tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-142139972024-03-09T09:16:12.720-08:00Pointless Movie Reviews!Your source for pointless, nobody-cares-but-us movie reviews. We grade movies on a 1-10 scale (1 = It sucked my soul out through my eyes and 10 = I'm buying the DVD so I can tuck it under my pillow at night and sing little songs to it.)naudyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04843427883019649608noreply@blogger.comBlogger255125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14213997.post-28959196393854210992016-12-28T12:57:00.000-08:002016-12-28T19:29:50.980-08:00DANGAL (9)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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I was waiting outside the bathrooms for my sister when I overheard a family talking about DANGAL, the movie we had just seen. "The subtle message of the movie," said a girl, "is if you listen to your father, you'll win."<br />
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Her brother snorted. "It wasn't subtle."<br />
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As I thought about these two statements, I looked at the bathroom entrance and realized that 1) most people don't like subtle and 2) they were both right.<br />
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I took a picture of the bathroom entrance so you can see what I am talking about. Go ahead and look at it. There are two entrances. Which one is the men's bathroom? How can you tell? Probably the signs everywhere help, huh? They have cool icons and shapes and there's extra signs hanging above the door, too!<br />
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Now imagine all the signs are gone and tell me which of these is the men's bathroom. Do you see it? It's obvious, really. Women clearly need to be surrounded with pale peachy rosy colors when eliminating body wastes while men should only defecate in an environment the grey-blue-green of a fresh bruise. Even the paint on the walls above the tilework is different and neither of these two spaces looks anything like the rest of the theater.<br />
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Subtle it ain't.<br />
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Lots of people have ideas about bathrooms and the logic and morality of them. I don't want to talk about any of those ideas right now. Instead, I want to use the bathrooms as a way to see the system.<br />
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It's difficult, sometimes, to understand the systems we live in. It's like thinking about air. We really never think about air unless it smells different or the temtperature drops or if we don't have enough. But when a business needs to pays extra money for two different sets of tiles to be installed in the bathrooms so their customer's gender identities are comfortable, that's the system. Customers don't want subtle. They want bathrooms which are blatantly pink and blue.<br />
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DANGAL is a movie about women's wrestling and it is entirely about men, specifically one man, Mahavir Singh Phogat (played by Aamir Khan.) This movie completely fails the Bechtel test (which simply is - do two women in the movie ever have a conversation about anything OTHER than a man?) to the point where a male cousin is the narrator. DANGAL is a sports movie so this isn't unusual. A (male) friend of mine calls sports movies "chick flicks for dudes" because they provide the same kind of wish-fulfillment. Dudes don't dream of meeting a sexy partner who responds to their needs (because guys just <i>expect</i> that.) Men dream of winning the big game and the respect of other men. DANGAL provides the dream and the glorious fulfillment of the dream.<br />
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Aamir Khan plays Papa, the man with a dream. For those of you who don't know Aamir Khan, he's like India's Tom Hanks/Christian Bale and has won an outrageous number of awards for acting. His nickname is "Mr. Perfection" because of the care and meticulousness he brings to every role. For this film Mr. Kahn was just as careful. He gained and lost weight, getting as high as 35% body fat and down as low as 9% body fat, so he could portray a man going from peak physical condition in his youth to heavy and slow in his late years. Aamir Khan movies have weight (sorry for the pun) and he is the sun every other character revolves around.<br />
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So, it's as subtle as blue bathroom tiles. Papa has a dream, Papa teaches his daughters to wrestle, Papa lets no other man control his daughters, India wins the gold. (No, I am not apologizing for the spoiler. It's a sports movie. They HAVE to win.) At the end Papa's dream is fulfilled, the movie formula is complete and everyone goes home happy. So, the brother I overheard was right. It isn't subtle.<br />
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But (and you knew it was coming) there's more to this movie than that. It showed how awful it is when grown men mock young girls on the street, when they hope their arms and legs break, when grown men rush to see a 10 year old girl wrestle because they hope her shirt gets ripped off. And when the girls are older we see men who try to dominate them, try to steal their glory, men who don't believe in them, who mock them for failing, men who will gladly sacrifice a woman's success if it will help him hurt another man, and men who don't pay attention enough to know these young women, much less what they are good at.<br />
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The contrast, of course, is Papa. This is a man who helps with homework, knows having short hair won't kill a girl, teaches his daughters to fight, and goes against his wife's vegetarian beliefs because little wrestlers need more protein. We see a man who quit his job because his boss, who would have given him time off for a wedding, wouldn't give him the time to help his daughters meet a goal. We see a man tell his girls that they are just as good as boys, that they should fight for what they want, that they can do great things, that when they win, they inspire other girls, and that they can do all of it even if he's not there.<br />
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In short we see a father who cares about his children and knows his daughters are better off having a gold medal than a pink bathroom. So, the girl I overheard is right. If you listen to your father, one who cares about you and knows you can achieve great things, you'll win. And, if your own father doesn't say these things, the really really ridiculously good-looking Aamir Khan makes a great substitute.<br />
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I think everyone should see DANGAL. It is currently playing at two theatres in Las Vegas (and we aren't a movie town) so it's got to be available almost anywhere. It's a big glossy inspiring feel-good sports movie that everyone will enjoy. It's also a film that uses the system (feel-good sports movie = blue bathroom tiles) to show other men how dumb the system is (girls can do more than cook) and how to improve it (be a good dad like Aamir Khan.)</div>
naudyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04843427883019649608noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14213997.post-86914880021777353902015-11-24T23:46:00.000-08:002015-11-24T23:46:10.262-08:00THE HUNGER GAMES: MOCKINGJAY PART 2<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Well, it's over. Here's what I learned:<br />
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1. I had no idea that Katniss waking up in a hospital bed was the beginning of every movie. Also, it's the beginning of each act in this movie. I'm not saying it's inauthentic. She is in a lot of dangerous situations and she gets hurt quite a bit. I just hadn't realized how often she collapses and when she wakes up it's a whole new environment/scene/act/district/movie.<br />
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2. I have never given Haymich enough credit. It wasn't until he was faced with a complex and terrible choice and he simply said "I'm with the Mockingjay" that I realized he has always had her back. He looked out for Peeta, too, but it is Katniss who makes everything harder and Katniss who needed his help the most.<br />
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3. Short or long, I hate President Coin's hair. <br />
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4. Mutts are REALLY scary.<br />
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5. Interesting that happily ever after for Katniss is two children. They were really cute children (that baby was so FAT!) but interesting that a sunset-washed field of weeds with two children and a husband who needs a haircut is the end of the story.</div>
naudyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04843427883019649608noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14213997.post-11673404303827610232015-04-18T09:43:00.000-07:002015-04-18T09:54:34.588-07:00FURIOUS SEVEN <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Hi! Here's the <a href="http://pointlessreview.blogspot.com/2011/06/fast-five.html">list</a>:<br />
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1 flying ambulance<br />
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1 flying red car<br />
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4 parachuting cars<br />
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2 camels (because without camels, the middle east just looks like Phoenix, AZ.)<br />
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3 tiny women wearing hijab for Michelle Rodriguez to beat up<br />
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1 woman who beats up Michelle Rodriguez (I liked her!)<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiogi5UfQ3SYfAtgthIBRBf68xa7MQa9bwWAFWIo3609tuBmZxUKjzJa9Ncvl9uouPNiO0QaLHVoCp3O7lWMnGE2ws7CIwNT8DvV1YwDTEe4FxULtKU-jxVX9C8vensPz40RMU/s1600/girl.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiogi5UfQ3SYfAtgthIBRBf68xa7MQa9bwWAFWIo3609tuBmZxUKjzJa9Ncvl9uouPNiO0QaLHVoCp3O7lWMnGE2ws7CIwNT8DvV1YwDTEe4FxULtKU-jxVX9C8vensPz40RMU/s1600/girl.png" height="578" width="640" /></a></div>
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1 silver crucifix<br />
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6 flashbacks<br />
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57 dead or injured soldiers<br />
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1 emotional phone call to a spouse<br />
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This thing<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrpsDh5psEtHHO_ZwDY_TuNvVcl9c_Gsi3QnaG4CU-Bu5qHHUIibRAkXZprwy1xyAM7EdMbM8w1IVVqV9praAzoY1MeFjkCeysQiyveWJNJMN1DzfoaW8c5sL3ahhlfu0NZlE/s1600/anigif_enhanced-4451-1414873673-1.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrpsDh5psEtHHO_ZwDY_TuNvVcl9c_Gsi3QnaG4CU-Bu5qHHUIibRAkXZprwy1xyAM7EdMbM8w1IVVqV9praAzoY1MeFjkCeysQiyveWJNJMN1DzfoaW8c5sL3ahhlfu0NZlE/s1600/anigif_enhanced-4451-1414873673-1.gif" height="264" width="640" /></a></div>
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1 deliberate refusal to view the enemy and his motivations as being remarkably similar to the hero's<br />
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1 mail bomb<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTeq1739QmUM_uZfVn22bQs_nZs16IIEF_fRL7M1pYHwMmqG147ZGh0JLXehC0DtMFmRVhpsoy7SW-WhQmbEuP3wlkgF9cIZjkJfT1wT-CCyDV5zhJZLAdZ1SiB2ylC3I_SKg/s1600/image_266733_2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTeq1739QmUM_uZfVn22bQs_nZs16IIEF_fRL7M1pYHwMmqG147ZGh0JLXehC0DtMFmRVhpsoy7SW-WhQmbEuP3wlkgF9cIZjkJfT1wT-CCyDV5zhJZLAdZ1SiB2ylC3I_SKg/s1600/image_266733_2.jpg" height="358" width="640" /></a></div>
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1 female computer genius who was perceived as intelligent until she went to the beach and people saw her in a bikini. Then she couldn't do anything right ever again.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqak0Db0H_qx_1u57AAlR9kzLlLONG1gvefLz-G5PqygavG993uSwnFfHakNZ3JOSFfDOOaFwE3QQNA8DjOOPSuVS-Wk39rLNcU7csQssd8d0RdXqBiZzztAk1Hyy3Wa7_c8M/s1600/hacker.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqak0Db0H_qx_1u57AAlR9kzLlLONG1gvefLz-G5PqygavG993uSwnFfHakNZ3JOSFfDOOaFwE3QQNA8DjOOPSuVS-Wk39rLNcU7csQssd8d0RdXqBiZzztAk1Hyy3Wa7_c8M/s1600/hacker.jpg" height="406" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Rude."</td></tr>
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1 surprised face when someone pulled a gun<br />
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2 sledgehammers brandished (never actually used)<br />
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1 funeral<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1MyXPkgOVnVLE4Ry9OiUkLNYxFU42QViUKgD8FlEw9uW0aRq6wpVaZ-jKqKcQ_XXF3YKpR1_u8A1bivuyZ0mMxLO9QnTFd6sHJgKrnPYEBWdWN18mGrLrtXp_IkM6IRNNPCA/s1600/10633407_10152751374453313_5184907836164570986_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1MyXPkgOVnVLE4Ry9OiUkLNYxFU42QViUKgD8FlEw9uW0aRq6wpVaZ-jKqKcQ_XXF3YKpR1_u8A1bivuyZ0mMxLO9QnTFd6sHJgKrnPYEBWdWN18mGrLrtXp_IkM6IRNNPCA/s1600/10633407_10152751374453313_5184907836164570986_o.jpg" height="402" width="640" /></a></div>
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1 pregnant wife/sister<br />
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2 product placement ads for Corona Light beer<br />
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1 cheerful and surprisingly competent Kirt Russell who makes you feel good about America<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwPO7yIK86xQGIo_cQX-L2yFIQ0wYg5BFi2nE2hXmEa-WmhBVn3oXKedz-7EZrNrqao6n_4P_TstbokJd52X7x3KF1PAk4-3R5Mn1vquCocx2oxaVHZlKa_pgLINpjxIH8HGk/s1600/kurt.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwPO7yIK86xQGIo_cQX-L2yFIQ0wYg5BFi2nE2hXmEa-WmhBVn3oXKedz-7EZrNrqao6n_4P_TstbokJd52X7x3KF1PAk4-3R5Mn1vquCocx2oxaVHZlKa_pgLINpjxIH8HGk/s1600/kurt.jpg" height="380" width="640" /></a></div>
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1 plaster cast removed by flexing overlarge arm muscles (I laughed!)<br />
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1 irresponsible decision to stage a terrorist war in the middle of Los Angeles<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbr8GHWMnZPsMLr2MWueL802vsqombEyTSjRem3Fn9zNG76FzV1HZuHSGZqie684or5ynTpeK8Xb5NZxcexY78oqbMwy-LTNPi1VJdMdMWay-trA_BgbvoSktJlMuX5vYxw_4/s1600/15b4f3d847_vin-diesel-fast-furious-7-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbr8GHWMnZPsMLr2MWueL802vsqombEyTSjRem3Fn9zNG76FzV1HZuHSGZqie684or5ynTpeK8Xb5NZxcexY78oqbMwy-LTNPi1VJdMdMWay-trA_BgbvoSktJlMuX5vYxw_4/s1600/15b4f3d847_vin-diesel-fast-furious-7-1.jpg" height="320" width="640" /></a></div>
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A weird amount of black Chevy SUVs (do they favor Chevrolet in the Middle East?)<br />
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2 deliberate head-on car crashes<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj69Wx2hHNqSg7K4Rgj7x6pa0HvtQpAZj3HrnzY4BEdFfUdAL4TVQEaqcp5r5gmsdOvqsVzm9NdXvf8ow8FUBXBcNsFlquMCSrfMIg9MAGyKCDAf9OVog949b3B053izYfTNDY/s1600/crash.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj69Wx2hHNqSg7K4Rgj7x6pa0HvtQpAZj3HrnzY4BEdFfUdAL4TVQEaqcp5r5gmsdOvqsVzm9NdXvf8ow8FUBXBcNsFlquMCSrfMIg9MAGyKCDAf9OVog949b3B053izYfTNDY/s1600/crash.jpg" height="400" width="640" /></a></div>
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1 really scary drone equipped with missiles, machine guns, and a green swivel eye<br />
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4 bald dudes<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzzA4gNymP32I8bDxf_CwOFdJ5HL8eBYrbJXlzWiK3Q9N-ynh2bZX71F03dP81l9fbfIATHK5pLgLqB-gWb-RiuPTHG-bopi6kg9m0maCAl64a7aqtRKfwwycI_wrjPkqgh_8/s1600/Picture1.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzzA4gNymP32I8bDxf_CwOFdJ5HL8eBYrbJXlzWiK3Q9N-ynh2bZX71F03dP81l9fbfIATHK5pLgLqB-gWb-RiuPTHG-bopi6kg9m0maCAl64a7aqtRKfwwycI_wrjPkqgh_8/s1600/Picture1.png" height="640" width="628" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Three with beards</td></tr>
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4 combinations of bald dudes fighting each other<br />
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1 Tony Jaa<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAy6tYtALlwL2guecsajWyFGAOZGVsbvqaC-1Axaf7QfT4JDVgPezn44fPeWtn4kbMTk-X4MS1pVKmNZskDvVAmXvLF6H_hCTcwCPsxB-GUkQIh6T5d9QBJSmPFUmitkLiVv8/s1600/Fast-Tony-Jaa.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAy6tYtALlwL2guecsajWyFGAOZGVsbvqaC-1Axaf7QfT4JDVgPezn44fPeWtn4kbMTk-X4MS1pVKmNZskDvVAmXvLF6H_hCTcwCPsxB-GUkQIh6T5d9QBJSmPFUmitkLiVv8/s1600/Fast-Tony-Jaa.png" height="266" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Please note Underarmour product placement</td></tr>
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1 drag race<br />
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1 family scene by the beach<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiay40oYYiteRzY_DQkLvHcX7O6A3hvuJY5hCXV28q9oOvIg5YpbskNK99i-F9GEyCAtSnXhW_NRhIFKG6vKCBZSenFW72hyE0y9ghCxF7hJMsLkuc_xfhglFd23G0oRNIduUk/s1600/Fast-Furious-7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiay40oYYiteRzY_DQkLvHcX7O6A3hvuJY5hCXV28q9oOvIg5YpbskNK99i-F9GEyCAtSnXhW_NRhIFKG6vKCBZSenFW72hyE0y9ghCxF7hJMsLkuc_xfhglFd23G0oRNIduUk/s1600/Fast-Furious-7.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
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</tbody></table>
Infinite amounts of female objectification<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaF32gHhJnZTus8BwP0JmVTCLDAUWr7-8LOQIHUfGw4jADwdVlqkdoCpe8yN7qkG5EDV-1C3SxFy98-J5nYXGYiroSdvG9TQtMfowz9BXjVEtEFROEyUm_YAvJuOo54XyYK5w/s1600/81d34b77663be265b6980b4915382e9cfbeb9b00320884e30ceaee4fa9c68a7f.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaF32gHhJnZTus8BwP0JmVTCLDAUWr7-8LOQIHUfGw4jADwdVlqkdoCpe8yN7qkG5EDV-1C3SxFy98-J5nYXGYiroSdvG9TQtMfowz9BXjVEtEFROEyUm_YAvJuOo54XyYK5w/s1600/81d34b77663be265b6980b4915382e9cfbeb9b00320884e30ceaee4fa9c68a7f.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Help! I don't have a head!"</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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naudyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04843427883019649608noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14213997.post-58497624793261760902015-03-15T18:35:00.003-07:002015-03-15T18:36:37.238-07:00SOUND OF NOISE - 9<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_WO_dK8OJqnOcpMDqfCCQzvFSNOmCgP72sskRRA3mpQ4F_gGnD_fUcORJMW5a98cVz2Na_VZ9dDbAMGCjjjdiXqzhim3nicYJbyf20e-vSG-_fvgWME_sdaSuHFiA4Fc5Bfc/s1600/Sound-of-Noise-1.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_WO_dK8OJqnOcpMDqfCCQzvFSNOmCgP72sskRRA3mpQ4F_gGnD_fUcORJMW5a98cVz2Na_VZ9dDbAMGCjjjdiXqzhim3nicYJbyf20e-vSG-_fvgWME_sdaSuHFiA4Fc5Bfc/s1600/Sound-of-Noise-1.png" height="320" width="224" /></a></div>
I really like musicals. There's something about exuberant noisemaking which always cheers me up. I don't care if it's a beautiful film full of poignant moments or a garish movie jammed with thoughtless cliches. I will (and have) watched them all and been delighted every time.<br />
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I was digging through the Netflix pile of tacky Bollywood musicals to watch when SOUND OF NOISE swished by. I clicked on it because there was a metronome, a pack of folks in balaclavas, and the title had two music-ish words in it.<br />
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I am delighed to report that SOUND OF NOISE is an excellent film, which is beautifully shot and has many poignant moments. It also has a LOT of music. It's about rogue percussionists and a police dective who is in charge of stopping these musical "terrorists." The sound in this movie is fantastic. The ambient noise which makes up a large part of the soundtrack (much to my delight! Ambient sound is the best!) in places is scored over with lush orchestration or catchy tropical beats. I found this completely facinating because I <i>noticed</i> the movie score and it's emotional affect <i>because</i> it isn't part of the ambient world the characters lived in.<br />
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But, I'll stop geeking out about the noise. It's also important that you know this movie is funny. Because how else can a group of drummers determine who gets the first solo than a 4-hr drum-off?<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjibDwklDFU_0tYyS0rKZK_qcDDodupY4yv5LjKlMIK2L6PhvJOi5dgdrlaCl9nYnM3c_Sgn8P4ml4nJl5CmS4ziqG0w8-t4Rxle92LVg6utSif3u4kJHZd7c2HHtmuQho6Lso/s1600/Sound+of+Noise.avi_snapshot_00.22.03_%5B2011.06.26_00.01.07%5D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjibDwklDFU_0tYyS0rKZK_qcDDodupY4yv5LjKlMIK2L6PhvJOi5dgdrlaCl9nYnM3c_Sgn8P4ml4nJl5CmS4ziqG0w8-t4Rxle92LVg6utSif3u4kJHZd7c2HHtmuQho6Lso/s1600/Sound+of+Noise.avi_snapshot_00.22.03_%5B2011.06.26_00.01.07%5D.jpg" height="272" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"I am so mad that you won that I kicked my drum set over!"</td></tr>
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And I am here to tell you that the empty void you call your life will be made whole once you've seen an enraged man in a Christmas sweater beat a bagpipe to death.</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsQJFZ51sL13E5WDnRz7d4zi7I_ZYjA-QgTqLGQ0vJSM8OGuhaZajwKz-FiobqHwj_Rn04Uf7FcjNuJHN1yH6U9URjkVgrbwbVYLy2nMRQ_O3zN9cNoRd69ihvOKn33Fs2hwM/s1600/sound-of-noise-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsQJFZ51sL13E5WDnRz7d4zi7I_ZYjA-QgTqLGQ0vJSM8OGuhaZajwKz-FiobqHwj_Rn04Uf7FcjNuJHN1yH6U9URjkVgrbwbVYLy2nMRQ_O3zN9cNoRd69ihvOKn33Fs2hwM/s1600/sound-of-noise-2.jpg" height="354" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Just. Be. SILENT!!"</td></tr>
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It's on Netflix (so that means it's free, right?) so just watch it already. It's the best musical ever made about a man who hates music.</div>
