Civil War Day at the Orson Starr House

There is a restored 19th century farmhouse maintained by the city's historical commission down the road from where we live that I've driven by more time than I can count but have never visited.  So when I heard the Orson Starr House Museum was hosting a Civil War Day event, it seemed like a nice opportunity to swing by and check the place out.  What a great decision that was because our family had a great time during our visit.

Orson Starr along with his wife and son arrived in Michigan from New York in 1831 and settled in a rural area 13 miles west of the Detroit River.  Upon arriving Starr built a successful business manufacturing cow bells to serve the area's dairy farmers that eventually became a nationally recognized brand with farmers.  In 1845, the family moved from a log cabin they had been residing in to the farm house that still stands today...the oldest existing home in the city of Royal Oak, Michigan.

We were greeted when arriving by a contingent of Civil War reenactors who warmly welcomed us and promptly had my son and daughter complete some paperwork enlisting them in the Michigan Militia for the Union Army.  The kids participated in some marching drills and witnessed a musket firing demonstration.  They really enjoyed examining the soldiers uniforms, looking over their authentic campsite, and watching a drummer muster the troops for inspection.

Next we took a tour of the house which has been decorated and furnished to replicate its look from the mid-1800s.  Our tour guide pointed out some exquisite hand carved bedroom furniture that the Starr family brought with them on their boat ride across the Great Lakes from New York.  Also the craftsmanship in constructing the home really was something to behold.  Our tour guide was also sure to point out that the Starr House is recognized as one of the most haunted places in Metro Detroit and pointed out the locations of various ghost sightings as we explored the place.

Contributing to the spooky fun of the ghost stories was the Civil War reenactor's field doctor who had setup shop inside the house.  We learned about medicine and surgical practices from that era while surrounded by the severed limbs of soldiers who had been injured on the battle field.  My daughter was even brave enough to take us a scalpel (well a plastic imitation of one) and get some one-on-one lessons on how to do an amputation.  I think we now know who the doctor in the family is going to be!

In the parlor next to where the field surgeon was setup, a trio of musicians was performing Civil War era folk songs.  They were really good and had our family tapping our toes to their tunes.  Two of my favorite instruments are the harmonica and fiddle so I was delighted that this musical group highlighted playing them.

Our visit to the Orson Starr House demonstrates that you never know what treasured gems there are in your very own neighborhood to get out and discover.  We had a wonderful time that was both an entertaining and educational time for the kids.  Plus the event was FREE though we did leave some money in their donation jar on the way out.

Captain America: Civil War sets a new benchmark for comic book inspired films

If you didn't make it out to the movie theater to see CAPTAIN AMERICA: CIVIL WAR during its opening weekend make sure to see it while you can can on the big screen because it is definitely worth the price of admission.  The brother duo of Anthony and Joe Russo teamed up to co-direct this newest addition to Disney's Marvel super hero inspired film universe which does a stellar job of making the movie's audience feel as if they've actually been immersed into the pages of a comic book as they watch it.  This film is full of epic scenes which are amazing to see on the silver screen and demonstrates that while most motion pictures are easily available within a few months of their theatrical release to watch on dvd or via digital download going to the movies can still be a great experience that can't always be replicated on a television or mobile device screen.

This movie has it all ... a dynamic script that provides a serious dramatic tone to the film, action scenes that are sure to entertain you, special effects that provide a wow factor, plus humorous moments and one liners that cause the whole theater to erupt with laughter.  Captain America: Civil War does a nice job of making its cast of larger than life super hero characters relatable to viewers with its plot themes of loss, fear and revenge and great visual elements that absorb you into their story.  With such a large cast of prominent Marvel super heroes featured in this film, it was a nice spin on things that a lesser known character such as Ant-Man becomes the biggest hero of them all. I really enjoyed the Ant-Man solo movie and am looking forward to its sequel even more after seeing the great role  Scott Lang played in Civil War.  While Captain America and Iron Man are without a doubt the two main characters of the film, the directors really did a nice job of finding screen time and a role in the plot for everyone.

