Gloria Oliver's Blog, page 49
March 23, 2015
Mind Sieve 3/23/15
Morning all!
Fan Fun
Con-Man Teaser - Campaign by Alan Tudyk and Nathan Fillion - this looks like so much fun!
The Transporter Refueled Official Trailer #1 - should be cool!
Pixels Official Trailer - this will either be a lot of fun or a big bomb. lol.
Inside Out Official Trailer #2 - this is going to be a wild ride. Heh heh
Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation - would not let me share the video. Waaaahhh! Look great!
Social Media/Author PlatformMake Your Videos Even More Interactive With Cards by YT Creators.
Should We Change Our Blogging Style by Jami Gold. Food for thought!
Writing AdviceWant to Start a Writing Related Company? guest post by Kathryn Golman at Jami Gold's blog.
The Flip Side to my Writing Tirade by Chuck (NSFW) Wendig.
Heck must be about to freeze over. I did a full post! *pumpsfists*
If you guys only knew all the stuff that has NOT been working out. Bwahahahaha
Fan Fun
Con-Man Teaser - Campaign by Alan Tudyk and Nathan Fillion - this looks like so much fun!
The Transporter Refueled Official Trailer #1 - should be cool!
Pixels Official Trailer - this will either be a lot of fun or a big bomb. lol.
Inside Out Official Trailer #2 - this is going to be a wild ride. Heh heh
Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation - would not let me share the video. Waaaahhh! Look great!
Social Media/Author PlatformMake Your Videos Even More Interactive With Cards by YT Creators.
Should We Change Our Blogging Style by Jami Gold. Food for thought!
Writing AdviceWant to Start a Writing Related Company? guest post by Kathryn Golman at Jami Gold's blog.
The Flip Side to my Writing Tirade by Chuck (NSFW) Wendig.
Heck must be about to freeze over. I did a full post! *pumpsfists*
If you guys only knew all the stuff that has NOT been working out. Bwahahahaha
March 22, 2015
Virtual Tourist - Sherlock Holmes Crime & Punishment 3/22/15
Morning!
Let's get touring!
Sherlock Holmes Crime & Punishment
Half Moon Street Case
Sherlock in disguise!
The circus's main building. I thought we were going to do a lot in this area, but...
What some would call an opportunist. Heh heh
House where Sherlock's new chums plan to rob the last of the three pieces of jewelry. Sherlock has his own plans for the place.
The place is in pretty good shape despite being boarded up.
Using what presents itself to make some traps. Heh heh
Mycroft and his views on the current matter.
The game is done... Some cool visuals in the credits
Showing crime scenes with see through perpetrators
Rather neat!
Ah! Look at the light rainbow! Nice touch guys!
Sherlock pondering how he will entertain himself next! :P
I want to go back and get take the Roman pics! Now just need to find time to go do it! Wheee!
Let's get touring!
Sherlock Holmes Crime & Punishment
Half Moon Street Case
Sherlock in disguise!
The circus's main building. I thought we were going to do a lot in this area, but...
What some would call an opportunist. Heh heh
House where Sherlock's new chums plan to rob the last of the three pieces of jewelry. Sherlock has his own plans for the place.
The place is in pretty good shape despite being boarded up.
Using what presents itself to make some traps. Heh heh
Mycroft and his views on the current matter.
The game is done... Some cool visuals in the credits
Showing crime scenes with see through perpetrators
Rather neat!
Ah! Look at the light rainbow! Nice touch guys!
Sherlock pondering how he will entertain himself next! :P
I want to go back and get take the Roman pics! Now just need to find time to go do it! Wheee!
March 20, 2015
Movie Review - Insurgent
Insurgent
Starring: Shailene Woodley, Theo James, Kate Winslet, Jai Courtney, Miles Teller, Jai Courtney, Mekhi Phifer, Ansel Elgort, Daniel Dae Kim, Octavia Spencer, Naomi Watts, Zoë Kravitz, Cynthia Barrett, Ashley Judd, and more.
Directed by: Robert Schwentke Screenplay by: Brian Duffield, Akiva Goldsman, and Mark Bomback Based on the Novel by: Veronica Roth
Premise: Having escaped Jeanine after foiling her plans, Tris finds her inner self conflicted with all that's happened, especially the loss of her mom. And a new wrinkle presents itself, Jeanine found a vessel that contains a message from the Founders, but only a Divergent can pass the tests necessary to open it. And she very badly wants it opened - as she believes it will give her a way to get rid of all Divergents once and for all. So she's more than willing to break even more rules than before to reach her goals. (Rated Pg-13)
Review:
1) Acting - Total Thumbs Up: Shailene Woodley did well as the unbalanced Tris. She and Theo James oozed chemistry throughout the film. Miles Teller was fun as bad boy Peter. Kate Winslet was cold as ice as Jeanine. Naomi Watts as Evelyn was rather interesting. Very hard to tell what side she's truly on.
