The Couch Potato Report – September 13th, 2014
Of all the films based on characters in the Marvel Comic Book Universe, the 2011 release CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE FIRST AVENGER ranks 18th in Box Office Receipts.
The highest grossing films are THE AVENGERS, IRON MAN 3 and Sam Raimi’s SPIDER-MAN from 2002, and CAPTAIN AMERICA is 18th.
I bring those numbers up to demonstrate that the first CAPTAIN AMERICA film wasn’t that popular with movie-goers. However the second one – this year’s CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE WINTER SOLDIER – was popular, in fact it is the second highest grossing film of of 2014, having made $260 million, which is good enough for tenth place on the all-time Marvel list.
Picking up after the events that took place in THE AVENGERS, THE WINTER SOLDIER finds Steve Rogers – and Captain America – struggling to embrace the modern world, and modern warfare.
In addition to fighting modern techniques, he soon has to do battle with someone he might know, an agent known as the Winter Soldier and some high ranking members of S.H.I.E.L.D. the Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement and Logistics Division that all The Avengers work for.
CAPTAIN AMERICA – THE WINTER SOLDIER has a great story, some spectacular action scenes, and is very entertaining. It also features screen legend Robert Redford in a supporting role AND retired Canadian mixed martial artist Georges St-Pierre fighting Cap in the film, and talking about it in the bonus materials.
It is a lot of fun, I highly recommend CAPTAIN AMERICA – THE WINTER SOLDIER and if you enjoy it, you should also watch the television series AGENTS OF S.H.I.E.L.D. as it too picks up after the storyline in THE AVENGERS, plus it takes place at the same time as THE WINTER SOLDIER, and adds on to what happens in the movie.
THE COMPLETE FIRST SEASON of AGENTS OF S.H.I.E.L.D. is not something you could watch if you haven’t seen the Marvel Movies, but if you have seen them – and like them – you should definitely check it out.
The show has a good cast, is fun at times, and it brings in some great guest stars. Even though it starts of slow, not sure how much to play off the films versus standing alone as it’s own show, but it picks up by the end and I can easily recommend it too.
As long as you’ve seen all the movies.
The new four-disc STAR TREK set THE COMPENDIUM is a must own for all Trek fans, especially if you don’t already own the 2009 STAR TREK reboot and 2013’s STAR TREK INTO DARKNESS on blu-ray.
Now I love the films, and the versions that I already own are good enough for me, but when STAR TREK INTO DARKNESS was first released the studio decided to split up the Bonus Materials to different retailers.
If you bought it at one store, you got one set of features. Buy it at another and you got another set, and so on. That didn’t sit well with the fans, and so now THE COMPENDIUM has been released and it comes with all 23 of the behind-the-scenes featurettes. Every single one of them!
THE COMPENDIUM also offers up an audio commentary on the first film and the IMAX 2D version of STAR TREK INTO DARKNESS, which shifts back and forth from the theatrical aspect ratio to the IMAX framing for select scenes. That fills up the screen more during that second film’s big action sequences.
The question, as it always is with these reissues, is whether it is worth the money. Should you buy it again?
Well, while STAR TREK – THE COMPENDIUM is a fantastic set featuring two great films, and all the Bonus Materials you can imagine – and more – I wouldn’t buy it again. After I’ve watched the special features on almost every release, I never sit through them a second time, so I’m happy with the versions I have.
Should you be a big enough fan that you will watch them all again, even repeatedly, then don’t miss STAR TREK – THE COMPENDIUM. You will love it!!
During the 2013-2014 television season, I kept seeing commercials and promos for a show called THE GOLDBERGS. I never made time to watch it, but it always did looking interesting to me.
THE GOLDBERGS is set in the late 1980s and is about a family of five, your typical television family of five that doesn’t always get along.
Jeff Garlin from CURB YOUR ENTHUSIASM is the patriarch and Wendi McLendon-Covey from BRIDESMAIDS is his wife and the kids over-bearing Mother.
The show isn’t always that funny, however I did laugh out loud a few times, and the cast – other than the parents – are nothing special. But what I liked about THE COMPLETE FIRST SEASON of THE GOLDBERGS was how much about the 1980s they got right.
The show truly looks and sounds like it is from that eighth decade, the one that I love so much, and thus I enjoyed the show.
Not enough to start watching it every week when the second season debuts, but enough to mildly recommend THE COMPLETE FIRST SEASON of THE GOLDBERGS to you on DVD.
Finally this week is THE COMPLETE THIRD SEASON of the above average action adventure show HOMELAND.
After two very strong seasons, SEASON THREE of HOMELAND is possibly the best yet. This one features one-time terrorist Brody, who became a congressman, now on the run from the U.S. government following the bombing of the CIA headquarters. He didn’t actually do it, or did he, yet it was made to look like he did.
Meanwhile, Claire Danes’ CIA agent continues to fight. She fights to keep the world safe, for her own freedom, and to clear Brody’s name. She also has a secret. The result of her affair with Brody.
It all leads to a fantastic season, that came with a surprise conclusion that I really enjoyed!
HOMELAND is a great show and THE COMPLETE THIRD SEASON features some incredible writing, acting and twists & turns.
I highly recommend the show, not just this latest season, the whole show, to everyone. It is so great!
THE COMPLETE THIRD SEASON of the above average drama HOMELAND; THE COMPLETE FIRST SEASON of the not great but occasionally funny series THE GOLDBERGS; the great, but only necessary for completists release STAR TREK: THE COMPENDIUM; the very good COMPLETE FIRST SEASON of AGENTS OF S.H.I.E.L.D., and the great action flick CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE WINTER SOLDIER are all available now, either on disc or on demand.
And that’s this week’s COUCH POTATO REPORT.
Enjoy the movies and I’ll see you back here again next time on The Couch!