Gloria Oliver's Blog, page 30
April 6, 2016
Picture Kaleidoscope 4/6/16
Good morning all!
Loved the color difference between the two cloud systems. The darker one looks somewhat like something from a disaster movie. :P
A lot of whites and grays that day.
Was trying to capture the dragon. See below!
Dragon! Dragon! Dragon!!!! I could not believe it. Wished I'd been able to get it from the better angle, but I was driving. Had to snap it at the stop sign. :P
Friend gave me these for my b-day. Isn't this the cutest idea ever?
So cute!!!!!Have a great one!
Loved the color difference between the two cloud systems. The darker one looks somewhat like something from a disaster movie. :P
A lot of whites and grays that day.
Was trying to capture the dragon. See below!
Dragon! Dragon! Dragon!!!! I could not believe it. Wished I'd been able to get it from the better angle, but I was driving. Had to snap it at the stop sign. :P
Friend gave me these for my b-day. Isn't this the cutest idea ever?
So cute!!!!!Have a great one!
April 5, 2016
Charity and Sacrifice - Novelette to see release in Oct 2016
Several months ago I got a contract from Uncial Press for my 10K Novelette "Charity and Sacrifice"Two rounds of edits later and I can share more info and an excerpt to wet your appetite. :)Trapped in a loveless marriage, will Elizabeth's sacrifice to regain Robert's love be in vain?All Elizabeth hoped to do was to rekindle the love in her marriage. Yet despite ignoring her social obligations and immersing herself in her husband's important work, somehow this only made things worse.Her last hope is her unborn child -- a source of unrequited love to fill the void inside her. But that too is taken from her. How? Why?Her doctor avoids her. Her husband berates her. And there are whispers -- whispers telling of things that cannot be.Yet the more Elizabeth ignores the rumors, the more they press on her to seek the truth, so she concocts a plan to find it. To find it and hopefully exonerate both Robert and herself. To discover the reason she's lost all that's dear to her. And she will do it, even if she must venture into Whitechapel to do it.Excerpt"Dear, you have to eat something. Don't you want to get better?" Ada once more offered a spoonful of porridge.Propped up with hard pillows, Elizabeth could sit at an angle. Millie, her personal maid, had come by earlier and brought her a proper dressing gown as well as a brush and pins. The proprieties must be maintained despite the tragedy. She knew Robert would expect it. And it was the only armor left to her at present.Chastised, she opened her mouth to take the offered food, though she wasn't hungry and felt mortified to be treated like a child. A child…Elizabeth's eyes teared up but she refused to be embarrassed further by her own weakness."Has he been to see you yet?" The nurse's eyes gleamed with curiosity."To whom do you refer?" She suspected, but she wouldn't help feed the rumor mill any more than necessary."Lord Stainton, your husband."Elizabeth refused to meet her gaze. "I've been sleeping a lot, but I am sure he's come. He wouldn't wake me, knowing I need the rest."Ada's eyes widened with feigned surprise. "Oh, that could be it, couldn't it?" She fed Elizabeth another spoonful."He's a very busy man." Elizabeth wanted to bite her own tongue, knowing the excuse for what it was, and well aware the nurse did as well. "I've had enough, thank you.""Are you sure, dear?" Ada leaned forward as if to feed her again, except she left the spoon in the bowl. She stared intently at Elizabeth, her next words voiced in a whisper. "There are things you should know that you've not been told."Elizabeth's eye twitched. The hollow hole inside her pulsed with need and apprehension. She presumed he was receiving news of her condition from the nurses as well as using them to pass on his orders.Her gently worded requests for him to visit were just as gently denied. The suspicion something was being hidden from her had hardened into solid fact. Yet she still possessed no information.To be forced to gain it from the likes of Ada … Everything that ever poured from the woman's mouth was suspect. She'd watched her long enough to learn that much.But how else was she to even glean a hint as to what was being kept from her? "Is that so?"Ada leaned forward a little more. "I could get in trouble sharing what I know." The nurse smiled at her, expectation tightening the lines on her face. "But a token, a valuable token, would go a long way toward easing my concerns. Think of it as a bit of charity to someone less fortunate than yourself."Charity? Extortion was more like it. Elizabeth wanted nothing more than to grab her bowl and shove its contents in the old hag's face. Yet something in the back of her mind niggled at the word. It had been used in her presence recently… "I might have something at home which would satisfy you. I'll have it brought for the morrow."Ada stood up to go. "My old heart bleeds with gratitude, milady. I'll be sure to tell you all I know, once your charity has been received."Elizabeth clutched her blanket until her hands went numb, sure the nurse was laughing at her as she bowed her way out.Release date of October 2016! The countdown is on! Mark Your Calendars! :P
April 4, 2016
Mind Sieve 4/4/16
A new week!
