Hello one and all to our first ever Gonch Awards, aka the Gonchies. Is the name lame? Good, we achieved the first task at hand. The purpose of these awards to is simply give my personal opinion of the best of the year's most entertaining and interesting forms of creativity. Movies, tv, books, music, it's all here and more. Categories will be whatever springs to mind and my opinions will likely be, well whatever I want them to be. That's just how it goes. Without further ado, the 1st Annual Gonch Awards! DISCLAIMER: I have likely not experienced enough of these mediums to give a great consensus this year, so I'll do the best I can.
MOVIES
Best Visual Effects - Transformers; the staggering amount of effects needed for each transformation borders on ridiculous let alone keeping the chaos on screen intact for various battles. I can only imagine the number of painstaking nights spent working on this at ILM.
Best Comic Book Adaptation - Spider-Man 3; I wouldn't be surprised if 300 is the correct choice here but I unfortunately haven't seen it yet, so this will have to do. Mostly because it certainly beats out Silver Surfer, the usage of Venom, Sandman, and Gwen Stacey along with the new Goblin were interesting, if not at all times accurate. But in general, the series remains one of the most joyfully comic book like out there.
Best Film - ???; immediately I have to say, I doubt I've seen the best movie of the year. With that said, if I had to pick anyone movie, I'll pick the Bourne Ultimatum. It has few if any flaws, is tense and gripping with a smart, mature story that leaves one satisfied with the conclusion of the trilogy.
Most Anticipated Film - Indiana Jones And The Kingdom Of The Crystal Skull/The Dark Knight; no choice but to award a tie here. Dark Knight is the safer bet to be good, but Indy holds so much cool promise for us. They could both be great, we can only hope.
TV
Best New Show - Chuck; the smart combination of action and comedy isn't seen too often but this show pulls it off deftly with heart as well. For the geek in all of us, this show speaks while melding the spy genre. A neat concept that tv needed badly.
Best Returning Show - Heroes; a slow start got moved along with the reintroduction of Sylar and Adam Monroe. It may prove better for what comes next but it's still a very enjoyable show. Smallville actually wasn't too far behind this time believe it or not, for embracing a lot of mythology including Supergirl and other Kryptonian ancestry, Bizarro, and the clear return of Brainiac.
Most Anticipated New Show - Terminator, The Sarah Conner Chronicles/Dollhouse; let's face facts, anything that involves Whedon or Whedon alum is automatically at the top of the list. Add to it that the first is a terminator tv show with Summer Glau as the machine in question and the latter is Whedon's supposed return to tv and you've got a great mix to work from.
Most Anticipated Returning Show - Lost; the promise of the end of last season with a shorter season and non-stop episodes could really start to quicken the pace and relight the show. With the flashforward last season, anything is possible.
MUSIC
Best Song - Foo Fighters, The Pretender; a strong, kinetic song announces that once again, the Foo Fighters freakin' rock. It's catchy, simple and it rocks. That's really all you need.
Best Album - Hoobastank, Every Man For Himself; the bigger album release this year was Linkin Park's Minutes To Midnight and while it's a good entry, it doesn't quite have the near perfection the previous albums garnered. Hoobastank immediately jumps into a series of inspiring lyrics and crafty chords. There's too many good songs on here to ignore.
BOOKS
Best Release - Stephen Colbert's I Am America! And So Can You; sure it's only real book I got this year, but it's quite clearly the funniest and most entertaining out there. This is good stuff from what I've read so far. A great continuation from America the book.
Best Comic Book - Buffy The Vampire Slayer Season 8; as if there was any question I would choose this. Sure I haven't read it yet but it's not like I was going to pick anything else, heh.
Got comments, suggestions, complaints? Think of anymore categories I could add? Feel free to let me know.
Monday, December 31, 2007
Saturday, December 29, 2007
SYC Reviews: Fantastic Four - Rise Of The Silver Surfer
Time for our next review and this time, it's Fantastic Four: Rise Of The Silver Surfer. This sequel finds us not long after the original film. Now I went into the original expecting very little and was surprised that it was mildly enjoyable. Not that I went into this one with greater expectations but I did expect some kind of improvement in this film. Instead it feels stuck in neutral and that this universe will continue to be the same kind of interpretation.
The early part of the film dealing with the F4 all acclimated to life and trying to get on with Sue and Reed's wedding tries way too hard to go for some comedy that is often miss. In fact the funniest moment might be when after Johnny has encountered the Surfer and has power switching problems, Sue gets his power and is screaming about being on fire through the window Reed is blankly staring at. This series continually tries to pander to families, not that it shouldn't be family oriented, but it has a hard time being just a little mature when necessary.
The plot is simple enough, the wedding is interrupted by the entrance of the Silver Surfer, whom Reed is trying to track as he makes disturbances around the world. And I do mean around the world, this film manages to take place in New York, China, Siberia, England, and even Latveria. Yes Latveria, where the previous villain Dr. Doom is magically brought back by the cosmic energy of the Surfer. Unfortunately his interpretation still lacks, especially the use of his normal, non-scary voice with the mask on. Eventually he joins forces with the four to bring down the Surfer who is working for "the destroyer". As every comic book fan knows, that's Galactus. Soon enough they manage to catch the Surfer, whose representation is actually handled pretty well, though I keep picturing Morpheus everytime he talks.
Suffice it to say that the best sequence in the film involves Doom's double cross, when he steals the Surfer's board (because the military helping them are complete fools) and goes on a rampage, chased by the four in the Fantasticar, a neat little sequence of special effects. The ending isn't all that thrilling since only the Surfer can stop Galactus and I won't complain about his appearance, it's moot at this point.
While the film does still manage to be entertaining and keep you watching throughout, perhaps what also held it back for me was that it reminded a little too much of X2, having the good and bad guys team up while also dealing with a military organization. F4 is clearly the most laid back of all the comic book adaptations, and while it is the most imaginative and fun book to base stuff off of, it doesn't quite translate that well to the big screen.
With that said, I'm willing to give it the Silver Medal of Surfing, because anything else just wouldn't be appropriate. Now Julian McMahon do us a favor and develop a real villain voice. I can only imagine how dumb Christian Bale would sound with his normal voice as Batman.
