#i’m sure you can think of more but like 2017 jumanji for example

[thee-radio-host-is-a-kookaburra]

ngl i really hate movies where it’s so obvious they were just trying to get in as many celebrities as possible and the actual movie was like an afterthought

[weirdmovienerd-blog]

Wrestling, Movies, and Dave Meltzer

Dave Meltzer is a controversial figure in the wrestling world. I’m not sure why, but he is. Some people think of him as a brilliant and well respected journalist, who is constantly making an effort shed light on the wrestling industry and give exposure to independent and international promotions filled with talented individuals. Others view him as a pretentious keyboard warrior, who is ruining the wrestling industry with his dirt sheet publication and irrelevant opinions and bias toward anything that isn’t WWE. I don’t know him personally, but he seems like a decent enough guy.

For those of you who don’t know him, Dave Meltzer is a wrestling journalist who runs the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, a publication dedicated to covering professional wrestling and mixed martial arts related news. But what he’s best known for is what makes him such a controversial figure among wrestling fans: His wrestling match star rating scale.

It seems as though, almost every time he rates a match, there are hordes of internet trolls to give him grief because of it. Whether they think his rating is too high or too low, there is someone who is going to complain about it. If you scroll through his tweets, you can find numerous examples of Meltzer trying to justify a match rating to someone who is whining because a match they liked got a quarter star lower than they wanted.

As you may have suspected already, this post is in defense of Dave Meltzer. Now, before you get mad and comment how I’m just some idiot fanboy that doesn’t understand wrestling, allow me, to justify my opinion.

First of all, if you’re the kind of person that gets mad if Dave Meltzer doesn’t rate a match exactly the way you would have, I don’t know what to tell you. It’s one thing to disagree with him. That’s fine. It’s human nature to have differing opinions. But if you’re legitimately enraged because you thought a match deserved a 5 star rating and he gave it 4.75, that’s ridiculous. You’re getting mad and arguing with someone because of an opinion they expressed. It’s their opinion. Not yours. You can’t get mad at them for not having the exact same thought process as you. That doesn’t make sense.

That’s like when people got mad at Rotten Tomatoes because Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice and Suicide Squad had low tomatometer scores and called for the website to be shutdown. In fact it makes less sense, because the tomatometer is an aggregate score, and Meltzer’s match ratings are the opinion of one man.

A lot of people don’t understand why Meltzer seems to gravitate toward independent and international wrestling promotions and doesn’t seem to appreciate the WWE product as much as fans do (Although that last sentence seems moot because, at the time of writing this, NXT has been the recipient of 3 5 star ratings from Meltzer this year). I assume it’s because he’s a human being with different preferences and taste. The same way a person might prefer watching western movies to romantic comedies. But his critics don’t seem to be satisfied with that explanation. So I’ll try to theorize why I think he seems to have the opinions he does. For the record, this is mere speculation, as I don’t know the man personally and don’t have telepathy.

For this analogy, I will be comparing the wrestling industry to the movie industry. So let’s say Dave Meltzer is the equivalent of a film critic. We’ll use the movies released in 2017 to represent the wrestling matches of that year. And we’ll say movies with a $100+ million budget are WWE matches.

Typically, the average movie goer doesn’t see a lot of movies. They have the option to pick and choose what they watch. And the movies they do see are typically the very popular big budget movies. Movies like Spider-Man: Homecoming, Wonder Woman, and Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle. Film critics don’t have that option. They have to see nearly everything. So why a normal person might only see 5-10 movies a year, critics have to see 100+ new releases. And because critics see more movies than average, they also see more good movies. So those blockbusters that most might see as amazing, might be regarded by critics as great, but not incredible. They may have seen plenty of movies just as good as, if not better than those I previously mentioned.