Two new heroes, Spider-Man and Black Panther, are added to the film franchise in Captain America:  Civil War and they really are provided impressive introductions that do their comic book characters justice in how they are portrayed and exceeded the expectations I had going into the movie.  I am looking forward to seeing the upcoming Black Panther solo movie after seeing Chadwick Boseman's performance as T'Challa the ruler of Wakanda in Civil War, while prior to seeing Captain America it wasn't of that much particular interest to me.  Tom Holland does a nice job of portraying the wise-cracking, teen age side of Spider-Man from the comic books that hasn't been highlighted as much in previous film versions of the character while his Aunt May goes in another direction not being a grey haired elderly lady in this new take on Peter Parker's adventures.

While the first two Avengers movies were great when it came to action scenes, special effects, and comedic scenes, Captain America: Civil War creates a new benchmark for the quality of a comic book inspired movie by incorporating a nice script with a plot that adds a sense of drama to the movie while also including all the elements that have made the Avengers movies incredibly enjoyable to watch.  Yes there are some plot flaws and other aspects of the film that make it far from perfect but this is an action movie not a documentary and it fulfills its mission of transporting its audience away from the reality of their own lives and entertaining them within one filled with super heroes that awe and amaze.  The tension between Captain America and Iron Man's feud leaves you on the edge of your seat while Ant-Man and Spider-Man provide comic relief that breaks the tension of the serious elements of the movie's plot.  The CGI effects continue to be very well done with one particular scene standing out in which a 20-year old Robert Downey Jr. appears on screen alongside his modern day self.  Watching theses special effects it really appears as if Iron Man is flying through the sky or Vision is walking through someone which is a big part of what makes watching these takes on Marvel's comic books so fun. Heading to see this movie, I had reservations about whether this movie could continue the momentum of the last two Avengers movies and was pleasantly surprised to leave the theater considering this my favorite film in the Marvel cinematic universe yet.

Captain America: Civil War follows the aftermath of the incidents in Avengers: Age of Ultron where the European nation of Sokovia was devastated with death and destruction by the conflict that occurred in that film.  Combined with the civilian death toll from incidents involving the Avengers in the original Avengers movie and in Captain America: The Winter Soldier, the world has become afraid of this team of super powered individuals led by Steve Rogers (Captain America).  The countries of the world come together to sign a treaty called the Sokovia Accords which would have the United Nations oversee and direct the team.  The new status quo fractures the Avengers resulting in two camps, one led by Captain America and his desire for the Avengers to remain free to defend humanity without government interference and the other following Tony Stark's decision to support government oversight and accountability.

This movie absolutely did not "stank" and you'll want to keep an eye out for comic book publishing icon Stan Lee's appearance in this film which is one of his best movie cameos yet.  Also stick around after the movie ends for a special post-credit teaser for the upcoming Spider-Man movie.  Captain America: Civil War gets A Geek Daddy nod of approval because I frankly thoroughly enjoyed the movie theater viewing experience and am looking forward to adding it to my home video library when it arrives on blu-ray and dvd later this year.  This is one of those movies though you really should make an effort to see on the big screen to enjoy the expansive battle scenes as you won't regret going to the theater to see it.

For more information about the movie, visit Marvel.com/CaptainAmerica

A Geek Daddy was invited to a free screening of this movie by Walt Disney Studios.  Opinions expressed in this review are honest and my own.

FREE COMIC BOOK DAY 2016

It's become an annual family tradition that we swing by the local comic book store on the first Saturday morning in May to enjoy FREE COMIC BOOK DAY.  This is a special event hosted by comic book retailers and publishers to entice new customers and reward existing ones for their loyalty.  Free Comic Book Day provides a selection of specially printed issues for this event that provide a sample of a publishers work or an interesting one-shot story to promote a particular character or series.  This year there will be 50 free comic books that people can select from and pick up from participating locations on Saturday, May 7, 2016.  A nice aspect of this annual event is that there are always a variety of comics to select from that will be of interest to children, teens and adults so there is something for everyone in the family to pick up and bring home to enjoy.