Fan Fun
Alice Through the Looking Glass Official Trailer #2 - definitely looking forward to this one. :P
CGI Animated Short Film HD: "A Fox Tale Short Film" by A Fox Tale Team - so cute!
A Hologram for the King Official Trailer #1 - looks interesting. lol.
The Angry birds Movie New Trailer 2016 - ROFL! It IS like just playing the game. Awesome! lol.
Social Media/Author PlatformBlog Comments Revisited: Why Major Bloggers Are Turning Comments Back On by Michael Stelzner at the Social Media Examiner. Lots of interesting info on the summaries about the podcast.
Writing AdviceReal Writers Don’t Self-Publish by Kristen Lamb. Great post looking at all the pros and cons and trying to shed information on the whole topic. Self-publishing isn't for me, but that doesn't mean it is not for others. The more choices we have, the better! :)
Stop Aspiring, Start Doing by John Adamus.
Make the week count!
Fan Fun
Alice Through the Looking Glass Official Trailer #2 - definitely looking forward to this one. :P
CGI Animated Short Film HD: "A Fox Tale Short Film" by A Fox Tale Team - so cute!
A Hologram for the King Official Trailer #1 - looks interesting. lol.
The Angry birds Movie New Trailer 2016 - ROFL! It IS like just playing the game. Awesome! lol.
Social Media/Author PlatformBlog Comments Revisited: Why Major Bloggers Are Turning Comments Back On by Michael Stelzner at the Social Media Examiner. Lots of interesting info on the summaries about the podcast.
Writing AdviceReal Writers Don’t Self-Publish by Kristen Lamb. Great post looking at all the pros and cons and trying to shed information on the whole topic. Self-publishing isn't for me, but that doesn't mean it is not for others. The more choices we have, the better! :)
Stop Aspiring, Start Doing by John Adamus.
Make the week count!
April 3, 2016
Virtual Tourist - FF XIV 4/3/16
Morning!Final Fantasy XIV
Eastern Thanalan
Camp Drybone Area
That death smile is rather eerie. The protector now grows some very rare plants on himself.
A lovely little pond in the arid area around Camp Drybone
Ruins close to Camp Drybone
Canyons with a sunrise and a city far off in the distance. :)
Canyon looks rough! Look at all that fog.
Lovely store interior. Look at the lovely carpet! And they have more in the back. :P
Crystal formations around the Camp Drybone area. They glow at night!
An Amal'jaa Warrior - looks tough!
Inside Camp Drybone - the place was built in a depression. Handy to safeguard everyone from any harsh storms.
Upper area of Camp DryboneWestern Thanalan
Vesper Bay
A friendly face?
View from the side of the central square area.
What a lovely sunset!Have an awesome Sunday!
Eastern Thanalan
Camp Drybone Area
That death smile is rather eerie. The protector now grows some very rare plants on himself.
A lovely little pond in the arid area around Camp Drybone
Ruins close to Camp Drybone
Canyons with a sunrise and a city far off in the distance. :)
Canyon looks rough! Look at all that fog.
Lovely store interior. Look at the lovely carpet! And they have more in the back. :P
Crystal formations around the Camp Drybone area. They glow at night!
An Amal'jaa Warrior - looks tough!
Inside Camp Drybone - the place was built in a depression. Handy to safeguard everyone from any harsh storms.
Upper area of Camp DryboneWestern ThanalanVesper Bay
A friendly face?
View from the side of the central square area.
What a lovely sunset!Have an awesome Sunday!
