Gloria Oliver's Blog, page 86
April 19, 2013
Movie Review - Oblivion
Oblivion
Starring: Tom Cruise, Andrea Riseborough, Olga Kurylenko, Morgan Freeman, Melissa Leo, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, and more.
Directed by: Joseph Kosinski Screenplay by: Joseph Kosinski, Karl Gajdusek, and Michael Arndt Based on the Comic Books by: Joseph Kosinski and Arvid Nelson Cinematography by: Claudio Miranda Original Music by: Anthony Gonzales, Joseph Trapanese, and M.8.3
Premise: Earth won a war against an alien race, but in doing so spoiled most of the planet. Humanity has no choice but to migrate to Titan. Yet in order to do so, the water of Earth must be collected and turned into fuel. Safeguarding the suction machines from the remnants of the alien force are automated robotic guards. Jack Harper and teammate remain behind on Earth to make sure the robots keep functioning properly to defend the larger machines. But the attacks of sabotage by the Scavs seem to be getting more inventive. If only the weird dreams wouldn't keep plaguing Jack, he'd be better able to deal with these threats. (Rated PG-13)
Review:
1) Acting - Total Thumbs Up: Tom Cruise gave a great performance as the curious Jack Harper. Andrea Riseborough brought a lot more into the film than is first apparent, giving greater depth to the truth's later revealed. Olga Kurylenko added her own sublime touches to the story as well. Morgan Freeman was his usual wonderful self.
2) Special Effects - Total Thumbs Up: The special effects start from the moment the screen goes dark. When the Universal Logo starts, make sure to look closely. You'll see the orbital Tet and then the Earth itself transform into what it is in 2077. Made for a nice little touch.
The different vehicles in the film were a lot of fun. Jack's flyer is totally cool. The guardian robots were intimidating and fun to watch. They even seemed to have a little bit of a personality, intentional or not. I loved the scanner sequences. They did a lot of nice work with HUD displays and computer tops.
Some cool laser battles and explosions were spread around during the film. Nice stuff! And wait till you see the pool!
3) Plot/Story - Thumbs Up: Jack gets the audience 'up to speed' with a quick summary of how the Earth got to the state it is presently in. Then he mentions the fact he's been routinely mind wiped - a great trigger for letting the audience know things are possibly not what they seem. The repetition of certain phrases and actions hold more meaning than those doing them at times comprehend. Keep an eye on the character of Victoria - at a couple of spots her expressions tell whole stories on their own. Plus it is through and from her that little hints get dropped that all is not what we might think.
Overall, the story was solid. Several surprises show up twisting the story in directions that won't be expected. The science took a couple of hits towards the end of the film, however, as the typical Hollywood ploy of 'destroy the one big thing and it will make all others stop functioning' gets used, despite the actions and facts negating the feasibility of such a course actually stopping the action going on down at the ground. Still, that and the fact the ship wasn't scanned (or if it was, that it didn't pick up the energy signatures of the energy cores), only took away a little of the otherwise quite satisfying film. (Though - if they'd shown the fighters try to shield the cores in some way, it would have totally fixed the issue.)
There are several bits of homage to older SF films in the movie, but also several to Tom's first big film"Top Gun." (Hint: The flyer has the first one.)
4) Stunts - Total Thumbs Up: Fun action sequences and stunts during the exploration of, and the combat at, the New York Public Library. The massive battle at the hidden base was also good.
Better still was the hand to hand fight in the radiation zone. Tom really does make combat look easy. The one point that impressed me the most on this sequence was the attention to detail on the angles. The moment the gun went off, the poised bodies tell you exactly where the shot went, even though it will be almost a full minute before they actually show it. (Not so exciting was the fact they used this old movie cliche, but at least they pulled it off well.)
5) Cinematography - Total Thumbs Up: Great use by Claudio Miranda of overhead sweeping shots. It brought home the isolation of the task Harper and his teammate lived under, while also showing some truly gorgeous benefits of living there as well. It also was a great way to show the audience the huge amount of devastation the planet had suffered and how the events of over fifty years ago changed the face of New York. When Harper rides the motorcycle through the desert of beached ships, it was eerie and fascinating all at once. Seeing well know NY icons as they stand in 2077, made it even more disturbing.
6) Costuming/Makeup - Total Thumbs Up: The costuming and makeup departments did a lot of subtle things that really ramped up the overall feelings and impressions. There was the duality of opposite extremes created purely from the different states we found Jack and Victoria in. Jack toiled, he sweated, got hurt, became dirty. Victoria on the other hand usually looked fresh, rested, composed inside and out, even when being ignored or bypassed by Sally. This was defined even more when we get to compare the contrast between where Jack and Victoria live together to the little hide away Jack has made for himself on the ground.
Conclusion: "Oblivion" is a good science fiction film, actually bringing forth what SF does best. The few faux pas in the science toward the end are not too hard to ignore and don't take away from the enjoyment and the great plot twsists. Keep an eye on Victoria - her side of things will add a lot of meaning and depth to things revealed later. Make sure to pay attention when the Universal logo starts!
Rating: 4 out of 5 (Hubby's Rating: Worth Full Price of Admission)
Starring: Tom Cruise, Andrea Riseborough, Olga Kurylenko, Morgan Freeman, Melissa Leo, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, and more.
