Gushing About The Guardians

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Amy Pond, you've changed! And it makes us all feel kinda funny... (Courtesy Marvel)

From the moment Peter (aka "Star-Lord") Quill breaks the cliche careful Indiana Jones approach to collect an artifact within an ancient temple, kicking on his Sony Walkman and sauntering and dancing in time to Redbone's "Come and Get Your Love", I knew I was hooked.

Guardians has been crushing it at the box-office this weekend, and rightly so... the film is infused with a lot of fun, a lot of nostalgia and reverence for the films that it have inspired it, and all-in-all is an incredibly fulfilling experience.

After several promising trailers, my anticipation (and my expectations) of Marvel's latest Guardians of the Galaxy were higher that normal for blockbuster films. I've adopted a new policy as of late with films that I'm eagerly anticipating that I'll watch the proper release trailers and then nothing else in order to keep as much surprise as possible to the experience of seeing the film. Especially in this spoiler-frenzy based internet world, it's pretty difficult. I'd often have to quickly close web browser pages or excuse myself from conversations in order to avoid any details. In fact, just before heading to the theater on Sunday, I was in conversation with the webmaster of SHIELDtv.net and she almost divulged a surprise literally an hour or two before viewing. But sticking my head in the sand and knowing very little about a film has worked out pretty well with movies like Snowpiercer, The Winter Soldier and others and actually heightened the experience.

Truth be told, if I were still an eight-year old kid, I'd be going bonkers right now for Guardians. Wanting every toy, wanting to be Star-Lord on the playground during recess, it's that type of film that I can only hope the younger set will latch onto the way that I think I would have. I plan on seeing the film on the big screen (and suggest that you do the same) at least once or twice more - there's so many things in the background of The Collector's vault like Dark Elves, and artifacts and others that I couldn't take in completely in one viewing. So caught up in the fun and excitement of the main story, my eyes didn't wander much around the frame to glimpse any of the amazing detail that was put into the film.

And so shocked at who appears in the tag at the end of the credits was I, that I didn't get to enjoy the whole moment because I was too busy exclaiming out loud, "What!? WHAT??!" I won't spoil this moment here in hopes that the experience for those of you who haven't seen it won't be ruined for you either - we can discuss in the comments section for those that wish to remain spoiler-free - but it was another one of those moments where you have to admire Marvel for giving their audience the benefit of the doubt. I'm sure other executives would have taken that moment and said, "You know, I don't think a lot of people are going to understand this. Can't we do something with more mass appeal?" But Marvel sticks to its guns and delivers once again.

Thanks Guardians of the Galaxy for reminding me how much damn fun summer movies can be again. Eight-year old me and thirty-something year old me are both incredibly appreciative.

In Stores Now: Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Season One Declassified

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Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Season One Declassified - published by Marvel - in all its glory.

I was sitting having lunch during a break on the set of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. with three of the amazing Marvel folks that work on the show, Megan Thomas Bradner, Samantha Thomas and Emma Fleischer. As often happens on a film set, the conversation turned existential and we started talking about things that we've always wanted to do in our lives.

As a kid growing up in Franktown, Colorado my only exposure to the behind the scenes of films and TV were the short segments on Entertainment Tonight, Scott Patrick's occasional Hollywood One-on-One show that aired at one in the morning on KUSA, and the amazing "Making Of" books that were readily available at the library. Lengthy love letters to films that poured over every detail, gave you glimpses at concept art, behind the scenes photos, deleted scenes, and storyboards that gave you a slice of what it was like to be a part of the production. I probably still hold the record for most times Alan Arnold's Once Upon a Galaxy: A Journal of the Making of Empire Strikes Back was checked out from the Parker Public Library. Don Shay and Jody Duncan's Making of Jurassic Park was a volume that read cover to cover more times than I could count on family road trips. I still guard a copy of Making Ghostbusters as if it were my birth certificate. And J.W. Rinzler's amazing Making Of books for the Star Wars trilogy as of late have been absolutely outstanding.