The early part of the film dealing with the F4 all acclimated to life and trying to get on with Sue and Reed's wedding tries way too hard to go for some comedy that is often miss. In fact the funniest moment might be when after Johnny has encountered the Surfer and has power switching problems, Sue gets his power and is screaming about being on fire through the window Reed is blankly staring at. This series continually tries to pander to families, not that it shouldn't be family oriented, but it has a hard time being just a little mature when necessary.
The plot is simple enough, the wedding is interrupted by the entrance of the Silver Surfer, whom Reed is trying to track as he makes disturbances around the world. And I do mean around the world, this film manages to take place in New York, China, Siberia, England, and even Latveria. Yes Latveria, where the previous villain Dr. Doom is magically brought back by the cosmic energy of the Surfer. Unfortunately his interpretation still lacks, especially the use of his normal, non-scary voice with the mask on. Eventually he joins forces with the four to bring down the Surfer who is working for "the destroyer". As every comic book fan knows, that's Galactus. Soon enough they manage to catch the Surfer, whose representation is actually handled pretty well, though I keep picturing Morpheus everytime he talks.
Suffice it to say that the best sequence in the film involves Doom's double cross, when he steals the Surfer's board (because the military helping them are complete fools) and goes on a rampage, chased by the four in the Fantasticar, a neat little sequence of special effects. The ending isn't all that thrilling since only the Surfer can stop Galactus and I won't complain about his appearance, it's moot at this point.
While the film does still manage to be entertaining and keep you watching throughout, perhaps what also held it back for me was that it reminded a little too much of X2, having the good and bad guys team up while also dealing with a military organization. F4 is clearly the most laid back of all the comic book adaptations, and while it is the most imaginative and fun book to base stuff off of, it doesn't quite translate that well to the big screen.
With that said, I'm willing to give it the Silver Medal of Surfing, because anything else just wouldn't be appropriate. Now Julian McMahon do us a favor and develop a real villain voice. I can only imagine how dumb Christian Bale would sound with his normal voice as Batman.
Friday, December 28, 2007
SYC Reviews: Live Free Or Die Hard (Unrated)
It's time for the first review ever in this new blog. It's the holiday season and I've missed out on a lot of movies this year. Then again somethings are better left to being experienced in your own home and such is the case with today's review of Live Free Or Die Hard, the Unrated edition.
Now let's first look at the fact that this is the 4th in the Die Hard series, but the last was quite a few years ago, Die Hard With A Vengeance. The first thought here is, why are they making a sequel to this all of a sudden after 3 movies? Is Bruce Willis just desperate for it or is there a good reason to have this movie exist? It turns out that this was a long time in development and that effort actually does show up on screen. The next thing I thought was, when it comes to Die Hard movies, the titles are a bit lacking, especially Die Hard 2: Die Harder. I mean are you kidding me? Die Harder? I kept waiting for Die Hardest to come out but it never did. Thankfully, Live Free Or Die Hard is actually a pretty darn good title. None of these besides With A Vengeance, which is cheesy anyway, seem to correlate directly to the plot though this one generally does.
Let's get right to it. This film focuses on a plot to essentially bring the US infrastructure to its knees using all the computer controlled things we hold dear, like transportation and power. Shut these things down and you can create massive chaos, which definitely makes sense in today's world. Just seeing how the Northeast power outage affected people adds weight to the film. So we've got a pretty smart bad guy to pull this stuff off and he's an American this time around, so none of that outside terrorism stuff we were expecting going in, though his henchmen may be foreign. John McClane, wily cop that he is, always in the wrong place at the wrong time, a topic the film plays on tongue-in-cheek, has to keep a hacker safe played not too badly by Justin Long who inadvertently helped the bad guy. So as things keep getting worse and eventually the bad guy takes hold of John's daughter, the action just keeps amping up.
Perhaps the best sequence involves a tunnel, where both directional gates are opened up on our heroes and then the lights turned out, scary stuff if you were the one having to survive it. But survival is McClane's middle name, you cannot kill this man. He'll jump from a semi to an F-35 all while cracking wise and walking away from an explosion to hunt the bad guys down on foot if he has to. Yet strangely enough this is all handled with wonderful aplomb and intelligence. Action sequences may sometimes be over the top, most notably one of the last scenes but it's still the best and grittiest Die Hard since the original.
As I said this was the Unrated version and as a rental, not much else existed on this version of the DVD. The purpose of the Unrated version was moreso to put the swearing back into the movie, which was not present in the theatrical PG-13 release. Frankly you don't make this movie unless it's an R, because taking away curse words from a guy who has to pull off this kind of crap all the time makes no sense. I doubt the R was used for much else, the violence isn't overly bloody or gory in any way.
The film surprisingly both lives up the name and is a great entry into the action genre. This was a late sequel worthy of creation, a trend getting more popular with the likes of Rambo, Rocky, and Indiana Jones. This series is the easiest to create new things with though, because all you need is John McClane and a wild situation he's stuck trying to solve. That's the beauty of Die Hard, our hero doesn't go looking for trouble, all the bad stuff happens to him and he has to somehow survive it and unwillingly solve it.
Live Free Or Die Hard gets the Gold Medal of Yippie Kay Yaying. Alan Rickman would be proud.
Now let's first look at the fact that this is the 4th in the Die Hard series, but the last was quite a few years ago, Die Hard With A Vengeance. The first thought here is, why are they making a sequel to this all of a sudden after 3 movies? Is Bruce Willis just desperate for it or is there a good reason to have this movie exist? It turns out that this was a long time in development and that effort actually does show up on screen. The next thing I thought was, when it comes to Die Hard movies, the titles are a bit lacking, especially Die Hard 2: Die Harder. I mean are you kidding me? Die Harder? I kept waiting for Die Hardest to come out but it never did. Thankfully, Live Free Or Die Hard is actually a pretty darn good title. None of these besides With A Vengeance, which is cheesy anyway, seem to correlate directly to the plot though this one generally does.