April 1, 2016
Movie Review - Allegiant
Allegiant
Starring: Shailene Woodley, Theo James, Naomi Watts, Octavia Spencer, Jeff Daniels, Zoë Kravitz, Ansel Elgort, Miles Teller, Daniel Dae Kim, Maggie Q, and many, many more.Directed by: Robert Schwentke Screenplay by: Noah Oppenheim, Adam Cooper, and Bill Collage Based on the novels by: Veronica Roth Cinematography by: Florian Ballhaus Music by: Joseph TrapanesePremise: Though Chicago has been freed from the tyranny of Jeanine's rule, all is not well. Johanna asks Tris to step in as a leader, but Tris has other things on her mind. She desperately wants to follow the message which played after the box was opened and go outside the wall. But it won't be easy - not when Evelyn has decided no one gets to go outside the wall. Tris will find a way. And when she does, matters beyond the wall won't be quite what she expects. (Rated PG-13)Review:1) Acting - Total Thumbs Up: Shailene Woodley and Theo James bring forth good performances as their characters continue to evolve in this third installment of the Divergent Series. Jeff Daniels is smooth and deceptive as David. Ansel Elgort gets to show more of what he's made of as Caleb starts seeing the truth of things.2) Special Effects - Total Thumbs Up: The special effects department truly outdid themselves on this one. Awesome little touches that took some of the effects to a new level. First was the awesome work on the wasteland just outside the city. The color variations, the maze of half exposed warrens, the red rain falling from the sky; all making a truly unique tableau for the characters. The neat half leaning spires with rings (they looked super cool though we never do find out what they are!). The whole effect on the tainted area was rad.Second was the creation sequence of the Tris' mother's memory area when Tris is submerged into it. The way things came together like falling strings and draping tarps looked fantastic. The destruction sequence of memories later on was pretty darn cool as well.Third were the lovely Bureau of Genetics spires and later the city of Provenance. Some truly lovely work. The decontamination sequence was also really cool.And they had so many awesome gadgets! The three disks, the wall of globes, the Director's ship - lots of new gear to love! :) And the visuals for the immersion of those using the spy globes was totally cool.3) Plot/Story - Thumbs Up: I wasn't so sure I wanted to see this film, but since I'd seen the other two, we took the plunge. I'm glad I did, as the special effects were superb. The story didn't have as many issues as the previous films (if you don't look too hard), which helped a bit. And they actually tried to get the audience up to speed at the beginning - not just drop us off in the middle of the Ocean as they did for "Insurgent". They did hold up figurative signs screaming of what was about to happen next a time or two. This tendency Hollywood has to have huge pauses right before they kill someone off is a trend I do not understand. The deaths aren't surprising if you stretch and stretch the moment as you figuratively jump up and down so we know it's coming. If you shine such a bright light on it - we won't be surprised! Just disgusted. Duh. A ton of questions are not answered. David speaks of how everyone must make sacrifices, as he points out the cramped quarters of the non-pure, but they never actually say why he needs all these people! (Or why a man who looks twenty, is in memories from 40 years before and looks the same, while David actually aged. For a while, I thought they might be using genetic material for clones, but nothing ever came up to explain the weirdness.) I did like how they dressed Tris differently from the others once they were at the Bureau. Not only did it separate them by class, but it also made Tris start to resemble Jeanine.4) Stunts - Total Thumbs Up: The film has a number of fights, explosions, and more. Some nice Four hand-to-hand combat. And the entire wall escape sequence looked great!5) Locations/Cinematography - Total Thumbs Up: At the beginning of the film they do a gorgeous, slow sweep of Chicago to remind the audience of the devastation of old and the true state of the city as new scars now plague it's face. With the playing of the recording from the holographic projectors on several of the buildings, it made a great backdrop for giving the audience a quick reminder of what's been going on. Kudos! As I stated in the special effects section - the regions outside the wall were awesome! We get some super cool overhead shots of the pockmarked surface and the weird discolorations of the ground and the stagnant pools and red creeks. Truly brought home the fact the Earth has seem