Upcoming Movie Sequels

Die Hard 5 - 2012
The aging Bruce Willis returns as Detective John McClane in his fifth adventure in the last 23 years. Samuel L. Jackson is rumored to return as Zeus Carver, but other than that, details are scarce. Filming is set to begin sometime this year.

Ghostbusters III - December 25, 2012
After a much too long hiatus, the busters are returning in 2012. Bill Murray has been relatively secretive in interviews, but his appearance in the 2009 video game shows that he may be willing to return for a third film.


Men in Black III - May 25, 2012

Another return to a popular series, MIBIII is now filming. The stars of the first two movies are all returning, with a few new faces thrown in (Josh Brolin, Alec Baldwin). Keeping pace with Hollywood's current trend, it will be in 3D.

Fast Five - April 29, 2011

Fast Five brings The Rock onto the scene as a federal agent tasked with taking down Vin Diesel and company. It is the first in the series to be released in IMAX theatres.

Transformers: Dark of the Moon - July 1, 2011

Another entry Michael Bay's 'splosion-fest series of the war between giant alien robots. The most pressing question of this film is how it will survive without Megan Fox. Her replacement, British model Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, looks like she'll be able to fill Fox's shoes with relative ease.

X-Men First Class - June 3, 2011

This film explores the beginning of the relationship between Charles Xavier (Professor X) and Erik Lehnsherr (Magneto) as they are discovering their powers. Together, they open a school for mutants as they grow further apart.

The Dark Knight Rises- July 20, 2012

The third Christopher Nolan Batman film is currently in pre-production. TDKR brings in Anne Hathaway as Catwoman and Joseph Gordon-Levitt (G.I. Joe, Inception) as an as-yet-unnamed villain. Rumored to be the first film in the Nolan trilogy to introduce the Batcave




The Amazing Spider-Man - July 3, 2012

The series reboot stars Andrew Garfield as the web-slinger, who is developing his powers while going through high school. Few details are known about the plot, but this is the first Spider-Man film to not feature a Mary Jane Watson or J. Jonah Jameson.


The Avengers - May 4, 2012

Robert Downey Jr. (Iron Man), Scarlett Johansson (Black Widow), Jeremy Renner (Hawkeye), Mark Ruffalo (Hulk), Chris Evans (Captain America), Chris Hemsworth (Thor), and Samuel L. Jackson (Col. Nick Fury) team up in what is sure to be an epic mashup. 2012 can't get here soon enough.

Shadow of the Colossus

This is a game that you will either love or hate. No matter your opinion, Shadow of the Colossus is all about scale. While most games throw brain dead enemies at you until it's finally time to fight the boss, SotC cuts out the middle man and simply throws you right at foe after titanic foe. Well.. sort of, anyway. In the opening cut-scene, a narrator explains that there are sixteen colossi to defeat. Each 'level' involves finding the boss in the huge landscape and then figuring out how to exploit its weakness and kill it. An HD port of this game (along with spiritual predecessor Ico) is coming soon to PS3, in addition to Sony Pictures adapting the game into a film.

A Simple Interpretation of 4'33"

[Yes, this is what Mitchell had it mind. Another stellar post that confuses the masses.]

Random Funny One-liners

The last thing I want to do is hurt you. But it is still on the list.

If I agreed with you then we'd both be wrong.

The early bird may get the worm, but the second mouse gets the cheese.

Some people are like Slinkies- not really good for anything, but you can't help but smile when you push them down the stairs.

I didn't say it was your fault, I said I was blaming you.

Why does someone believe you when you say there are billions of stars, but has to check when you say the paint is wet?

God must love stupid people. Why else would he make so many?

The voices in my head may not be real, but they do have some pretty good ideas.


You don't need a parachute for skydiving, you need one for skydiving TWICE.

I intend to live forever. So far, so good.

Never hit a man with glasses. Hit him with a baseball bat.

Knowledge is power, and power corrupts. So study hard and be evil.

I don't suffer from insanity. I enjoy every minute of it.

Who was the first to look at a cow and say, "I wonder what will happen if I squeeze these dangly things and drink whatever comes out?"

Alcohol doesn't solve any problems... But then again, neither does milk.

When life gives you lemons, squeeze them in your enemies' eyes.

