This is Vancouver Canuck, Taylor Pyatt:
And this is Taylor Pyatt’s biggest fan:
Archive for April, 2007
Go Canucks Go!
April 30, 2007This past Saturday, we had a few friends over to watch Game #2 of the Vancouver/Anaheim series. We had a great time, and without really planning it, everyone wore a Canucks jersey.
The Canucks won in overtime, so it was obviously our incredibly loud cheering (I feel bad for our neighbors) that helped them get the win.
Check out this great picture we took (click to see a larger image)…
Notice the incredibly ridiculous hat I’m wearing? It’s a hat in the shape of a Kirk McLean goalie mask. Just classic.
Great times.
Update: I’ve uploaded the rest of the pictures, and you can see them all here.
My Top 10 Favorite Movie Characters
April 27, 2007If you’ve read my blog before, you know I’m a huge movie buff. I’ve wanted to do this post for a while, and have finally got around to putting it together. This list is not based on which actor I like more, which performance I thought was better, or which movie was best. It’s based on my liking of the character itself.
On to the list…
10. Tony Montana, Scarface
Favorite Quote: “You wanna f*ck with me? Okay. You wanna play rough? Okay. Say hello to my little friend!”
Such a great role, played by such a great actor (Al Pacino). Tony Montana is the immigrant turned drug kingpin. In my opinion, the best drug lord character of all time (and there has been a lot of them).
9. Alonzo Harris, Training Day
Favorite Quote: “They build jails ’cause of me.”
Denzel Washington has had a lot of great roles, but this one is easily my favorite. One of the most enjoyable bad-guy characters I’ve ever seen on film. He’s a bad-ass, he’s depressive, he’s cocky, but overall, he’s just such a deep and interesting character.
8. Mr. Blonde (aka Vic Vega), Reservoir Dogs
Favorite Quote: “Are you gonna bark all day, little doggy, or are you gonna bite?”
My favorite character, in one of my favorite films. Mr. Blonde is a complete psychopath, but you can’t help but like the guy. Such a cool character.
7. Tyler Durden, Fight Club
Favorite Quote: “We’ve all been raised on television to believe that one day we’d all be millionaires, and movie gods, and rock stars. But we won’t. And we’re slowly learning that fact. And we’re very, very pissed off”.
Tyler Durden is such an interesting character. He is a deep, but also completely empty character. You like him, you want to be him, but you also hate him and don’t trust him at the same time.
6. Maximus, Gladiator
Favorite Quote: “My name is Maximus Decimus Meridius, commander of the Armies of the North, General of the Felix Legions, loyal servant to the true emperor, Marcus Aurelius. Father to a murdered son, husband to a murdered wife. And I will have my vengeance, in this life or the next”.
An incredible film, with several great characters, but Maximus is my favorite. He is such a powerful, honorable man. You have to respect and love a guy that goes through all he does, and has the drive and commitment that he continues to put forth over and over again.
5. Keyser Soze, Usual Suspects
Favorite Quote: “The greatest trick the devil ever pulled was convincing the world he did not exist”.
The fact we don’t know who Keyser Soze is until the end of the film doesn’t do anything to make him any less interesting. Keyser Soze is one of the most dangerous people on the planet, and often gets referred to as “the devil, himself”. You can’t help but watch and try to figure out just who this Keyser Soze is. It’s the main reason why Usual Suspects was such a thrilling film.
4. Vincent Vega, Pulp Fiction
Favorite Quote: “I got a threshold, Jules. I got a threshold for the abuse that I will take. Now, right now, I’m a f*ckin’ race car, right, and you got me the red. And I’m just sayin’, I’m just sayin’ that it’s f*ckin’ dangerous to have a race car in the f*ckin’ red. That’s all. I could blow.”
One of the coolest characters of all-time, in one of the best movies of all time. So, obviously, he makes the list.
3. Lester Burnham, American Beauty
Favorite Quote: “Remember those posters that said, “Today is the first day of the rest of your life”? Well, that’s true of every day but one – the day you die”.
