Taken with instagram

^ This is my face after seeing The Avengers.

Having now seen Marvel’s superhero-team-up event of the summer, I can now proudly tell you that it is everything you have hoped for and more.

The action is big, the jokes are hilarious, and the character are as fully realized as you can possibly imagine (except for Loki, but we’ll get into that). I openly cheered in the theater. I gawked at the truly jaw-dropping action sequences (including one of the coolest oners I’ve ever seen). I was at once overwhelmed and gleeful at the scale of each set piece, at how everything falls into place so perfectly, and at how well crafted the script was, giving each character their due time.

The film isn’t not without it’s flaws, however. As stated previously, I felt that the villains as a whole were rather under developed. Yes, Loki is menacing and his army is grand, but they didn’t feel like anything more than one big plot device. Loki is frighteningly morose, but he felt to me as if he was a one-note villain. Granted, that note is terrifying, but I didn’t feel for him and I felt as if his transition from the jilted-brother of Thor to Demi-god warlord of Avengers was a tad forced and contrived.

Other problems of note were the drag of the first act. This has been cited in many reviews and I can vouch for it; getting the team together takes time, but it is well worth the wait. Some of the jokes (and there are plenty of them) are a tad cheesy and more groan-worthy than laugh-worthy.

But I digress. 

If a film can cause me of cheer openly and put a grin on my face for a good 25-30 minutes straight, then I am more than willing to forgive a few problems. And have I mentioned how incredibly funny it is? One thing about the script that really impressed me is how often it substitutes what should be a serious moment with a comedic one. It turns the entire film on it’s head in some respects, opening up completely new avenues for action beats to take place. Joss Whedon does an excellent job of never letting the film take itself too seriously or losing the focus of the story, masterfully balancing each character’s arc and allowing each one run it’s course. This is the movie that Transformers aspires to be, but doesn’t have the IQ to accomplish.

I am of the belief that truly great cinema should absorb you. It should transport you to a whole other place for two hours and make you believe in things that you never thought possible. Great films should make you laugh, cry, cheer, challenge you, and, above all else, entertain you, and The Avengers does that on a devastatingly large scale.

While it is not a perfect piece of cinema, it’s flaws can be easily overlooked because of the sheer volume of movie magic it creates for it’s audience. And while it isn’t anything new or revolutionary, but it is a film that knows it’s strengths and plays to them every chance it gets. The Avengers is one of the most thoroughly entertaining movies I’ve seen all year and I cannot recommend it enough.

P.S: Can someone PLEASE let Joss Whedon know that there are other ways to shoot characters besides at a dutch angle? I would greatly appreciate it.

This is what my manager posted on twitter when The Dark Knight Rises trailer came into our theater.

I ain’t even mad.

Am I the only one who noticed No Country for Old Men and Drive had the same tagline?

This is what I did today. (Taken with instagram)

So I did a table read with some actors today and it was super awesome. We film next Thursday.

Also, I’ve been coming up with really awesome ideas for the Zebra Mirrors music video which I’m supposed to shoot. I’m gonna pitch the ideas to the band soon and then hopefully we’ll shoot the video in May.

Also, I had Jessilynn (goodshoewhats) take some pictures/head shots of me so I can send them off to a director who is currently doing a casting call for actors around the area (The picture above is one such example).  

And finally, I’m almost finished with the first draft of my first short film which will likely go by the title Rats. I’m really excited about it and I’m hoping to shoot it sometime in late summer/early fall.

So yeah. A bunch of exciting things are happening!

(Btw, incase you’re wondering Kyle, I haven’t gotten to edit the Marching Bands video because I had a number of setbacks. I plan on editing it later this month. Message me if you want more details.)

Yay for making progress in life! Yay progress!