It's Summer.

Hey guys! Sorry its been awhile since we posted. The writers of this wonderful blog are going to be super busy this summer, and since PotC hasn't put out any new material for a while.  We've decided to take the summer off from blogging. Feel free to email us at parsley.parsnip@gmail.com or comment on any of our posts if you have any new ideas or questions for us. We love hearing from you all! I hope you have a wonderful Jack Sparrow filled summer! 

 

-The Writers of SnippetOfJack

"So Typical of Teague!"

So since I was talking about fathers yesterday, I thought I would return to my discussion about Jack's father, Edward Teague. You see, they have ever had a very good relationship. I don't think piracy lends itself to a good father-son relationship. Jack always believes that Teague is trying to embarrass him or get him in trouble. Teague gets really mad that Jack is spending a lot of time with Lady Esmeralda because he thinks that she's too good for him. Such great confidence and pride in his son. Then, when they are hold a trial on whether Borya is the rogue pirate or not, Jack gets even angrier. You see, everything has to be attested for in a trial. Even before Teague says anything. Jack knows what he will say. "He'd do anything he could to make me look bad in Esmeralda's eyes. He bloody well knows who I was with! She came to get him last night!" He thinks to himself. He could never say that during a trial of course. Teague: "Can anyone confirm what you reported regarding finding Tommy's body?" Jack: "Yes. Melinda was with me when I found the body." Jack is embarrassed because he does not want to make Esmeralda mad that he was with this other woman. But he ends up having to admit that to her and the rest of the Brethren Court. She then has to stand up and confirm that she too saw One-Tooth-Tommy's dead body in the water. Melinda: "Jacky found the body floatin' just as he says he did. Horrible sight, it were." But Esmeralda is cool like that so she does not really mind. She's all too used to the life of piracy, as she is one and later becomes a pirate lord herself.

But Jack is still skeptical of Teague. When he finds out that his friend Christophe has also been accused rogue piracy, he gets incredibly mad and blames the injustice of Teague. Esmeralda: "I agree. Christophe should have the right to explain himself. It's not right for Teague to sentence him to hang, based on just the word of a condemned man who gave him up rather than be tortured." Jack snaps there. Jack: "So typical of Teague! Esmeralda, I can't count the number of times he's condemned me, when I wasn't the one to blame. And this time it means a man's life. To hang a man because he's accused by a known liar, captains a brigantine, and owns a turquoise coat-that's no kind of justice. . . Christophe should be allowed to face his accusers. Even Davy Jones, if necessary. Give him the chance to defend himself. Condemning him to hang without an inquiry isn't right." Fifth, sixth, and eighth amendment right there. Of course, this was years before. You would think that Teague, being the keeper of the Code and all, wouldn't agree to an unfair hanging.
So Jack takes the liberty in freeing Christophe himself. And then he realizes that Christophe was, in fact, guilty. A little too late now. That's why Jack must leave the world of piracy because he now is deserving of the Same death as Borya, Christophe, and their crews. And Jack just has a feeling that Teague cannot wait to see this "justice" carried out. So he flees, and five years later meets Beckett. Which you could say just causes even more problems. How many people do you think wants Jack hung? Certainly not me or you!

"But Pirate Is In Your Blood, Boy"

I have just concluded that there are a lot of similarities between Jack, Elizabeth, Will, and Angelica, besides the obvious being that they are all pirates.  Firstly,  all of them no longer have living mothers.  Well, we aren'ts rue about Angelica but it seems to be the case.  Something happened to Jack's mother that has to do with his father.  Apparently he wears her head around his neck.  I don't even want to know.  Elizabeth's died somewhere out at sea.  Will's mother died when he was youngh, sending him off to find his father.  That brings me to my second point: all of them have fathers that appear in the movies.  We've got Will's dad who comes in in the second movie.  He's part of the crew of the Flying Dutchman.  Jack's father is in the third and fourth movie.  

He lives in Shipwreck City as keeper of the Code.  Jack more or less grew up with him there.  He somehow arrives in London just about the same time Jack does a few years later. Pretty lucky.  But then again, I wonder if he actually was there because he seemed to disappear all too quickly.  Then we've got Angelica's father who just so happens to be one of the most infamous pirates of all time: Blackbeard.  He's the captain of the Queen Anne's Revenge.  Now Elizabeth's father is the odd one out, because he's the only father who isn't a pirate.  In fact, he's almost the polar opposite of one: he's a governor!  For the longest time, he despises pirates, then of course his daughter becomes one and things sort of change.  She's the only one of them who doesn't come from pirate lineage, yet she ends up being the king of them!  

I'd also like to point out, that Will, Jack, Elizabeth, and Angelica are all rather good looking, at least compared to their parents.  Like, where did their genes come from.  For example, I think Jack is probably the most attractive person on the planet, but I definately could not say the same thing for his father.  I'm just not really feeling the dreds on him.  Jack is the only one of them who doesn't seem to care all that much about his father.  Perhaps if you've read the Jack Sparrow series by Robb Kidd and published by Disney, you would know the back story of this.  But I haven't though I have read The Price of Freedom which explains that Jack did most of raising himself on his own.  