Lester Burnham is such a normal, yet completely beyond normal character. He is negative, he doesn’t really care about himself, and he has a family that can’t stand him. But you watch, and you can’t help but like the guy… or is it just that you feel bad for him? Either way, Lester is such an incredibly deep character that you can’t help but be enthralled with.
2. King Leonidas, 300
Favorite Quote: “Spartans! Ready your breakfast and eat hearty, for tonight we dine in hell!”
Such an awesome character, such an awesome movie. There are so many incredible scenes and so many great quotes that it’s hard to pick out a favorite. Leonidas was very close to becoming my all-time favorite character, but the guy below barely squeaked by into number 1…
1. Jules Winnfield, Pulp Fiction
Favorite Quote: [Ezekiel 25:17] “The path of the righteous man is beset on all sides by the iniquities of the selfish and the tyranny of evil men. Blessed is he, who in the name of charity and good will, shepherds the weak through the valley of darkness, for he is truly his brother’s keeper and the finder of lost children. And I will strike down upon thee with great vengeance and furious anger those who would attempt to poison and destroy my brothers. And you will know my name is the Lord when I lay my vengeance upon thee”
In what is my favorite movie of all time, I have to list my favorite character from that film as the top choice on my list. Samuel L. Jackson is also one of my favorite actors, and this is easily my favorite role of his. Such a well written film, I could have listed 20 favorite quotes from Jules. One of the coolest, most confident bad-ass characters in movie history. Jules Winnfield ranks as my all-time favorite movie character.
Those Croatian’s are a weird bunch
April 27, 2007My Mom’s boyfriend is Croatian, so I am sure he’ll appreciate this…
From Scotsman.com:
A Croatian third division footballer got the shock of his life when he saw a flock of sheep waiting for him at work.
Ivica Supe, a 29-year old playing for part-timers NK Zagor, has been given 16 sheep by a local shepherd Josko Bralic as a bonus for the 16 goals he has scored this season.
“I was really shocked and I have no idea what to do with so many sheep because I plan to score more goals,” Supe told Croatian media.
The club’s spokesman said: “We are a very small club unable to entice another sponsor so we were delighted when Bralic offered sheep as support.”
Haha, sorry we can’t give you a bonus for your fine play, but here’s a flock of sheep. Awesome.
These animals are better than you
April 26, 2007This video cracks me up every time (make sure you have sound for this one)…
Canucks lose Game #1 against Ducks
April 26, 2007
Well, it didn’t surprise me. The Canucks were playing without four regulars, and two of their top defensemen. Matt Cooke and Ryan Kelser remained out, and Kevin Bieksa and Sami Salo (two of the Canucks top D-men) were out as well. Those left some huge holes.
The Vancouver defense looked awful without them. Willie Mitchell did his best to make up for it, but just couldn’t make up for the huge loss. With Edler and Fitzpatrick out there, the Canucks seemed to lack confidence, and just the overall defensive ability to shut down the Ducks.
My first thought was… wow this game is much more wide open, I think the Canucks have a legitimate shot. They could have had three goals in the first five minutes. Giguere is good, but he is no Turco. He CAN be beat. He is solid angle-wise, but he isn’t very quick, and a good quick shot will beat him. Only problem was… the Canucks couldn’t hit the damn net! I swear they missed the net on six easy scoring opportunities. Also, what was Henrik Sedin doing passing across the crease when he had a completely wide open net?
I’m not that upset, as I really didn’t think they would win this game. They seemed to play like they knew they would lose, as soon as Anaheim scored that first goal. They seemed to lack any energy or effort once they got behind. It’s like they were thinking “Ok, we don’t have two of our top d-men, we’re tired after a long series, let’s just get to game #2″.
Some other notes from the game…
- Alex Burrows did a great job agitating Teemu Selanne. I hope he keeps it up. Selanne can be a snap show, and if Burrows gets under his skin enough, he will draw penalties, or at least, get co-incidentals, and take Selanne off the ice with him.