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naudyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04843427883019649608noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14213997.post-54102478124513741882015-02-12T09:17:00.000-08:002015-02-12T09:53:03.139-08:00JUPITER ASCENDING - (7)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Hey everybody! The Wachowski's are back! Which means there's a new movie about a dude who can't talk good and a pretty dark-haired girl. (See: <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0905152/?ref_=tt_ov_dr">every Wachowski movie ever</a>.) But, it also means there's a movie about the way corporations profit by exploiting and destroying humans (See: anything <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Matrix_%28franchise%29">Matrix</a>-y.) Also, watching people spin fast through a confusing three-dimentional world is fun (See: <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0811080/?ref_=nv_sr_1">Speed Racer</a>,) and gaping plot holes are no reason not to enjoy yourself (See: <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0242653/?ref_=nv_sr_3">Utter dissapointment</a>.)<br />
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It's the niece's birthday week, and she likes the Tater Channing, so we went to see this film. Here's what I found interesting:<br />
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<u>Original Story:</u><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwMijauCYQi43c_Gke1omchei-VoV4MBE5N0yax5pAZmDecmItXq_YXH6g13GXvpP86VgKUjrVmKMXKdCWUz9g3aZ3tVMQAorTnCRyjZo7pzcZYfPtk8BRmpbWFP9pji7Ho7E/s1600/jupiter-ascending-gravity-boots-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwMijauCYQi43c_Gke1omchei-VoV4MBE5N0yax5pAZmDecmItXq_YXH6g13GXvpP86VgKUjrVmKMXKdCWUz9g3aZ3tVMQAorTnCRyjZo7pzcZYfPtk8BRmpbWFP9pji7Ho7E/s1600/jupiter-ascending-gravity-boots-2.jpg" height="320" width="640" /></a></div>
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I honestly can't remember the last time I saw a sci-fi movie that wasn't a sequel, based on a book, or owned by Marvel. JUPITER ASCENDING isn't brilliant but it is interesting and a new-ish sort of world. Genetic splices, a decent-ish explanation for dinosaur extinction, and crazy machines are all fun to see. I don't know if I'm necessarily a huge fan of Grav Boots but I suppose skimming through the air like a floating hockey player isn't a bad look.<br />
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<u>Sean Bean:</u><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmYMEz1GiBJBBX7ZBX-Vpa6Ljv69-7jNWDHdvV0O46cVFFfMknEFS8HwrvwiSq2ubc8hVSnDirqaMHuE0EC6Q3dLpXcvQM68eRlh2HNSVXh9cckgkadnpTTBn1F0k2OBMiQo8/s1600/jupiter-ascending-scene-41.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmYMEz1GiBJBBX7ZBX-Vpa6Ljv69-7jNWDHdvV0O46cVFFfMknEFS8HwrvwiSq2ubc8hVSnDirqaMHuE0EC6Q3dLpXcvQM68eRlh2HNSVXh9cckgkadnpTTBn1F0k2OBMiQo8/s1600/jupiter-ascending-scene-41.jpg" height="425" width="640" /></a></div>
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He doesn't die! I KNOW! <a href="http://www.geekspeakmagazine.com/archive/issue16/features/the_many_deaths_of_sean_bean_1.htm">Shocking, right</a>? I kept expecting him to get shot or be sacrificed or something but he made it to the end of the film! Very nice change of pace.<br />
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<u>Really REALLY Old Villains...</u><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR4lG8Da-WSnRR-DJOmKVtRPLtV24H-CiSBJFEOYzZmJYZ5Ozlmk6GhWnTqXp9l8_32gYpIxPdOc39pqd81S7uI9Lcw1sNzmPmrLEICK1Nx2aKbAYWHH_7cONyMLESqsv64Jg/s1600/jupiter-ascending-scene-38.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR4lG8Da-WSnRR-DJOmKVtRPLtV24H-CiSBJFEOYzZmJYZ5Ozlmk6GhWnTqXp9l8_32gYpIxPdOc39pqd81S7uI9Lcw1sNzmPmrLEICK1Nx2aKbAYWHH_7cONyMLESqsv64Jg/s1600/jupiter-ascending-scene-38.jpg" height="268" width="640" /></a></div>
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...can't take a punch. You would think that after being alive for millenia they would know how to at least defend themselves but underweight Mila Kunis lays them flat with one blow. I know no one wants to argue with a girl swinging a tire iron but this pack of bad guys, in a fight, sure act their age.<br />
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<u>Bros:</u><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6IA9as1NygmpFRnU1FCbOpTc8lwVLlcPS8UGfbalcKWvV_TWLetCONohiWDtxhKtx2lb6weeA_A_O5el9xcU968N7b3MKu4yAPch9xlJ4X8qc5oNKGu9GGxKBZhA4Ox0wab0/s1600/Sean-Bean-and-Channing-Tatum-in-Jupiter-Ascending.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6IA9as1NygmpFRnU1FCbOpTc8lwVLlcPS8UGfbalcKWvV_TWLetCONohiWDtxhKtx2lb6weeA_A_O5el9xcU968N7b3MKu4yAPch9xlJ4X8qc5oNKGu9GGxKBZhA4Ox0wab0/s1600/Sean-Bean-and-Channing-Tatum-in-Jupiter-Ascending.jpg" height="320" width="640" /></a></div>
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For the first time ever, when someone makes a wrong decision, his friends don't get super dramatic about it. They just want to know why. When the reason is discovered, all that is said is "I would make the same choice. Any other problems I should know about? No? Cool. Let's roll."<br />
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It's refreshing, really. It's what friends actually do. Also, watching folks get twisted because of honor or betrayal or whatever is boring. I'm glad JUPITER ASCENDING skips all that.<br />
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<u>Design:</u><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimyp0Ges_egR6YTpgaACJK8NC01lMYzMLZf2YrzISNPg_UZ2v5-c6T0kIyoWf0ep0ztPbbM-ytqYfR41iOCvRktuDdjMRbM4hnlmuomylbQIP_GDJ-h0FfyUQPX941CixYJ7g/s1600/jupiter-ascending-first-trailer-1.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimyp0Ges_egR6YTpgaACJK8NC01lMYzMLZf2YrzISNPg_UZ2v5-c6T0kIyoWf0ep0ztPbbM-ytqYfR41iOCvRktuDdjMRbM4hnlmuomylbQIP_GDJ-h0FfyUQPX941CixYJ7g/s1600/jupiter-ascending-first-trailer-1.png" height="272" width="640" /></a></div>
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I actually giggled when I saw this shot. If Liberache and Joan Rivers moved in together and really got into Art Nouveau, this is what their spaceship would look like. Because OF COURSE the docking bay needs chandeliers!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMwAMBq2cDLQ5Xaok_x10A46SFs2S5e2D7JzZ4tzlWLQrAp7VF2wqnAcfvPfQRrW4e9GnQtzSPL0dsiHF6llOxGOguHSC-vkOmB-qI8s_8X2fIFycOi5mCKLX-YqSYYqyNhkY/s1600/54ca4c56aa617.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMwAMBq2cDLQ5Xaok_x10A46SFs2S5e2D7JzZ4tzlWLQrAp7VF2wqnAcfvPfQRrW4e9GnQtzSPL0dsiHF6llOxGOguHSC-vkOmB-qI8s_8X2fIFycOi5mCKLX-YqSYYqyNhkY/s1600/54ca4c56aa617.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a></div>
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That said, the costuming was pretty good. It looked very "I'm a sparkle elf and this is a sci-fi movie" but the lines and colors were consistant. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo_kQPkUThB8IzP9C3kRiZckWwQdMnSNAPa1rAf3cJUFlF1RyI70rU6HjzhLAlrNAu4ZkqcJ4Rmd3ZlXnabWC3yyyQHXy1uoDBxPdNWUjCIkSiK3BFziB71JGQsBiNTAZk58Y/s1600/twin.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo_kQPkUThB8IzP9C3kRiZckWwQdMnSNAPa1rAf3cJUFlF1RyI70rU6HjzhLAlrNAu4ZkqcJ4Rmd3ZlXnabWC3yyyQHXy1uoDBxPdNWUjCIkSiK3BFziB71JGQsBiNTAZk58Y/s1600/twin.jpg" height="430" width="640" /></a></div>
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And with stuff like this, they know EXACTLY who their fan base is.<br />
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<u>Romantic Pursuits:</u><br />
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Interesting that, for the whole movie, Mila was the one making the moves on Tater. Sure, it's the only logical course of action when you've finally met someone who shares your love of dark eye makeup, but he's surprisingly reticent. He spends the whole movie saving her from one thing or another and then stepping back. She takes the rest of the time trying to move back in. Even the climatic kiss before battle involves her telling him it's going to happen. . <br />
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Since Twilight, the "girl wants it but the boy doesn't" pattern has become common. And, as always, there's some reason why the boy holds back and it usually involves uncontrollable gory sudden death for the girl. This is weird, and interesting. I don't quite know what to do with it, but it's interesting.<br />
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JUPITER ASCENDING is a pretty movie which not many people liked. If you are a fan of the Wachowski's, you should make time to see this movie because it's probably one of the last big-buget films the kids get to make. No matter how interesting their vision, a bomb is a bomb and everyone gets eaten up in the pursuit of profit - even the Wachowskis.</div>
naudyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04843427883019649608noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14213997.post-39960823408200907492014-11-04T22:11:00.005-08:002014-11-04T22:25:58.518-08:00CENTERED IN THE UNIVERSE at Griffith Observatory/Samuel Oschin Planetarium - (9)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<a href="http://www.griffithobs.org/">Griffith Observatory</a> is a famous landmark in Los Angeles which has been featured in such classic films like REBEL WITOUT A CAUSE,<br />
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TRANSFORMERS,<br />
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and I'm sure quite a few other movies since it's a cheap location in a park close to Hollywood.<br />
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One can tell from the heroic paintings on the ceiling<br />
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that this is a building for the <i>people</i>. These flying buttresses,<br />
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and Atlas,<br />
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support a structure of SCIENCE, Science which is made from Greek ideals,<br />
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<span style="text-align: left;">solid European practicality,</span></div>
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and easy access to the community and the masses,<br />
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back before folks were too busy playing on their phones to think about stuff like this.<br />
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The Griffth Observatory opened in 1935 so they have ridiculously dangerous/crazy exhibits like this lying around:<br />
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as well as low-key nerd stuff like a physical table of elements wall.<br />
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Natalie wanted to see the planetarium show so we went. You walk into a room that looks like this:<br />
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Pretty standard stuff.<br />
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I must admit, I fully expected CENTERED IN THE UNIVERSE to be terrible. I couldn't imagine how something they have done since the 1930's could be anything but stale and outdated.<br />
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I was completely wrong.<br />
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CENTERED IN THE UNIVERSE is actually an immersive visual experience which is narrated by a real live person! In real time! A kindly bearded man was delighted to tell us that this show has been happening with live narrators for 70 years and turns a lamp on and off while talking about fireside stories.<br />
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He walked us through the history of astronomy, earth-centric views of the stars,<br />
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the first telescopes, the big bang, where we fit into the universe, and the existance of dark matter. He explained how many stars are in the Milky Way,<br />
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and gleefully described our position in the great vast universe as being "in the suburbs."<br />
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He consistantly reminded us that we don't have all the answers and that more information is always over the next horizon.<br />
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It was marvelous and I loved every minute of it.</div>
naudyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04843427883019649608noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14213997.post-59154402234532564302014-11-03T16:37:00.002-08:002014-11-03T16:41:20.775-08:00THE BOOK OF LIFE -- (10)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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I love evenings. It's my favorite time of day. The heat of the day is over. (That's a big deal in the desert.) As the sun slips away, lights start to twinkle awake, cool breezes drift in, and everything gets softer. People relax, too, since the day is mostly done, and along with dinner there is more smiling and quiet laughing. The best evenings, I think, are where one can see these things happen all at once. Where people walk and relax and watch the lights come on.<br />
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In THE BOOK OF LIFE we are introduced to the Land of the Remembered. When you die, (<a href="http://youtu.be/snEcAdbGXTY">and you will</a>) it doesn't hurt and you don't stop existing. You don't go to somewhere strange or alien, either. Nope, you open your eyes in an evening full of lights and music and your family - ALL of your family. They are happy to see you, and you them, with their beauty etched on their bones. <br />
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I found it a deeply satisfying idea. Heaven should be evening, all the time.<br />
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THE BOOK OF LIFE was satisfying in other ways, as well. There are hundreds of terrible children's movies which teach that it's okay to be you. It's tired and we have heard it a million times. THE BOOK OF LIFE has the same idea except for one difference: it shows how <i>difficult</i> it is to be yourself. <br />
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It takes work and courage to truly embrace your passion. After Manolo overcomes that challenge (it is <i>very</i> scary and he is <i>very</i> brave), beating the Bad Guys is no big deal.<br />
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(Though the Bad Guys are still really really scary....)<br />
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Other wonderful things in THE BOOK OF LIFE is the way the whole movie looks<br />
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and how good the music is.<br />
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I strongly recommend it.</div>
naudyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04843427883019649608noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14213997.post-80884172874433783492014-08-25T15:39:00.003-07:002014-08-25T15:43:09.351-07:00TOKYO STORY vs. CITIZEN KANE<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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I work on a specialty team called TLC, an acronym for The Learning Center. We love brains and specialize in improving them, (though our team theme is zombies so attempting to eat them is also a threat.) One thing which is specific to my new circle is the Alignment. It's a weekly meeting where we argue with each other about how a form is interpreted. It's always polite but passionate, and after everyone has had their say a vote is taken. Majority rules and the conclusion is entered into a spreadsheet known as the Alignment Tracker-- which functions a lot like past court cases function for lawyers. If there's ever a question you check the Alignment Tracker <i>first</i>, and then you ask someone.<br />
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Movie night has recently started up with some TLC friends. Ian mentioned that there was some debate by film critics about whether or not <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0033467/">CITIZEN KANE</a> or <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0046438/">TOKYO STORY</a> was the greatest movie -- EVER. <br />
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Obviously an Alignment was desperately needed.<br />
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We watched CITIZEN KANE and TOKYO STORY and then gave both movies a "resting period" of at least 1 week so we had time to think and re-evaluate the impact both films had. The official Alignment was yesterday. It involved a form and lots of discussion. One of the things discussed was the form <i>itself</i> so future Alignments will use an updated version. (Image of the form used has been attached to the end of this review.)<br />
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Basically, we are all huge nerds and enjoyed ourselves immensely. <br />
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Anyway, I wanted to review these films because they are both really interesting. Consider this review a judicial opinion of the case and the results of our decision will be seen at the end.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><u>TOKYO STORY </u></span><br />
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TOKYO STORY, when you read the summary, sounds kind of boring. The <a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-tokyo-story-1953">synopsis</a> of the film tells you what happens but it's like saying a flower is about plant reproduction - technically true but nowhere near the full story. TOKYO STORY is beautiful and slow and quiet and heartbreaking. There are no villains, no bad guys determined to be bad guys, just people being human and bumping into each other. <br />
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One of the most interesting things about this film is the way it immediately sets it's pace. It does this with filming technique. The camera almost never moves. Instead everything is shot at about 3' off the ground, exactly at kneeling eye-height were you to be present, and simply blinks on and off between scenes. Each shot is a tableau, an intricate diorama, with multiple levels and lines and frames and spaces. Look at them for a moment:<br />
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There is depth and lighting and focus and placement and all sorts of cool things happening. However, they happen quietly and without fuss. You, the viewer, are simply there as a witness and as you watch what this family says (and doesn't say) you can see generational disconnect, bruised expectations, and broken hearts. There is also charity and kindness, love and old friends.<br />
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TOKYO STORY is a masterful work of art, complex with layers and symbolism. But the best thing about TOKYO STORY is that it can be enjoyed without paying attention to any of the intricacies. The best symphonies can be appreciated without knowing about symphonic structure and key changes. The best movies connect us with our shared humanity without the viewer knowing anything about film making at all.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><u>CITIZEN KANE</u></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsGr-mROJCujskYcTBjwVnGumtTufxmJuEyS5v8edm0Y6edvZALJp_2uFj-9nfbHaiEk2opMTsyStx1Sngt-jBXMeBiaO68iXw7yvwuHlJXAvxOv30MD_nmRfbhCS2ZjntWYo/s1600/citizen+kane+14.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsGr-mROJCujskYcTBjwVnGumtTufxmJuEyS5v8edm0Y6edvZALJp_2uFj-9nfbHaiEk2opMTsyStx1Sngt-jBXMeBiaO68iXw7yvwuHlJXAvxOv30MD_nmRfbhCS2ZjntWYo/s1600/citizen+kane+14.png" height="476" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"The people will believe what I tell them to believe."</td></tr>
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CITIZEN KANE is about tricks and expectations. It was made by a master trickster, Orson Welles, who at an <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_War_of_the_Worlds_(radio_drama)">early age</a> discovered that people will believe (and act on) whatever media or "authority" dictates, even if it is clearly impossible. I believe that Welles plays with this idea from multiple angles throughout CITIZEN KANE and, really, for the rest of his career.<br />
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The title character in CITIZEN KANE is Charles Foster Kane, who inherits a fortune as a child and becomes a newspaper mogul. Most of the story was based on William Randolph Hearst, an extremely powerful newspaper man at the time the film was made. There is a lot written about this connection, and the outrage from the imitation, but I don't think this knowledge adds to the film in any way. The main character in CITIZEN KANE is actually the <i>media</i>. The work of journalists, both in newspaper and film, is what drives the conflict of the film and fails to resolve that same conflict. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Not nearly enough minds messed with today."</td></tr>
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Money is earned, relationships are broken, and life decisions are made based on what is in the newspaper. Everyone in the movie is driven by what "people" think or will say, by how famous or infamous an action will make them. Every person you see is actually presenting themselves for public view by speaking to a media representative. When Kane's mother sends him back east for an education at an early age, her actions are driven by the desire to have hm be acceptable in the opinion of the "right people". All the women in Kane's life after this point are symbols. The politically connected wife, the talented mistress, the nameless show girls, their most important function is to be visible symbols of success.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Hey fellas! This IS what you do with showgirls, right?"</td></tr>
