2012 Off topic thread(basketball,movies,etc whatever)

[SPX]

1. I guess Bob Sapp just doesn't try anymore. Because if he did, I have to believe he would beat Pudz, who sucks.

2. Nice takedown by Pudz. That at least shows growth as a fighter.

3. It's weird to see someone make Pudz look kind of small.

[Svino]

This article about beating roulette appeared on the arXiv recently. I thought some of you might find it interesting.

http://arxiv.org/abs/1204.6412?context=nlin.CD

There was also a New Scientist piece about it:

http://www.newscientist.com/article/...ef=online-news

[SPX]

That's pretty interesting. I didn't understand all the technical mumbo jumbo, but I am always curious when people use their smarts to outwit the casinos.

[SPX]

Movies recently seen:

Safe -- Typical Jason Statham action fare. Just kind of mediocre. I wish he would either get back to making GOOD action movies (like The One) or doing more dramatic stuff (like Snatch and The Bank Job).

The Avengers -- Good but not great. Personally, I thought most--if not all--of the individual films were better. This one seemed like it didn't really get off the ground until the last 30 minutes and the story was just kind of eh.

Dark Shadows -- Surprisingly entertaining. Not as comedic as the trailers would have you believe, which is a good thing. I liked it and would recommend to fans of Depp/Burton.

[MMA_scientist]

Some reason I'm not shocked

Diaz is a fag. I had to spend like 10 minutes finding a stream... Who no shows on a charity? He was actually there at the event, but then he bitched out.

[MMA_scientist]

The Avengers -- Good but not great. Personally, I thought most--if not all--of the individual films were better. This would seemed like it didn't really get off the ground until the last 30 minutes and the story was just kind of eh.

I thought it was pretty lame. It was kind of neat seeing all the superheroes on the same screen, but that's about as far as it went. Typical popcorn flick, nothing special IMO. I agree that the individual movies were better, I didnt' see Captain America though. Iron Man was certainly better IMO. Maybe Hulk was worse.

[SPX]

I thought it was pretty lame. It was kind of neat seeing all the superheroes on the same screen, but that's about as far as it went. Typical popcorn flick, nothing special IMO. I agree that the individual movies were better, I didnt' see Captain America though. Iron Man was certainly better IMO. Maybe Hulk was worse.

Yeah, I've seen a lot of really positive reviews. On Metacritic is has several scores of 100 and I just don't get it. They dropped the ball, in my opinion.

Captain America was a good movie. I also liked the new Hulk with Ed Norton.

[MMA_scientist]

Yeah, I've seen a lot of really positive reviews. On Metacritic is has several scores of 100 and I just don't get it. They dropped the ball, in my opinion.

Captain America was a good movie. I also liked the new Hulk with Ed Norton.

I didn't go in with high hopes. Any time a movie is supposed to appeal to everyone, it almost always comes out the same watered down drivel. So I wasn't expecting too much and I was not disappointed. The guy i went with though, he walked out and said "well that was dogshit." He was expecting something more for some reason.

I will say this though, the CG looked way better than anything I have seen in the other movies. Hulk actually looked like he had some "weight" and I was never distracted by the effects the way I am in other movies. Even in Avatar, I was really distracted by how cartoonish it was and how the movements looked so weightless and stupid. So there's that. Still -- Lou Ferigno > all CG Hulks IMO.

[SPX]

I didn't go in with high hopes. Any time a movie is supposed to appeal to everyone, it almost always comes out the same watered down drivel. So I wasn't expecting too much and I was not disappointed. The guy i went with though, he walked out and said "well that was dogshit." He was expecting something more for some reason.

I think that with a better script it could've been a lot more solid. I blame the writers.

I will say this though, the CG looked way better than anything I have seen in the other movies. Hulk actually looked like he had some "weight" and I was never distracted by the effects the way I am in other movies. Even in Avatar, I was really distracted by how cartoonish it was and how the movements looked so weightless and stupid. So there's that. Still -- Lou Ferigno > all CG Hulks IMO.

This has always been an issue with CGI, though I think that in MOST cases filmmakers have figured out how to do it right. I've seen CGI good enough to where you couldn't tell whether it was real or computer generated.

[Svino]

I don't see how you can be too disappointed with the Avengers movie. I thought it was just an extremely well-done version of a superhero-popcorn flick. It wasn't high art, to be sure, but I don't see many people going in expecting that. I pretty much agree with the reviews; I liked it more than any of the movies about the individual heroes.

The first Iron Man might give it a run for its money, but consider this: Without looking it up, can you name either the villain in that movie or the actor who played him? (I couldn't) I can't consider a superhero movie that great if the main antagonist leaves no impression at all.

SPX, with regard to the writing, Whedon's style is probably something that either you love or you hate. I'm in the "love it" camp. And even though I recognize he's had his missteps (Dollhouse was awful), I think he knocked it out of the park in Avengers.

[SPX]

I thought it was just an extremely well-done version of a superhero-popcorn flick.

You see, I didn't. I thought it was an okay version of a superhero-popcorn flick . . . an okay version that didn't live up to its potential.

I liked it more than any of the movies about the individual heroes.

The only individual movie that I feel like MAY have fallen short of The Avengers was Iron Man 2. Other than that, I thought they were all better.

Without looking it up, can you name either the villain in that movie or the actor who played him? (I couldn't) I can't consider a superhero movie that great if the main antagonist leaves no impression at all.

I'll give you that. I couldn't do it. And I also think that Tom Hiddleston did a great job as Loki. But nevertheless, I remember having a LOT of fun with Iron Man and thinking it was a really well-made film. I definitely enjoyed it more than The Avengers.

SPX, with regard to the writing, Whedon's style is probably something that either you love or you hate. I'm in the "love it" camp. And even though I recognize he's had his missteps (Dollhouse was awful), I think he knocked it out of the park in Avengers.

I really liked Cabin in the Woods.

I think the big problem with The Avengers was not so much a stylistic concern, but rather was that the scenes were just not that well constructed or put together. I remember sitting there and thinking, When is this movie going to really get STARTED? I was bored. I was checking my watch. I kind of just wanted to get out of there and do something else.

[SPX]

Crazy shit. . .

[Luke]

I was at Casino Windsor about 7 years ago when a lady hit 1.4 million on the mega millions progressive machine

[SPX]

That's some crazy shit. I'd go insane if that happened to me.

[zY|]

I thought the Avengers was fantastic. You guys are fucking nuts.

[poopoo333]

@JoshKoscheck: #UFC just offered me to fight BJ Penn...I said YES!!!!! Just waiting on him!!!!!! Let's scrap bra?

oo ya

[SPX]

What the fuck? Why would BJ entertain anything but a LW bout that this point?

[SPX]

Mr. Pooloo!

[poopoo333]

@joshkoscheck I know it costs a lot of money to live that lavish lifestyle, big house, fast cars & you need big fights but sorry I’m not coming back anytime soon!

[SPX]

A wise decision, probably.