Daredevil Season 2!

Credit: denofgeek.us

    When I saw the first season of Daredevil, I was excited because it was everything and more. It had a great cast, story, dialogue, fight scenes, etc. It let me know that with the right people, you can make something great. I couldn't even begin to imagine how they would top that season. With the second season officially upon us, I can say without a doubt, they definitely found a way to top it. This was the season that Daredevil had to question everything he was. We were also introduced to Punisher and Elektra. Stick returned to continue fighting the "war" that no one believes is real, Punisher gets revenge for his family, Elektra shows up to wreck havoc and Daredevil tries to figure out how he can balance being a lawyer and a superhero.

     *Spoiler alert* Daredevil can't balance his life, everyone gets mad at him and he still pushes to not kill anyone, even though Punisher and Elektra are the types to follow through on that quest. Wilson Fisk and Nobu show up and nurse Claire quits her job and leaves, so she can go to the Luke Cage show. Daredevil realizes that Stick is right about not getting close to people. It's too bad that he keeps dragging people back into his life. When you see this season, it will be better than the first and it will hype you all the way up to the third season. It lets you know a little bit about where it's headed, like how Wilson Fisk wants to know more about Matt Murdock. 

     The two best things out of this season are Punisher and fight scenes. Daredevil is cool, but he's struggling with so much. Elektra is his ex-girlfriend that shows up out of nowhere when he recently decided to date Karen. I personally think he should have gotten with Claire because he always puts her in danger, but she still holds him down, while Karen always runs to the danger. Punisher is cool. You'll feel like he steps up where Daredevil can't. A part of Daredevil realizes that every bad guy he puts away ends up right back on the street, but he insists on keeping all of them alive. Punisher only goes after bad guys, but it's possible that he could just be making everything easy for when Wilson Fisk gets out of prison.

     Elektra is not as great as I hoped she be, but she's still pretty good. She has great fight scenes, but she's a spoiled rich woman, who's more than okay with killing. She's constantly fighting between being good and bad, while getting on Matt's nerves. Sometimes, she means well and sometimes she doesn't. It's the spoiled rich woman part of her that gets on my nerves, while Punisher is a straight to the point kind of guy. I think superhero movies and t.v. shows just generally have trouble writing female superheros, probably because they are written from a male perspective. She's often hot, bratty and overly-sensitive. Don't get me started on Rogue from the X-Men. She couldn't even fly and just wanted a boyfriend that she could hold hands with.

     Anyways, lots of great action is in this season. There are fight scenes from beginning to end without missing a beat. I know Matt is going to have trouble next season and it looks like Fisk is definitely coming back in a big way next season. Foggy might have a new, big, powerful job and Karen now knows Matt's secret. Stick has to continue fighting the war and Elektra will come back in a very different manner. Punisher has a cool new outfit and weapons and Daredevil is slowing starting to upgrade his look and weapons. I can't wait for season 3 and I'm glad Luke Cage will be coming out in September. I can't wait to see that show. I'm glad I have these first two amazing seasons of Daredevil to hold me over until then. Rating: 9.5/10

One2One Network: Gwen Stefani - This is What the Truth Feels Like

     Calling all Gwen Stefani SUPERFANS! Have you seen these amazing #ThisIsWhatTheTruthFeelsLike album bundles? You get EXTRA Gwen including photos, music and more! #o2o Click here for more information: Gwen Stefani

The Strain on Hulu!

Credit: denofgeeks.us

     The first season of The Strain is on Hulu and the second season will premiere over the Summer. When I first heard about this show, all I knew was that it had to do with vampires. I was thinking it was not going to be very good probably because Twilight has ruined what vampires can be. I now realize that was just a temporary setback. I found out that Guillermo del Toro was putting this show out and I love his work, so I knew I had to watch it. The Strain actually came from a book that Guillermo and Chuck Hogan wrote and now they have developed this show, while they and Carlton Cruse wrote the script.

     It originally airs on FX and people usually think horror shows can't be made if they aren't on HBO or another premium channel because they can't say or do as much. Breaking Bad and The Walking Dead opened the doors for more to be shown on basic cable. The first episode of the first season is long and kind of dragged out, but the purpose is to establish the story line. It's not bad, it's just long. *Spoiler alert* The vampires are in no way shape or form pretty. They also don't just have regular fangs to suck blood. The first season is about how vampires become an epidemic in New York.