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The media, feeling entitled to know everything about everybody, wants to know more about Charles Foster Kane after his death. After all, Kane had everything a man should want, right? He was wealthy, educated, worked to protect the less privileged, had a successful business, beautiful wives, political power, a mansion, and a lot of rare art. Kane did everything he was supposed to do, right? He was generous to his friends, merciless to his enemies, stoic in his defeats, stubborn when facing adversity, and passionate about his life's work. How did this man, who did everything he was supposed to do, decline? And, more importantly, how could he have any mysteries at all? <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifPPvB-J7NoLv08Up-OTG1mZ3XvKblJGwlcKQenWmB8DDnKcppIqCEwr3-QVftaK6N2QiOxUQ_vJkWDQBZaBxrWpWFWDn-yT0-XzgdUYsxUKIeNV5NKEKXr6Tm0t7vX5xesvk/s1600/Kane-3-e1264437334177-560x289.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifPPvB-J7NoLv08Up-OTG1mZ3XvKblJGwlcKQenWmB8DDnKcppIqCEwr3-QVftaK6N2QiOxUQ_vJkWDQBZaBxrWpWFWDn-yT0-XzgdUYsxUKIeNV5NKEKXr6Tm0t7vX5xesvk/s1600/Kane-3-e1264437334177-560x289.jpg" height="330" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"I'm pretty sure his name is Kane."</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Kane, as we see, is not just a mystery to the media, but to everyone in his life and even to himself. The tragedy is seeing how expectations keep people apart from each other and from their own hearts. The trick that Welles plays on everyone is how everything is in plain sight but our own expectations (of the media, the movies) keeps us from seeing the truth.<br />
<br />
CITIZEN KANE is also a beautifully photographed movie. It is definitely worth watching just to see the shots. My absolutely favorite image is when Susan Kane (who follows the archetype of all movie <a href="http://pointlessreview.blogspot.com/2012/03/byu-honors-list-bringing-up-baby.html">Susans</a> - she's the girl everyone wants who ends up being <i>awful</i>) debuts on the opera stage.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8rsHiLY_X9lAaIYl6vaCiHaVOt3o8lWgETiwb6DTA8_WxiifHj5OyTjHi572aTwt4B7RVvM6oZ9dHp2pk4cC6QqK6f31BGEHPByHxQXOq3CV-nbXhNoxI0yPnnz4zr8PVg1I/s1600/citizen+kane+16.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8rsHiLY_X9lAaIYl6vaCiHaVOt3o8lWgETiwb6DTA8_WxiifHj5OyTjHi572aTwt4B7RVvM6oZ9dHp2pk4cC6QqK6f31BGEHPByHxQXOq3CV-nbXhNoxI0yPnnz4zr8PVg1I/s1600/citizen+kane+16.png" height="476" width="640" /></a></div>
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I myself am a Susan who has been in operas and this shot captures the essential loneliness and terror that comes moments before a performance begins. It's beautiful and the single moment I related to the most.<br />
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CITIZEN KANE is a well-made and complex. It absolutely is a contender for the best movie ever made.<br />
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<u><span style="font-size: large;">THE RESULTS</span></u><br />
<br />
After a lot of deliberation, the scores were this:<br />
<br />
2-1 in favor of TOKYO STORY. You had a good run, CITIZEN KANE, but you weren't quite universal enough. The scoring form (Version 1.0) is below.<br />
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naudyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04843427883019649608noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14213997.post-50561627248913075052014-08-16T00:34:00.002-07:002014-08-16T00:41:59.376-07:00TMNT (I don't care what you think, it gets a 9)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<br />
Okay, let's just get it out there. I loved this movie. It had big explosions, a ton of CGI, Michael Bay for a producer and I loved it anyway. Do the turtles now have weird faces?<br />
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Yes. Because blending a human face with a turtle face isn't stomach-turning at all.</div>
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<br />
Did they paint Megan Fox in Michael-Bay-Thinks-Girls-Are-This-Color makeup?<br />
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OF COURSE they did! This scene is the only time in the movie April wears virulent pink lipstick. It's also the only time she faints. (Because women faint ALL THE TIME.)<br />
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Does Shredder have a RIDICULOUS number of swords sticking out of his arms?<br />
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Well, duh! Who doesn't need a fan of seven swords on each forearm? It's the latest in deadly scary ninja fashion!<br />
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<br />
Is Leonardo the leader just because he has a good jawline and a katana? (And because Splinter said so?)<br />
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Yup. Whatever Splinter says, man. Also Leo's breastplate seems to be made from rawhide dog chews. Mikey must have told him it looked totally radical.<br />
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<br />
Does this movie have a million ways to sell merchandise?<br />
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Aw yeah it does! And the pizza was DELICIOUS!<br />
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<br />
Does the movie have a theme song covered by an acapella group?<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/SYYsjBOJcEc?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
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Absolutely. How is this even a question?<br />
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All of these things in no way deter my affection for the film. I know the critics hate TMNT and I don't care. I recognize the toysploitation machine is simply churning out movies for money and I don't care. Megan Fox is boring and I <i>still</i> don't care. TMNT is <i>FUN</i>. It's silly and amazing and has cool sound. Shredder is actually scary powerful, Splinter is sweetly awesome, and the first explosion didn't happen until we were an hour into the movie. (I actually checked my watch.)<br />
<br />
As far as I am concerned, these four mutated dysmorphic reptiles are bulletproof -- both to the flying lead of Foot soldiers and to the opinions of everyone on Reddit. TMNT is everything a big fun summer movie should be.</div>
naudyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04843427883019649608noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14213997.post-40480732900127701652014-08-03T20:44:00.004-07:002014-08-25T16:03:57.485-07:00GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY (9)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<u><b><span style="font-size: large;">Things I Learned by Watching GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY:</span></b></u><br />
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1. There are a surprising number of white people running things in the Galaxy.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI6Zp7t9AyjuEOhJ6NCFyglM7kDXdqNDzJVl8GaCILBUGMf-VAtP1rhxmY8Pbg2BMAK8NMFbclZNh0x0SuprLJVMxJMrfD3DelNlvP9p0stzsBxD34RFYH1w0ilDa9xPqZSHY/s1600/glenn-close-nova-prime-guardians-of-the-galaxy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI6Zp7t9AyjuEOhJ6NCFyglM7kDXdqNDzJVl8GaCILBUGMf-VAtP1rhxmY8Pbg2BMAK8NMFbclZNh0x0SuprLJVMxJMrfD3DelNlvP9p0stzsBxD34RFYH1w0ilDa9xPqZSHY/s1600/glenn-close-nova-prime-guardians-of-the-galaxy.jpg" height="334" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Most of them have questionable hair.</td></tr>
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2. Everyone speaks English<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-4X3NRKieuCpCcmPrFBzUyIcvldFhc6aLn5xG4Ejw6KeZ2uK-tdzjONs2ulD13ciyvHLDDI0Sgk7Ayu3IgzpYAEl1C3wKrtpSD26SF0hu3wWbCAyqndGSS1kAKLotyl1Qpn4/s1600/Peter-Serafinowicz.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-4X3NRKieuCpCcmPrFBzUyIcvldFhc6aLn5xG4Ejw6KeZ2uK-tdzjONs2ulD13ciyvHLDDI0Sgk7Ayu3IgzpYAEl1C3wKrtpSD26SF0hu3wWbCAyqndGSS1kAKLotyl1Qpn4/s1600/Peter-Serafinowicz.jpg" height="358" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Though some of them have a MUCH classier accent than you.</td></tr>
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<br />
3. Idyllic societies still have broken prison systems.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYTfgMUJxsjL1KhyphenhyphennEOzk3EU7kbJKDXuZAjiLbnGojgXuieSGy0IbUQVuXe3CAxRe0q8htHLCU11OoQ95vkQZvARzubSDRcT3_Ec1H1B7wDPUmNfoTECdlxJ99LQzW_yR37Ks/s1600/guardians-of-the-galaxy-klp0435-comp-v257-grade-1052-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYTfgMUJxsjL1KhyphenhyphennEOzk3EU7kbJKDXuZAjiLbnGojgXuieSGy0IbUQVuXe3CAxRe0q8htHLCU11OoQ95vkQZvARzubSDRcT3_Ec1H1B7wDPUmNfoTECdlxJ99LQzW_yR37Ks/s1600/guardians-of-the-galaxy-klp0435-comp-v257-grade-1052-1.jpg" height="322" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Just like us!</td></tr>
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<br />
<br />
4. Double "A" batteries are refreshingly universal and pretty easy to find galaxy-wide<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG9C0Y1Qip5r2MTSenSQy58neQH_rOet-UqrsKc3RwuqbkO1vu_EhXS3kArks11f74miwJ_mkndxfQ_xov909ztcoeNWFW2XbcGYcXky6_Tq4QL07BDJRihrMVHQsO_seQBNg/s1600/19g5hpsprjju6jpg.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG9C0Y1Qip5r2MTSenSQy58neQH_rOet-UqrsKc3RwuqbkO1vu_EhXS3kArks11f74miwJ_mkndxfQ_xov909ztcoeNWFW2XbcGYcXky6_Tq4QL07BDJRihrMVHQsO_seQBNg/s1600/19g5hpsprjju6jpg.jpg" height="266" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Gotta have my tunes, man."</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<br />
5. There is an appalling amount of biological experimentation done.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjijsyH8k1AWeldYZndEWYA0OwjbgEF3e3XIQjROAxWZHuMUv1qHiQ6qt_aNiX_R6RRmI-jof0aBaTDWXjD-Uo4NIVeWGM7o88VQC0O2kIzMsT4WA0O9yO1KNJ2mwcq_LqJKFA/s1600/Nebula-in-Guardians-of-the-Galaxy.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjijsyH8k1AWeldYZndEWYA0OwjbgEF3e3XIQjROAxWZHuMUv1qHiQ6qt_aNiX_R6RRmI-jof0aBaTDWXjD-Uo4NIVeWGM7o88VQC0O2kIzMsT4WA0O9yO1KNJ2mwcq_LqJKFA/s1600/Nebula-in-Guardians-of-the-Galaxy.jpeg" height="450" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nebula here was made a cyborg after years of torture and experimentation. She's psychotic but SUPER pretty so we know she's a total sucess!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
6. I can only assume this genetic experimentation is the reason all the men in the galaxy are thick<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqfgQkrbi-LRRzEIKj-n0oXwg9LqAPkA4ijXR2rH8_7nX38VcrWx6Kh5d96WibEXVIHMldGW3iXmRbSzuvxL_kXxPPt9P2LTaCsRGS6wN9ufC6_GLTv2GjVikJV9IXwH1rjeA/s1600/treetrunk.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqfgQkrbi-LRRzEIKj-n0oXwg9LqAPkA4ijXR2rH8_7nX38VcrWx6Kh5d96WibEXVIHMldGW3iXmRbSzuvxL_kXxPPt9P2LTaCsRGS6wN9ufC6_GLTv2GjVikJV9IXwH1rjeA/s1600/treetrunk.jpg" height="458" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tree-trunks for legs - LITERALLY</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
7. And all the women are thin.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6eCCcWRn87mnY2JFrSu9MLeH6oCFQcDC0Qq4nxqYH84-x-6aACckLvo0Cgy452EQEfYJlIkzAL3mjHstKd1GlSFbPnrZVDNoUDMsFw-t1gFsSBhDa6X57qobHdEBqNaFQQ6Q/s1600/video-undefined-1F78293800000578-484_636x358.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6eCCcWRn87mnY2JFrSu9MLeH6oCFQcDC0Qq4nxqYH84-x-6aACckLvo0Cgy452EQEfYJlIkzAL3mjHstKd1GlSFbPnrZVDNoUDMsFw-t1gFsSBhDa6X57qobHdEBqNaFQQ6Q/s1600/video-undefined-1F78293800000578-484_636x358.jpg" height="360" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I hope she has titanium bones because if she ever lands on a high-grav planet, she'll crumple like aluminum foil.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
8. No matter how cool they look, guns never seem to fix the problem<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuvH0prIeatrxHZKpuvPn7JNNWowmCrOTvGqnF5-3QNmKR4EAsjnpNiGQ5IEiXl17iLgRugt2_w_gDTXTmyNUvEExBzFUHYM-RZx4ZIQVet6E3gdImuWQuIAgqi7V6CHM539o/s1600/guardians-of-the-galaxy-movie-screenshot-rocket-raccoon.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuvH0prIeatrxHZKpuvPn7JNNWowmCrOTvGqnF5-3QNmKR4EAsjnpNiGQ5IEiXl17iLgRugt2_w_gDTXTmyNUvEExBzFUHYM-RZx4ZIQVet6E3gdImuWQuIAgqi7V6CHM539o/s1600/guardians-of-the-galaxy-movie-screenshot-rocket-raccoon.jpg" height="360" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Unless the problem is not looking cool. Then this gun totally has you covered!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
9. Everyone needs a Groot.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn0_nNPDgm-yoCpr3A7bNvjyXEGZ2PQ52AXvWk1TaCk_TQ15NICBpWeygjVAf-Db8fN1X4PIKalts13hhk6c4f-lO9PUYr09L1PQD5fYiNwt6Iyq7EIgqVEy6fqZ-F9cBec0M/s1600/guardiansofthegalaxy-film-01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn0_nNPDgm-yoCpr3A7bNvjyXEGZ2PQ52AXvWk1TaCk_TQ15NICBpWeygjVAf-Db8fN1X4PIKalts13hhk6c4f-lO9PUYr09L1PQD5fYiNwt6Iyq7EIgqVEy6fqZ-F9cBec0M/s1600/guardiansofthegalaxy-film-01.jpg" height="322" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">You would never need to decorate for a party again!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
10. Everyone always wants someone to pass them the ball.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQvA5ar6LUF7Y31qXEWv7If7i1jxHk4JzHjzTSv39Ktfpuiqx6VR1R1OciEII5PjcnhL_THPmoU4zRUHl792frqg5IijLfNYvCncn1DT8SSjOsDTxxp62eXHGrY8cdKbt1gwc/s1600/ggal5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQvA5ar6LUF7Y31qXEWv7If7i1jxHk4JzHjzTSv39Ktfpuiqx6VR1R1OciEII5PjcnhL_THPmoU4zRUHl792frqg5IijLfNYvCncn1DT8SSjOsDTxxp62eXHGrY8cdKbt1gwc/s1600/ggal5.jpg" height="556" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"I have the ball!"</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPEssdsrFHaiWW4HLSte3_TRj6yH3yDbquSeZhYusVUhvjkT-g-f8z83qv3LkfKZWhxgR0gMEHNwY_XI-DwtezvlnQblNFFNU5IbAa8JrKcmCtd1rA5I6wyXG3cdGcHD-dS7Y/s1600/Guardians-of-the-Galaxy-Official-Extended-Trailer-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPEssdsrFHaiWW4HLSte3_TRj6yH3yDbquSeZhYusVUhvjkT-g-f8z83qv3LkfKZWhxgR0gMEHNwY_XI-DwtezvlnQblNFFNU5IbAa8JrKcmCtd1rA5I6wyXG3cdGcHD-dS7Y/s1600/Guardians-of-the-Galaxy-Official-Extended-Trailer-3.jpg" height="360" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Nope! It's mine now!"</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjipAW-9npKrTG3D2HApc9Lnjcakm2st0cpazyH7-3JaEz8l7xIAJr8d8KlA7bP0imtt46PxjEn3dbcP_ip665wKpnKhsbZUoNYRNT_mLDBsBpDmhx4j0VWfMarkwyHT86DyO8/s1600/guardians-of-the-galaxy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjipAW-9npKrTG3D2HApc9Lnjcakm2st0cpazyH7-3JaEz8l7xIAJr8d8KlA7bP0imtt46PxjEn3dbcP_ip665wKpnKhsbZUoNYRNT_mLDBsBpDmhx4j0VWfMarkwyHT86DyO8/s1600/guardians-of-the-galaxy.jpg" height="360" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"INTERFERENCE!"</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
11. And, lastly, the one great universal truth is this:<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGMINDeN6sB6gw1UbSaDRqBBnvgIFWtdSPvmqbxMOUWY43-QYITRT4Al177g2iTXksIzS3cH0TyXk6DqXwdLjvknJLDy0nKR4Lxyr3e3MUMoABPTac5KdvrsFnkyRG-GiIUc0/s1600/guardians+of+the+galaxy+soundtrack.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGMINDeN6sB6gw1UbSaDRqBBnvgIFWtdSPvmqbxMOUWY43-QYITRT4Al177g2iTXksIzS3cH0TyXk6DqXwdLjvknJLDy0nKR4Lxyr3e3MUMoABPTac5KdvrsFnkyRG-GiIUc0/s1600/guardians+of+the+galaxy+soundtrack.jpg" height="338" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">There is no purer expression of love in the galaxy than a mix tape. </span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/P8T-ojIMGkA?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
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naudyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04843427883019649608noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14213997.post-52065794763533527022014-06-27T01:26:00.003-07:002014-06-27T01:26:59.503-07:00TRANSFORMERS:AGE OF EXTINCTION (3)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwJkao_n_LvKap3Uv2Dg7Et6d1Yjgkf8iph_Vdk8RRqhFEyR12L8geo1XrT2nDulsPIES1AdINE_OqRlZXKkhfWZzxlk-PCQU2IbOZG9TXDmcv9rjMvcWn72DDTU7itiWiETU/s1600/Age-of-Extinction-Super-Bowl-Spot-063_1391408622.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwJkao_n_LvKap3Uv2Dg7Et6d1Yjgkf8iph_Vdk8RRqhFEyR12L8geo1XrT2nDulsPIES1AdINE_OqRlZXKkhfWZzxlk-PCQU2IbOZG9TXDmcv9rjMvcWn72DDTU7itiWiETU/s1600/Age-of-Extinction-Super-Bowl-Spot-063_1391408622.jpg" height="268" width="640" /></a></div>
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It's Transformers 4 so we all know what's coming. There will be lots of explosions, car chases, ever escalating numbers of guns, and a girl who has been sprayed orange for some reason.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0Vfmw1Pcm3vSO8DLhmtMv0FRQUes6wCSNPfSMyd6Og0NRS3xvaCCEsU1ehtM-2FQmbestITKWXsHLq9KPxvj6aji7Fjoj3vR0Y0dkrh_BXTvaKf0-rUJFHEfmYPgbvGcmQvk/s1600/Nicola-Peltz-In-Transformers-4-Age-of-Extinction-2014-Wallpaper.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0Vfmw1Pcm3vSO8DLhmtMv0FRQUes6wCSNPfSMyd6Og0NRS3xvaCCEsU1ehtM-2FQmbestITKWXsHLq9KPxvj6aji7Fjoj3vR0Y0dkrh_BXTvaKf0-rUJFHEfmYPgbvGcmQvk/s1600/Nicola-Peltz-In-Transformers-4-Age-of-Extinction-2014-Wallpaper.jpg" height="360" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Seriously, she's covered in weird colors.</td></tr>
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This movie is made for the men who grew up playing with Transformer toys. Their advanced age requires a story which is about protecting your daughter and justifying your bad parenting decisions. So that's weird to watch but an understandable market decision. It also gives Marky Mark lots of cool stuff to do.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWrwJKPGKgx-OgcwmZuuRotO_xb0i1dbwOwmiRYNDAUCkF-Bw1I29cTiVMaOE4sUcjc3hRoF3r0nm4Imki3FrNtuuawSY7iZlydm0kGM-cpRDv1BxWDCWTa0YVNg2o68AvfQc/s1600/Transformers-4-Age-of-Extinction-Mark-Wahlberg-Jack-Reynor-and-Nicola-Pelt.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWrwJKPGKgx-OgcwmZuuRotO_xb0i1dbwOwmiRYNDAUCkF-Bw1I29cTiVMaOE4sUcjc3hRoF3r0nm4Imki3FrNtuuawSY7iZlydm0kGM-cpRDv1BxWDCWTa0YVNg2o68AvfQc/s1600/Transformers-4-Age-of-Extinction-Mark-Wahlberg-Jack-Reynor-and-Nicola-Pelt.jpg" height="434" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">For example, he stands around an abandoned gas station after threatening bodily violence on his daughter's boyfriend.<br />Good times.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
One thing in the movie that was more exciting than the 16 lens flares (I actually counted) or the prolific number of trains sitting around everywhere, or the requisite shaky cam, or the explanation for why dinosaurs disappeared (alien attack), was Stanly Tucci.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3G9bnkSsIMrV0wGepNNeyagfd3OaIazExlNWYiGLe2H8U7UvXHYv8chrDEA4gS7VLrI5844L9tYkN3TwKl6tbZe32VFf-hQeHqI0LzUiCyxmcGdHz8pvjL3nDkIL0ZIlnmgU/s1600/Transformers-4-Joshua-Stanley-Tucci.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3G9bnkSsIMrV0wGepNNeyagfd3OaIazExlNWYiGLe2H8U7UvXHYv8chrDEA4gS7VLrI5844L9tYkN3TwKl6tbZe32VFf-hQeHqI0LzUiCyxmcGdHz8pvjL3nDkIL0ZIlnmgU/s1600/Transformers-4-Joshua-Stanley-Tucci.jpg" height="262" width="640" /></a></div>
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He had the same dumb lines everyone else did but his turn as a bratty controlling brilliant billionare inventor was pretty fun.<br />
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Now I'm going to skip over the surprising number of times Texas was mentioned (9) or ALL the shots that had American flags in them.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH6gQm3TABlsaxuWkWYnjYyE8mnmA70GyKrmc9aNYen9VG9fH8_ogVfKOqFTq7dsspH7Lmzyk0UFrvknmbYL2_EUeZdRxJRonJfn9e9c0u1Y72zbAYKqnAdevKb9Ut-CoupNI/s1600/1394026153714.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH6gQm3TABlsaxuWkWYnjYyE8mnmA70GyKrmc9aNYen9VG9fH8_ogVfKOqFTq7dsspH7Lmzyk0UFrvknmbYL2_EUeZdRxJRonJfn9e9c0u1Y72zbAYKqnAdevKb9Ut-CoupNI/s1600/1394026153714.jpg" height="384" width="640" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2QHNIc3aQoO1CKNRhGUu2a39bngY1OagQQoi50HHHaKs79dAzsFqrRvsSkmLkIiOlvEf-j89ygO3SypOip4PF1F488LQb4DmQvuCyS2udInd4SATDybQ-lP40y6IWJ-YIHek/s1600/nicola-peltz-transformers-age-of-extinction-2014-movie-hd-1920x1080.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2QHNIc3aQoO1CKNRhGUu2a39bngY1OagQQoi50HHHaKs79dAzsFqrRvsSkmLkIiOlvEf-j89ygO3SypOip4PF1F488LQb4DmQvuCyS2udInd4SATDybQ-lP40y6IWJ-YIHek/s1600/nicola-peltz-transformers-age-of-extinction-2014-movie-hd-1920x1080.jpg" height="360" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Michael Bay being subtle.</td></tr>
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and go right to the one thing in this movie that was too dumb to ignore. Yes, we all know that it's a movie about giant robots and a massive suspension of disbelief is required. But, and stay with me on this, if YOU were going to build complicated robot car soldiers for national defense, and you plan on defending America with these things... would you build those in China?<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio1F1h4jxhD7_4FdWR0jNc9zutpuPxX0ZTWA6AUX8vIRinPnLsnZcqHmEEWuxjgjC1QWqVQQHEF5nC5UO9x-NhyTBcvjI5NgFBmf1lzaK5pUMJGe8zGZAdj6l0dAm8iOlDC_0/s1600/images.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio1F1h4jxhD7_4FdWR0jNc9zutpuPxX0ZTWA6AUX8vIRinPnLsnZcqHmEEWuxjgjC1QWqVQQHEF5nC5UO9x-NhyTBcvjI5NgFBmf1lzaK5pUMJGe8zGZAdj6l0dAm8iOlDC_0/s1600/images.jpg" height="216" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Do I need to tell you why this is a bad idea?"</td></tr>
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For some reason that was the one thing that got to me. Yes, it's cheaper to make clothing and shoes and just about everything else in China. But, when building super soldiers to fight wars with, perhaps domestic is the way you would want to go on that one... Just sayin....<br />
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Anyway, I feel like you are now prepared for the worst of Transformers 4. Go forth and enjoy the loud noises and dinosaurs and spectacle. Also, remember to be thankful that you can't turn your entire face into a gun.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYsiq1u4R5CyybtgvVu4BVfWZ2dUG4G0mp_p8rPVf4ClXOuMkT6VLSG7FMvnavaMP9fpVpHbz3LYYGLynOGqJufEzZv_SNvsSayFYywikTFTmLMq0dsXpayp51ETzyqAn1etE/s1600/t4-4.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYsiq1u4R5CyybtgvVu4BVfWZ2dUG4G0mp_p8rPVf4ClXOuMkT6VLSG7FMvnavaMP9fpVpHbz3LYYGLynOGqJufEzZv_SNvsSayFYywikTFTmLMq0dsXpayp51ETzyqAn1etE/s1600/t4-4.gif" height="216" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Seriously, that's got to hurt your neck.</td></tr>
