Topic: Blog Servicing
Hmm... I had written this post on something, but it's not here. I don't know why.
Posted by dtm666
at 6:34 AM EDT
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From wwe.com:
World Wrestling Entertainment has come to terms on the release of Raw Superstar Mr. Kennedy (Ken Kennedy) as of today, May 29, 2009. WWE wishes Ken the best in all future endeavors.
So much for that big return, huh?
Things haven't been going as planned, so here's a bit of a news update.
For the next month of June, all online operations (save for the Blog) will be on temporary hiatus. This will allow me to catch up on some content on the backburner for quite a bit, including a whole bunch of reviews, features, fanfics, original fics, and whatnot.
Now the Webstation has been shut down and will stay shut down for the better part of the month. The reason for this is because there'll be some restructuring on the way things are being done and so I'll be cleaning everything out. Basically, the layout and linking of elements will be the first thing to be worked on in regards to the site and then content will follow. The site will look the same (somewhat) but will clean up a lot of crap that has plagued it in recent months. Hopefully, the hiatus won't be for months on end.
With regards to fan/original fiction, I'm (very) slowly trying to get back into the groove of things. I'll be starting off with a couple one-shot posts on both FF.Net and some other site for the original story. I still intended on starting the long-agonizingly-delayed Keonoke Chronicles story this year and hope to get it ready for next year. As far as the fanfics go... well, we'll wait and see for now.
If all goes well, things should get better by Canada Day. In the meantime, have fun.
So last night, I went on a long audious trek by foot from downtown Montreal to slightly home... in the suburbs. Most Montrealers probably heard about the mysterious package that was left in one of the metro stations and forced almost the whole system to be shut down. (Here's the story so far.)
While people were waiting for buses, I was walking home and making due progress. By eight o'clock, I took the rest of the way home by bus. Of course, around that time, things were slowly returning to normal. In any case, I made a long Trek, so that makes me a one-time Trekker.
But I still consider myself a Star Trek fan and refuse to get into this stupid debate about which pet name is preferable and accurate.
From rajah.com:
As noted last week during TNA Wrestling's important announcement to wrestling fans in Colorado feeling burned by WWE canceling shows, president Dixie Carter made a formal invitation to the Denver Nuggets players and staff to attend this Friday's TNA live event in Pueblo, Colorado. Unfortunately, they will not be able to attend the event as a result of their win over the Los Angeles Lakers last night at the Pepsi Center. They evened the series and have Game 6 scheduled for Friday night at home.
Apparently, someone else didn't think the Nuggets were gonna make it this far. Oh well.
Last night's RAW offering from LA was actually... good. Didn't expect that, did you? Anyway, here're my thoughts.
- The show opens with McMahon and the Nuggets owner bickering over the whole deal in Denver, with McMahon getting all kinds of cheap shots in while the other guy just takes it and looks like a fool.
- Santino says his sister would fight Viki for the Miss Wrestlemania crown in a Hogpen match at the next PPV. What is the point of all this? I don't know, but it's good to see Santino show off his comedic dukes.
- Ric Flair gets a beating from Randy Blowton... before being saved by Batista.
- Also the return of Kennedy Kennedy. Kennedy.
- Kofi Kingston wins a match to become No. 1 contender to Montel Vontavious Porter's US championship. Both guys are cordial to say the least. It's nice to see a championship match between two guys being respectful. Of course, this will probably be ruined by one of the guys turning heel unnecessarily.
- The ten-man match has each five-man team dressed in basketball jerseys representing the two NBA opponents taking place in the other arena. Of all of them, Batista is the only one in full Lakers garb, complete with shorts. I guess his grudge with basketball is over.
- Oh yeah - the Laker team of wrestlers win. Which is funny because the actual Denver team won the basketball game. Yeah, about that grudge...
Later.
Haven't had the chance to comment on the whole debacle between WWE and Kroenke Sports Enterprises with regards to the duel between the RAW show that's supposed to take place in Denver and the fourth game in the NBA Playoffs. Now, as you probably already know, WWE had already announced that tomorrow's RAW show has been moved to the Staples Center in LA and will hold a Denver show some time in the future
I've got nothing to say... I really don't. I think it says a lot about the sports organization when they book a wrestling show at their arena due to the fact that they don't believe their home team would last long in the playoffs. So, um...
Next.
So Star Trek has been out for a week. And Angels and Demons came out yesterday. Pretty difficult decision...
Not really. You should go see Star Trek.
No, really. Go see Star Trek.
It's a fucking good movie.
...
No... that's a lie.
It's a fucking excellent movie.
What makes it fucking excellent?
I'm not telling. See for yourself.
My new favorite Trek movie.
Just go see it.
Yeah, I know. Not much of a review, but still...
