Amazing Spiderman 2 is a date movie

Wow 6 months of not blogging the professor of procrastinating is here! Finally got to post something here before Google decides to shut me down for inactivity (can they do that?), it's here and for this feature I present to you Spider-man.

SPOILERS ahead. If you do not wish to sabotage your viewing experience please do not continue reading.Otherwise do continue...

From the events that prompt the end of the first movie, Gwen Stacy and Peter Parker got back together again? Parker is distracted by the spectre Gwen's dad makes throughout the movie, showing guilt for continuing his relationship with the deceased daughter.

But like the real life lovers they are (if you don't know yet Andrew and Emma are a real deal), the two are just inseparable, making the movie so romantic its not hard to think it was made for a date in mind.

Need proof?

And there's so much smooching, nose touching each other, sweet nothings going on the entire movie. And wait there's more! Added bonus is Harry Osborne and Peter's bromance scenes. Overall I liked the treatment for the movie.

Very realistic and they didn't blow up the entire earth! (bad superman) they just blacked it out with airplanes almost colliding each other (close call).

The movie introduces us to Max Dillon AKA Electro AKA Mr. Nobody-who-deep-inside-wants-to-be-famous. He was saved by Spiderman once in the movie, electrocutes himself while noting that it might be wise to cut off the power while he does a duty chore asked by him by an asshole head but nevertheless braved himself enough that he could do the jon without cutting power then electrocutes himself. Hmmm.

He goes down a drum of electric fish while frying himself and boom he died while later transforming to Electro.

There's also Harry who became Green Goblin if you remember him as James Franco in the Sam Raimi version of Spiderman right?

Movie also showed Richard Parker, Peter's dad trying to connect to authorities about why he aborted his project with OSCORP, why he needs to stay low and why he's pursued by a lot of shadowy figures.

Conspiracy: What if Peter Parker's dad didn't die in the airplane crash? He lived and became a hunter and caught the tiger in Life of Pi... And the tiger mistakenly got Richard Parker as name instead? Hehe you have to have watched Life of Pi to understand me haha!

Forward, Electro battles Spideman who seemed so invincible he electricity seem nothing to him. When Spidey defeats Electro out comes Goblin. Harry, as the Goblin, figures out Spidey's identity and went for vengeance as he felt he was betrayed by both Spiderman and his good friend Peter Parker by not giving him the Spider-blood in his veins. Goblin vents his anger towards Gwen taking him upwards then letting her fall down as Spidey scrambles to save her while battling Goblin himself. Pretty complicated right? And that is the reason we got an excuse to forgive Spidey for not being able to save Gwen in the end.

Gwen died. Just as her Dad's spectre have tried to warn Peter. She died.

That's really sad for me because that means no Emma Stone for the remainder of the reboot. But isn't Shailene Woodley supposed to do MJ? That would be cool, but what about Felicity Jones playing Felicia AKA Black Cat for comic book fans is she the next leading lady? knowing Spidey have the hots for her in the comics..

There are still a lot of opening to be filled out but just when you think the movie is over with Gwen's death the movie teases about a future plot with Sinister Six and one of them actually debuts at the end of the film Rhino, who gets a new kind of suit for himself (Little upset by that because Rhino is supposed to be like Juggernaut with just a body armor but not in a robotic way).

Then of course the cut scene that can make any fanboy dream awake... I myself was surprised that Sony allowed 20th Century Fox's X-Men at the cut scene to be shown. I mean wow, can it be true? Can a cross over finally happen? Just watch put and see. Until then chow and keep reading.

NBA team previews Southwest Division

Wow the southwest. I think this is the deepest and by far the fiercest battle ground in the NBA. You look at the five teams and these are tough, tough teams. Now I'll try again to impart what positives and negatives I see in these teams. Shall we?

The Houston Rockets

2012-13 Record: 45-37
Key Additions: Marcus Camby and Dwight Howard
Key Losses: Carlos Delfino

Houston's wheeling and dealing that started 2 years ago finally paid off. The haggling for Harden? That hit the jackpot. It's the one that actually enticed Dwight to come (of course some of Chandler Parsons "friendly prodding" did help).

Houston created the almost perfect atmosphere to land Dwight Howard. in one hand an "In-his-prime" All-Star caliber player in James Harden, 2nd the familial atmosphere that the jovial giant missed (Kobe and the Lakers gave him the hard line do your job thing in LA and the fans just didn't gave the guy a chance), 3rd a solid cast around him to actually be able to contend and lastly coaches that can literally look Dwight and the eye and say we know your position very well.