Evolution of Basketball

Last week I gave a speech on the history and evolution of the sport of basketball. Basketball was invented by Dr. James Naismith in 1891. The first "official" game consisted of two nine-man teams. The first equipment was two peach baskets nailed ten feet above a gym floor and a soccer ball. Originally, one could not move while holding the ball. The umpire was the judge of the players while the referee watched the ball. The game consisted of two 15-minute halves with a 5-minute halftime break. Other than that, the basic rules were the same. As the game became more widespread with the help of the YMCA, new equipment and rules were adopted. By 1897, teams of five became the standard. Interference of spectators led to the development of the backboard. A metal rim with a net was often attached to the backboard. In 1906, someone decided to open the bottom of the basket to let the ball fall through after shots were made. In 1910, the rules were modified to allow dribbling, but not dribbling and shooting in the same possession. This was changed in 1916, when it was decided that dribbling and then shooting is allowed. Basketball made its first Olympic appearance in Berlin in 1936. Dr. Naismith was flown into the city to watch the game he created. In 1942, the first factory-made ball was manufactured.


It was somewhat boring, and I jumped around topics in a seemingly random manner. My visual aid was too wordy and I relied on it far too much. I used "like", "um...", "okay", and "you know" much more than necessary. I should have practiced my actual speech more than what I did. In areas other than that, my speech was decent. I made eye contact with the class and kept good posture most of the time. I exceeded the time requirement, but not to the point of my 1980s speech.

*I didn't find your speech particularly boring--I learned quite a bit about basketball.

The 'I'm Too Bored to Write a Coherent Blog' Blog

˙ʍouʞ noʎ 'ןןǝʍ os sʞɹoʍ ʎןuo ɔıbɐɯ ˙uoʇɐzıןɐʇıdɐɔ ɟo ʞɔɐן ʎɯ ǝsnɔxǝ ǝsɐǝןd 'osןɐ ˙sıɥʇ sɐ ɥɔns ʇsod ןɐuoıʇuǝʌuoɔun uɐ uı ǝsuǝs ǝɹoɯ ǝʞɐɯ pןnoʍ ʇɐɥʇ ˙dn pɐǝɹ puɐ boןq ǝɥʇ ɟo ɯoʇʇoq ǝɥʇ ɯoɹɟ ʇɹɐʇs ʎןqɐqoɹd pןnoɥs noʎ 'pǝɔıʇou ʇ,upɐɥ noʎ ɟı ¿ʍou noʎ uɐɔ 'ǝʌıʇɔnpoɹd buıɥʇǝɯos buıop ʇuǝds ǝq oʇ ǝɯıʇ ʇǝuɹǝʇuı ɹnoʎ ɟo ʎʇıɹoظɐɯ ǝɥʇ ʇɔǝdxǝ ʎןʇsǝuoɥ ʇ,uɐɔ noʎ ˙sboןq ɟo ɹǝpɐǝɹ 'ǝɯıʇ ɹnoʎ ǝʇsɐʍ ʎןʇuǝıɔıɟɟns oʇ ɥbnouǝ ǝןqɯɐɹ ןןǝʍ sɐ ʇɥbıɯ ı 'pǝʇɹɐʇs ǝʌ,ı ʇɐɥʇ ʍou 'ɹǝʌǝʍoɥ



˙˙buıɥʇou sǝob ǝɹǝɥ ˙ʞuıɥʇ oʇ ʎʇıןıqɐuı ʎɯ ʇɐ ʎןʇɥbıן ǝןʞɔnɥɔ ןןıʍ ǝuoǝɯos ǝqʎɐɯ ʇnq ןןɐ ʇɐ buıqqɐɹb-uoıʇuǝʇʇɐ ʎɹǝʌ ʇou ʎןןɐǝɹ s,ʇı ˙sıɥʇ ʇsod ʇsnظ ןן,ı ssǝnb ı 'ןןǝʍ ɥo ˙sʇuıod snuoq ǝɥʇ pǝǝu ʇsnظ ı 'ɔıdoʇ buıʇsǝɹǝʇuı uɐ ǝq oʇ ǝʌɐɥ uǝʌǝ ʇ,usǝop ʇı ˙ʇno ǝɯoɔ ןןıʍ buıɥʇǝɯos 'ǝɯıʇ ɥbnouǝ buoן ɐ ɹoɟ ǝןqɯɐɹ ı ɟı ǝqʎɐɯ ˙sʇɥbnoɥʇ ʎɯ buızıuɐbɹo ʇsnظ ɯ,ı 'ʇnoqɐ boןq oʇ ǝʌıʇɔnpoɹd buıɥʇʎuɐ ǝʌɐɥ ʎןןɐǝɹ ʇ,uop ı ˙ʎןʇɔǝɹıp ʇı ʇuoɹɟuoɔ oʇ sı ʞɔoןq s,ɹǝʇıɹʍ ǝɯoɔɹǝʌo oʇ ʎɐʍ ʇsǝq ǝɥʇ ¿ʇɥbıɹ 'ʎuɐ sɐ ʇɥbıu ɐ poob sɐ s,ʇɥbıuoʇ pǝɹnbıɟ ı os ˙ʞɔoןq s,ɹǝʇıɹʍ ǝʇɐɥ ı ˙sʞǝǝʍ ʍǝɟ ɐ uı boןq ʍǝu ɐ ǝpɐɯ ʇ,uǝʌɐɥ ı