Comic books catering to children this year include DC Super Hero Girls, the Pink Panther, Strawberry Shortcake, Sonic the Hedgehog, and Pokemon.  Boom Studios always provides a nice comic book for youths to enjoy and this year's Summer Blast 2016, which features original stories of Dave Peterson's Mouse Guard and Jim Henson's Labyrinth, continues their streak of providing quality content on Free Comic Book Day.

Tweens and Teens will want to get their hands on Bongo Comic's Simpsons, IDW Publishing's ROM, Marvel's Avengers and Captain America Free Comic Book Day editions, and Image Comic's Camp Midnight.

Adults stopping by themselves or along with their kids should look out for Bruce Lee: The Dragon Rises, Con Man! Spectrum, Dark Horse Comics' Serenity/Hellboy/Aliens compilation, Doctor Who: Four Doctors, and The Phantom 80th Anniversary Special.  For the ladies in attendance this Mothers Day Weekend, Lady Mechanika and Grump Cat are two titles that have a large female fan base you may want to check out.

Adding an educational aspect to Free Comic Book Day, March provides a historical look at the 1960s civil rights movement from Congressman and Presidential Medal of Freedom recipient John Lewis, the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund provides a social studies lesson about the First Amendment in Defend, and Science Comics contains non-fiction stories that help explain how the world works.

The highlight of Free Comic Book Day is always picking up the special issue published for the event featuring one of my all time favorite super hero characters THE TICK.  He's back again in 2016 with a 32 page full-color comic book featuring a brand new lead story that is being published for the first time in honor of Free Comic Book Day. SPOON!!!

2016 is FREE COMIC BOOK DAY'S 15th Anniversary and will be the fifth year in a row our family will be stopping by our local comic book shop to enjoy some freebies.  To participate yourself, visit FreeComicBookDay.com and use the website's Store Locator to find local participating retailers in proximity to your zip code.  Because of the increasing popularity of the event, you should contact participating locations in advance to confirm their hours, what their rules are (some stores let you take one of every available title while others limit peoples' selections to just 1 or 2 of the Free Comic Book Day publications), and if they are hosting any special events in conjunction with the comic books giveaway (artist signings, character appearances, costume contests, store discounts, etc.) to be prepared. Throw on your favorite sci-fi or super hero t-shirt, grab the kids and have some fun enjoying the comic book genre on Saturday, May 7, 2016.

#FreeComicBookDay #FCB2016

Spider Man joins in on the action during new Captain America movie trailer

If you are a comic book fan than there is a lot to be geeked about when it comes to the blockbuster super hero movies being released this spring.  Batman versus Superman, X-Men: Apocalypse and Captain America: Civil War are bringing a lot of comic book characters to the silver screen including one of my all time favorite super heroes, your friendly neighborhood Spider-Man.  Disney just released a new trailer for Civil War and while Captain America may have his name on the movie title could it be that Spider Man steals the show?



From the trailers and stills released about Captain America: Civil War no matter how big or small the web-crawler's role may be it is guaranteed the film it is going to be filled with an incredible number of super heroes ranging from Ant Man to Iron Man engaging in some epic battle sequences.

Captain America: Civil War hits theaters across the United States on May 6, 2016.  It pits Captain America, Falcon, Hawkeye, Scarlet Witch, and Ant Man versus Iron Man, War Machine, Black Widow, Vision, Black Panther...and Spider Man.  These two teams are battling over the fate of Steve Roger's boyhood best friend and military sidekick Bucky Barnes, who was transformed into the villainous assassin Winter Soldier after being thought lost for dead during a World War II combat mission with Captain America, regarding his involvement in the incidents of  Captain America: The Winter Soldier plus they are in conflict about whether "enhanced individuals" like the Avengers should be registered and controlled by the United States government.

So are you rooting for Team Captain America or Team Iron Man in this super hero civil war?  I'm torn because I support Cap's principles but Tony Stark has recruited a team made up of characters that I'm so much more hyped about seeing in the movie.  So it is a toss up for me.  The one thing I do know for sure is that I'm excited to see Spider Man join in on the action!

For more information about the movie, visit  marvel.com/captainamerica

Photos courtesy of Walt Disney Studios