2) Special Effects - Total Thumbs Up: The cool effects start with the credits. The Summit Entertainment and Red Wagon Logos looked amazing as they introduced them in the 3D and morphed them into Jeanine's image. The visuals were very good - like late in the film, when the city is coming totally apart during two of the sims.
There's one scene with Four where the image falls slowly apart that made for a great visual. Also the weird nano spider things looked very cool.
3) Story - Neutral: Sadly, the film makers forgot some basic rules: a) Not everyone has read the books b) Not everyone will have seen the first film c) Those who did see it, have probably forgotten a lot of details by now.
So instead of doing a quick recap of events, the audience is thrown into things with nothing to guide them. While it's easy enough to remember the main characters, the details behind Peter and Caleb were not as memorable, so it made it incredibly hard to understand some of what was going on or the feelings being kicked about at the beginning. Very bad move. The excitement that could have been built right off is instead hampered and made twice as hard to light.
As happens in a lot of science fiction movies and some books, they can never seem to find a balance between the science level indicated vs. other tech used. If you can make nano machine spiders that are intelligent enough to try to fight against you taking them out, then why can't you make them good enough to heal your wounded hand? Through the entire film, Jeanine is cradling her bandaged hand. This from a culture with science that can make virtual reality feel real, put living nano technology inside you without any drawbacks, and use other tech to take over your mind. Yet no tech to help your booboo? Right...
There were some definitely good moments - some snappy zingers cropped up here and there. But they were only moments. The whole concept of the 'secret in a container' seemed out of place and contrived, as I don't believe it was ever mentioned in the first film. The leftover bad guy from the first film had to reach useless heights of depravity just so there would be sufficient reason built to shoot him while he was helpless with his hands tied. Which pretty much overrides the act, making it wrong as well. (Though it will uncannily resemble a later act by his mother...)
The ending was odd as well. The message in the container did not surprise me, but the mass exodus of the population did. They all know there's at least thirty miles of desert out there - we had some awesome shots of it in the first film! - so where do they think they're going without transportation or water?
There are two more films coming out for the series - but the ending of this one, made us think there this was it. Only found out there's two more while doing research at IMDB. Would a tiny hint have hurt? "The Maze Runner" did that much at least.
4) Stunts - Thumbs Up: There are fights in several parts of the film, but most were the usual. The fight on the train was very nice though. Some explosions and decent stunt work, but again nothing overtly unusual.
5) Locations/Cinematography - Total Thumbs Up: Somewhat outdone by the sims, there were still some great shots of the real city. The collapsed areas and people having to traverse them by foot were definitely impressive. The dried up river with the half drawn bridges was definitely a nice visual. (Though why in 200 years you'd not done some renovating seems rather weird - especially with some of the grandiose buildings in some of the sectors.)
Conclusion: With the lack of a recap putting the viewers off center, the film never heats up as much as it could have with the audience. Some cool sims, some snappy lines, but really nothing much to get really excited about. Which was a pity. You'll think this is the end, but there's two more movies coming. But no hint of it in the film at all. Too bad.
Rating: 3.25 out of 5 (Hubby's Rating: Worth Full Price of Admission)
Starring: Shailene Woodley, Theo James, Kate Winslet, Jai Courtney, Miles Teller, Jai Courtney, Mekhi Phifer, Ansel Elgort, Daniel Dae Kim, Octavia Spencer, Naomi Watts, Zoë Kravitz, Cynthia Barrett, Ashley Judd, and more.
Directed by: Robert Schwentke Screenplay by: Brian Duffield, Akiva Goldsman, and Mark Bomback Based on the Novel by: Veronica Roth
Premise: Having escaped Jeanine after foiling her plans, Tris finds her inner self conflicted with all that's happened, especially the loss of her mom. And a new wrinkle presents itself, Jeanine found a vessel that contains a message from the Founders, but only a Divergent can pass the tests necessary to open it. And she very badly wants it opened - as she believes it will give her a way to get rid of all Divergents once and for all. So she's more than willing to break even more rules than before to reach her goals. (Rated Pg-13)
Review:
1) Acting - Total Thumbs Up: Shailene Woodley did well as the unbalanced Tris. She and Theo James oozed chemistry throughout the film. Miles Teller was fun as bad boy Peter. Kate Winslet was cold as ice as Jeanine. Naomi Watts as Evelyn was rather interesting. Very hard to tell what side she's truly on.