And he's pretty bitter towards Teague.  I would also like to point out that Blackbeard's real name is Edward Teach, and the Keeper of the Code's name is Edward Teague.  Pretty similar.  I am seeing just way too many of these similarities between the family lines.  As for the other characters, I don't think we get much about their families.  In the Price of Freedom we read about Beckett's early lie though.  His family was really mean to him, but I mean, I can see why.  That dude's a pain in the boat.  But there isn't much to say about Gibbs' parents or Barbossa's.  

Of course, Barbossa is older than the four of them, so it would be doubtful that his father would still be alive, especially during the eighteenth century.  But Barbossa is just such a pirate, it has to be in his blood.  My guess is that he grew up a pirate because one of his parents was a pirate also.  Pintel and Ragetti are related though.  Pintel is Ragetti's uncle, so I guess piracy runs in their family.  Do you think that Will's son will become a pirate?  Oh man, I can just see that becoming a movie!

"What Shall We Die For?"

In a post not to long ago I talked about how one of my favorite scenes of the whole movie was when the Black Pearl charges into battle agains the Flying Dutchman at the end of Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End.  One of them ain reasons I love this scene is the super epic music, titled "What Shall We Die For" and "I Don't Think Now Is The Best Time".  Now I'm going to discuss the cirumstances leading up to that scene.  So, we've got Beckett ,who is supported the East India Trading Company, and who wants to end piracy throughout the world once and for all.  He is attempting to accomplish this goal with the help of a pirate, Davy JOnes, (rather confusing).  Jones isn't helping him because he wants to though.  Jones is too heartless (figuratively and literally) to do such a thing.  He has to because Beckett has his heart and therefor controls the Dutchman.  

Pretty scary.  So all the pirate lords throughout the world team up against him.  They agree to hold a meeting at Shipwreck Cove, where all the Brethren Court councils have alwasy been held.  Of course, if Beckett wants to eliminate piracy throughout the world, it would be a lot easier to do so if he could just get all the piarates together and kill them at the same time.  Of course, he'd need quite a fleet but it would still be a lot easier to do than hunting down every single pirate and killing them seprately.  So the meeting at the Brethren Court provides the perfect opportunity.  But like most pirate locations in the pirate world, it's hidden and hard to find unless you know where it is.  So it's actually Will Turner who leads Beckett to the secret meeting in hopes that it will somehow gain freedom for his father.  

Meanwihle, back at the actually meeting, one of the pirate lords can think of a solution as to what to do about the grwoing threat.  They only become more frantically confused when they were that the EITC armada is actually outside the city waiting to destroy them  Jack and Elizabeth try to get them all to fight.  Eventually, Jack elects Elizabeth "king" of the Brethren court, so she declares war on the armada.  They brace themselves for war and sail out to face thier enemes.  However, the armada is a bit bigger than any of them expected, so they try to negotiate something instead.  They call a parlay between Bekcett, Jones, Will, Jack, Barbossa, and Elizabeth.  this parlay doens't accomplish much though accept that Jack returns with Beckett and Jones while Will goes back to the pirates with Elizabeth and Barbossa.  I'm not so sure why they dida ll that for a little trade, because in the end, King Elizaeth just resolves to fighting the huge armada anyways.  

Barbossa tries one little trtick before plunging into war though.  He releases the sea goddess, Calypso, who was trapped in her earthly form as Tia Dalma.  Since it was originally Jones who told the Brethren how to trap her in the first place, Barbbossa hoped that she would help them out in defeating him.  But it doesn't look so favorabel for them, so a lot of the pirates begin to loose hope.  They want to be cowards and just surrender before any of them die.  However, Elizabeth won't let this happen.  She conducts this pretty impressive and pursuasive speech to give them the encouragement to fight. That's when "What Shall We Die For" plays.  

It's so epic because all the pirates of all around the world get worked up and agree to take down this armada.  It's pretty scary: to have hundreds of pirates chanting and going after you.  So despite the odds being incredicly against them, the Black Pearl, captained by Barbossa at the moment, leads the Brethren court into battle.  

"You Have Been Monstrously Deceived"

Unelss I am mistaken, I'm not sure if we ever really know what Jack beleives about Blackbeard.   Obviously, once he actually sees Blackbeard and all of his wrath, he understands that he is in fact the leader of the ship they are on.  However, he has some doubts up to that point that are rather hard to follow, but Jack has always been kind of like that.  You never really know what's going on in that noggin of his.  When he waks up on the Queen Anne's Revenge, it's Scrum, a fellow crew member, who informs  him of the ship that he is now working on.  Scrum:  "'Scuse me, Captain Sparrow, sir. I be right honored to welcome you aboard our world-renowned vessel of infamy—Queen Anne's Revenge." Jack, being a pirate from the inside out, and being any sailor really during that time period, knows what infamous captain sails the Queen Anne's Revenge.  