Houston grabbed the biggest free agent this summer and thus allowing themselves a window of four years to do something about it. I don't think the Rockets are a finished product but they have heavily upgraded just by adding Howard up front.

The Dallas Mavericks

2012-13 Record: 41-41
Key Additions: DeJuan Blair, Jose Calderon, Samuel Dalembert, Wayne Ellington, Monta Ellis and Devin Harris
Key Losses: Elton Brand, Chris Kaman, Darren Collison and O.J. Mayo

Losers for the second big free agency since breaking up their championship team, the Mavericks actually got intriguing pieces this summer.

The big target was Dwight Howard, they bombed. Dwight didn't even blink at them, Houston was the only Dwight ever looked, the only Texan team he ever looked. Chris Paul said no team need to bother him anymore.

Gone is prolific center Kaman and Dallas get offensively deficient, Samuel Dalembert. They also got undersized Dajuan Blair. Blair is actually the better of the 2 but at 6-8, 6-9 he's just too puny for the center position. Maybe a replacement for Elton Brand? That's just doing a downgrade. I mean Blair is young but can he get better with Rick Carlisle on the sidelines?

They also got Monta Ellis, a more high profile player who is actually is almost an OJ Mayo prototype so you're actually ridding yourself this lower paid player and getting a more luxurious one for the same type of game. Doesn't make sense.

The only real steal Dallas got is Jose Calderon, since losing Jason Kidd to New York Dallas sort of lost a quality point guard who could run an offense properly. For all the talk of him when he was a Hornet (now the Pelicans) seem to have left him as soon as he was shipped to Indiana. With Calderon they got a very good point guard almost in the same caliber of Jason Kidd (in his dog years) at least they got someone to help.

I am thinking for these Mavs to fly, they need more Dirk Nowitzki doing his thing and keeping him healthy all season is a must.

The Memphis Grizzlies

2012-13 Record: 56-26
Key Additions: Kosta Koufos and Mike Miller
Key Losses: Darrell Arthur

Runner-ups in the WCF, the Grizzlies actually did little to shake their roster up, but the big thing that they did let go is not a player but their coach Lionel Hollins. Easily their most successful coach to date with a record of 196-155 win-loss regular season slate, Hollins saw these young lads steady rise to Western Conference power.

While not taking anything away from new coach David Joerger, it is interesting to see how the Grizzlies react to a more analytical kind of coaching. Personally I believe the game is about instincts and breaks that you exploit as the games go on and what makes the game this exciting. It is interesting to watch if indeed this kind of new NBA thing will work just fine for the franchise or just make it worse.

The New Orleans Pelicans (formerly the Hornets)


012-13 Record: 27-55
Key Additions: Tyreke Evans, Jrue Holiday and Greg Stiemsma
Key Losses: Robin Lopez and Greivis Vasquez

New Orleans team decided to rename their franchise to something more endemic to their landscape and chose the Pelicans as their new franchise name.

To kick start the freshness the Pelicans acquired 2 important guards to their roster, Tyreke Evans and Jrue Holiday. These 2 guys are insurance in case Eric Gordon doesn't find his groove still as a member of the Pelicans. It also makes Gordon happy, both because of playing with former AAU friends and actually being surrounded by talent. Personally I think the Pelicans did a smart job with their roster keeping them young yet adding valuable athletic pieces to work on with Anthony Davis, last year's top Rook.

And based on their preseason games even if it don't mean a thing? Their coming and the NBA be better ready, and under coach Monty Williams watch they will be better definitely.

The San Antonio Spurs

2012-13 Record: 58-24
Key Additions: Marco Belinelli and Deshaun Thomas
Key Losses: Gary Neal

Fresh from losing a heart breaking NBA finals, The key moves for the San Antonio Spurs weren't additions or losses. Instead, they involved re-signing crucial players (Manu Ginobili and Tiago Splitter).

After that nada, they have no more money to pay Neal to stay so they got bargain Marco Belinelli who the thrifty (just being kind here) Bulls let go. Marco fits in perfectly with the Spurs by playing system defense and draining corner three-pointers.

The additional year for Tim Duncan and crew does not spell good for the Spurs, always their main concern and father time continues to creep in into this amazingly defiant Spurs I don't know how much time is still left though before it closes it's doors for the old guys of this team.

Well this is all for now, 'til next time continue reading. :)

NBA team previews Central Division

The NBA season is nearing and for me I get to try my crummy analysis on how teams will eventually pan out with their new addition against their losses in the off-season and I'd like to start out with the division closest to my heart since it has my favorite team the Chicago Bulls, the Central Division.