- Markus Naslund continues to be completely ineffective. It’s almost coming to the point – and this is really quite sad – that he is actually hurting us on the ice. He loses the puck or gets easily checked on almost every Power Play and the other team dumps the puck out of the zone. He had a perfect chance to score in the first minute of the game, and he basically walked into the net and F’d up. We were discussing last night, that next to Jose Theodore, Naslund is probably the most overpaid player in the league. At this point, he’s a third-liner at best. Pretty sad for $6 Million a year.
- I am glad they took Luongo out when the Ducks scored their 4th goal. Not because Luongo was bad in any way, but because the game was out of reach, and there was no sense risking Luongo getting hurt. It also gave Dany Sabourin a chance to play. The poor guy sits on the bench 99% of the time, and it was good to give him his first playoff ice time.
- The Ducks are incredible on the Power Play. Vancouver has to do whatever possible to avoid stupid penalties. And… on the topic of stupid penalties… wow, was the reffing absolutely horrid last night. There were so many brutal calls on both teams.
I think we’ll see a completely different Canucks team come out to play on Friday. They can beat the Ducks. They play a style that Vancouver can handle better than the style Dallas played. Provided Bieksa and Salo return, I still think the Canucks can take this series. Game 2 is a huge one.
Game #2 in Anaheim starts at 7:00pm on Friday.
Another cover of “My Humps”
April 25, 2007We’ve seen both Peaches and Alanis Morissette do covers of Black Eyed’s Peas song “My Humps”. Well check out this… um… half cute/half creepy version of the song…
Man charged with DUI on way to DUI hearing
April 25, 2007This article just cracks me up with all it’s oh-so-obvious quotes and comments…
From centredaily.com:
A man charged with drunken driving on the way to a drunken driving hearing said he probably will have to quit drinking.
Anthony R. Lilly, 74, of Susquehanna Township, Dauphin County, was arrested when his car struck a guardrail Tuesday as he was driving to District Judge Raymond Shugars’ office for a hearing on a Feb. 8 drunken-driving arrest, police said.
An officer found Lilly at the wheel smelling of alcohol, slurring his words and appearing disoriented, township Police Chief Rob Martin said. He said Lilly refused a Breathalyzer test and was charged with drunken driving and related charges.
When arrested Feb. 8, after striking a parked car at an Arby’s restaurant and driving away, Lilly had a blood-alcohol content of 0.259 percent, more than three times the 0.08 percent legal limit for driving in the state.
Lilly told The Patriot-News of Harrisburg he did not remember details of Tuesday’s accident. He said he was earlier charged with driving under the influence in 1998. Court records showed he also pleaded guilty in a 2004 DUI case and served six months of house arrest.
Lilly described himself as a drinker, but said after the latest arrests he will probably have to stop sitting with the bartender until the early morning hours. “I’ll have to quit,” he said. “They’re going to force me to stop.”
“Lilly describes himself as a drinker”. Haha, umm… ya think!?!
He’s 74, he’s drunk driving on the way to his DUI hearing, he did a drunk hit and run at freakin’ Arby’s of all places, and he sits and drinks with the bartender until closing. This man has to be the craziest 74-year old drinker on the planet.
My Top 10 Favorite Alcoholic Drinks
April 24, 2007I do enjoy a drink every now and then (read: all the time), and although I usually just stick to one drink, there are others I enjoy as well. Remember, this is a list of my favorite drinks… but feel free to post what you like in the comments section.
Here’s the list…
10. Pina Colada
I love anything that’s Pina Colada flavored, so this was an easy choice for my list. I had my share of this during our trip to Mexico earlier this year. It’s not something I would order, but if someone’s going to make me one, I’m definitely not going to say no.
9. Mojito
The Mojito (pronounced Mo-Heeto) seems to be a drink that is never made quite the same. I havehad “juice” versions, “frosted” versions, some that taste like lime, and some that taste like mint. If the Mojito is made correctly (a little mint, a lot of lime, and with crushed ice), it can be a very refreshing drink.
8. Lemon-Lime Margarita
Surprisingly, the first time I had a Margarita was in the place where they’re made the best: Mexico. There’s quite like a slushy lemon-lime Margarita while relaxing on a hot beach.
