How was your weekend? Mine? It was fine. I met Mrs. Lovett and Sweeney Todd, the wizards Saruman and Albus Dumbledore, and oh yeah, a couple of Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers as well as Brienne of Tarth. I fangirled the way I never had before. I revisted my childhood, met kindred spirits who understood why I think Tauriel is going to die or disappear; saw such inspiring efforts, creativity, and uniqueness. Not to mention, a little bit of K-pop thrown in the mix.
Who am I kidding? MY WEEKEND WAS FAN-FREAKING-TASTIC! It was a blast and it was filled with awesome people, things... everything. And I'm glad to have shared it with my partner-in-crime brother on his first con.
(This post will cover the first two days of this three-day event. My brother and I bought passes for days two and three but we went to the LA Convention Center to pick up our badges on the first day of the event, October 31, Friday.)
I loved it so much, I watched it twice in one day!
Well, not really. I did love it. But to watch it twice in a day? Let's just say that the second one was free. There. I never say no to free stuff. And if it's something that I truly like, bring it!
There is no secret that my favorite Avenger is Captain America, closely followed by Hawkeye. It's no coincidence that these roles are played by two of the hottest beings on the planet, Chris Evansand Jeremy Renner, respectively. All of that makes my movie-going experience all the more enjoyable.
I knew that I was going to like a Captain America movie regardless. That's how I roll with the stuff I irrationally love. But this went beyond my already high expectations. It wasn't as geeky fun as The Avengers but this is by far the most story-driven superhero movie that I've ever seen. There wasn't a dull moment or bad acting or fillers... it was an adventure from the first second to the very last.
This is honestly the first time where I liked these two main-ish characters: Nick Fury and Black Widow. I'm not much of a Scarlett Johansson fan; I never saw the "wow" in her acting but something changed in Black Widow in this movie. She's more snarky and witty and less out of place. Even her one "comedy" line was great. (The trailers of Lucy looks fcking amazing.) Nick Fury stopped being a douchebag. His vulnerability is a nice change and it actually made him more badass. Maria Hill should've been this fierce in The Avengers. They barely used her there and she's more than a glorified secretary to Fury.
Anthony Mackie as Sam Wilson/Falcon was great. A deserving addition to the universe. Maybe not for The Avengers but definitely for the subsequent Captain America sequels. Speaking of sequels, the Winter Soldier... there's a comic storyline I want them to follow where the Winter Solider assumes the position of Captain America... actually becomes Captain America. If I can't have my Civil War arc, I want this. The post-credits scene opens so many possibilities for Bucky. And really, Sebastian Stan in anything. ANYTHING.
But the man of the (two) hour(s)... Chris Evans. Whoo! *fans self* JFC, I have a selfie with this hot man.
Oh, Under Armour is the official clothing sponsor of SHIELD. Wilson is not an agent of SHIELD therefore, he wears Nike. XD There's this one scene where Rogers comes out of the bathroom and... yeah, I almost had to excuse myself from the cinema.
I love how he plays Steve. Better than when he had to portray Johnny Storm. His earnestness and his faith in humanity punches me in the gut. No wonder Steve can lift Thor's hammer.
Unlike other superhero movies, Captain America: The Winter Soldier is teeming with serious issues. Politics, power struggles,espionage... it's not just a self-serving issue or crisis of a paranormal nature. Granted, Steve would've had an easier time if The Avengers were there to help him but this is solely a Captain America struggle. (Or at least have Hawkeye there. I mean, Natasha's great and all but gotta have my Clint Barton.)
I'm glad they included Peggy Carter. And not just in a flashback. Speaking of flashbacks, I loooove how they included that aspect. It totally helped the story and again, it showed a vulnerable side to an otherwise untouchable character.
Would I watch it again? For free, yes. ;-)
Good thing I got this at the SHIELD gift shop before… you know if you watched the movie already.
And yes, my phone case is the map of Middle-Earth.
Who's strong and brave, here to save the American way?