Let's get right to it. This film focuses on a plot to essentially bring the US infrastructure to its knees using all the computer controlled things we hold dear, like transportation and power. Shut these things down and you can create massive chaos, which definitely makes sense in today's world. Just seeing how the Northeast power outage affected people adds weight to the film. So we've got a pretty smart bad guy to pull this stuff off and he's an American this time around, so none of that outside terrorism stuff we were expecting going in, though his henchmen may be foreign. John McClane, wily cop that he is, always in the wrong place at the wrong time, a topic the film plays on tongue-in-cheek, has to keep a hacker safe played not too badly by Justin Long who inadvertently helped the bad guy. So as things keep getting worse and eventually the bad guy takes hold of John's daughter, the action just keeps amping up.
Perhaps the best sequence involves a tunnel, where both directional gates are opened up on our heroes and then the lights turned out, scary stuff if you were the one having to survive it. But survival is McClane's middle name, you cannot kill this man. He'll jump from a semi to an F-35 all while cracking wise and walking away from an explosion to hunt the bad guys down on foot if he has to. Yet strangely enough this is all handled with wonderful aplomb and intelligence. Action sequences may sometimes be over the top, most notably one of the last scenes but it's still the best and grittiest Die Hard since the original.
As I said this was the Unrated version and as a rental, not much else existed on this version of the DVD. The purpose of the Unrated version was moreso to put the swearing back into the movie, which was not present in the theatrical PG-13 release. Frankly you don't make this movie unless it's an R, because taking away curse words from a guy who has to pull off this kind of crap all the time makes no sense. I doubt the R was used for much else, the violence isn't overly bloody or gory in any way.
The film surprisingly both lives up the name and is a great entry into the action genre. This was a late sequel worthy of creation, a trend getting more popular with the likes of Rambo, Rocky, and Indiana Jones. This series is the easiest to create new things with though, because all you need is John McClane and a wild situation he's stuck trying to solve. That's the beauty of Die Hard, our hero doesn't go looking for trouble, all the bad stuff happens to him and he has to somehow survive it and unwillingly solve it.
Live Free Or Die Hard gets the Gold Medal of Yippie Kay Yaying. Alan Rickman would be proud.
Monday, December 10, 2007
The Best Movie Trilogies...EVER
Well I'm back with a little bit of inspiration. Tonight, I'll grace you with my first list: The Best Movie Trilogies...EVER! What you need to keep in mind with any list I make is the following: 1. This is totally my opinion and nothing more. It can't ever be fact and quite frankly, I'm prone to be against your own opinion. That's fine, cause this isn't your blog :) 2. I have not and likely never will experience everything necessary to thoroughly create such lists because I'm either not interested in doing so or haven't the time. Either way, don't expect me to have seen every movie or read every book. 3. If you actually agree with anything I say, you will automatically become a better person for it. At least in my judging eyes.
Now then we have 3 major criteria for this list and they are - Longevity, Impact, and Creative Universe. With that said, let's get on with it, dammit! The Best Movie Trilogies...EVER!
8. Pirates Of The Caribbean
Longevity: Being of the newest trilogies on the block, it doesn't fare well here yet. But when you consider the ride it's based on has existed for decades, in a few theme parks, that's saying something. Especially today where all kinds of classic theme park rides are ripped out and replaced with something "new".
Impact: The ride itself had great impact in entertainment. As for the films, they marked easily the best pirate films in years. May not be saying much but considering the number of ones that were unwatchable, it means more than you think. It also reminded everyone of the talent of Johnny Depp, who for the first time actually revisited a character, one he clearly perfected and had steal the show. It's made a strong impact in our culture today, but we'll have to see what affect it has years from now. Also caused the rides to be revamped to include the movie's characters and stories.
Creative Universe: Its biggest marks are here, using a mere theme park ride, though popular one at that, to create an entire trilogy. And yet, manage to at least make passing links back to the ride in each film, hard to do for sure. What was most impressive wasn't the fun characters created, but the amount of pirate lore the films explored. Undead curses on treasures, Davy Jones and his locker, the dead man's chest, the goddess Callisto, etc. Pulling something out of nothing has always been the Disney trick of the trade.
7. The Terminator
Longevity: This is still one of the newer trilogies, not being completed until a few years ago. That said, it started back in the 80s and thus had some time to be digested before each new film. The original Terminator may or may not have stood the test of time, but T2 most certainly has, of course it's only 15 years old.
Impact: Terminator has made a huge impact on Arnold Swlagawlhoihagohag's career (hell no I'm not looking up that name). More than that, T2 made both a huge impact on the career of James Cameron who went on to win an oscar for Titanic, and for special effects in the creation of the T1000 liquid metal terminator, a sight to see in 1992. It has also spawned a theme park ride and this January, a regular television series.
Creative Universe: To be frank, it's not the most creative universe one might imagine. Robots take control of us in the future dystopia. Certainly done to death in books. It had established some basic characters, the Conners, and their race to stop Judgement Day, which it turns out is inevitable. This at the least is a very nice twist we don't learn until the end of the third movie. The creativity of each terminator has been interesting, from the basic cyborg model, liquid metal, and a blend of the two who can control other machines. Maybe the more interesting aspect was that time travel was a one way trip with no way back.
6. X-Men
Longevity: Another recently completed trilogy, the focus on this moreso needs to be on the comics, which have been around for 40 some years. On top of that, they are the best selling comic books of all time, beating out Superman, Batman, and all others that existed years before. Impressive for sure, and it took until 2000 before a viable film could be created.
Impact: The X-Men in general have had a huge impact on comics and some other media. They were intentionally designed to be "heroes" who were "hated and feared". The mantra at marvel became making characters more people could relate to, since they felt DC characters they grew up with like Batman and Superman, while cool and fun, were not identifiable in the least. Not many invulnerable aliens or super rich martial arts detectives around. As for movies, while comic book movies surely existed before this, X-Men began a wave of comic book movies that exists still 7 years later, a successful "fad". Most especially beginning the Marvel films, and though while started with Blade, this was the first truly comic book identified movie of the time, after Superman and Batman had been ruined by studios. X-Men ushered in a time that said special effects could bring to life just about any character from the comics and the stories could in fact be done justice.
