The Batman Movie we deserve...

Comic book fans will finally be able to experience the iconic graphic novel Batman: The Killing Joke in a special, one-evening-only movie event on Monday July 25th before owning it on Blu-ray & DVD August 3rd.  Check out the trailer below:

Based on one of the best-selling graphic novels of all time, the film is the first ever DC animation to receive an R Rating (smart move also competes to what Marvel does with Netflix).  The film brings together some of the creative team behind Batman: The Animated Series with executive producer Bruce Timm at the helm and Kevin Conroy and Mark Hamill returning to their seminal roles as Batman and The Joker, respectively.   Any 90s kid remembers Batman: The Animated Series, I would rush to get home at 4:00 just to make sure I didn’t miss the opening credits.  It was one of the shows that got me into reading comic books :)  The show was way ahead of it’s time….Frankly, no CGI superhero show at the moment can f*ck with the storytelling of Batman: The Animated Series.   So many great episodes: Robin’s Reckoning, Harley & Ivy, and Christmas with The Joker are some of my favs check them out in these clips:

For those not familiar with Batman: The Killing Joke, it is a graphic novel takes a journey into the dark psyche of The Joker, from his beginnings as a struggling comedian to his fateful encounter with Batman. Years later, and now escaped from Arkham Asylum, The Joker devises a plan to prove that one bad day can make anyone as insane as he is – setting his sights on Commissioner Gordon.  I own the novel myself, it’s a fantastic read and does bring some insight to why The Joker is so damn cray! All he wanted was a break we can all relate to that!

Batman The Killing Joke, was published by DC Comics in 1988. Along with being NY Times best seller, the graphic novel has maintained an unparalleled popularity throughout its 28 years.

“Batman: The Killing Joke” will hit theaters on July 25. Tickets are available here.  I strongly recommend reading the novel, it’s a great read for all! 

xo

Kos

The cool girl: Jessica Jones Review

She’s a cool girl. Being the Cool Girl means I am a hot, brilliant, funny woman who adores football, poker, dirty jokes, and burping, who plays video games, drinks cheap beer, loves threesomes and anal sex, and jams hot dogs and hamburgers into her mouth like she’s hosting the world’s biggest culinary gang bang while somehow maintaining a size 2, because Cool Girls are above all hot.” - Gillian Flynn, Gone Girl.

I wonder when Flynn was writing this description of “the cool girl” if she was describing Jessica Jones? She’s drinks whiskey, kicks ass, doesn’t give a shit and gets things done. Case in point:

For those not familiar with the comic, Jessica Jones, a woman with limited superhuman abilities whose brief career as a "hero" was cut short by Kilgrave's toxic interference prior to the start of the show.  Jessicaescaped Kilgrave's hold, and has become a private investigator who relies on her natural ability to read people.

I was excited for the debut of this and gradually watched all 13 episodes since the in between finals, work, the holiday madness, back to work lol.  It’s fantastic! You don’t need to be a comic book fan to enjoy it. The series is very different from current shows based on comics: The Flash, Marvel’s Agents of Shield, and Supergirl. Jessica Jones is very dark, hence one reason why Marvel may have chosen to showcase on Netflix.  The themes are more violent, bloodier then what we seen even in Marvel movies (of course that will change since R rated Deadpool debuts Feb 12).  The series tackles a variety of trauma: rape, torture, emotional abuse, drug addiction, and most particularly, the struggle to be believed after trauma has occurred.  It’s very clear after completing the season 1: The trauma made Jessica who she is.

Kristen Ritter as Jessica Jones and David Tennant as Killgrave are the best character castings since Hugh Jackman as Wolverine.  Ritter plays Jessica so bitter, flawed and yet she is so human. I think this is why people who are non-comic fans can dig this show. She isn’t really trying to be a hero she is trying to take down Killgrave.  Now to Killgrave, he disturbs me, you barley saw the dude and he disturbed me.  Fellow super-villians Ultron and Loki got nothing on Killgrave!    Supported of course by that British Accent, there is a scene (yes this is a spoiler) where he orders two children in a closet…. That’s all I’m going to say, but it shook me…. Tennant’s performance is chilling and terrifying and asks dark questions about what we would do with ultimate power over those around us, and about what would become of us.

Mike Colter as Luke Cage.  AMAZING! His bar fight scene had me cheering.  It was way too short.  I had to rewind it and watch it again.  There's that moment when you really see his superpowers. That’s all I will say, but it’s brilliant!  I.  Cannot.  Wait.  For.  His.  Show.

