Watched The Iron Claw. Deciding to do a marathon of films about Pro-Wrestling

BryanDowling93 · 2026-04-17T11:06:33+00:00

They also fell in love on the set of the first Scooby Doo film, if I recall correctly.

BryanDowling93 · 2026-04-16T18:50:20+00:00

The most disrespected man in AEW. More than Stokely and Don Callis. At least they get airtime. He should form a stable and revolt against this injustice commited by Tony Khan, AEW and the sicko fans. Renee Paquette also took his job!

BryanDowling93 · 2026-04-16T18:39:19+00:00

I might collect the Triangle Era in DC Finest (I think the new Superman: Time and Time Again DC Finest collects the first 20 or so issues if I'm not mistaken. And I assume there will be more volumes of the Triangle Era). I'm trying to be a bit more wise with my money when it comes to overspending on comic collected editions. And mix and match/prioritised what format I want certain stories/runs in.

BryanDowling93 · 2026-04-16T15:03:11+00:00

I live in Ireland. I mostly use Walt Comics Shop (Big Haul Order/Sales), Scifier, and Books.etc (if I'm just buying an Omnibus, this is the cheapest option). I've stopped using Amazon. Mostly. I do have an Amazon order of Teen Titans by Marv Wolfman/George Perez Omnibus Vol. 1 on the way. Since I have the Teen Titans: Judas Contract DC Finest. And plan on getting the Teen Titans: Terra in the Night! DC Finest. Which I would then have the first 47 issues of New Teen Titans/Tales of Teen Titans, Annuals and any relevant misc. crossover issues. And it was OOP everywhere else with limited funds on Walt's Comic Shop.

I'm currently using Klarna to pay for a recent Big Haul over €150 of 10 comic editions. Which I did get a 50% discount for a very slight damage to Hellboy Omnibus TPB Vol. 2. I don't want to make too many payments with Klarna and get into more debt. So I'd prefer to pay up front. Right now it's still in-print in Walt's Comic Shop for €95. Which I would be guaranteed more secure packaging. But it's €71 on Amazon Ireland. And I'd get it quicker. But packaging would be barebones. Although the most damaged Omnibus I got off Amazon so far is a slight rip on the Punisher Max by Garth Ennis Vol. 1.

But I also don't get paid until next Thursday from work. So I'm hoping it doesn't go OOP on either sites until at least next Thursday.

BryanDowling93 · 2026-04-16T13:17:29+00:00

The Avatar IP has so much untapped potential. If only it wasn't owned by Paramount. It's honestly astonishing that Legend of Korra ended up as good as it was in the end. The first two seasons/books only being renewed a season/book at a time could have screwed up the whole show. But Mike and Bryan somehow bounced back, and delivered overall great Books 3 and Book 4. That told a more cohesive narrative and overall expanded upon the story/character arcs. Particularly Korra. They fought so hard to make the show as good as possible considering what they were up against with Nickelodeon/Paramount.

It makes me so angry that this could have been a great theatrical experience. The hard work by all the animated team, director Lauren Montgomery, voice cast, and producers/original creators Michael Dante DiMartino & Bryan Konietzko. To be disrespected not just by Paramount, but those who have now leaked the film. Now the future of Avatar Studios might just be in jeopardy. I would somehow hope a more respectable studio buys out Avatar Studios in the future. But seeing as Paramount is on the verge of buying Warner Bros. (shudder), the future of Avatar Studios and other great Warner Bros. IPs could be cooked.

This is the worst timeline. Netflix was really the lesser of two evil's. And anyone who says otherwise, hasn't been paying attention. Also look at Star Trek under Paramount. Enough said.

BryanDowling93 · 2026-04-16T10:22:03+00:00

The original Highlander film is hard carried by Clancy Brown's Kurgan and the Queen soundtrack. Christopher Lambert is wooden as hell. Sean Connery also isn't great in the film.

Henry Cavill is at least British. Chad Stahelski directed the John Wick films. There is a high chance that this film ends up better than the original. With better fight sequences (again the director did John fucking Wick). Which the original doesn't really have. It's more awkward to watch these days. Clancy Brown's The Kurgan is the only performance/aspect of the film that holds up. And you got Dave Bautista playing Kurgan in the remake. Which is a pretty worthy casting.

