Gloria Oliver's Blog, page 101
August 10, 2012
Movie Review - Total Recall
Total Recall
Starring: Colin Farrel, Kate Beckinsale, Jessica Biel, Bryan Cranston, Bokeem Woodbine, Bill Nighy, John Cho, Will Yun Lee, and more.
Directed by: Len Wiseman Screenplay by: Kurt Wimmer and Mark Bomback Screen Story by: Ronal Shusett, Dan O'Bannon, Jon Povill, and Kurt Wimmer Based On The Short Story "We Can Remember It For You Wholesale" by: Philip K Dick Cinematography by: Paul Cameron Original Music by: Harry Gregson-Williams
Premise: A disillusioned man plagued by strange dreams decides to give the memory making thrill of Rekall a try. While being set up for his fantasy as a secret spy, things suddenly take a turn as armed men storm the room and kill everyone around him. When they try to grab him, he exhibits skills he's never known before and brings them all down. When he goes home, his wife of seven years then tries to kill him. Is he actually still at Rekall playing out his spy fantasy or is the horror his life has become real? (Rated R)
Review:
1) Acting - Thumbs Up: Colin Farrel was great as Douglas Quaid. You could feel his character's frustration at his lot in life even as he argued with himself he should be satisfied and grateful. At several spots Quaid is force to make hard choices, and the struggle to pick the right course reflected very well in Mr. Farrel's expressions and actions. Kate Beckinsale as Lori, however, stole the show. Her dogged, never ending determination and drive was a definite force in the film and came off the screen at the audience in waves.
2) Special Effects - Thumbs Up: A lot of the effects were very subtle, but definitely there. The palm phones were very cool and the options of private conversations or video conversations were impressive. Holographic imaging was everywhere. The glowing tattoos were super cool, too. The magnetic cars and all the security force androids felt real. The chase scene through the elevator tunnels and on the elevator cars was nicely done.
3) Plot/Story - Neutral: I saw the original "Total Recall" with Arnold Schwazeneger years ago, so not all the facts from the original were fresh in my mind during the viewing of the remake, but I still couldn't help notice a major deviation from then original right from the start - this version of the film is set on Earth rather than Mars. While that normally really wouldn't make much of a difference, in this instance it seemed like an odd change, especially as the new background premise made little sense. (If you have that many robots at your disposal, why aren't they out there cleaning the unsafe zone so humanity could expand?)
The core story is pretty solid - Quaid getting caught up in the middle of things he doesn't understand and trying to find out what is going on and following the clues left by his former self. But all the set up and information outside the core plot don't add up. Luckily, the film moves at a very fast pace, not allowing for the audience to spend a lot of time putting things together and realizing a lot of things don't quite fit together.
One example of what I'm talking about would be the Rekall shop at The Colony - located in the worst part of town, and advertising its presence solely by a small sign outside the door, inside the facility is huge! The room for setting up the experience was opulent and had a tremendous amount of space - something which the living conditions of everyone we'd seen up to that point made it seem incredibly unusual. The room even had a giant Buddha head (something which probably weighed tons). Yet if your clients are the low paid, crushed humanity of The Colony, how can they afford to go there? This was just one of many things that didn't quite fit.
4) Stunts - Thumbs Up: There was lots of tumbling, running, leaping, and hand to hand combat among explosions, car chases, careening elevator cars and more. All nicely done.
Conclusion: A fun, exciting ride as long as you don't think too hard and try to make sense of things. Also, if you've seen the original "Total Recall", there are several spots to look for giving homage to the 1990 film.
Rating: 3.75 out of 5 (Hubby's Rating: Worth Full Price of Admission)
Starring: Colin Farrel, Kate Beckinsale, Jessica Biel, Bryan Cranston, Bokeem Woodbine, Bill Nighy, John Cho, Will Yun Lee, and more.