Directed by: Joseph Kosinski Screenplay by: Joseph Kosinski, Karl Gajdusek, and Michael Arndt Based on the Comic Books by: Joseph Kosinski and Arvid Nelson Cinematography by: Claudio Miranda Original Music by: Anthony Gonzales, Joseph Trapanese, and M.8.3
Premise: Earth won a war against an alien race, but in doing so spoiled most of the planet. Humanity has no choice but to migrate to Titan. Yet in order to do so, the water of Earth must be collected and turned into fuel. Safeguarding the suction machines from the remnants of the alien force are automated robotic guards. Jack Harper and teammate remain behind on Earth to make sure the robots keep functioning properly to defend the larger machines. But the attacks of sabotage by the Scavs seem to be getting more inventive. If only the weird dreams wouldn't keep plaguing Jack, he'd be better able to deal with these threats. (Rated PG-13)
Review:
1) Acting - Total Thumbs Up: Tom Cruise gave a great performance as the curious Jack Harper. Andrea Riseborough brought a lot more into the film than is first apparent, giving greater depth to the truth's later revealed. Olga Kurylenko added her own sublime touches to the story as well. Morgan Freeman was his usual wonderful self.
2) Special Effects - Total Thumbs Up: The special effects start from the moment the screen goes dark. When the Universal Logo starts, make sure to look closely. You'll see the orbital Tet and then the Earth itself transform into what it is in 2077. Made for a nice little touch.
The different vehicles in the film were a lot of fun. Jack's flyer is totally cool. The guardian robots were intimidating and fun to watch. They even seemed to have a little bit of a personality, intentional or not. I loved the scanner sequences. They did a lot of nice work with HUD displays and computer tops.
Some cool laser battles and explosions were spread around during the film. Nice stuff! And wait till you see the pool!
3) Plot/Story - Thumbs Up: Jack gets the audience 'up to speed' with a quick summary of how the Earth got to the state it is presently in. Then he mentions the fact he's been routinely mind wiped - a great trigger for letting the audience know things are possibly not what they seem. The repetition of certain phrases and actions hold more meaning than those doing them at times comprehend. Keep an eye on the character of Victoria - at a couple of spots her expressions tell whole stories on their own. Plus it is through and from her that little hints get dropped that all is not what we might think.
Overall, the story was solid. Several surprises show up twisting the story in directions that won't be expected. The science took a couple of hits towards the end of the film, however, as the typical Hollywood ploy of 'destroy the one big thing and it will make all others stop functioning' gets used, despite the actions and facts negating the feasibility of such a course actually stopping the action going on down at the ground. Still, that and the fact the ship wasn't scanned (or if it was, that it didn't pick up the energy signatures of the energy cores), only took away a little of the otherwise quite satisfying film. (Though - if they'd shown the fighters try to shield the cores in some way, it would have totally fixed the issue.)
There are several bits of homage to older SF films in the movie, but also several to Tom's first big film"Top Gun." (Hint: The flyer has the first one.)
4) Stunts - Total Thumbs Up: Fun action sequences and stunts during the exploration of, and the combat at, the New York Public Library. The massive battle at the hidden base was also good.
Better still was the hand to hand fight in the radiation zone. Tom really does make combat look easy. The one point that impressed me the most on this sequence was the attention to detail on the angles. The moment the gun went off, the poised bodies tell you exactly where the shot went, even though it will be almost a full minute before they actually show it. (Not so exciting was the fact they used this old movie cliche, but at least they pulled it off well.)
5) Cinematography - Total Thumbs Up: Great use by Claudio Miranda of overhead sweeping shots. It brought home the isolation of the task Harper and his teammate lived under, while also showing some truly gorgeous benefits of living there as well. It also was a great way to show the audience the huge amount of devastation the planet had suffered and how the events of over fifty years ago changed the face of New York. When Harper rides the motorcycle through the desert of beached ships, it was eerie and fascinating all at once. Seeing well know NY icons as they stand in 2077, made it even more disturbing.
6) Costuming/Makeup - Total Thumbs Up: The costuming and makeup departments did a lot of subtle things that really ramped up the overall feelings and impressions. There was the duality of opposite extremes created purely from the different states we found Jack and Victoria in. Jack toiled, he sweated, got hurt, became dirty. Victoria on the other hand usually looked fresh, rested, composed inside and out, even when being ignored or bypassed by Sally. This was defined even more when we get to compare the contrast between where Jack and Victoria live together to the little hide away Jack has made for himself on the ground.
Conclusion: "Oblivion" is a good science fiction film, actually bringing forth what SF does best. The few faux pas in the science toward the end are not too hard to ignore and don't take away from the enjoyment and the great plot twsists. Keep an eye on Victoria - her side of things will add a lot of meaning and depth to things revealed later. Make sure to pay attention when the Universal logo starts!
Rating: 4 out of 5 (Hubby's Rating: Worth Full Price of Admission)
April 17, 2013
Picture Kaleidoscope 4/17/13 - Blooms (The Most Evil Place in the Universe!)
This past weekend we went to a place hubby had seen in passing down in the Old Carrollton Town Square. I knew better, but we went anyway. It is a place of EVIL! Utter and total EVIL! Blooms - nostalgic candy and old fashioned soda.
