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Showing posts from February, 2014

Nice touch by ILM in Star Trek Generations

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Nice touch by ILM in Star Trek Generations Yes, the effects are amazing, and ILM did some great work on this movie. They even pulled out the old Enterprise D model from nearly 8 years ago to shoot the space scenes, despite the fact the TV was using the smaller, more detailed model, in later seasons. What I wanted to bring attention to is the detail in the explosion scene. You can see members of the crashed Enterprise standing on the hull of the ship looking up at the sky. You can actually see them reacting to the coming explosion. Most of them TRY to run away from the shockwave before it hits. That is a nice detail. I remember seeing this in the theater and thinking, “Wow, that was a neat shot and detail.”

Random Stuff

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Random Stuff ~ Crispin Glover hates the ending to BTTF: I actually sort of agree with him on this. It was more about the material things in the end. Marty gets the new truck and everyone has better jobs. However, they made this movie in the 80s when these things were important. The producer and director also felt there was a problem with this too. They mentioned it on the DVD commentary. They sort of ret-con this in BTTF II with the side story about Marty losing everything in that future car crash. I still like the ending because it is a stark contrast to his other timeline. It shows that universe is different.  They just used 80s values to do it.  I also find nothing wrong with success and wealth when you "put your mind to it".   ~ Shrek 5? Just stop: With Dream Works considering another movie, is there a way to convince them to end the franchise? And, I liked the ending to 4 and loved the spinoff Puss N Boots. I think the fourth movie was a good wa...

Godzilla Trailer 2

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Godzilla Trailer 2 Well, this trailer was even better than the first trailer. It does answer a few questions. -In the 50s, the US and probably other countries attempted to kill off Godzilla under the guise of testing nukes.  It would only be fitting that he's going to save the planet.  -We get to hear Godzilla's modified roar. -Hints of other monsters?: there are a lot hints that there are going to be more monsters in the movie. I am still thinking Godzilla is going to be our anti-hero. -There is an impressive shot of a crashed plane on a highway. Is this the work of Godzilla or another monster? -Everyone F's with the Statue of Liberty: How many movies have either destroyed or damaged the statue. The old lady takes more beatings than any other landmark. -Something with wings, robotic or living, falls into the water at the 1:32 mark. -Look at the dropping jet fighters. One of them has a guy eject and open a parachute. That's a nice ...

Harold Ramis RIP

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Harold Ramis RIP Damn, this one came as a total shock to me too. Most people that knows a thing or two about comedic movies is aware of this guy, writer/actor/director. He was a part of many pop cultural movies of two decades (80s and 90s). While some of his later movies weren't that good, I am looking at you, Year One, he should be remembered for his overall body of work.    From the Chicago Tribune, ((Ramis, a longtime North Shore resident, was surrounded by family when he died at 12:53 a.m. from complications of autoimmune inflammatory vasculitis, a rare disease that involves swelling of the blood vessels, his wife Erica Mann Ramis said. He was 69. )) I had no idea he was so sick. The family seems to have kept it under wraps because Ramis was actively trying to get Ghostbuster III movie off the ground. I still feel we don't need a Ghostbuster III movie, but I can see why he wanted to make another one. Here are some highlights from his career. H...

Jerry Goldsmith's Alien Theme

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Jerry Goldsmith's Alien Theme Words can't express how much I LOVE this theme. Goldsmith felt space should have a grand/romantic feel to it like in the same manner as Williams' score to Star Wars. The director and producers did screw around with Goldsmith original intentions. They added some classical music and some of Goldsmith's older stuff into the film version. I think Goldsmith wanted a more structured score than an Atmospheric score, you can clearly hear themes being introduced here. I am almost certain the (Dark) swell 1:19 was some his early attempts at giving the Alien a central theme. Scott wanted a darker tone, while Goldsmith wanted to make it lighter in certain places. Scott and Goldsmith went for a mixture. Here's the more horror version of the main titles.

Guy with Fake Gun threatens people for the Lulz

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Guy with Fake Gun threatens people for the Lulz  This really pisses me off. 1 He and his buddy thought it was funny threatening people with a fake gun: People thought it was real. They're reactions were that of total fear. I can only imagine the fear the old man had as these two thugs rolled up. 2 You filmed it: How stupid do you have to be to do this? 3 You posted it on Instagram: All the cops have to do is track you down via your account. Given the hostile environment we're in, where black men and women are getting shot for far less, why would you risks your life for a laugh? Stupid stunts like this one make it harder on all of us and puts us in harm's way. Unstable people are now more likely to bust a cap in my ass due to these sort of stunts and knock out game attacks. Naturally, this ass-hat was arrested. You can check out some of his other videos at The Smoking Gun. Congrats, ass-hole, you're going to jail for being a fake gangst...