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naudyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04843427883019649608noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14213997.post-68000289724229581202014-06-25T02:23:00.001-07:002014-06-25T02:26:40.523-07:00Godzilla vs Wolverine <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<br />
In a summer full of franchise films, <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0831387/">GODZILLA</a> and<a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1877832/"> X-MEN:DAYS OF FUTURE PAST</a> are two of them. We, like the Greeks and most two-year-olds, love to hear the same stories told about the same heroes. (Well, except for <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1872181/?ref_=nv_sr_1">Spider Man</a>. Aint nobody got time for that.) <br />
<br />
GODZILLA and X-MEN:DFP are familiar characters in familiar situations but they reflect different values. Allow me to take a moment to compare them.<br />
<br />
<b>History</b><br />
<br />
GODZILLA feels a lot like the original <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0047034/?ref_=nv_sr_1">GOJIRA</a> which was made in 1956. There is nuculear power, a kid in a blue hat, scientists who just wonder about stuff without really doing anything, military guys who have to make hard decisions based on crap evidence, and a giant fat green monster with stone mountains stuck on it's back. Which is to say, it's knowingly traditional and totally okay with that.<br />
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X-MEN:DFP blows up the entire franchise. The past 14 years of movies don't count anymore, except for <a href="http://pointlessreview.blogspot.com/2011/08/x-men-first-class-9.html">X-MEN:FIRST CLASS</a>. This is sad for anyone who really liked the past movies but I totally understand it. I don't know where you can go with a universe after having made <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1430132/?ref_=nv_sr_1">THE WOLVERINE (Goes to Japan.)</a> <i>I</i> wanted to blow up all the X-Men films after that movie.<br />
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<br />
<b>Leading Man</b><br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-yow7LBhmDlDHGvb7U2Q9IZT3y6sGxYvtyNBg5fUzx4IiT7KGxDCSk1Z44_KBFzvyfo6YSk_BLEwEJb_Du7UPb49y0E2i58XjvTwVCpv0lssbyjP6LJWtv-79RDXIKpKp8-4/s1600/leading.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-yow7LBhmDlDHGvb7U2Q9IZT3y6sGxYvtyNBg5fUzx4IiT7KGxDCSk1Z44_KBFzvyfo6YSk_BLEwEJb_Du7UPb49y0E2i58XjvTwVCpv0lssbyjP6LJWtv-79RDXIKpKp8-4/s1600/leading.jpg" height="304" width="640" /></a>GODZILLA's narrative follows around Ford Brody, a veteran of Afghanistan who specializes in defusing bombs, as he does everything he can to take care of his family - his father, his wife, his child. Ford spends a lot of time toting a gun but never fires it. He somehow ends up being present for every single catastrophic event that happens in the movie but never stops trying to get home.<br />
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X-MEN:DFP features Wolverine who wakes up in a minor's bed, beats up some guys, and steals a car in the first five minutes of his arrival in the 70's. Not exactly a good guy. Hugh Jackman is now starting to look as old and grumpy as Wolverine should have looked for the past 14 years. So that's fun.<br />
<br />
<br />
<b>The Sage</b><br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi91JNvyxOqdKbxwKvWo4_uC8uo-vJnneqcSZ_Tns5OtR3jyYsa-bcs48vAxRaIN25FUNJDOi5Fdn0A4tAqgkn7wklVoqA5hgdVSr9ukNHRckJjrYkxQW1BkHsYKuugKvLHyiY/s1600/wisdom.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi91JNvyxOqdKbxwKvWo4_uC8uo-vJnneqcSZ_Tns5OtR3jyYsa-bcs48vAxRaIN25FUNJDOi5Fdn0A4tAqgkn7wklVoqA5hgdVSr9ukNHRckJjrYkxQW1BkHsYKuugKvLHyiY/s1600/wisdom.jpg" height="380" width="640" /></a>Every movie needs an old wise dude who doesn't actually do much. GODZILLA has Ken Watanabe. He's a scientist who has a vague idea of what is going on, recognizes good information when he sees it, and talks about his feelings a lot. Unfortunately Navy Admirals need more than vibes when making decisions that involve nuculear power. Dr. Serizawa ends up just being a witness of events as they happen around him.<br />
<br />
Professor Xavier spends most of his time in X-MEN:DFP in his hover chair using a lot of feeling-words and mystical healing phrases. He is all-knowing and never gives actual information. He does a neat trick of talking till his younger self, in the past, somehow figures out how to let go of anger. Or pain? Something? I got confused halfway through the time-traveling therapy session. <br />
<br />
<br />
<b>Big Bad Things</b><br />
(There aren't two conjoined images since I found cool gifs!)<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiImSjE0fIhVyzZOgLiN-4AO8UpZKCLHArDYiXxdlBEb2QuJQEazEOtjYh58yO6e96PWBmSF1eJ7KnLrMqL3tV3xmO1Yhwn-tBG7IpVzr69lLjHO_Jb8XstZ3Hl8jI209Ea48U/s1600/tumblr_n3kx3zAKTs1rafdelo3_1280.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiImSjE0fIhVyzZOgLiN-4AO8UpZKCLHArDYiXxdlBEb2QuJQEazEOtjYh58yO6e96PWBmSF1eJ7KnLrMqL3tV3xmO1Yhwn-tBG7IpVzr69lLjHO_Jb8XstZ3Hl8jI209Ea48U/s1600/tumblr_n3kx3zAKTs1rafdelo3_1280.gif" height="260" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is a Muto (male)</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3xL9Pxw-Kvwp0Clmh-23ixeXtIW8sGfz1yRznOCZEjYk3GVzzttRRC4hFgdl0Q1FfAusNm2oF9zuBzMutrOwJf5zlffq_nmxz2-fQD2xVRW06O72mtXPzDfHu5TNVJKHZvZU/s1600/Storm-GIF.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3xL9Pxw-Kvwp0Clmh-23ixeXtIW8sGfz1yRznOCZEjYk3GVzzttRRC4hFgdl0Q1FfAusNm2oF9zuBzMutrOwJf5zlffq_nmxz2-fQD2xVRW06O72mtXPzDfHu5TNVJKHZvZU/s1600/Storm-GIF.gif" height="344" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">And this is a Sentinel.</td></tr>
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The Muto are an ancient race of giant gross things which eat radiation. They trash everything in their effort to make babies.<br />
<br />
Sentinels are designed to hunt deviants. They are man-made, scary, and so unstopable the X-Men have to travel to the past to keep them from being born.<br />
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<br />
<b>The Girl</b><br />
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<br />
No, they aren't actually played by the same woman. GODZILLA features the character Elle Brody, who is an ER nurse and wife of that Ford guy. She is supportive, cheerful, loves her kid, and makes iffish decisions about where to seek shelter during a major emergency because her husband asked her to.<br />
<br />
Mystique in X-MEN:DFP is an angry assassin who killed a man with her foot and wants to shoot a little person in the head. She's also naked a lot and painted blue. You think the whole movie comes down to a decision she makes but really it's a decision Xavier makes, which kind of sucks.<br />
<br />
<br />
<b>In Conclusion</b><br />
<br />
GODZILLA 8<br />
X-MEN:DFP 6<br />
<br /></div>
naudyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04843427883019649608noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14213997.post-72476971907472785072014-06-24T00:35:00.000-07:002014-06-24T00:42:51.770-07:00THE SIGNAL - (5)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Signal_(2014_film)">THE SIGNAL</a> is a movie which feels a lot like scrolling through some unknown person's Instagram account. There are beautiful images with complex backstories and you don't know any of them. Don't believe me? Look at these:<br />
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There. Now whatever narrative you made up in your head to explain that sequence of images, is exactly what THE SIGNAL is about. <br />
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Which, really, is to say I have no concrete idea what it was about but it WOW was pretty. It reminded me of <a href="http://pointlessreview.blogspot.com/2006/05/solaris-by-naudy-8.html">SOLARIS</a>, (<a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0307479/">both of them.</a>) </div>
naudyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04843427883019649608noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14213997.post-73936304057713875832014-06-20T11:04:00.001-07:002014-06-20T11:04:56.997-07:00EDGE OF TOMORROW - (9)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJIcukywvTVLa8LuXYNSgmfxGTgoMCW4AWpQpJQfx-IgzOmuxPKj_sRY7BPQoo7WyE3KXkDUaXPTjimZMiON4qujfpJkWbN13-hTLkZvZ3j7kpTzHXNtHgDmw2bo4HjWPg6Ek/s1600/edge-of-tomorrow.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJIcukywvTVLa8LuXYNSgmfxGTgoMCW4AWpQpJQfx-IgzOmuxPKj_sRY7BPQoo7WyE3KXkDUaXPTjimZMiON4qujfpJkWbN13-hTLkZvZ3j7kpTzHXNtHgDmw2bo4HjWPg6Ek/s1600/edge-of-tomorrow.jpg" height="266" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
Sometimes I battle Pokemon with my friend Damon. Damon has played Pokemon since he was a kid and now plays in tournaments for actual money. Since I started playing Pokemon last October, our battles are very uneven. Damon beats my teams in about the same amount of time a chess Grand Master would checkmate a 4th grader.<br />
<br />
Because we are so mis-matched, it is easier for me to see what my preferred style of battle is. My favorite Pokemon is this one:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijwBFBmY0NdjtPyk83WLp24yGI9XKn5p0njcnM5Czqy46cwReYz1XbQA4vXZx_Ghs6ND9uqPhLgSs4v-P3KZKzyaoj-lRB9rCMaxGmMi2GypXZ8wqX6v8owe2P8JEKFpJPK-Q/s1600/maxresdefault+(3).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijwBFBmY0NdjtPyk83WLp24yGI9XKn5p0njcnM5Czqy46cwReYz1XbQA4vXZx_Ghs6ND9uqPhLgSs4v-P3KZKzyaoj-lRB9rCMaxGmMi2GypXZ8wqX6v8owe2P8JEKFpJPK-Q/s1600/maxresdefault+(3).jpg" height="225" width="400" /></a></div>
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Blaziken is fast, mean, and can take a punch. I don't have all 719 Pokemon memorized, I haven't conquered the strategy of switches, and I don't understand the difference between a Sweeper and a Special Sweeper. However, I do know that a tough, hard-hitting Pokemon can sometimes obliterate a team by sheer stubborn sacrificial force.<br />
<br />
I liked EDGE OF TOMORROW because it is about humanity facing an overwhelmingly powerful enemy.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIQyKwXxGu9fxs4yB-wZGbDGkovFY6TNAmPOoJLapS06hLqMisHuYPWDyFSKIUtnlrwAQpRCQI_-E5Ya5_eyVnXTMBQ8jNuiMt4DUEjQPgk5IGR3AqwqV99qHRIHGD3MODkFc/s1600/mimic3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIQyKwXxGu9fxs4yB-wZGbDGkovFY6TNAmPOoJLapS06hLqMisHuYPWDyFSKIUtnlrwAQpRCQI_-E5Ya5_eyVnXTMBQ8jNuiMt4DUEjQPgk5IGR3AqwqV99qHRIHGD3MODkFc/s1600/mimic3.jpg" height="386" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">These things, which kind of look like Pokemon in a mostly terrifying way.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The thread which I think runs through the whole film is this: it's better to face the enemy, to stand and fight, than it is to sneak or turn away. The aliens are far superior to humans in this movie. They are the chess Grand Master in the game of war. However, they aren't the only enemy. Tom Cruise (who's part could have been played just as well with literally <i>any </i>other male actor in the world) confronts a military general (who is super sneaky), and even his <i>own</i> desire to sneak/avoid/run.<br />
<br />
EDGE OF TOMORROW is surprisingly good. It is well written, beautifuly shot, tightly edited, well acted, and the effects are seamless. I didn't like the ending much. But I loved seeing Emily Blunt chop tentacle monsters with a sword made from a propeller blade, and watching her never <i>ever</i> back down.</div>
naudyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04843427883019649608noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14213997.post-58329296434548912542014-04-07T16:15:00.002-07:002014-04-07T16:29:33.086-07:00CAPTAIN AMERICA:THE WINTER SOLDIER - (9)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<br />
So, I really liked this movie. It is a world-changer and before you are thirty minutes into it everything begins to go sideways. Because of this, I can't really talk about the story much or I will ruin the whole thing. However, [SPOILER ALERT] <br />
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<br />
Scarlett Johansen never does this pose in the movie.<br />
<br />
Weird, I know.<br />
<br />
But, while I can't talk about the movie, I can talk about Captain America. As it turns out, I actually kind of like Captain America. He is NOT a post-modern hero. He's actually just a crusty old grandpa with the body of Adonis. <br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyPlwqcy7vb7v11uyX1BiLucLTWT04NEeObMxQBSy79DMBhK_Ny5RhBZeAhIV1Mw7JkghSe1Fwzee87GhsIX0WWQQi4qrBoCnEuS_LZwLYUOfZD_dxph2vafGc5yxoU4zca7g/s1600/captain-america-week.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyPlwqcy7vb7v11uyX1BiLucLTWT04NEeObMxQBSy79DMBhK_Ny5RhBZeAhIV1Mw7JkghSe1Fwzee87GhsIX0WWQQi4qrBoCnEuS_LZwLYUOfZD_dxph2vafGc5yxoU4zca7g/s1600/captain-america-week.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"This guy is my only friend. We met working out. He totally lifts." - Cap'n</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
What's so interesting about him is how he never speaks to anyone like they are an adult. I'm not saying he is condescending or patronising. But, if you, as an adult, are speaking to another adult, and that person says something, like ... "Hey! Wanna see the mechanical monsters I'm installing in the bushes of my front yard so I can scare school children as they walk home in the afternoon?" Your first response would likely be something like "... Wow.... Where did you come up with that idea? How do you think that will pan out, legally?"<br />
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If you are speaking to an (alleged) adult, you would question, and perhaps recommend alternate behaviour, or maybe bring up possible litigation which would follow their decision, but you would never say "No. You are terrorist and a horrible person," and then just stand there looking at them.<br />
<br />
Captain America DOES speak this way. Because of this odd habit, he reminds me of this<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYBJUsERERXYKi8xC0nScLWQScOYdFpoXD4VhOHuB0iCsxFiNuedrci2UHa_c0f6h1AWp8YqOmgZMmeNRIVEeGNDPxBGK1fDp_GS0X9GaI1-bPMqbqV1lMUMzkbEPcP05d_Js/s1600/hireapreschoolteacher1.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYBJUsERERXYKi8xC0nScLWQScOYdFpoXD4VhOHuB0iCsxFiNuedrci2UHa_c0f6h1AWp8YqOmgZMmeNRIVEeGNDPxBGK1fDp_GS0X9GaI1-bPMqbqV1lMUMzkbEPcP05d_Js/s1600/hireapreschoolteacher1.png" height="380" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
a preschool teacher.<br />
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Wait, that's sexist. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuGNptlswLE_U9TNbMVl4HigQSeMw9vZf-HzL5XrmUXhIidh00_FWM5-x7fBCX9JIvbHzOKvxCdIbTLpCeCzhMTGpB0NRgyah7Wnor4MmxDWMX3jMl3YRwxbjOG9iNisdlQo0/s1600/bilde.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuGNptlswLE_U9TNbMVl4HigQSeMw9vZf-HzL5XrmUXhIidh00_FWM5-x7fBCX9JIvbHzOKvxCdIbTLpCeCzhMTGpB0NRgyah7Wnor4MmxDWMX3jMl3YRwxbjOG9iNisdlQo0/s1600/bilde.jpg" height="436" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
There. That's better.<br />
<br />
Captain America is like a preschool teacher because he will flat-out tell you that you are wrong, and will do so without hesitation or delay. He says it because he believes you have a choice and can change. Obviously you just don't know that you are doing terrible stuff so he will help you by telling you. And, like a good preschool teacher, he never does the wrong thing. Poor preschool teachers will sit on tables while telling kids not to sit on tables. Captain Amercia ALWAYS does what's right so if you are listening to him tell you you're awful, there's no wiggling out of it by telling him he's a hypocrite.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkgC9IaRQf-68eox-p91d-GBzu4TokfGls3TjrUquxqgroCHkkKh2CBksGOC93T4yZk2tJBtREajwXg2sAVAvNMnKHZUZIcDVPk0hJmowMI9npnYqE8rCxvGcZWUPBsETQ3jQ/s1600/Captain-America-2-Review-02.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkgC9IaRQf-68eox-p91d-GBzu4TokfGls3TjrUquxqgroCHkkKh2CBksGOC93T4yZk2tJBtREajwXg2sAVAvNMnKHZUZIcDVPk0hJmowMI9npnYqE8rCxvGcZWUPBsETQ3jQ/s1600/Captain-America-2-Review-02.jpg" height="360" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Captn: "This is a monumentally bad idea."<br />
Fury: "Oh, COME ON, MAN! Can't you just for once say that something is COOL??"</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The interesting thing is that we don't quite know how to photograph someone who simply states the truth and quietly does the right thing. We know how to film someone fighting.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijwn8C7gkw3etrzgvnaSdmrsRsmhpjmjBUjRYdzChY3KOkwenlSEj8gRtpD_3dFWnZuVStRFkZPhjT19E8J0nM531gu5wldAaVilQlJu9YGV-yqSWARHmvAfNxhjXuHDBwTyY/s1600/captain-america-2-winter-soldier-chris-evans2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijwn8C7gkw3etrzgvnaSdmrsRsmhpjmjBUjRYdzChY3KOkwenlSEj8gRtpD_3dFWnZuVStRFkZPhjT19E8J0nM531gu5wldAaVilQlJu9YGV-yqSWARHmvAfNxhjXuHDBwTyY/s1600/captain-america-2-winter-soldier-chris-evans2.jpg" height="454" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">or, when they're DONE fighting, as the case may be.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
or flying<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwbNCybZSDp1KzdY0KFx3o67OD1ZGNw8x_RjjFeBhU_xpaOXnNCSd7WDezsqwR88vindJhVKSOtBG1CiVmcd4LJUdeCOwbZR2u_Tr61OVZmz0ZcQ_tKigseCiUUSKHv9VA3x4/s1600/Captain+America+Winter+Soldier+Concept+Art+Falcon+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwbNCybZSDp1KzdY0KFx3o67OD1ZGNw8x_RjjFeBhU_xpaOXnNCSd7WDezsqwR88vindJhVKSOtBG1CiVmcd4LJUdeCOwbZR2u_Tr61OVZmz0ZcQ_tKigseCiUUSKHv9VA3x4/s1600/Captain+America+Winter+Soldier+Concept+Art+Falcon+1.jpg" height="360" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Whee!!"</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
and how to show people who are thinking<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUs_yKVt3dmdVDDVt1xjHcmNaGVetC4zjOa4Nz3zdaxjjlTCnoqjsKr4USrSZW9E3tg6ffmBDfYswDdL9cjV64v7TbRr3rh6Neo_0iXCjB8K1wvIHEjveEbwjXiTPjthu7yCE/s1600/15-action-packed-photos-from-captain-america-the-winter-soldier.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUs_yKVt3dmdVDDVt1xjHcmNaGVetC4zjOa4Nz3zdaxjjlTCnoqjsKr4USrSZW9E3tg6ffmBDfYswDdL9cjV64v7TbRr3rh6Neo_0iXCjB8K1wvIHEjveEbwjXiTPjthu7yCE/s1600/15-action-packed-photos-from-captain-america-the-winter-soldier.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Hmm... why didn't I put bronzer under my eyes, too?" - Black Widow</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
or confused<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJHUs5gTVsHVIuywMCl1GZr9OEzKRddviXUl0kIShFGoE4IhyphenhyphenQgxKrg2XANFroG4zsEWe8uP74pj00knVvWZaEn4B6H5o8GFCDYjM4dz99MFYkr6JFlrbpY8Fh-Ex7k1KOk3w/s1600/wk-captain0404-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJHUs5gTVsHVIuywMCl1GZr9OEzKRddviXUl0kIShFGoE4IhyphenhyphenQgxKrg2XANFroG4zsEWe8uP74pj00knVvWZaEn4B6H5o8GFCDYjM4dz99MFYkr6JFlrbpY8Fh-Ex7k1KOk3w/s1600/wk-captain0404-3.jpg" height="424" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"There's ANOTHER bad guy?? Who's shooting at us now!?"</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
or even what it looks like to threaten someone<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3QPxPmC0xuHtQ5HPLYkCRnipIHWFBysiy9oufCS7OqNuNWSnEGzQcEWJUlm2TfaAkPYVGkUfGbMH2htLBiahTyu63KIS5P36sWwcK7wm0A4Ta_LU6OAn8-jYIJgKZrCRbe5w/s1600/images+%25282%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3QPxPmC0xuHtQ5HPLYkCRnipIHWFBysiy9oufCS7OqNuNWSnEGzQcEWJUlm2TfaAkPYVGkUfGbMH2htLBiahTyu63KIS5P36sWwcK7wm0A4Ta_LU6OAn8-jYIJgKZrCRbe5w/s1600/images+%25282%2529.jpg" height="320" width="218" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Hold still, threatening is not my strong suit."</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
but quiet do-right moments are not quite normal. Inevitably Cap gets photographed from below, with everyone in the room appearing to look up to him, and probably there is some subtle stirring music in the background to make it seem more inspirational. However, it never seems quite right because he just tells everyone what the right choice is and then looks at them. It's actually kind of awkward and I can see how he has no friends.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUYwNQAr2fDvfHuX19P-eetl8szTGu87xS3yRERstNEfVub0SawsIDKQKAz7de5DLBuClYR7mvqUHkxwVbL-fk5RRWGveJqmQOOAJQ8QOXy4t4dS1GCRnWmtzBqN22KeM2w74/s1600/sDDPAC4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUYwNQAr2fDvfHuX19P-eetl8szTGu87xS3yRERstNEfVub0SawsIDKQKAz7de5DLBuClYR7mvqUHkxwVbL-fk5RRWGveJqmQOOAJQ8QOXy4t4dS1GCRnWmtzBqN22KeM2w74/s1600/sDDPAC4.jpg" height="436" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Susan, that is an unkind thing to say. However, it's honest, so I will allow it." - Cap</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
So, Captain America is an old unhappy lonely socially-awkward preschool teacher of a man who has only two friends, but, I like him. It actually makes him interesting.</div>
naudyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04843427883019649608noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14213997.post-47828795646424913772014-04-02T12:03:00.002-07:002014-06-24T09:51:27.363-07:00THE WIND RISES 風立ちぬ - (10)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL1OhpLUd5OrwOL3wbyBe45bOiSKU6W3tANC-ed9XQeUYkwPWGql4SvhpLYaZG07Lk8AF7Eze5bdX_2zEIBXQshjofn6Xc71uNNjiYnb_RDoeS8lVLuZYPaNP7Y7EjWwAUsrM/s1600/The-Wind-Rises-poster.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL1OhpLUd5OrwOL3wbyBe45bOiSKU6W3tANC-ed9XQeUYkwPWGql4SvhpLYaZG07Lk8AF7Eze5bdX_2zEIBXQshjofn6Xc71uNNjiYnb_RDoeS8lVLuZYPaNP7Y7EjWwAUsrM/s1600/The-Wind-Rises-poster.jpg" height="240" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
I have been reluctant to review this film. It was just so <i>itself</i>. After all, pieces of a butterfly do not a butterfly make. Sometimes examining parts can destroy the whole.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