Eeeeeeeevvvvvviiiiiiilllllll!
So of course I had to take pics of the villany to share. :P
Zombie Brain Juice - yes, you read that right - ZOMBIE BRAIN JUICE!Honestly they had all manner of insane candy, drinks, and gag packaging.
Heck, they even had a whole shelf of nothing but Dr Who stuff! And Lunch boxes of all types and years. HUbby was drooling at the Bruce Lee one.
You could even buy yourself a back of Crickets to eat. Right there, crickets. For you...to..EAT! Hah!
But for those with a more particular palate, you could also buy Dried Zombie Skin and Zombie Jerky. You know you want some. Don't lie!
And these I'd even seen on a special on the History channel or some such - Scorpion Lollipops! Right next to the super hot chili lollipops. And yes, all real.
Other goodies were things like Caramel Bacon, Milk Chocolate and Bacon, and Dark Chocolate and Bacon. At the top of the pic you can just catch a glimpse of Gummy Bacon. I even spotted some Bacon Soda Pop.
And look at this one (why yes, we bought some stuff...what?) Black Lemonade. I had a swig of it's lemony slap. This will grow hair on your chest!
Oh, and look at these lovelies! French Toast Chocolate, Ramen Noodle Chocolate, Tortilla Lime and Salsa Chocolate. They even had Margarita candies and chocolate.
I really should have taken more pics! We were just so busy gawking! lol. If you like Root Beer, they had at least 12 kinds. 4 kinds of Sarsaparilla. And all manner of weird flavors. The back wall was filled with cubbies of homemade taffy in a ton of flavors. They even had Moxie, a drink I'd just read about in Stephen King's time travel novel.
If you're looking for any old time candy, these are the guys to go find it. They had an awesome assortment of cool gag face glasses in the shape of wine glasses, beer mugs, DOMO, and more. Truly a cool place. BUT ALSO SO VERY VERY EVIL!
Oh, and did I mention they sell their stuff online? Bwahahahahaha!
Eeeeeeeevvvvvviiiiiiilllllll!
So of course I had to take pics of the villany to share. :P
Zombie Brain Juice - yes, you read that right - ZOMBIE BRAIN JUICE!Honestly they had all manner of insane candy, drinks, and gag packaging.
Heck, they even had a whole shelf of nothing but Dr Who stuff! And Lunch boxes of all types and years. HUbby was drooling at the Bruce Lee one.
You could even buy yourself a back of Crickets to eat. Right there, crickets. For you...to..EAT! Hah!
But for those with a more particular palate, you could also buy Dried Zombie Skin and Zombie Jerky. You know you want some. Don't lie!
And these I'd even seen on a special on the History channel or some such - Scorpion Lollipops! Right next to the super hot chili lollipops. And yes, all real.
Other goodies were things like Caramel Bacon, Milk Chocolate and Bacon, and Dark Chocolate and Bacon. At the top of the pic you can just catch a glimpse of Gummy Bacon. I even spotted some Bacon Soda Pop.
And look at this one (why yes, we bought some stuff...what?) Black Lemonade. I had a swig of it's lemony slap. This will grow hair on your chest!
Oh, and look at these lovelies! French Toast Chocolate, Ramen Noodle Chocolate, Tortilla Lime and Salsa Chocolate. They even had Margarita candies and chocolate.
I really should have taken more pics! We were just so busy gawking! lol. If you like Root Beer, they had at least 12 kinds. 4 kinds of Sarsaparilla. And all manner of weird flavors. The back wall was filled with cubbies of homemade taffy in a ton of flavors. They even had Moxie, a drink I'd just read about in Stephen King's time travel novel.
If you're looking for any old time candy, these are the guys to go find it. They had an awesome assortment of cool gag face glasses in the shape of wine glasses, beer mugs, DOMO, and more. Truly a cool place. BUT ALSO SO VERY VERY EVIL!
Oh, and did I mention they sell their stuff online? Bwahahahahaha!
April 15, 2013
Mind Sieve 4/15/13
Allergies are finally ganging up on me. Body is losing the fight...nooooo!
Let's see how far I get.
A Song About Someone by Charlie. Young love...so cute!
"Scream and Shout" as Les Miserables "Dream And Shout" a parody from will.i.am. Rather cute and rather snazzy!
Ran across this by accident and sounded too weird not to check out. lol. Space Janitors Ep 1.
Da Vinci's Demons - new show on Starz this past weekend. We liked it!
Now You See Me Official Trailer 2 - should be a ton of fun!
Elysium Official Trailer - SF for the win!
Java Heat Official Theatrical Trailer #1 - Looks fun!
How To Use The New Pinterest: What Marketers Need To Know from the Social Media Examiner. Nice, comprehensive, and detailed instructions! Yay!
4 Ways Google + Communities Help Authors Build Their Platforms - guest post by Marcy Kennedy at Gene Lempp's Blog.
Guest post by Robert Brockway over at TerribleMinds aka Chuck (Still NSFW) Wedig's blog - Writing Is The Easy Part. He's so not kidding...And actually writing a good novel is already hard! Oi!
Authors of the Digital Age - What It Takes To Be a Real Author CEO from Kristen Lamb. More truths and reality checks! Huzzah!
For even more sources of posts on all sorts of topics helpful to authors and more - see Gene Lempp's Writing Resources 13 April 2013 post.