some super bad times in the past.All the view shots for the Bureau and Provenance showed both places beautifully. The central building of the Bureau is utterly fascinating!6) Costuming/Makeup - Total Thumbs Up: Like I mentioned earlier, they did some nice subtle things with Tris' clothes for some nice subtext. They also did fabulous work on coloring the characters' hair and skin from the red rain. The burn marks imprinted on one of the side character's face and neck were lovely. And the scars on Johanna were also well done. What I did not see, though, were deformities or sores or other issues on the faces of the people living in the fringes. Since that whole area is toxic, I would have expected more visible damage on the people living there - but they all actually looked rather healthy. :PConclusion: "Allegiant" makes up for a lot with the fabulous special effects and inventiveness brought to the third film in the series. Don't look too closely at the plot, and you should have a nice viewing experience. :)Rating: 3.5 out of 5 (Hubby's Rating: Worth Full Price of Admission)
Starring: Shailene Woodley, Theo James, Naomi Watts, Octavia Spencer, Jeff Daniels, Zoë Kravitz, Ansel Elgort, Miles Teller, Daniel Dae Kim, Maggie Q, and many, many more.Directed by: Robert Schwentke Screenplay by: Noah Oppenheim, Adam Cooper, and Bill Collage Based on the novels by: Veronica Roth Cinematography by: Florian Ballhaus Music by: Joseph TrapanesePremise: Though Chicago has been freed from the tyranny of Jeanine's rule, all is not well. Johanna asks Tris to step in as a leader, but Tris has other things on her mind. She desperately wants to follow the message which played after the box was opened and go outside the wall. But it won't be easy - not when Evelyn has decided no one gets to go outside the wall. Tris will find a way. And when she does, matters beyond the wall won't be quite what she expects. (Rated PG-13)Review:1) Acting - Total Thumbs Up: Shailene Woodley and Theo James bring forth good performances as their characters continue to evolve in this third installment of the Divergent Series. Jeff Daniels is smooth and deceptive as David. Ansel Elgort gets to show more of what he's made of as Caleb starts seeing the truth of things.2) Special Effects - Total Thumbs Up: The special effects department truly outdid themselves on this one. Awesome little touches that took some of the effects to a new level. First was the awesome work on the wasteland just outside the city. The color variations, the maze of half exposed warrens, the red rain falling from the sky; all making a truly unique tableau for the characters. The neat half leaning spires with rings (they looked super cool though we never do find out what they are!). The whole effect on the tainted area was rad.Second was the creation sequence of the Tris' mother's memory area when Tris is submerged into it. The way things came together like falling strings and draping tarps looked fantastic. The destruction sequence of memories later on was pretty darn cool as well.Third were the lovely Bureau of Genetics spires and later the city of Provenance. Some truly lovely work. The decontamination sequence was also really cool.And they had so many awesome gadgets! The three disks, the wall of globes, the Director's ship - lots of new gear to love! :) And the visuals for the immersion of those using the spy globes was totally cool.3) Plot/Story - Thumbs Up: I wasn't so sure I wanted to see this film, but since I'd seen the other two, we took the plunge. I'm glad I did, as the special effects were superb. The story didn't have as many issues as the previous films (if you don't look too hard), which helped a bit. And they actually tried to get the audience up to speed at the beginning - not just drop us off in the middle of the Ocean as they did for "Insurgent". They did hold up figurative signs screaming of what was about to happen next a time or two. This tendency Hollywood has to have huge pauses right before they kill someone off is a trend I do not understand. The deaths aren't surprising if you stretch and stretch the moment as you figuratively jump up and down so we know it's coming. If you shine such a bright light on it - we won't be surprised! Just disgusted. Duh. A ton of questions are not answered. David speaks of how everyone must make sacrifices, as he points out the cramped quarters of the non-pure, but they never actually say why he needs all these people! (Or why a man who looks twenty, is in memories from 40 years before and looks the same, while David actually aged. For a while, I thought they might be using genetic material for clones, but nothing ever came up to explain the weirdness.) I did like