I continued to justify this view with examples from other art. Does knowing Samuel Barber's birth date make <a href="http://youtu.be/CcflwUYYoXk">"Adiago for Strings"</a> sound better? Does knowledge of the <a href="http://jwilson.coe.uga.edu/EMT668/EMAT6680.2000/Obara/Emat6690/Golden%20Ratio/golden.html">Golden Ratio</a> make the Mona Lisa look better?<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQcJkgncC9FZvdBWun3QIYvESZ4F_yF2aVHVz0UcIMbl00X9jfAbcAX9Ezg07cH5FfAIe0pNGPeMqssBepnf-aa4MxtXZsXoGJ5oSfQSxxDgUFdXCVhBQeklMeB7eedho37DA/s1600/image49.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQcJkgncC9FZvdBWun3QIYvESZ4F_yF2aVHVz0UcIMbl00X9jfAbcAX9Ezg07cH5FfAIe0pNGPeMqssBepnf-aa4MxtXZsXoGJ5oSfQSxxDgUFdXCVhBQeklMeB7eedho37DA/s1600/image49.gif" height="400" width="262" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"No, if you draw boxes around my nose I just look silly" - Mona Lisa</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
And, does a fantastic piece of chocolate cake taste any differently if you call it "<a href="http://www.alexandracooks.com/2012/10/30/double-chocolate-cake-fair-trade-cocoas-a-delicious-giveaway-from-lake-champlain-chocolates-dark-chocolate-sea-salt-caramels/">Double Chocolate Cake with Black Velvet Frosting from Fair Trade Cocoa</a>"?<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYPHdoj3ezxdCIu2MZIz3yklB0oR1hYFV6IOd6NB0_Ib4yB-mlGEfhrgkaN2_GtRxufQ82WjuJWYOFOx_eqOxYJ4j3g_fwAGgYLNjpe9R_1RwS4ZX1b7yV4xuyeTHSF64tBxc/s1600/sliceofcake4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYPHdoj3ezxdCIu2MZIz3yklB0oR1hYFV6IOd6NB0_Ib4yB-mlGEfhrgkaN2_GtRxufQ82WjuJWYOFOx_eqOxYJ4j3g_fwAGgYLNjpe9R_1RwS4ZX1b7yV4xuyeTHSF64tBxc/s1600/sliceofcake4.jpg" height="400" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Um, actually... yes, it is better with the name.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
As usual, cake was my downfall. <br />
<br />
I have realized that giving long pretentious names to food is kind of important. It is hard to go through life with an open heart and fresh eyes. Sometimes telling someone that their food was made with pink Himalayan salt carved from a mountain and ground by hand gives context. It's a signal to put down the cell phone and pay attention. This is not food you eat while watching television. This is not food you eat on the morning commute. This is something you take time for, something you experience. And, sometimes the best way to cut through distractions is to find the part of a person meant to experience magical things. Sometimes, one must tell a story.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
I have a story for you. Listen:<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><i>Hayao Miyazaki was a man who tells stories. He told stories about witches' brooms and flying machines, princesses and dragons, great events and rainy childhood afternoons. He told stories about true things, like rage and greed and hope, and stories about untrue things, like giagantic snails moving across grassy fields like ships sailing out to sea. </i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><i><br /></i></span>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>Hayao Miyazaki, who told many stories over many years, one day decided he would tell only one last story. He thought about which story to tell. He said to his friend, "I think, for my last story, I will tell a story that everyone likes. That will make people happy." But, his friend said no. "Hayao-san, tell the story<b> you</b> like. Then <b>you</b> will be happy."</i></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><i><br /></i></span>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>For three years Hayao Miyazaki and his friends worked to tell a story. It was about flying machines, about war and fear, about love and death and Japan. But, it was also a story about what it means to build dreams and then let them fly away.</i></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><i><br /></i></span>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>Hayao Miyazaki finished the story he loved and let it fly out to the world. And, because this is a story about a story, you will not be surprised to hear that other people loved it too.</i></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><i><br /></i></span>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijX47mRtbgd_-ecnpoeNusqomcpILS2ZTUtFWdNPsAkhLA6vmQknQJXmjqfWOY17JfE3Y0vsWgb7EzZNBdS9shY9YPbeqmp_P9RvFgVQp0HsTiOETT8z7o3icsGnY46-UsUTA/s1600/maxresdefault.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijX47mRtbgd_-ecnpoeNusqomcpILS2ZTUtFWdNPsAkhLA6vmQknQJXmjqfWOY17JfE3Y0vsWgb7EzZNBdS9shY9YPbeqmp_P9RvFgVQp0HsTiOETT8z7o3icsGnY46-UsUTA/s1600/maxresdefault.jpg" height="360" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
naudyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04843427883019649608noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14213997.post-12741132274472337312014-03-26T00:59:00.000-07:002014-03-26T01:13:40.937-07:00The poster for CAPTAIN AMERICA: WINTER SOLDIER/DIVERGENT (5)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Okay, let's just talk about this for a moment. To begin, look at this poster:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-Wh1CbzvZpd3AL61BXrh_QteEYLcJOS1nxSp3EgphKyijEKXHXr1w2oZj2wMrOSQP4-cusg2iD_JOESbxKUq5HochE0RZsuKeSchkzM2fJQU-_OVpIzeCFUKFuitQUxNX6g4/s1600/CaptAmerica2-WS-NewGroupPoster2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-Wh1CbzvZpd3AL61BXrh_QteEYLcJOS1nxSp3EgphKyijEKXHXr1w2oZj2wMrOSQP4-cusg2iD_JOESbxKUq5HochE0RZsuKeSchkzM2fJQU-_OVpIzeCFUKFuitQUxNX6g4/s1600/CaptAmerica2-WS-NewGroupPoster2.jpg" height="640" width="432" /></a></div>
<br />
There's a giant white dude who's kind of feeling insecure about that chin strap,<br />
<br />
a black man who is looking at him with EXTREME distrust<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxdP9LIkFQAWSsE8PWOdQWLeuz7hOlGnOZeoatHi7W6e6N6wPWo0dmyD9kbITyjRTtNlkOHh1EsLGcvHGHUZRq0m-Ou8nFkheYGHLh31pmDucUpN_MAHrKfi8hCgGpm83fa8c/s1600/IMG_20140325_234928+(2).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxdP9LIkFQAWSsE8PWOdQWLeuz7hOlGnOZeoatHi7W6e6N6wPWo0dmyD9kbITyjRTtNlkOHh1EsLGcvHGHUZRq0m-Ou8nFkheYGHLh31pmDucUpN_MAHrKfi8hCgGpm83fa8c/s1600/IMG_20140325_234928+(2).jpg" height="640" width="622" /></a></div>
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<br />
A skeezy-looking Robert Redford who is openly looking at a woman's bottom<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuR7dBXwBLDZAWaqyA9_7ntivkA2Q08QbBjRABv-MubrfvqVGCaJ5fvEl8jtlOVBlFQavHMjPPfIRrByCjj9PudYQ5v3P1cVaOFytBnjmlLbzwZYYBBQkrMiTPL-W-RDqhtaA/s1600/IMG_20140325_234947.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuR7dBXwBLDZAWaqyA9_7ntivkA2Q08QbBjRABv-MubrfvqVGCaJ5fvEl8jtlOVBlFQavHMjPPfIRrByCjj9PudYQ5v3P1cVaOFytBnjmlLbzwZYYBBQkrMiTPL-W-RDqhtaA/s1600/IMG_20140325_234947.jpg" height="640" width="480" /></a></div>
<br />
a WWE wrestler who is wondering WTF??? (Though I suppose he could also be in a metal band. Is being a rock star a super power? Well... a super power Marvel make movies about?)<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFt0-8QDGSMD4rCwlxffZzYJJXMrrqzRzEuDr-Ut2hBTu2PBs2ABESTa2vgBRtVFYAizEZMOT_CuTqwCky8hHrVxJv3Oara5q8Y5Q4I1DZHlZr_FTsM715qEmn2exvBsAZwcQ/s1600/IMG_20140325_235213.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFt0-8QDGSMD4rCwlxffZzYJJXMrrqzRzEuDr-Ut2hBTu2PBs2ABESTa2vgBRtVFYAizEZMOT_CuTqwCky8hHrVxJv3Oara5q8Y5Q4I1DZHlZr_FTsM715qEmn2exvBsAZwcQ/s1600/IMG_20140325_235213.jpg" height="640" width="480" /></a></div>
<br />
and, bless her heart, Scarlet Johanson<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpvvQ2yT0kwMDEtcN4sB8bJ8DDdAGd5iei-NMvNMgQF92TWCdf_lcDIODt5nvsIZEhr_NON5RGf25vAQ3236PB4c0-xzlpxlCw-F7ON37-gSZCxmWQsvJ_JWTJvvhuaMDacxQ/s1600/IMG_20140325_234922.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpvvQ2yT0kwMDEtcN4sB8bJ8DDdAGd5iei-NMvNMgQF92TWCdf_lcDIODt5nvsIZEhr_NON5RGf25vAQ3236PB4c0-xzlpxlCw-F7ON37-gSZCxmWQsvJ_JWTJvvhuaMDacxQ/s1600/IMG_20140325_234922.jpg" height="640" width="480" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
who somehow is supposed to look like Storm<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTBaXpqD5gi3pH9xSYg2-D8KEMiwRrkju-uZ7rJ6zvCkQoQ2dFJVJUJo95r_gKPFZKOph542O2SmsohHAnIkGJb1_f6kZdbgz6vhNANEUM3oACVlis-g0RsJDl6M-zk-HA8ME/s1600/Storm-x-men-24196468-605-820.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTBaXpqD5gi3pH9xSYg2-D8KEMiwRrkju-uZ7rJ6zvCkQoQ2dFJVJUJo95r_gKPFZKOph542O2SmsohHAnIkGJb1_f6kZdbgz6vhNANEUM3oACVlis-g0RsJDl6M-zk-HA8ME/s1600/Storm-x-men-24196468-605-820.jpg" height="640" width="476" /></a></div>
<br />
but with no powers, or Mary Magdalene<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNT_VINvC0HYiYX2Tyu6X4gSD5RMyRevsvzDhjNC_ZrcV6RM4qvo1d_pk766kyv4dfwPZs0u67vHaKUMhO4TQO6XsCuVgn-p139E4WZ5O5GjSxskmn75uthK2V50tV2dUqEHs/s1600/Jan_Boeckhorst_-_Mary_Magdalene_-_Walters_37372.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNT_VINvC0HYiYX2Tyu6X4gSD5RMyRevsvzDhjNC_ZrcV6RM4qvo1d_pk766kyv4dfwPZs0u67vHaKUMhO4TQO6XsCuVgn-p139E4WZ5O5GjSxskmn75uthK2V50tV2dUqEHs/s1600/Jan_Boeckhorst_-_Mary_Magdalene_-_Walters_37372.jpg" height="640" width="500" /></a></div>
<br />
without the cool skull, or Julie Andrews<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcOzL0pQ5TFx-qvwwHFFzGNjXQsEWrjMKO_vkl9kwypJe71_hZ2u6BRk2pvfek11E4NgzBExOibMBFYZlR9PHvZwc8AzwDIwP5nZieZ08vh20EdlVLAIMVswT2UcdZi7hRCzA/s1600/L2ASIya.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcOzL0pQ5TFx-qvwwHFFzGNjXQsEWrjMKO_vkl9kwypJe71_hZ2u6BRk2pvfek11E4NgzBExOibMBFYZlR9PHvZwc8AzwDIwP5nZieZ08vh20EdlVLAIMVswT2UcdZi7hRCzA/s1600/L2ASIya.gif" height="300" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
without being just super amazing.<br />
<br />
Is she supposed to be Liberache?<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis564Dbrw8ZZlOqVLSM9uYMI4VGdt18sOdMA1nrT1xMjNzNgsHQubL8tmZwl27p1IX5WtavLY2VKmD1pEV5qBXeNFmPf1kC6VoJKWkccN67SpazoJgqs6ZrTghdROtlK-xUJ8/s1600/btc-1.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis564Dbrw8ZZlOqVLSM9uYMI4VGdt18sOdMA1nrT1xMjNzNgsHQubL8tmZwl27p1IX5WtavLY2VKmD1pEV5qBXeNFmPf1kC6VoJKWkccN67SpazoJgqs6ZrTghdROtlK-xUJ8/s1600/btc-1.gif" height="208" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
Caroline and I just saw DIVERGENT in the theater and on the way to the car we tried to walk like Scarlet Johanson is supposed to be walking (floating? ascending? fighting?) in this poster. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ-CmEl66_Y0XGHJB-aStVVcjXDtJ2xeUZzVo2Oz37LlF4X8cCQfu2YbjFsf-AdimmG333Me6R0L_MFTzLeCCdZWiC6BKek9azwyydsd5VQ3u3KhuxcVEm2HS-Fi6NbsxMuQA/s1600/IMG_20140325_234922.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ-CmEl66_Y0XGHJB-aStVVcjXDtJ2xeUZzVo2Oz37LlF4X8cCQfu2YbjFsf-AdimmG333Me6R0L_MFTzLeCCdZWiC6BKek9azwyydsd5VQ3u3KhuxcVEm2HS-Fi6NbsxMuQA/s1600/IMG_20140325_234922.jpg" height="640" width="480" /></a></div>
<br />
Study this again and you can try it at home! Look up into the high middle distance, hold your guns loosely and out to the side, and then walk -- but make sure your knees cross each other while walking. If you ever separate your thighs YOU LOOSE!... and you have to start over again!<br />
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It's awesome! And everyone ends up looking like this:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheEI89GM72jlJtnY7c2C3Rdgo6aWjEjAc27xXD4SkGP4EWecz0uCcXUpnfGby_5okwfmHcl_OAvsEovIoMcEpsX110H-UZfoE3puRdAWD5H9WtB6KYm7u3opH-YItX9OCxv9c/s1600/Batman_Scared.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheEI89GM72jlJtnY7c2C3Rdgo6aWjEjAc27xXD4SkGP4EWecz0uCcXUpnfGby_5okwfmHcl_OAvsEovIoMcEpsX110H-UZfoE3puRdAWD5H9WtB6KYm7u3opH-YItX9OCxv9c/s1600/Batman_Scared.gif" height="299" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
Try it with your friends today!<br />
<br />
Oh, also, DIVERGENT was pretty okay. The soundtrack was good, the costumes were okay, the tattoos were nice, and the sets were wonderfully constructed (or generated in the case of the CGI.) I thought it was weird (alarming? confusing?) that one of her major fears was being raped by her boyfriend and he ended up actually beating her up at the end of the movie, but, well, it wasn't sparkley vampires so, eh. Here's a photo and stuff.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGdgWeilbI5hZOxjvUXGncq7HI8f2LJc-2BXRG_ozZ7Mj9cDSBqRC98ahyphenhyphenlNEOQLGW0B1JkKkBZzgCu22SabVFo5XwIzfabJgoaMlhYUx3ImqeJEm6J_ZoJl-NCAnLzxKMvrk/s1600/CBD_00682.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGdgWeilbI5hZOxjvUXGncq7HI8f2LJc-2BXRG_ozZ7Mj9cDSBqRC98ahyphenhyphenlNEOQLGW0B1JkKkBZzgCu22SabVFo5XwIzfabJgoaMlhYUx3ImqeJEm6J_ZoJl-NCAnLzxKMvrk/s1600/CBD_00682.JPG" height="426" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"So, I'm sensing that because I am your teacher, you are conflicted over whether or not to view me as a mentor or mate. How about I act very aggressivly and then we cuddle? Will that help? Yes? No?"</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br /></div>
naudyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04843427883019649608noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14213997.post-80903899258859394522014-02-02T21:45:00.000-08:002014-02-02T21:45:21.791-08:00BEHIND THE CANDELABRA -- (7)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilu78htxO-kOATg3uiy62OZAbii_r-_WUj8x8wreKuPhivEs6o9q2ONhWINAnLUr0h7zc2cegdxEDsUOvCy6njVw1SR6lwmSnVGt2kjjCOaSjzDiDiK4kkVw0c5sOwOEXHML8/s1600/matt-damon-michael-douglas-behind-the-candelabra-hbo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilu78htxO-kOATg3uiy62OZAbii_r-_WUj8x8wreKuPhivEs6o9q2ONhWINAnLUr0h7zc2cegdxEDsUOvCy6njVw1SR6lwmSnVGt2kjjCOaSjzDiDiK4kkVw0c5sOwOEXHML8/s1600/matt-damon-michael-douglas-behind-the-candelabra-hbo.jpg" height="203" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
It is difficult to not compare stuff. I try (and <a href="http://pointlessreview.blogspot.com/2014/01/47-ronin-very-sad-5.html">fail</a> and <a href="http://pointlessreview.blogspot.com/2013/11/enders-game-4.html">fail</a> and <a href="http://pointlessreview.blogspot.com/2013/05/the-great-gatsby-5.html">fail</a>) to take a movie as it IS, as an independent thing, a complete sentence. Comparing a movie to a book (or an amusement park ride) is as unfair as asking a kid why he can't be more like his older brother. It does disservice to both. <br />
<br />
I mention this because I know a little bit about Liberace. I own a few of his albums, all the DVDs of his televison show, and have been to the now-closed Liberace Museum to hear bedazzled grandmas tell breathless stories about Lee "He Emerged From A Faberge Egg" Liberace. I know about his Depression-era youth, his Italian father insisting that young Walter become a musician in spite of his mother's stoic Polish scepticism. I have seen the early photographs of Lee looking like a giggly dimpled sausage in the 1950's<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfmmC2tOAZ8ofMPK7UFb7VwTAlTmKe9qGkTKGE-MEGuYaOQIX6Kt7_i2VZ43ynitKnxNpF-JU_vJn99HHqw9wX8tU9gv99l02-iqF89QDQgAQI4T66K7UrQmjCPPTd_ArVDeA/s1600/3007.lee.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfmmC2tOAZ8ofMPK7UFb7VwTAlTmKe9qGkTKGE-MEGuYaOQIX6Kt7_i2VZ43ynitKnxNpF-JU_vJn99HHqw9wX8tU9gv99l02-iqF89QDQgAQI4T66K7UrQmjCPPTd_ArVDeA/s1600/3007.lee.jpg" height="207" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wait, perhaps this photo is TOO silly...<br /><br /><br /></td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj66-e2BgfCAfXGhPK9N9DB4EawcIDUI6y-j9y6OAErhvSRkZbLtk3l8ItMUrrJI2KAoRi144XEUn50wlO31n9gW-L6FIWuFzq7AOYgI1E3vYgzbAKY72urZ0-Jfi3ykudXZhs/s1600/5-16liberace-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj66-e2BgfCAfXGhPK9N9DB4EawcIDUI6y-j9y6OAErhvSRkZbLtk3l8ItMUrrJI2KAoRi144XEUn50wlO31n9gW-L6FIWuFzq7AOYgI1E3vYgzbAKY72urZ0-Jfi3ykudXZhs/s1600/5-16liberace-1.jpg" height="320" width="317" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Okay. That's better</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
and have seen how he eventually transformed into everyone's favorite gay vampire uncle by the 1980's.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid3XnOyZGeOgrTLoUViB9gJe2xpxCosznQ-Vr3TckAPuO8YXbJxNM-uFzQmyuI40YqTqBJ893hfWjvDD0oOthDyhyphenhyphenTTNJCna9MLKavIkhF-zkBME38iLRjcltVPVHn9FnvRuI/s1600/Liberace.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid3XnOyZGeOgrTLoUViB9gJe2xpxCosznQ-Vr3TckAPuO8YXbJxNM-uFzQmyuI40YqTqBJ893hfWjvDD0oOthDyhyphenhyphenTTNJCna9MLKavIkhF-zkBME38iLRjcltVPVHn9FnvRuI/s1600/Liberace.png" height="640" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"I count von... VON piano! Bwa ha ha!!"</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
And, in even more exciting news, I know that the <a href="http://www.lasvegassun.com/blogs/kats-report/2013/jan/28/liberace-museum-planning-move-downtown----neonopol/#axzz2ULCrNiOY">Liberace Foundation</a> has signed a deal with the good people who manage Neonoplis in downtown Las Vegas and expect to have a small museum open by next year.<br />
<br />
Basically I'm saying that I am one of the handful of people under the age of 85 who knows anything about the man. (Those people who <i>have</i> heard of him are probably my friends.) I'm not proud of this. He was not an exemplary person. He didn't save lives or change the world or even make very good music. (Really, he didn't make very good music at all.) And if you ever even <i>hinted</i> he was a homosexual he would sue the pants off of you. (Like, in a bad way.)<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2tKQpkmVghWJ1dk3Xm1LCFdZOd_RIu91ZfYuqokNUrOMLMnF1YGg667Z9Bb0J7Ic3FZhafEc2OKqzCPeS3shVpzDp6JkbTqgXSvIqnEQNG0idlEVdPy_oJ8z8YVsgxcBxNVU/s1600/19233-Anderson_Liberace-cc.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2tKQpkmVghWJ1dk3Xm1LCFdZOd_RIu91ZfYuqokNUrOMLMnF1YGg667Z9Bb0J7Ic3FZhafEc2OKqzCPeS3shVpzDp6JkbTqgXSvIqnEQNG0idlEVdPy_oJ8z8YVsgxcBxNVU/s1600/19233-Anderson_Liberace-cc.jpg" height="640" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"I don't know what we're doing but whatever it is, it's totally NOT gay!"</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
But in spite of his lazy musicianship and they way he called for his manager to bring him fresh young men the way Nero called for grapes, I am still fond of Liberace. I like him for the same reason I like Elvis -<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkkxuhvzS-O_Bl0SHGsUwPwjRE-0vwLhCQrGtYmwrm-RsiEs62eivQ5-asQaR-RlSmpar5_fYHMucLMmJW7_g7nkOMGY-blTywAAleSXGtd4CBOZg37MYQSrqkUGH0w1v7CzY/s1600/liberace09-1024.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkkxuhvzS-O_Bl0SHGsUwPwjRE-0vwLhCQrGtYmwrm-RsiEs62eivQ5-asQaR-RlSmpar5_fYHMucLMmJW7_g7nkOMGY-blTywAAleSXGtd4CBOZg37MYQSrqkUGH0w1v7CzY/s1600/liberace09-1024.jpg" height="360" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">You know I HAD to include this photo</td></tr>
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both of them always seem to know it's all a big joke. Elvis would get the giggles during his own shows. Liberace, when he was prancing around in feathered capes or being driven on stage in a mirrored car never took it seriously.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvianp-wZnZg6GFJU-_1_NfA7d5G2Ds1mEXfC5e3jBjpNK2w_2NGVtAk7VRhRTNjh0KD1QG57HcySAAFLbLKMQp48jTZHNc2GP0X7m4kf2UPwHsAjVVSHk7xpCAU9p5syU8d0/s1600/liberace1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvianp-wZnZg6GFJU-_1_NfA7d5G2Ds1mEXfC5e3jBjpNK2w_2NGVtAk7VRhRTNjh0KD1QG57HcySAAFLbLKMQp48jTZHNc2GP0X7m4kf2UPwHsAjVVSHk7xpCAU9p5syU8d0/s1600/liberace1.JPG" height="400" width="306" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Liberace = not serious. Really, one can't be when wearing clown shoes.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
In fact Lee was exceptional in the way he not only tolerated fan interaction but encouraged it. After a show he wouldn't run and hide in his dressing room like a normal performer. He would invite the audience up to say hello, touch his car, his clothes, give him hugs. He was poor boy made good and he wanted everyone to see his cool stuff. Did you want a better look at his upside-down monkey fur cape? Well, come on up! He might give you an impromptu piano lesson on stage in front of the audience at the same time.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggiZUxwopdEnaaKPAIlHhUgE7zgJlPj-V9fNBymdTCdk7s2KQAhSeVV71kYWG5bTLFMsDHy0pYCCn-G_HqtcGrMSUpuQOO8RcDxPXFWcNMR4ST7OSDOnh_tGl1mHOFCE2uBmE/s1600/liberace_el_pianista_lkitschr_2507_635x.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggiZUxwopdEnaaKPAIlHhUgE7zgJlPj-V9fNBymdTCdk7s2KQAhSeVV71kYWG5bTLFMsDHy0pYCCn-G_HqtcGrMSUpuQOO8RcDxPXFWcNMR4ST7OSDOnh_tGl1mHOFCE2uBmE/s1600/liberace_el_pianista_lkitschr_2507_635x.jpg" height="400" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">If you asked nicely, I'm certain he would have let you join him in the tub as well.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
His life was a giant sparkley crystal chandellier of lies but one look at his laughing toddler face makes it all not seem so bad.<br />
<br />
All of this made BEHIND THE CANDELABRA and interesting experience to watch. <i>(Please Note: This movie has bare bottoms and swears and graphic images of facial reconstruction surgery. Do not watch if you are allergic to any of those things because it will make you sad.) </i>It was tricky to not point to stuff and say "I know that story! I know that car! I know that piano!" It was also twisty watching it because <a href="http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20779464,00.html">Scott Thorson</a>, the man the movie is about, is now in prison and I knew I was seeing a part of his past and maybe WHY he ended up in prison.<br />
<br />
Basically I totally failed to disconned this movie from real life. <br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSaFYNzglg31YC97aDKbo0bXQUT2M9a5gL0vkRD7_38gHp39wVwRuKEsKDojYHYJ4l5WWDxRGE7hcLEOoywVIDBX3y2F5GP8dJkEsh46cxYCl0fhKrO_gBBLGHyoUdgQYQuhE/s1600/behind-the-candelabra-2-1024.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSaFYNzglg31YC97aDKbo0bXQUT2M9a5gL0vkRD7_38gHp39wVwRuKEsKDojYHYJ4l5WWDxRGE7hcLEOoywVIDBX3y2F5GP8dJkEsh46cxYCl0fhKrO_gBBLGHyoUdgQYQuhE/s1600/behind-the-candelabra-2-1024.jpg" height="360" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Exactly none of you are surprised.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