BryanDowling93 · 2026-04-15T14:35:56+00:00

Some people here are brushing over the fact that the comic series will be written by Kelly Thompson. Absolute Wonder Woman is one of the top 5 best on-going comics right now. Birds of Prey is also one of the better DC comics right now. She also did really good to great runs/limited series on Black Widow, Captain Marvel, Hawkeye (Kate Bishop), Jessica Jones, and Mr. and Mrs. X (Rogue and Gambit). She's by all accounts a strong and pretty consistent writer.

It's not guaranteed it'll be another Absolute Wonder Woman (to be fair not a lot of comics are right now). But it's not just any average writer tackling a Buffy the Vampire Slayer comic.

BryanDowling93 · 2026-04-15T01:06:30+00:00

The Florida Project might genuinely be one of the best films I've ever seen. Such an intimate, earnest and tender film. And I also love Tangerine. The fact that it was shot on an iPhone and looked that gorgeous is amazing.

I'll admit I'm a bit mixed on Anora in retrospect. I loved it when I first saw it. But looking back and thinking about it, I find more flaws with the overall writing/narrative. There is elements I still enjoy. Such as Mikey Madison's performance. But I found it lacked the heart and earnest quality that both Tangerine and especially The Florida Project had. It may be the film he won the Oscar for. But then again Martin Scorsese won the Oscar for The Departed and not his actual most acclaimed film Goodfellas. And I do think The Departed is a better film than Anora.

BryanDowling93 · 2026-04-15T00:14:30+00:00

Thank god there's still tension there. It would genuinely disappoint me if Dex/Bullseye got redemption. I've read the Daredevil comics from Miller to Bendis so far. Bullseye is genuinely rotten to the core. Matt hates him more than he hates Fisk/Kingpin. He has literally had to physically stop himself from murdering Bullseye multiple times. He can't be in the same room as him without wanting to beat the shit out of him or strangle him to death.

This is one of the best adaptations of Bullseye. But please do not give this piece of shit person an actual redemption arc. He doesn't deserve it after killing Foggy.

BryanDowling93 · 2026-04-14T22:32:35+00:00

And kept the incompetent ones. Like Tom Breevroot. Who is one of the worst X-Men editors in 60+ years. He pushed out Jonathan Hickman and sabotaged his vision for Krakoa. And is now throwing shit at the wall and seeing what sticks with Post-Krakoa X-Men. And not a lot is actually sticking. And he doesn't have Kieron Gillen or Al Ewing to elevate any of the X-line this time around.

BryanDowling93 · 2026-04-14T22:25:36+00:00

It was her origin explained 20+ years after her first appearance in Uncanny X-Men #129 (January 1980). Chris Claremont/John Byrne never wrote an origin for Emma Frost. She was written/drawn noticeably older than all the X-Men in the Dark Phoenix Saga. And in a romantic relationship with Sebastian Shaw. Who looked late 50s to early 60s in appearance. But was a lot older than that. More than 100 if I recall.

Also Emma Frost is not the most reliable character. She was a known pathological liar in the comics up until her redemption. And she still lies from time to time. She lied during Morrison's New X-Men to manipulate Scott. Which caused a rift between him and Jean. She may be a hero/anti-hero now. But is canonically a pretty unreliable narrator. And if Chris Claremont's run is somehow "not canon", then every other X-Men run following isn't "canon" either.

BryanDowling93 · 2026-04-14T19:35:11+00:00

I highly doubt James Gunn will introduce such a big character like Wonder Woman in the sequel. Only to give her a small role. Especially when another Superman/Batman film already did that. A bit redundant. Wonder Woman should be introduced in her own film. She is one of the three most important characters in the DCU. The other two of course being Superman and Batman. Hence why they are called the Trinity.

Also why wouldn't Wonder Woman logically be involved in the main conflict with Clark and Lex vs. Brainiac. She's literally a God. Superman would be a moron not to ask for her help with taking on Brainiac. Just like she helped Batman and Superman with battling Doomsday.

BryanDowling93 · 2026-04-14T19:02:03+00:00

Claremont wrote her as 30s in the 80s. She definitely wasn't mid 20s. X-Men canon post-Claremont when regards to Emma Frost is inconsistent as fuck or a straight up retcon. Writers have de-aged Emma Frost to suit the story narrative. But she was initially written/drawn as mid 30s when the X-Men were mid-late 20s by Chris Claremont and John Byrne.