He gives Scrum this super scary and strange face.  The camera zooms in on his face as he growls: "Blackbeard."  But then he seems to be rather confused about the whole thing, especially when it comes to his relationship with Angelica.  Is he or isn't he his daughter?  Angelica: "Long-lost.  Recently found.  Who loves her dear papa with all her soul."  She gives hikm this cutesy little shrug.  It's too innocent that you think she's lying.  Jack: "He bought that?"  Angelica: "I sold that."  But he still hasn't actually seen the captain out on deck yet.  So Jack calls a super top secret meeting with all the other men to discuss this supposedly ruthless captain of theirs.  In a deleted scene (which you should totally search up and watch on YouTube), it shows Jack spreading the news throughout the crew.  They all wisper "tonight" to eachother.  

Eventually, a crew member goes to Jack and wispers "tonight", which is ironic because it was Jack who started it all in the first place!  Jack: "Onto it then!  Blackbeard.  What are his habits?"  Scrum: "Stays mostly to his cabin."  Everyone mumbles their agreement.   Jack: "Yes, but when he comes out . . ."  Crew member: "He don't really come out."  More concurring mumbling.  Jack: "He has to come out sometime?"  The same response from everyone: he doesn't come out.  Jack: "Any of you sail with him before?"  No's echo throughout the group.  Jack is getting pretty impatient: "Any of you seen him before."  Crew: "Not really, no."  Jack: "Stays to his cabin, no one sailed with him, no one's seen him . . . Good news, gentlemen!  This is not Blackbeard's ship.  This is no the Queen Anne's Revenge."  Now, does Jack really bleive what he is saying?  Does he actually think that the whole Blackbeard thing is just Angelica's hoax?  Scrum: "No, this be the Queen Anne's Revenge, right enough."  Jack: "How do you know?"  

Scrum: "I've seen the name, on the back of the ship."  Scrum is not the smartest of Jack's companions.  He's rather gullible.  Jack: "Gentlemen, sirs, fellow conscriptees. . . you have been monstrously deceived."  Crew member: "We are decepted then?"  Jack just gives him a disapointed look and rolls his eyes. Jack: "Yes."  He then scares them with tales of the Fountain of Youth and gets them to rise  up against Angelica and her zombie crew so that they can actually sail under Captian Jack Sparrow, which they were promised to in the beginning.  Jack: "Unless, we take the ship."  Scrum jumps right onto that.  He stands up, staps his sword into the table, and screams: "WE TAKE THE SHIP, THEN.  NOW!"  Jack just looks at him like he's crazy.  Scrum runs off.  

Jack looks at everyon else, and then shoes them away: "Go on, then."  They grabs swords, wake up the other crew members, and storm out of there. Although it was Jack's idea, it doesn't seem like he's to fast to get out there and fight.  He does take down some zombies, but I don't think he ever doubted whether Blackbeard was on the ship or not.  He planned to just use this mutiny as a way to find out: to actually get Blackbeard off his lazy but and discuss the Fountain with him.  Clever, huh?

"He's A Pirate"

As if running a blog about the The Pirates of the Caribbean weren't nerdy enough, I now listen to the sound track music!  It's actually loads of fun!  Play it anywhere you go and you feel like you are actually in the movies.  Right now, I only have the soundtracks to Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl and At Worlds End.  I have listened to the whole album thuroughly and I will get the other two albums, or at least some of the songs soon.  The first sound track has fifteen songs, some of which are as short as a minute and half or up to almost five minutes.  The At Worlds End soundtrack has more of a variety. While it's only thirteen songs, the shortest is a minute and a half and the longest is almost eleven minutes!  And yes, I have to admit I've listened to them all.  DOn't judge until you've actually listened to them, because they are really cool!  So you should really buy them.  

I don't know how many of you actually buy your songs legally off iTunes or wherever like I do, but if you are a punk and dowload them illgally, you should really make an excpetion for this.  This stuff is really worth paying money for.  Plus, wouldn't you agree the people who make the Pirates of the Caribbean deserve it?  Just buy the whole album and you'll save money like I did!  Now, since I haven't listened to all of the music just yet, it would be rather dificult for me to tell you which songs are my favorite.  So an official favorite list will be posted later, but in the mean time I'll share with you which songs have stood out to me.  The cool thing about the soundtracks is that you hear certain parts and you can just totally tell where in the movie it comes from.  When you've seen the movies as many times as I have (which is doubtful unless you run a blog too, in which case you should totally share about with me), you can almost quote the scene!  
For example, the first song of the first soundtrack is called "Fog Bound".  There is a part where you can totally just imagine Elizabeth looking through the fog and seeing the Black Pearl and finding Will's body.  Also, the next song, "The Medallion Calls" which I am actually listening to right now, there is a certain part where you just know that the gret Captain Jack Sparrow is sailing triumphantly in his little row boat.  The music is so magnetic and admittedly epic because it just sounds like Jack!  Then the tone completely shifts to a solemn yet honorable tone when Jack sails by the hanged pirates and lowers his hat in honor.  Don't beleive me? Then listen for it yourself.  Also, throughout the soundtrack you hear the super dramatic music that is usually played during some dramatic scene between Will and Elizabeth.  There is also the super classic just epically awesome music that plays during the credits.  It's kind of like the theme song.  If you were to recongize any of the music, it would be this one.  It's called "He's A Pirate".  It is one of my favorite just because it is so energetic and happy.  Whenever I hear it I think of all of Jack's totally epic sword fights.  Okay, now we are jumping to the third movie soundtrack.  