It's been a while since I went solo on a red carpet premiere. But if there's anything I've learned from attending these kinds of events, it's that there is no shortage of like-minded individuals around you. Yes, even those who attend for "business purposes". This had been far from my first rodeo and the number of familiar faces had piled up over the years. While I still sometimes feel bad for the "real fans" when I see some "autograph hounds" around, I realized that not all of them are bad. Actually, some of them are kind of fun to be with. :) Anyway, if you've been around me long enough, you would know that my favorite Avenger is Captain America. Not just because of Chris Evans, mind you. It's his shield. For the last The Avengers premiere, I spent three days making Cap's shield from yarn. It's not perfect but I'm fcking proud of it. Some of the crew guys took photos of it. And same this time around. I haven't seen the streaming yet but the camera guy went over to me twice to film my shield. What became of that, I know not. But one of the will call guests commented on it too as she passed by our area going in the theater. And Agents of SHIELD's Brett Dalton took it from my hands to look at it. He said, "Did you knit this yourself? Man, that is awesome!" Crochet, actually, but thank you. (Why do I feel obligated to watch that show now? #guiltyfeels LOL.)
I got there at around 10AM which, in premiere times, is not early. I was concerned because El Capitan premieres have shorter fanlines than those done across the street. By the time I got there, the second row was filling up. But thanks to familiar faces from various True Blood premieres, I scored a good spot... ending up against the barricades.
I finished the book that I was reading, Flowers in the Attic, while waiting for the event to start. I swear, if I had $5 every time people asked me what was going on, I'd have enough to watch this movie in the theaters 5 times. And maybe an extra $5 whenever said tourist takes a picture of the TCL Chinese Theater thinking that that's where the premiere was held. A handful of people couldn't believe that the crowd across the street was different from us waiting at El Capitan.
Speaking of tourists, it was so easy to spot them. Apart from the fanny packs and large cameras and occasional cries of, "OMG the Harlem Globetrotters star," which was located behind my seat, the tourists were dressed for the beach. It was a crisp 72 degrees that day. The locals, those of us waiting on the sidewalk, were bundled up in hoodies and jackets. That's California for ya.
As usual, I wasn't there for autographs. I could but it's too much work for me to hold my stuff and take a picture of and with the celebrity. I tried that for The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug and I got crushed. No bueno. And I value my pictures more anyway. And this is a better time for premieres than the one for Thor: The Dark World. It started at around 6PM and it still was light as day. I definitely took better pictures.
The whole main cast of Agents of SHIELD was there. Surprisingly, I managed to get photos with most of them. And I don't even watch the show anymore! True Blood parallels, anyone? XD Dang, and they were so nice too... I feel kinda guilty about not being a fan of their show. Oh well. To strike up a conversation with Chloe Benett, I asked her about Big Bang's Tonight MV. She smiled and said they were nice guys.
I didn't get a lot of pictures with the actors but I did get one with the one I was most excited for... Hayley Atwell. I loved her as Peggy Carter but I have to thank Pillars of the Earth for introducing me to her, as well as Eddie Redmayneand Sam Claflin. Now, I am a part of that six-degrees chain too. XD She took her dad with her at the event. And really, I've never met a prouder parent.
As Hayley was making her way down the fan line, someone was taking video of her signing stuff and interacting with fans. I was scared that she might head to the carpet without getting to us so I said out loud, "Hayley! I've been a fan since Pillars of the Earth!" The man taking video heard it and headed over to us. The lady beside me asked, "Is that for Hayley?" He said yes and I repeated what I said about Pillars. She was getting close to us and I was visibly vibrating in excitement. Then the man said, "Actually, I'm her dad." She gave him the biggest smile. And we were all, "Awww..." Daddy taking video of his little girl's time in the spotlight.
After I took my photo with Hayley, Mr. Atwell was still filming and I just had to say it. "You must be so proud, sir," I said. He gave me the warmest smile and said, "It's more joy than pride, you know. Joy, you can share. You guys," pointing to us fans, "make it all worth it. So thank you." It just made my night. I love meeting celebrity parents. They either act as haughty as their progeny or so very humbled, it's touching.
Sebastian Stan was making his way down to us also but stopped juuuuust before he got to our area. Bummer, I wanted a photo but at least I saw him. :) Other actors in attendance were Samuel L. Jackson, JEREMY RENNER (you bet your ass that I screamed my head all the way off again), Dominic Monaghan (a pleasant surprise), Claudia Kim Soohyun (I wanted to call out 언니 but I was struck dumb... she's so pretty), the guys from Baby Daddy, Cobie Smulders, Anthony Mackie (The Hurt Locker reunion, anyone?), Michael Rookeraka Merle Dixon of The Walking Dead, George St. Pierre, Teen Wolf's Tyler Posey, and of course, Scarlett Johansson. At The Avengers premiere, Chris Evans didn't even sign all the way to our spot. This time around, he did. And look at us being such dorks!