Directed by: Len Wiseman Screenplay by: Kurt Wimmer and Mark Bomback Screen Story by: Ronal Shusett, Dan O'Bannon, Jon Povill, and Kurt Wimmer Based On The Short Story "We Can Remember It For You Wholesale" by: Philip K Dick Cinematography by: Paul Cameron Original Music by: Harry Gregson-Williams
Premise: A disillusioned man plagued by strange dreams decides to give the memory making thrill of Rekall a try. While being set up for his fantasy as a secret spy, things suddenly take a turn as armed men storm the room and kill everyone around him. When they try to grab him, he exhibits skills he's never known before and brings them all down. When he goes home, his wife of seven years then tries to kill him. Is he actually still at Rekall playing out his spy fantasy or is the horror his life has become real? (Rated R)
Review:
1) Acting - Thumbs Up: Colin Farrel was great as Douglas Quaid. You could feel his character's frustration at his lot in life even as he argued with himself he should be satisfied and grateful. At several spots Quaid is force to make hard choices, and the struggle to pick the right course reflected very well in Mr. Farrel's expressions and actions. Kate Beckinsale as Lori, however, stole the show. Her dogged, never ending determination and drive was a definite force in the film and came off the screen at the audience in waves.
2) Special Effects - Thumbs Up: A lot of the effects were very subtle, but definitely there. The palm phones were very cool and the options of private conversations or video conversations were impressive. Holographic imaging was everywhere. The glowing tattoos were super cool, too. The magnetic cars and all the security force androids felt real. The chase scene through the elevator tunnels and on the elevator cars was nicely done.
3) Plot/Story - Neutral: I saw the original "Total Recall" with Arnold Schwazeneger years ago, so not all the facts from the original were fresh in my mind during the viewing of the remake, but I still couldn't help notice a major deviation from then original right from the start - this version of the film is set on Earth rather than Mars. While that normally really wouldn't make much of a difference, in this instance it seemed like an odd change, especially as the new background premise made little sense. (If you have that many robots at your disposal, why aren't they out there cleaning the unsafe zone so humanity could expand?)
The core story is pretty solid - Quaid getting caught up in the middle of things he doesn't understand and trying to find out what is going on and following the clues left by his former self. But all the set up and information outside the core plot don't add up. Luckily, the film moves at a very fast pace, not allowing for the audience to spend a lot of time putting things together and realizing a lot of things don't quite fit together.
One example of what I'm talking about would be the Rekall shop at The Colony - located in the worst part of town, and advertising its presence solely by a small sign outside the door, inside the facility is huge! The room for setting up the experience was opulent and had a tremendous amount of space - something which the living conditions of everyone we'd seen up to that point made it seem incredibly unusual. The room even had a giant Buddha head (something which probably weighed tons). Yet if your clients are the low paid, crushed humanity of The Colony, how can they afford to go there? This was just one of many things that didn't quite fit.
4) Stunts - Thumbs Up: There was lots of tumbling, running, leaping, and hand to hand combat among explosions, car chases, careening elevator cars and more. All nicely done.
Conclusion: A fun, exciting ride as long as you don't think too hard and try to make sense of things. Also, if you've seen the original "Total Recall", there are several spots to look for giving homage to the 1990 film.
Rating: 3.75 out of 5 (Hubby's Rating: Worth Full Price of Admission)
August 8, 2012
Picture Kaleidoscope 8/8/12
There's been a lot of furor lately about posting pictures on blogs and getting sued and all manner of bad things. Most of the photos I use on the blog are mine or come from articles or flikr (which can be activated so it does not allow linking). These Wednesday posts are made to simply feed the eyes and creativity of those seeing them, of putting a little wonder or fun in others' lives. Proper linkage back to the main source are always added.
I'm honestly surprised that those who do not want their photos shared do not use a watermark on their photos knowing they'll be posted on the web so if taken they can't be of commercial use.
Anyway, enough blather, let's see what I came across this past week. (And hoping to heck not to get in trouble!) :)
Look at that huge sucker!
And it wasn't alone! Heh heh.
Cool bow effect. Turn Right from Benji P Photo.
[image error]
Photographs of People Crammed Into Uncomfortable Space from Peta Pixel by Lee Materazzi. Ow ow ow ow ow!
Guardian Camera Club: Jen Branton's Portfolio. Amazing the idea photographers come up with.
[image error]
The 5 Most Artistic Satellite Photographs of Earth Captured by Nasa from Peta Pixel.
See you next time!
I'm honestly surprised that those who do not want their photos shared do not use a watermark on their photos knowing they'll be posted on the web so if taken they can't be of commercial use.
Anyway, enough blather, let's see what I came across this past week. (And hoping to heck not to get in trouble!) :)
Look at that huge sucker!