2) Special Effects - Total Thumbs Up: The cool effects start with the credits. The Summit Entertainment and Red Wagon Logos looked amazing as they introduced them in the 3D and morphed them into Jeanine's image. The visuals were very good - like late in the film, when the city is coming totally apart during two of the sims.
There's one scene with Four where the image falls slowly apart that made for a great visual. Also the weird nano spider things looked very cool.
3) Story - Neutral: Sadly, the film makers forgot some basic rules: a) Not everyone has read the books b) Not everyone will have seen the first film c) Those who did see it, have probably forgotten a lot of details by now.
So instead of doing a quick recap of events, the audience is thrown into things with nothing to guide them. While it's easy enough to remember the main characters, the details behind Peter and Caleb were not as memorable, so it made it incredibly hard to understand some of what was going on or the feelings being kicked about at the beginning. Very bad move. The excitement that could have been built right off is instead hampered and made twice as hard to light.
As happens in a lot of science fiction movies and some books, they can never seem to find a balance between the science level indicated vs. other tech used. If you can make nano machine spiders that are intelligent enough to try to fight against you taking them out, then why can't you make them good enough to heal your wounded hand? Through the entire film, Jeanine is cradling her bandaged hand. This from a culture with science that can make virtual reality feel real, put living nano technology inside you without any drawbacks, and use other tech to take over your mind. Yet no tech to help your booboo? Right...
There were some definitely good moments - some snappy zingers cropped up here and there. But they were only moments. The whole concept of the 'secret in a container' seemed out of place and contrived, as I don't believe it was ever mentioned in the first film. The leftover bad guy from the first film had to reach useless heights of depravity just so there would be sufficient reason built to shoot him while he was helpless with his hands tied. Which pretty much overrides the act, making it wrong as well. (Though it will uncannily resemble a later act by his mother...)
The ending was odd as well. The message in the container did not surprise me, but the mass exodus of the population did. They all know there's at least thirty miles of desert out there - we had some awesome shots of it in the first film! - so where do they think they're going without transportation or water?
There are two more films coming out for the series - but the ending of this one, made us think there this was it. Only found out there's two more while doing research at IMDB. Would a tiny hint have hurt? "The Maze Runner" did that much at least.
4) Stunts - Thumbs Up: There are fights in several parts of the film, but most were the usual. The fight on the train was very nice though. Some explosions and decent stunt work, but again nothing overtly unusual.
5) Locations/Cinematography - Total Thumbs Up: Somewhat outdone by the sims, there were still some great shots of the real city. The collapsed areas and people having to traverse them by foot were definitely impressive. The dried up river with the half drawn bridges was definitely a nice visual. (Though why in 200 years you'd not done some renovating seems rather weird - especially with some of the grandiose buildings in some of the sectors.)
Conclusion: With the lack of a recap putting the viewers off center, the film never heats up as much as it could have with the audience. Some cool sims, some snappy lines, but really nothing much to get really excited about. Which was a pity. You'll think this is the end, but there's two more movies coming. But no hint of it in the film at all. Too bad.
Rating: 3.25 out of 5 (Hubby's Rating: Worth Full Price of Admission)
March 16, 2015
Mind Sieve 3/16/15
Morning!
Fan Fun
Minions Official Trailer #2 - Woot!
Hotel Transylvania 2 Official Teaser Trailer - Should be cute!!
San Andreas Official Trailer 2 - Oh my goodness!
Tomorrowland Trailer 2 - looking forward to this one!
Writing AdviceThe Difference Between "Flawed" Characters and "Too Dumb to Live" by Kristen Lamb. Way good advice!
From Newbie to Master -- Understanding the Writer's Journey by Kristen Lamb.
Running off now!
Fan Fun
Minions Official Trailer #2 - Woot!
Hotel Transylvania 2 Official Teaser Trailer - Should be cute!!
San Andreas Official Trailer 2 - Oh my goodness!
Tomorrowland Trailer 2 - looking forward to this one!
Writing AdviceThe Difference Between "Flawed" Characters and "Too Dumb to Live" by Kristen Lamb. Way good advice!