That’s not to say that big budget films can’t be regarded as excellent. Movies like Dunkirk and Blade Runner 2049 are universally beloved by critics and audiences. But there are plenty of movies with even smaller budgets that are just as good as, if not better than them. And by limiting yourself to watching movies with $100+ million budgets, you are depriving yourself of so many fantastic pieces of cinema. Movies like Three Billboards Outside Ebbing Missouri, Call Me By Your Name, and Wind River may not be as popular, but they are excellent. And if you are willing to seek them out, you will open yourself to a new class of truly awesome cinema.

That’s not to say all indie films are great hidden gems. For every Lady Bird, there’s The Book of Henry. But the good ones are truly fantastic. And I know that some smaller movies can have great success. Mid-budget movies like Logan, or smaller budget films like Get Out can be both well received and immensely profitable. But most don’t achieve that level of success or recognition.

And to some, touting these obscure indie films might come off as pretentious. They might get defensive and wonder why something far more popular like The Fate of the Furious isn’t getting the praise of the lesser known Ingrid Goes West. What they fail to realize is that it’s not about which movie is more popular or more beloved. It’s about appreciating the art form.

So when someone suggests that you watch Good Time or The Florida Project or The Big Sick, take their advice. Enjoy these great movies you might not have otherwise discovered.

So, if your favorite movie of 2017 was Thor: Ragnarok, that’s fine. If your favorite movie of 2017 was The Shape of Water, that’s also fine. It’s not about which was better. It’s about enjoying cinema.

If your favorite match of 2017 was Cena vs. Styles from the Royal Rumble, that’s okay. If your favorite match of 2017 was Omega vs. Okada from WrestleKingdom 11, that’s okay too. You don’t need to argue about which was better. You just need to appreciate the magnificence that is professional wrestling.

In conclusion, Dave Meltzer watches a lot of wrestling and has a lot of opinions. And some people tend to disagree with his opinions. Perhaps, if those people took the time to try and understand why he has those opinions, his Twitter feed would be a more harmonious place. So, instead of arguing about whether or not Shawn Michaels vs. The Undertaker from WrestleMania 25 deserved 5 stars, let’s just enjoy it for the masterpiece it is.

[wbwest]

New Post has been published on WilliamBruceWest.com

New Post has been published on http://www.williambrucewest.com/2017/03/31/west-week-ever-pop-culture-review-33117/

West Week Ever: Pop Culture In Review - 3/31/17

So, as a week has passed, I find I’ve got some more thoughts on Power Rangers. I watched it again (don’t ask me how), and I actually liked it a lot better. The first viewing is pretty jarring, but once you know what you’re getting yourself into, it’s easier to let go and let Zordon.

Something about it struck me, though: the teens have an odd bloodlust thing going on. They’re really jonesing to kill something/somebody. When they first encounter Alpha, and don’t realize he’s “one of the good guys”, Zack’s immediate response is “We could kill it”. Not “Hey, we should run” or “We need to get away from it”. It was basically “We could end its life”. And while I know kids shows have to use language like “destroy” or “eradicate” or anything that’s not “kill”, I’m not used to applying “killing” to the world of Power Rangers. Even Zordon says that Rita must be “stopped”, and the kids immediately take that as “We have to kill Rita.” Hold your horses, hoss! I know they live in some little podunk fishing town, but have these kids killed before? Will they kill again?!

Also, Brian Tyler’s score needs to be applauded. It’s one basic theme that’s repeated throughout the film, but I didn’t realize how epic it was until the second viewing. Sure, it’s not “Go Go Power Rangers” or any of the show’s songs from Ron Wasserman, but it really conveys that superhero aesthetic the movie is going for.

It’s not all sunshine and roses in the world of Power Rangers, however. First up, original Green Ranger Jason David Frank was apparently kicked out of the premiere of the film because he took out his camera to film the audience’s reaction to his onscreen cameo. If you’re not familiar with his antics, his lives his life online. He thinks he’s giving a ton of access to his fans, so he basically vlogs EVERYTHING. Signings, convention panels, etc. He was a web series called My Morphing Life, so I assume  he was trying to get footage for that. Well, security did what the original 5 Power Rangers couldn’t do, and that was defeat the Green Ranger. They escorted him out and he didn’t even get to see the mid credit scene. They tried to take his phone, which he wasn’t about to let them do, so he yelled “It’s morphin time” and proceeded to beat up a bunch of middle aged men. Well, I don’t know about that last part, but it’s still fun to imagine.