And it wasn't alone! Heh heh.
Cool bow effect. Turn Right from Benji P Photo.
[image error]
Photographs of People Crammed Into Uncomfortable Space from Peta Pixel by Lee Materazzi. Ow ow ow ow ow!
Guardian Camera Club: Jen Branton's Portfolio. Amazing the idea photographers come up with.
[image error]
The 5 Most Artistic Satellite Photographs of Earth Captured by Nasa from Peta Pixel.
See you next time!
August 6, 2012
Mind Sieve 8/6/12
Let the fun begin!
Teaser for the Google Art Project. This video is fabulous!
Dr Who Season 7 Trailer from the BBC. Dr Who and Cowboys! Bwahahahahaha!
Slime Mold Growth Using Time Lapse - 1 of 8 videos featured at Cracked.com - 8 Sped Up Videos That Shatter Your Idea Of Ordinary Things.
Supernatural On Location 7/31 - 30 second look at location filming. Interesting.
Paranorman's Olympic "Nailed It" TV Spot. I skip commercials on the DVR, but I went back to see this one. Hilarious! Way to do marketing! lol.
The Other Dr Who Season 7 Trailer - Daleks, Dinosaurs, and Cowboys oh My! (Weeping angels too!) Woot!
Cloud Atlas Trailer - I'd not heard of the book. Long trailer but give it a couple of minutes. Starts out slow then speeds up! Looks freaking awesome! I'm so there!
The Dark Knight Returns Animated Trailer - Based on Frank Miller's future vision. Read this eons ago. Rocked then, will rock harder now. Booyah!
Bloggers Beware : You CAN Get Sued For Using Pics On Your Blog from Roni Loren.
WANA Commons - Beautiful Blog Images Without The Worry from Kristen Lamb.
Critique Comments - Remembering To Give Them Time from Becky Levine. Way good advice this. I know I set the critiques notes I get aside for a week after getting them, to let them stew and to distance myself from them. :P
The 5 Mistakes Killing Self-Published Authors from Kristen Lamb. (And this is why I have to have a publisher, even if small. I want editing! Heh heh.)
Really did stumble on some awesome stuff for this week! Sweet!
Teaser for the Google Art Project. This video is fabulous!
Dr Who Season 7 Trailer from the BBC. Dr Who and Cowboys! Bwahahahahaha!
Slime Mold Growth Using Time Lapse - 1 of 8 videos featured at Cracked.com - 8 Sped Up Videos That Shatter Your Idea Of Ordinary Things.
Supernatural On Location 7/31 - 30 second look at location filming. Interesting.
Paranorman's Olympic "Nailed It" TV Spot. I skip commercials on the DVR, but I went back to see this one. Hilarious! Way to do marketing! lol.
The Other Dr Who Season 7 Trailer - Daleks, Dinosaurs, and Cowboys oh My! (Weeping angels too!) Woot!
Cloud Atlas Trailer - I'd not heard of the book. Long trailer but give it a couple of minutes. Starts out slow then speeds up! Looks freaking awesome! I'm so there!
The Dark Knight Returns Animated Trailer - Based on Frank Miller's future vision. Read this eons ago. Rocked then, will rock harder now. Booyah!
Bloggers Beware : You CAN Get Sued For Using Pics On Your Blog from Roni Loren.
WANA Commons - Beautiful Blog Images Without The Worry from Kristen Lamb.
Critique Comments - Remembering To Give Them Time from Becky Levine. Way good advice this. I know I set the critiques notes I get aside for a week after getting them, to let them stew and to distance myself from them. :P
The 5 Mistakes Killing Self-Published Authors from Kristen Lamb. (And this is why I have to have a publisher, even if small. I want editing! Heh heh.)
Really did stumble on some awesome stuff for this week! Sweet!
August 5, 2012
Virtual Tourist - Secret World and Star Wars The Old Republic 8/5/12
I really do wish all games let you take pictures. Was playing some Deus Ex Invisible War this weekend but it wouldn't let me take pics to share. Bummer man!
Secret World
That is one creepy looking tree!
That's one sweet gypsy wagon!
Hobbit door? Hmm
Uh those tentacle type trees past the mushrooms are giving me the heebie jeebies.
Dead peeps and a weird creature. Can't be good.