From Newbie to Master -- Understanding the Writer's Journey by Kristen Lamb.
Running off now!
March 15, 2015
Virtual Tourist - TERA 3/15/15
Morning!
Trying to slap this together before starting the final day of All-Con.
TERA
Westonia
Citadel of Torment
Huh, did I share this one already? Oh well!
More evil denizens of the place!
So roomy!
A nice forbidding doorway.
Shshshshsh we're hiding...
He looks like he's gonna tell on me.
Isn't he gruesome looking?
I do love these hallways!
Now this is a library~!
Looking down into the next level
How cool is that!
Uhm, flowers fed by blood? Not so cool. I like to keep my blood on the inside. Heh heh
Have an awesome Sunday!
Trying to slap this together before starting the final day of All-Con.
TERA
Westonia
Citadel of Torment
Huh, did I share this one already? Oh well!
More evil denizens of the place!
So roomy!
A nice forbidding doorway.
Shshshshsh we're hiding...
He looks like he's gonna tell on me.
Isn't he gruesome looking?
I do love these hallways!
Now this is a library~!
Looking down into the next level
How cool is that!
Uhm, flowers fed by blood? Not so cool. I like to keep my blood on the inside. Heh heh
Have an awesome Sunday!
March 14, 2015
Movie Review - Cinderella
(Running late! Have Allcon this weekend and after the movie it was way late!)
Cinderella
Starring: Lily James, Cate Blanchett, Richard Madden, Helena Bonham Carter, Nonso Anozie, Stellan Skarsgard, Sophie McShera, Holliday Grainger, Derek Jacobi, Ben Chaplin, Hayley Atwell, and more
Directed by: Kenneth Branagh Screenplay by: Chris Weitz Cinematography by: Haris Zambarloukos Music by: Patrick Doyle
Premise: Years after the death of her mother, Ella's father remarries a widow with two daughters. The rocky relationship between the new members of the family escalates when Ella's father also passes. Bereft of most of their income and imbued with jealousy, Ella's step-mother and step-sisters slowly but surely relegate Ella to the role of a servant rather than a family member. Things continue to deteriorate and are brought to a boil when the small kingdom holds an open ball for all eligible your maidens. (Rated PG)
Review:
1) Acting - Total Thumbs Up: The casting on this film by Lucy Bevan was great. Lily James does a lovely job as Cinderella. Richard Madden and Lily are adorable together and the chemistry between them felt real and fresh. Cate Blanchett was fab as the evil step-mother. She was very expressive and gave depth to the character, showing her bitterness at her lack of power and socially forced dependence on men to assure a comfortable existence and fear she might not be able to give that certainty to her daughters. Sophie McShera and Holliday Grainger were perfect as the clueless and mean step-sisters. Helena Bonham Carter put her own twist to the Fairy Godmother and did a grand job as the story's narrator.
2) Special Effects - Total Thumbs Up: Lots of lovely and subtle special effects enhance the film to give it just the right amount of magic, yet kept it within the bounds of something that could happen in reality. The CGI for the mice and other animals was very well done. Lots of humorous touches, especially with the goose, that make the film transcend to a possible new Disney classic.
The pumpkin transformation scene was changed with a cute twist, but the payoff is totally there when it starts reverting back to what it originally was on the mad dash away from the castle at midnight. Totally worth the wait and they give you a fun and funny conversion for the mice and lizards to satiate the audience until the later midnight reversion payoff.
The enhancements to the real castle and even the manor that is Ella's home definitely make the places magical. The stag in the forest was fantastic as well. The stag's expressions when he first meets her and then when he realizes she means him no harm, were exquisitely done. Also loved the use of the blue birds, which tie back to the animated film.
3) Story - Thumbs Up: The original tale gets expanded a little, making the whole more robust. Some of the actions and reactions are based on realities, thus giving more depth to the situations. The need for women of certain social status to marry to ensure they have money to live on as their skills are only useful in the management of a home or entertainment, rather than on ways to make a living. The pressures on monarchs to make advantageous alliances through marriage, and more.
They even plug in a couple of issues with the original, like why the step-mother and step-sisters do not recognize Cinderella at the ball.
There's also a little more interaction between Ella and the prince, making them more both more multidimensional. And Ella's conversations with animals and their reactions to her totally fit.
Incidental characters add a lot as well - used for comedic moments or for adding flavor. Both animals and people love to peek in at all sorts of places.