Girl has a freakout over tumbleweeds

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Girl has a freakout over tumbleweeds Yes, it is wrong to laugh at someone's phobia, but this video is funny. This guys gets the boyfriend of the year award for recording his girlfriend's freakout. What is the name for "Tumbleweed Phobia"? Is she afraid of the Tumbleweed restaurants too?

Guardians of the Galaxy Trailer

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Guardians of the Galaxy Trailer Okay, I am sold, Marvel. I actually laughed a lot during the trailer. And, I love the fact they make fun of the whole notion the “Guardians of the Galaxy” stuff. And, they note the corny-ness of the name. Who names themselves Star Lord?  The film is basedon the 2008 team and not the one from the 60s. The one from the 60's is set in a different universe than the main Marvel universe. I love that I am looking forward to this movie 100 times more than Transformers 4, and that movie has Dinobots in it. Star-Lord : He appears human and acts like a Bro-Guy. I think this works. From what I can gather he isn't this brash in the comic books, but I could be wrong. I love the middle finger bit a lot. Rocket Raccoon : This is the one that everyone wasn't sure about with myself included. However, I'm sold on the concept and CGI design. He's a badass talking raccoon. I get it. I'm looking forward to seei...

Random Things

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Random Things ~ This whole “incident” is troubling to me because it is a small studio that's shut down major websites from even mentioning the story. Not even Prince or the Space Church are able to pull the feat these guys have pulled off. They've even deleted the post in the IMDB page mentioning a boycott. I won't be releasing the post I wrote about the story at all because I know they will come down on me. I will just say this; Just come clean and apologize about the incident. That goes a long way more than threatening lawsuits. ~ The Makers of the Bioshock franchise is calling it quits : Irrational Games, the ones behind Bioshock, are hanging up their company and leaving the series with 2K. I am truly shocked about this considering that Bioshock was a huge seller and praised by critics. The Bioshock games have an amazing story, but it is troubling seeing this great developer leave behind the Bioshock series. Basically, the head guy is reducing the stud...

Go Ninja, Go Ninja go! Kraft Macaroni & Cheese

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Go Ninja, Go Ninja go! Kraft Macaroni & Cheese I am guessing someone in the marketing department is a huge fan of the Ninja Turtles movies and Vanilla Ice. I simply love this ad, but it also makes me feel really old too. Today, we're all grown up and supposed to have kids. Ninja Turtles and Ice Ice Baby are pop cultural artifacts from an earlier time. These things are considered nostalgia classics. Side note: I love the joke that Vanilla Ice is working as a stock guy. Here's the making of... And for poops and laughs, here's the actual song.

Buck 22 - Achy Breaky 2 ft. Billy Ray Cyrus

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Buck 22 - Achy Breaky 2 ft. Billy Ray Cyrus Did anyone ask for a hip-hop remix to a country song most people have forgotten?  This song is really terrible.  Somehow Billy Ray has turned his shitty song into a shittier song, and I didn’t think that was possible.  While his daughter has become more and more ratchet, he’s reliving his better days with a silly hip-hop version of his song.  Does the apple fall far from the tree or does the tree fall far from the apple?   With crappy music and rap lyrics, it just comes across as another cheap attempt to stay popular.  I am just confused with the fact that this even came out this year when it feels like something from the 90s or 2002.  There is nothing redeeming about the song.  It seems like he and his daughter on a mission to completely destroy music, as we know it.  They’re tag teaming in a ring beating the shit out of good music.  I really hate this song.   Right now,...

The Issue

The Issue Let's say I just wrote a post about two movie producers involved in a viral incident. It was a post about the legal threats that said producers are shooting around to everyone that even mentions the incident. I was going to post it, but realized even some of the bigger sites have been threatened and they've taken down the story. The story only lives on Reddit now with very little mention of the story on Google.  Not even Scientology has moved in so fast and attacked any mention of them.   I have a strong belief if I post the story I will get a legal e-mail from the producers threatening me with legal action. Should I even publish the story consider that I have no photos or quotes from the story?   

House of Cards First few episodes thoughts

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House of Cards First few episodes thoughts It is Valentine’s Day and all I am worried about is rushing home and watching the opening to the impressive House of Cards. I proudly told a female friend that I am going to spend it watching House of Cards episodes. Now you know how I will spend this holiday. The opening episode started out a little shaky, but damn did it end well. ~The opening literal begins where the last season ended. You're not missing a huge chunk of time. ~Did they change the theme song? It sounded like they remixed the song. ~Gear shift:  They really pulled off something really shocking in the first episode. Make sure not to read any reviews, because they're giving it away on some sites. The shocking moment pretty much changes the status quo of the series here on out.  I kind of figured it was going to happen, but it is still a shock.   ~Kevin Spacey is outstanding in these early episodes. His sneering mannerism are simply fun. In...