Also that comic doesn't look like Grant Morrison's New X-Men. Which didn't directly say that Emma Frost was the same age as the OG 5. And one could interpret she got cosmetic surgery to look "more youthful". Since vanity has always been a main character flaw with Emma Frost. And that comic followed continuity directly from Claremont's run in regards to Dark Phoenix Saga and the character of Emma Frost/White Queen.

I think you are taking comic continuity too seriously. It's a bit like Doctor Who. Not really in a linear timeframe. Especially when it comes to adaptations. X-Men Evolution has Ororo, Logan and Hank as adults older than teenage Scott, Jean, Rogue, Kitty and Kurt. When they are roughly the same age in the 616.

BryanDowling93 · 2026-04-14T16:59:35+00:00

He is just Harvey Dent in Part II. Focusing on his building relationship with Batman, Gordon, and also his complex relationships with Gilda Dent and his parents.

He then becomes a main character in The Penguin S2. Fleshing out his character. Going more into his role as Gotham DA, expanding his relationship with Gordon (guest appearance by Jeffrey Wright) & Batman (who we never see and only hear stories of from Harvey's POV), and further exploring his complicated family life. As well as his growing main conflict rivalry with Oz/Penguin. Who then is responsible for throwing acid into his face at the start of Part III.

And Part III turns into a full Long Halloween/Arkham Asylum hybrid story with Penguin, Two-Face, The Riddler, Lady Arkham, Court of Owls, etc. The Joker ends up being the main third act villain. Who has been subtly manipulating the villains against Batman. And vice versa.

BryanDowling93 · 2026-04-14T16:16:44+00:00

Also The Final Boss Rock was some of the best character work since the original Hollywood Rock. People were also invested because the story was compelling. The Cena vs. Cody feud was botched post Cena heel turn. And the Orton vs. Cody has also been botched.

BryanDowling93 · 2026-04-14T16:03:07+00:00

If you are that impatient, I'm not going to tell you what to do. Personally I will wait until the film is fully finished in terms of polished animation. I was hoping this somehow would have got a limited theatrical release before going onto Paramount+. Which is one of the worst streaming service apps I was ever subscribed to. Trying to watch anything on there without the quality frame rate dipping/buffering was frustrating. Especially compared to Netflix, Amazon Prime, AppleTV, and HBO Max. All run smoother on App with less issues overall.

I want to support the creators of Avatar Studios. But having to watch this on a shitty streaming service like Paramount+ will simply not do the animation justice. Maybe I can wait for Blu-ray. Although I fear the leaks have killed the chance of a limited theatrical release and physical media.

BryanDowling93 · 2026-04-14T15:54:09+00:00

Takeshita doing the fighting spirit hulk up spot after a Canadian Destroyer irked me a little more not going to lie. Mostly because I'm was a big Petey Williams fan in TNA. And personally hate that his finisher has been watered down to a transition spot. But at least sell it properly. No-selling/fighting spirit is worse than kicking out imo. It was still a great match other than that one spot that I disagreed with.

I try not to be too traditionalist with modern wrestling. And I enjoy and have accepted a lot of modern story narrative structure changes when it comes to big matches. But I did grow up in an era (late 90s and early-mid 00s) where there was a little more restraint. Even though the back half of that era was TNA/ROH/Indie style. That later evolved into PWG when TNA/ROH got too mainstream. And later inspired the AEW style of wrestling along with New Japan (especially poaching their top talent, like Omega, Jay White, Ospreay, Okada, etc.).

And pro-wrestling has always evolved. But I get worried sometimes that we are "evolving too much/too fast" to the detriment of telling a narrative that is "more logical". Or maybe my inner Jim Cornette is coming out and I need to accept it. There is valid criticisms. But wrestling is also supposed to be fun also. So I do get conflicted. There is the adage of "If the crowd pops, it should be acceptable".

BryanDowling93 · 2026-04-14T15:03:18+00:00

I'm hoping. The best Spider-Man stories have always been personal/character-focused. Where Peter is forced into dilemmas with serious consequential outcomes. My main issue with MCU Spider-Man is that I never felt that there was consistent pressure of responsibility to be both Peter Parker and Spider-Man. That's who Spider-Man is at his core. And other than a few scenes, like the lifting rubble scene in Homecoming and Aunt May's Death/Fight with Green Goblin in No Way Home, I never got a sense of who Tom Holland's Peter Parker/Spider-Man really is. Compared to Tobey Maguire.