4) Costuming/Makeup - Total Thumbs Up: Great work on both fronts! Loved everything they did with the step-sisters - the horrid patterns and matching fabrics, the hair styles making them closely resemble their animated counterparts. The beautiful dresses and fashion for the step-mother, making a definite contrast between her talents and advantages and the utter lack of same by her daughters.
Cinderella's dress for the ball was fantastic! The gorgeous blue color and the layers and layers of fabric beneath made the dress seem to shimmer in different shades whenever she moved. Lots of prime colors for the other ladies at the ball, giving the scenes the same brightness of the animated version.
5) Locations/Cinematography - Total Thumbs Up: A lot of the filming locations are real places in England, enhanced by CGI. The combinations works fabulously. The cinematography took advantage of this as well, for lovely sweeping shots of the palace and the country manor. The Old Naval Royal College used for the palace interiors looked awesome all on its own.
Conclusion: This live action rendition of the old classic is definitely good enough to be a new classic. No singing, though they do have two of the songs play through the credits. The extra depth and detail given to the characters make for a better film. The animated short before the main film is a Frozen short and it is utterly adorable and very well done!
Rating: 4 out of 5 (Hubby's Rating: Worth Full Price to See Again)
Cinderella
Starring: Lily James, Cate Blanchett, Richard Madden, Helena Bonham Carter, Nonso Anozie, Stellan Skarsgard, Sophie McShera, Holliday Grainger, Derek Jacobi, Ben Chaplin, Hayley Atwell, and more
Directed by: Kenneth Branagh Screenplay by: Chris Weitz Cinematography by: Haris Zambarloukos Music by: Patrick Doyle
Premise: Years after the death of her mother, Ella's father remarries a widow with two daughters. The rocky relationship between the new members of the family escalates when Ella's father also passes. Bereft of most of their income and imbued with jealousy, Ella's step-mother and step-sisters slowly but surely relegate Ella to the role of a servant rather than a family member. Things continue to deteriorate and are brought to a boil when the small kingdom holds an open ball for all eligible your maidens. (Rated PG)
Review:
1) Acting - Total Thumbs Up: The casting on this film by Lucy Bevan was great. Lily James does a lovely job as Cinderella. Richard Madden and Lily are adorable together and the chemistry between them felt real and fresh. Cate Blanchett was fab as the evil step-mother. She was very expressive and gave depth to the character, showing her bitterness at her lack of power and socially forced dependence on men to assure a comfortable existence and fear she might not be able to give that certainty to her daughters. Sophie McShera and Holliday Grainger were perfect as the clueless and mean step-sisters. Helena Bonham Carter put her own twist to the Fairy Godmother and did a grand job as the story's narrator.
2) Special Effects - Total Thumbs Up: Lots of lovely and subtle special effects enhance the film to give it just the right amount of magic, yet kept it within the bounds of something that could happen in reality. The CGI for the mice and other animals was very well done. Lots of humorous touches, especially with the goose, that make the film transcend to a possible new Disney classic.
The pumpkin transformation scene was changed with a cute twist, but the payoff is totally there when it starts reverting back to what it originally was on the mad dash away from the castle at midnight. Totally worth the wait and they give you a fun and funny conversion for the mice and lizards to satiate the audience until the later midnight reversion payoff.
The enhancements to the real castle and even the manor that is Ella's home definitely make the places magical. The stag in the forest was fantastic as well. The stag's expressions when he first meets her and then when he realizes she means him no harm, were exquisitely done. Also loved the use of the blue birds, which tie back to the animated film.
3) Story - Thumbs Up: The original tale gets expanded a little, making the whole more robust. Some of the actions and reactions are based on realities, thus giving more depth to the situations. The need for women of certain social status to marry to ensure they have money to live on as their skills are only useful in the management of a home or entertainment, rather than on ways to make a living. The pressures on monarchs to make advantageous alliances through marriage, and more.
They even plug in a couple of issues with the original, like why the step-mother and step-sisters do not recognize Cinderella at the ball.
There's also a little more interaction between Ella and the prince, making them more both more multidimensional. And Ella's conversations with animals and their reactions to her totally fit.
Incidental characters add a lot as well - used for comedic moments or for adding flavor. Both animals and people love to peek in at all sorts of places.
4) Costuming/Makeup - Total Thumbs Up: Great work on both fronts! Loved everything they did with the step-sisters - the horrid patterns and matching fabrics, the hair styles making them closely resemble their animated counterparts. The beautiful dresses and fashion for the step-mother, making a definite contrast between her talents and advantages and the utter lack of same by her daughters.