Sweet! I was able to make it! Have an awesome week, everyone!
Let's see how far I get.
A Song About Someone by Charlie. Young love...so cute!
"Scream and Shout" as Les Miserables "Dream And Shout" a parody from will.i.am. Rather cute and rather snazzy!
Ran across this by accident and sounded too weird not to check out. lol. Space Janitors Ep 1.
Da Vinci's Demons - new show on Starz this past weekend. We liked it!
Now You See Me Official Trailer 2 - should be a ton of fun!
Elysium Official Trailer - SF for the win!
Java Heat Official Theatrical Trailer #1 - Looks fun!
How To Use The New Pinterest: What Marketers Need To Know from the Social Media Examiner. Nice, comprehensive, and detailed instructions! Yay!
4 Ways Google + Communities Help Authors Build Their Platforms - guest post by Marcy Kennedy at Gene Lempp's Blog.
Guest post by Robert Brockway over at TerribleMinds aka Chuck (Still NSFW) Wedig's blog - Writing Is The Easy Part. He's so not kidding...And actually writing a good novel is already hard! Oi!
Authors of the Digital Age - What It Takes To Be a Real Author CEO from Kristen Lamb. More truths and reality checks! Huzzah!
For even more sources of posts on all sorts of topics helpful to authors and more - see Gene Lempp's Writing Resources 13 April 2013 post.
Sweet! I was able to make it! Have an awesome week, everyone!
April 14, 2013
Virtual Tourist - Dishonored 4/14/13
Yay, got some game time in!
Dishonored
Boyle's Costume Party
Premise is to find which of the Boyle sisters is the one backing the assassination of the Empress and make her disappear.
I so totally loved this image. Full moon, clock tower, creepy bridge, and party to the right. :P
One of the obstacles keeping me from the party. Those walker things are just weird looking. (Keyboard went apoplectic so some of the pics didn't take right. Buttons have now been rearranged~!)
This is such a cheery city.
Floating lit balloons, fireworks, and decadence right next to closed off slums.
Loved the hot air balloons. (Don't try to jump on one. Won't hold you up. Nasty accident.)
Front door of the Boyle manor. The whale over the door is but the first of many they've used in their decorating. (A little disturbing, parading the creatures you so mercilessly (and inhumanely) kill for profit.)
This pic does not do the garden justine. Real nice spot. Too bad I end up having to participate in a duel there.
Ah yes, more whale statues. And they throw confetti into the air every thirty seconds or so. Weird!
The glass ceiling is gorgeous!
Yes, this is one of the dinner offerings. *shiver* The artists though went one step further, but it didn't come out in the pic. The open side there shimmers from the escaping heat of the cooked fish. Nice touch! (Not that it made this fish any more appetizing! lol)
May your Sunday prove totally productive!
Dishonored
Boyle's Costume Party
Premise is to find which of the Boyle sisters is the one backing the assassination of the Empress and make her disappear.
I so totally loved this image. Full moon, clock tower, creepy bridge, and party to the right. :P
One of the obstacles keeping me from the party. Those walker things are just weird looking. (Keyboard went apoplectic so some of the pics didn't take right. Buttons have now been rearranged~!)
This is such a cheery city.
Floating lit balloons, fireworks, and decadence right next to closed off slums.
Loved the hot air balloons. (Don't try to jump on one. Won't hold you up. Nasty accident.)
Front door of the Boyle manor. The whale over the door is but the first of many they've used in their decorating. (A little disturbing, parading the creatures you so mercilessly (and inhumanely) kill for profit.)
This pic does not do the garden justine. Real nice spot. Too bad I end up having to participate in a duel there.
Ah yes, more whale statues. And they throw confetti into the air every thirty seconds or so. Weird!
The glass ceiling is gorgeous!
Yes, this is one of the dinner offerings. *shiver* The artists though went one step further, but it didn't come out in the pic. The open side there shimmers from the escaping heat of the cooked fish. Nice touch! (Not that it made this fish any more appetizing! lol)
May your Sunday prove totally productive!
April 12, 2013
Movie Review - Trance
Trance
Starring: James McAvoy, Vincent Cassel, Rosario Dawson, Danny Sapani, Matt Cross, Wahab Sheikh, Mark Poltimore, Tuppence Middleton
Directed by: Danny Boyle Written by: Joe Ahearne and John Hodge Cinematography by: Anthony Dod Mantle Original Music by: Rick Smith
Premise: A London auctioneer acting as the inside man for a major art theft goes 'off script' and takes a blow to the head, which gives him amnesia as to where he hid the painting he stole when he double crossed the theft team. When tearing his apartment and car apart avails them nothing, they turn to torture. This only ends up proving that he really doesn't remember what he did with it. Desperate, the thieves realize their only hope of getting Simon's memory back might be through the use of a hypnotist. Things start getting very weird after that. (Rated R)
Review:
1) Acting - Total Thumbs Up: James McAvoy gave a great performance as Simon. The personality shifts during the dreams and visualized hypnosis sessions were amazing. He's almost unrecognizable by the end of the film as the man we began the voyage with. Vincent Cassel also did a great job. He too went through some transformations of his own as matters played out. Rosario Dawson was fantastic. She sneaked in many of the little cues the audience would need here and there flawlessly.