     There are scientists, who discover and have proof that something is not right, but the master vampire has a rich and established handler who knows the right people. The scientists know something isn't right, but they have trouble believing vampires are real until they find out they have to fight them since no one else will. They work for the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), so unfortunately they think there is a cure and it takes them too long to realize that the only thing they can do is fight and try to keep safe.

     Other people and vampires join the fight on different teams, so they don't come together yet. It's a great show with a lot of action, an amazing story and a lot of make you think moments. You might think is this how people would really react if an epidemic started and it seems like that is how it would be. There is this old man who has known about vampires since he was young. He has been trying to find, fight and destroy them all of his life. He knows that if the master is killed, all of his minions will perish, but it's easier said than done. The scientists had a hard time believing him and thought he was just some crazy old man. Now, they realize he is the only one they can turn to.

There's a lot to this show that you have to see. It's about staying alive and getting rid of the master. This show has already been renewed for a third season and the second season is about to air, so watch the first season and try to patiently wait for the second one to air. Rating: 8/10

Everest at Redbox!

Credit: pop.inquirer.net

     If you like mountain-climbing movies and/or movies based on a true story, then you will probably want to see this movie. It's well made, but the story bothers me. *Spoiler Alert* It has a sad ending, people really died and it seemed like a lot of problems were avoidable. I think the part that really bothers me is that some of the deaths were avoidable. This all took place in 1996. People who were mountain climbers and adventure seekers decided to turn that into a business. There were different companies and groups of people who were all trying to climb Everest at the same time because there is a window where you have to go in May for your greatest chance of survival. It's when the temperatures are the best they can be and you still have a high chance of not surviving.

     All of these groups of people trying to go at the same time was one problem and taking anybody who wants to go is another problem. There were people who had little to no experience and people who have done this many times before. They sign up and pay big money to have a guide and their crew take them up the mountain for a once-in-a-lifetime experience. I don't have a problem with thrill seekers and people who just genuinely wanted to see the top of this mountain. My problem is that people who usually have money to blow don't often listen to the people in charge and this is another problem that led to this tragic moment.

     The first half of the movie is a nice and normal mountain climbing movie. The people are training themselves to handle the cold temperatures and lack of oxygen, communication is good and the temperatures are harsh, but manageable. The second half of the movie is when everything goes downhill. *Spoiler Alert* Some of the guides didn't survive, there was miscommunication and the weather became really bad and unpredictable. One guide didn't survive because he was getting sick early on and his whole team made it to the top. He didn't want to be the only person to not make it to the top. His team reached him when they realized he didn't make it back, but it was too late. 

     Another guide didn't survive because one of his clients was late making it to the top and they were just outside the window of time to go up the mountain. The guide went against his better judgement to help his client and they ran out of oxygen. The client fell off the mountain and the guide survived the first night in what is known as the "danger zone", but no one could reach him due to extremely bad weather. He ended up having to stay there another night and he didn't make it. One of the guides said the oxygen tanks were empty, but the cold temperatures made him kind of hallucinate when the tanks were actually full.

     It's just sad knowing some people could have actually lived. It's even worse when you think about the fact that no one could be taken back and buried. Everest is based on a true story for the most part. It looks good visually, the acting is good and the drama is real intense. This might be a movie you watch once, but wouldn't buy just because you wouldn't want to be constantly reminded, but it is still a good movie. Rating: 6/10

The Visit at Redbox!

Credit: imdb.com

     The Visit is about two kids who go to visit their grandparents, whom they've never met before. They did it to give their mother a break after their father left. The mother had a falling out with her parents a long time ago and her kids never met them until now. For a wide release film, this movie had a relatively low budget of 5 million dollars. It comes from Blumhouse Productions and they have been making a lot of decent horror films. It also comes from M. Night Shyamalan, who's a good director, but some of his movies are hit and miss.