Cinderella's dress for the ball was fantastic! The gorgeous blue color and the layers and layers of fabric beneath made the dress seem to shimmer in different shades whenever she moved. Lots of prime colors for the other ladies at the ball, giving the scenes the same brightness of the animated version.
5) Locations/Cinematography - Total Thumbs Up: A lot of the filming locations are real places in England, enhanced by CGI. The combinations works fabulously. The cinematography took advantage of this as well, for lovely sweeping shots of the palace and the country manor. The Old Naval Royal College used for the palace interiors looked awesome all on its own.
Conclusion: This live action rendition of the old classic is definitely good enough to be a new classic. No singing, though they do have two of the songs play through the credits. The extra depth and detail given to the characters make for a better film. The animated short before the main film is a Frozen short and it is utterly adorable and very well done!
Rating: 4 out of 5 (Hubby's Rating: Worth Full Price to See Again)
March 9, 2015
MInd Sieve 3/9/15
Greetings!
Let's see how far I get!
Fan Fun
Let's play a game with Animals from Maroon 5 - replace the word Animals with Hannibal. Oh it fits so good! Heh heh
Avengers 2: Age of Ultron Trailer #3 - woohoo!
Mr. Holmes Teaser Trailer #1 - Old Holmes with Alzheimers. Ugh the dread of a degrading mind. Eek!
Self/less Trailer - Oh! Hello Heinlein! This looks fun!
No Escape Official Trailer - holy molly!
Social Media/Author Platform5 Pinterest Image Styles That People Love to Share by Cynthia Sanchez at the Social Media Examiner.
How To Drive More Traffic to Your Blog Posts From Social Networks by Andy Crestodina at the Social Media Examiner. Ack! I need to get on the ball on this one.
Ack, got derailed by the last article. Had to go check things. lol.
Hope you have an awesome week!
Let's see how far I get!
Fan Fun
Let's play a game with Animals from Maroon 5 - replace the word Animals with Hannibal. Oh it fits so good! Heh heh
Avengers 2: Age of Ultron Trailer #3 - woohoo!
Mr. Holmes Teaser Trailer #1 - Old Holmes with Alzheimers. Ugh the dread of a degrading mind. Eek!
Self/less Trailer - Oh! Hello Heinlein! This looks fun!
No Escape Official Trailer - holy molly!
Social Media/Author Platform5 Pinterest Image Styles That People Love to Share by Cynthia Sanchez at the Social Media Examiner.
How To Drive More Traffic to Your Blog Posts From Social Networks by Andy Crestodina at the Social Media Examiner. Ack! I need to get on the ball on this one.
Ack, got derailed by the last article. Had to go check things. lol.
Hope you have an awesome week!
March 8, 2015
Virtual Tourist - TERA 3/8/15
Morning!
Westonia
Departing the elven city
Citadel of Torment
What awesome brooding ruins!
Super brooding ruins!
Intimidating too! Like right out of a Hammer Film.
The willing victims move ever closer...
The entrance is near...
Ugly and beautiful all at the same time.
Gorgeous!
Mood lighting and everything!
Squee! I do love the work on this place!
Oh, I am not intimidated ones bit. Eek!
Unfriendlies in a to die for hallway.
Stay dry and warm!
Westonia
Departing the elven city
Citadel of Torment
What awesome brooding ruins!
Super brooding ruins!
Intimidating too! Like right out of a Hammer Film.
The willing victims move ever closer...
The entrance is near...
Ugly and beautiful all at the same time.
Gorgeous!
Mood lighting and everything!
Squee! I do love the work on this place!
Oh, I am not intimidated ones bit. Eek!
Unfriendlies in a to die for hallway.
Stay dry and warm!
March 6, 2015
Movie Review - Chappie
Chappie
Starring: Sharlto Copley, Dev Patel, Ninja, Yo-Landi Visser, Jose Pablo Cantillo, Hugh Jackman, Sigourney Weaver, Brandon Auret, Anderson Cooper, Jason Cope, and more.
Directed by: Neill Blomkamp Written by: Neill Blomkamp and Terri Tatchell Cinematography by: Trent Opaloch Music by: Hans Zimmer
Premise: A scientist working on artificial intelligence takes a chance and steals a broken scout robot, but is in turn kidnapped. To placate his captors, he offers them the use of scout 22 once he's implanted him with his new AI program. Desperate themselves, the kidnappers take Deon up on the offer, hoping to use the scout for a big heist to get them out of trouble with their boss. But as soon as the scout robot is rebooted, it is obvious scout 22 is more than they bargained for. (Rated R)
Review:
1) Acting - Thumbs Up: Dev Patel was perfect as the geeky Deon Wilson. His emotional fervor shone through as the lamb became the lion. Hugh Jackman easily brought home all the frustrated emasculation of his character Vincent Moore. Sigourney Weaver was once more sadly underused.