2) Special Effects - Total Thumbs Up: There aren't a lot of major ones in this film, but the few there were are done expertly. The finger torture and another bit closer to the end will make you cringe. (Guys will feel a lot of empathy for the second one.) The body during one of the scenes was as gross as anything you'd find in "Bones" - and that's hard to do.
3) Plot/Story - Total Thumbs Up: I can't say too much, as I don't want to give the plot away and ruin it for you. Just be vigilant, lots of little clues are doled out throughout the film. Like the characters, you'll start doubting what is real and what is not. Even the time of the "reveal" is not the real story. If anything, the audience is left to sift the full truth out on their own - to pick the version of reality they can live with. But if you've paid attention, you should be able to tell. As the saying goes - the lamb is but a wolf in sheep's clothing.
The truth is parcelled here and there, but it's really hard to know which bits are it.
I totally loved the whole intro sequence with Simon speaking about the auction trade and paintings. Really sets up the scenario as things suddenly go a different way. If anything seems off at any time, it's a clue! So keep them in mind - trust me.
4) Locations/Cinematography - Total Thumbs Up: A lot of symbolism is used in the film and some of it bleeds over into the locations chosen for certain scenes. Some great shots of different locals in England give it a lot of flavor.
5) Costuming/Makeup - Total Thumbs Up: Major kudos for the makeup job on Simon after he's hit his head and he's outside. The swelling on his forehead looked amazing and totally agonizing. From the drilling we saw them do in the hospital, it was pretty bad.
Conclusion: Major mind bender of a film. Reality is but a veil. Great performances on a fun thriller. I'd suggest going see it with several friends and see who comes out with what for what was really going on. Should be fun!
Rating: 4 out of 5 (Hubby's Rating: Worth Full Price of Admission)
Starring: James McAvoy, Vincent Cassel, Rosario Dawson, Danny Sapani, Matt Cross, Wahab Sheikh, Mark Poltimore, Tuppence Middleton
Directed by: Danny Boyle Written by: Joe Ahearne and John Hodge Cinematography by: Anthony Dod Mantle Original Music by: Rick Smith
Premise: A London auctioneer acting as the inside man for a major art theft goes 'off script' and takes a blow to the head, which gives him amnesia as to where he hid the painting he stole when he double crossed the theft team. When tearing his apartment and car apart avails them nothing, they turn to torture. This only ends up proving that he really doesn't remember what he did with it. Desperate, the thieves realize their only hope of getting Simon's memory back might be through the use of a hypnotist. Things start getting very weird after that. (Rated R)
Review:
1) Acting - Total Thumbs Up: James McAvoy gave a great performance as Simon. The personality shifts during the dreams and visualized hypnosis sessions were amazing. He's almost unrecognizable by the end of the film as the man we began the voyage with. Vincent Cassel also did a great job. He too went through some transformations of his own as matters played out. Rosario Dawson was fantastic. She sneaked in many of the little cues the audience would need here and there flawlessly.
2) Special Effects - Total Thumbs Up: There aren't a lot of major ones in this film, but the few there were are done expertly. The finger torture and another bit closer to the end will make you cringe. (Guys will feel a lot of empathy for the second one.) The body during one of the scenes was as gross as anything you'd find in "Bones" - and that's hard to do.
3) Plot/Story - Total Thumbs Up: I can't say too much, as I don't want to give the plot away and ruin it for you. Just be vigilant, lots of little clues are doled out throughout the film. Like the characters, you'll start doubting what is real and what is not. Even the time of the "reveal" is not the real story. If anything, the audience is left to sift the full truth out on their own - to pick the version of reality they can live with. But if you've paid attention, you should be able to tell. As the saying goes - the lamb is but a wolf in sheep's clothing.
The truth is parcelled here and there, but it's really hard to know which bits are it.
I totally loved the whole intro sequence with Simon speaking about the auction trade and paintings. Really sets up the scenario as things suddenly go a different way. If anything seems off at any time, it's a clue! So keep them in mind - trust me.
4) Locations/Cinematography - Total Thumbs Up: A lot of symbolism is used in the film and some of it bleeds over into the locations chosen for certain scenes. Some great shots of different locals in England give it a lot of flavor.
5) Costuming/Makeup - Total Thumbs Up: Major kudos for the makeup job on Simon after he's hit his head and he's outside. The swelling on his forehead looked amazing and totally agonizing. From the drilling we saw them do in the hospital, it was pretty bad.
Conclusion: Major mind bender of a film. Reality is but a veil. Great performances on a fun thriller. I'd suggest going see it with several friends and see who comes out with what for what was really going on. Should be fun!
Rating: 4 out of 5 (Hubby's Rating: Worth Full Price of Admission)
April 10, 2013
Picture Kaleidoscope 4/10/13
This week has been CRAZY so far!
Photog and Kayakers Risk Life, Limb, and 3rd Degree Burns on an Active Volcano from Peta Pixel. They are crazy! But did make for some cool pics. :)
A Moon Rise Over Los Angeles as a Time-Slice, Time-Lapse, Animated Gif fromn Peta Pixel. Photography of Dan Marker-Moore. Pretty cool!
Photos Capture the Friendship Between A Little Girl and Her Cat from Peta Pixel. Adorable!!! Photography by Andy Prokh.