     This movie made all of its money back and then some. It doesn't have any special effects, but it still manages to come across as a back-to-basics horror film. When you watch it, you think that the grandmother is possessed or something, but this movie has a twist ending that will bother you. Becca and her little brother, Tyler take a train to visit their grandparents, while their mother goes on a cruise with a guy she likes. The children hope she will enjoy and start to feel happy again after their father left them.

     Becca decides to turn this into an opportunity to film her grandparents, learn about them and make amends between them and her mother. Becca comes across as a hipster director/filmmaker and Tyler is an annoying little brother who raps. Don't let this stop you from watching the movie, though. It's the grandparents who really shine. They come across as a bit withdrawn and it's written off as they're elderly and don't know their grandchildren. The grandfather tells the children that they go to bed at 9:30 p.m. He later tells them that they should stay in their rooms at 9:30 p.m. They notice both grandparents are increasingly acting strange and Becca tries to rationalize it. After talking to their mother via webcam, the mother tries to rationalize it until she finds out something terrible.

This movie is filmed like Paranormal Activity. It has the kids recording and holding cameras and it tells you what day they are on for their one week visit with their grandparents. It's not scary like typical horror movies. It's more scary if this really happened and because of the way the actors build up the suspense. Although, it does have some kind of scary moments. You might even yell at your screen and tell the kids to stop opening the door at night. It's a pretty decent horror movie. 6/10

Japan Crate!

     A Japan Crate is a monthly subscription box, where you receive Japanese candy, snacks and possibly drinks. There are 3 crates: the mini for $12/month, the original for $25/month and the premium for $30/month. You get free U.S. shipping and pay a fee for international shipping. You also have to pay taxes. You can get a discount if you are a brand new customer. They also have tiers of how to pay for the crates. You can pay month-to-month or you can pay 3, 6 and 12-month plans. You would pay all of the amount now, but you would save more money the longer the plan is. They also have Doki Doki Crates, which is great if you like Japanese toys and branded products. I will be focusing on the original Japan Crate for this review. I'm doing this review for free in case anyone wanted to know more about Japan Crate.

     The original crate is a 1 pound crate that has 8 to 10 items and is guaranteed a DIY kit. The DIY kit is something you make and eat or drink. The crates shipped out a bit late, so they threw in 3 mini green tea KitKat's. I'm not a big green tea person, but these were not intense with the green tea flavor. They tasted like white chocolate KitKat's  with a light green tea hit in the background. The purple and white candy in the picture looked and chewed like gum, but it was taffy that also tasted great. If you get a Japan Crate, don't freak out thinking that they forgot to ship your stuff. They usually have to ship out a lot of stuff and they will email you when your crate does ship.

     I received Nabisco Chip Star Potato Chips, which looked and tasted like plain Pringles, even though they were seaweed and salt-flavored. Every crate gives you random things to try and you might not like all of them, but you won't know until you try them. The chips in the above picture in the bottom right are the Chip Star Potato Chips and they were also well packaged. I only had a couple of broken ones and it wasn't a lot of crumbs. I had to get my friend to eat them before I told her they were seaweed-flavored. Some people freak out and you might have to get them to try something before they say no just off of what they think it will taste like. 

     The super lemon candy were pretty much lemon warheads. They started off sour and became sweet. I liked them, but I couldn't eat a whole pack of them, so I gave some away. I did enjoy everything I had, but there was one thing that got me. In the above picture with the blue bag and the ice cream on it, that was one of the DIY kits I received. It was supposed to make some type of foamy apple cider-tasting "ice cream". It wasn't really ice cream because you never put it in the freezer, but it did come with ice cream cones. I didn't like it because it didn't taste good and the foam looked like and was the consistency of saliva. I know that sounds gross, but that's just the experience I had with it. Sorry. It happens. You don't like everything. Back to the yummy stuff.

     These 2 products were great. I received gum in flavors of cola, cider and grape. Japan does a really good job of making candy that tastes like cola. It's in the background, sugary and has a nice flavor to it without the carbonation. The gum lasts and you can blow bubbles if you want. Japan also does a really good job when it comes to gummy candy. They aren't soft chews like Trolli gummy candy, but they are easy to chew. They also have a good combination of sour and sweet and have great flavors.