Outshining everyone, whoever, was Chappie, played by Sharlto Copley. His vocal deliveries, and even more, his captured body movements which were transferred to the CGI character, made Chappie more human than the real thing. Really amazing.
2) Special Effects - Total Thumbs Up: The CGI work on this film is utterly fantastic. It's hard to think of Chappie as a created image, he looks so real on the screen. The physical interaction between him and those around him totally complete the illusion. Truly some incredible work.
Even the big brute Moose, when finally used in the film, was darn impressive. Add in the explosions, rivers of bullets, and damage of all kinds, and the virtuous efforts of the special effects team are everywhere you look.
3) Plot/Story - Neutral: Though the whole concept of Chappie and his evolution is quite fascinating, the overall plot sadly suffers from all sorts of inadequacies.
Chappie as a character is developed with a lot of detail. But almost everyone else are cookie cutter cutouts. Hippo, for example, is the typical power mad, trigger happy, unthinking thug, putting pressure on his underlings for failing to meet his demands.
The theme of bullies is explored from several directions, which did add some interest and color, if you caught on. Lambs turning into Lions was another motif lightly explored.
Most of the science seemed viable - aside from putting your entire consciousness in a thumb drive, that is. And how secure is your programming when you only have one viable special flash drive and it requires no password? Those issues and some other items appeared somewhat contrived. And to be honest, for most of the film, 90% of the characters involved were not in anyway likable. The effort at the whole "being made better for those you've met" theme was hard to swallow after the ferocity evidenced by one or more of the characters.
And while Chappie gets some physical satisfaction against Vincent, nothing ever comes out about what he did, and all the people he endangered and who died because of his self serving actions (not to speak of the outright attempted murders of two unarmed men). The fact that at the end of the film they mention the scout robots would never be used again made no sense whatsoever. The information and videos of who and what crime was perpetrated at the factory easily available and what made Chappie, Chappie, not having anything to do with the standard scout class programming.
The R Rating should be taken seriously for younger viewers. Not so much for the physical violence, but the emotional ones. Chappie's first night away from home was pretty brutal.
They did move me. I'll give them that. But again, that was all Chappie and Deon for the most part.
4) Stunts - Total Thumbs Up: Lots of action, violence, bullets, and explosions. They fill the testosterone quota quite nicely - especially the awesome fight at the beginning of the film. I wanted to see more of that!
5) Locations/Cinematography - Thumbs Up: You see enough sci-fi films and some locations start becoming somewhat familiar, even when dressed up a little. A towering building used in Judge Dredd and the shantytown used in District 9 make appearances. They did pick some rather iconic locations, and ones the director has used previously. Still, the cinematography was lovely. And the odd, childish decor in the abandoned building where Ninja and Yo-Landi lived speaked of a childhood they'd never had, even as it served as a unexpected nurturing environment for Chappie.
Conclusion: Some superb CGI work - so good you don't even realize that's what it is. On the down side are cookie cutter characters and made to fit items. You'll be moved, but not excited. Sadly, nothing new was explored in the AI theme. And while the ending was slightly surprising, it doesn't make up for the rest.
Rating: 3 out of 5 (Hubby's Rating: Better for Matinee)
Starring: Sharlto Copley, Dev Patel, Ninja, Yo-Landi Visser, Jose Pablo Cantillo, Hugh Jackman, Sigourney Weaver, Brandon Auret, Anderson Cooper, Jason Cope, and more.
Directed by: Neill Blomkamp Written by: Neill Blomkamp and Terri Tatchell Cinematography by: Trent Opaloch Music by: Hans Zimmer
Premise: A scientist working on artificial intelligence takes a chance and steals a broken scout robot, but is in turn kidnapped. To placate his captors, he offers them the use of scout 22 once he's implanted him with his new AI program. Desperate themselves, the kidnappers take Deon up on the offer, hoping to use the scout for a big heist to get them out of trouble with their boss. But as soon as the scout robot is rebooted, it is obvious scout 22 is more than they bargained for. (Rated R)
Review:
1) Acting - Thumbs Up: Dev Patel was perfect as the geeky Deon Wilson. His emotional fervor shone through as the lamb became the lion. Hugh Jackman easily brought home all the frustrated emasculation of his character Vincent Moore. Sigourney Weaver was once more sadly underused.