So, instead, how about I just tell you about the cool bits and we all move on, huh? Let's start with<br />
<br />
<b>Debbie Reynolds</b><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMRxFbyDKmn9cb5aJCe7i_VNRz0kP9wHRhHxGcaR64Hr1UgUbgi8cPN_Tr2t8erPWVJdYyiD_VwdXLtorTyJ7bmRpNS1OLM8LZWaaiG8kZKcP7M10FpHWAiFIyolPgw9s2eSo/s1600/tumblr_mninlhtKSk1sprhbeo4_500.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMRxFbyDKmn9cb5aJCe7i_VNRz0kP9wHRhHxGcaR64Hr1UgUbgi8cPN_Tr2t8erPWVJdYyiD_VwdXLtorTyJ7bmRpNS1OLM8LZWaaiG8kZKcP7M10FpHWAiFIyolPgw9s2eSo/s1600/tumblr_mninlhtKSk1sprhbeo4_500.jpg" height="640" width="426" /></a></div>
<br />
Yes Debbie knew Lee in Vegas and yes she is an exciting old star to have attached to this project. What is FAR more important is how utterly compelling she was in her ten minutes of air time. I have never seen Debbie not smiling, not cute, not blonde and apple-cheeked and girl-next-door. In this film she is stern and unsmiling and utterly, stunningly beautiful. I know she did not live her entire life to play Francis Liberace but in a perfect world someone would film her puttering around a nursing home as this character. That's a movie that I would watch once a week. She was fantastic.<br />
<br />
<b>Costumes, Hair and Makeup</b><br />
<br />
Ellen Mirojnick had only 8 weeks and a limited budget to costume a movie about a man who loved costumes. <a href="http://frocktalk.com/?p=4563">Here</a> is an interview with her about the process and <a href="http://nickverrreos.blogspot.com/2013/09/creative-emmy-awards-2013hbos-behind.html">Here</a> is a link to the exciting announcement that she won an Emmy for her work on this film.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhseWwiBUw0DtWro97c5rNXUhRdMiFa2Y3KY2SPDNSlbGbyveC7UaS64it2mZ-LqgDn_Xm0tkqYN3hoTJqLlm9u6NHMVzVZcZXMi_gYQL2wGBm4Llu3b_rWCwyalc5RH7q6hRY/s1600/BehindTheCandelabra.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhseWwiBUw0DtWro97c5rNXUhRdMiFa2Y3KY2SPDNSlbGbyveC7UaS64it2mZ-LqgDn_Xm0tkqYN3hoTJqLlm9u6NHMVzVZcZXMi_gYQL2wGBm4Llu3b_rWCwyalc5RH7q6hRY/s1600/BehindTheCandelabra.JPG" height="426" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">And here are the costumes.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Her work is utterly astonishing because I would have SWORN that Michael Douglas was wearing clothing from the museum collection. I would have believed that every sleazy 70's shirt and bedazzled bathing suit and slick leisure suit was vintage and found at a garage sale. I was also wrong. EVERY stich of clothing was custom made and brand-new and even the 70's prints were custom printed for this production. It is a mind-blowing amount of work. Let me show you a comparison.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCyz6JQtLyi3KdHzXmbKgaX5lJVLifZjpw964EHGRi32foA4UrYJloD7o2FNKFnJhDErcuSR6WxPh4F4LrRM2pYsyqQHbxw3K8VbrS1nkZw9Dua8yTHC6K3btUDRK_3TK3HU4/s1600/ap_ht_liberace_douglas_sparkle_kb_130524_wmain.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCyz6JQtLyi3KdHzXmbKgaX5lJVLifZjpw964EHGRi32foA4UrYJloD7o2FNKFnJhDErcuSR6WxPh4F4LrRM2pYsyqQHbxw3K8VbrS1nkZw9Dua8yTHC6K3btUDRK_3TK3HU4/s1600/ap_ht_liberace_douglas_sparkle_kb_130524_wmain.jpg" height="360" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
On the left is Liberace in a cape so crusted with beads and crystals and embroidery that 200 grandmas went blind making it. On the right is the outfit they made for Michael Douglas which echos the original so well that I didn't notice it wasn't the same.<br />
<br />
Also, hair and make up were stunning. Make up managed to give us an accurate look into what bad 1970s plastic surgery could be<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-pMNgQWjGru8zFaNsbuCJjWn8Ags0ypYXaSmh1Vtj0pKYr240NqnmTHJUZGKtChOKiliRPlkM9TUHtPIkDX3Vzv6oEKzlFKST7HWCBjgoiv28P7s_xpRdq4oXBVTmwamUZ20/s1600/Michael-Douglas-Matt-Damon-Behind-The-Candelabra-HBO-Films-05272013-07.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-pMNgQWjGru8zFaNsbuCJjWn8Ags0ypYXaSmh1Vtj0pKYr240NqnmTHJUZGKtChOKiliRPlkM9TUHtPIkDX3Vzv6oEKzlFKST7HWCBjgoiv28P7s_xpRdq4oXBVTmwamUZ20/s1600/Michael-Douglas-Matt-Damon-Behind-The-Candelabra-HBO-Films-05272013-07.jpg" height="400" width="266" /></a></div>
<br />
and transformed Matt's real face<br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaq7rLphYpHw_f21j6rwXZ6NHN-NI1zzk4KgObHl92SW4V82UmMOdoEiI9SmDYDXJkKQbjhfoSvB7SIgtguCgRMAu7wUsovzVGc-NPE6Fdt6ijpbzYdNJgzr2nryReY8_Oias/s1600/matt-damon-behind_the_candelabra-02.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaq7rLphYpHw_f21j6rwXZ6NHN-NI1zzk4KgObHl92SW4V82UmMOdoEiI9SmDYDXJkKQbjhfoSvB7SIgtguCgRMAu7wUsovzVGc-NPE6Fdt6ijpbzYdNJgzr2nryReY8_Oias/s1600/matt-damon-behind_the_candelabra-02.jpg" height="248" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
into the direct-silicone-injected Liberace-look-alike nightmare it became.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGF76TdktMw23Q1n3aElHlUHfdB1NMd2Um5ROsz2tHIDUk1Zt9EomX4EpZQrquWjO4FHWFOMYUAN_ozY7pA2qAfmqZcoZPGEqRDgN9ftrEVFy-RBAW6OMXG2vAZillwcoyZDg/s1600/tumblr_mngr36YUhz1rfaqfjo1_500.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGF76TdktMw23Q1n3aElHlUHfdB1NMd2Um5ROsz2tHIDUk1Zt9EomX4EpZQrquWjO4FHWFOMYUAN_ozY7pA2qAfmqZcoZPGEqRDgN9ftrEVFy-RBAW6OMXG2vAZillwcoyZDg/s1600/tumblr_mngr36YUhz1rfaqfjo1_500.gif" height="360" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
So that's amazing.<br />
<br />
Anyway, those were the awesome things about this movie. Matt Damon was good, the music was good, and the filmwork was evocative and cool. Michael Douglas was, well,<br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijAfDLY3Yek2KtRF6Sy3uZY08ChUd5imtD8WjISYYCgepn38DEVP9347Ttqb2ldDvBPJegHRSfyU9rpRDJrlJNEZmVMxt0k5GwSHoY3OsZyZUguJ-vt4QacvW6KxEgPfenbas/s1600/tumblr_mnl9slxjuo1qzi80do1_500.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijAfDLY3Yek2KtRF6Sy3uZY08ChUd5imtD8WjISYYCgepn38DEVP9347Ttqb2ldDvBPJegHRSfyU9rpRDJrlJNEZmVMxt0k5GwSHoY3OsZyZUguJ-vt4QacvW6KxEgPfenbas/s1600/tumblr_mnl9slxjuo1qzi80do1_500.gif" height="360" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Eh.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I think his acting was as sloppy as Liberace's playing. Poetic justice and the kind of joke Lee would have loved.<div>
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIbNvtBrYujYUcvA5wOYzLeWEylD-oFddjVTZ5jcpWuDD_ldjhUxaTXz58tpd4CcDN5D3v2Fnl6YqLKtK32wJNRfs0zFGVAwd_3Xzpj7xMGx86CzKriYXfZN5ht9cTWcqgcjM/s1600/btc-1.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIbNvtBrYujYUcvA5wOYzLeWEylD-oFddjVTZ5jcpWuDD_ldjhUxaTXz58tpd4CcDN5D3v2Fnl6YqLKtK32wJNRfs0zFGVAwd_3Xzpj7xMGx86CzKriYXfZN5ht9cTWcqgcjM/s1600/btc-1.gif" height="334" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Ascention of Lee</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
<br /></div>
</div>
naudyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04843427883019649608noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14213997.post-79631952480649508152014-01-01T12:05:00.002-08:002014-01-01T12:05:53.496-08:0047 RONIN -- (a very sad 5)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwXCjHxa8OvyMUQ2KGCj2ISlXPE9bqLEYbE6nctclc-dEmNoqsJ2dwSthEzwkIXKdCyCPfVkc8oTbaH1zJLG_HXFmg5Ml-IfyjkeT_ZQYTvZawi5xuzweRe-HBAdfpYbBD1WQ/s1600/pollard_1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwXCjHxa8OvyMUQ2KGCj2ISlXPE9bqLEYbE6nctclc-dEmNoqsJ2dwSthEzwkIXKdCyCPfVkc8oTbaH1zJLG_HXFmg5Ml-IfyjkeT_ZQYTvZawi5xuzweRe-HBAdfpYbBD1WQ/s200/pollard_1.jpg" width="150" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
Are you familiar with<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pollarding"> pollarding</a>? It's an ugly way to trim trees, usually mulberry or willow trees. Basically, they cut all the limbs off and when spring comes the tree has to sprout lots of little weak branches in order to survive. It keeps the tree in a permanent juvenile state and over time the tree can become hollow. One sees this done mostly to trees in cheaper apartment complexes and it's horrible. I always wish they would put the tree out of it's misery and chop it down altogether rather than continuing to keep it in such a weird state. All the new little branches are weak when they sprout out of the stumpy ends of the large limbs. The break away easily because they really aren't a part of the larger tree but just a desperate means of survival. They are decorative and essential but not really a part of the larger plan of the tree.<br />
<br />
This brings me to 47 RONIN.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6CJ9AnCQavI_F-Jfcz2wRTIY8m0dEu9HVjCOsYpeDPZ1A6TrhzCXXpSonQrkFOYnnMkU8Sa7cb10At5i9TujOaUSFvBdyeF4WcUUS23VhyLj2mDf6JnYkgZ98xJ1E9FiJkMs/s1600/47-ronin-hiroyuki-sanada.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="427" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6CJ9AnCQavI_F-Jfcz2wRTIY8m0dEu9HVjCOsYpeDPZ1A6TrhzCXXpSonQrkFOYnnMkU8Sa7cb10At5i9TujOaUSFvBdyeF4WcUUS23VhyLj2mDf6JnYkgZ98xJ1E9FiJkMs/s640/47-ronin-hiroyuki-sanada.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Finally."</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
47 RONIN was born to be an <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Akira_Kurosawa">Akira Kurosawa</a> film. </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-fsIkHl7lv0GAuDPEht3t7jl-8S2k2trM-HiWGdnZmADrgqZ2xZP1XuNcdxjBA9hcDUmL8wz2DB3WgDnJlom_bIGcna4vfESFt3kmrHmuAqoXxdjy9QpX6_Z7rz6h-54GrE0/s1600/47-Ronin-2013-Movie-Image.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="264" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-fsIkHl7lv0GAuDPEht3t7jl-8S2k2trM-HiWGdnZmADrgqZ2xZP1XuNcdxjBA9hcDUmL8wz2DB3WgDnJlom_bIGcna4vfESFt3kmrHmuAqoXxdjy9QpX6_Z7rz6h-54GrE0/s640/47-Ronin-2013-Movie-Image.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This shot is pure Kurosawa.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
It wanted to be visually breathtaking in it's accuracy and depth and performed in the Japanese language. It is based on the ULTRA tradtional <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Forty-seven_Ronin">story</a> from Japan, a story which is so ingrained into national culture that performances of it has it's own<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ch%C5%ABshingura"> word</a>. 47 RONIN wanted to take the Robin Hood story of Japan and turn it into something breathless and moving and amazing and totally Japanese.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Then, the studio did this</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuWj1SNQiFDToHonhKJkOGz-kvA_NrhCmsGYORd8U90IibCXMLB0daQ7TKAT5K7ZhEtbvKOXqz7Wms_425GcVMr3FJLrqGb00ofX-3G4V5Qfwi9rdrPbyOybEqyfnCS9kHOmk/s1600/trees.sm_.2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="433" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuWj1SNQiFDToHonhKJkOGz-kvA_NrhCmsGYORd8U90IibCXMLB0daQ7TKAT5K7ZhEtbvKOXqz7Wms_425GcVMr3FJLrqGb00ofX-3G4V5Qfwi9rdrPbyOybEqyfnCS9kHOmk/s640/trees.sm_.2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
because this movie was made by a U.S. company. I'm pretty sure the logic was "If Japanese movies were capable of making billions of dollars, <i>they</i> would be Hollywood and not us." (Apparently manga doesn't count. Ever.) So, all of the major branches 47 RONIN was born to have were cut off and a lot of tiny weak branches were forced to grow so this movie could survive. The witch lady and the demon priests and Keanu Reeves were not bad branches.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjktIohGZxKvUoHxnwuPXluaHDMXuiVcxWQmmLydPrTFjb1zoAsTRmvmGTal6fJS7L43YVbAxZXw_8H6_4uIzOszfsnLPXh3R2piFf22d9I2DyjA_hyX_oZ5oFnZNHIRtN3Cn0/s1600/47-ronin-impressively-awesome-new-trailer-9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjktIohGZxKvUoHxnwuPXluaHDMXuiVcxWQmmLydPrTFjb1zoAsTRmvmGTal6fJS7L43YVbAxZXw_8H6_4uIzOszfsnLPXh3R2piFf22d9I2DyjA_hyX_oZ5oFnZNHIRtN3Cn0/s640/47-ronin-impressively-awesome-new-trailer-9.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Are you sure? Because even I am wondering if I'm a bad idea..."</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Everyone did their best. But, they were simply minor branches which were expected to bear the weight of the movie instead of being the decorative and supporting elements they are.<br />
<br />
Keep in mind that a gargantuan amount of money was spent on this film.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdaYqaQdslzpqH-f_KJVkNWmihtUjs1_IMDbvs_rnyjqcH9L8dIvToF6Vj5i3_3ctQN8fM3g-OGaU6TrKe6mjVWSjbNhRxyJ91vjmSQAgPFtlU2s3DPHizPhYz-vkA_iShpdc/s1600/47-ronin.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdaYqaQdslzpqH-f_KJVkNWmihtUjs1_IMDbvs_rnyjqcH9L8dIvToF6Vj5i3_3ctQN8fM3g-OGaU6TrKe6mjVWSjbNhRxyJ91vjmSQAgPFtlU2s3DPHizPhYz-vkA_iShpdc/s640/47-ronin.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is what a LOT of money looks like.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The clothing, the sets, the camera work, the actors, the CHERRY BLOSSOM TREES... everything is as perfect as it could possibly be. (Well, I do have some serious questions about the necklines of Mika, the lead female character, but I can't technically complain about her costumes 'till I do more research.)<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4SgAnBrlw0zUiJjR81GMNyQKrUfhmC8I7GqgyMSRq0Va0-sqi3MOaVwcPBC-7WyOWHYIkfFIaRUYrGzX3KhqhJ4CLey8lG3YxSSAI0zhfS6AshxQu97K5ZJFD3KZelKzY3b8/s1600/47-ronin+(1).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="427" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4SgAnBrlw0zUiJjR81GMNyQKrUfhmC8I7GqgyMSRq0Va0-sqi3MOaVwcPBC-7WyOWHYIkfFIaRUYrGzX3KhqhJ4CLey8lG3YxSSAI0zhfS6AshxQu97K5ZJFD3KZelKzY3b8/s640/47-ronin+(1).jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I didn't even know kimono could HAVE cowl collars.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
However, no matter how glorious thing were in detail, the heart and strength of this movie is gone. It's hollow and sad.<br />
<br />
The studio knows it, too. The marketing is silly<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7ds1Of4Qlv81cRtsmzsPqKRplIs-kVlqkVvh99eHwfBxQg-sqk9kfBIAioj2dMX-9mKCujcQLYW9BimDSDl6S5Mj8MlACCZ9UbWDTiLRu4UFPqNlvPqvs1kgBZsiT3_8cxRA/s1600/1496482_1438481883030536_1504782639_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7ds1Of4Qlv81cRtsmzsPqKRplIs-kVlqkVvh99eHwfBxQg-sqk9kfBIAioj2dMX-9mKCujcQLYW9BimDSDl6S5Mj8MlACCZ9UbWDTiLRu4UFPqNlvPqvs1kgBZsiT3_8cxRA/s640/1496482_1438481883030536_1504782639_o.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"I am in this movie for exactly 45 seconds and I got my own movie poster."</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
and they play up all sorts of weird elements rather than talk about the actual story.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-Nt_O_j0UaYjZImslzHvWfR3kYBygtS7SzoV3sV6VKOaNiEjJ4Ku_8p5uLEIoGvW7YFmF3RfdddwEXNhWWBfWiPCNdQEv62ajC3_8cfg16VJUpZDoPjqBqcJI4ylkWD4o9C0/s1600/47-ronin-pic-01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="376" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-Nt_O_j0UaYjZImslzHvWfR3kYBygtS7SzoV3sV6VKOaNiEjJ4Ku_8p5uLEIoGvW7YFmF3RfdddwEXNhWWBfWiPCNdQEv62ajC3_8cfg16VJUpZDoPjqBqcJI4ylkWD4o9C0/s640/47-ronin-pic-01.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Are you REALLY sure I should be in this movie? It seems strange..."</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
However, they already had done glorious things like this<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUC2CgeBjtXsOT5lYUK8gYI24LJ_R2Fc0bx4Fojj7ploEY1jDLrltNw8ClQ9hF2_W_c-8M0jn-mKFooI1D6mltWc6GGM-1KyQBtuJ1sMCZWDaKENMQmj-DH7bEsh_7ESqt6_k/s1600/47-ronin-impressively-awesome-new-trailer-10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUC2CgeBjtXsOT5lYUK8gYI24LJ_R2Fc0bx4Fojj7ploEY1jDLrltNw8ClQ9hF2_W_c-8M0jn-mKFooI1D6mltWc6GGM-1KyQBtuJ1sMCZWDaKENMQmj-DH7bEsh_7ESqt6_k/s640/47-ronin-impressively-awesome-new-trailer-10.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pictured: more money</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
so it was far too late to do this.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSAGoSSC85kDDjBMU6KptZ4-ei-p1HP3nZ60rNRsQPQjDT6Xo5Ft-lKWrb4fT2VqSnLOjXLy954AJYcDKcttAtkdMbp_zbb5edWkkjZgtOobiA_bwTsiZlqAoz54QGeRZiPW4/s1600/47-ronin-impressively-awesome-new-trailer-5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSAGoSSC85kDDjBMU6KptZ4-ei-p1HP3nZ60rNRsQPQjDT6Xo5Ft-lKWrb4fT2VqSnLOjXLy954AJYcDKcttAtkdMbp_zbb5edWkkjZgtOobiA_bwTsiZlqAoz54QGeRZiPW4/s640/47-ronin-impressively-awesome-new-trailer-5.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
I'm glad I saw it. It was beautiful. But, it was also really sad and not just because everyone dies in the end.</div>
naudyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04843427883019649608noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14213997.post-74970991323029006692013-12-21T02:53:00.000-08:002013-12-21T10:12:17.299-08:00DHOOM 3 - (Greatest Movie EVER!)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-lBd_kQ5n1HElJeU0ESfrcWdO4WdfZcxvC_ELeJ6NOpTbdrF_OKwJAbAP2V4EA__B_VyHsiwldvHWGQ9rmFwPyH9VjAzECOS8KrSl1C9oX34Za_eVoiSErn_hPVD782pL_Ak/s1600/Dhoom-3-HD-Wallpapers-2013.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-lBd_kQ5n1HElJeU0ESfrcWdO4WdfZcxvC_ELeJ6NOpTbdrF_OKwJAbAP2V4EA__B_VyHsiwldvHWGQ9rmFwPyH9VjAzECOS8KrSl1C9oX34Za_eVoiSErn_hPVD782pL_Ak/s400/Dhoom-3-HD-Wallpapers-2013.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
So, I forgot my phone at home today. This is pretty much like loosing your left hand - upsetting but survivable. Then I found out that there is a place called <a href="http://www.roosnmore.org/index.php">Roos-N-More </a>which is only two hours away where you can hang out with otters!<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGFMJNjKXzbUXizWxTa-o3fYj1_oCpvMLufDuvjQlcT8WG-Z7LKipw2t0XlPW_G3xl9Yaey6-h7QzVi7i1BWi1DFqxhXLYPfpngzUkkMEP_NVeudLRs5jiH4-ODZ2AkqtzaWE/s1600/giphy.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="307" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGFMJNjKXzbUXizWxTa-o3fYj1_oCpvMLufDuvjQlcT8WG-Z7LKipw2t0XlPW_G3xl9Yaey6-h7QzVi7i1BWi1DFqxhXLYPfpngzUkkMEP_NVeudLRs5jiH4-ODZ2AkqtzaWE/s640/giphy.gif" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">OTTERS! HOLDING HANDS!!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Then I found out that they are open <i>tomorrow.</i>...aaaaand I can't go because I promised to play the piano tomorrow at 9am.<br />
<br />
When I got home after work and got my 22 text messages and 5 missed phone calls, I learned that the party I had hoped to go to was cancelled. What was worse was my friend Christopher had 2 tickets to the Nutcracker waiting in Will Call for me and I MISSED IT!<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixoVeAk1v4Mb5dSwnowHr9v9R4-BfYnALRyxrvSodfcszG9x1SFr3yAcAk-qyUSMHyU8Lg-rpoDm9RKQ30_EXj54MTkHPK5TzGBJQ45IbnVho5aZsSTMU7iYq3RhIbugHhWBM/s1600/tumblr_lxq4dq4Lrl1qhy6c9o3_250.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixoVeAk1v4Mb5dSwnowHr9v9R4-BfYnALRyxrvSodfcszG9x1SFr3yAcAk-qyUSMHyU8Lg-rpoDm9RKQ30_EXj54MTkHPK5TzGBJQ45IbnVho5aZsSTMU7iYq3RhIbugHhWBM/s1600/tumblr_lxq4dq4Lrl1qhy6c9o3_250.gif" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I felt like this.<br />
(I know, I use a lot of gifs these days.)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Anyway, the only possible solution was to go see DHOOM 3, the third in a series of films I did not see the first two of. I knew I was in the right place when the preview <i>before</i> the movie was this epic:<br />
<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/HMMEODhZUfA?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
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No, seriously, you should watch this thing. All of it</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
Then, I knew I was in for an extraordinary film when the opening credits of DHOOM 3 looked like this:<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/lUcRiho-a7Q?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<br />
Seriously.<br />
<br />
I'm pretty sure you, the reader, won't go see this movie (even though you totally should!) so I am going to tell you about it. First of all, there's this cop who can punch through brick walls. He has a sidekick with terrible fashion sense and a fetish for motorcycles. Mr. Cop is hateful to his friend and to everyone else he comes in contact with.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQxOEIM-TG_ljdDlT9-mnZUjfAQa_eWHhEwky-4mqwBTJbHEElDX94IJtsRt8r3M9rK5Ah3FYf_4vvpXlDE9Rrj2_KBlEKSd6XOTvnX15sf6tyX6Wa6JfcNJOLbrNv4ogw60E/s1600/MV5BMTQyNzM2MzM0OV5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTgwNzk1Mzg3MDE@._V1__SX640_SY720_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="432" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQxOEIM-TG_ljdDlT9-mnZUjfAQa_eWHhEwky-4mqwBTJbHEElDX94IJtsRt8r3M9rK5Ah3FYf_4vvpXlDE9Rrj2_KBlEKSd6XOTvnX15sf6tyX6Wa6JfcNJOLbrNv4ogw60E/s640/MV5BMTQyNzM2MzM0OV5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTgwNzk1Mzg3MDE@._V1__SX640_SY720_.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is what "good" police work looks like.</td></tr>
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Just let me repeat that they both like motorcycles a LOT and spend most of the movie riding them. Mr Cop is the literal worst. He thinks it's cool to push his sunglasses up by shoving the bridge of them with a finger and you are treated to slow-mo views of this. And, most unforgiveably, he has ugly hair. It hurt my eyes.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4fQHATG2yfCjx6_NN5JRGbRHarsa9TQUbJb479b2KGHaaueF-KnP106zrjpm9cyWN2fwFbw7z89I10QQ2hjslkYyNjChcAwIgK_1buX8FyVjLdL-g6AoJiBeHYiRETSfdRwU/s1600/dhoom3pics11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4fQHATG2yfCjx6_NN5JRGbRHarsa9TQUbJb479b2KGHaaueF-KnP106zrjpm9cyWN2fwFbw7z89I10QQ2hjslkYyNjChcAwIgK_1buX8FyVjLdL-g6AoJiBeHYiRETSfdRwU/s400/dhoom3pics11.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Here he is in the most blatantly green-screened shot in the whole film. I actually giggled.</td></tr>