Now.
That's an order.
The idea had been to review each consecutive Star Trek movie prior to reviewing this one. However, anyone who has scoured reviews of these movies already know what to expect and to continue with a series for no reason other than to fill posts would be lame. If you really want my thoughts on previous Trek films, here you are quick form:
Trek II - epic film that improves upon the previous borefest. Infamous for Spock dying, Kobayashi Maru, and KHAAANNN!!!!!!
Trek III - a solid film with a predictable ending, even back in the day - still good despite its status as an odd film.
Trek IV - first true Star Trek film that tries to garner a larger audience than the Trekkies that were guaranteed to be there. A very fun movie that makes you feel good on the inside - not to mention proof that Star Trek can be accessible when people in charge put their minds to it.
Trek V - utter garbage. Good intentioned? Perhaps, but the end result is just garbage. Not even a revision would save this crap.
Trek VI - my second-favorite Trek movie, with a great story, solid performances, excellent effects, and a wonderful closure to a classic era
Trek VII - First film to feature the cast of Star Trek: The Next Generation. It's okay at best. Infamous for Kirk dying.
Trek VIII - the best of the Next Generation films. Features the Borg and a couple minutes of footage that would be recycled for a future series.
Trek IX - basically an episode of Next Generation that somehow became a movie. Nothing special.
Trek X - liked it at first, but seeing it years later, it doesn't hold up all too well - basically a popcorn flick more than anything else.
I said I'd have these up by now, but things has caused me to fall behind so... hopefully, I'll be posting reviews of all ten movies before the big day arrive... so let's not daddle.
Star Trek: The Motion Picture reunites the original cast, joined by a couple new faces, aboard a refurbished Starship Enterprise where they must deal with a mysterious cloud entity on an approach vector to find its creator and destroy everything in its path. It probably goes a bit deeper than that, but chances are you won't care.
The first half of the movie has everybody coming back together to go on a new adventure, but by the end of the movie, you're wondering where the adventure is.While it might have been a good concept for a sci-fi flick, it is a painfully dull experience for a Star Trek movie. Everybody seems to speak in monotone voices, there's no life, the colors are dull and lacking in energy, and I could have sworn that I was falling asleep at certain points in the movie.
Not to say that the movie doesn't look good; the refit Enterprise is actually a nice little model and the scene where Kirk is flying around in his shuttle inspecting the Enterprise makes you truly appreciate the details and effort put into making the ship seem as real as possible. But it seems that for all the effort being put into this one scene, the rest of the movie seems to fall flat. If this was a generic sci-fi movie, it might have gotten a chance, but this is Star Trek. It's supposed to be more.
The DVD Director's Cut is actually a slight improvement, with some quick cuts here and there as well as some fixes for the special effects. If you need to see this movie, just get the DVD.
I've had the chance to see the new Wolverine flick this past weekend and I thought it was a fairly okay movie. I mean, it wasn't impressively great or anything, but it was better than X-Men 3... so points for that.
First off, for those oblivious to the title, this is an origin story of Wolverine, which means we get to see little Wolvie spurt claws for the first time (in Canada, no less) before we see a montage of him fighting wars. By the end of the movie, he remembers none of it due to what happens at the end. Nice to see they remembered to make him forget, although all things considered, the story isn't really that memorable.
The action, for the most part, is top-notch entertainment. The effects... are inconsistent. Sometimes they look good, sometimes they look terrible, and sometimes they look really... meh. One scene that killed it for me was when Logan is in the bathroom and studies his new adamantium claws... the claws look so bad here and yet in other scenes they look fine... even the bone claws are fairly nice.
Overall, if you enjoyed previous X-Men films or enjoy the Wolverine character, this should satisfy. It's not a great film, by any means, but it's still fairly good.
Anyone who remembers this popular free-for-all fighting game will happy to know that the game will be hitting XBox Live Arcade and Playstation Network this summer. Anyone who don't know about the game... well, this game has lots of playable fighters, lots of balance issues, and lots of replay involved. A fun game, nonetheless.
Wii owners are left in the dust as the game won't be coming to that system. Being a Wii owner myself and not owning the other two consoles, I would probably be disappointed and feel sad... if it weren't for the fact that I already own a copy of Marvel vs. Capcom 2 on Xbox... and it still works fine. Thanks.
- The Bite commentary will be posted next Wednesday. You've already read half of it when I posted my 'Mania thoughts, but there's some extra stuff worth noting.
- The Webstation will undergo a revision some time next week and will be shut down as a result. Bite commentaries will be accessible during this time... so no worries there. I'm also working out a system where I can get content done and make regular bi-weekly updates to the site. More details to come.
- I'll be resuming regular features that have been abandoned sometime next month. I just hit a wall recently.