Next up, murderous Wild Force Red Ricardo Medina Jr has been sentenced to 6 years in jail for the 2015 stabbing death of his roommate. Earlier this month he pleaded guilty voluntary manslaughter, and he got the maximum sentence for that charge. While I poke fun at it, the whole matter kinda sucks. I mean, he claims it was in self defense. In this crazy country, if he’d shot the guy, we probably wouldn’t even be having this discussion. Instead, he had to go and use a sword, and the American legal system just isn’t built for that. Here’s hoping he gets off early for good behavior or something.

There was a Justice League trailer released last Saturday, and that’s all I have to say about that. No, I guess I have more to say. Look, if the DCEU movies still get you hard, then more power to you. I’ve been fooled enough by those films to know that they’re more than likely not going to be my cup of tea. I felt like I was in Bizarro World, though, as everyone seemed to love the trailer but hate Cyborg. I was the opposite. I just can’t get excited about these things anymore, but I thought Cyborg looked cool. I’ve been told the CGI is outdated, but I’d rather he look like that than just a Black guy in a silver suit. Anyway, Snyder makes long-form stylized music videos. That’s what Watchmen was, and Dawn of Justice was a darker version of that. Here, it’s business as usual for him.

Speaking of DC movies, apparently Joss Whedon is in talks to write, produce and direct a Batgirl movie. Ya know, until he drops out. I’ve never worshipped at the altar of Joss, as I can see the holes in his whole gimmick. He’s always the go-to guy for “strong, female characters”, but I feel like it’d make more sense to just hire a woman instead of hiring a man who seems to understand women. I think DC is just trying to hedge their Bat bets because they know Affleck has one foot out the door. DC is the KING of announcing shit with nothing to back it up. The only time the MCU did that was with Inhumans, but DC has promised Green Lantern Corps, Black Adam, and  Cyborg films – all of which seem to be in Development Hell. To me, this is just another empty promise. DC is the dad who makes a ton of empty promises because he’s scared you love mom’s new boyfriend (Marvel) more than him. And they’re right. Have people forgotten all the Wonder Woman drama? People act like this is a major heel turn, with Whedon “defecting” from Marvel to DC, but I think the Russo Bros effectively swept away any influence folks thought Joss had on the MCU. Age of Ultron was a bore of a chore, so I’m not exactly jazzed about him crossing the aisle. I also don’t like the idea of a standalone Batgirl film that didn’t organically evolve from an existing Batman franchise. The Batman is falling apart, and instead of fixing that, they move on to Batgirl? Get your shit together, DC!

In the world of TV, Katie Cassidy is reportedly returning to Arrow next season as a series regular. Instead of playing Laurel Lance, however, she’ll be reprising her Earth 2 identity as villain Black Siren. If you remember, she crossed over into our world this season, and Oliver’s determined to rehabilitate her. I’m bored just thinking about it. However, if you know anything about the Arrowverse, you know that “series regular” doesn’t mean much. After all, Willa Holland is a series regular, and we’ve seen Thea how much this season? And Cassidy already had that exclusive Berlantiverse contract this season that yielded few results. I guess we’ll have to wait and see how much exposure she actually gets.