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Then, there's Mr. Thief in Chicago who has astonishingly fabulous fashion sense and sticky-out ears.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkcNqfbbW5fhhfb5ngURbgttiolEVQQd_synNE26DIaQyx_-yRCTiLQvLLv7dH6kd_r5u0g2yMvNLHxNHhjxFGyXWv8HWTxtVzqhpUld2I8hGPepQYTZy9vwGkzVZ-yMNGcsg/s1600/dhoom-3_138546008600.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkcNqfbbW5fhhfb5ngURbgttiolEVQQd_synNE26DIaQyx_-yRCTiLQvLLv7dH6kd_r5u0g2yMvNLHxNHhjxFGyXWv8HWTxtVzqhpUld2I8hGPepQYTZy9vwGkzVZ-yMNGcsg/s400/dhoom-3_138546008600.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Hello. ALL of my clothing is amazing and perfectly tailored."</td></tr>
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We love him because he is Circ and I live in Vegas. Circ = Good.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHDbk3tEmxFgPuK0LTVDB_7DyQow5IebKFc9UwfAZuqIMJetWY_kUdtXCFHAPo3nrAd09FkvMUKeT0gaDteaypm8-Gmv527JKT5Ql4IergImIrsCCU_fViIxpYHWcQqhIT_K8/s1600/dhoom3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="368" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHDbk3tEmxFgPuK0LTVDB_7DyQow5IebKFc9UwfAZuqIMJetWY_kUdtXCFHAPo3nrAd09FkvMUKeT0gaDteaypm8-Gmv527JKT5Ql4IergImIrsCCU_fViIxpYHWcQqhIT_K8/s640/dhoom3.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I mean, how could it not be?</td></tr>
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And of course there's a girl because without her, no one would sing the theme song:<br />
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<span style="text-align: left;">It's not a bad song.</span></div>
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And then a lot of stuff happens which you should totally watch. <br />
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DHOOM 3's three hours and one fifteen-minute intermission was enough to convince me that this is my new favorite movie. Here is a song I dedicate to this film:<br />
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naudyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04843427883019649608noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14213997.post-26055857555592776832013-12-15T09:29:00.001-08:002013-12-15T13:05:23.270-08:00THE HOBBIT: THE DESOLATION OF SMAUG - (7)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKw6FVdfbLM6_iVwIuErdI1AeKL3Ly-Hx7QYcxG4sL0CYNOUr9OfYDnwnwc-PVgNLBRXgbKhP7f0TmjZwU565twzVF26IuKqMIFWHOeMAfcror0KKXfeiVpJzn-kZSC8UE85w/s1600/MV5BMzU0NDY0NDEzNV5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTgwOTIxNDU1MDE@._V1._SX640_SY947_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKw6FVdfbLM6_iVwIuErdI1AeKL3Ly-Hx7QYcxG4sL0CYNOUr9OfYDnwnwc-PVgNLBRXgbKhP7f0TmjZwU565twzVF26IuKqMIFWHOeMAfcror0KKXfeiVpJzn-kZSC8UE85w/s200/MV5BMzU0NDY0NDEzNV5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTgwOTIxNDU1MDE@._V1._SX640_SY947_.jpg" width="135" /></a></div>
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This movie is exactly what you expect it to be - serious, beautifully done, and long. So, really, no surprises from the Weta Workshop except for most of the plot. However, when you make 9 hours of movie from a small book, apocrypha is not just necessary, it's essential.<br />
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Anyway, there's no reason to get into it all because I am mentally moving Peter Jackson movies into the same category of Vin Diesel movies. Either you are a person who sees them, or you are not. Therefore, this movie gets the same treatment as any other FAST AND FURIOUS franchise film. You don't need a review, you need a list.<br />
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<u><b>Stuff in THE HOBBIT:THE DESOLATION OF SMAUG--</b></u><br />
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1. <u>White-Water Rafting, Dwarf Style</u>: When the dwarves are tumbling along a river in wooden barrels, it is kind of funny. When the orcs show up it gets serious. When the elves show up it gets crazy. When watching this level of over-the-top chaos I half expected The Rock to show up and say something ridiculous while throwing a chair.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEcf2qumbk4IkQK9srkSdotAFn6h1JpS5117wyaxZRrGWcrxordXZootvjTif2UjpdsadAE9gt6W5CMXdqLgPH_9qVWNnx0HmLeZLaZNf8WPrhj1S0XndyrnpRNGZyeX69KKM/s1600/The-Hobbit-The-Desolation-of-Smaug-Barrel-Riding1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEcf2qumbk4IkQK9srkSdotAFn6h1JpS5117wyaxZRrGWcrxordXZootvjTif2UjpdsadAE9gt6W5CMXdqLgPH_9qVWNnx0HmLeZLaZNf8WPrhj1S0XndyrnpRNGZyeX69KKM/s640/The-Hobbit-The-Desolation-of-Smaug-Barrel-Riding1.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Wait, what? I thought Dwayne was coming! Why am I in this barrel then?"</td></tr>
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2. <u>Beards</u>: You never have to listen to dwarves who have long beards. All the dwarves who actually matter (and who try to hook up with elves) keep their beards trimmed.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLw_hf57tCrXFASKE3pHmC9Y9f3K9RPaG2do6gwOmBb9Tfmgrdw8Ghss945yrHiSqm_WAksf_i1tSS_Ny3F7isLItkAj-qAEfpIn-WipRYBbdP5Yo69Zasm1OYBVbuh1ejShg/s1600/Richard-Armitage-as-Thorin-Oakenshield-in-The-Hobbit-The-Desolation-of-Smaug.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="336" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLw_hf57tCrXFASKE3pHmC9Y9f3K9RPaG2do6gwOmBb9Tfmgrdw8Ghss945yrHiSqm_WAksf_i1tSS_Ny3F7isLItkAj-qAEfpIn-WipRYBbdP5Yo69Zasm1OYBVbuh1ejShg/s640/Richard-Armitage-as-Thorin-Oakenshield-in-The-Hobbit-The-Desolation-of-Smaug.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"We don't like to talk about it but Peter Jackson is actually a beardist. All dwarves know that long beards are best. However I manage to look like Ringo Star so I guess that's okay..."</td></tr>
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3. <u>Impeccable Design</u>: WOW do elves have style!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5xrw0LoGmALEfbbIpvYvWuRC-D7EvmBqSauWIqgZw202J_tVNJeJSgEdhaQwPbdFYlOD2bzh1UKYcgEbAliJiAa95YNff_250oj-IRAZX1RShwkEf_QNvV523Am22RFqClIw/s1600/440.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="328" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5xrw0LoGmALEfbbIpvYvWuRC-D7EvmBqSauWIqgZw202J_tVNJeJSgEdhaQwPbdFYlOD2bzh1UKYcgEbAliJiAa95YNff_250oj-IRAZX1RShwkEf_QNvV523Am22RFqClIw/s640/440.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Darling, you doubted? I breathe glamour."</td></tr>
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4. <u>Maturation:</u> Speaking of elves, Orlando Bloom is now a grown-up adult human male. You can see it in his face:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCBknmtYqyIzndknyu5X1O98QCXWcvqyhIGLlr7GGp8ZeqBEI66d1dmTxoa7ghmkuARvxrvUL1FY-qDp7-b125xCHLQCy_-5aRIKScV0mxpcE8R5OGk0s6IDGaxkKjHI6_bAE/s1600/orlando-bloom-the-hobbit-desolation-of-smaug-01-4869x2792.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="368" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCBknmtYqyIzndknyu5X1O98QCXWcvqyhIGLlr7GGp8ZeqBEI66d1dmTxoa7ghmkuARvxrvUL1FY-qDp7-b125xCHLQCy_-5aRIKScV0mxpcE8R5OGk0s6IDGaxkKjHI6_bAE/s640/orlando-bloom-the-hobbit-desolation-of-smaug-01-4869x2792.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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His jaw filled out and his skin tone darkened, like normal adult males do. However, he is a HUMAN and not an actual elf, which poses a bit of a problem for the filmmakers. He no longer has the adolescent (elfish) look he did in the LOTR trilogy and unfortunately no amount of desperate photoshop can cover it.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8HBZsXJ_1y9sTiHNZZFI5WRxLFmvnn8Lqin8MuE3ikDghG6ZIbcZQGX0XZ0SA3RYpPdB_iMbgbMgGYEPgNGd3ccNRTkx07LIeBv6Pf0bz2HsSdEWoKrEsmyBAHhBaefGTWcM/s1600/legolas_orlando-bloom.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="280" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8HBZsXJ_1y9sTiHNZZFI5WRxLFmvnn8Lqin8MuE3ikDghG6ZIbcZQGX0XZ0SA3RYpPdB_iMbgbMgGYEPgNGd3ccNRTkx07LIeBv6Pf0bz2HsSdEWoKrEsmyBAHhBaefGTWcM/s400/legolas_orlando-bloom.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Hi! I was twelve in this photo of the first trilogy! Also, my eyes apparently grew less blue as I aged."</td></tr>
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5. <u>Age</u>: Speaking of faces, Gandalf looks HAD!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAXgxfh_FszfxxVmZ2Z2NQDVLsPifIBjWagCJfbAd-gcQZ_7KEx6KcEhqs8qY0OzKSVWCf70WoW3mHrCnUXuNPkjeZkewjejjzaXc1mKoAXBaZI9I7NRCyKntH3GIzMM7wRaU/s1600/apphoto_film-review-the-hobbit-the-desolation-of-smaug3-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="344" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAXgxfh_FszfxxVmZ2Z2NQDVLsPifIBjWagCJfbAd-gcQZ_7KEx6KcEhqs8qY0OzKSVWCf70WoW3mHrCnUXuNPkjeZkewjejjzaXc1mKoAXBaZI9I7NRCyKntH3GIzMM7wRaU/s640/apphoto_film-review-the-hobbit-the-desolation-of-smaug3-1.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"I blame the bunnies."</td></tr>
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6. <u>Stephen Fry</u>: And in other parts of the movie, Stephen Fry shows up. Stephen Fry!!!<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0RaDOjSWuUAf4X7eVks_ak4U3ci2F1vs9FkRG58-RmhigQ9jETGtdS2hiR-tFklFHDabBofAWssV7k2rPM9yBR1vu0VEnXL7aSJe8pFQBV02Ff7cxvlhcdGBt1dJa1narH14/s1600/Hobbit-Desolation-of-Smaug-first-look-1096916.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0RaDOjSWuUAf4X7eVks_ak4U3ci2F1vs9FkRG58-RmhigQ9jETGtdS2hiR-tFklFHDabBofAWssV7k2rPM9yBR1vu0VEnXL7aSJe8pFQBV02Ff7cxvlhcdGBt1dJa1narH14/s640/Hobbit-Desolation-of-Smaug-first-look-1096916.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Hello, yes, I am Stephen Fry and I am disgusting and charming simultaneously. Also, Peter, you don't actually have to be with me ALL the time. In fact, I would appreciate it if you relinquished watching me sleep as a research tool."</td></tr>
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7. <u>Dragon:</u> Quick, put on your surprised face.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicQ6gxRzGODHWlT24WvYrt8wEMF5W5t79ax478Zjpo1MT-zRZb3CF50P9A2sX-OKZ09xu9j6i3vAVGXeRqjdRkK-FjNxj4J1Qd0tDf1N7cgNKtj3I0TFUU_PrEtMcOcQnxw9c/s1600/hobbit-trailer-smaug-featured.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicQ6gxRzGODHWlT24WvYrt8wEMF5W5t79ax478Zjpo1MT-zRZb3CF50P9A2sX-OKZ09xu9j6i3vAVGXeRqjdRkK-FjNxj4J1Qd0tDf1N7cgNKtj3I0TFUU_PrEtMcOcQnxw9c/s640/hobbit-trailer-smaug-featured.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Hi there."</td></tr>
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8. <u>Nasty Hobbitses</u>: Also, there's this guy Bilbo who shows up some times.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCuAUvICFOndtda6KihoSs9-NLmdNGi9r0BWSLMzT8zX6hFyZQdUvNst9A5RzlPZj7tJKjwR4y1E3QXzqKLH8nNnaMNHQ387HuTGihkUcX07tlwBh9jrg1BkfECVgSe_N4yUU/s1600/la_ca_1205_the_hobbit_desolation_of_smaug_258.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCuAUvICFOndtda6KihoSs9-NLmdNGi9r0BWSLMzT8zX6hFyZQdUvNst9A5RzlPZj7tJKjwR4y1E3QXzqKLH8nNnaMNHQ387HuTGihkUcX07tlwBh9jrg1BkfECVgSe_N4yUU/s640/la_ca_1205_the_hobbit_desolation_of_smaug_258.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Wait? Am I in this movie?"</td></tr>
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He slaps around in his giant feet and does cute Martin Freeman stuff.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH3f3zfTUPU-aP7CbD3PdFo3-E4jgIhphPcE2hRkFouVrABCdagHSVS7r_bOpPaa0YTTM08Nupkt9Nv0ucjEviOAAb0gkqPqOcUWGIECjARAg5zTYIr8nRb4Lj_6nBnW-qPqQ/s1600/The_Hobbit_The_Desolation_Of_Smaug_36556.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH3f3zfTUPU-aP7CbD3PdFo3-E4jgIhphPcE2hRkFouVrABCdagHSVS7r_bOpPaa0YTTM08Nupkt9Nv0ucjEviOAAb0gkqPqOcUWGIECjARAg5zTYIr8nRb4Lj_6nBnW-qPqQ/s640/The_Hobbit_The_Desolation_Of_Smaug_36556.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Peter Jackson should have told me that walking around on piles of gold coins is difficult to do without tripping. I mean, we ARE filming this on his Uncle Scrooge McDuck-style basement hoard of gold."</td></tr>
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9. <u>Females</u>: There is one girl- </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglGuvb_kUNwugfKGT6BCasdfxIFgKeCMtsn2oLn1sb8RR5EN1oSwl5wtLwcPpA9cICA1ZdsLe-linT7fUKGIrlBZjWVEj5DDBu9kJN1mjJYeFEvHzON4oYUw1aDMgIZHV517U/s1600/tauriel-kicks-ass-in-new-tv-spot-for-the-hobbit-the-desolation-of-smaug-watch-now-149430-a-1385366847-470-75.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglGuvb_kUNwugfKGT6BCasdfxIFgKeCMtsn2oLn1sb8RR5EN1oSwl5wtLwcPpA9cICA1ZdsLe-linT7fUKGIrlBZjWVEj5DDBu9kJN1mjJYeFEvHzON4oYUw1aDMgIZHV517U/s640/tauriel-kicks-ass-in-new-tv-spot-for-the-hobbit-the-desolation-of-smaug-watch-now-149430-a-1385366847-470-75.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Hello. Unlike Orlando, I actually DO look like an elf, and I totally dig short hairy guys who throw rocks."</td></tr>
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and she is good at fighting/killing orcs.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFx8wLTvghyphenhyphenCZUwc7M1RZK6qkPLycy6ytH-Ox07Bs-dJFiSwEyre6Oa9H2rvX149l8cVqQQM_IWX-BjLpnwKs3JS1eojAOEoxRCKxq-bN7ThrqkivnJAYLQnIwZLGPCDekMDA/s1600/The-Hobbit-The-Desolation-of-Smaug.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFx8wLTvghyphenhyphenCZUwc7M1RZK6qkPLycy6ytH-Ox07Bs-dJFiSwEyre6Oa9H2rvX149l8cVqQQM_IWX-BjLpnwKs3JS1eojAOEoxRCKxq-bN7ThrqkivnJAYLQnIwZLGPCDekMDA/s640/The-Hobbit-The-Desolation-of-Smaug.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">".. and RAARGRLHSSSSS shall be my battle cry!"</td></tr>
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10. And finally, yes there are <u>Spiders</u>.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEU3JLKA5ogL6fpsVt8tv2JtMz4XvOYjYBWmhaNjGkgaqpxSnnh6Cn7dFgHcaA94lq4gUNZhjsWqc5TdWnEFfcuA_BSInZDI-ngYmTMXu9wp0tTsbZK8iJjs00IN1xZ-3_8Cc/s1600/the-hobbit-desolation-of-smaug-hobbits-wb.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEU3JLKA5ogL6fpsVt8tv2JtMz4XvOYjYBWmhaNjGkgaqpxSnnh6Cn7dFgHcaA94lq4gUNZhjsWqc5TdWnEFfcuA_BSInZDI-ngYmTMXu9wp0tTsbZK8iJjs00IN1xZ-3_8Cc/s640/the-hobbit-desolation-of-smaug-hobbits-wb.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Fun!"</td></tr>
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naudyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04843427883019649608noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14213997.post-71210506817589759262013-12-07T12:27:00.003-08:002013-12-07T19:02:38.315-08:00THE HUNGER GAMES:CATCHING FIRE - (9)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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CATCHING FIRE kind of upset me. It might be I am growing querulous and sensitive in my old age and will soon be complaining of drafts and wearing shawls, but I think there's also a good chance CATCHING FIRE is just a hard movie to watch. When I see images of people fighting in the streets against armored police I can't help but think of Kiev and Turkey and Libya and Egypt and all the unrest and violence in the world. Freedom from oppression is a noble cause but it is terribly, dreadfully expensive.<br />
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So, instead of pretending I have anything productive to say about that, I think I will just bring up a little moment which I found curious. When Katniss is in the staging area at the very start of the Game, there is one person to be there with her before she goes out to fight and, quite possibly, die. The sole human selected for that moment, the last loving face she will see before facing an environment and 23 people who will hunt and kill her, is this man:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsubhcV2Ep-g4mYntrxyU15YChgo9vTuUCjmE1zuVV-D5xdwC4oBmijoWu0jMNmJhspFC4_8LNGmY8jQtsDQau54GzVRE0jJN2sbmS6DnhIdQSVlQR3vvo4-yANjNgmuPLTRY/s1600/THE-HUNGER-GAMES-CATCHING-FIRE-Image-03.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="512" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsubhcV2Ep-g4mYntrxyU15YChgo9vTuUCjmE1zuVV-D5xdwC4oBmijoWu0jMNmJhspFC4_8LNGmY8jQtsDQau54GzVRE0jJN2sbmS6DnhIdQSVlQR3vvo4-yANjNgmuPLTRY/s640/THE-HUNGER-GAMES-CATCHING-FIRE-Image-03.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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No, not Lenny Kravitz, though he is cool. That character is Cinna, her stylist, and he is presented in this moment as the one sole support when facing change, chaos, sorrow, and certain death. Her <i>stylist</i>. Criminals sentenced to death get a clergyman in our world but at The Capitol, a stylist is the person authorized to take confession, extend solace, and give absolution. What does this mean? Is the reconciliation between one's internal and outward presentation that metaphysical? Is it the only comfort in a world covered in glitter to hide the blood? Is it because the silent language of clothing, of visual presentation one of the few voices available to a person with no power, no voice to raise safely? Is it because The Capitol trusts stylists to see the best parts of a soul hidden deep and present it to the world safely packaged? Or is a stylist simply the one who makes your disgusting horrible self as socially acceptable as can possibly be managed?<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">You've got to work with what you've got</td></tr>
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I like thinking about these questions but what I keep running into is the fact that Cinna is Peeta's stylist, too. Cinna was with Katniss, not Peeta. Which makes me think that her stylist is her Father Confessor because she is a woman. A lot of the political statements Katniss actually makes are in the form of her clothing. When she shows disdain and challenges the President, her clothing is the statement.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJa__asSUbEhO3zJl6lpXZlQnVsbNA_K74kn6PfBFa5Nk_yHMSrCJyibZu1YMaXhRo0yyiZna38LZUBLqBO-VC1gmJmYXjJ1Orr2LynsRiVQNcJtY2mwAdzJguSbWtLR1MltE/s1600/tumblr_mw9y5hhbbi1rz2cbjo3_500.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJa__asSUbEhO3zJl6lpXZlQnVsbNA_K74kn6PfBFa5Nk_yHMSrCJyibZu1YMaXhRo0yyiZna38LZUBLqBO-VC1gmJmYXjJ1Orr2LynsRiVQNcJtY2mwAdzJguSbWtLR1MltE/s640/tumblr_mw9y5hhbbi1rz2cbjo3_500.gif" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Open rebellion has never looked hotter (and I'm not talking about Katniss...)</td></tr>
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When the President insists that she wear her abandoned wedding gown the tables are turned, again, into a challenge in the form of a mocking jay.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFQcRAOIJq06iYwRUdqqltF8s5yQGF1j0GTtbaKbDX-Lj5L8A3jjId7LCRzXrJbQqSPV3S4mj9FJtjX0eH-m0ZG_ObQRgGhPAgVoILs84WZUcH3MYcvZ2Uw2Wfy229I2RqmWI/s1600/tumblr_mtlo35qchz1r9i187o2_400.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFQcRAOIJq06iYwRUdqqltF8s5yQGF1j0GTtbaKbDX-Lj5L8A3jjId7LCRzXrJbQqSPV3S4mj9FJtjX0eH-m0ZG_ObQRgGhPAgVoILs84WZUcH3MYcvZ2Uw2Wfy229I2RqmWI/s400/tumblr_mtlo35qchz1r9i187o2_400.gif" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">That's an official Capitol gif there, folks!</td></tr>
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This looks really cool. What bothers me is that Katniss had no idea what her clothes would do. She didn't design them, she didn't produce them, and she literally had no idea she was about to become a political symbol when she spun around on that stage. Cinna did all the deciding and designing. He paid for it with his life, but it was his choices that boxed her in. In fact, the whole movie is really just watching Katniss fight to get out of the corners she's shoved into. The President boxes her in with threats to her family and community. Haymitch boxes her into trusting people with promises of protecting Peeta. Gayle boxes her into sticking around by choosing ideals over relationships. The Games box her into becoming a killer just to survive. In fact, the only people in the movie who release Katniss from binary decision-making paradigms is her family.<br />
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When her sister tells her that Katniss is free to do what she feels is right and to not worry about the consequences to her family because they would have made the same choice, it is the one moment of freedom in the whole show, the one release from fear. In real life every situation usually has multiple options but everyone around Katniss tries to keep her limited to only one - to do or not to do. When Prim says, (essentially) "We got you, boo", Katniss is offered the chance to do what <i>she</i> feels is right without fear of condemnation from those who love her. This is super important because thinking outside of limited parameters is how she won the Games in the first place.<br />
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I am tempted to also put Peeta into the category of "Persons Who Don't Manipulate Katniss To Their Own Benefit" but I might be influence by the fact that he's adorable and I love him.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfdbjit2wPc_azwJZ_CL5X8qfQAmTT-HOfPDT0m1U8wipXtEk1pdgJvQk9cymsGqDer6iufng7sBBQOq3hIW0wIlXDutr1p-9ZMuA6iM_mmC5LgD-2QKYBflO-Fe6sV8eLb3g/s1600/peeta+katniss+still+catching+fire.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="384" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfdbjit2wPc_azwJZ_CL5X8qfQAmTT-HOfPDT0m1U8wipXtEk1pdgJvQk9cymsGqDer6iufng7sBBQOq3hIW0wIlXDutr1p-9ZMuA6iM_mmC5LgD-2QKYBflO-Fe6sV8eLb3g/s640/peeta+katniss+still+catching+fire.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I like him even when he's wearing a ribbed mock-turtleneck that features sharp pointy metal things</td></tr>
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For the most part, Peeta does a great job of not being horrible. However, he does indulge in a spectacular fit of passive agressive manipulation with that pendant of his. Because <i>of course</i> he requested a medalion made with photos of the people Katniss loves best so he can remind her that she is beholden to those people and he gets to be the one to die. It might have worked, too, had Prim not already addressed the issue. So, really, Peeta is just <i>bad</i> at manipulating Katniss and fails the one time he tries.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHBJDphsFdGGPVfgId_7LbsmH5r30GsLYqh8J8C4TOzWXkBS21XVtKwPgggEpDeCdt-Efa4YYMYDbUx76sCezvlMgjQ_FRd_w1eM1tQ1GwzxUGs5y5bhfjJFKmWJ5yzAANScs/s1600/Peeta-Catching-Fire-Interview.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHBJDphsFdGGPVfgId_7LbsmH5r30GsLYqh8J8C4TOzWXkBS21XVtKwPgggEpDeCdt-Efa4YYMYDbUx76sCezvlMgjQ_FRd_w1eM1tQ1GwzxUGs5y5bhfjJFKmWJ5yzAANScs/s640/Peeta-Catching-Fire-Interview.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Here he is being terrible at manipulation again.</td></tr>