Creative Universe: Let's not mess around here, it's the X-Men. There's 40 years of stories to work with and characters out the wazoo. It's virtually unlimited. The movies did not follow direct plots but had their own way with them while keeping mostly true, at least until the Phoenix Saga was tackled, something the last film wasn't really capable of handling in the least. But for sure, the first 2 films proved that such a diverse universe could be put to celluloid.
5. Spider-Man
Longevity: Pretty much that of X-Men, as long as Stan Lee's Marvel has been around, these two have flourished. This is also a recently completed trilogy but it will likely stand the test of time, even better than the X-Men trilogy will.
Impact: Spider-Man has had tremendous impact on comics, general youths, television and more. Even before the films he was considered an iconic character. The films simply spread that around and made him one of the most popular superheroes ever. They were also some of the most successful films ever made.
Creative Universe: Again like X-Men, ridiculous amount of characters and stories to draw from. Spider-Man 3 may have overindulged itself on these, but it just goes to show there's still far more to explore with this one. For the most part, the films were rather faithful to the stories behind it. Certain changes were made, usually for the best.
4. Indiana Jones
Longevity: It remains one of the most well loved adventure series ever made, though not a terribly old trilogy per se, one of the older ones on this list. It is such that a 4th film is slated for next year, but for now we won't let that detract from the original trilogy of films, as that one is clearly far separated from the rest and will be judged differently.
Impact: It helped return the idea of serialized adventure stories back to the big screen. Spielberg and Lucas, two of the biggest names in film, united to create a classic character and his amazing exploits. It has also spawned a tv series, theme park attractions, and now again, a return to the cinema.
Creative Universe: Indiana Jones felt like a living, breathing character that everyone loves. Educated, fun-loving, adventurous and being a part of some interesting historical finds. While the 2nd movie detracted from this a bit, it is the rare trilogy where the 1st and 3rd movies are considered the strongest points, which in fact helped keep it alive and spur the 4th film. The stories behind the Ark of the Covenant and Holy Grail held the audience's attention, and it always helped to have Nazis as villains. The addition of Indy's father played by Sean Connery only heightened the experience. Their world travels were always fun to watch, even if they were just red curves on a map.
3. Back To The Future
Longevity: These films from the 80s are considered "new classics", whatever that means. The point is, BTTF is still considered one of the more enjoyable set of films in recent cinema and quite possibly the best time travel movies ever made. Sure it may be easy to rise to the cream of that crop, but they are clearly a big earmark in the history major science fiction cinema.
Impact: Let's see, certainly put Robert Zemeckis, Michael J. Fox, and Christopher Lloyd on the map, if they weren't already along with Alan Silvestri's classic score. Spawned a cartoon and theme park rides that only this year have finally been shut down. The first film made such a big impact, the last two were shot back to back, something not common to sequels then. This practice (though I'm not sure if it was the first time done) was repeated with Pirates and the Matrix trilogies.
Creative Universe: A DeLorean that goes back in time? It flies too? Hoverboards, alternate universes, changing the past and the future, characters that appeared in different roles throughout time, going back to a scene from the last movie from a totally different perspective. Is that enough? How many trains do you know that fly and travel through time?
2. Star Wars Original Trilogy
Longevity: From 1977, from the words A Long, long time ago...nuff said. The series has been in the hearts and minds of everyone since then, love it or hate it. It has more than stood the test of the time by now, more than 30 years later. And clearly, it's not dying out anytime soon.
Impact: Wow, we don't even have the time. Suffice to say, it's spawned more things than I can hope to thing of, no question. Easily the most impactful trilogy ever made. It changed the way we looked at films, special effects, storytelling, and most of all, science fiction. Every space film since then has been influenced by it, nearly impossible not to be. People devote their entire lives to it, it's just that simple.
Creative Universe: Well the movies themselves were boundlessly creative. To include everything since then is unjust, a ridiculous amount of things have been born out of it. Let's just say when it came to science fiction, it was one of the most creative set of films ever. Simple as that.
1. Lord Of The Rings
Longevity: From 2001 to 2003, it was the biggest thing in movies. But that's not telling the whole story. This set of tales has survived the longest, more than 50 years and still going. It took until then for a faithful adaptation and yet the dream of it never died. That is saying something.
Impact: LOTR has had more impact to storytelling than most even know. The very idea that it had a huge impact on the #2 choice Star Wars should say a lot. When it comes to any fantasy story, all are compared to Tolkien in one way or another. He is the father of modern fantasy, that which all others are judged by. The films themselves took home a vast array of oscars, eventually netting Best Picture, which no other trilogy on this list can boast. They are seen as the most pristine and closest to flawless set of films one could conceive of from such an impossible to film book. Each film got better and never once had to settle for a lesser sequel. It was one continuous story, what every trilogy strives to be, this one achieved on every level.
Creative Universe: Most would think Star Wars would win this. That might be true in some senses, but LOTR has simply had far more time to build their world. And what a world, an endless set of creatives, races, lands, languages, weapons, cities, backstories, songs, simply the most in depth lore of any films on this list. Tolkien went to nearly insane levels to fashion this world. The very idea that he created a new language is astounding. Drew maps of Middle-Earth, wrote poems and songs about its history, described in every detail all of its trappings.
There you go. Don't agree? That's why it's my list and not yours. ^_^
Now then we have 3 major criteria for this list and they are - Longevity, Impact, and Creative Universe. With that said, let's get on with it, dammit! The Best Movie Trilogies...EVER!
8. Pirates Of The Caribbean
Longevity: Being of the newest trilogies on the block, it doesn't fare well here yet. But when you consider the ride it's based on has existed for decades, in a few theme parks, that's saying something. Especially today where all kinds of classic theme park rides are ripped out and replaced with something "new".
Impact: The ride itself had great impact in entertainment. As for the films, they marked easily the best pirate films in years. May not be saying much but considering the number of ones that were unwatchable, it means more than you think. It also reminded everyone of the talent of Johnny Depp, who for the first time actually revisited a character, one he clearly perfected and had steal the show. It's made a strong impact in our culture today, but we'll have to see what affect it has years from now. Also caused the rides to be revamped to include the movie's characters and stories.