So, in that moment at lunch, I mentioned that I'd always wanted to write making of books like those I had grown up reading. I don't know where it came from. Like Ray Stantz says, "it just popped in there." But apparently those three amazing Marvel execs took note, and several weeks later they had vouched for me and helped me embark on my first adventure as a Making Of book author.

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My wife was kind enough to photograph me like Christmas morning when the final copy arrived via FedEx on 7/11/14.

In the introduction of the book, you'll read that I had the pleasure of chronicling one of the most welcoming and familial sets on which I've ever had the pleasure of working. One of the absolutely enduring things about some film sets is that a bond is created with those that work on the show and no matter what the challenges are, that warm kindness never fades. Long days and late nights didn't stop many from always greeting me with a smile and a handshake or a chuck on the shoulder. You often hear people speak of their sets feeling like a family, but this is one that it's the absolute truth.

What resulted with the book is a cool hybrid between an episode guide and analysis, behind the scenes, and a reference book that makes me immensely proud. My hope is that it gives fans old and new a background on the series' origins, some insight that helps them see the series through the writers room's eyes, and that it's something that can be read and re-read as many times as I tore through that Making of Jurassic Park book. Marvel always does such an incredible job with their Art Of books, that I can only hope this is a fitting companion to those awesome compilations.

In the Acknowledgements, there were far too many people to thank to list. The amazing editors that were patient and kind probably would have flogged me for trying. Those that championed for me, that helped me out by sending me photos and information, who spent huge chunks of time in the middle of trying to finish out the tail end of a whirlwind first season's worth of episodes to sit down and conduct interviews for the book with me. Here's just a handful of those names of people who I owe an enormous debt to for so many reasons, and whose book this truly is regardless of who it says wrote it (and apologies to any that I've left out still):

Sabrina Arnold, Scott Bauer, Jeffrey Bell, John Bernstein, Thomas Boucher, Megan Thomas Bradner, Garry A. Brown, Sarah Brunstad, Katie Carroll, "Chewie", Marc Christie, Gary D'Amico, D.J. Doyle, Allen Easton, Sarah Halley Finn, Emma Fleischer, Brent Fletcher, Ann Foley, Blair Foord, Shalisha Francis, Kenn Fuller, Tanner Gill, Tamara Hunter, Kyle Jewell, Rafe Judkins, George Kitson, Mark Kolpack, Harmony Kummer, Brian Kwan, Lauren LeFranc, Jeph Loeb, Lee Malin, Geoffrey Mandel, Bear McCreary, Gregory Melton, Monica Owusu-Breen, Denise Anderson Poore, Corey Reeser, Greg Rementer, Nelson Ribeiro, Erin Shade, Arune Singh, Daniel Spilatro, Sonya Strich, Samantha Thomas, Aiyana Trotter, Joe Quesada, John Vertrees, Jed Whedon, Joss Whedon, Maurissa Tancharoen Whedon, Maileen Williams, Jeff Youngquist, Paul Zbyszewski and so many others including the amazing cast who was so patient with me, that it's not even funny.

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The truth is, I had the time of my life working on this book. For me, having that volume on my shelf will remind me of the amazing time that I had and the incredible people that I met in the process. I'm so tremendously grateful to have been a small part of everything, and can't wait to take all that I've learned from them into whatever the next adventure may bring.

Thor: The New Goddess of Thunder

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One has to wonder if this means a digital re-edit of Adventures in Babysitting will have to occur? (Courtesy Marvel.com)

Hot on the tails of DC announcing a revamp of one of their most popular female characters, Marvel announced today that a change is coming for the mighty Thor: and she's not to be trifled with... an all-new female Thor will debut with a renumbering in October.

Writer Jason Aaron will be penning the story and Russell Dauterman will handle art on the new title. Thor: God of Thunder, which began with the Marvel NOW! restart will be coming to an end in September.