how they dressed Tris differently from the others once they were at the Bureau. Not only did it separate them by class, but it also made Tris start to resemble Jeanine.4) Stunts - Total Thumbs Up: The film has a number of fights, explosions, and more. Some nice Four hand-to-hand combat. And the entire wall escape sequence looked great!5) Locations/Cinematography - Total Thumbs Up: At the beginning of the film they do a gorgeous, slow sweep of Chicago to remind the audience of the devastation of old and the true state of the city as new scars now plague it's face. With the playing of the recording from the holographic projectors on several of the buildings, it made a great backdrop for giving the audience a quick reminder of what's been going on. Kudos! As I stated in the special effects section - the regions outside the wall were awesome! We get some super cool overhead shots of the pockmarked surface and the weird discolorations of the ground and the stagnant pools and red creeks. Truly brought home the fact the Earth has seem some super bad times in the past.All the view shots for the Bureau and Provenance showed both places beautifully. The central building of the Bureau is utterly fascinating!6) Costuming/Makeup - Total Thumbs Up: Like I mentioned earlier, they did some nice subtle things with Tris' clothes for some nice subtext. They also did fabulous work on coloring the characters' hair and skin from the red rain. The burn marks imprinted on one of the side character's face and neck were lovely. And the scars on Johanna were also well done. What I did not see, though, were deformities or sores or other issues on the faces of the people living in the fringes. Since that whole area is toxic, I would have expected more visible damage on the people living there - but they all actually looked rather healthy. :PConclusion: "Allegiant" makes up for a lot with the fabulous special effects and inventiveness brought to the third film in the series. Don't look too closely at the plot, and you should have a nice viewing experience. :)Rating: 3.5 out of 5 (Hubby's Rating: Worth Full Price of Admission)
March 30, 2016
Picture Kaleidoscope 3/30/16
Morning! The weather is looking frightful for this afternoon. Eek!
Red Deer During Rutting by Dirk Manderbach at Earthshots.org. Interesting angle! You just have to look at it. Heh heh. No website for Mr. Manderbach. :(
La Haya by Renato Lopez Baldo at Earthshots.org. Has a neat fairy tale look and feel to it, don't you think? His gallery is full of cool stuff, even National Geographic covers!
Sunset Over Washington by Davo Muttiah at Earthshots.org. Lovely composition. More lovely stuff at his site. :)Have an awesome day!
Red Deer During Rutting by Dirk Manderbach at Earthshots.org. Interesting angle! You just have to look at it. Heh heh. No website for Mr. Manderbach. :(
La Haya by Renato Lopez Baldo at Earthshots.org. Has a neat fairy tale look and feel to it, don't you think? His gallery is full of cool stuff, even National Geographic covers!
Sunset Over Washington by Davo Muttiah at Earthshots.org. Lovely composition. More lovely stuff at his site. :)Have an awesome day!
March 28, 2016
Mind Sieve 3/28/16
Morning!
Fan Fun
The Looking Planet - CGI Short - it's 16 minutes but well worth it. Once the boy shows up you won't be able to look away. :)
The LEGO Batman Movie Teaser Trailer - oh my! Lol
The Genius Official Trailer #1 - about Thomas Wolfe and his editor! Hee!
The Legend of Tarzan Official Trailer #2 - looking forward to it! woot!
Social Media/Author PlatformFacebook Enhances Video Metrics: This Week in Social Media by Grace Duffy at the Social media Examiner.
5 Ways to Use LinkedIn Publisher for Business by Viveka von Rosen at the Social Media Examiner
Writing Advice13 Ways Writers are Mistaken for Serial Killers by Kristen Lamb. Too cute!
Egos in Publishing: The Good, the Bad, & the Ugly by Jami Gold. Some good points to think about. :)
Have a great week!
Fan Fun
The Looking Planet - CGI Short - it's 16 minutes but well worth it. Once the boy shows up you won't be able to look away. :)
The LEGO Batman Movie Teaser Trailer - oh my! Lol
The Genius Official Trailer #1 - about Thomas Wolfe and his editor! Hee!
The Legend of Tarzan Official Trailer #2 - looking forward to it! woot!
Social Media/Author PlatformFacebook Enhances Video Metrics: This Week in Social Media by Grace Duffy at the Social media Examiner.
5 Ways to Use LinkedIn Publisher for Business by Viveka von Rosen at the Social Media Examiner
Writing Advice13 Ways Writers are Mistaken for Serial Killers by Kristen Lamb. Too cute!
Egos in Publishing: The Good, the Bad, & the Ugly by Jami Gold. Some good points to think about. :)
Have a great week!
