Don't worry, Donnie's gonna push that eugenics program through Congress any day now.

Love that Shura album. Also heard really good things about the new Paramore album. I have to check that out.

I went to Japan in March. I think that trip forever spoiled me on bathrooms. Heated seat, bidet…I'd never known such peace…

Interesting. There's a lot to unpack there. One of the reasons I prefer The Dark Knight Rises over The Dark Knight is because Bruce Wayne actually has relationships. Talia al Ghul and Selina Kyle (mostly Selina Kyle) enrich his character and give him something to do besides brood. His characterization in The Dark…

I was disappointed in the lackluster ending, too. I don't think it was egregious enough to ruin the movie, but I agree that it takes it down a notch.

Very fun interview. Good to see Clark Duke popping back up in stuff. He was really funny in the underrated Sex Drive.

I've never read Miller, so I can't speak to his level of influence. I didn't find anything objectionable about the worldview of the films, though - which, if it can be boiled down to any one thing, is probably "People are mostly good, if you give them the chance to be." Guessing Miller's views are a little more…

I think it's more likely in this case that The Dark Knight was so universally hyped that its sequel was almost inevitably going to be viewed as a disappointment. Both films' reputations are skewed to some degree because of this, IMO.

It still is the best MCU movie, for my money. And I actually really appreciated the bittersweet ending, which was weird for me because I usually hate these non-endings that exist to set up sequels. Cap 1 actually managed to find some emotional resonance in the lack of closure.

The Dark Knight is a good movie with some structural/character issues that prevent it from being a great one. Dark Knight Rises, on the other hand, is much stronger on both counts. Not sure why it's considered the bastard stepchild of the trilogy.

Also, it's the best film of the trilogy.

I actually preferred the previous Wolverine movie set in Japan. That was a really cool setting, and it was a tight, well-written film. Logan felt more by the numbers, with the grizzled older hero reluctantly taking the young protégé under his wing. The violence also started to feel more ridiculous than brutal by…

Valid point.

I'm hoping Ryan Coogler will be another one on the positive side of the trend. He did great work on Creed.

Curious about the easier to control comment. I would think the opposite would be true for small directors known for their unique visions.

Interesting. I never saw the full series of Band of Brothers, but I recall at the time preferring The Pacific. I wonder if it's one of those things where your preference is mostly decided by which thing you encounter first. I'm also a fan of With the Old Breed, one of the novels that The Pacific is based on.

You made the right call.

How do they/you feel about The Pacific, the miniseries? I thought it was really powerful.

Which is strange, considering he's by far the worst Batman ever.

Go alone! I rarely go to movies with friends anymore. It's a pain in the ass coordinating around everyone's schedules, and most of them don't want to see the same movies I do, anyway. The first time I felt a little weird, but now I go alone all the time.