Star Wars vs Sochi: The Olympics just got interesting for me

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Star Wars vs Sochi: The Olympics just got interesting for me Yes, seeing AT-AT shooting at the guys was really neat. Plus, I loved use of the Battle of Hoth music. That was a nice touch. The only thing that would have made it better was adding a few AT-ST walkers to the shots of the AT-AT walkers. People tend to forget that they made their first appearance in Empire Strikes Back. They filmed more scenes with the AT-ST, but Lucas reduced the shots. Here's their early design in Empire, which were slightly different t han the ones from Return. Anyway, I have to give the makers of this video props for the CGI and editing.  

Bus Driver fights 15 year old thug

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Bus Driver fights 15 year old thug This is why you avoid public transportation.  I also see this as a bigger problem within the black community.  Why are we so quick to use our fists when things don't go our way?  Yes, the kid was 15 years old, but the kid also sucker punched the bus driver in the face repeatedly. The driver was driving the bus when this little thug slugged him in the face. Yes, the driver should have attempted to put the bus in park before defending himself. That put all of them in danger, but the kid needs some of the blame too because he put them in danger first. And, yes the teen is facing charges thankfully. I remember a story in Louisville where another little thug threw a battery at abus driver's head while being kicked off the bus. The driver suffered some injuries and everyone on the bus had to wait for EMS and the police to respond. That's just loathsome thuggish behavior.  The student did make a statement about his...

More on Geeks and Culture

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MC wrote up an impressive post about Women and gamers. This video does support his views on the subject. However, I am still not sold on Anita Sarkeesian . The bigger problem I have is the branch of extreme geeks.  They are the ones sending her threats and other mean things instead of calling her out on some of the flaws in her videos. She shuts down her comment sections due to the extreme views from guy geeks, when they should be taking the high road and point out the flaws in her claims. When the extremists become the story, the counter points are lost. It becomes a story about ALL geeks attacking her because of her video series and not because of a difference in points of view.  The one getting attack can dictate the discussion because they're the ones viewed as the level head ones.   Letting the extremists geeks take over the discussion means the other side can refocus the discussion on them and not the real stories about women and charac...

Rodman: Letting all out in a North Korean Hotel?

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Rodman: Letting all out in a North Korean Hotel? Again, this guy is his own personal wrecking ball. He bends over backwards to please his friend Kim the Leader. What does he do in his hotel? From Sports Grid via Korea Times , (( ‘ Rodman was drunk the whole week of his stay. And the night before he left for the U.S., he was drunk unconscious, and vomited everywhere he turned. He even urinated and emptied the bowels in the hallway,’ a source told Free North Korea Radio. )) I guess after making Double Team with JCVD, he has no fear. He was kicked out of the country. This takes a lot of balls to poop and pee in a hotel owned by the Supreme/Great Leader. You can't behave like a jackass in a country where they lock you up and kill you for “making porn” videos. From Korea Times, (( Rodman was reportedly asked out of the country with a warning “Never will you be welcome here without the completion of your alcohol abuse treatment program,” the source said. )) This ...

Guy goes full comando in McDonald's

Speaking of McDonald's...a guy came into one store completely naked. Because I don't post full nudity on my blog and I don't want to post man meat on my blog, you can click here and enter at your own risk NSFW. I like the different reactions from the people to this naked guy. Some want to fight, I am not sure why because you're bound to brush up on something you don't want. Others want to run away from him. I also like that the cops don't want to touch him either. I am sure having a guy walking around with his dong out brings your food code from a A down to a C at least right? By the way, someone already made a Terminator joke in the comment section.  What is with all these crazy people migrating to McDonald's? 

Woman shoots up McDonald's Drive Thru

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Woman shoots up McDonald's Drive Thru This woman wanted a burger with bacon, but McDonald's screwed up the order like usual. She called the place and demanded a re-order. She came back to the same store and reordered her bacon burger and it didn't come with bacon again. She did what any sane person would do...not. From The Huffington Post, ((When she discovered the order was incorrect again, Torres allegedly verbally confronted the employee and exited her vehicle. She's accused of shooting one pistol round into the drive-thru window. )) Now, another report claimed that she stayed in her car and fired her gun right across the driver's side into the store, thus hurting her friend's ears. Shooting up a place because they screwed up an order is bit of an overreaction in my book. Okay, they screwed up on two orders in a row.   However, now you're facing jail time. By the way, I love that expression. It is kind of a half smile/frown. ...