March 27, 2016
Virtual Tourist - Grim Fandango 3/27/16
Rushing through this morning! Wheee!Petrified Forest
Trying to use the street sign to discover a secret tunnel out of here.
Found it! Whoohoo!
And the key to the locked gate! Booyah!
Driving over the bone bridge out of the Petrified Forest
Freedom!
Where will the road lead?
First sign of civilization!Rubacava
Exploring the edge of Rubacava
It's a dinner!
An ex-client!
A misstep! Eek!
Meeting someone new the hard way. Good thing Manny is already dead. :PHave a great one!
Trying to use the street sign to discover a secret tunnel out of here.
Found it! Whoohoo!
And the key to the locked gate! Booyah!
Driving over the bone bridge out of the Petrified Forest
Freedom!
Where will the road lead?
First sign of civilization!Rubacava
Exploring the edge of Rubacava
It's a dinner!
An ex-client!
A misstep! Eek!
Meeting someone new the hard way. Good thing Manny is already dead. :PHave a great one!
March 25, 2016
Movie Review - Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice
Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice
Starring: Ben Affleck, Henry Cavill, Amy Adams, Jesse Eisenberg, Diane Lane, Laurence Fishburne, Jeremy Irons, Holly Hunter, Gal Gadot, Callan Mulvey, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Michael Shannon, and more.Directed by: Zack Snyder Written by: Chris Terrio and David S. Goyer Based on characters created by: Bob Kane, Bill Finger, Jerry Siegel, Joe Shuster, and William Moulton Marston Cinematography by: Larry Fong Music by: Junkie XL and Hans ZummerPremise: A year and a half after the events revealing Superman to the world, there are those still trying to decide what threat this all powerful alien is to Earth. As an incident in the Arab nations suddenly brings a dark cloud over Superman's reputation, Bruce Wayne starts to believe it might be time to do something about him sooner rather than later. (Rated PG-13)Review:
1) Acting - Total Thumbs Up: Ben Affleck does a great job as an older, less trusting Batman. Henry Cavill reprises his role as the man of steel, making it look easy. Jeremy Irons brought some lovely acerbic spice to the role of Alfred. Gal Gadot was fun as Diana Prince, letting out a little of her inner Selina Kyle (Catwoman). :P Jesse Eisenberg was interesting as Lex, though the character was written a little bit too manic and psycho, giving him shades of the Joker. Amy Adams did more lovely work as Lois Lane - showing what makes her such a great reporter and friend. Holly Hunter was a hoot as Senator Finch. And though uncredited, it was lovely to see Papa Winchester (Jeffrey Dean morgan) as Thomas Wayne.2) Special Effects - Total Thumbs Up: Tons of special effects fill the film. (I know - DUH!) :P We get cool lab tech, new Batman toys, and destruction galore.The recreation of Superman's battle with Zod but done from the perspective of a frantic Bruce Wayne on the ground was some lovely work. The battle clash between Batman and Supes was very well done and gratifying. (Even though I did want to smack them both in the back of the head.) :PThe short video clip files for the origin of Cyborg (as they move the movie franchise towards the Justice League) are totally awesome!3) Plot/Story - Thumbs Up: Before the film started, they showed a short video where the filmmakers ask the audience to please not spoil it for anyone else by revealing secrets, plot twists, etc. Not sure what they were thinking would be all that surprising to give away (I had a good idea where all this was going and why just from the previews!), but I will attempt to not do any spoilers.Anyone who's ever read Frank Miller's The Dark Knight Returns miniseries will know where a lot of the material is coming from or have seen it explored before to some extent elsewhere. (Frank Miller was given credit for contributing in the film's credits - yay!) All people and beings can feel helpless, regardless of how much money or power they hold - something both DC Comic lines have played with for years. Interestingly, they included several offshoots from other miniseries/standalone graphic novels with regards to alternate timelines/realities for Batman and Superman. That was rather fun - but also a little confusing. One thing I must point out though - Batman does NOT kill. While they did a decent job working up why he'd change his usual MO to get rid of Superman, they did nothing to show why he's suddenly killing human criminals. Guess you can't have big explosions to light up the screen without killing, so killing happened. Boo!I found it odd too how they imbued