Star Wars The Old Republic
From the Empire
Mass Weapon of Destruction that has brought fear to the Empire. And there's still some out there about to go randomly off. They must be stopped!
Bay of a mysterious dreadnaught at Artus.
Computers and consoles of the dreadnaught
Has some really cool corridors in this thing.
And yeah, there's no doubt as to who it belongs. heh heh. Darth Jadus is down there. This section of the story for the Imperial Spy is kicking my buns, (And they make you defeat him multiple times! Aiiieeee~! (Was a BIG shocker after I finally got him the first time. Argh!) Wish me luck!
May your Sunday be a lot of fun!
Secret World
That is one creepy looking tree!
That's one sweet gypsy wagon!
Hobbit door? Hmm
Uh those tentacle type trees past the mushrooms are giving me the heebie jeebies.
Dead peeps and a weird creature. Can't be good.
Star Wars The Old Republic
From the Empire
Mass Weapon of Destruction that has brought fear to the Empire. And there's still some out there about to go randomly off. They must be stopped!
Bay of a mysterious dreadnaught at Artus.
Computers and consoles of the dreadnaught
Has some really cool corridors in this thing.
And yeah, there's no doubt as to who it belongs. heh heh. Darth Jadus is down there. This section of the story for the Imperial Spy is kicking my buns, (And they make you defeat him multiple times! Aiiieeee~! (Was a BIG shocker after I finally got him the first time. Argh!) Wish me luck!
May your Sunday be a lot of fun!
August 3, 2012
Movie Review - Farewell, My Queen
(Dying to go see Total Rekall but hubby is on a cut over! Wahhhh!)
Farewell, My Queen (Le Adieux à la Reine)
Starring: Léa Seydoux, Diane Kruger, Virginie Ledoyen, Noémi Levovsky, Michael Robin, Julie-Marie Parmentier, Lolita Chammah, Vladimir Cosigny, Xavier Beauvois, and more.
Directed by: Benoît Jacquot Scenario by: Benoît Jacquot and Gilles Taurand Based on the Novel by: Chantal Thomas Cinematography by: Romain Windig Original Music by: Bruno Coulais
Premise: A young girl, Sidonie Laborde, who is a reader for the Queen, has her ordered life shaken on the days leading up to the French Revolution. (Rated R) (Subtitled)
Review:
1) Acting - Total Thumbs Up: Several great performances are woven through this strangely distant film. Léa Seydoux easily portrayed the young woman in love with her queen and clearly radiated the character's feelings of being somehow above others due to her job. Diane Kruger did a great job as Marie Antoinette and skilfully reflected her changing moods and mercurial whims. Noémi Levovsky's portrayal of Mme Campan was outstanding in its understatement as the grand conductor whose job was to keep the queen's life running smoothly.
2) Plot/Story - Neutral: I have not read Mr. Thomas' novel, so can't compare it to the film. That being said, the story in the film moved along slowly with only tiny glimpses into different aspects of the life of those serving the royal household, yet because these glimpses are so tiny, a lot of the context or depth of learning about their lives and why they are the way they are is lost, which in the end hurts the understanding by the audience of how disturbing the changes coming to the lives they've been used to are. Worse, it makes it hard for the audience to really connect with any of them.
As Mme Campan states to Sidonie, she has no friends in Versailles. It is Campan character and not Sidonie's character which encapsulates and shows the most information regarding life at the palace. The support personnel's sole function being to serve while at the same time jockeying for position among themselves.
The main recurring theme of the film is unrequited love - Sidonie's blinding love for the queen, the queen's distracting and somewhat self-destructing love for Gabrielle de Polignac. Yet even this is not understood until deep into the movie.
3) Locations/Cinematography: Because the film follows the life of the queen's reader, most locations of the film are not in the luxurious rooms of the palace of Versailles. Rather, the audience gets to experience the narrow, falling apart, and spartan spaces of the servants and those of the aristocracy not high on the list of the favored.
Several unusual styles get used in the film, the camera following Sidonie from just over her shoulder as the pushes through crowded hallways or runs down deserted corridors.
Dead rats made several appearances, but it was hard to tell if they was a commentary on the difficulties of keeping rodents away even at the palace or the rotten nature of the politics of the time.