7. Budweiser
My “domestic beer of the moment” will change every few years, but currently it’s “Budweiser”. It isn’t the best drink around, but when it comes to picking out a cheap, not too-bad-tasting beer, Budweiser is my pick.
6. Tequila shot
A lot of people hate Tequila, yet it remains the shooter. For me, it’s less of a case of liking tequila, and more so a case of “I want a buzz quickly, what’s the best option?”. Seriously, out of all the possible shots, Tequila is probably my second favorite (continue reading to see which is first).
5. Gladiator (shot)
I can thank my buddy Mike for introducing me to these. It’s such a tasty shot, and is almost more of a drink than a shot (it’s a drop-shot). A gladiator combines: 1/2 ounce of Southern Comfort, 1/2 ounce of Amaretto, and then a small amount of orange juice and 7-Up (poured into a high-ball glass). Drop the Amaretto/Southern Comfort into the glass and drink up!
4. Bellini
One of the best things about “Joeys Bar & Grill” (one of my favorite restaurants), is their Wednesday Bellini special. You get a jug of Bellini’s for $10. These are so, so good. It’s like having an peach flavored slush… with alcohol.
3. Corona
The easy pick for not only my third favorite drink, but also my favorite beer. No beer comes close to an ice cold Corona and lime (and yes, the lime is a must).
2. Bacardi Superior
My second favorite drink is also my second favorite type of rum. I usually drink it with either Diet Coke or Diet Lime Coke.
1. Bacardi Gold
After seeing what ranks #1 and #2 on my list, you can easily tell what it is I enjoy to drink. 95% of the time, my drink will be filled with some sort of Bacardi drink. There is no drink I enjoy more than a glass of Bacardi Gold and Diet Lime Coke.
We’re gonna party like it’s 1994
April 24, 2007
Trevor Linden must think he’s still in the 1994 playoffs, as he scored the game winning goal in last night’s game 7 against Dallas. It’s kinda crazy seeing as it’s 13 years later and he’s still scoring important goals for the Canucks.
When Dallas went ahead 1-0, I was worried as hell. But the Canucks came through and in a big, big way. They absolutely dominated Dallas through the second period and played great through the third to keep the lead.
The Canucks showed great confidence and composure and played an incredibly sound game in the last two periods. I don’t remember the last time I had a feeling of relief the way I did when the Canucks put in the first empty net goal.
Taylor Pyatt, Trevor Linden, The Sedins and Roberto Luongo were the stars of the game. Pyatt has played great lately. The Sedins finally dominated a game, Luongo played amazing as always, and Linden was huge scoring his (active NHLer) league leading 11th game 7 point.
I don’t really have much else to say, other than BRING IT ON, DUCKS! I can’t wait for round 2 to start!
The puck drops for Game #1 in Anaheim on Wednesday.
NHL Playoffs- Round 2 Predictions
April 24, 2007I did pretty good with my Round 1 Predictions, going 7-1, but we’ll see how Round 2 goes. This round is going to be much harder to predict.
Western Conference
Detroit Red Wings vs. San Jose Sharks
This is tough to call. Detroit was great in round 1 against Calgary, and their defensive game is so sound, it’s hard to say how they will do against a big, tough and talented team like the Sharks. San Jose has better goaltending, although even at 42, Dominik Hasek is no slouch. It seems most people are predicting San Jose, but I’m going to go with Detroit in 6 games.
Anaheim Ducks vs. Vancouver Canucks
Ok, do I pick with my heart or my head? The obvious choice is Anaheim. Everyone is predicting them to win, and for good reason. They are a much better team, and they could easily defeat the Canucks (a 4 game sweep isn’t out of the question). However, the Canucks are a team that wins when they have to (just take a look at their overtime record this year). Luongo is the wild card here, as he could single-handedly win this series. It all boils down to: can Vancouver score? If Vancouver can score at least two goals every game, I think they will win this series. I just can’t bring myself to go against my team, so I’m going to predict the Canucks in 7 games. Luongo will out-play whoever gets the nod for the Ducks, and I think that will be what gets the ‘Nucks into Round 3.