The Chicago Bulls

2012-13 Record: 45-37
Key Additions: Mike Dunleav, Tony Snell, Erik Murphy
Key Losses: Marco Belinelli, Richard Hamilton and Nate Robinson

Bulls didn't exactly do a lot in the off-season, after getting Mike Dunleavy and adding a couple of rookies in the draft the Bulls have become dormant.

Except for the drama on the downfall of contract negotiations with soon to be free agent Luol Deng there wasn't any news about Chicago. Or is there? Wait Derrick Rose is back! And because he is the Bulls jump back into championship contention. With the core of Noah, Boozer, Deng, Butler, Hinrich and Rose the Bulls are set to contend.

The Bulls lost good players in the off-season but they got back their MVP who has shown in the pre-season he still got it. My concern for Rose though is he seem too eager to slug it out when it's only the preseason where games don't really matter. Whoah, settle down boy it's a long season and you'll get your chance.

The Cleveland Cavaliers

2012-13 Record: 24-58
Key Additions: Anthony Bennett, Andrew Bynum, Earl Clark, Jarrett Jack and Sergey Karasev
Key Losses: Marreese Speights

With Kyrie emerging as one of the best PG's in the league the Cavs are knocking on the door for a return to the play-offs since LeBron James left Ohio.

Dan Gilbert did a lot of spending in the off-season building around it's talented young point guard, and with a stroke of luck managed to get another #1 overall pick and used it for... Anthony Bennett? While the guy has his qualifications as number 1 many questions were raised after he was taken. He's still recuperating from a previous injury sustained in college and is having a slow transition in the pro's. While he may take time to recuperate one intriguing addition is Andrew Bynum.

Bynum before the injury filled year in Philadelphia was regarded the most polished offensive center in the league. Because of his body and great footwork Bynum was an All-Star before he got traded to the 76ers in an uneventful year where the public saw him sit out the whole season. A healthy Andrew Bynum elevates these Cavs to serious play-off contention, make no mistake about it. While Kyrie Irving is the star of this Cavs, Bynum could be make or brake for them, he's just a big part of the puzzle for the Cavs right now.

PS. They got Mike Brown back as their coach.

The Detroit Pistons

2012-13 Record: 29-53
Key Additions: Chauncey Billups, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Brandon Jennings and Josh Smith
Key Losses: Jose Calderon and Brandon Knight

The Pistons brought back a piece of nostalgia when they got Chauncey back at the helm, as for the other additions? Well let's say I just can't figure out what Joe Dumars wants to do with his team.

Pistons are a young team and yes they want to be fast, but giving the ball to Jennings to do the job? Doesn't cut it. Brandon is a shot jocker in the very sense of the word, he is looking for his shot and although Dumars might be hoping Chauncey might share some valuable knowledge for Brandon I think what's natural would still come out. And that's not  even talking about Josh Smith who'd rather chuck his shots from the outside than use his amazing athleticism to squeeze into the hoop for easy hoops.

Drummond and Greg Monroe still needs polishing but if they figure each other out and things pan out well for the Pistons this is a dangerous team no doubt about it.

PS. Mo Cheeks is now running the show in Detroit

 The Indiana Pacers

2012-13 Record: 49-32
Key Additions: Chris Copeland, Solomon Hill, Luis Scola and C.J. Watson
Key Losses: Tyler Hansbrough and D.J. Augustin

Fresh from being a win away from getting bcak into the NBA Finals, the Pacers barge into the season full of hope and expectations.

Larry Bird returned as President of basketball operations and his first order of business is finalize an agreement with Paul George as the new face of the franchise handing him with a multi-year contract extension and almost handing him the key to the Pacers franchise.

Indiana revamped it's roster in the off-season. If the question for Indiana is continuation as soon as they get to the bench, the Pacers management responded by seeking trusted veterans throughout the league who can sustain their momentum as games progressed. The casualties include my personal favorite Tyler Hansbrough who was shifted to Toronto, a move that devastated him personally, The Pacers got better though on paper.

Indiana needs to work on its chemistry now because it's evident in the off-season that they were on and off and weren't that aware of each other in the early goings. Especially against Chicago where Derrick Rose blitzed them out in a lot of play, rusty and all.

The Milwaukee Bucks

Key Additions: Caron Butler, Carlos Delfino, Brandon Knight, O.J. Mayo, Zaza Pachulia and Luke Ridnour, Gary Neal
Key Losses: Samuel Dalembert, Monta Ellis, Brandon Jennings and J.J. Redick

I have actually read a lot of blogs questioning what the Bucks were doing with their roster. Me personally, liked who they were bringing against who they lost? Bucks got more talented, got better and more consistent that what they had last year.

