Category: Commentaries

All my commentaries – written or video – collected under one parent category.

The Winners And Losers Of 2021

Happy New Year, everyone.

Hey, what do you know? It’s the end of another largely miserable year… but if there is one bright spot, it’s that this year is not as bad as last year and for whatever it’s worth, 2022 looks to kick off in greater spirits. That probably means nothing considering that 2021 also started off hopeful and things fell off the rails, but much like WWE’s booking of Roman Reigns, THIS TIME FOR SURE…

So here’s the deal, everybody. It’s been no secret that posts on this blog has been slagging this past year. Most of it is video reviews and the occasional Dynamite musings. So in reviewing what’s been posted and referencing old material, it was difficult to gauge what stood out this year… but we do have a list so I managed it somehow.

Let’s get to it.

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Why Should I Care About Brand Supremacy?

So, it’s November and we’re closing in on the annual WWE tradition that is Survivor Series.

One of the “Big Four” PPV events that also comprise Summerslam, Royal Rumble, and Wrestlemania, Survivor Series was the show where you had two teams of four or five teammates competing in elimination-style matches. The earliest editions of the event were nothing but these elimination matches and were such a staple of the event, even when they started varying up the card with other matches.

Once upon a time, these sorts of matches were used to pit two rival groups against each other or other special circumstances. In recent years, however, Survivor Series has had only one central theme; brand supremacy. This was the “ONE NIGHT” where superstars from RAW and Smackdown would wear either red RAW shirts or blue Smackdown shirts. And they would compete against one another to see which brand was superior. Never mind the fact that there have been numerous occasions outside of Survivor Series, where RAW and Smackdown talent would interact and compete in matches with each other; particularly during the weeks surrounding the Draft or Superstar Shakeup or whatever venacular they decide to go with that time.

For reasons that escape me, there is an allure in wondering which WWE show is superior and there absolutely needs to be a show based on this concept. Of course, there were other attempts at this. There was the short-lived Bragging Rights show, which built on this premise alone before it was decided to move it to Survivor Series, where it had remained to this day. And this is the thing that is supposed to sell PPVs or Network subscriptions or whatever the case may be.

So I have a honest question; does anybody really care about brand supremacy?

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The Rumored Superman Film And The Trap It Faces

This is a rough transcript of something I talked about on the last episode of the DTM-Cast, but for those who want a more clear descriptor, here it is. If you don’t know what I’m talking about, I try my best to explain it, but otherwise, there are places that could bring you up to speed better than I could.

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The “Rise” of Skywalker… Oy

So, it’s been a while since we touched on Star Wars, hasn’t it?

Assuming you skip out on any video reviews I might have uploaded along the way, I think I might’ve touched on anything related to the long-running franchise only a handful of times in the past year. And yes, outside of the video games that I’ve gotten along the way, I have not touched much of Star Wars as of late. But since we’re talking about Star Wars today, I’d imagine most people would’ve expected something on the Mandalorian or one of the new upcoming series or maybe there’s a new video game that I’m not playing and choosing to ignore.

Instead, I’m going to talk about The “Rise” Of Skywalker.

Note the quotations around the word “rise” and that one image of Mark Hamill looking stern – the same one used for my piece of The Last Jedi a couple years back – and think about that for a couple seconds before realizing that you have me all figured out. Then question where you’re resigned with that thought and are left to either move on to something or click the break to learn more and perhaps be amazed by what the actual thought process is.

Ready to go?

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The Winners And Losers Of 2020

So 2020 has been a rather turbulent year of pandemics, human rights nightmares, speaking out on unimaginable horrors, and another round of politicians caring more about their own rep and numbers than the lives of their constituents. Another round of companies throwing generic statements of solidarity for the sake of lip service. Another round of people yelling and opening the doors to riots that have broken down into warzones that were once only the stuff of B-movie action schlock.

Suffice it to say, it’s been one of the more trying years in recent history. We’ve all had our problems – some graver than others – and it would be a great pleasure in leaving this year behind.

And as I try to compile this list and fulfill an annual tradition, a realization dawns on me; this year has been the drizzling shits from top to bottom and not even the brightest spot this year could overcome the mounds of dookey that we’ve been saddled with. I want to spotlight some good stuff on here, but the truth is that the few bright spots are outweighed by the many, many, MANY negatives. No matter how hard I try to make this somewhat amusing for a lark to read, I honestly don’t feel that positive.

So the thought occurred to simply bin it.