Eastern Conference
Buffalo Sabres vs. New York Rangers
New York has been flying high for a good two months now, and I am finding it very hard to bet against them, even though they are taking on the perennial favorite to win the Cup. This should be an excellent series, as both teams have a large arsenal of offensive talent. They also each have two superstar goalies, in Ryan Miller and Henrik Lundqvist. This should be an offensive battle as well as a goaltending battle. I am going to go with Buffalo in 6 games.
New Jersey Devils vs. Ottawa Senators
New Jersey were one of my picks to make it far at the start of the playoffs, but their play in the opening round surprised me. I thought they would easily take Tampa, but they didn’t They looked very beatable. I think Ottawa will take this series in 6 games. It will be a very close series, but I think this is Ottawa’s year, and if Ray Emery can continue his great play, Ottawa will win this series.
My Round 1 Predictions. How did I do?
April 24, 2007Well, the first round of the playoffs is over, and this year was quite different than most. How so? Well, nearly every team that was supposed to win, actually did. Before the Playoffs started, I did a post on my predictions for each round. Let’s take a look at how I did…
Western Conference
Detroit Red Wings vs. Calgary Flames. Detroit wins the series 4-2
My Prediction: I picked Detroit, and I was right in the amount of games, as well.
Anaheim Ducks vs. Minnesota Wild. Anaheim wins the series 4-1.
My Prediction: I went for an upset in this one, and picked the Wild in 6 games. However, I did say I wouldn’t be surprised to see the Ducks sweep the Wild, and that was close.
Vancouver Canucks vs. Dallas Stars. Vancouver wins the series 4-3
My Predicition: I was dead-on with this one, picking the Canucks in 7 games.
Nashville Predators vs. San Jose Sharks. San Jose wins the series 4-1
My Prediction: Wow, for a third time in the West, I was dead on predicting San Jose to win it in 5 games.
Eastern Conference
Buffalo Sabres vs. New York Islanders. Buffalo wins the series 4-1
My Prediction: This was the easiest series to pick in my mind. I went with Buffalo to win it, so I was right. But I thought it would end in 4 games, not 5.
New Jersey Devils vs. Tampa Bay Lightning. New Jersey wins the series 4-2
My Prediction: I chose the Devils in 5. I was right about who won, and close on the amount of games as well.
Atlanta Thrashers vs. New York Rangers. New York wins the series 4-0
My Prediction: I picked the Rangers in this one, but I didn’t think they’d sweep it (I picked it to go 6 games).
Ottawa Senators vs. Pittsburgh Penguins. Ottawa wins the series 4-1
My Prediction: I went with Ottawa in this one, but I thought it would take 6 games.
So, how did I do overall? I’m pretty impressed with myself, actually. I was 7-1, in my predictions with only getting the Ducks/Wild series wrong. I was also right on the amount of games in three of the series’ as well.
Round 2 Predictions will be coming soon.
The wood-paneled HD TV
April 23, 2007Last I checked this is 2007, not 1983. Since when is having a wood paneled TV cool again? I remember my Grandparents had a couple massive TV’s covered in a “fancy” wooden case. Well, come to think of it… they still have them.
Still… was it really a fad that you’d want to bring back? If that’s a yes, then this 60” will cost you close to $11,000 USD. I think I’ll stick to my more modern HD TV.
My Top 10 Favorite 5 Cent Candies
April 23, 2007I’ve always loved going to 7-11 and getting a little grab bag of 5 cent candies. It’s my usual treat of choice. I decided to put together a list of my top 10. After going through the ‘net trying to find pictures, I now have a huge candy craving. By the way, I am a huge nerd in case you haven’t already noticed.
Anyways, here’s the list…
10. Cherries
Cherry gummies are one of the classic 5 cent candies. They’ve always been an addition to my grab bag of choice.
9. Blue Sharks
Everytime I see blue sharks, it reminds me of when I bought a big tub of them to bring up to our annual guy’s fishing trip last year. I think three of us finished off the whole tub in about 5 minutes. Come to think of it, I don’t think I’ve had any since.