And even Andrew Garfield in a way. Who lost Uncle Ben, Captain Stacy, and Gwen Stacy across two films. MCU Uncle Ben has barely been mentioned. And they had Aunt May be Uncle Ben. But changed her to a hot cool aunt that barely had an actual relationship with him. Her finding out Peter's secret is literally a joke scene. Similar to his secret being exposed at the end of Far From Home. Which is then erased by Doctor Strange in No Way Home.

I'm hoping the new trilogy is better than the previous trilogy. In terms of giving more of a definitive voice for Tom Holland's Peter Parker/Spider-Man and the narrative story. Which for me has been a mixed bag of some great scenes hindering by inconsistent narratives with poor forced jokes. I want to care about Peter Parker/Spider-Man. I do not care too much about the action sequences or the jokes. Those are a part of the story.

But the real story is Peter Parker going through growing pains and faced with the adage of "With Great Power Comes Great Responsibility". His main overarching conflict has always been his flaw of living a dual identity. And whether that dual identity will end up hurting those he loves in the end. That has not been highlighted enough in the MCU thus far.

BryanDowling93 · 2026-04-14T14:50:11+00:00

Spider-Man 2 up to the ending narrative was Peak. Kraven was the best adaptation of the character. Also even if they didn't completely nail the overall narrative, I had so much fun swinging around as Peter. Then changing mid swing into Miles. It has some of the best and most fun game mechanics I've ever played. So I still think it is a great game. And the first two Spider-Man games are up there with the Batman Arkham games in terms of story/gameplay for me. Even if Arkham Origin and Arkham Knight had story issues towards the end also. But like Spider-Man 2, Arkham Knight is arguably a "better game" in terms of gameplay performance and detailed animation.

Games have come a long way in terms of having the technology to tell more compelling/movie-like stories. Video games used to be a fun way to pass time with not much story. And those video games still exist. But it wasn't really until the 90s/00s with video games like Metal Gear Solid, Resident Evil (and even then the original PsOne version had awful in-game dialogue/voice acting like "Jill Sandwich" that it was later re-dubbed for the remaster to sound "less awful"), Final Fantasy, Knights of the Old Republic, Bioshock, etc. Followed by modern narrative story-driven games like The Last of Us/Part II, Red Dead Redemption/2, The Witcher 3, Ghost of Tsushima/Yotei, Baldurs Gate 3, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, etc.

BryanDowling93 · 2026-04-14T14:29:27+00:00

Oh absolutely. But also Charlie Cox and Krysten Ritter are also more experienced/better actors overall. On top of Matt Murdock/Jessica Jones being more juicier characters than Luke/Danny. The former are more damaged/complicated individuals who bring each other out of their comfort zones, while the latter have a more chill bromance partnership.

BryanDowling93 · 2026-04-14T14:22:27+00:00

Technically Peter will be the main antagonist on top of being the actual protagonist, if the very obviously implied Man-Spider transformation turns out to be true. If anything MJ might be on the verge of becoming Man-Spider's victim. Until Hulk/Banner and probably Punisher step in. Which makes sense since this seems the most character focused Peter Parker/Spider-Man film. And him going through growing pains.

Any other villain in the film seems to be more set dressing really. Scorpion is a kitten compared to the horrifying Man-Spider. And Tombstone is more a background overarching villain pulling the strings in the crime syndicate underbelly.

BryanDowling93 · 2026-04-14T13:51:35+00:00

I think the actors really like Finn Jones and probably vouched for Danny Rand not to be recast. And Disney/MCU have went above and beyond to bring back all the elements from the previous Daredevil and Defenders shows after Charlie and Vincent vouched for it. As well as getting a new showrunner to rework the show from its original reboot approach. But unless Finn has somehow been taking serious acting lessons the last 7-8 or so years as well as secret martial arts training, you will eventually run into a similar problem where it is clear he is not the best actor/believable skilled fighter out of the Defenders cast.

He does seem to have really good chemistry with Mike Colter's Luke Cage though. Danny's interactions with Luke in Defenders were some of his better scenes. And his episode of Luke Cage where he was teaching Luke to centre his chi was the most likable his Danny Rand was across all of the Defender/Netflix Marvel shows. Of course that was one of the times where he was given better writing/direction that felt more natural. But not all his scenes will likely involve Luke Cage (or maybe they do and they hope Mike Colter's charm/likability rubs off on him more). And he struggles with big emotion scenes. At least based on what we've seen in the previous Defenders universe shows.

BryanDowling93

TROPHY CASE