4) Costuming/Makeup - Total Thumbs Up: From peasant garb to the queen's gowns, great attention was paid to make the costumes proper for the period. And as was normal then too, only the most wealthy actually got to put on different clothes on a daily basis.
The only point that seemed odd was the lack of makeup. Sidonie and the other servants wore pretty much none. But aside from one scene where the king had just finished a consultation with his counselors which his wife attended, the white powder makeup was never really seen. And even in this particular instance it was very lightly worn.
Conclusion: A fascinating look at a different group of people than those usually depicted for the time right before the French Revolution. Yet one lacking in a real plot for audiences to become vested in.
Rating: 3 out of 5 (No Hubby' Rating this week)
Farewell, My Queen (Le Adieux à la Reine)
Starring: Léa Seydoux, Diane Kruger, Virginie Ledoyen, Noémi Levovsky, Michael Robin, Julie-Marie Parmentier, Lolita Chammah, Vladimir Cosigny, Xavier Beauvois, and more.
Directed by: Benoît Jacquot Scenario by: Benoît Jacquot and Gilles Taurand Based on the Novel by: Chantal Thomas Cinematography by: Romain Windig Original Music by: Bruno Coulais
Premise: A young girl, Sidonie Laborde, who is a reader for the Queen, has her ordered life shaken on the days leading up to the French Revolution. (Rated R) (Subtitled)
Review:
1) Acting - Total Thumbs Up: Several great performances are woven through this strangely distant film. Léa Seydoux easily portrayed the young woman in love with her queen and clearly radiated the character's feelings of being somehow above others due to her job. Diane Kruger did a great job as Marie Antoinette and skilfully reflected her changing moods and mercurial whims. Noémi Levovsky's portrayal of Mme Campan was outstanding in its understatement as the grand conductor whose job was to keep the queen's life running smoothly.
2) Plot/Story - Neutral: I have not read Mr. Thomas' novel, so can't compare it to the film. That being said, the story in the film moved along slowly with only tiny glimpses into different aspects of the life of those serving the royal household, yet because these glimpses are so tiny, a lot of the context or depth of learning about their lives and why they are the way they are is lost, which in the end hurts the understanding by the audience of how disturbing the changes coming to the lives they've been used to are. Worse, it makes it hard for the audience to really connect with any of them.
As Mme Campan states to Sidonie, she has no friends in Versailles. It is Campan character and not Sidonie's character which encapsulates and shows the most information regarding life at the palace. The support personnel's sole function being to serve while at the same time jockeying for position among themselves.
The main recurring theme of the film is unrequited love - Sidonie's blinding love for the queen, the queen's distracting and somewhat self-destructing love for Gabrielle de Polignac. Yet even this is not understood until deep into the movie.
3) Locations/Cinematography: Because the film follows the life of the queen's reader, most locations of the film are not in the luxurious rooms of the palace of Versailles. Rather, the audience gets to experience the narrow, falling apart, and spartan spaces of the servants and those of the aristocracy not high on the list of the favored.
Several unusual styles get used in the film, the camera following Sidonie from just over her shoulder as the pushes through crowded hallways or runs down deserted corridors.
Dead rats made several appearances, but it was hard to tell if they was a commentary on the difficulties of keeping rodents away even at the palace or the rotten nature of the politics of the time.
4) Costuming/Makeup - Total Thumbs Up: From peasant garb to the queen's gowns, great attention was paid to make the costumes proper for the period. And as was normal then too, only the most wealthy actually got to put on different clothes on a daily basis.
The only point that seemed odd was the lack of makeup. Sidonie and the other servants wore pretty much none. But aside from one scene where the king had just finished a consultation with his counselors which his wife attended, the white powder makeup was never really seen. And even in this particular instance it was very lightly worn.
Conclusion: A fascinating look at a different group of people than those usually depicted for the time right before the French Revolution. Yet one lacking in a real plot for audiences to become vested in.
Rating: 3 out of 5 (No Hubby' Rating this week)
August 2, 2012
Mind Sieve 8/6/12
Let the fun begin!
Teaser for the Google Art Project. This video is fabulous!
Dr Who Season 7 Trailer from the BBC. Dr Who and Cowboys! Bwahahahahaha!
Slime Mold Growth Using Time Lapse - 1 of 8 videos featured at Cracked.com - 8 Sped Up Videos That Shatter Your Idea Of Ordinary Things.