8. Sour Apple Rings
I used to love the peach rings, but once I tried the sour apple flavor, I haven’t gone back since. Once you go apple, you never go back.
7. Coke Bottles
Coke bottles are, as far as I know, one of the original gummy candies, and are basically the “poster boy” for 5 cent candies. They may not be my favorite, but they’re close. I find I can sick of them if I have more than a couple.
6. Fuzzy Peaches
Fuzzy peaches were probably my favorite candy when I was a kid, but I’ve eaten so many of them over the years, I think I’ve gotten kinda sick of them. However, I still like them enough to rank them 6th overall.
5. Sour Keys aka Sour Soothers
Another mainstay in 5 cent candies, out of all the “sours” they are probably my favorite.
4. Red Hot Dollars
It seems to be a love/hate with these. If you like hot, you will like them… if not, then these will be a horrible experience for you. I love hot, so these rank #4.
3. Peach Penguins
These are relatively new, but they are quickly becoming one of my favorites. I love peach and I love penguins.
2. Wine Gums
My Dad started me on wine gums years and years ago, and they are still one of my favorites. I like the more dry type over the “greasy” type (Maynards brand).
1. Pink Grapefruit Slices
The picture below is not quite the candy I’m referring to. I looked everywhere, but couldn’t find an actual picture of the pink grapefruit slice, but it looks pretty much the same as this. I love both the sugar coated and gummy versions. In my opinion, it’s the best 5 cent candy out there.
Movie Review: The Pursuit of Happyness
April 23, 2007
I am a huge Will Smith fan, and I’m really surprised it took me this long to see this film. I had heard pretty good things, and was expecting a lot from this movie. But wow, was I ever amazed. I’m close to thinking that Will Smith should have won Best Actor for his role in this film (although I love Forest Whitaker, and haven’t yet seen The Last King of Scotland, so I’ll reserve my final judgment until then).
The film is based on a true story, and follows struggling salesman Chris Gardner (Will Smith) who faces near poverty trying to get by alone with his son, while trying to make it as a stock broker.
Smith’s real-life son Jaden plays his son in this film, and he is a spitting image of his father. This kid is going to be a star. You can see Will in him. He has this cute type of cockiness that you can just tell comes from his Dad.
This film is an emotional roller coaster from start to finish. I had heard that guys were crying in the theater and I can see why. It’s definitely a “guy cry” movie. I know I had watery eyes at some points.
It was an excellent film and one I would 100% recommend to anyone. Will Smith is quicky becoming one of the best actors in every area of film, and while continually coming out with hit action movies, comedies and now dramas, I’m hard pressed to find a better all-around actor.
My Rating: 9.5/10
Movie Review: Stranger Than Fiction
April 22, 2007
I really enjoy when comedic actors take on more serious roles. I’m always interested to see how they do, and like Jim Carey in “Eternal Sunshine” and Adam Sandler in “Punch Drunk Love”, Will Ferrell really impressed me. This is nothing like some of his past work, and I really enjoyed him in this film (not that I wasn’t a fan before).
Will Ferrell plays Harold Crick, an IRS adjuster who lives a very boring, mundane life. Suddenly one day he stars hearing a woman narrating his life. Kay Eiffel is an author in the midst of writer’s block, who’s latest novel centers on the life of one Harold Crick. The same Harold Crick. Eiffel is a novelist who’s characters always die at the end, and her newest book is slated to have that same ending. This is obviously not good new for Harold.
Maggie Gyllenhaal, Dustin Hoffman and Queen Latifah also make appearances, and do a great job in their own right. I really enjoyed Gyllenhaal’s role and Dustin Hoffman’s wacky humor is wonderful as always.
I had been looking forward to seeing this film for a while now, and although I wasn’t too sure what to expect, I came out enjoying it much more than I thought I would. It’s an excellent movie that has the perfect mix of both comedy and drama.
As long as you go into this film not expecting anything similar to what you’d normally see from Will Ferrell, I can’t see how you wouldn’t enjoy this movie. Great from start to finish.