Creative Universe: Its biggest marks are here, using a mere theme park ride, though popular one at that, to create an entire trilogy. And yet, manage to at least make passing links back to the ride in each film, hard to do for sure. What was most impressive wasn't the fun characters created, but the amount of pirate lore the films explored. Undead curses on treasures, Davy Jones and his locker, the dead man's chest, the goddess Callisto, etc. Pulling something out of nothing has always been the Disney trick of the trade.
7. The Terminator
Longevity: This is still one of the newer trilogies, not being completed until a few years ago. That said, it started back in the 80s and thus had some time to be digested before each new film. The original Terminator may or may not have stood the test of time, but T2 most certainly has, of course it's only 15 years old.
Impact: Terminator has made a huge impact on Arnold Swlagawlhoihagohag's career (hell no I'm not looking up that name). More than that, T2 made both a huge impact on the career of James Cameron who went on to win an oscar for Titanic, and for special effects in the creation of the T1000 liquid metal terminator, a sight to see in 1992. It has also spawned a theme park ride and this January, a regular television series.
Creative Universe: To be frank, it's not the most creative universe one might imagine. Robots take control of us in the future dystopia. Certainly done to death in books. It had established some basic characters, the Conners, and their race to stop Judgement Day, which it turns out is inevitable. This at the least is a very nice twist we don't learn until the end of the third movie. The creativity of each terminator has been interesting, from the basic cyborg model, liquid metal, and a blend of the two who can control other machines. Maybe the more interesting aspect was that time travel was a one way trip with no way back.
6. X-Men
Longevity: Another recently completed trilogy, the focus on this moreso needs to be on the comics, which have been around for 40 some years. On top of that, they are the best selling comic books of all time, beating out Superman, Batman, and all others that existed years before. Impressive for sure, and it took until 2000 before a viable film could be created.
Impact: The X-Men in general have had a huge impact on comics and some other media. They were intentionally designed to be "heroes" who were "hated and feared". The mantra at marvel became making characters more people could relate to, since they felt DC characters they grew up with like Batman and Superman, while cool and fun, were not identifiable in the least. Not many invulnerable aliens or super rich martial arts detectives around. As for movies, while comic book movies surely existed before this, X-Men began a wave of comic book movies that exists still 7 years later, a successful "fad". Most especially beginning the Marvel films, and though while started with Blade, this was the first truly comic book identified movie of the time, after Superman and Batman had been ruined by studios. X-Men ushered in a time that said special effects could bring to life just about any character from the comics and the stories could in fact be done justice.
Creative Universe: Let's not mess around here, it's the X-Men. There's 40 years of stories to work with and characters out the wazoo. It's virtually unlimited. The movies did not follow direct plots but had their own way with them while keeping mostly true, at least until the Phoenix Saga was tackled, something the last film wasn't really capable of handling in the least. But for sure, the first 2 films proved that such a diverse universe could be put to celluloid.
5. Spider-Man
Longevity: Pretty much that of X-Men, as long as Stan Lee's Marvel has been around, these two have flourished. This is also a recently completed trilogy but it will likely stand the test of time, even better than the X-Men trilogy will.
Impact: Spider-Man has had tremendous impact on comics, general youths, television and more. Even before the films he was considered an iconic character. The films simply spread that around and made him one of the most popular superheroes ever. They were also some of the most successful films ever made.
Creative Universe: Again like X-Men, ridiculous amount of characters and stories to draw from. Spider-Man 3 may have overindulged itself on these, but it just goes to show there's still far more to explore with this one. For the most part, the films were rather faithful to the stories behind it. Certain changes were made, usually for the best.
4. Indiana Jones
Longevity: It remains one of the most well loved adventure series ever made, though not a terribly old trilogy per se, one of the older ones on this list. It is such that a 4th film is slated for next year, but for now we won't let that detract from the original trilogy of films, as that one is clearly far separated from the rest and will be judged differently.
Impact: It helped return the idea of serialized adventure stories back to the big screen. Spielberg and Lucas, two of the biggest names in film, united to create a classic character and his amazing exploits. It has also spawned a tv series, theme park attractions, and now again, a return to the cinema.
Creative Universe: Indiana Jones felt like a living, breathing character that everyone loves. Educated, fun-loving, adventurous and being a part of some interesting historical finds. While the 2nd movie detracted from this a bit, it is the rare trilogy where the 1st and 3rd movies are considered the strongest points, which in fact helped keep it alive and spur the 4th film. The stories behind the Ark of the Covenant and Holy Grail held the audience's attention, and it always helped to have Nazis as villains. The addition of Indy's father played by Sean Connery only heightened the experience. Their world travels were always fun to watch, even if they were just red curves on a map.
3. Back To The Future
Longevity: These films from the 80s are considered "new classics", whatever that means. The point is, BTTF is still considered one of the more enjoyable set of films in recent cinema and quite possibly the best time travel movies ever made. Sure it may be easy to rise to the cream of that crop, but they are clearly a big earmark in the history major science fiction cinema.
Impact: Let's see, certainly put Robert Zemeckis, Michael J. Fox, and Christopher Lloyd on the map, if they weren't already along with Alan Silvestri's classic score. Spawned a cartoon and theme park rides that only this year have finally been shut down. The first film made such a big impact, the last two were shot back to back, something not common to sequels then. This practice (though I'm not sure if it was the first time done) was repeated with Pirates and the Matrix trilogies.
Creative Universe: A DeLorean that goes back in time? It flies too? Hoverboards, alternate universes, changing the past and the future, characters that appeared in different roles throughout time, going back to a scene from the last movie from a totally different perspective. Is that enough? How many trains do you know that fly and travel through time?
2. Star Wars Original Trilogy
Longevity: From 1977, from the words A Long, long time ago...nuff said. The series has been in the hearts and minds of everyone since then, love it or hate it. It has more than stood the test of the time by now, more than 30 years later. And clearly, it's not dying out anytime soon.
Impact: Wow, we don't even have the time. Suffice to say, it's spawned more things than I can hope to thing of, no question. Easily the most impactful trilogy ever made. It changed the way we looked at films, special effects, storytelling, and most of all, science fiction. Every space film since then has been influenced by it, nearly impossible not to be. People devote their entire lives to it, it's just that simple.
Creative Universe: Well the movies themselves were boundlessly creative. To include everything since then is unjust, a ridiculous amount of things have been born out of it. Let's just say when it came to science fiction, it was one of the most creative set of films ever. Simple as that.