No More Heroes

With my current English grade "setting the tone for the quarter", I figured that it was time to write a few hundred blogs (kidding obviously... It'll probably be closer to a few dozen). On a completely unrelated note, the guy who invented STI Home owes me a new set of eardrums. And now that I've thoroughly lost your attention, on to the review!

This week, I'm going to review a game that many believe is only a myth, and most have never even considered the concept. I'm going to review.... *drumroll* an M-rated Wii game. You read right, the game of the week is No More Heroes, an amazing game developed by the little-known Japanese company Grasshopper Manufacture.

This game is crazy in so many ways. I originally bought it to spite Blockbuster (don't ask), but it turned out to be one of the best I've ever played. In it, you control Travis Touchdown, a geeky, wannabe samurai, who's obsessed with anime and professional wrestling. In order to impress a woman he met in a bar (gentlemen, take note), he dueled with and killed the 11th ranked assassin in America. So he decides that since he's already begun his journey down the bloody trail, he might as well kill his way to rank 1.

The gameplay itself is extremely over the top, which is evident from the very first cut scene. There are several different attacks you can use on enemies, most of which don't involve waving the Wii Remote around like a madman. Speaking of the Wii Remote, this game has the most creative use of the speaker I've ever seen. In the game, your primary weapon is the beam katana (no copyright infringement there), which you can upgrade as you progress through the ranks.

Like all good games, it did have a few flaws. It's open world style play (think Grand Theft Auto) had soooooo much potential, but instead you spend most of your down time performing boring side jobs, digging through dumpsters, and shopping for clothes.

Pros: memorable boss battles, hilarious over-the-top gameplay, amazing game in general

Cons: battles require entrance fees, 3 words: virtual lawn mowing, somewhat repetitive, too short

Score: 9.8/10

Metal Gear Solid 2

Well, once again, I wait until the last minute to start my weekly blog! And since I'm completely at a loss for topic ideas, I guess it's time to resurrect my weekly series of video game reviews. This week: Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty. This is the first game in the Metal Gear series released for the Playstation 2. It's even been re-released with bonus content and given a cool new subtitle, Substance. But on to the actual game part..

The game throws you right into the action as the legendary Solid Snake. There's no real tutorial and the control scheme is unconventional at best, so it pays off to have played the first game. You start off infiltrating a ship containing a new type of Metal Gear, a near-indestructible super-weapon. Soon after you arrive, a group of Russian terrorists attacks the the ship. Unlike most popular games of today, your objective is not to kill the enemy but to get by them using any means necessary. After photographing the Metal Gear to prove its existence, the ship sinks.

I don't want to reveal too much, but after the first few hours, the game switches protagonists. You begin playing as Raiden, a young rookie with a mysterious past which is slowly revealed throughout the game. Your job as Raiden is to find and save the President, who has been kidnapped by the terrorist organization Sons of Liberty.

This game is extremely story heavy, so if you're the type of gamer who just wants to run, gun, and repeat, this probably isn't the game for you. Even so, many have criticized the game for Raiden, who is a much more fast-paced character than Solid Snake. Ironically, Metal Gear Solid: Rising, a game featuring Raiden as the main character has been announced for the Xbox 360. Out of the 12-15 hour campaign mode, I'd estimate that 1 1/2 to 2 hours were used for cut scenes.

Pros: Amazing story, fun over-the-top gameplay, lots of bonus content, great music

Cons: Unpauseable cut scenes, story sometimes confusing, odd control scheme

Rating: 9.7/10

More Sophomore Fundraising

As all of you know, we are now in the season of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving. Now, while I can't help you with the first two, the sophomores in Father Bracco's first and fourth hour classes are giving alms by bringing in money to be given to Catholic Charities. The collection day is Thursday, March 11. Anyone who wants to donate can do so through any sophomore in Father Bracco's class. Every little bit helps, from pennies to Benjamins. Father has also promised to match our collective donation. So let's all dig deep into our hearts and wallets and give enough to make Father Bracco question his generosity!