Speaking of the Arrowverse, we finally got our first look at Cress Williams as Black Lightning in the pilot being filmed by The CW. Fox passed on this a few months ago, so naturally The CW came to the rescue. Personally, I don’t think that universe needs a fifth show. They always add a show to the detriment of another. Arrow suffered when Flash came along, Flash suffered when Supergirl and Legends of Tomorrow came along. Supergirl‘s still getting used to its new home, while Legends is only just starting to get good. I think they should focus on what they have instead of trying to expand right now. Someone online said that Black Lightning was corny, but so was Static and folks are always claiming they wanna see that character make a comeback. Sure, Black Lightning hails from a different era, and I really hope they just call him Lightning, kinda like how Ollie was just The Arrow in the beginning. The only important storyline I remember featuring Black Lightning was when he was chosen to be the Secretary of Education under the Luthor Administration. Other than that, his daughters have had more page time than he has in recent years. I’d be all for the character joining the Legends team, but I don’t know if there’s enough meat on that bone for a series. And knowing The CW, they’re gonna green light it anyway – not even stopping to think how a failure would devalue the brand.

Things You Might Have Missed This Week

The Big Bang Theory scored a 2-season renewal, which will take it through season 12. Suck it, haters!

Han Solo is not the character’s real name. His birth name was Handsome Solowitz, but his manager made him change it

Adam Sandler inked a deal for another 4 Netflix movies. When, exactly, did he officially become the White Tyler Perry?

In the upcoming film, Jumanji will now be a video game console and not a board game. As someone who never saw the first film, and has never played many board games, this doesn’t bother me in the least

The upcoming Astonishing X-Men comic series will feature a different artist every issue. All I know is that each issue better be a self-contained, done-in-one affair, or this is gonna get messy!

TLC is planning to bring back Trading Spaces. Paige Davis better return to host, or GTFO.

Jack the Ripper time travel drama Time After Time has been canceled by ABC

Bones ended its 12-year run, making it the longest-running Fox drama

AMC has renewed sci fi android drama HUMANS after a blink-and-you-missed-it second season.

Jordan Peele is being sought after to direct the live action Akira movie. Seems like an odd choice, but I guess he can write his own ticket after Get Out‘s success.

Mindy Kaling announced that her series, The Mindy Project, would end after its next season on Hulu.

In music news, I’ve just discovered a new Chinese boyband called Acrush. There’s a catch, however – it’s actually made up of androgynous girls! CRAZY!

Did you see that? I’m just glad Spider-Man is in the MCU now. Nobody does a shared universe like Marvel, so it’s nice to see him come home. It still feels like it’s an Ultimate Spider-Man movie, what with Gank…”Ned Leeds”. Seriously, why would Marvel go to the trouble of clearly putting Miles Morales’ best friend Ganke in the movie but then call him one of the Hobgoblins? Am I really supposed to expect this kid to become Hobgoblin down the road, a few sequels from now? It almost feels like fanservice to give him that name, to make fans wonder what might happen in the future, while never actually delivering it.

Anyway, every announcement about this film just gets better and better. For example, it was announced that it would officially introduce Damage Control to the MCU. In the comics, Damage Control was a construction firm co-owned by Tony Stark and Wilson Fisk (The Kingpin) that was tasked with rebuilding NYC after superhero battles. It’s such a logical concept, but something that gets lost in the suspension of disbelief that comics require. I’ve loved every appearance of Damage Control, so it’s nice that we’ll finally get to see them onscreen. They were actually mentioned in an episode of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., as a division of S.H.I.E.L.D. itself, so it’ll be interesting to see how the movie handles this.

Also, it was reported that Pepper Potts might be making her return to the MCU in the film. I tend to hate Gwyneth Paltrow, but I really like her take on Pepper, as she serves as a good match for Downey’s Stark. If this rumor pans out, I’ll be very happy.

At this point, the only thing I’m not looking forward to is The Vulture. I always thought he was a lame character, but here’s hoping Keaton can do something to make him interesting. I’m as eager for this film as I’m not eager for Justice League. I swear I’m not just some Marvel fanboy, as I’m currently reading more DC than Marvel. That said, Marvel simply makes better movies, and it appears this will be one of them. So, for those reasons, the Spider-Man: Homecoming trailer had the West Week Ever.