Ridnour is a consistent PG and could mesh well with Mayo or anybody in the backcourt because he's unselfish, and if I am not mistaken this is his second tour of duty in Milwaukee and that could bolster support from thei home crown since Luke was a fan favorite when they marched in the play-offs in 2010.

Plus they got even more scorers than last year limited to the shot jocking of Monta Ellis and Brandon Jennings team. They got Mayo now and Caron Butler and the sweet shooting Gary Neal fresh from the NBA finals this year. Bucks got better I don't know what the other bloggers are looking at.

PS. Former Atlanta coach Larry Drew packed his bags and relocated to Wisconsin state, home of the Bucks.

That's all for now, still have 5 more divisions to review, 'til then keep on reading guys.

"Gravity" didn't pan out as I wanted it to be

Warning: Some spoilers included.

It is a story of sacrifice.

It is a story of struggling to live.

But Gravity doesn't cut it for me as a movie.

Maybe it because of the pacing? Maybe the lack of other visuals? I don't really know. I must admit though that Sandra Bullock delivered an Oscar worthy performance. Although the chaos from exploding space satellites was spectacular, the drifting bores me.

The movie is a ground breaking of sorts exploring the nothingness of the great void up there, because although we have great movies like the Star Wars and Star Trek none of those 2 explored space like gravity did. The realities and complexities of living in space, the struggles our astronauts (or cosmonauts if you're Russian) had to go through.

I don't really know what's lacking but for me the movie don't give me the adrenaline rush I've experienced watching Star Trek last time out, maybe the lack of people bored me? Maybe the inefficiency of NASA in the movie doomed the story for me? I don't really know. One noticeable CGI scene that I saw was when Ryan Stone (Sandra Bullock's character) was trying to yank her way inside the Russian space station. It was just awkward for a real human to do that. Although visually everything is almost what you would see in space, the accuracy is almost stunning.

But what I do recommend though is watch the movie in 3-D or I-Max for that matter to have the full movie experience.

Well that's all for now catch me again next time. Enjoy reading.

Some remaining Free Agents the Bulls can target

We all know now what happened to the Dwight lottery. He's coming to Houston (somehow it has been preempted these past days that he would). And that makes Houston an automatic championship caliber team. And pieces continue to fall for Howard and company, just today I learned they caught Omri Casspi and locked him for 2 years.

Dwight has an opt out option in 2016, and with the way Houston continues to build it's team around Dwight that's a scary 3 years.

As for my Chicago Bulls, new has been barren, I read somewhere that they are targeting Mo Williams but other than that news is still scarce.

Here are possible free agent signings that I think can fit the Bulls and boost them further into contention vs. the best of the East.

1. Andrei Kirilenko

The prospect of adding Andrei boost the chance for the Bulls. Andrei can play all 5 positions on the court and is great defensively further solidifying the Bulls main strength. His addition can mean having the luxury of moving Jimmy Butler to SG and having an insurance if any player fall to injury. I think of all the remaining free agents Andrei makes the most sense for the Bulls because he has all the qualities of a Bull. He might not come cheap though but he's a very nice compliment.



2. Mickael Pietrus

Knowing the Bulls are too afraid going atop the salary cap, Mickael is a very good addition the guy is a very good competitor, nice defense and spaces the floor for the Bulls, not to mention Mickael was only receiving, last season, a salary under 1 million dollars. If Forman has his wits in him I'd tab this guy out.



3. Antawn Jamison

Are you kidding me, this guys is a must have for any team that wants to go deep into contention only a bad coach will not value this guy (Mike D'Antoni it's you). He's a very good stretch 4 and plays some SF as well although his defense is a little suspect the Bulls can help him fill the gap (I need to remind you the Bulls still have Boozer). If there's a guy I hope the Bulls nab it's this guy, and he also can accept a cheap contract after accepting less than a million in LA.


4. Byron Mullens

Guy is a rarity among center, I mean a center who can space the floor for you, yeah he seldom plays defense but he grabs rebounds. I think if there is something Mike Dunlap did good for Charlotte is showing some potential for this guy. With the Bulls locking Nazr to another 1 year contract, I think offering Mullens to a center cheap contact of 3 million don't hurt. Imagine the space he'll create for Boozer and Rose down there. I think this guy should receive some consideration.

5. Tyler Hansbrough
I don't care what you say about this guy but I like his activity, he's a hard worker and if you love all the quality that is Joakim Noah you have to appreciate this guy, I think he's one of the guys Tom Thibodeau will love having on his bench.


I know there are far more big names remaining but I think the five I selected best fits the Bulls identity, I believe Coach Thibs wouln't mind if one or all these guys become available on his bench for next season.

Comments are all very welcome.