     I saved the best for last, chocolate. I live in a hot climate, so I was glad it didn't melt. If it did melt, I still would have put it in the freezer. The chocolate across the bottom is chocolate with colored wafer balls on top. It tasted great like a Nestle Crunch almost. The chocolate was also shaped into different things like bears, hearts and cones. The picture across the top was my other DIY kit. It had little chocolate candy balls that you use to make a design. You melt the other chocolate, mold it and refrigerate or freeze it and eat it. There is nothing bad that can be said about these.

     Every crate is different, so you might like the one you get this month and hate the one you get next month. Overall, I enjoyed this crate. If you love or want to try Japanese candy, then this is a good subscription service to try. If you're worried about cost or not getting the crate you want, you can get a discount as a new subscriber, try the mini crate for less money, check the Japan Crate past crates page or look at un-boxing videos for Japan Crates. It will let you know more about it and help you make a decision. It's always mostly candy, but you can get other types of products. It's a surprise every time. I saw one crate had dried squid. Drinks usually come in the premium crates, but Japan Crate occasionally has special crates on the side such as a lucky crate. It had 3 drinks, candy, gum and a savory snack and everybody got a different combination of those things. If you want to try it, go for it and it also makes a great gift as well! 

Deadpool!

Credit: foxmovies.com

     Yes, Deadpool is a great movie. The End. I'm kidding. You want to know more about it. If you know about Deadpool, Ryan Reynolds has all of his mannerisms down and is the best person to play him. The movie is a lot like the comic books and the video game with a few minor changes. If you've never seen or heard of Deadpool, this is a good introduction movie. If you know Deadpool, you'll like it, but it may not be the greatest movie you've ever seen in life. My friend saw it and was upset about it because it was a very big background story type of movie. I had to tell her that this is for people who don't know enough about Deadpool and the next movie will be the one you love.

     I did like Deadpool, but there were some minor things that could have made it better. *Spoilers* Deadpool has a girlfriend. She's his perfect other half and I liked her, but Deadpool is supposed to always chase after women and maybe men that he can never really get. The whole movie was about him feeling he was too ugly to see his girlfriend and she was okay with him in the end. He won't chase after people or hit his peak weirdness because he's kind of in or will be in a stable relationship.

     The backstory was a little long because it was throughout the whole movie. I get that they had to introduce him to people that don't know about him, but you might feel like you missed out on cool action sequences because the backstory took up all the space. You'll get good jokes, cool action and lots of crazy, but the backstory is most of the movie and getting revenge/saving his girlfriend is the rest of the movie. This doesn't mean you will hate it. You will be satisfied. Deadpool's very funny, goofy and says things before he realizes they came out wrong.

     It has an R-rating for a reason. There is nudity, cursing, lots of violence and Deadpool's really enjoying and hyping all of this up. Colossus and Negasonic Teenage Warhead are awesome as people who want Deadpool to join the X-Men and kind of be a hero. It's weird though, because Deadpool keeps telling you that he is not a hero, but he's kind of doing hero stuff in this movie. He also has a blind roommate that I was hoping wouldn't put up with his mouth. I was hoping that she would be his equal match. She is, but in a different way. She hits him with a crass comment here or there, but nothing that counters what he says. It's not super noticeable, but I was hoping she would have had great comebacks for him to keep him on his toes.

     Deadpool also didn't have that cool narrating voice in the back of his head. In the movie, he talks outloud to himself and to the camera/audience, but in the game, it's a different voice/personality. It works great in the movie the way they did it, but I thought it would be cool to see.

     There also wasn't a huge fight scene at the end against the main villains. The villains are also throughout the movie, but most of the fight scenes are against people to find the villain and with the backstory taking up most of the time, there wasn't a big epic fight scene against Ajax. I do like that they didn't drag the movie out trying to show too much. None of the things I've mentioned are hang-ups for the movie. It's still very Deadpool and an awesome movie. It has opened the floodgates for more anti-hero and R-rated comic book movies. Deadpool is set up well and he hypes you up to getting a second Deadpool movie with Cable in it. For diehards, you will like or love this movie, because Deadpool is perfect in it. The funny moments are extremely funny and the action is great. It makes up for the story line. The story line is good, but will be even better for Deadpool 2. What movies are you waiting to see? Comment below. Rating: 7/10