My Rating: 8/10
Movie Review: House of Sand and Fog
April 22, 2007
I’d had this movie laying around for a couple years now, and Michaela just read the book and wanted to see the film adaptation, so it gave me the excuse to finally sit down and watch it.
I was pretty impressed with the movie. It was very well made, and I liked how the film had two “hero” characters, and throughout the film you are trying to decide which to root for.
The film centers on Kathy (Jennifer Connelly), a woman who is evicted from her house, who then starts a tragic conflict with the new owner (Ben Kingsley). The acting in the film is excellent, as you would expect with the caliber of talent involved.
It’s not a film to watch if you’re looking to sit back and eat some popcorn, nor is it a film to boost your mood. It’s a very depressing movie. From what Michaela told me, it was a very good book-to-film adaptation. It’s rare that this happens, and if you have read the book and usually stay away from the films, maybe you should give this one a shot.
If you like deep, serious dramas then I’d definitely recommend House of Sand and Fog.
My Rating: 7/10
Goalie Jamie McLennan gets slash-happy
April 22, 2007In Game 5 of the Calgary vs. Detroit series, as it began to get a little rough, Calgary pulled Mikka Kiprusoff and put in backup Jamie McLennan. McLennan proceeded to go crazy and slash everyone in sight.
He ended up with a 5 game suspension, the coach Jim Playfair was fined $25,000 and the organization was fined $100,000.
My Top 10 Favorite Comic Book Heroes
April 20, 2007This is another “nostalgia” type post that I seem to do quite often. It’s fun to go back and look at what you enjoyed as a kid.
I read a couple different comics when I was younger, but always watched the TV shows, and somehow when you’re young you know all the comic book characters whether you read about them or not. Not sure how that works, but it does.
Anyways, here’s my list… and like always, it’s in descending order.
10. The Silver Surfer
Wikipedia: The Surfer was originally Norrin Radd, a young astronomer of the planet Zenn-La. He agreed to serve as herald to the god-like entity, Galactus, in order to save Zenn-La from the world devourer’s insatiable hunger. Granted enormous powers, a silvery appearance and a surfboard-like vehicle, the Silver Surfer roamed the cosmos, searching for new planets for Galactus to consume.
The Silver Surfer first appealed to me for one simple reason: he looked cool, and he flew around on a surfboard. Pretty simple anecdote for a popular superhero. I never owned a Silver Surfer comic nor have I seen him in any TV shows, but he was always seemed really cool to me. I’m looking forward to seeing the new Fantastic Four film this summer, which is titled “Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer”.
9. Iron Man
Wikipedia: Iron Man possesses powered armor that gives him superhuman strength, virtual invulnerability, flight, and an array of weapons. The armor was invented and worn by Tony Stark, an American industrialist billionaire and military contractor known not only for his lifestyle, but also for his incredible ingenuity and inventive genius.
Like the Silver Surfer, it was Iron Man’s look that first attracted me. He also wore a metallic like suit that looked pretty cool. Once I got to know more about the character, I like him even more. Iron Man is actually Tony Stark, and he’s a pretty interesting character on his own. He’s incredibly rich, has a massive ego, and generally thinks he is better and above everyone else. A refreshing change from the usual “do-gooder” type superheroes.
8. Gambit
Wikipedia: A mutant, Gambit possesses the ability to charge objects, usually his trademark playing cards, with kinetic energy, by tapping into their stored potential energy, causing them to explode. He is also skilled in breaking and entering, the use of a Bo staff, card throwing and hand-to-hand combat.
Gambit, one of the more popular X-Men characters, unfortunately never made an appearance in the films. I always liked Gambit, as he had a cocky way about him, and I was always interested in his on-going relationship with Rogue. He also had the cool “cajun” accent.
7. The Punisher
Wikipedia: The Punisher is a vigilante who considers killing, kidnapping, extortion, coercion, threats of violence and torture as acceptable crime-fighting tactics. (He is) driven by the deaths of his wife and children, who were killed by the mob when they witnessed a Mafia gangland execution in New York City’s Central Park.