I had almost considered not doing this list because… are there any real bright spots in 2020 that are really worth celebrating? I’m sure Americans are happy they no longer have Trump for another four years, but… is that really going to solve anything? Is the guy going in really going to make things better? When the only reason for voting for the other guy is that he’s better than Trump, is that really a good thing? Don’t forget; better doesn’t necessarily mean good. It may very well means less bad. And as I’ve said in the past, whatever happens in America afterwards is on them… but I’ve said more than enough and I’m digressing from the main point.

I didn’t want to do this list because I don’t believe 2020 deserves to be celebrated. Hell, even after compiling this admittedly rushed list, I still don’t think we need to celebrate anything in 2020 and we should just bury it. And for the month of January, with the 100-post challenge – one hundred written pieces throughout the month of January before the return of reviews starting February 1st, kicking off two months worth of daily reviews – but then I realized that the Winners And Losers, the Years In Review lists are something of a historical document; a look back at things that were good, bad, and anything in between worth mentioning.

So here’s the deal; I’ve picked out five winners for 2020 and five losers for 2020. And there’s also a couple middle grounders. In a change of format, each entry (save one or two) will have some length to it and not just a quick blurb.

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You’re Getting What You Deserve

No, this is not about the Joker movie. But the header does fit.

Because it’s the truth.

You know… I’m not one to talk politics on this here blog. It’s not a thing I care to comment on and it’s regarding a country that I do not live in. However, in light of the ongoing (as of this writing, at least) counting of the votes that is still ongoing, I feel the need to say this to all my neighbors in the south and I want to emphasize that this is from the bottom of my heart.

You’re getting what you deserve.

I’m not saying this out of malice, because I feel the pain of millions of southern neighbors in anxiety over their uncertain future. The voters who feel their vote to this political process called democracy may or may not be counted. There’s a part of me that feels sorry for the citizens of the nation genuinely concerned about their country’s future, but there’s also a part of me that feels this whole thing is your own damned fault and whatever happens afterwards is of your own doing.

This whole election snafu and the shitstorm that’s going to come afterwards is something that could’ve been prevented had anyone had the foresight to develop a system that would result in a timely and smooth electoral process during a period where such results would be demanded upon. Yes, the world is suffering from prevailing circumstances and we’re developing ways to operate in this pandemic-stricken environment. Don’t you think the means in which you’re determining your next head of state should be one of those things, especially considering the scrutiny and the ballyhoo that is going to be drawn to it?

This is harkening back to Gore vs Bush in 2000, where things turned to shit during that electoral process as well… and then things went to hell for the next eight years. You’d think we would’ve learned something from that, but instead we’re too busy trying to censor history because it might offend someone or hurt their feelings.

To hell with your feelings.

History is not supposed to be pretty. It’s not supposed to be all-inclusive. It is pretty diverse, but not in the way you’d like. You’re not supposed to like history. You’re supposed to learn from it and try to do better than what your predecessors have in the past. And you haven’t done a single thing of it. Hell, none of us have. That’s what so damned frustrating.

Anyone who had a hand in this mess… congratulations, you deserve whatever comes afterwards and the rest of us have to suffer for it by proxy.

Thanks a lot.

Welp… Here We Go Again…

You know… I whipped this banner up a year or so back when an issue of the now-cancelled Go Go Power Rangers comic book teased this image of Lord Drakkon – Boom Studios’ woefully uninspired and hackneyed take on the whole “Evil Tommy” idea that had been the subject matter of most of the wankiest of wankfest fanfiction. My disdain for this worthless character was such that when his presence was teased as such, I ceased giving these people my money and stop reading the comics altogether.

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The Winners And Losers Of 2019

So it’s that time of year again, folks. The annual tradition that has been a thing since the old DTM Webstation days back in 2004 and has endured multiple blogs. For those who want the audio version, the latest edition of the DTM-Cast has you covered, but for those who prefer to read these things rather than hear them, I present to you the Winners And Losers Of 2019!

I’m not going to say that this is the hardest list that I’ve ever put together because, to be perfectly frank, there were a lot of easy shoe-ins for both sides of the coins. However, when it came to certain items to itemize, that became a bit more of a struggle and ultimately, the two that I struggled with the most ended up being middle grounders. But the rest of the list was perfectly fine.

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New Terminator Bombs… Can We Please Stop Making These Movies?

Source: https://panow.com/2019/11/05/terminator-dark-fate-is-no-1-but-its-no-winner-2/
Source: https://www.cbc.ca/news/entertainment/terminator-bombs-at-box-office-1.5346902

Every time there’s a new Terminator movie, the first question I ask is… “Why?”

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