It's not that I didn't like the second, but the msuic didn't strike me as as epic as the first and third.  It's starts out with "Hoist the Colors".  If you weren't aware, that's the name of the song that the prisoners who are about to be executed sing in the very opening song.  It starts out with the little kid singing and then they all join in until they hang.  It's a bit creepy because it actually has words.  The little kid on death row is singing, and you here the rattling of their chains.  Pretty intense.  Then there is "Singapore", which doens't have any words, but you can still just tell right away that they are in Singapore (even if you didn't read the name of the song).  I actually like this soundtrack more than the first.  If you've read some of my other posts regrading the Parlay scene later in the movie, you'd know about what I think of the music that plays when Jack, Will, Elizabeth, Beckett, Jones, and Barbossa all walk along the side bank: It's like rock music!  That's in the song "Parlay", which cracks me up every time.  Two songs later is "What Shall We Die For" is my all time favorite.  It's during the time when Elizabeth presents her speech to the Brethren Court and they all join together.  It is actually so epic.  You can hear all the pirates cheering in unison and you just know that they are going to kill it.  I must admit, certain parts give me chills, that's how nerdy I am.  The song after it is also pretty epic, "I Don't Think Now's the Best Time".  It's while they are fighting my favorite battle!  Now go buy the soundtracks if you haven't already and report back to here with your opinions?  Am I a nerd? Am I correct?  Am I both?

"I Can Help You Escape"

In our last post about the novel The Price of Freedom, Jack and Beckett had just agreed to work together to find the hidden island of Zerzura.  Beckett agreed to give Jack his servant, Ayisha, who was suspectedly from there so that Jack could charm her into giving him the location.  Now is the time in which Jack gets her to run off with him.  Keep in mind that she is still disguised as an ugly old hag with "strategically placed warts".  The funny thing is that Ayisha was listening through the door with her secret knowledge of English.  So she knows that she's suppose to meet Jack, who is going to some how take her back, qhich asbolutely excites her.  But she doesn't quite plan on doing it the same way.  She wants to send him close to the island, and then use a spell to make the whole crew, including the captain, fall asleep so she slip overboard and back home without revealing anything to anyone.  To find Ayisha and get her on his side, Jack gets the help of his new and young crew member, Chamba, who can speak pidgin to Ayisha, since none of them know that Ayisha can speak English.   Chamba does the first bit of scoping out and reports back to Jack.  Chamba: "She be wearin' a blue calico dress, with a white apron and head wrap, Cap'n.  And of course that gray shawl you told me to watch for.  It be tied round her waist." That shawl is the key to her disguise, the ones that turns a beautiful young lady to an ungly old hag.  Chamba thne points her out to him.  
Jack: "God's toenails, she is really ugly."  So kind, so nice.  Jack says the strangest things, including 'God's toenails'.  Together they stage the perfect set up.  They want to meet her butnot amke it too obvious.  SO Chamba goes running into her as she walks home from the market, making her drop all of the groceries everywhere.  Then Jak comes along and scolds him for being such a clutz.  Then he makes Chamba buy her a new coconut, since the one she got split open.  Then, they both escort her back to Beckett's house as Chamba holds her groceries and tells her all about how awesome Jack is and what a saint/hero he is.  Jack helped Chamba escape, and could do the same.  She thinks that he only helped Chamba to get back at Blount, Chamba's master, which we all know is of course not the case.  Chamba explains this to her.  He asks her if she wants to escape, and she admits yes.  They then agree to see her later to discuss more escape plans.   Every few days Chamba would then meet her at the market place to discuss plans.  Then, one days she agrees to meet with Jack in the night to discuuss the plans in greator details.  Chamba: "She said she want to talk to you about somethin' first.  She have questions.  And you gonna have to promise her something', before she come abaord and we set sail."  So that night they sneak over to Beckett's house to talk with her.  Jack gets right to the point.  Jack: "Miss Ayisha, it's time for us to speak frankly and straightforwardly.  Enough tacking back and forth, savvy?  I"m going to run striaght bfore the wind, and I want you to do the same.  You obviously want to escape slavery, Miss Ayisha.  I can help you escape.  If you could do it, I'd free every slave here in Calabar.  I'd bloodly free them all, everywhere.  So, Miss Ayisha, I can take you with me when I sail away from here, if come to an agree ment.  I'll be leaving port soon."  