Jessica Jones proves that Marvel is building a great line up in the Netflix family it will most likely get better with season 2 of Daredevil and the debut of Luke Cage in 2016.  Whether you love Marvel, or don't know the difference between The Winter Soldier and Thor, the Marvel Universe entries on Netflix should not be missed by anyone who likes great television.  This is easily the darkest, most personal, and least action-oriented entry in Marvel's canon of film and television, and also among the best.  Whatever trauma they have experienced, the women of the show are all consistently portrayed as either having control of their lives or working hard to regain it. I think many women can relate to that. No Marvel show, not even Agent Carter (which I love and adore Peggy Carter) has ever done that so effectively.  I recommend Jessica Jones as great TV to binge watch this winter!

What are you guys binge watching this winter? I’m almost done with Mr. Robot, that will be my next review!

XO

Kos

Strangers in a Strange Land

With all the chaos that has been going on for the past month, sometimes it's best to escape with a good book or short story.  Since school has been dwindling down, this creative surge has come back for the past few weeks now and I had to share :) I usually have a notebook just full of ideas that come to me, whether it is for work or personal.  This short story is called "Strangers in a Strange Land". 

When she walked into that bar on a cool fall night, she didn't exactly have what you would call "high hopes." The last few days had been a struggle to say the least and she was just looking for an escape - something to take her mind off of everything she had been through. All week long this had proved to be a whole lot easier said than done, so why would this be any different? What hope did she have of letting go and smiling again, even if just for a moment?

That's when she saw him.

There he was, across the room, looking like someone without a care in the world - someone who had it all figured out. He took sips of his beer, looking at her with the type of hazel eyes that command your attention in a way that you can't look away from. Even as she talked to a friend, she found her mind wandering - she hoped that he would come over, introduce himself and let her in on whatever secret to happiness that he had clearly discovered.

And that's exactly what he did.

As the music took over the room, it was like they were transported back in time to someplace simpler. Someplace better. It was the type of all-encompassing moment that felt like it was ripped out of a music video. The candles made their shadows dance across the walls, just as their bodies were dancing across the room itself. She played with his hat while they were dancing. He teased her - she tried to hide the fact that she was loving every second of it, but one thing that she couldn't hide was the smile that formed across her face.

Rather than just the gift of companionship for an evening, what he managed to give her over those few hours was something more. Much more. He had given her hope. He had made her forget all of the baggage she brought with her when she walked through those doors and demanded that she stay in this most beautiful of moments for as long as possible.

Thankfully, she did.

Neither he nor she wanted to let their experience end when the music did. They tried to find a place to eat - maybe a slice of pizza or two - but came up short at that time of night. They continued to walk together, arm-in-arm, down the picturesque star lit street. As they did, it was clear that finding food was quickly becoming less important than the moment itself that they both allowed themselves to be wrapped up in.

After he hailed her a cab, she wanted to lean in and kiss him. Something inside her told her that he was feeling the exact same way. For a split second, she allowed all of that drama to come creeping back into her head - for that inner turmoil to get the best of her - and wouldn't allow that kiss to happen. Something behind his eyes betrayed the cool image he was trying to convey - she could tell that he was every bit as conflicted as she was about that still-hypothetical kiss. It's a moment she would replay in her head, again and again, in the days to come. 

As they hugged, she struggled to find the perfect thing to say to cap of this wonderful experience. A word or a phrase that would distill everything that she was feeling so succinctly and expertly, but all they could manage to say was "goodnight." 

In the end, they ended the night in much the same way they began it - as strangers. They parted ways as the cab door closed. As it pulled away and she watched him grow small in the distance, it suddenly hit her. After a week of hell with her former friends, he had managed to be more of a person to her in just a few short hours than they were able to in ten long years.

Would there be another like it, lurking over the horizon? As she looked out of the cab window at the street art and the blare of the trains penetrated the night sky, the answer was simple: Only time would tell.

What do you guys think? Figured I haven't see anyone post a short story on a lifestyle blog before, figured I would give it a shot. Hope to write more.

xo
Kos

Touchdown: The new Star Wars Trailer is here!

If you have been living under a rock the past two days you were bound to hear about the new Star Wars trailer debuting during Monday night football.  To commence the countdown for the trailer’s launch, Disney released the sequel’s official theatrical poster on Sunday, and the new artwork immediately became a trending topic on Twitter: 

I was planning on watching Monday night football because the Giants were playing ha ha! The new trailer is glorious, for those who haven't seen in take a look:

All the old characters are in the trailer: Han, Leia, Chewbacca, and Luke. I had a few debates about this, you have to watch the trailer a second time to catch him with R2. A lot of people forget he lost a hand and had a bionic hand in Return of the Jedi. LOL proud I know something like that ;)

This trailer made up for the fact that my Giants lost, December 18th can't come fast enough.

xo

Kosi