In Defense Of… “The Incredible Hulk”

On By Christopher PierznikIn Films, MoviesLeave a comment

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The Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) has completely changed Hollywood. From the proliferation of comic book heroes to the notion that every major movie studio now needs its own universe in which its characters can interact through multiple films, Marvel has laid the path that all others are following, praying that they will find the same success. The films within the MCU have combined for a box office total of an estimated $14.8 billion worldwide, including five films raking in more than a billion each. In short, “Marvel has made consistent hits, which is supposedly impossible in a creative business.” But, to hear some tell it, Marvel’s record is not perfect and there are a few black marks on the studio’s résumé.

Actually, one of those marks is green.

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When It All Goes Wrong

On By Christopher PierznikIn LifeLeave a comment

“This too shall pass”

— Persian adage

Monday morning. The start of another week.

After a Friday and Saturday of perfect sunny, 80-degree weather, Mother Nature’s mood darkened. It turned wet and chilly, just a bummer of a day, so we turned it into a lazy Sunday.

Things became worse overnight and I was even awakened a few times by the sound of the wind and the rain battering my house. This was the weather in a bad horror film. I thought about worst-case scenarios. When you’re a homeowner, everything is cause for worry because everything is expensive and time-consuming.

Shortly after waking up, my wife called me into our daughter’s room.

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Our Brains Can’t Handle Technology

On By Christopher PierznikIn LifeLeave a comment

Evolution

What’s the first thing you did when you woke up today? Did you reach for your phone?

We as a species are not meant to look at screens all day, but yet we can’t stop ourselves.

It’s not breaking news that most people are addicted to their technology, but many may not know that smartphones are actually designed to be addictive, thus making it far more difficult for them to disentangle themselves.

While that’s even more reason to do so, anyone that has ever gone on a phone or tech detox knows that the withdrawal symptoms are real. It’s a drug, one humans simply cannot handle.

It took thousands of years for sapiens to evolve into our current selves, but our technology has grown exponentially in mere decades — and our brains can’t keep up.

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A “City Slickers” Birthday

On By Christopher PierznikIn LifeLeave a comment

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Last month, I turned 38-years-old.

I don’t immediately think of myself as a man in my late-thirties. I’m still struggling with the idea that I’m an actual adult.

It’s not that I feel 18 or 22, but like almost everyone else, I think of myself as some vague, younger version of me. Age has a way of sneaking up on you like that. It’s like growth spurt or a change in your weight. You live with it every day, so it’s gradual to you, but then you walk by a mirror and a different person is looking back at you. I still can’t believe I’ve been married for seven-and-a-half years and have been in the same relationship for thirteen years. I still think of the early ’00s as just a few years ago.

As Gertrude Stein once said, “We are always the same age inside.”

As I received well-wishes on my birthday, I couldn’t help thinking about City Slickers.

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A Musical Trip Through the Cosmos – Alpha & Scorcese’s “A World Only Gods Know” Reviewed

On By Christopher PierznikIn Reviews1 Comment

A x S

After four decades, it’s hard to create a hip-hop project that doesn’t sound like everything else that has come before it while also maintaining the elements of what has made the music endure and grow for so long.

Sometimes, though, an album finds a new space that hasn’t been plundered yet. A World Only Gods Know, the new project from Scorcese and Alpha Davis, aims to be one those albums.

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