Vulture Buffet by Morkel Erasmus at Earthshots.org. Lovely stuff at his website too!
Going to have to stop here for this week. See you next time.
Photog and Kayakers Risk Life, Limb, and 3rd Degree Burns on an Active Volcano from Peta Pixel. They are crazy! But did make for some cool pics. :)
A Moon Rise Over Los Angeles as a Time-Slice, Time-Lapse, Animated Gif fromn Peta Pixel. Photography of Dan Marker-Moore. Pretty cool!
Photos Capture the Friendship Between A Little Girl and Her Cat from Peta Pixel. Adorable!!! Photography by Andy Prokh.
Vulture Buffet by Morkel Erasmus at Earthshots.org. Lovely stuff at his website too!
Going to have to stop here for this week. See you next time.
April 8, 2013
Mind Sieve 4/8/13
It's gotten so cold around here the last few days. Brrrrr.
2 Guns Trailer #1 - will be either very funny or fall flat. Hard to tell... Heh heh.
Hummingbird Official Trailer #1 - Go Stratham!
The Colony Official International Trailer #1 - Looks interesting!
The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones Trailer 2 - Just keeps looking better and better!
Riddick Teaser Trailer - yes, he's BACK!
Percy Jackson 2 Sea of Monsters - Looks awesome! And Nathan Fillion?!?!?
Social Media: FollowerWonk Write up and Links for 3/25/13 form Cat Rambo. It's a Twitter Analytics tool.
5 Quick Facebook Tips for the Busy and Shy by Gene Lempp.
Les Edgerton Shows How To Write Amazing Dialogue Part 1 at Kristen Lamb's Blog.
3 Tips For Being a Better Beta Reader from Jami Gold.
Now to go goof off for a while :P Have an awesome day!
2 Guns Trailer #1 - will be either very funny or fall flat. Hard to tell... Heh heh.
Hummingbird Official Trailer #1 - Go Stratham!
The Colony Official International Trailer #1 - Looks interesting!
The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones Trailer 2 - Just keeps looking better and better!
Riddick Teaser Trailer - yes, he's BACK!
Percy Jackson 2 Sea of Monsters - Looks awesome! And Nathan Fillion?!?!?
Social Media: FollowerWonk Write up and Links for 3/25/13 form Cat Rambo. It's a Twitter Analytics tool.
5 Quick Facebook Tips for the Busy and Shy by Gene Lempp.
Les Edgerton Shows How To Write Amazing Dialogue Part 1 at Kristen Lamb's Blog.
3 Tips For Being a Better Beta Reader from Jami Gold.
Now to go goof off for a while :P Have an awesome day!
April 7, 2013
Virtual Tourist - Star Wars The Old Republic 4/7/13
Morning, all!
Star Wars The Old Republic
Imperial Spy
Taris
I'm rather tired of Taris. Lol.
Republic Spaceport on Taris. I'm about to do some damage here. :P
Just realized the Republic tends towards browns while the Empire goes with gray.
You'll have to click for the bigger pic to see her, but my least favorite Sith looks to have been captured by Jedi. Humble Pie coming her way. Hee!
Yes, here she is cowering in shame after I've dispatched those holding her prisoner. Not that she'll ever thank me.
A couple of the Jedi Masters still glowed after they died. Very unusual. Must admit my companion, Thana, and I did fight well together.
Here she is. Got an opportunity to kill her at the end of this, but didn't. Though she didn't thank me directly, she allowed the helpless civilians in the shuttle to escape when I asked, rather than leave the bay doors closed as she wanted and watch them explode. Hopefully I will not come to regret my decision. :P
Mid explosion footage of my acts of sabotage. :) First a walker.
Then a shuttle.
Nice little building in the same area. Looking to finish the last bonus mission on this series.
Another area in the same building.
Don't think I'd gotten a good pic of this little beastie before.
Taris is finally complete! I've left its atmosphere. Then had a major seizure in my ship. The old agent I stopped from escaping a planet or two ago implanted a partial copy of himself in my brain. He says the seizure is not from the nanos from the Republic but from brainwashing I received from my own people long before that. I'm not liking the sound of that. But this is the Empire...
Have an awesome Sunday!
Star Wars The Old Republic
Imperial Spy
Taris
I'm rather tired of Taris. Lol.
Republic Spaceport on Taris. I'm about to do some damage here. :P
Just realized the Republic tends towards browns while the Empire goes with gray.
You'll have to click for the bigger pic to see her, but my least favorite Sith looks to have been captured by Jedi. Humble Pie coming her way. Hee!
Yes, here she is cowering in shame after I've dispatched those holding her prisoner. Not that she'll ever thank me.
A couple of the Jedi Masters still glowed after they died. Very unusual. Must admit my companion, Thana, and I did fight well together.
Here she is. Got an opportunity to kill her at the end of this, but didn't. Though she didn't thank me directly, she allowed the helpless civilians in the shuttle to escape when I asked, rather than leave the bay doors closed as she wanted and watch them explode. Hopefully I will not come to regret my decision. :P
Mid explosion footage of my acts of sabotage. :) First a walker.
Then a shuttle.
Nice little building in the same area. Looking to finish the last bonus mission on this series.
Another area in the same building.