According to the Marvel.com release, Thor sounds like he's taking a long vacation and this new female Thor will be "more than just a temporary female substitute." The publisher is stressing that this isn't a parallel Thor ala She-Hulk who will run in tandem with the original male character, she will be the one and only Thor in the universe.

Whether or not it's a complete reboot that retells the character's origins, or if a storyline will necessitate the change remains unclear. One would imagine that more information including how the tag out/tag in will come about at the 2014 San Diego Comic-Con. But already there's been decidedly mixed reactions to the announcement of the change. It seems to be a running theme this week with character changes, how they're handled, and whether they are a positive or a negative.

Thor is a character that it's always taken a bit of motivation to get me interested in, I still haven't tackled any of the Thor: God of Thunder books, and admittedly the Cinematic Universe series of films were a pleasant surprise because my familiarity with the character is really slim to none. It'll be interesting to see how and where they take this character and the impact that she'll have on the greater series of Marvel books. And in my eyes, it's hard to get worked up one way or another over the news. 

So in summation of my apparent reactions toward character changes: Ninja Turtle Revamp: Nay, Batgirl Revamp: Yay, Thor Gender Change: Indifferent. And thus, my true nature as a fickle and unpredictable fanboy is probably revealed.

A Future Past and a Missing Link

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Kitty Pride (Ellen Page) graciously lets Wolverine's consciousness go back in time rather than her own for the bottom line in X-Men: Days of Future Past. (Courtesy Fox)

We're being spoiled by the new trend in Hollywood to create "Cinematic Universes." Though, the trend is mainly spawning from each studio's desire to have a franchise mint that guarantees it will print money at least once a year, the creative teams behind films are having to find ways to connect everything and start looking outside of just one film for how they tell their stories.

Point in case, the release of X-Men: Days of Future Past, which I finally got to catch on Wednesday night. Admittedly, I was on the fence about the film based on the trailers and promotional material that had led up to its release. While I had enjoyed X-Men First Class, I was curious how this retelling of one of my favorite comic arcs was going to fit into the whole world. And, let's be completely honest, Fox as a studio wanting to maintain control over their Marvel properties is still cause for hesitation sometimes (see: Sony and Spider-Man and the troubles brewing over there). 

But X-Men: Days of Future Past was brilliant.

The film had to serve so many purposes: it had to be a direct sequel to First Class, it had to retell a very known and beloved story from the comics but had to shoehorn that into the characters that had been established from First Class and had to focus on the bankable movie stars as the "leads" (hey there, Wolverine and Mystique). And, unknown to myself until after viewing, the film also served as a soft reboot of the previous X-Men films in a style very similarly to J.J. Abrams' 2009 Star Trek film, which acknowledged the existence of the films that had preceded it, but made very clear that the future with the characters that we're now following is very much not set.

The structural changes to the story were seamless and the essence of the Chris Claremont/John Byrne run were essentially in place, but the alterations felt welcome and weren't all that jarring. Right off the bat, Kitty Pride's consciousness isn't the device we follow back through time, it obviously has to be Wolverine because Ol' Logan sells lots of tickets. Mystique and the assassination attempt from the comics get to carry over (again, thankfully for Fox so that they can put Jennifer Lawrence right next to Hugh Jackman on the art campaign) and setting the plot in the First Class universe allows for a great dynamic between the 1970s characters and the future characters. In fact, the film gets to play in the sandbox of themes established in First Class (Mystique's relationship with Xavier, Beast's desire to be more human) and they all also fit seamlessly into the two hour story as well.

Essentially the film boils down to one big advocate for writers to use the crap out of their note cards. To weave elements and character developments into the story so well that it all keeps the audience moving forward rather than tying them up in the minutia. As I was watching, I couldn't help but continue thinking how damn clever things were constantly. 

And it all adds up to an amazing experience that sets up a few more films that I can't wait to see. Even if there was a baffled movie-goer in front of us that didn't understand the end tag sequence that sets up the Apocalypse.