1. Lord Of The Rings
Longevity: From 2001 to 2003, it was the biggest thing in movies. But that's not telling the whole story. This set of tales has survived the longest, more than 50 years and still going. It took until then for a faithful adaptation and yet the dream of it never died. That is saying something.
Impact: LOTR has had more impact to storytelling than most even know. The very idea that it had a huge impact on the #2 choice Star Wars should say a lot. When it comes to any fantasy story, all are compared to Tolkien in one way or another. He is the father of modern fantasy, that which all others are judged by. The films themselves took home a vast array of oscars, eventually netting Best Picture, which no other trilogy on this list can boast. They are seen as the most pristine and closest to flawless set of films one could conceive of from such an impossible to film book. Each film got better and never once had to settle for a lesser sequel. It was one continuous story, what every trilogy strives to be, this one achieved on every level.
Creative Universe: Most would think Star Wars would win this. That might be true in some senses, but LOTR has simply had far more time to build their world. And what a world, an endless set of creatives, races, lands, languages, weapons, cities, backstories, songs, simply the most in depth lore of any films on this list. Tolkien went to nearly insane levels to fashion this world. The very idea that he created a new language is astounding. Drew maps of Middle-Earth, wrote poems and songs about its history, described in every detail all of its trappings.
There you go. Don't agree? That's why it's my list and not yours. ^_^
Saturday, December 8, 2007
Happy Belated Hanukkah
Hello my Jewish and non-Jewish friends alike. Yes I'm back, because sanity has reared it's pretty little head and let me finish school once and for all. I've completed my last final for my Masters and should be graduating on Dec 15th, 2007. I say this with confidence even not knowing 40% of my grade remaining because I go in with a good grade as it is and it would take a lot by my calculations for me not to pass. I even have the ability to get a C and still pass, pretty sweet eh? Clearly I want a good grade since it would hurt my GPA a lot, having only 10 classes total, but I'm sure to get my degree either way :)
Now then, let's get on with it. This means I'll now have more free time. Time to write, time to blog, time to ya know, have a life. Ah life, how I miss thee. Not worrying about homework or projects or tests. Sure I still have to work every week but they pay me, not the other way around. Just have to do my best to avoid taking any work home with me.
It's also Hanukkah right now and firstly I want to thank you guys have bestowed glorious presents upon me. My Amazon.com wishlist is a little lighter today. First off, from Stephanie and Sean, I got not one but two sweet books. Yes books, I remember those, the things I used to read before they placed the word "text" in front of them. Well the last real book I read was America (the book), the awesomely hilarious fake text book (bah there's that phrase again) by the Daily Show. Now I've got Stephen Colbert's "I Am America (And So Can You!)" which looks just as damn funny. On top of that, the first part of the comic book run of Buffy The Vampire Slayer Season 8. A little more Joss Whedon never hurt. You know, unless you're Spike, Wesley, Anya, Buffy, Tara, etc. And because I foolishly checked my wishlist to see some missing items, it means more are on the way. I have no doubt these are from Beerman, because it includes both the new Futurama movie: Bender's Big Score and the special/limited/shiny edition of Serenity. Now I already own the Serenity DVD but not this new one. See I haven't opened the old one yet, never got around to it. So perhaps it can be a gift to someone one else eventually or just resell it on eBay, being still wrapped and everything. Thanks mucho you guys, not to be greedy, but these things being lower on price meant I got more quantity, which is totally awesome. I always look to see if I can't get someone else more gifts for around the same price. You still want all the same stuff but getting more just seems cooler. Hope I'm not wrong for saying that.
My vacation officially begins on the night of Dec 14th and runs through Jan 1st. I'll be home in South Florida during that time and kicking back during my favorite time of the year: false South Florida winter. With that, I leave you with a wonderful youtube link all about the Jews on Christmas. Of course if you're reading this blog, you probably already know all about this. I'd like to add bowling to this list as well.
Happy Holidays everyone!
Now then, let's get on with it. This means I'll now have more free time. Time to write, time to blog, time to ya know, have a life. Ah life, how I miss thee. Not worrying about homework or projects or tests. Sure I still have to work every week but they pay me, not the other way around. Just have to do my best to avoid taking any work home with me.
It's also Hanukkah right now and firstly I want to thank you guys have bestowed glorious presents upon me. My Amazon.com wishlist is a little lighter today. First off, from Stephanie and Sean, I got not one but two sweet books. Yes books, I remember those, the things I used to read before they placed the word "text" in front of them. Well the last real book I read was America (the book), the awesomely hilarious fake text book (bah there's that phrase again) by the Daily Show. Now I've got Stephen Colbert's "I Am America (And So Can You!)" which looks just as damn funny. On top of that, the first part of the comic book run of Buffy The Vampire Slayer Season 8. A little more Joss Whedon never hurt. You know, unless you're Spike, Wesley, Anya, Buffy, Tara, etc. And because I foolishly checked my wishlist to see some missing items, it means more are on the way. I have no doubt these are from Beerman, because it includes both the new Futurama movie: Bender's Big Score and the special/limited/shiny edition of Serenity. Now I already own the Serenity DVD but not this new one. See I haven't opened the old one yet, never got around to it. So perhaps it can be a gift to someone one else eventually or just resell it on eBay, being still wrapped and everything. Thanks mucho you guys, not to be greedy, but these things being lower on price meant I got more quantity, which is totally awesome. I always look to see if I can't get someone else more gifts for around the same price. You still want all the same stuff but getting more just seems cooler. Hope I'm not wrong for saying that.
My vacation officially begins on the night of Dec 14th and runs through Jan 1st. I'll be home in South Florida during that time and kicking back during my favorite time of the year: false South Florida winter. With that, I leave you with a wonderful youtube link all about the Jews on Christmas. Of course if you're reading this blog, you probably already know all about this. I'd like to add bowling to this list as well.
Happy Holidays everyone!
What Am I Destined To Do?
The following post has been restored. Sorry for deleting it before, I realize I hadn't a good reason to get rid of it so it's back! There will be a new post to follow.
DISCLAIMER: This is one of those posts that's about my life. If you don't want to read about this, please move along.