Supernatural On Location 7/31 - 30 second look at location filming. Interesting.
Paranorman's Olympic "Nailed It" TV Spot. I skip commercials on the DVR, but I went back to see this one. Hilarious! Way to do marketing! lol.
The Other Dr Who Season 7 Trailer - Daleks, Dinosaurs, and Cowboys oh My! (Weeping angels too!) Woot!
Cloud Atlas Trailer - I'd not heard of the book. Long trailer but give it a couple of minutes. Starts out slow then speeds up! Looks freaking awesome! I'm so there!
The Dark Knight Returns Animated Trailer - Based on Frank Miller's future vision. Read this eons ago. Rocked then, will rock harder now. Booyah!
Bloggers Beware : You CAN Get Sued For Using Pics On Your Blog from Roni Loren.
WANA Commons - Beautiful Blog Images Without The Worry from Kristen Lamb.
Critique Comments - Remembering To Give Them Time from Becky Levine. Way good advice this. I know I set the critiques notes I get aside for a week after getting them, to let them stew and to distance myself from them. :P
The 5 Mistakes Killing Self-Published Authors from Kristen Lamb. (And this is why I have to have a publisher, even if small. I want editing! Heh heh.)
Really did stumble on some awesome stuff for this week! Sweet!
August 1, 2012
Picture Kaleidoscope 8/1/12
Need to hustle on this. Go go go!
The Shard Laser from JZA Photography.
The Shard - Spring Sunset - London from Zzapback.
Inconsistency from Ivo Vuk
[image error]
From Astronaut Clayton C Anderson - Pic of the Day
Royal Photographic Society Print Exhibition 2012 From the Guardian
Glacier Point Star Trails from Jim M Goldstein
Peculiar Painting Like Photos from Trend Hunter Tech
Illuminated Skeleton Installation - Embodiment by Eric Franklin at Trend Hunter
May the rest of your week be fabulous! Till next time!
The Shard Laser from JZA Photography.
The Shard - Spring Sunset - London from Zzapback.
Inconsistency from Ivo Vuk
[image error]
From Astronaut Clayton C Anderson - Pic of the Day
Royal Photographic Society Print Exhibition 2012 From the Guardian
Glacier Point Star Trails from Jim M Goldstein
Peculiar Painting Like Photos from Trend Hunter Tech
Illuminated Skeleton Installation - Embodiment by Eric Franklin at Trend Hunter
May the rest of your week be fabulous! Till next time!
July 30, 2012
Mind Sieve 7/30/12
ArmadilloCon was this past weekend! Woot! (So this is being prepped early. Heh heh.)
Superman Official Trailer - love the repeated sonic booms!
From Nerdist News - Man of Steel poster
Batman vs Captain America In Real Life - Ultimate Fan Fights #1 from GakAttack. What's really fun is that at the end of the video, you pick who wins, which takes you to another short video with the victory for the side you like. Sweet!
One Direction - What Makes You Beautiful (5 Piano Guys, 1 Piano) from the Piano Guys. This is quite imaginative!
The Runway Trailer - though already released last year in Ireland, looks like it might be coming our way? Looks rather fun!
From What If? Yoda - How Much Power Can Yoda Output? Science geekery at its finest! How fun!
Follow Your Curiosity: Some New Ways To Explore Mars from NASA. How cool!
Engineering Technology Revealing Secrets Of Roman Coins from Science Daily. Sounds like this technique could be super useful.
Halo 4: Forward Onto Dawn Trailer. Not bad! Not bad at all. :)
Hootsuite Adds Intelligence to Content Browsing from Bundle Post.
How To Build A Social Brand That's A Sweet Orange In A World Of Bitter Apples from Pam the Marketing Nut.
Pixar Insider Reveals The 22 Rules of Story Telling from Best Seller Labs. Good ones!
From Chuck (NSFW) Wendig - Ask A Wendigo: "Just What The F*** Do You Do, Anyway?" where Chuck speaks about his writing process.
Huh. This almost seemed like the Science Mind Sieve~! Heh.
Superman Official Trailer - love the repeated sonic booms!
From Nerdist News - Man of Steel poster
Batman vs Captain America In Real Life - Ultimate Fan Fights #1 from GakAttack. What's really fun is that at the end of the video, you pick who wins, which takes you to another short video with the victory for the side you like. Sweet!