I was so stunned that all I did was smile like a loon while waving my crocheted shield at him. OMG, I couldn't find the words apart from "thank you". His voice rumbling by my ear... oh dear lord, yes. The rest of the premiere went by without a hitch. Our spot was okay but I think we got the least number of people to sign and take pics. But hey, at least we got Chris. More photos after the cut....
I recently watched Thor: The Dark World over the weekend. TWICE. I ended up watching it on the Friday release date after all. And then Sunday with my mom, the Thor fan.
The last movie that I watched twice in a span of a week was The Avengers. I gotta say, Thor 2 almost rivals how much I enjoyed that one. I wasn't 100% sold on the first Thor movie. To me, it was one long live action cartoon where I wasn't supposed to take anything seriously. Chris Hemsworth spent half the movie in street clothes; Natalie Portman had no comedic timing; it was unclear whether SHIELD is serious or a comic relief; and there's a little issue named Kat Dennings. But at least there was Hawkeye and PappaSkars.
This time around, OMG -- I loved it all. Even Darcy. She was relevant! And not unfunny. Sure, Portman still has no comedic timing but I didn't mind that as much as the first film. PappaSkars did what I expected of any Skarsgard and loved it. I imagine a flashback scene of Erik Selvig played by any of Stellan's actual sons. XD I even loved Thor. Loki is a given but the more I see Thor (and Hemsworth), the more I like him. Like, I'm actually a fan now! He's not your typical strong muscled guy with blonde hair who can't do shit - for the actor, can't act - and just stand there delivering lines. No. He's a legit hero. And I gotta give it to Chris Hemsworth. He's so likeable and now, I can't imagine anyone as Thor. I admit that Loki (and Tom Hiddleston) did overshadow Thor (and Chris) a bit but that came with the audience's expectation going in. Plus, he is the sassier Asgardian. Tom Hiddleston played Loki like it was his second nature. It's his voice, methinks.
I wish there were more Lady Sif and The Warriors Three. Especially Hogun. He had one line. One line. Sif is so bad ass, she deserves a mini-spinoff. A+ on Zachary Levi being Fandral. I wish he had solo scenes. The Warriors Three are pretty amazing themselves.
It won't be a Marvel movie without cameos. Stan Lee is still a sore thumb, unfortunately. Even if you don't know who he is, you'll be able to spot him. But Thor 2 boasts THE BEST-est cameo so far. And the story behind it is pretty priceless too. Of course, I may be biased but both audiences cheered the loudest during that moment. So loud, in fact, that I didn't hear what was said during my first time watching it. My heart was pounding with excitement over those ten seconds.
I don't have the first Thor movie on DVD. Surprise! But I cannot wait to own this on video so I can watch this again and again... just like what I'm doing now with The Avengers.
I don't get why this movie is not yet released in the US. My lovely friends from the Philippines have already seen it before we even got a red carpet premiere. What gives, Marvel? The Internet exists all over the world - in varying speeds - therefore, spoilers are bound to pop up. A fan can only control herself long enough! Especially when it comes to cameos. It's the post-The Avengers universe we're talking about here. (Actually, I don't mind spoilers lmao. It makes me look forward to stuff more.)
Until Thor 2 is released in US cinemas, I think going to the premiere is enough to tide me over? y/y?
I'm no stranger to red carpet premieres. In fact, I seek them out and take out time from my work week to come to these events. Why? Because like some sad tourist, I love seeing these actors in real life. Certain actors more than others but if I end up seeing a random celebrity that I didn't know I liked, that's an awesome extra.
I have to say, this isn't one of the better ones. It sucks because I'm with my mom (she's a Thor fan for real) and I wanted her to have a good time. In the end, she did - as did I - but my mistake was looking forward to the same experience as I had during The Avengers premiere. Yes, that premiere ruined everything for me. It got dark early and fast. Hardcore fans plus the usual autograph hounds aren't the most cooperative types. Put them together and you'll definitely have drama. It's funny... everyone is starting to look familiar, from the autograph hounds to the red carpet regulars such as myself. It doesn't matter what film or show it's for... faces do start to look familiar.