I've been having a quandary of late, a debate about being in the right field of work. See I realized sometime late this year, while at my current job, that I'm not so sure I made the right choice in college. I'm almost sure of it, if I wasn't at least good at what I do now. Sure as a software engineer, I get to work with technology all day, be on the computer and make a decent salary (though I'm actually underpaid right now and plan to rectify that using my success so far and pending Masters degree as leverage). But how did it come to this?
I was film pending major in college, tried twice to get into the film school and failed both times. But with what? I've never filmed a movie before, aside from the classic Tenacious 3, which isn't exactly worthy of submission. Instead I sent in the first 10 pages of a script and a short story, and something different the next time. See I had this crazy idea I could direct movies, yet as I'd never done this before college, I was apparently already at a loss. I took TV Production in high school twice and it was a lot of fun, but it didn't make a dent in such a career in film. Turns out I'm probably more of a writer than I'll ever be a "director", but who knows.
That's the real problem, I realized I followed a safer bet, a more sure fire plan. Use your math and science skills I thought. Sure they're just above average or so but that's good enough. You can work in technology that you like, but still be "creative". Hah, what a laugh, creative. Writing code all day for oil companies. I didn't see any of this coming when I was blinded by the sheer joy of working for Disney, keeping theme park rides safe around the world, even if just by judging test data vs. the in-house limits we had in place and creating new ones. Each week we'd have discussions over rides, rides dammit! That was our job, to keep fun, entertaining rides safe for people, to know the ins and outs of the mechanics and what the standards were. I worked in a building just outside of
What's the real reason I took Computer Engineering? Not just because I was worried I was throwing away my math and science skills, but I was also getting concerned about making a living. What if I failed in film or writing or such? How could I make money? But here was Engineering, Computer in fact that was one of the highest paid jobs right out of Bachelors school. Not necessarily saying much after you've got years of experience in many other fields, but it said something, a job in demand, not a job I'd have to fight tooth and nail to make a dent in the industry. But has it made me happy? At first I thought it might, but Disney spoiled me. I found the rigors of the 40 hour work week tough, maybe because I was going to school at the same time, I don't know. But the idea of the 8, really 9 hour day was tough. Working where I am now, I've had to work extra hours, weekends, while knowing that I have to go home to more work for school. After December, I'll have my Masters degree and that won't be an excuse anymore.
But why did I get my Masters degree at all? How did I get this far in a field I may not even like anymore? I knew that I should go for it, have a chance at more money, easier chance at getting a job. But money doesn't buy happiness. Well ok I don't really know that. I'm not exactly rolling in it, making less than I did at my last job. Moreso because I now am responsible for almost every single one of my own expenses, living alone (which is great don't get me wrong) leaves me paying full price for everything like rent and bills. It's certainly a good life lesson but not easy.
So now as I move forward, looking perhaps for another job, I question, is there one out there in my field that will make me even remotely happy? Where have I applied? I've gone all out right now, probably looking at places I don't have a shot in the world at because while I may be a software engineer, I don't know all the greater programs and moreso, no real experience with 3D/computer graphics. ILM, Pixar, Disney, Google, Weta Digital, video game companies and more. Shooting for the stars? Hah sure, but I don't see why not to do so.
The real problem here is my aspirations are so much greater than mere software engineering. Writing is where it's at for me. Books, tv, movies, I don't care, I crave creativity. I have so many stories sitting in my head that I fear will never see the light of day. Believe me I plan to write once school ends and I have free time again. But if I never succeed at that, what then? I had these dreams of putting together franchises of stories. Hell I've been even crazy enough to wonder if I should go into voice acting (don't ask). Point is, the right and left halves of my brain are at war with each other and I don't know who'll win. All I know is, I better not be programming for an oil company a year from now, at least I hope not.
Saturday, November 3, 2007
Happy Hallo...Thanksg...ChristmaSuperbowl?
I clearly must have missed something. See Halloween was Wednesday. I remember it coming but not actually happening. Yes I know it was there. I was there. Halloween kind of wasn't though. We handed out a few candies at work but people could care less. See, it being the holiday, no one cared. But leading up to it? Enjoy Halloween Horror Nights, pick up your costumes, carve out your jack-o-lanterns and such. Just make sure you do it all before the holiday happens, because by then it's too late. When I was a kid, my community of houses had trick or treating aplenty. Obviously I don't care about that anymore, yet this year and last, living away from campus or "off-campus" housing, I've seen none of it. No one has come to my door and I know kids live here. To be honest I'd rather not be bothered, I'm probably too busy watching hockey.
But see that's not my point. My point is, the day after Halloween, I heard Christmas commercials. No better than that, last weekend I was home, during October and my father and I visited a Loews hardware store, the kind of place that thinks it can compete with Home Depot. Anyway, to our left was a gigantic Christmas section. And I mean gigantic, huge blowup Christmas stuff you see some really out there lawns. Sure there was Hanukkah stuff, in the sense that there was literally a small column of hanging Hanukkah yo-yos between the ornaments and such. I don't expect to see much Hanukkah stuff, that's fine, but I kind of find yo-yos insulting for some reason, especially when it's surrounded by all the crazy lights and stuff.
Forget all of that now. Today, I heard a commercial for an electronics store, promoting their big screen plasma tvs. Part of this was stating that you could really see the Big Game the right way. Wait, the Big Game? As in Superbowl? You've gotta be kidding me. We're on next year already. That's when it dawned on me. No one wants to celebrate a holiday anymore, aside from getting time off. They'd much rather celebrate the hype of it, the build up. Better get ready, Christmas is coming, oh man the Superbowl is gonna be awesome (yes this isn't a holiday but it might as well be). By the time they're here, no one wants to talk about it anymore, just move on to what's coming up next.
Eventually we'll be celebrating holidays 4 months ahead of time. In February it will be the 4th of July, in July it'll be Labor Day (ok that's pushing it). And before anyone gets the idea that I hate Christmas because I'm Jewish, nothing could be further from the truth. This is my favorite time of year, late Fall to early Winter. I enjoy the festiveness of it all, but honestly, can we not celebrate Thanksgiving first? You can have the entire month of December if you want, but leave the slaughtering of Native Americans alone. We must celebrate them by devouring turkey, watching football, and saying how we're thankful that we can celebrate the coming of holidays as soon as we can see the month coming up in the lower part of our calendars.