Aysisha wants to know what his other motives are, for going out of his way for a slave woman.  He admits that he wants to find Kerma and that he met another man who was from Zerzura.  She asks if it could possibly be her broher, but Jack admits that he didn't fit the discription.  She starts to cry, which makes Jack feel rather uncomfortable, so he offers her some rum.  She takes a nice chug.  Jack: "There you go, love.  That should fix you right up.  Works wonders for me."  They move on.  Ayisha says that she can't give him the exact bearings for the island, except that it's between the Canaries and Cap Verdes.  When she gets close, whe will be able to feel the pull of her magical island and lead them to it.  It is guarded by an illusion.  Jack: "I guess that's going to be the way of it, then.  I'll sail to that area, between the Cape Verde Islands and the Canary Islands, and together we'll find her home."  Ayisha informs him that the wueen of Zerzura would likely give him and his men a reward for her safe passage when they return, which of course makes her happy.  However, she has one last cath.  Chamba: "She says she fine to leave tomorrow night.  She say ther ebee some things she want to bring with her, but she don't have them now, they back in her room.  But she also say that before she leave Calabar, there be someone she have to bring along with her.  Another slave.  She say she will not leave without him."  She wants to take her body guard Tarken, who is at a manor outside Calabar before she goes.  Jack reluctantly agrees to help her get him the next night before they take off to freedom together.  

"You and Your Fiancee Face the Hangmans Noose"

So now we find ourselves in the next installment of PotC where we are inroduced to Cutler Beckett. He doesn't make a very good first impression when he barges in and tells us he wants to kill the main characters. But after more explaining we learn he really wants the main characters to find the other main characters so he can rule the EITC. Soldier: " Lord Beckett, the prisoner as ordered, sir." Beckett: " Those won't be necessary." The first kind thing we hear from Beckett. So exciting. Oh and now Will can use his hands! Beckett: " The East India Trading Company has need of your services. [Beckett offers Will a drink but Will ignores him. awkward.] We wish for you to act as our agent in a business transacton with our mutual friend, Captain Sparrow." 

Will: "More acquaintance than friend. How do you know him?" LIES, HE IS YOUR BFF!!! Beckett: "We've had dealings in the past. And we've each left our mark on the other." If you don't know what he's talking about read the Price of Freedom. Will: "What mark did he leave on you?" Beckett ignores him back. looks like their even. Beckett: "By your efforts Jack Sparrow was set free. I would like you to go to him and recover a certain property in his possession." Will: "Recover. At the piont of a sword?" Told you they were BFF's. beckett: "Bargain." Then he walks over to a really safe wooden box opens it and gets out, "Letters of Marque. You will offer what amounts to a full pardon Jack will be free, a privateer in the employ of England." 

Will: "Somehow I doubt Jack will consider employment the same as free." Cutler Beckett: "Freedom. . . Jack Sparrow is a dying breed. The world is shrinking. The blank edges of the map filled in. [Actually you just found two new continents. I don't know if you could say that.] Jack must find his place in the New world or perish. Not unlike you Mr. Turner. You and your fiancee face the Hangmans noose. [Will's thoughts: Nooo. I totally forgot my wife and I are abou to di a horrible death.]" Will : "So you get Jack and the Peral? " Cutler: "The BlackPearl?" Will: " The property you want that he possesses. " Beckett: "A ship? Hardly. The item in question is considerably smaller a far more valuable, something Sparrow keeps on his person at all times. A compass." And so the quest begins. Will will now det off to find Jack and get the compass (Iknow I just said will will). But little does anyone know much more is at stake than Elizabeth and Will's life. . . 

"You Knew My Father"

