and I'm usually a ball of tears but they tend to  ends well.. like with this episode. The father of the deformed child sees reason and accepts his new daughter into his life at the end and they are once again a big happy family.

Can't wait to see what's in story for Nonnatus House this season.