That's about it for now.
For those of you who have missed TNA's latest PPV opus like I have, you've missed two significant events: Bobby Lashley's debut in TNA and Mick Foley defeating Sting to become TNA World champion. Now I'm rather confused by all this. Isn't Lashley in MMA now? And isn't Foley an executive? There are times when TNA booking makes as much sense as dividing things by zero.
In other news, Team 3D won another set of world tag titles. Apparently, the total count is 22. To be honest, I'm hardly impressed by that statistic because people could give Team 3D shitty tag belts and it'd be considered another milestone in their legendary career as a team together. But in any case, it doesn't really matter. There's a reason they keep getting gold, isn't there? So congrats.
Beginning this coming Friday, I'll begin posting text reviews on each of the Star Trek movies (starting with Star Trek: The Motion Picture). Each week-day (Monday through Friday) will boast a review for another film up until the big day when the newest Trek feature is released. Sure, my thoughts could be summed up in a couple words, but after having watched some of these movies again in recent days, I'd figure I get my thoughts on paper (or blog, as is the case) before they fade away... so this is the end result.
Some people may note that a couple of Trek movies already have reviews from me and are featured on IMDB.com. Rest assured that NO REPOSTS OF OLD REVIEWS WILL BE USED. After all, those were written years ago, and chances are recent viewings will change my mind on them.
In any case, I'll be seeing you Friday with Trek reviews.
Rob Nelson, variety says "The viewer, even from a seated position, deserves a championship belt for surviving this overlong actioner."
TV Guide decrees that 12 Rounds is "Not fun and it gets tiring real fast!"
ReelViews calls 12 Rounds "the unholy stepchild of Die Hard With A Vengeance and Speed, starring [WWE champion John Cena] whose lack of range makes Steven Seagal seem nuanced by comparison.
Yep, looks like the movie is making waves... not the good kind.
For more fun quotes, along with links to full reviews, clickie here.
I'll review this flick when it comes to DVD... if I even care to rent it.
As you might have noticed, things have been a bit slow here on the blog with infrequent updates. I haven't completely abandoned things here, but I'm just going through some tough times right now. As soon as I'm done going through my shit, expect irregular updates to happen soon. Presumably, I'll have something ready in time for the new Star Trek movie when that hits.
Until then... take care or something.
Since it's been about a week since last week's Wrestlemania both enlightened and disappointed us with a span of four hours, I figured that I'd post my thoughts from the Bite commentary currently in development. This was written the night after, by the way, so opinions now may vary.
Here's a bit of pointless trivia for you: The actual 25th anniversary of Wrestlemania is NEXT YEAR. This year's rendition is actually the 25th edition of the flagship wrestling event. But don't tell anybody that; they might get confused by the whole deal, given the company's hype and hardline push to convince you otherwise.
My first mania was No. 14; a show that signaled the beginning of what is known referred to as the "Attitude Era". For the most part, it wasn't necessarily a great show, but it must have been good enough to keep my interest. In a few short months, I got hooked on the stuff. Some would say obsessed.
It's been ten years since I've started watching this stuff and despite the less-than-stellar product that's currently on the air, I still enjoy watching the shows and following the action through the online sites which post show results. I keep up with most of the news on certain wrestling sites and I buy some of the DVD sets and video games. So my interest in the product in general hasn't waned much at all.
It is no secret that, to most longtime fans, recent editions of Wrestlemania have waned in both quality and importance. While most longtime fans could remember the glory days of a Hogan vs. Andre or even a Rock vs. Austin, the only magical match-ups current fans could remember are epic classics such as... Battle of the Billionaires, Big Show vs. Mayweather, and the Miss Wrestlemania battle royal. Clearly... crap better suited for an indy show and not that of a show deemed to be the grandest stage of all.
Despite the overall lackluster card on paper, I made it an effort to try and get some 'Mania related stuff ready before the big day comes. Obviously, people will note that I had announced some stuff to be posted on the Blog (and maybe even the Webstation) regarding the event. This would have included a revised Ramblemania, a couple video game reviews (featuring Wrestlemania-titled games) and perhaps even a video commentary. Alas, none of that stuff ever made it past the outlining stage. The old version of Ramblemania is still up and outside of a mention on March 31st, no 'Mania-related blogs were posted.
Perhaps the card got to me more than I realized... or maybe I was busy with other stuff.
My cousin had found a bar downtown where they were going to show the PPV. I was a bit hesitant to such a notion because I would have. Then I remembered the main matches and thought, "Not worth the money." So I joined him at the bar, watching the pre-show hockey game between Florida and some other team. Then the show started and... I thought it was okay. Not a big, major show... and certainly not one worthy of Wrestlemania, but a good show nonetheless... if it were called WWE In Your House.
