Showing posts with label Movies. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Movies. Show all posts

Tuesday, April 19, 2011

It is 8:12pm on April 19, 2011

Good news if you are reading this. Skynet is not taking over the world.

A Contrast

This was a big week-end for me. I got to go see Atlas Shrugged, Part 1 and I ordered HBO just so I could watch the new Game of Thrones series. You might have seen me post about these things once or twice before.

Stop reading now if you want to avoid any potential spoilers.

Below are my comments from each of the two shows.

Atlas Shrugged
I felt like they used the "Who is John Galt?" question as a catchphrase. Eat my shorts! To me it was as if the actors were looking at the audience and winking as they asked the question. My wife, who has not read the book, didn't feel that way. In the book, the question is an expression of hopelessness and frustration. As the world is crumbling, no one even thinks to find this John Galt person - if he even exists at all. It is just something everyone says.

Matthew Marsden plays James Taggart. I pictured Jim Taggart to be much older. I think we got a little too much "hollywood" in casting this character. However, the worse offense was making Jim too active in the political games. While he was a political creature in the book, you felt like he was being swept along with the other socialists. In the movie, he takes much more initiative and blurs the lines between producers and looters.

Hank Rearden is very socially awkward in the book. My wife described the movie version as smooth and suave. Fail.

People have criticized the physics of the train running on the new Rearden Metal track. That didn't bother me nearly as bad as the attempt to explain the magical motor.

I don't think the movie did a good job of showing the root cause of the problems. Maybe this is because Rand spent a bazillion pages pounding the message into my skull and the movie was trying to compress those philosophies. Likewise, Rands views on the role of sex and relationships between men and women are completely left out. There other plot points that are missing - like the relationship that was formed between Dagny and Francisco as children. The lack of detail on Francisco's background and prior achievements is a huge gap.

And is everyone sharing the same limo?

Now that I'm done beating it up, I will say I am glad I went and I'm sure I will see Part 2. (Also, a mini-plug for Regal Cinemas. My wife and I dug out a hundred year old gift certificate that was for $5. They couldn't find it in the system, so they just gave us a free ticket. Customer service isn't dead!)

Reviews
Rotten Tomatoes
The View from North Central Idaho - Joe Huffman
ExurbanLeague - sounds like he had people clapping at the end of the movie, too.
Walls of the City

Game of Thrones
I've been more excited about this than Atlas Shrugged. As I mentioned, I even added HBO specifically for this show - that's almost $18 per month, so I better like it.

In short (and in contrast to ASP1 above), the first episode was exactly as I pictured it in the book. It was fantastic!

I was worried about some of the actors as I did not think they would fit their characters, but everyone was fantastic. I really liked Lena Headey (from Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles) as Cersei Lannister. I did not see her as a good match, but she was great. I predicted I would like Peter Dinklage (from The Station Agent) as Tyrion and he lived up to the expectation.

The opening scene was very well done - from the CGI, to the pacing, and tension it created. The first few minutes would compare well to any classic horror movie.

I also thought the opening credits were very smart. You get a bird's eye view of Westeros, but you don't see each of the Seven Kingdoms. It only shows the ones that are currently relevant. My guess is that they will change the opening as the action moves between kingdoms.

Definitely, money well spent. It makes me even more excited that the next book is coming out. When A Feast of Crows came out, the bookstore provided everyone with a cheat sheet to remind us of what was happening with all the characters at the end of the book. The series will be a nice refresher without having to re-read some of the books.

I can't wait for next Sunday!

Friday, April 15, 2011

Thumbs up

Thumbs up for Tam on her thumbs down on Ebert's review of the Atlas Shrugged movie. As I posted in a comment at her blog, I'm going to see the movie tomorrow. I hope that it is good, but even if it isn't, I feel like I am voting for the ideals in the movie.

I believe in voting at the polls, but I also believe in voting with my dollars, time, etc. That's one of the reasons I got my carry permit. It is why I like the idea that April 15th is "buy a gun" day.

Who is John Galt?

Wednesday, April 13, 2011

Glock Announces New Pistol

John G.* has forwarded an exciting announcement from GLOCK. Apparently, they've been working in secret on a new model in a facility in Colorado. You heard it here first!

