./janella.com

One of my favorite podcasts has unexpectedly moved podcast networks! It was previously on 5by5 but is now on the Mule Radio. I don’t know the reason for the change. But people are speculating here and there.

My guess? The 5by5 Network is growing. Gruber, the primary person on The Talk Show, probably couldn’t work around the scheduling constraints of the growing network. At least I hope it is that simple.

I’ll try to give the show a listen. But I’ll miss Dan and John talking on the same podcast.

Update 3: I woke up this morning, updated my Instacast and found a 5by5 special waiting for me to listen. Dan explains how it played out for him. Sounds like he was surprised about what happened. It was nice of him to at least put out a brief explanation.

Update 2: Seems the best coverage of this little drama can be found on the chandler blog. I wish a sense of finality could be brought to this subject. It appears from all the comments by those involved, or who are in the know that it is none of our business why it went down the way it did. Transparency doesn’t apply in this matter, I guess.

Update 1: According to a Quora post it seems to have come down to money. Of course, the comments are by a person listed as anonymous, so take it for what it’s worth.

I did manage to listen to the new Talk Show episode. It is not the same. I’ll give it a few more episodes. But I’m on the pessimistic side of it working out.

Farrah and I were able to actually watch another movie! Last week we finally saw The Hunger Games - which I would rate Matinee. This week we watched The Avengers.When filming The Avengers was first announced I was a bit nervous. How could a movie with so many characters do justice to the comic book? I mean, would we just see the team fighting the villains on screen and bits of dialog thrown in. Inevitably, character development - though never a priority in most movies - couldn’t happen in a superhero movie of this scale? But wait, Joss Whedon is at the helm. Can he pull it off?

I think he did. I’ve watched all the related films - Iron Man 1 and 2, Captain America, Thor, and all the versions of the Hulk movies. But I think The Avengers can work as a standalone film. A new viewer can get a sense of each character in this film. I know there isn’t deep character motivation exploration going on here, but these are no cardboard cut-outs either. They make some attempt at depth given the amount of screen time devoted to each character.

The story was simple enough to follow:

• Big bad guy steals magic cube that equals ultimate power.
• Heroes - who usually operate alone - must band together to stop the big bad guy.
• Heroes don’t get along at first but unite to fight the big bad guy and the aliens who are his allies.
• Heroes prevail for now.

The story movies along at a good pace, only slowing down just enough to catch your breath, digest the scene you’ve just watched, and then pick up steam to the next action sequence. The dialog is snappy, with humorous bits here and there to keep the mood light.

The part I disliked, and not by much, is the CGI-based ending battle sequences. They weren’t as confusing as a Transformers' film, but they were annoying enough. I’m not a fan of these massive computer-generated battles. But if anyone could pull it off, it would be in a Josh Whedon film.

The Avengers may just be a movie I would pay again to see on the big screen.

Rating: Full Admission