The Punisher is more of an “anti-hero” than a superhero. He is a bad ass, and although I was never a huge fan at first, as he would often class would some of the “good guy” superheroes, his break-the-rules ways eventually won me over. He was different, in he didn’t want “a better world”, he just needed to take out his inner-rage by killing off all the scum of the world.
6. Daredevil
Wikipedia: Daredevil (Matt Murdock) is notable as being among the few superheroes with a disability. Blinded during his youth, his other four senses developed to compensate, and he obtained a sonar-like ability to perceive objects, similar to Human echolocation.
Daredevil was one of the only superheroes I knew of that had the real name, “Matt”. That’s what drew me to him at first, but he quickly became a favorite of mine for other reasons. First of all he was blind- and still able to be a superhero. That in itself was pretty cool, as there wasn’t anyone else like him. It’s unfortunate that the film bombed, as it could have been a successful series if done properly.
5. Cyclops
Wikipedia: A mutant, Cyclops produces powerful “optic blasts” from his eyes, forcing him to wear specialized glasses at all times and a specialized visor in combat. His powers may have led to his inhibited, meticulous character.
I have sort of a love/hate feeling towards Cyclops. On one side, he is part of one of my favorite comics, “X-Men”. He is their leader, and has been an X-Men mainstay forever. So, in that regard, I’ve always liked him. Then again, he’s so proper at times, that is gets annoying, and you just want Wolverine to knock him out. Either way, I still like the guy enough to put him on my list.
4. Superman
Wikipedia: Adopted and raised by a Kansas farmer and his wife, Superman is raised as Clark Kent, and imbued with a strong moral compass. Upon reaching maturity the character develops superhuman abilities, resolving to use these for the benefit of humanity.
Arguably the most well-known and popular comic book character of all-time, there isn’t much I need to say about Superman. I’ve probably read more Superman comics than all others combined. I was never a huge fan of his, but it’s hard not to like the guy. Superman is a little too goody-goody to make a higher spot on my list- however- it wouldn’t be complete with out him.
3. Batman
Wikipedia: Batman’s secret identity is Bruce Wayne, a billionaire industrialist, playboy, and philanthropist. Witnessing the murder of his parents as a child leads him to train himself to the peak of physical and intellectual perfection, don a bat-themed costume, and fight crime.
Now onto the big three. Batman has always been one of my favorite characters. He even made my list of Top 10 Childhood Heroes. The cool thing about Batman is he doesn’t have any actual superpowers, but people will still debate “who would win between Batman and Superman”? Batman is a very dark and disturbed character, and he has always been one of my favorites. The re-invention of the movies series, with Batman Begins, is a great thing and the Batman character is finally being done right on film.
2. Wolverine
Wikipedia: Wolverine possesses animal-keen senses and reflexes and a healing factor that allows him to recover from virtually any wound. This healing ability enabled the supersoldier Weapon X to bond the near unbreakable metal alloy adamantium to his skeletal system that includes razor-sharp retractable claws.
Being my favorite character on my favorite superhero teams made Wolverine’s selection as number two an easy one. Wolverine is tough, does whatever he wants, but in the end, is extremely loyal to those he cares about. He is one of the most powerful superheroes out there, even though at first glance, he doesn’t really have any of the over-the-top powers like a Superman or The Hulk. I’m looking forward to the eventual spin-off Wolverine film that currently being talked about.
1. Spawn
Wikipedia: A CIA agent killed by his own boss for witnessing his corruption, Al Simmons was sent to hell. To see his wife one more time, he made a deal with the demon Malebolgia to become an undead “hellspawn.” Spawn has tried to retain his own humanity while finding a way out of Malebolgia’s control and battling a variety of enemies, both supernatural and mafia-related.
Spawn is the epitome of “anti-hero”. Besides his wife and best friend Terry, Spawn cares for no one but himself. He has no problem killing anyone he deems evil, and will do unspeakable things to punish them for their wrong-doings. In the end, Spawn always managed to get sucked into doing the right thing at the cost of his own well-being. He was a very different and original character, and I can easily say he would be ranked as the #1 on my list of favorites.