I don't normally do this, but I'll give you some quick thoughts I had on the various matches.
Money In The Bank: CM Punk wins the match, becoming the first person to do so two years in a row (Edge doesn't count). For the most part, it was a fairly decent match, but the ending was such a downer for most people, as they were expecting (some would say hoping) that the returning Christian (Cage) would win it, making his comeback worth it. But hey, CM Punk winning it is not so bad either, so good show.
This is followed by a Kid Rock concert that lasts damn near twenty minutes. Most people were disappointed that AC/DC didn't show. Oh well...
Miss Wrestlemania Battle Royal a.k.a. Piss Break a.k.a. Who Gives A Shit Match. Need not say more than that.
And on a side note, WWE has no business being upset at Trish Stratus refusing to show up at 'Mania for this shit... nor do they have any business being upset at Amy "Lita" Dumas or Wendi Richter for also not showing up. If anything, the three former Women's Champions showed that they actually have common sense and decided not to take a big payday for a throwaway match... in which they're not even introduced. I feel bad for the former Divas that did show up and didn't get so much as a mention on air.
And no... not even Santino's win makes up for this pig shit. Again... NEXT.
Chris Jericho defeats the Legends. Superfly was worthless, don't get me started on Piper, but that Steamboat kid could really move for a guy his age. I reckon a World title is in his future. To be completely honest, I was shocked by this one. Nice effort, even though I could have done without the Rourke crap that followed, but whatever. This was a true surprise in a series of non-efforts. Not a fantastic match, but certainly better than what most of the old fogies could perform.
Matt Hardy beat Jeff Hardy. Usual EXTREME garbage. Next.
Rey Mysterio defeat John Bradshaw Layfield in a short match to win the IC title. JBL then quits. The only thing I'll say about this one is at least the IC title is defended at Wrestlemania for once instead of being a showpiece for some chump in a ladder match. As far as JBL quitting goes, it looks legit, as it was announced that he would be doing commentary for an upstart MMA promotion. To Mr. Layfield, I say good luck and thanks for the memories... good and bad.
Undertaker beats Shawn Michaels to retain his silly little streak. This was a damn-near incredible match... and weird as it may seem, the right man won this fight. Cousin calls the brawl between two giant egos... and that's pretty much the best way to sum up this match. But man, what an awesome match that was. This match had two guys going at it, all kinds of stops were pulled, and ultimately was a truly fulfilling and gut-wrenching match between two longtime veterans who have no business being that good. Clearly this was the true main event, the match of the night, and the only one worth giving a damn about.
Unfortunately, HBK didn't live up to his name and stopped the show. I kinda wished he had, to be honest, because what followed failed to live up to expectations.
John Cena beat Big Show and Edge to win the World Title. The triple-threat match, for the most part, was alright. It wasn't anything special, it wasn't a great match compared to the awesome match proceeding it, but in the end, it was a solid match that, for the most part, kept me awake. Cena winning didn't dampen my mood - shocking, I know - and was actually the best way they could end this. A good effort by all, no complaints whatsoever.
They follow up that match with the Hall of Fame inductees... which is promptly followed by a Stone Cold beer bash - complete with old-school Austin 3:16 shirt. Unfortunately, it didn't end there.
Triple H beat Randy Orton to retain the WWE Title. This match sucked. Not just in a horrible manner, but it sucked any enjoyment that I might have had for the show. It sucked out any goodwill for this show. It just sucked. A mediocre main event featuring two guys who have already fought and an end result that even a blind man could see coming. I-I was yawning all throughout the match... maybe it was because I was tired, but holy crap, was I bored.
Anyone who honestly believed that this was a match worthy of main-eventing the 25th Wrestlemania - an event that they put much unnecessary hype into it considering the actual 25th anniversary of Wrestlemania is NEXT year - must be smoking some of the good stuff, because from what I've seen, this barely qualifies as the opening match to a backyard wrestling promotion. While they were trying for an "old-school" feel, the end result was just appallingly bad and barely matches up with the best of the Brooklyn Brawler classics. It just sucked.
It sucked so much ass that I felt the only positive way the match could have ended on a high-note was if Stone Cold came back out, gave everyone involved a Stone Cold Stunner, and had a few more beers for old time's sake. Alas, it was not to be.
There was the usual post-show recap montage, but we didn't stick around to see it. That's how bad the main event was.
The end result is that... yeah, it was a fairly decent show with only one match worth watching, but it fails utterly to live up to the immense hype and mystique of a Wrestlemania card. Most certainly, this was not worth the sixty dollars they're asking for. My best bet would be to wait for the DVD to come out and rent it to see if the show will be worth it. Don't bother with the replay.
