Terminator Genisys Review

"Those damn time-traveling robots!"

So I wasn't expecting an amazing Terminator movie when I sat in on this.

When Cameron doesn't direct it you go in with a lower expectations, however I was armed with my Coke, Sour Patch Kids and 24 inch hot dog. That's right, this was something special I was determined to enjoy myself.

First off, the title wasn't bad. Terminator Genisys turns into blowing particles, clever but nothing too bold.

Second, it was great seeing Terminators again right out of the gate. They get to it  and show some cool laser fights and introduce Kyle Reese and John Conner, now both of these actors are just ok actors. I had low expectations for both of them, especially the guy playing Reese.

This is a different John Conner from even Salvation, he's very grown up and I don't see a glint of the Conner from T2. Every time a new actor plays Conner I feel detached from him as a character because we're not given consistent performances like Arnold is.

Third, given all the action scenes which for the most part deliver (cool bus scene)

There's probably about 10 - 15 minutes of talking that could use a trim in the middle to keep it movin.

There's an awesome action scene where Arnold fights Arnold.

The story idea of altering the events of Terminator one gives the series a fresh spin and I really like how they incorporated The Terminator's age into the story. I actually think that Arnold's performance and the story are the strongest parts of the movie. I applaud it for that 👏🏼

The biggest risk is making John Conner the main villian in this, I'm still on the fence about that. I think Conner should always be good in some capacity. The actor playing Conner surprised me and isn't half bad but I feel that it's not the same character from the previous films, again, non-consistent character portrayels by different actors.

Also, Matt Smith from Dr.Who has a pivotal role in this which was cool.

There are some definite homages to T2 in this, but they might've leaned on it too much because it had me thinking of the first time I saw T2 in the theater and how magical that was (I still remember the shirt I wore, the popcorn, Sour Patches and the large Coke).

It's not a perfect movie but it's probably one of the best we're gonna get without Cameron helming. Better then Salvation and T3.

7.8 out of 10 😃👍🏼

Birdman Quick Review:

I enjoyed Birdman the other night.

Michael Keaton was funny. The movie seems to cross the line between fantasy and reality, reminding me of a Terry Gilliam film. Although it's mostly a comedic drama as opposed to any kind of Superhero movie.

The performances are good and funny enough to hold your interest.

Also, Keaton's Birdman voice is pretty awesome as well as the telekinesis effects in this.

Great job Keaton!

8/10

Dumb & Dumber To Quick Review

Considering the fact I almost fought someone who was constantly kicking my chair last night...

I enjoyed Dumb and Dumber To!

 It was great to see Jim and Jeff back in character again! They really carried the movie and were as committed as ever. I laughed consistently, however I didn't laugh HARD nearly enough. 

The first Dumb and Dumber there were a number of memorable, hilarious, scenes that stood out. The snowball scene for instance and the Turtle Wax toilet scene. 

        Here, I felt there were only one of two scenes that stood out.

The finale of the movie didn't really felt like a finale.

It's really hard not comparing this movie to the first. It's really obvious how good the first movie was. A lot more care, production and time went into it.

All this being said, I might see it again as a matinee without somebody kicking the back of my seat.

I almost had to fight someone 

during Dumb & Dumber To. 

I'll shake my head at that 

for a long time.

7 out of 10. 

I wanted to give it a higher score :/

Episode 1 (untitled doc. project)

I'm editing episode 1 right now. It's going a bit slower then expected. I think I slightly over shot, that's why it's taking me so long to finish.

The lesson's learned for the 2nd episode.
In film watching news, I've been watching a show on Netflix called The Story of Film.
It's been really interesting to watch someone's who've very passionate about it do a such a detailed and in depth 15 episode run. He starts with Edison, Meles and the Lumiere brothers and goes through each decade beautifully deconstructing the styles, themes and techniques of each decade. He compares and contrasts films and bounces back in forth in film history to do so. He gets some decent interviews from some influential directors and writers too. I highly recommend this series which is on streaming Netflix. A must for any serious film fan.

Emerging Work Web Series?

Having finished Krypto's Legacy
(check out video on this page soon) I can move on to one of my next set of projects. It will be a series of shorts following me to work throughout New England and beyond. The best way to sum this up is a documentary video or vlog but it will incorporate other aspects of my life. It might even turn into a full blown film who knows?

The Work

As I get older and embrace the 9-5 lifestyle, the massive time crunch struggle really begins to grate on me. Geez, even as I write this my pen has run out of ink. Something seems to be keeping me from writing this truth.
The truth is this: Time and having enough of it to achieve my goals has shrunk significantly. The time to do the things I really want to do and achieve before I leave Earth is running short. Writing tons of stories and making them come to life is one of those goals.
Our lives are full of too many stories and interesting people. To not write about it is a crime. To write about ones life is to honor it. Honor your memory, life. It's part of the human condition. Doing work that we aren't passionate about for the sake of living is something that, I think, can actually rob us of success. It robs me of the time it takes doing the things I was made to do. As I write this 'work' tries hard to keep me busy & keep me from writing this. Too much of our time is used working for survival. If everyone got to do what they loved to do and what they were actually good at instead of what they have to do, I truly believe the world would be a better place.
The dark thing about working so much is that it will wipe away your commitments, personality, memories, of who you were, your friends, enemies, great moments in your life and completely wipe them out. It will wipe out all ego. It will make those things seem unimportant and trivial. It sells you on the idea that the only thing that's important is working a lot and making a lot of money. The all-time consuming job will make it the first and foremost thing in your life, removing any drama, romance, etc...as I stand & write work is pulling me away from
writing this.
Work will leave you tired and exhausted everyday so that you struggle to achieve anything you need or like to get done at home. If you work weekends it will suck out your energy to 'go out' & have a social life. It will rob you of any kind of specialness you think you have & smooth out any kind of edges you might've had. It will rob you of your time with friends, in person, on the phone and it will suck away your willingness to make new ones.
It will suck out your mojo.
Unfortunately, it gives you time to dream as torture. It does do that very well! It's much like looking at that photo of a beautiful vacation spot at the corner of your desk you can never afford to go visit.
Hey, at least I'm not bitter!

New Biology Underway

While the writing is underway for the next Biology : 101 project, I'm currently finishing a home dvd slideshow for my brother's dog Krypto who past away some time ago. This project has been very late in finishing due to technical difficulties and the loss of video footage. Artwork for the DVD is being worked on at this time.

One on the things that I found interesting while looking through a magazine is the new Black Magic camera. It's a small photo-camera-like video camera. It sells for only about $2000. I'm normally not very keen on small photo cameras because of stability issues but the low price, sleek design and quality impressed me. Stay tuned for the completion of the Krypto The Superdog DVD, due out by Christmas. I will also keep you updated of the new Biology : 101 script.