One Direction - What Makes You Beautiful (5 Piano Guys, 1 Piano) from the Piano Guys. This is quite imaginative!
The Runway Trailer - though already released last year in Ireland, looks like it might be coming our way? Looks rather fun!
From What If? Yoda - How Much Power Can Yoda Output? Science geekery at its finest! How fun!
Follow Your Curiosity: Some New Ways To Explore Mars from NASA. How cool!
Engineering Technology Revealing Secrets Of Roman Coins from Science Daily. Sounds like this technique could be super useful.
Halo 4: Forward Onto Dawn Trailer. Not bad! Not bad at all. :)
Hootsuite Adds Intelligence to Content Browsing from Bundle Post.
How To Build A Social Brand That's A Sweet Orange In A World Of Bitter Apples from Pam the Marketing Nut.
Pixar Insider Reveals The 22 Rules of Story Telling from Best Seller Labs. Good ones!
From Chuck (NSFW) Wendig - Ask A Wendigo: "Just What The F*** Do You Do, Anyway?" where Chuck speaks about his writing process.
Huh. This almost seemed like the Science Mind Sieve~! Heh.
July 29, 2012
Virtual Tourist - Secret World and Star Wars The Old Republic 7/29/12
I am not actually here...this is an optical illusion... Bwahahahahahaha!
From Secret World (Yes, the guilt trip worked! She got me more pics! Heh heh)
This place looks nasty! No?
Oooo! I'm a sucker for ruins!
The lava must flow!
He looks wickedly cool!
Star Wars The Old Republic
Republic Side on Belsavis
An AI's dream?
Felt bad for this guy. Born in a prison and therefore assumed to be a prisoner. The Republic has some definite corruption going on.
Weird looking plant, no?
A soft red glow hidden in the back. Hubby's eagle eyes wee working well this day. Datacron baby!
Finally found the way in to get at this sucker. So sneaky, X -504 Y 767 Z 274 Wisdom +4! My Jedi Consular was definitely pleased. Heh heh.
Forcefield with Logo! How cool is that. Heh
This place is big. Sometimes the devastation catches you by surprise.
That should keep you busy for a few minutes. :P Hope you're having an awesome weekend!
From Secret World (Yes, the guilt trip worked! She got me more pics! Heh heh)
This place looks nasty! No?
Oooo! I'm a sucker for ruins!
The lava must flow!
He looks wickedly cool!
Star Wars The Old Republic
Republic Side on Belsavis
An AI's dream?
Felt bad for this guy. Born in a prison and therefore assumed to be a prisoner. The Republic has some definite corruption going on.
Weird looking plant, no?
A soft red glow hidden in the back. Hubby's eagle eyes wee working well this day. Datacron baby!
Finally found the way in to get at this sucker. So sneaky, X -504 Y 767 Z 274 Wisdom +4! My Jedi Consular was definitely pleased. Heh heh.
Forcefield with Logo! How cool is that. Heh
This place is big. Sometimes the devastation catches you by surprise.
That should keep you busy for a few minutes. :P Hope you're having an awesome weekend!
July 27, 2012
Movie Review - Moonrise Kingdom
Moonrise Kingdom
Starring: Bruce Willis, Edward Norton, Bill Murray, Kara Hayward, Jared Gilman, Francis McDormand, Jason Schwartzman, Tilda Swinton, Harvey Keitel, Bob Balaban, and more.
Directed by: Wes Anderson Written by: Wes Anderson and Roman Coppola Cinematography by: Robert D Yeoman Original Music by: Alexandre Desplat
Premise: In 1965, on an island off the coast of New England, two 12 year olds run away together to follow the migrations of the original Indian inhabitants. Their disappearance and the subsequent search stir up hidden, unspoken issues with the adults. Unbeknownst to all, a huge, deadly storm is brewing and coming their way. (Rated PG-13)
Review:
1) Acting - Total Thumbs Up: The kids in this film steal the show. Kara Hayward and Jared Gilman delivered their lines with total deadpan accuracy. It was very clear that Sam and Suzy weren't your typical children - they were more responsible and grown up than most of the adults in the film! With the added fun performances from Bruce Willis, Edward Norton, Francis McDormand, Tilda Swinton, and others, it made the film that much more fun.