I met up with my red carpet ladies (and met a few more) at around 10AM. Can you imagine that it's been 2-3 years since we first met at the True Blood premiere? That's half the fun... meeting like-minded people while waiting in line. We would go on and wait for 6-7 hours before the celebs started to arrive. By then, it was already full dark. Either they did not account for the shifting of times or they did arrivals late on purpose. Either way, we didn't see much, considering this is a "major" premiere.
It wasn't too exciting compared to the others I've attended. Although, I got super excited when I saw Nathan Fillion. That was unexpected. I thought I'd see him at The Avengers premiere because of Joss Whedon. I don't watch Castle much anymore but I still like Nathan (and the rest of the cast; it's the writing that I have big problems with) and even if my mom and I had seen him before, I still got excited.
The director, Alan Taylor, was the first one to do the fan line. Then Zachary Levi who took over the role of Fandral. Clark Gregg and Tom Hiddleston did too but they didn't begin at one end of the fanline. Therefore, I didn't see Tom at all. Sure, I saw the top of his head at press line but not up close. (I wanted my mom to see him so I got a bit miffed when he didn't come to us.) Jaimie Alexander almost got to us but she didn't. Upon seeing her dress, I kinda give her a pass lol. Tom though... :(
I felt bad for this one girl in line. She was flat out CRYING when Tom went away. He wasn't coming back, we all knew it. It sucks for the Loki fans who were there dead early to get good spots to see him. Some went there just to see him, I'm pretty sure. I'm sure he had his reasons.
To make up for that and Stellan Skarsgard's no-show... JEREMY RENNER. The love that I have for this man... oooh, no words. I lost my shit then, I lost my shit there also. Now, both my brother and mother had seen how I freak out over this guy. I have no shame. Hell, even my mother sort of freaked out when he passed by our area! XD Yes, we both love him.
I love that he showed up. As far as I know, he's not in the movie but he's definitely friends with Chris Hemsworth and Tom. Actually, after he did the fan and press lines, he left. Heh. But I saw him again and that's enough for me! <3
I realize that I got more excited over those who are not in the movie vs the cast members themselves. Well, it was awesome seeing Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje. I still don't know how to properly say his name so I call him either Mr. Eko or Adebisi, depending on who I'm talking to haha, Oz fan or Lost fan. Sir Anthony Hopkins was there too. It would've been awesome to shake his hand.
And how's this for brotherly love? Gale! Uh, I mean, Liam Hemsworth! You decide who's the hotter Hemsworth, okay? Can you imagine if Liam was still dating Miley Cyrus and he brought her there? Hahahahaa... ohgod. The Agents of SHIELD cast was there too. Eh. Okay. Not too excited about that. I watched the Pilot and tried to watch the following episodes but... no amount of easter eggs could warm me up to it. It's boring and disappointing. I'm sorry if you like the show. I gave it a chance, I really did. (But that's for another post.) I saw the actors who play Skye, Fitz, and Simmons. Sadly, I didn't see Ming Na Wen. She's awesome. I'm not sure if I like her character in the show, still Mary-Sue and cliche-ish, but she's more bearable than the others.
My mom freaked out when she saw Chris Hemsworth up close. Haha! OMG, she's a fan of Thor. If I managed to get that reaction from her, mission: accomplished!
I won't be doing the midnight screening tonight. I'm too ADD to watch 2-3 movies in one go. I can wait. A fan girl's job is 70% waiting after all.
These past few weeks have been insane! This Marvel fan is uber happy, especially with the Captain America: The Winter Soldier trailer coming out. I admit, it was a little bit underwhelming but my love for Cap and his Shield cannot be denied!
And dude... BUCKY! You're a baddie here but..... Sebastian Staaaaaaaan!
I still think ScarJo as Black Widow is a miscast but whatever. I don't mind sitting there while she eats her words. I know my Captain Rogers is just a few seconds away. I'll eventually get the posters like I did with the first movie (I even have two of the same one). But srsly... I want this right now. NOW!
And then we have X-Men: Days of Future Past.
OMG. To be at the red carpet premiere for this. I'm salivating already! Herr Fassbender is FOINE. How I wish they'd forget about distribution and production company BS and just do the Civil War arc. Can you imagine how EPIC that could be?
2014 looks like an awesome year for Marvel.
But for next week... Thor: The Dark World red carpet premiere! Wooot!
lord of the rings. k-pop. marvel cinematic universe. the hunger games. sherlock. harry potter. csi. criminal minds. anime. fighting games. final fantasy. running man. jrpg. generation kill.