#Flashbackfriday!  Ok, not really.  This isn't twitter or instagram.  (Speaking of which you should really follow us at @snippetsofjack).  Regardless, we are still going back in time to when Will didn't know who his father was.  Jack breaks the news to him in a rather harsh way in The Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl.  They miraculously make it off of Tortuga alive on thier own ship, the HMS Interceptor.  Men really bond when they are forced to man a whole ship on their own.  Will: "When I was a lad living in England, my mother raised me by herself.  After she died, I came out here, looking for father."  That's actually when we first see Will.  He's a little boy on a ship with his father's piece of gold around his neck.  The Black Pearl under Barbossa attacked his ship on the way out to find it, but ended up leaving with out it, not knowing Will had it.  
Jack is really intirgued by Will's life story, NOT.  Jack: "Is that so?"  But Will isn't willing to drop the subject.  Will: "My father, Bill Turner?  It was only after you learned my name that you agreed to help.  Since that's what I wanted, I didn't press the matter.  I'm not a simpleton, Jack.  You knew my father."  No, I am your father!  Heehee.  Imagine being the son of Jack Sparrow.  Wouldn't that be nice.  Seeing as he can't get out of this one, Jack reluctantly carries on the conversation.  Jack: "I knew him.  Probably one of the few who knew him as William Turner.  Everyone else called him 'Bootstrap' or 'Bootstrap Bill'."  Will is confused: "Bootsrap?"  What kind of a nickname is that?  It's a pirate one I tell you!  Jack: "Good man.  Good pirate.  I swear, you look just like him."  It's so like Jack to add that little phrase after it to try to lighten the mood.  
Now it's Will's turn to not really feel it.  Will: "It's not true.  He was a merchant sailor."  THe irony here is great.  Boy who hates pirates is actually the son of one!  I wonder if Beckett is the son of a pirate too.  Just kidding, we alreayd discussed how his father was a jerk buisness dude.  Will: "A good, respectable man who obeyed the law."  How exactly would ynou know.  Unfortunately, you have no memory of him.  Jack rolls his eyes in annoyance.  I'm really feeling the friendship bonding here.  Jack: "He was a bloody pirate, a scallywag."  Considering Will is actually currently teamed up with a pirate, I'm not so sure how hte cant talk about how pirates should be avoided at all costs.  Will just takes things to a whole new level.  He pulls out his sword angrily and points it at Jack, who is actually steering the ship.  Kinda dangerous . . . 
Will: "My father was not a pirate!"  Jack is just exasperated.  Jack: "Put it away, son.  It's not worth you getting beat again."  Will: "you didn't beat me.  You ignored the rules of enagement.  In a fair fight, I'd kill you."  It's true.  Will certainly does have quite the skill with a blade.  Jack: "That's not incentive for me to fight fair, is it?"  Another true point to Captain Jack Sparrow!  Jack is done with this and would like to get to Tortuga quickly without any more interruptions so he turns the wheel abruptly which makes the mast turn sharply, hitting Will and making him dangle over the open sea.  Jack is going to assert his power once and for all!  Jack: "As long as you're just hanging there, pay attention.  The only rules that really matter are these: what a man can do and what a man can't do.  For instance, you can accept that your father was a pirate and a good man, or you can't.  But pirate is in your blood, boy, so you'll have to square with that someday."  
Oh turst me he does.  Especially when he bcomes a pirate and ends up meeting his pirate father!  Then they end up both being pirates together on the Flying Dutchman, but in the mean time Will is still in denial.  Jack: "Now, me, or example, I can let you drown, but I can't bring this ship into Tortuga all by me onesies.  Savvy?  So."  He uses the wheel to bring Will back on board.  Will falls on his back onto the deck.   Jack puts his sword out above Will's chest.  Jack: "Can you sail under the command of a pirate?"  He flips the sword around so that he is holding the blade (ouch) and the handle is extended towards young Turner.  Will timidly accepts the sword.  Will: "Tortuga?"  Will: "Tortuga."  Because you're not really a pirate until you've enjoyed the "beauties" of the not-so-lovely port of Tortuga.  

"You Will Go. You Will Return."

I just realized that we haven't had a favorite list in such a long time!  So I decided that tonight was the night!  I thought I'd do one to accompany our most recent poll, asking you which characters you would like to see returning in the fifth and probably final installment of the Pirates of the Caribbean.  Now, in the past I many have said it was set to come out on July 15, 2015, but actually it's July 10, 2015, meaning it's five days closer than I expected!  I absolutely cannot wait for its release.  That's only 845 days away!  So who do you want to see once again on the big screen?  Well, besides Captain Jack Sparrow, because no really pirates fan would ever want to see him leave.  
5) Philip Swift

While I'm not a big fan of him, I am hoping to see his return in 2015.  In the mean time I'll be watching him in The Hunger Games: Catching Fire in which Sam Clafin will play Finick Odair!  YAYAY!  But as far as his character goes in this series, I think it could use a bit more development, which I'm hoping to see in the next movie.  I want to really see him fight.  I think he was in a bit of battle during the Battle for the Fountain of Youth, but he got injured pretty quickly o he ran back to his love.  I'm really hoping to see some more action come from him.  Perhaps he can permanently join Jack's crew and become a true pirate.  He would make a nice moral compass for them. As for his counter part, Syrena, I'm less excited to see her in.  Perhaps their love can die and he can find someone better.
4) Angelica

I really would like to know if she ever gets off that island.  Hopefully she didn't die there.  I really also wonder if she and Jack will ever actually kiss.  They do seem to have some deep history, and we all know that unfortunately, Jack actually did have feelings for her.  Those feelings probably haven't entirely disappeared so there could be more drama in the next movie.  Not to mention she makes a pretty good partner for Jack in battle.  They could kick some serious butt together.  At the very end of the last movie, she also has Jack's voodoo doll with her on the island.  If you didn't know that you should really know better than to just leave before the end of the credits of a movie likes this.  Now you'll have to watch it again, and this time actually watch it all, which shouldn't be too much of a chore.  I also want to know what Angelica is really like without having to kiss up to her daddy, Blackbeard.  Now he's dead so she can go on her own crazy rampages.  She won't have the Queen Anne's Revenge either though since Barbossa took that.  Gee, I wonder if that's what will happen next movie.  I'm sure she'll want it back to avenge her father.
3) Pintel and Ragetti