2) Special Effects - Thumbs Up: My impression was that they wanted the film to have a feel and nostalgia for times past. A lot of the more flashy moments were very reminiscent of old style, low budget special effects. Yet those effects used in the background and not as easily noticeable were produced with all the tools and finesse available in modern times.
3) Plot/Story - Total Thumbs Up: It's a simple tale with unexpected depth. What made it even more interesting was the fact the kids get found and brought back, only to then gain unexpected allies and escape again, causing even more chaos.
It had the feel of a domino effect - one action, causing another, which caused another and so on. It was also a lesson on matters taken for granted and the pitfalls of not communicating even when there's someone right next to you. Deeper still, it showed that those we choose to lead us aren't always the ones we should be listening to.
The use of maps on screen, the narrator, and the old fashioned telephone calls with split screen to show all parties even as they bumbled to connect with one another were used to great effect. For older audiences this movie will resonate and bring boughts of nostalgia.
4) Locations/Cinematography - Total Thumbs Up: The locations were great and very reminiscent of the period. There were lovely vistas of the ocean, the woods, the fields, and the building storm.
The introductory footage when the film begins was innovative and gripping in its oddness. Also spoke well of the vast distances between the children and the parents. You knew right away "Moonrise Kingdom" would be a different experience from other films.
Conclusion: A quirky, quietly funny, yet deep film. Enough odd ball goings on that even kids would enjoy it. It was also really amusing that all of Suzy's fantasy ya book covers were done by people in the production.
Rating: 4 out of 5 (Hubby's Rating: Worth Full Price of Admission)
Starring: Bruce Willis, Edward Norton, Bill Murray, Kara Hayward, Jared Gilman, Francis McDormand, Jason Schwartzman, Tilda Swinton, Harvey Keitel, Bob Balaban, and more.
Directed by: Wes Anderson Written by: Wes Anderson and Roman Coppola Cinematography by: Robert D Yeoman Original Music by: Alexandre Desplat
Premise: In 1965, on an island off the coast of New England, two 12 year olds run away together to follow the migrations of the original Indian inhabitants. Their disappearance and the subsequent search stir up hidden, unspoken issues with the adults. Unbeknownst to all, a huge, deadly storm is brewing and coming their way. (Rated PG-13)
Review:
1) Acting - Total Thumbs Up: The kids in this film steal the show. Kara Hayward and Jared Gilman delivered their lines with total deadpan accuracy. It was very clear that Sam and Suzy weren't your typical children - they were more responsible and grown up than most of the adults in the film! With the added fun performances from Bruce Willis, Edward Norton, Francis McDormand, Tilda Swinton, and others, it made the film that much more fun.
2) Special Effects - Thumbs Up: My impression was that they wanted the film to have a feel and nostalgia for times past. A lot of the more flashy moments were very reminiscent of old style, low budget special effects. Yet those effects used in the background and not as easily noticeable were produced with all the tools and finesse available in modern times.
3) Plot/Story - Total Thumbs Up: It's a simple tale with unexpected depth. What made it even more interesting was the fact the kids get found and brought back, only to then gain unexpected allies and escape again, causing even more chaos.
It had the feel of a domino effect - one action, causing another, which caused another and so on. It was also a lesson on matters taken for granted and the pitfalls of not communicating even when there's someone right next to you. Deeper still, it showed that those we choose to lead us aren't always the ones we should be listening to.
The use of maps on screen, the narrator, and the old fashioned telephone calls with split screen to show all parties even as they bumbled to connect with one another were used to great effect. For older audiences this movie will resonate and bring boughts of nostalgia.
4) Locations/Cinematography - Total Thumbs Up: The locations were great and very reminiscent of the period. There were lovely vistas of the ocean, the woods, the fields, and the building storm.
The introductory footage when the film begins was innovative and gripping in its oddness. Also spoke well of the vast distances between the children and the parents. You knew right away "Moonrise Kingdom" would be a different experience from other films.
Conclusion: A quirky, quietly funny, yet deep film. Enough odd ball goings on that even kids would enjoy it. It was also really amusing that all of Suzy's fantasy ya book covers were done by people in the production.
Rating: 4 out of 5 (Hubby's Rating: Worth Full Price of Admission)
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