Don't think I'd gotten a good pic of this little beastie before.
Taris is finally complete! I've left its atmosphere. Then had a major seizure in my ship. The old agent I stopped from escaping a planet or two ago implanted a partial copy of himself in my brain. He says the seizure is not from the nanos from the Republic but from brainwashing I received from my own people long before that. I'm not liking the sound of that. But this is the Empire...
Have an awesome Sunday!
April 5, 2013
Movie Review - G.I. Joe: Retaliation
G.I.Joe Retaliation
Starring: Dwayne Johnson, Jonathan Pryce, Adrianne Palicki, Byung-hun Lee, Ray Stevenson, Ray Park, Channing Tatum, Elodie Yung, DJ Cotrona, Walton Goggins, Luke Bracey, Arnold Vosloo, Bruce Willis, and more.
Directed by: Jon M Chu Written by: Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick Cinematography by: Stephen F Windon Original Music by: Henry Jackman
Premise: After finishing a huge op to recover nukes from Pakistan after its President is assassinated, the Joe's get ambushed and almost wiped out when sneak attacked in the desert. Roadblock, Lady Jaye, and Flint let the world think they died with the rest of their friends as they seek to find out what happened. Soon, they realize Cobra is involved. And they're going to make them pay. (Rated PG-13)
Review:
1) Acting - Total Thumbs Up: Channing Tatum and Dwayne Johnson show great rapport with each other as Duke and Roadblock - wish they'd kept on with that. Adrianne Palicki manages to look both tough and sexy as Lady Jaye. Ray Park once more brings his considerable skills in playing Snake Eyes (And while this suit was better than the one used in 2009, the look is sadly not quite there yet.) and imparting moods or opinions with body language. Jonathan Pryce got the double fun of playing the President and his own evil replacement. Walton Goggins dazzled as Warden Nigel James, being both saucy and fan boyish about his important prisoners.
2) Special Effects - Total Thumbs Up: With the Joes and Cobra one expects toys, explosions, fire fights, and general chaos. We get plenty of that! I especially loved Firefly and his little bugs as well as his multi-rocket bomb motorcycle.
The Tibetan like monastery in the mountains looked awesome. The fights with masked ninjas and the rope hopping along the sheer cliffs, as Snake Eyes and Jinx try to make their escape, were totally fun.
3) Story - Neutral: Sadly, a lot of the enjoyment of the film was sucked away by the pockets of ignored reality in the plot. My husband, who is totally a fan of explosions and gunfights, was so brought down by the lack of explanations on how certain things were achieved (Like replacing a large portion of the secret service without anyone being the wiser) that it really dropped his final rating. Explanations that would have taken only a moment to impart could have corrected this, but without them the plot seemed heavily contrived just to make certain events occur. (Don't get him or me started on the destruct button on Cobra Commander's briefcase for the satellites. That made no sense whatsoever - he had the world in his grip.)
Protocols at the holding facility were rather poor and not followed. If they'd capped the open container back instead of shooting it, problem solved. It was amazing at the number of thick doors not used in several different places to keep the people out, but rather were left open with guards moving outside, leaving them pretty much accessible, when they wouldn't have been otherwise.
Another sad point was the lack of prominence by certain characters. If they were used in the first film, they almost had no place or were not even present for the second. We saw more of Storm Shadow than Snake Eyes. And Cobra Commander pretty much just walked in and out of places without doing much. Even the plan being activated during the film didn't come from him. It was in full swing when he got there.
So despite the great work from all the other departments, the bad plot pretty much sunk the whole ship.
4) Stunts - Total Thumbs Up: Tons and tons of great fight scenes. They did get a little too close when filming them on them on occasion and shook them a bit more than necessary, but overall were quite good. I especially enjoyed the fist and gun fight between Roadblock and Firefly towards the end. The ninjas on ropes combat was quite entertaining as well. And watching the Joes in action in the two sections at the beginning was quite satisfying.
5) Locations/Cinematography - Total Thumbs Up: Great shots of places like Tokyo, Washington DC, the monastery in the mountains, and more. The interiors of these same places matched the exteriors therefore keeping the symmetry of the locations, which worked well.
6) Costuming/Makeup - Total Thumbs Up: The Joes sweated, got hurt, got dirty, and Lady Jaye never looked like she'd just walked out of a Salon except on the mission where she was supposed to, so kudos for that.
Conclusion: Fun action scenes, cool fights, and fun weaponry! But these are sadly spoiled by the contrived and thin plot. If you go in knowing the story itself needs help and ignore most of it, you're liable to better enjoy all the good stuff that's definitely there.
Rating: 3.25 out of 5 (Hubby's Rating: Better For Matinee)
Starring: Dwayne Johnson, Jonathan Pryce, Adrianne Palicki, Byung-hun Lee, Ray Stevenson, Ray Park, Channing Tatum, Elodie Yung, DJ Cotrona, Walton Goggins, Luke Bracey, Arnold Vosloo, Bruce Willis, and more.
