The Ultimate Marvel Movie Marathon – AMC 12 @ DownTown Disney, Anaheim, CA

$40, 6 movies, 14 hours. Special intro segments for each film (part of our “training package” for the Avengers Initiative) by SHIELD Agent Phil Coulson.

An absolutely amazing and incredible experience. Not only to be packed in a theatre for 6 movies with a like-minded crowd of enthusiasts, but to experience, in it’s entirety, the subtle weaving and artistry that Marvel Studios has been constructing since they first gambled on taking control of their own movie properties in 2005, “after Marvel Enterprises declared independence by pacting with Merrill Lynch to produce a slate of films that would be distributed by Paramount Pictures” (PickMyVideo Review of Avengers). I can’t actually think of any other property in recent history that could result in this kind of amazing … “ness”. I mean maybe a Star Wars marathon would count, but nothing even really comes close. Marvel took a gamble, played their cards right, and really hit it out of the park here.

Thor, Captain America, and Avengers were in 3-D with special commemorative 3-D glasses (we were there early enough to grab one of each – the left-overs were Hulk – go figure).

The end-credits to the 3-D films were gob-smacking amazing in 3-D.

I will have to go see Avengers at least once more if not a few more times because in true geek form, the audience lost it at several amazing points and then there was another line of dialogue that was difficult to here (examples: Loki stabbing Stark, Hulk’s response to Loki).

Joss Whedon did a spectacular job directing the film, even if he did rely on his writing crutch and killed a favorite 2nd stringer; which of course makes us agonize over why we keep letting him direct things if he’s just going to stab us in the heart and twist the knife (oh wait, it wasn’t really his fault!). But then he comes up with amazing ideas like the one shot during the climactic battle where he put a camera inside a taxi cab and then proceeded to flip the taxi cab over during an action sequence. About that…I’ve been told that there was one scene in the film that Joss filmed using an iPhone. Since I can’t find any other shot that has even a slightly degraded quality to it (regardless of how good the camera is, I’d expect some quality loss because of the resolution, no?), I presume that this shot I’m describing was the one because it just makes the most sense. I mean, why put a $5,000 camera in the taxi cab if you can make it look just as good with a $400 camera?

I remember reading something about how for the first time in a presentation of The Hulk, the facial performance would be based on an actor’s face rather than just created from scratch so that when other characters were trying to talk Bruce into de-Hulking, you could see Bruce in the Hulk’s face trying to break through. I have to say, not only was it well pulled off visually, it was also a spectacular addition to the emotional drama on screen. That and the Hulk was awesome!

Shwarma!!!! And apparently Chris Evans isn’t eating any because the gag was shot so far in post that he’s covering the goatee he had already grown for his next role! Although it is just funny that Captain America appears to not like schwarma. Oh! And here’s the location where it was filmed if you want to try it for yourself!

Some great reviews of the movie from cool authors:
Brock Heasley
Scott Kurtz
Joel Watson devoted a week of comics to his Avengers thoughts.

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