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I'm going to go ahead and call that a win.<br />
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naudyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04843427883019649608noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14213997.post-72943182035720113972013-11-09T20:16:00.002-08:002013-11-09T20:20:35.204-08:00ENDER'S GAME - (4)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Yeah, this is about how I felt after seeing the movie. The book, for me, was mostly interesting because what Ender was doing contrasted sharply with what Peter and Valentine were doing on Earth. Without two storylines to bounce around there is only Ender and a watered-down view of what Battle School looked like. And, yes, it's watered down. They try to show it but this is Hollywood. They couldn't (or wouldn't) get the kids to act like the terrifying little monsters they had been trained to become. Not that the actors themselves <i>couldn't</i>. I know for a fact that Haille Steinfeld,<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB0rt02CcSjg_hSXG-0gKxQ9BYcC27GocI_ZBjMeFsq_9tJwTm05G4kh01Rxsi5dftvsG6hYLaw407fQp_JcXlI1pliyVCfX8LVClxuszK4cXaCuntwyf1YKGcIOFcpNkt8fQ/s1600/enders-game-movie-hailee-steinfeld.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB0rt02CcSjg_hSXG-0gKxQ9BYcC27GocI_ZBjMeFsq_9tJwTm05G4kh01Rxsi5dftvsG6hYLaw407fQp_JcXlI1pliyVCfX8LVClxuszK4cXaCuntwyf1YKGcIOFcpNkt8fQ/s320/enders-game-movie-hailee-steinfeld.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This girl. The one girl. Who's job was to be "The Girl" and push a button.</td></tr>
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was <i>amazing</i> in TRUE GRIT and could have been amazing in ENDER'S GAME, too, had the script allowed for it. <u><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Enders-Game-1-Ender-Quintet-ebook/dp/B003G4W49C/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1384057097&sr=1-1&keywords=enders+game">Ender's Game</a></u> was written pre-<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Hunger-Games-Suzanne-Collins-ebook/dp/B002MQYOFW/ref=sr_1_2?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1384057136&sr=1-2&keywords=hunger+games+book+1"><u>Hunger Games</u> </a>and during the tail end of the Cold War. Orson Scott Card was part of the disenchanted rising generation and the whole point of the book to to examine the senseless waste of the military industrial complex and to prove that one doesn't have to be a certain age to excell and to know when things are wrong. By focusing exclusively on Ender but without actually showing the true harshness and isolation he experienced his whole life, most of the film ended up silently supporting the status quo. Sure, there was some heavy-handed moralizing at the end but it couldn't make up for the 90 minutes of glorious tedious war we just saw beautifully rendered.<br />
<br />
Anyway, everyone gave it their best but the movie ended up feeling a lot like the first Harry Potter movie -- playing out more like a highlight reel than an actual story.</div>
naudyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04843427883019649608noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14213997.post-1045078994040287822013-09-01T23:22:00.002-07:002013-11-09T20:17:59.333-08:00THE WORLD'S END -- (9)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT7HET9_FRioQuhvYKWL59bGKvkF2nh9WRiedFsq2qfmCpDP8EkrHogASsaW4UOx4XFDh6o_tFMrQT1gB7Cuz3dYF3QTpSsZI4xpXYXhr2CyI46amyRyGgVz4D2YlPHc4O0AY/s1600/the-worlds-end-movie.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT7HET9_FRioQuhvYKWL59bGKvkF2nh9WRiedFsq2qfmCpDP8EkrHogASsaW4UOx4XFDh6o_tFMrQT1gB7Cuz3dYF3QTpSsZI4xpXYXhr2CyI46amyRyGgVz4D2YlPHc4O0AY/s320/the-worlds-end-movie.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
Obviously I enjoyed this film, but I knew I would before I went. SHAUN OF THE DEAD is the only zombie movie I have ever seen on purpose. (It still gave me nightmares but at least they were funny nightmares.) HOT FUZZ is quite possibly the greatest movie ever made about excessive police action in small English villages. So, when THE WORLD'S END opened, I went right out and saw it. I quite liked it, too. But I am reluctant to write a review because there are piles of jokes I don't understand. I don't frequent British pubs and have never seen any sort of body-snatcher/pod-people movies which seems to be a lot of what this movie was built on. <br />
<br />
But my sister Caroline keeps bugging me to review it so here's what I managed to take away from the film:<br />
<br />
Pegg plays a guy named King who, in high school, had an entourage.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXlGAMgs5M2gDnmO0-cuqY2418VBzmNI2EfBysM3un-mVDgL8tVVW27KMN5g4iOEDKeWnErQIC_0cTWSRgvVb7AoN5mDEf1EObzhn6sd28Bm7CHpJftlubLvUsirD_8lO3EhI/s1600/worlds-end.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="432" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXlGAMgs5M2gDnmO0-cuqY2418VBzmNI2EfBysM3un-mVDgL8tVVW27KMN5g4iOEDKeWnErQIC_0cTWSRgvVb7AoN5mDEf1EObzhn6sd28Bm7CHpJftlubLvUsirD_8lO3EhI/s640/worlds-end.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
The names of these characters, from left to right, are Chamberlain, Prince, King, Knightly, and Page. They were the royal court of the school, the town, and all of life was in front of them.<br />
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Twenty years later, King wants to get everyone together again to do an epic pub crawl that they had failed at once before.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrhOEkr-VCFz_w9rBd6XmS_5oaY7ME7J8sJIHu3CrXFrkLGeWOI6tnVKixrpgKaVkpwjPaBLEYo0pTx5oS-IDzOwMVW1TMgg-eYEi4TazTdPowZwxvQ-nTS9GN_MTlJFRnbGw/s1600/the-worlds-end1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="338" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrhOEkr-VCFz_w9rBd6XmS_5oaY7ME7J8sJIHu3CrXFrkLGeWOI6tnVKixrpgKaVkpwjPaBLEYo0pTx5oS-IDzOwMVW1TMgg-eYEi4TazTdPowZwxvQ-nTS9GN_MTlJFRnbGw/s640/the-worlds-end1.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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As you can see, everyone has moved on with life - except for King, who is an absolute mess.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnj2ys-DuLx2IYzFa2oLNSOtcW1IQ_UWHo8iFp_NZATHcQsm0a3khn6-8gFFgAk8BSCY8RDvPYqDEb6bayOkWikj0vBtrXQwsuj0VsgGOTKZcrpvmPA4J6y0cy07DlwooISZs/s1600/The-Worlds-End-Simon-Pegg.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnj2ys-DuLx2IYzFa2oLNSOtcW1IQ_UWHo8iFp_NZATHcQsm0a3khn6-8gFFgAk8BSCY8RDvPYqDEb6bayOkWikj0vBtrXQwsuj0VsgGOTKZcrpvmPA4J6y0cy07DlwooISZs/s640/The-Worlds-End-Simon-Pegg.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This basically sums up his character.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
As the movie goes on there is a map,<br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkBcJ4ZyFk063OrtaqDhPxJ9t72L95WGqzwO8TgMxjamO4CTcDRDNTTnbXn5hCq-AYgoyM6JO1B9Ysl9fuojoRqTdCQfVW0lmZ4Tbg6QrbwC8HgaZMtgHcrJbUcHcL1jhNKMA/s1600/Simon-Pegg-in-The-Worlds-End-2013-Movie-Image1-600x421.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="448" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkBcJ4ZyFk063OrtaqDhPxJ9t72L95WGqzwO8TgMxjamO4CTcDRDNTTnbXn5hCq-AYgoyM6JO1B9Ysl9fuojoRqTdCQfVW0lmZ4Tbg6QrbwC8HgaZMtgHcrJbUcHcL1jhNKMA/s640/Simon-Pegg-in-The-Worlds-End-2013-Movie-Image1-600x421.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
drinking,<br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQhZpaTSmWeq0NS6VX0r9WXS-P8EV46LkGI-IdQ_ZIiICLFnd86UVdDRhbOcjnuvxd0ezYwpLAPD7rPrx32kIsmicY6xyB6zqtn1-NrdLU0CSqX6fODL27ffMlYwwpVNCjmW0/s1600/2013-08-12-the_worlds_end_still_03.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQhZpaTSmWeq0NS6VX0r9WXS-P8EV46LkGI-IdQ_ZIiICLFnd86UVdDRhbOcjnuvxd0ezYwpLAPD7rPrx32kIsmicY6xyB6zqtn1-NrdLU0CSqX6fODL27ffMlYwwpVNCjmW0/s640/2013-08-12-the_worlds_end_still_03.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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a lot of time spent in bathrooms,<br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlTN2Oqfz_x9g8WiZ0_76ubgxfQ0XSZ72bYmYNO08v3JJD8TpktCBUn5Vz3NIwqrK9pG4pv_8q-LKb_ddBUrvBTv8vW6Qqh9lxMyFNWzFlw0KA5EmBHKGvfMA0vGgVLMK7kj0/s1600/worlds_end-2013-pegg-freeman-630x350.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlTN2Oqfz_x9g8WiZ0_76ubgxfQ0XSZ72bYmYNO08v3JJD8TpktCBUn5Vz3NIwqrK9pG4pv_8q-LKb_ddBUrvBTv8vW6Qqh9lxMyFNWzFlw0KA5EmBHKGvfMA0vGgVLMK7kj0/s640/worlds_end-2013-pegg-freeman-630x350.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
general confusion,<br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXIXV7wEFlI0TBpcqNFXVe57L8nt2pK6N-_Wyymy4zl06EMdRYHowd2Fez2eDKeb4MFrYEtSLRsawirQYiS8ZvSvHiZpsQ9mlrKv_xS6CyePFDlpNwOe7EboRoRmkM5_ylfbE/s1600/Paddy-Considine-Martin-Freeman-Nick-Frost-Eddie-Marsan-Simon-Pegg-and-Rosamund-Pike-in-The-Worlds-End-2013-Movie-Image.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXIXV7wEFlI0TBpcqNFXVe57L8nt2pK6N-_Wyymy4zl06EMdRYHowd2Fez2eDKeb4MFrYEtSLRsawirQYiS8ZvSvHiZpsQ9mlrKv_xS6CyePFDlpNwOe7EboRoRmkM5_ylfbE/s640/Paddy-Considine-Martin-Freeman-Nick-Frost-Eddie-Marsan-Simon-Pegg-and-Rosamund-Pike-in-The-Worlds-End-2013-Movie-Image.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
the discovery of a terrifying blue substance,<br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgydBvVz2q_F8m-zrvOCeYzVmXRtY6VUjFeZloBQriX0kEewWfiujwsF1qK0dZ4f7m7GR7ilkmnYg66bVEU1ZAM7WNSojoowFzZpFwZePeGE8dcRWvDsWCCvkQy8IxUbWWfyn0/s1600/simon-pegg-and-eddie-marsan-in-the-worlds-end.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="336" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgydBvVz2q_F8m-zrvOCeYzVmXRtY6VUjFeZloBQriX0kEewWfiujwsF1qK0dZ4f7m7GR7ilkmnYg66bVEU1ZAM7WNSojoowFzZpFwZePeGE8dcRWvDsWCCvkQy8IxUbWWfyn0/s640/simon-pegg-and-eddie-marsan-in-the-worlds-end.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
something called a "marmalade sandwich"<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXe6WUszeUtLfB0diJB839__o0KuI23i1xAej5xZKeZiKdOszf7ko8hgvfTsZ7RZ-_usTfe5UKLIff1q00Xv4HRoLuku41SZHxw5zShlM7HWjKcLimwwFK5kARKGZt6SepW44/s1600/worlds-end-pic.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="272" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXe6WUszeUtLfB0diJB839__o0KuI23i1xAej5xZKeZiKdOszf7ko8hgvfTsZ7RZ-_usTfe5UKLIff1q00Xv4HRoLuku41SZHxw5zShlM7HWjKcLimwwFK5kARKGZt6SepW44/s640/worlds-end-pic.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
explosions,<br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeFEUhdboY27SX7SVcQ-mNd2yQqgeCyvQGDhVDxXhOdXxQ7AYM_B2_235Gboe_0rNGDTxBK2Xpb0IpXo53dqJ86oVQC7JTP7WhLoG_OewW2wDc8Cd-fUiXpd0gB4BWt_ba8qg/s1600/The-Worlds-End-screenshot-10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeFEUhdboY27SX7SVcQ-mNd2yQqgeCyvQGDhVDxXhOdXxQ7AYM_B2_235Gboe_0rNGDTxBK2Xpb0IpXo53dqJ86oVQC7JTP7WhLoG_OewW2wDc8Cd-fUiXpd0gB4BWt_ba8qg/s640/The-Worlds-End-screenshot-10.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<br />
and Nick Frost getting to play against type and kick sixteen kinds of booty in a LOT of bar fights.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPbowiwQSIGaaJFfqsVhDFQgHg68hk9lqLzo2IKZhl3TV4atvL7EBD90N0xCbP5ns1qGXBXmvFDA4NJWUhzIDN_3yvE-IKsOV8ieeo5qwptNCbvI1GDO8o3INizcPyrvh6B2Y/s1600/WORLDSENDREV.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPbowiwQSIGaaJFfqsVhDFQgHg68hk9lqLzo2IKZhl3TV4atvL7EBD90N0xCbP5ns1qGXBXmvFDA4NJWUhzIDN_3yvE-IKsOV8ieeo5qwptNCbvI1GDO8o3INizcPyrvh6B2Y/s640/WORLDSENDREV.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"I've got my pink shirt and five shots of tequila - LET THE BEATINGS COMMENCE!!"</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
And if that's not awesome enough for you, there is (as one can expect from these lads) a lot of stuff about growing up and friendship and taking risks, free will and accepting the imperfections in yourself and others.<br />
<br />
So, basically, it's less scary than SHAUN OF THE DEAD, has fewer potty-mouthed priests than HOT FUZZ, and manages to bring a lot of humanity (and a twist!) to the pod-people genre. </div>
naudyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04843427883019649608noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14213997.post-21393667212963539212013-07-21T02:59:00.001-07:002013-07-21T02:59:20.568-07:00PACIFIC RIM (8)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<b><u>Awesome things about PACIFIC RIM:</u></b><br />
<br />
1. Giant Godzilla-monsters<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKOFrIWbekdwLsXFYJX23Ujmu78h-u25vhyphenhyphenvfoRa537PlbI8UQM_RO-U4ZyxcbkJCoXoKUuhrNABNv6QS2_lxElwBXcwY5x5mZ2ryrj5PxhBeLZqkVwN7mR6YMt7mg7EgxVs8/s1600/Pacific-Rim-monster.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="345" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKOFrIWbekdwLsXFYJX23Ujmu78h-u25vhyphenhyphenvfoRa537PlbI8UQM_RO-U4ZyxcbkJCoXoKUuhrNABNv6QS2_lxElwBXcwY5x5mZ2ryrj5PxhBeLZqkVwN7mR6YMt7mg7EgxVs8/s640/Pacific-Rim-monster.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
2. Giant robots<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyOvpoJeeElo0-9y7606ASlZA0frA4b2mLFnb5HAbeVXbNhWXFtIQYfuGtHZAgTDTz3TxkcqDOa-AGamBmlkI124mfa3y-vLuR-Rv343ohhBGu5CoOttGrRmpfZytwI1Y6-tc/s1600/ScreenHunter_64+Mar.+29+16.28.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyOvpoJeeElo0-9y7606ASlZA0frA4b2mLFnb5HAbeVXbNhWXFtIQYfuGtHZAgTDTz3TxkcqDOa-AGamBmlkI124mfa3y-vLuR-Rv343ohhBGu5CoOttGrRmpfZytwI1Y6-tc/s640/ScreenHunter_64+Mar.+29+16.28.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
3. Giant robots fighting giant monsters<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNPgi6cYM3SuFF8xL1ax3E-SjGfsIGQojL0aLRsAPpJY3j4LbgHs5XcpaDl0X90WabW708gHKgsShVIcXoKMHRk0wP4ECRZDL1d9nbA7ftfxxv5NkYkygACRHiQ-dcUfPOL5Q/s1600/pacific-rimoriginal.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="344" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNPgi6cYM3SuFF8xL1ax3E-SjGfsIGQojL0aLRsAPpJY3j4LbgHs5XcpaDl0X90WabW708gHKgsShVIcXoKMHRk0wP4ECRZDL1d9nbA7ftfxxv5NkYkygACRHiQ-dcUfPOL5Q/s640/pacific-rimoriginal.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<br />
4. Ron Perlman<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIYWQcXs1DMkBBYkjVtN-s2zqcf5CjlppLQ4ektBNQFVLxg4S1gr_z9lz6b-iEbZUeTCOj-2F5p7ymhjixOxYCRqDdYd8F6LZHd14Bs44aw9WhavHtapkf0r2E3YLtpgqL44c/s1600/ron+perlman.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="363" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIYWQcXs1DMkBBYkjVtN-s2zqcf5CjlppLQ4ektBNQFVLxg4S1gr_z9lz6b-iEbZUeTCOj-2F5p7ymhjixOxYCRqDdYd8F6LZHd14Bs44aw9WhavHtapkf0r2E3YLtpgqL44c/s640/ron+perlman.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
5. Rampant destruction.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-K3hKKodMuAoRdbCqizERI1DdVbzNHXtbrQNt0PnxpWW612ryp3EnCV3hKSfsREmeBO-WepEtOq2li1R91uOKAyFPVU3g5cp3FVJpro93BBhGJmG5SIL-KDZI-7tZJ-KqM7Q/s1600/pacific-rim.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-K3hKKodMuAoRdbCqizERI1DdVbzNHXtbrQNt0PnxpWW612ryp3EnCV3hKSfsREmeBO-WepEtOq2li1R91uOKAyFPVU3g5cp3FVJpro93BBhGJmG5SIL-KDZI-7tZJ-KqM7Q/s640/pacific-rim.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
6. Watching giant robots fight giant monsters.<br />
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<br />
<br />
7. Leaving the theater after watching a big loud movie about giant robots fighting giant monsters and seeing the dark cloudy sky filled with the silent flashes of 527 lightning hits in Las Vegas (so far!) tonight. It was <i>almost</i> more amazing than a big loud movie about giant robots fighting Godzilla monsters!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizdKEmGnffDZ8mA2p4HOKzc-3mah6z5vPxGPLWX__bSMrje_7FTT9fSuMyZ3AIkmKm7wp7dZ-RUECRMgp3sSHwa0mkDJH3L48Urcf3aaC53ptn3vCg0u_iEEzvKLghjXAuJkM/s1600/la-0913-pin09.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="432" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizdKEmGnffDZ8mA2p4HOKzc-3mah6z5vPxGPLWX__bSMrje_7FTT9fSuMyZ3AIkmKm7wp7dZ-RUECRMgp3sSHwa0mkDJH3L48Urcf3aaC53ptn3vCg0u_iEEzvKLghjXAuJkM/s640/la-0913-pin09.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Well, okay, maybe it was cooler...</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<b><u>Questions I had after watching PACIFIC RIM:</u></b><br />
<br />
1. Why is simply punching a giant monster considered an effective form of combat when the monsters have tough thick hides, bony potrubances to protect their brains, and highly-graspable blue glowing dangly-bits popping out of their bodies randomly? Could we come up with a strategy that isn't "Punch It In The Face Till It Stops"?<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzPVpPfEmiiAP9tt7vkb05o0ezrZuvGf_2WBCp4ng08GpEmHpwTKs-3HS9q6-QyLWCVX7BpmfhcMpyD4tB2I6HTJJ0UpNQF9XiRylBy6jMIMF8Eu7mQx25OYmWa2bW1PP_5r0/s1600/really.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzPVpPfEmiiAP9tt7vkb05o0ezrZuvGf_2WBCp4ng08GpEmHpwTKs-3HS9q6-QyLWCVX7BpmfhcMpyD4tB2I6HTJJ0UpNQF9XiRylBy6jMIMF8Eu7mQx25OYmWa2bW1PP_5r0/s640/really.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Anyone? Anyone? I'm looking directly into the camera at you..."</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
2. Why does Raleigh spend the whole movie yelling condescending commands at his co-pilot, Mako, when they are MIND-MELDED TOGETHER??<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDxRabz2kfLto2vl8eNbkXVxK4YLev9TomvHYfDZXB1UVIgBrTt94YCIS1Uam0Gj6ps5VjuYpI8Pg9kws5EEIguKjS45MHacuGoa053rc2H32wZG2GYLL8aaeMI503K8E294c/s1600/3166992-pacific-rim-charlie-hunnam-rinko-kikuchi2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="344" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDxRabz2kfLto2vl8eNbkXVxK4YLev9TomvHYfDZXB1UVIgBrTt94YCIS1Uam0Gj6ps5VjuYpI8Pg9kws5EEIguKjS45MHacuGoa053rc2H32wZG2GYLL8aaeMI503K8E294c/s640/3166992-pacific-rim-charlie-hunnam-rinko-kikuchi2.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"OBVIOUSLY I know what you are thinking. I have been in a "neural handshake" with you for three hours.<br />
The answer is still no."</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
3. Is it a rule that all Russians be blond and technologically backward?<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqTplcB8H4SqCoAEishAS5hEYjThPd4KlBClWSLguyhwFWXDGod1FE5wC8fBqhIdcqKIgI8wpoAlbWrdOSC1a0DGbl_v_0XZz6D5IG7i7svi-KVGf6fs720MFCvfSqHcLIfiU/s1600/PACIFIC-RIM-Images.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="376" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqTplcB8H4SqCoAEishAS5hEYjThPd4KlBClWSLguyhwFWXDGod1FE5wC8fBqhIdcqKIgI8wpoAlbWrdOSC1a0DGbl_v_0XZz6D5IG7i7svi-KVGf6fs720MFCvfSqHcLIfiU/s640/PACIFIC-RIM-Images.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Da!"</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
4. How do giant robots designed to fight aquatic monsters keep running out of air for the two humans inside?<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQAjLRn_pmhG2kJGx_L8xVxJcZ3SLchLGWL7L7WasCdZwe8I94YWpKTpSXTj6PoQD1sqXNliANoUYuPi-UuuzuDyVvZsYu2NuC1APWVuL0Kv4usaQSLFPi_9KP1_ABk8UdTQk/s1600/pacific30f-1-web.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="352" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQAjLRn_pmhG2kJGx_L8xVxJcZ3SLchLGWL7L7WasCdZwe8I94YWpKTpSXTj6PoQD1sqXNliANoUYuPi-UuuzuDyVvZsYu2NuC1APWVuL0Kv4usaQSLFPi_9KP1_ABk8UdTQk/s640/pacific30f-1-web.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Help! I'm dying from lack of oxygen, which is a problem the dudes at NASA managed to solve in the 60's!"</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span>
<span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span>
<span style="text-align: center;">5. If someone is arrogant or disrespectful, is there any way for that character to redeem himself which doesn't involve dying?</span><br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuICGZWie1dmy0szkRZ0aIpv70ZCzH5xWrLicBjPmvFemUAAF9IQvbyfcAufuq9WP31uvZY4qCOxSWmfCzBHfZSu-upaA4DBEVi7rDqMmACZDnflbmXPO6U7CLMSxhEmUksKI/s1600/pacific-rim+(1).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuICGZWie1dmy0szkRZ0aIpv70ZCzH5xWrLicBjPmvFemUAAF9IQvbyfcAufuq9WP31uvZY4qCOxSWmfCzBHfZSu-upaA4DBEVi7rDqMmACZDnflbmXPO6U7CLMSxhEmUksKI/s640/pacific-rim+(1).jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Well, for me right now.... No. No there isn't. Also, I look like a Ninja Turtle."</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
6. If Japan (finally!) built a giant robot, do you think they would name it Coyote Tango?<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxabVXyvDUemvmbSKsWDPstOmhhyJ75_ZuE13bPNrFTIMmwjWnUvhz-CfnnrOIQTLLenI1lHRjB3nBrCcdFrSxW5n5j5ACRf_2sMDo4sa6XB7w4LWWHHs0JBBRr5NwhA6SWyE/s1600/pacific_rim_ver5_xlg.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxabVXyvDUemvmbSKsWDPstOmhhyJ75_ZuE13bPNrFTIMmwjWnUvhz-CfnnrOIQTLLenI1lHRjB3nBrCcdFrSxW5n5j5ACRf_2sMDo4sa6XB7w4LWWHHs0JBBRr5NwhA6SWyE/s640/pacific_rim_ver5_xlg.jpg" width="432" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Seems legit..</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
and finally<br />
<br />
7. Why did the giant robot go into combat with the giant monster and ONLY use a sword when there was NO other option?<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfcjsUEpEWJJPa62j1Y2IEoNgA8BK7A0EvkiDqiIJmMlozCR7RvsUxu06_wMvjmq3zNQWtuTMaL828vS860LDrLI6z6VcpkzGDlTjOjGORWN8r3Ot0eFeJ1g9UA_gfWnW-S4U/s1600/ows_137347242387976.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="352" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfcjsUEpEWJJPa62j1Y2IEoNgA8BK7A0EvkiDqiIJmMlozCR7RvsUxu06_wMvjmq3zNQWtuTMaL828vS860LDrLI6z6VcpkzGDlTjOjGORWN8r3Ot0eFeJ1g9UA_gfWnW-S4U/s640/ows_137347242387976.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"When you make me VERBALLY REMIND you that we have a SWORD is when I really start to question mind-melding as a<br />
combat tool...."</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
But, giant robots fighting giant monsters. So... who cares? :)<br />
<br />
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