People of One of Us, it is time once again for another edition of the Pre-Weekend Recap! This was a week bursting at the seams with original content from the site’s writers, reviewers, podcasters, and other contributors. While I’d like to assume that you fine folks of the internet listened to every show, watched every video, and read every article, it is entirely possible that you fell behind somewhere in the hustle and bustle of the week. Fear not friends, here you’ll find a selection of some the content that premiered this week, so you have a perfect place to start catching up. Don’t delay any longer, get right into the good stuff.
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Beyond The Movie: Cap In the Comics Currently
Captain America: The Winter Soldier premiered to huge numbers last week, attracting both audiences of the comic book faithful and neophytes alike. Many people who enjoyed the film are not regular Marvel readers who might want to start following the Star-Spangled Avenger’s printed adventures. Obviously, we would recommend that everyone read Ed Brubaker’s amazing Captain America run, but John Eckes has some good things to say about the current run of Cap’s comics. Currently, the books are under the direction of Rick Remender, a mad genius who has taken Steve Rogers to some truly strange places. Check out John’s rundown of the Remender take on Captain America and considering picking up a few issues!
Marvel, Captain America, and the Nature of Creative Compromise
Yeah, as you might have guessed by the two Winter Soldier-themed editorials here, we really liked the movie. However, there are some people out there who have presented their grievances with Captain America’s latest film and the Marvel Cinematic Universe as a whole. As a man of honor, Thomas Mariani cannot let such slights stand. In this article, he assesses one critic’s issues with The Winter Soldier and responds to them in a manner that would impress Steve Rogers himself. Whether you agree with Thomas or not, this one is definitely a piece you’ll want to chew on for a while.
So much Inside The Locker!
This was a huge week for sports, which means this was a huge week for One of Us’ sports podcast, Inside The Locker! Sunday night, the sports nerds were joined Amanda and John of the phenomenal wrestling podcast All Rings Considered as well as One of Us contributors Daniel Kalbacher and John Gholson to record live commentary for Wrestlemania XXX. If you missed out on the live broadcast, you can download the audio here.
Shortly after this storied event, the wrestling world was rocked by the tragic loss of James Brian Hellwig, the man we all know as the Ultimate Warrior. Our ringside commentator Eugene Selassie wrote a fine article celebrating the Warrior’s life, so you’ll definitely want to see that as well.
The ITL Totally Accurate, Desperately Necessary Movie Elimination Tournaments are also coming to an end soon, but the best way to send them off is to have one last blowout. You, the public, will be voting on the sports films that make it to the Sweet 16. The basketball and football divisions are open and waiting for your judgement, while the baseball and miscellaneous divisions will be posted soon. Finally, a new episode of ITL just went up tonight, so hurry up and listen to it! Wow, what a treasure trove of material! You’re welcome!
Movie Reviews Upon Movie Reviews Upon Movie Reviews
The Unusual Suspects managed to flee the authorities once again and they have with three contraband reviews in tow. First, Karen Gillan faces off against a cursed mirror in Blumhouse Productions’ latest ghost story, Oculus. Next, Beau and Chris forced themselves to endure Rio 2, the sequel to Blue Sky Studios’ financial success story of 2011, Rio. Finally, Nick Frost takes center stage as a former salsa dancer seeking to reacquire his groove in Cuban Fury. In addition to the review, Brian was fortunate enough to sit down and speak to Frost about the film and a number of other unorthodox topics in an interview that you can see right here on the site. The Unusual Suspects may be on the wrong side of the law, but at least they’re always willing to split the loot with the rest of us.
The Die Cast: Tabletop Spacefaring
The Die Cast has returned to the internet! In this edition of One of Us’ board gaming feature, Jacob, Daniel, and a number of special guests take their seats around the table to choose the better of two revered science-fiction games. Twilight Imperium and Rex are both beloved by tabletop fans, but which one is better: the bigger, epic space opera or the smaller, more intimate game of subversion and treachery? Listen in and find out which game is more worth your time and money!
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If you like what you’ve seen here, please be sure to share our stuff with others who might enjoy it. There’s always more internet to conquer, so help us on our quest to unite the internet under one banner! Have a great weekend!