Sonic Rush: Wrapped in Black

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Sonic Rush: Wrapped in Black I posted about this song years ago. I wondered where they got the sample “Too Black, Too Strong” from. Some people surmised that it came from Malcolm X. This video and this wiki has confirmed that it comes from a Malcolm X speech.   I believe it is from his Grassroots speech and it is an anti-integration remark about coffee .   I don't agree with Malcolm's remarks here, but it is interesting to hear it here.   It seems odd to use the voice of a civil rights leader (some would say he wasn't a CR leader, but he changed his message later in life)  in sample for a game, but it works for the retro feel. Plus, the composer used a lot samples from older songs for the entire sound track. I actually like this song a lot. So you have a Micheal Jackson and Malcolm X connection to Sonic.   Side Note:  I'm sure Malcolm would be pissed to know that the Nation of Islam is connected to Scientology today.  

Random Stuff

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Random Stuff  So stupid even an caveman can...oh shut up.  ~Geico, why the annoying ads: I run into these ads all the time on YouTube and they are annoying. I really hate the damn talking cat and mouse. Why must you annoy me with such loud and unfunny ads. And, don't get me started on the silly Caveman ads, which spawned the equally bad Caveman TV show. If you want me to buy your product, don't annoy me.  I quickly dash for the mute button when I see a Geico ad.  There are a few ads from the company I like.  Corky Romano got arrested. ~ Chris Kattan pops up with a DUI: Whoa, where did they dig up this guy? He's pretty much disappeared off the face of the planet. I remember he showed up in a soda ad a few years ago and he's not looking too good these days. Kattan was funny for playing the same character in every movie, but his movies weren't good to begin with and that was part of the problem. Now, he's known for this DUI and SNL. ...

George Zimmerman VS DMX: Canceled...thankfully

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George Zimmerman VS DMX: Canceled...thankfully And, it was the promoter that canceled the fight. From New York Daily News.com, (("This was the wrong person to put in the ring and define celebrity boxing thank you," he tweeted from his handle @hollywoodbox11. "I walked away from av [sic] million dollar payday with this fight but to be honest I'd rather be happy and make people happy thank you.")) Well, the whole thing was in poor taste considering a young kid died by the hands of one of the fighters and that's the only reason he is famous. I am guessing he was getting a lot of negative heat from the promotion. Hopefully, we can now see both of these guys fade back into being has been and “who was that guy?” worlds. Sadly, you better believe Zimmerman isn't going to go away. He's going to claw and scratch to keep his 15 minutes of fame. 

Random Things

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Random Things ~ X-Factor destroyed by FOX: I guess FOX finally had enough of all the problems and ratings slumps on the show and pulled the plug. Simon Cowell was pretty much leaving the American show anyway, and that's what their blaming the cancellation on. However, we know it was because no one was watching the show. The music coming out of these shows were pretty bland anyway. Does anyone even remember the winner of the X-Factor show. Cowell is one of the reasons music is in such a bland and vanilla state that it is in today. ~ Gary Oldman in talks for Star Wars: I'm all for it. I think he's a great actor and would fit right in with the SW universe. He's been in the Batman and Harry Potter movies, so he knows his way around franchises. Please sign him, Disney. ~Dr. Who restart (2005): I have to say I am impressed with the restart of the Who series. I will have some more thoughts on the subject later. There are some problems, but no as muc...

George Zimmerman vs. DMX (huh?)

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George Zimmerman vs. DMX (huh?) Hold on, George, who kills people, will fight DMX. Uh, DMX is the that's been in prison for years now due to drug use. His weight has shifted from fit to skinny numerous times. And, you choose DMX to fight you in the ring? That's stacking the deck in your favor. I think we shouldn't even bother watching or promoting the fight, because it is just another chance to have Zimmerman receive more attention and money instead of him getting a real job and leave the spot light. While I don't think we need to sign a petition , we just need to not buy the PPV match. The sad truth of the matter is that it two people looking to extend their fame. Has DMX been in the news for anything other than being arrested recently? From the Washington Post, ((Although, with so many charges for drug possession and being under the influence, is the 43-year-old in any kind of shape to take on the 30-year-old boxing enthusiast? Maybe t...

Orth-returned

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Adam Orth pops up Remember that guy that trolled the entire Xbox fanbase and got fired. I think he really got fired for spilling the beans about the Xbox One being connected to the internet. And MS received the negative heat from it. The funny thing is he became a meme and got fire over it. You know what? His actions were just a precursor for the attitude MS would take on later after E3. The problem with always online system is too many people can slow down and shut down people just wanting to play a solo game. Why would MS stand behind a program that has proven to be a failure?    After the incident, he had an interesting story about his reaction. From Kotaku , ((he actually unplugged and got himself off social media. "I saw the first wave of it, and that was enough," he says. Friends still told him what people were saying. His wife read a lot of the comments. "It was a horrible experience for all of my family." )) Yeah, the shit storm...