Diana Prince/Wonder Woman and Lex Luthor with traits from Catwoman and Joker. These two characters are plenty fascinating on their own without needing to be tweaked. And Lex might be insane, but he's more sociopathic than psycho. And making something without a way to control it? Lex? Doubtful! (We also get a complete Batman origin replay, but nothing for Supes, which seemed odd?)The only true flaw I found, however, was in one of the most important driving pieces of the plot itself - the altercation in the desert! People there died from bullets, so how the heck does that translate into Superman killing people? If the mercenaries had come back later and altered the scene, it would have been nice for the congressional hearings to have mentioned what was found to make it look like Superman committed unnecessary slaughter - otherwise, it makes no sense at all! But, if you ignore that, the rest works for the most part. Those who know the comics and characters well, I doubt will be that surprised by the progression of events. 4) Stunts - Total Thumbs Up: A ton of stunts fill the film from one end to the other. CGI was thrown into the mix as well but is very well integrated with the real sets and fights. You'll grunt and hurt for them. :PThe hand-to-hand fight in the warehouse was awesome! (Even though Bats does not do guns, ya'll! (Still looked awesome though.))5) Cinematography - Total Thumbs Up: Lovely cinematography work by Larry Fong. Seeing Wayne manor in ruins was creepy. Tons of overhead shots or panned back shots to really bring home the scope of the battles. And nice closeups in the middle of the chaos too.Conclusion: Batman v Superman (Shouldn't that be vs. ? Guy in the pre-film thing said 'v' instead of 'versus' too - what was up with that?) is a fun ride full of things to think about as well as tons of action. Pay close attention to the closing scene! No extra bits during or after the credits.Rating: 3.5 out of 5 (Hubby's Rating: Worth Full Price to See Again)
Starring: Ben Affleck, Henry Cavill, Amy Adams, Jesse Eisenberg, Diane Lane, Laurence Fishburne, Jeremy Irons, Holly Hunter, Gal Gadot, Callan Mulvey, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Michael Shannon, and more.Directed by: Zack Snyder Written by: Chris Terrio and David S. Goyer Based on characters created by: Bob Kane, Bill Finger, Jerry Siegel, Joe Shuster, and William Moulton Marston Cinematography by: Larry Fong Music by: Junkie XL and Hans ZummerPremise: A year and a half after the events revealing Superman to the world, there are those still trying to decide what threat this all powerful alien is to Earth. As an incident in the Arab nations suddenly brings a dark cloud over Superman's reputation, Bruce Wayne starts to believe it might be time to do something about him sooner rather than later. (Rated PG-13)Review:
1) Acting - Total Thumbs Up: Ben Affleck does a great job as an older, less trusting Batman. Henry Cavill reprises his role as the man of steel, making it look easy. Jeremy Irons brought some lovely acerbic spice to the role of Alfred. Gal Gadot was fun as Diana Prince, letting out a little of her inner Selina Kyle (Catwoman). :P Jesse Eisenberg was interesting as Lex, though the character was written a little bit too manic and psycho, giving him shades of the Joker. Amy Adams did more lovely work as Lois Lane - showing what makes her such a great reporter and friend. Holly Hunter was a hoot as Senator Finch. And though uncredited, it was lovely to see Papa Winchester (Jeffrey Dean morgan) as Thomas Wayne.2) Special Effects - Total Thumbs Up: Tons of special effects fill the film. (I know - DUH!) :P We get cool lab tech, new Batman toys, and destruction galore.The recreation of Superman's battle with Zod but done from the perspective of a frantic Bruce Wayne on the ground was some lovely work. The battle clash between Batman and Supes was very well done and gratifying. (Even though I did want to smack them both in the back of the head.) :PThe short video clip files for the origin of Cyborg (as they move the movie franchise towards the Justice League) are totally awesome!3) Plot/Story - Thumbs Up: Before the film started, they showed a short video where the filmmakers ask the audience to please not spoil it for anyone else by revealing secrets, plot twists, etc. Not sure what they were thinking would be all that surprising to give away (I had a good idea where all this was going and why just from the previews!), but I will attempt to not do any spoilers.Anyone who's ever read Frank Miller's The Dark Knight Returns miniseries will know