But see that's not my point. My point is, the day after Halloween, I heard Christmas commercials. No better than that, last weekend I was home, during October and my father and I visited a Loews hardware store, the kind of place that thinks it can compete with Home Depot. Anyway, to our left was a gigantic Christmas section. And I mean gigantic, huge blowup Christmas stuff you see some really out there lawns. Sure there was Hanukkah stuff, in the sense that there was literally a small column of hanging Hanukkah yo-yos between the ornaments and such. I don't expect to see much Hanukkah stuff, that's fine, but I kind of find yo-yos insulting for some reason, especially when it's surrounded by all the crazy lights and stuff.
Forget all of that now. Today, I heard a commercial for an electronics store, promoting their big screen plasma tvs. Part of this was stating that you could really see the Big Game the right way. Wait, the Big Game? As in Superbowl? You've gotta be kidding me. We're on next year already. That's when it dawned on me. No one wants to celebrate a holiday anymore, aside from getting time off. They'd much rather celebrate the hype of it, the build up. Better get ready, Christmas is coming, oh man the Superbowl is gonna be awesome (yes this isn't a holiday but it might as well be). By the time they're here, no one wants to talk about it anymore, just move on to what's coming up next.
Eventually we'll be celebrating holidays 4 months ahead of time. In February it will be the 4th of July, in July it'll be Labor Day (ok that's pushing it). And before anyone gets the idea that I hate Christmas because I'm Jewish, nothing could be further from the truth. This is my favorite time of year, late Fall to early Winter. I enjoy the festiveness of it all, but honestly, can we not celebrate Thanksgiving first? You can have the entire month of December if you want, but leave the slaughtering of Native Americans alone. We must celebrate them by devouring turkey, watching football, and saying how we're thankful that we can celebrate the coming of holidays as soon as we can see the month coming up in the lower part of our calendars.
Monday, October 29, 2007
Yes It's A New Blog
Do I already have a blog? Yes I do. Do I have a LJ? Yes I do, I rarely use it nowadays. I rather like the layout here better. The hockey blog isn't going anywhere, but it just gets little love due to both time constraints and the fact that I talk about hockey enough as it is on forums. I'll post on there when I feel like it but it's few and far between.
(If anyone reading this is looking to know more about me or what it is that drives my interests, that will come later. It's late, just wanted to get this up.)
No, this one is a more personal blog. What's it for? It's just for me, it's for all kinds of things. Hopefully I'll feel I can post anything here and not worry about the consequences but one never knows. It gets hard to post personal things without blocking out everyone, heh. But shoot here goes, let the randomness begin by following up on Stephanie's meme.
8 random things about my kitchen (not that it's that interesting but here it goes anyway):
1. Much of my appliances are new because I didn't have them before and come from Bed Bath And Beyond thanks to numerous coupons from my parents
2. The microwave had to originally be returned because the door wouldn't close, and I didn't really feel like giving myself a healthy dose of radiation
3. There's a small hole above that area in the ceiling, which is apparently a leak from the chimney (don't ask why I have a chimney/fireplace in Central Florida), waiting to be fixed still
4. My dishwasher and stove/oven are brand new (maybe the fridge too?) which was part of the selling point of the apartment, along with brand new cabinetry and A/C
5. In order to get to the pantry, you go through the laundry room, small as it is, which is attached to the kitchen, which I find a bit awkward
6. When running the dishwasher (and it seems sinks as well) the pipes make an annoying thump noise when a lot of water flows through them
7. I've never used an oven, don't plan to anytime soon, but for the stove, the only things I've cooked so far are pasta (all the time), frozen chicken, and grilled cheese sandwiches, I'm not much of a cook.
8. And to finish this list off, I'll just say that it's great to finally have a kitchen to myself, so I don't have to try share it with someone else and constantly go shopping more than I want to because I can't fit as many things, just another benefit of living alone
Alright that's it for now. It might be the most boring post here so far, but again, this is just here to get things started, and I felt the challenge when Stephanie claimed no one would follow up on it, heh so there. My free time is short until later this year when I graduate with my Masters degree, but eventually this thing may see some real life.
(If anyone reading this is looking to know more about me or what it is that drives my interests, that will come later. It's late, just wanted to get this up.)
No, this one is a more personal blog. What's it for? It's just for me, it's for all kinds of things. Hopefully I'll feel I can post anything here and not worry about the consequences but one never knows. It gets hard to post personal things without blocking out everyone, heh. But shoot here goes, let the randomness begin by following up on Stephanie's meme.
8 random things about my kitchen (not that it's that interesting but here it goes anyway):
1. Much of my appliances are new because I didn't have them before and come from Bed Bath And Beyond thanks to numerous coupons from my parents
2. The microwave had to originally be returned because the door wouldn't close, and I didn't really feel like giving myself a healthy dose of radiation
3. There's a small hole above that area in the ceiling, which is apparently a leak from the chimney (don't ask why I have a chimney/fireplace in Central Florida), waiting to be fixed still
4. My dishwasher and stove/oven are brand new (maybe the fridge too?) which was part of the selling point of the apartment, along with brand new cabinetry and A/C
5. In order to get to the pantry, you go through the laundry room, small as it is, which is attached to the kitchen, which I find a bit awkward
6. When running the dishwasher (and it seems sinks as well) the pipes make an annoying thump noise when a lot of water flows through them
7. I've never used an oven, don't plan to anytime soon, but for the stove, the only things I've cooked so far are pasta (all the time), frozen chicken, and grilled cheese sandwiches, I'm not much of a cook.
8. And to finish this list off, I'll just say that it's great to finally have a kitchen to myself, so I don't have to try share it with someone else and constantly go shopping more than I want to because I can't fit as many things, just another benefit of living alone
Alright that's it for now. It might be the most boring post here so far, but again, this is just here to get things started, and I felt the challenge when Stephanie claimed no one would follow up on it, heh so there. My free time is short until later this year when I graduate with my Masters degree, but eventually this thing may see some real life.
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