I know that technically they are two different people but really they are a set to me since they are always together and one without the other really just wouldn't be the same.  Plus, it's not like I could list one over the other.  They are so stupidly hilarious that neither one is more so than the other. The way they are always bickering is classic.  And you can't really bicker with yourself can you?  Well, maybe that's not true because even I find myself talking to myself sometimes. It's rather embarrassing.  I really missed this pair in the last movie.  However, hopefully now that Jack has the Pearl back, he can get them out of the bottle and they can all set sail together again!  I wouldn't be surprised if that is a big part of the plot of the next movie.  
2) Hector Barbossa

He's been in all of the movies, while very little in Dead Man's Chest and this next one should really be no different. He and Jack are a bit like Pintel and Ragetti: always at odds with each other yet sometimes they do have to work together to achieve a common goal.  This movie, however, he should have his monkey back.  It just wasn't the same without it in the last movie.  His crazy pirate talk is hilarious because usually you don't have the slightest clue what he is even talking about.  He is also so rude the his crew, always yelling insults at them.  Imagine if you used this kind of language towards the people you were mad at.  Like, if you teacher gives you three hours of math homework and you scream, "YOU BLOOMING COCKROACH!"  Think of how people would respond to that!
1) Joshamee Gibbs

I didn't list him as an potion on the poll because I thought, "Who wouldn't want Gibbs back?"  Am I right?  If you think I'm wrong, feel free to let me know by commenting, (but please do not spam us).  He's been Jack's loyal first mate in all of the past movies and this one should really be no exception!  He seems to get Jack on a level that perhaps no one else can (well, except me of course :P).  They are always sharing a good laugh, or a drink!  He's also pretty darn good at explaining things throughout the series, like how Jack was captain of the Pearl and marooned, or the dangers of the Kraken, or how Jack has an impostor.  Who would know anything with out him?  Hopefully, the actor is asked and signs on again for a fifth movie because we desperately need him to come back!

"A toast to piracy and it's many shiny rewards!"

Hey guys!  I know it's been a few weeks but we are back to posting now!  Just a heads up to all, we have been getting a ridiculous amounts of spam comments lately.  We would love to read what you have to say, but please only post if you have something relating to the Pirates of the Caribbean.  Also, tell all your friends about us and follow us!  We have been dropping page views even though the number of posts have been raising.  Now, after that brief public service announcement, I would like to continue on to our topic today: real pirating.  Now, I didn't know all that much about real pirates during the time the Pirates of the Caribbean took place.  So I recently watched this documentary on pirates during that very time period.  It was put out by the History Channel in 2005 and is all about pirate ships.  

So I thought I should give you a brief summary of what they had to say.  You should really watch it some time.  It's on instant queue on Netflix so you should really check it out. Now, the Golden Age of piracy was during the seventeenth and early eighteenth century.  This began when Spain and England were at temporary peace so many seamen found it very difficult to be privateers or join the Navy.  They turned to piracy instead.  There were two main types of ships that pirates usually sailed: large three-masted vessels which usually used to be merchant ships, and then there were smaller ships like single masted sloops or a two masted sooner.  Big ships were used to scare the opposing side where as the smaller ones were better for surprise attacks.  
The word "pirate" actually comes from a Greek word which means to attack.  Pirates would often sail these ships over whole oceans, so they had to be in good shape and sea worthy.  In The Price of Freedom the Wicked Wench has to go through quite a bit of alterations before she is ready for Jack to set sail.  When Columbus discovered the New World in 1492, he sparked a new age of sea exploration, trade, travel, and of course, piracy.  Most ships crossing the Atlantic, merchant or Navy or pirate, were three masted because they were the most efficient.  Often, when pirates wanted to obtain a better ship, they did so in the same way that they got everything else: they attacked and stole it.  They would have a whole succession of ships that they owned, all named the same.  Pirate crews were infamous for the viciousness in battle, as seen by many of the Pirates in the movies, including the cursed crew of the Black Pearl under Hector Barbossa. While the movies make the pirate life seem like all about gold, women, and rum, pirates actually lead a rather difficult life style.  Often they were poor and starving as they had to capture and fight for their basic necessities.  If you remember, in the Price of Freedom, the red flag flying over a pirate ship warned its prey that there would be no quarter: no surrendering, only defeat.   

That is actually how it was in real life.  The red flag was dreaded and feared by any merchant ship sailing the seas.  However, when you think of it pirate crews were actually more democratic than other ships of that time period.  Crew members came from all sorts of backgrounds: slaves and prisoners from all around the world.  Some where even women!  All were united on one ship carrying out the same types of duties despite their race or other factors.  A.C. Crispin mentions this in her novel when Jack thinks about how Chamba, the run away slave, would do much better in the pirating world than he would in the colonies.  Towards the beginning of the novel, Bainbridge, an EITC captain, has a total fit when he sees Lady Esmeralda is pirate of a ship. It was outrageous for the British that a woman would have such a powerful position, but not quite so much in the pirating world.  