Directed by: Jon M Chu Written by: Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick Cinematography by: Stephen F Windon Original Music by: Henry Jackman
Premise: After finishing a huge op to recover nukes from Pakistan after its President is assassinated, the Joe's get ambushed and almost wiped out when sneak attacked in the desert. Roadblock, Lady Jaye, and Flint let the world think they died with the rest of their friends as they seek to find out what happened. Soon, they realize Cobra is involved. And they're going to make them pay. (Rated PG-13)
Review:
1) Acting - Total Thumbs Up: Channing Tatum and Dwayne Johnson show great rapport with each other as Duke and Roadblock - wish they'd kept on with that. Adrianne Palicki manages to look both tough and sexy as Lady Jaye. Ray Park once more brings his considerable skills in playing Snake Eyes (And while this suit was better than the one used in 2009, the look is sadly not quite there yet.) and imparting moods or opinions with body language. Jonathan Pryce got the double fun of playing the President and his own evil replacement. Walton Goggins dazzled as Warden Nigel James, being both saucy and fan boyish about his important prisoners.
2) Special Effects - Total Thumbs Up: With the Joes and Cobra one expects toys, explosions, fire fights, and general chaos. We get plenty of that! I especially loved Firefly and his little bugs as well as his multi-rocket bomb motorcycle.
The Tibetan like monastery in the mountains looked awesome. The fights with masked ninjas and the rope hopping along the sheer cliffs, as Snake Eyes and Jinx try to make their escape, were totally fun.
3) Story - Neutral: Sadly, a lot of the enjoyment of the film was sucked away by the pockets of ignored reality in the plot. My husband, who is totally a fan of explosions and gunfights, was so brought down by the lack of explanations on how certain things were achieved (Like replacing a large portion of the secret service without anyone being the wiser) that it really dropped his final rating. Explanations that would have taken only a moment to impart could have corrected this, but without them the plot seemed heavily contrived just to make certain events occur. (Don't get him or me started on the destruct button on Cobra Commander's briefcase for the satellites. That made no sense whatsoever - he had the world in his grip.)
Protocols at the holding facility were rather poor and not followed. If they'd capped the open container back instead of shooting it, problem solved. It was amazing at the number of thick doors not used in several different places to keep the people out, but rather were left open with guards moving outside, leaving them pretty much accessible, when they wouldn't have been otherwise.
Another sad point was the lack of prominence by certain characters. If they were used in the first film, they almost had no place or were not even present for the second. We saw more of Storm Shadow than Snake Eyes. And Cobra Commander pretty much just walked in and out of places without doing much. Even the plan being activated during the film didn't come from him. It was in full swing when he got there.
So despite the great work from all the other departments, the bad plot pretty much sunk the whole ship.
4) Stunts - Total Thumbs Up: Tons and tons of great fight scenes. They did get a little too close when filming them on them on occasion and shook them a bit more than necessary, but overall were quite good. I especially enjoyed the fist and gun fight between Roadblock and Firefly towards the end. The ninjas on ropes combat was quite entertaining as well. And watching the Joes in action in the two sections at the beginning was quite satisfying.
5) Locations/Cinematography - Total Thumbs Up: Great shots of places like Tokyo, Washington DC, the monastery in the mountains, and more. The interiors of these same places matched the exteriors therefore keeping the symmetry of the locations, which worked well.
6) Costuming/Makeup - Total Thumbs Up: The Joes sweated, got hurt, got dirty, and Lady Jaye never looked like she'd just walked out of a Salon except on the mission where she was supposed to, so kudos for that.
Conclusion: Fun action scenes, cool fights, and fun weaponry! But these are sadly spoiled by the contrived and thin plot. If you go in knowing the story itself needs help and ignore most of it, you're liable to better enjoy all the good stuff that's definitely there.
Rating: 3.25 out of 5 (Hubby's Rating: Better For Matinee)
April 3, 2013
Picture Kaleidoscope 4/3/13
Morning!
Run, Brian, Run! One of Ten Top Animal Shots by Discreetphoton at ephotozine. Reminds me of the coming movie called Turbo. :)
Photographer Captures Meteor Streaking Through Aurora Borealis. Photo by Shannon Bileski of Signature Exposures. From Peta Pixel.
Vintage Toy Photographer Explores Memory With Melting Ice from Trend Hunter. Photos by Julian Hibbard. Such a weird concept!
Driftwood Butterfly by Adam Allegro at Earthshots.org. Love all the awesome colors!
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Adam Allegro has photos from all over the world at his site. Amazing!
Almost like a painting, no? Behind the Old Window by Adiran Limani at earthshots.org. He's got some awesomely surreal stuff at his site!
Have an awesome Wednesday!
Run, Brian, Run! One of Ten Top Animal Shots by Discreetphoton at ephotozine. Reminds me of the coming movie called Turbo. :)
Photographer Captures Meteor Streaking Through Aurora Borealis. Photo by Shannon Bileski of Signature Exposures. From Peta Pixel.
Vintage Toy Photographer Explores Memory With Melting Ice from Trend Hunter. Photos by Julian Hibbard. Such a weird concept!
Driftwood Butterfly by Adam Allegro at Earthshots.org. Love all the awesome colors!
[image error]
Adam Allegro has photos from all over the world at his site. Amazing!
Almost like a painting, no? Behind the Old Window by Adiran Limani at earthshots.org. He's got some awesomely surreal stuff at his site!
Have an awesome Wednesday!
![[image error]](http://catchthejiffy.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/Adam-Allegro-Gili-Trawangan-Sunrise-1024x683.jpg){kind=link}