where a lot of the material is coming from or have seen it explored before to some extent elsewhere. (Frank Miller was given credit for contributing in the film's credits - yay!) All people and beings can feel helpless, regardless of how much money or power they hold - something both DC Comic lines have played with for years. Interestingly, they included several offshoots from other miniseries/standalone graphic novels with regards to alternate timelines/realities for Batman and Superman. That was rather fun - but also a little confusing. One thing I must point out though - Batman does NOT kill. While they did a decent job working up why he'd change his usual MO to get rid of Superman, they did nothing to show why he's suddenly killing human criminals. Guess you can't have big explosions to light up the screen without killing, so killing happened. Boo!I found it odd too how they imbued Diana Prince/Wonder Woman and Lex Luthor with traits from Catwoman and Joker. These two characters are plenty fascinating on their own without needing to be tweaked. And Lex might be insane, but he's more sociopathic than psycho. And making something without a way to control it? Lex? Doubtful! (We also get a complete Batman origin replay, but nothing for Supes, which seemed odd?)The only true flaw I found, however, was in one of the most important driving pieces of the plot itself - the altercation in the desert! People there died from bullets, so how the heck does that translate into Superman killing people? If the mercenaries had come back later and altered the scene, it would have been nice for the congressional hearings to have mentioned what was found to make it look like Superman committed unnecessary slaughter - otherwise, it makes no sense at all! But, if you ignore that, the rest works for the most part. Those who know the comics and characters well, I doubt will be that surprised by the progression of events. 4) Stunts - Total Thumbs Up: A ton of stunts fill the film from one end to the other. CGI was thrown into the mix as well but is very well integrated with the real sets and fights. You'll grunt and hurt for them. :PThe hand-to-hand fight in the warehouse was awesome! (Even though Bats does not do guns, ya'll! (Still looked awesome though.))5) Cinematography - Total Thumbs Up: Lovely cinematography work by Larry Fong. Seeing Wayne manor in ruins was creepy. Tons of overhead shots or panned back shots to really bring home the scope of the battles. And nice closeups in the middle of the chaos too.Conclusion: Batman v Superman (Shouldn't that be vs. ? Guy in the pre-film thing said 'v' instead of 'versus' too - what was up with that?) is a fun ride full of things to think about as well as tons of action. Pay close attention to the closing scene! No extra bits during or after the credits.Rating: 3.5 out of 5 (Hubby's Rating: Worth Full Price to See Again)
March 23, 2016
Picture Kaleidoscope - AllCon 2016
This past weekend we were at ALLCon 2016!
Energizer bunny!
New setup we tried out for AllCon. Have an extra side table to give us more room. :)
Not your typical caped crusaders. :P
Umbrella Corp Security - Japan branch. They mean business! :P
Who said skeletons can't be cool? :)
Clockwork woman! You can see her gears! Eek!
Steampunk Scottish Soldier. He looks swank!
They look serious! (Can't for the life of me remember the character's name. Wah!)
The Light and Dark sides of the Force.
She is so CUTE!
Daughter came up with this during the con. Came out Fab! Deadpool Chainmail Dice Bag. :)
Xavier and Cerebro - sweet!
Mrs. Frizzle and friend! From the Magic School Bus!
We finally remembered the pixie lights to add to the chainmail sphere. I think it looks like the Deathstar now. :)
A gaggle of Disney Villains! No one is safe!Have a great one!
Energizer bunny!
New setup we tried out for AllCon. Have an extra side table to give us more room. :)
Not your typical caped crusaders. :P
Umbrella Corp Security - Japan branch. They mean business! :P
Who said skeletons can't be cool? :)
Clockwork woman! You can see her gears! Eek!
Steampunk Scottish Soldier. He looks swank!
They look serious! (Can't for the life of me remember the character's name. Wah!)
The Light and Dark sides of the Force.
She is so CUTE!
Daughter came up with this during the con. Came out Fab! Deadpool Chainmail Dice Bag. :)
Xavier and Cerebro - sweet!
Mrs. Frizzle and friend! From the Magic School Bus!
We finally remembered the pixie lights to add to the chainmail sphere. I think it looks like the Deathstar now. :)
A gaggle of Disney Villains! No one is safe!Have a great one!