Many buccaneers had codes that promised the crew members compensation for any damage that occurred to them while at sea and agreed to split any profit between all of them equally.  Similar to the movies, captains were at the top of the system, so we can see why Jack was so pleased to be one.  They were actually often elected by the crew! Crew expected their captains to be tough during attacks and good at navigating the sea, both of which Jack is.  While marooning did unfortunately exist, walking the plank was never actually proven to be a punishment on board pirate vessels.  Also alike the movie, the pirate Blackbeard was a great example of piracy.  He sailed the seas right at the peak of the Golden Age of Piracy and personified the whole practice.  

He started out as a privateer for Britain, but when he as thrown out of work he turned to piracy.  In 1716, he was elected captain of the Queen Anne's Revenge.  The ship went on great rampages throughout the Atlantic, attacking plenty of merchant vessels.  Sound familiar?  The documentary talks about many other pirates and aspects of piracy during the Golden Age of Piracy, but the rest is for you to discover for yourself!  Hope you feel a bit more enlightened on piracy now! 

"Soneome make a note of that Man's Bravery"

How much do you know about Theodore Groves?  You actually probably know a lot more about him than you think you do.  He's a very minor character but he actually appears in all of the movies.  He's a member of the British Royal Navy and serves first under Commodore Norrington, the under Beckett, and then under Barbossa.  He's one of the few characters who are actually in all for or the movies.  A lot of the dialogue that you remember between Jack Sparrow and Navy members, Norrington and Navy members, and almost any one and Navy members involve him.  He actually has some of the most classic lines of the series.  For example, when Jack and Will first work together to take the Interceptor out of the bay, they land on the boat called the Dauntless.  However, through quite a bit of genius scheming, they find themselves upon the Interceptor, an even better boat.  Pretty impressive if I do soay so myself.  

Out of anger, Norrington commands them to open fire on the ship.  Norrington: "Set topsails and clear up this mess."   Groves: "With the wind at quarter astern, we won't catch them."  Norrington: "I don't need to catch them, just get them in range of the long nines."  But Groves still doesn't understand why he would have them open fire on their own ship.  Norrington: "I'd rather see her at the bottom of the ocean, than in the hands of a pirate."  Pretty spiteful words coming out of the commodores mouth, but Groves is still obligated to obey them.  However, Jack is too quick for them and disables the rudder chain so the ship can't turn around.  Seems like that man just thinks of everything.  Earlier, Norrington had remarked after seeing Jack "trying" to set sail on the Dauntless that "That is without doubt the worst pirate I have ever seen." 
Ironically enough, in the end it was actually Norrington who got tricked at Jack who sailed away happy.  Upon realizing what was happening, Groves just chuckles and says: "That's got to be the best pirate I've ever seen."  Norrington: "So it would seem."  Norrington definitely isn't about to let Jack and Will get away with this.  Now, to be fully honest, I'm not actually all that sure if Groves was in the second movie but seeing as he was in all the others, I guess you could assume that he was also in Dead Man's Chest but there wasn't much Navy action going on then and he had no real lines so I suppose I could be wrong.  Either way, he was in At Worlds End with quite a few other significant lines that you will probably know when you read them.  Jack does another one of his super genius yet impromptu escapes where he thinks of just about EVERYTHING.  
After a meeting with his long time enemy, Jack needs a quick and easy way to get off of the Endeavor and onto his own ship.  He uses a cannon to blast him off one ship and onto another.  "And that was without even a single drop of rum." Beckett, like Norrington, isn't ready to let him get away that easily.  Beckett: "Signal the Dutchman to track down Sao Feng. We follow the Pearl. How soon can we have the ship ready to pursue?"  Then the entire mast of his ship just goes crashing down, as if on cue.  Beckett just bows his head in disappointment.  He should have seen that coming.  Groves: "Do you think he plans it all out, or just makes it up as he goes along?"  It's funny because pretty much the whole audience is wondering the same question: how does Jack manage to do everything so crazily yet so perfectly?  Beckett is just so upset about the ship yet Groves is analizing Jack's actions.  

Groves stays on the Endeavor until it is sunk by the Pearl and the Dutchman at the end of the movie, killing Beckett.  As they are being attacked, it's Groves who is desperately screaming at Beckett for orders.  Groves: "Orders?! Orders, sir?!"  Becket just stares of blankly until finally telling them to abandon ship.  He must have made it out just in the nick of time because Groves is back in On Stranger Times.  This time, he takes orders from Barbossa.  He's Barbossa's right hand man and always seems to be around him asking for orders.  He takes Gibbs away, he defends the men who are potentially dying from a mermaid attack, and he keeps his job until his death.  He unties Barbossa when he's tied up to a palm tree at the Spanish camps and always is questioning where the captain is going, perhaps still suspicious of his old pirating ways.  

He is eventually shot at the Battle for the Fountain of Youth.  His final words came as he held up the Union Jack claiming the Fountain for England.  "This land is hereby forever claimed in the glorious name of His Majesty, King George—"  Then he is shot by the Spaniard and of course we never hear about him again.  He gets a few second of glory after his death though.  Spaniard: "Someone make a note of that man's bravery."  It's funny how someone who is actually in so many scenes can go by unnoticed.  Regardless, I still really appreciate his character for truly understanding the craziness that is Captain Jack Sparrow.