Typeracer

Well, here it is, 10:45 on a Thursday night and I just realized I have a blog due Friday! So, while crying in the fetal position for the last 15 minutes, I remembered a site on the Internet that I recently became re-addicted to. It's called http://play.typeracer.com/ . Yes, it is a site purely about improving your typing skills, but instead of the boring and repetitive drills seen in most typing "games", this one actually pits you against other people all over the world. You race others to see who can quickly type random quotes from movies and books. You can even set up your own races and go against friends. And who doesn't love a good nerd war?

Super Mario Galaxy

Well, I've been asked (read: forced) to write a blarticle, so to stay in the Spirit of high school (laziness), and because I'm a nerd, I'm going to be doing a series of game reviews over the next few weeks. The first game is the one that I finished just last weekend: Super Mario Galaxy. Now, I know what none of you are thinking: "Mitchell, that game is more than two years old. In human terms, that's about seventeen years. Why would I want to read a review on it now?" And to these questions I say, "Please reread the first sentence."

Now to get on to the actual 'reviewing' part of the review. This game was amazing in almost every conceivable way. If you have a Wii, go buy it now. . . . Oh, you were expecting more than that? Fine, but only because I platonically love you. The game starts off the same as any other Mario game: the Princess gets kidnapped by the mutant turtle (again), and everyone's favorite Italian plumber decides that he should get off his butt and save her (only this time- IN SPACE!!!). *Yawn* Anyway, along the way, Mario just happens to run into perhaps the one ship in the galaxy that also has a motive for retaliation against Bowser, who stole the stars that power said ship. So, somehow, you have the ability to travel through space on a powerless ship in order to get the stars that supply power to it.

Which apparently looks something like this

The galaxies that you travel to are varied enough that you probably won't get bored with any one as you play through the game. If that wasn't enough, once you progress slightly further in the game, you can go back and replay some of the ones that you've already completed in a different way (ex: faster, stronger enemies, time limit, etc...) to receive another star. If you manage to collect all 120 stars, a special surprise awaits you for your next time you play through the game.





Pros: plays like Super Mario 64 in space, amazing graphics (for the Wii), just plain fun


Cons: controls may feel slightly awkward at first, storyline is just like every other Mario game





Final Score: 9.5/10

Home Wrestling Meet

Dawg pound, this one's for you.

Do you want to be a part of history? Well, now you can. The St. Anthony High School wrestling team is having it's FIRST EVER home meet. It's Wednesday, January 20th at 6:00 in the Enlow Center. It's a dual meet between us and Effingham, and I'm predicting that this one will be a fight to the finish.

But I'm busy that night... I've got too much homework... I need to check the roast... Why should I go to a boring wrestling meet? Well, random voices in my head, there's lots of reasons to go see this. For the gentlemen, it's just like watching MMA (except without the punching, the kicking, the choking, the bloodshed, etc...). And for all you ladies out there... Well, I'm sure you'll be able to find some reason to come, too.

Pack the place!

Paranormal Activity

Well, it's that time of year again. The time for ghosts and ghouls and things that go bump in the night to step out of the dark corners of your mind and into the forefront. What better time than to watch scary movies! To help me get into the spirit of Halloween, I saw the movie Paranormal Activity. Was it the scariest movie ever? Not by a long shot. Scariest movie of the year? Definitely, at least until the new Alvin and the Chipmunks movie hits theaters.

Be afraid. Be very afraid.

I'll try to make this review as fair as possible, but since I don't feel fear, that might be a bit of a challenge. For those of you who've been living under a rock for the last month, this is one of those low-budget horror movies that takes place from the view of a home video camera. It features realistic characters and attempts to present itself as a true story. You may not notice this while watching the movie, but since the point of view is a camera, there's no music. The movie begins by introducing a woman who has been haunted by a spirit for her entire life. Her boyfriend, in an attempt to solve this problem, buys a video camera and decides to film almost everything they do (Keep in mind this is almost everything. Don't get your hopes up; it's not a porno). The movie does a great job of slowly building up the suspense, and then easing off with some light humor. While some scenes certainly got my heart racing, the movie doesn't really shine until the last fifteen minutes. I won't ruin the ending for you, just the fact that I was laughing my head off while the rest of the moviegoers were screaming. Actually... (highlight to read)

Spoiler: Haha, what are you doing looking here? Go watch the movie, ya cheapskate... /Spoiler

Note: The times from the movie's trailer mean nothing. Don't assume that because something scary happens at a certain time on the camera from the trailer, the same scary thing will happen at that time during the movie.

Pros: great acting, good suspense buildup, somewhat scary, surprise ending

Cons: starts slowly, may stick with you for a few days /weeks /months /forevers

Overall: 8.4/10