Outshining everyone, whoever, was Chappie, played by Sharlto Copley. His vocal deliveries, and even more, his captured body movements which were transferred to the CGI character, made Chappie more human than the real thing. Really amazing.
2) Special Effects - Total Thumbs Up: The CGI work on this film is utterly fantastic. It's hard to think of Chappie as a created image, he looks so real on the screen. The physical interaction between him and those around him totally complete the illusion. Truly some incredible work.
Even the big brute Moose, when finally used in the film, was darn impressive. Add in the explosions, rivers of bullets, and damage of all kinds, and the virtuous efforts of the special effects team are everywhere you look.
3) Plot/Story - Neutral: Though the whole concept of Chappie and his evolution is quite fascinating, the overall plot sadly suffers from all sorts of inadequacies.
Chappie as a character is developed with a lot of detail. But almost everyone else are cookie cutter cutouts. Hippo, for example, is the typical power mad, trigger happy, unthinking thug, putting pressure on his underlings for failing to meet his demands.
The theme of bullies is explored from several directions, which did add some interest and color, if you caught on. Lambs turning into Lions was another motif lightly explored.
Most of the science seemed viable - aside from putting your entire consciousness in a thumb drive, that is. And how secure is your programming when you only have one viable special flash drive and it requires no password? Those issues and some other items appeared somewhat contrived. And to be honest, for most of the film, 90% of the characters involved were not in anyway likable. The effort at the whole "being made better for those you've met" theme was hard to swallow after the ferocity evidenced by one or more of the characters.
And while Chappie gets some physical satisfaction against Vincent, nothing ever comes out about what he did, and all the people he endangered and who died because of his self serving actions (not to speak of the outright attempted murders of two unarmed men). The fact that at the end of the film they mention the scout robots would never be used again made no sense whatsoever. The information and videos of who and what crime was perpetrated at the factory easily available and what made Chappie, Chappie, not having anything to do with the standard scout class programming.
The R Rating should be taken seriously for younger viewers. Not so much for the physical violence, but the emotional ones. Chappie's first night away from home was pretty brutal.
They did move me. I'll give them that. But again, that was all Chappie and Deon for the most part.
4) Stunts - Total Thumbs Up: Lots of action, violence, bullets, and explosions. They fill the testosterone quota quite nicely - especially the awesome fight at the beginning of the film. I wanted to see more of that!
5) Locations/Cinematography - Thumbs Up: You see enough sci-fi films and some locations start becoming somewhat familiar, even when dressed up a little. A towering building used in Judge Dredd and the shantytown used in District 9 make appearances. They did pick some rather iconic locations, and ones the director has used previously. Still, the cinematography was lovely. And the odd, childish decor in the abandoned building where Ninja and Yo-Landi lived speaked of a childhood they'd never had, even as it served as a unexpected nurturing environment for Chappie.
Conclusion: Some superb CGI work - so good you don't even realize that's what it is. On the down side are cookie cutter characters and made to fit items. You'll be moved, but not excited. Sadly, nothing new was explored in the AI theme. And while the ending was slightly surprising, it doesn't make up for the rest.
Rating: 3 out of 5 (Hubby's Rating: Better for Matinee)
March 4, 2015
Picture Kaleidoscope 3/4/15
Morning! I am scrapping a post by the last hair on my chinny-chin-chin! Heh heh
Just a touch of sunset!
The skies had a lovely shade of pink and grey, but that didn't come through. :(
Was trying to catch the orb in the trees.
Orb, orb, orb!
Too diffuse, too bad.
Rainbow sunset. The colors were brighter than in the pic. Boo!
Some lovely sky trails at sunrise.
Molten gold in the distance.
During Icemageddon, I made me some coffee. Sweevil decided to help.
She's so sweet, so evil! Heh heh.
Stay warm!
Just a touch of sunset!
The skies had a lovely shade of pink and grey, but that didn't come through. :(
Was trying to catch the orb in the trees.
Orb, orb, orb!
Too diffuse, too bad.
Rainbow sunset. The colors were brighter than in the pic. Boo!
Some lovely sky trails at sunrise.
Molten gold in the distance.
During Icemageddon, I made me some coffee. Sweevil decided to help.
She's so sweet, so evil! Heh heh.
Stay warm!