15 April 2011, 11:00 CET

GLOCK Announces New RM Line of Pistols

****** DRAFT PRESS RELEASE ****
****** NOT FOR RELEASE *******
****** NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION ***

GLOCK Ges.m.b.H.
P.O. Box 9
A-2232 Deutsch Wagram
AUSTRIA

Today, Glock announces the next pistol in the evolution of its GLOCK “Safe Action” Pistols – the GLOCK RM. The top product among the small arms of the world is without doubt the GLOCK "Safe Action" pistol. It employs innovative safety features which makes the pistol easy to operate. No other pistol offers a better price-performance ratio. Its minimum weight and legendary GLOCK reliability are unsurpassed. With the new GLOCK RM, the weight is significantly reduced as is recoil through the use of a revolutionary alloy – Rearden Metal. These pistols are specifically designed to defend against looters and Project X.

It is exactly these characteristics that make the Glock RM perfect for individuals to take responsibility for their own security. Extremely tough tests by the top scientific minds prove time and time again that GLOCK "Safe Action" pistols function without compromise, even under the most extreme conditions.

ACTION
Safe and ingeniously simple: Contrary to conventional, the trigger is the only operating element. All three pistol safeties are deactivated when the trigger is pulled -and automatically activated when it is released.

TENIFER
Unique GLOCK hi-tech surface refinement for barrel and slide. Apart from optimum corrosion protection and anti-reflective finish, a degree of hardness of 64 HRC - close to that of a diamond - is achieved.

REARDEN METAL
Corrosion resistant, tougher than polymer and still 53% lighter. GLOCK pistols were the first industrially manufactured handguns with high-tech polymer frames and now GLOCK makes the next leap forward with Rearden Metal. These pistols will be hand crafted in our new Colorado facility.

The first pistol released will be the GLOCK 19 (9x19mm) with model #: 10-289.

Your GLOCK Pistol Set will include:
1 x GLOCK "Safe Action" RM Pistol
1 x Speed loader
3 x Magazine
1 x Cleaning set
1 x Instruction's manual (1000+ Pages authored by A. Rand)
0 x Cable Lock (US only)

Pricing will be announced shortly, but please note that payment must be made in gold.

* Who is John G? I would tell you, but it would take 70 pages or a three hour speech.

Friday, April 8, 2011

Atlas Shrugged

I was disappointed to learn that Knoxville wasn't on the list of theaters to get Atlas Shrugged. Even though I wasn't going to drive to Nashville to see it, I have been hustling to finish the book before the movie comes out on April 15th. (Nothing like having a goal to actually motive me.) I've got about 100 pages left as of this moment. Good thing that I continued to push as they've announced that they will be showing it in Knoxville!

It will be playing at the Regal Downtown West Cinema 8.

Wednesday, March 2, 2011

Harry Potter in Space

Well, not exactly, but rumors of a screenplay of Orson Scott Card's Ender's Game are circulating. I loved the book and it is one that I could read again. (It is an easy read.) After reviewing the article, I must surmise that I am a little fuzzy on the details since I don't recall Ender being extremely violent. At the time, I must have thought his actions were justified. I'll have to dig out my copy and take it to the beach for a re-read.

Of course, I think Harry Potter could be cast in a similar violent light. It is hard for me to find fault with a character that is persecuted and fights back. As an aside, it also reminds me of Gord from the Greyhawk Adventures by the Gary Gygax, co-create of Dungeons and Dragons. Gord was a small, homeless orphan who had to fight for survival. As with Harry and Ender, Gord becomes very powerful and must deal with the responsibility that comes with that power.

Ender's Game (Ender, Book 1)Saga of Old City (Greyhawk Adventures #1)

Sunday, February 13, 2011

Atlas Shrugged

I bought the book a while back, but I've not started the 1,000+ page journey... looks like I need to get going.



Via Instapundit

Friday, December 31, 2010

True Grit

I saw True Grit (2010) today. I've not see the original, but I've heard good things about the remake. I came away being being lukewarm about it. The plot was straight forward and enough to keep me interested. I didn't buy Matt Damon and Jeff Bridges in their roles. There was too much of The Dude in Cogburn and Damon doesn't make for a believable talkative, if not out right effeminate, Texas Ranger. Also, there were some rough transitions between scenes that were jarring. On the plus side, there were several excellent one-liners and bits of wisdom (like not needing a good lawyer, but rather a good judge) to keep things moving.

Since I didn't love this movie, maybe I should have gone to something with different actors like Tron: Legacy. Oh, wait, nevermind.

Monday, December 20, 2010

The Station Agent

The Station Agent is a great example of a movie that doesn't occur on some grand scale - it is just a movie about people, their personal struggles, and their evolving relationships. I have no idea why the XYL and I picked up this movie. We watched it some years ago and were quite surprised how much we enjoyed it. If you want more info regarding the plot, Wikipedia has the usual write-up. I generally enjoy action movies and thrillers with lots of twists, so the fact that I liked this says something I think.

The Station Agent