For Valentine's Day this year I talk about one of my favorite non-canon pairings: Camerah!
Note
Changed to blip.tv version from YouTube since blip.tv finally decided to upload the video.
Tuesday, February 14, 2012
Saturday, February 11, 2012
Rise of the Planet of the Apes (2011)
Title: Rise of the Planet of the Apes
Director: Rupert Wyatt
Starring: James Franco, Andy Serkis, and Freida Pinto
Rated: PG-13
Released: 2011
Personal Rating: 4.5/5
Oscars: Nominated for 1
Basic Plot: Eight years of being raised by humans and now left behind in an abusive sanctuary, a hyper-intelligent chimpanzee will lead a revolution of apes towards freedom from man's torturous exploitation.
What Makes One Human
I guess I should've said: What Makes One Deserving of Freedom and Respect? Through Caesar, we get to see a "human's" view of being in a world where the dominant species (humans) have full control over you and don't respect you. I think a good portion of this movie being shown through Caesar's was a big help. Without Caesar you wouldn't have the theme of the movie being as clear.
The CGI
The CGI (especially the apes) were done fantastically. The apes looked very realistic and you would swear they were real. Andy Serkis' acting added life to Caesar. But without the CGI being so good it wouldn't have mattered.
The Cure
James Franco's character starts making The Cure (which is the same title of a YA science fiction novel, which I'm probably the only one who noticed) which makes apes smarter but is deadly to humans. The way The Cure is spread over the world is HIGHLY believable. And scarily plausible.
Final Thoughts
I have not seen any of the previous films in the series (though I have viewed parts of the original). So, with that in mind, this is a very well done film. Tom Felton's death was a little creepy but deserved. It also shows a believable way of how apes could take over the Earth. It was very enjoyable to sit through.
See! It does exist!
Director: Rupert Wyatt
Starring: James Franco, Andy Serkis, and Freida Pinto
Rated: PG-13
Released: 2011
Personal Rating: 4.5/5
Oscars: Nominated for 1
Basic Plot: Eight years of being raised by humans and now left behind in an abusive sanctuary, a hyper-intelligent chimpanzee will lead a revolution of apes towards freedom from man's torturous exploitation.
What Makes One Human
I guess I should've said: What Makes One Deserving of Freedom and Respect? Through Caesar, we get to see a "human's" view of being in a world where the dominant species (humans) have full control over you and don't respect you. I think a good portion of this movie being shown through Caesar's was a big help. Without Caesar you wouldn't have the theme of the movie being as clear.
The CGI
The CGI (especially the apes) were done fantastically. The apes looked very realistic and you would swear they were real. Andy Serkis' acting added life to Caesar. But without the CGI being so good it wouldn't have mattered.
The Cure
James Franco's character starts making The Cure (which is the same title of a YA science fiction novel, which I'm probably the only one who noticed) which makes apes smarter but is deadly to humans. The way The Cure is spread over the world is HIGHLY believable. And scarily plausible.
Final Thoughts
I have not seen any of the previous films in the series (though I have viewed parts of the original). So, with that in mind, this is a very well done film. Tom Felton's death was a little creepy but deserved. It also shows a believable way of how apes could take over the Earth. It was very enjoyable to sit through.
See! It does exist!
Friday, February 10, 2012
The Green: Remnants 1
I was driving and Plague was asleep beside me. I was new to driving, or at least I didn't have any memories about it from before the lab, and so I was concentrating very hard on the road. Plague had already driven a lot on our mission and so I had decided to practice while he slept. I liked that he trusted me with his life.
I had trusted him with something much more valuable last night. I had come out of the shower when I saw Plague lying on the bed. It wasn't a fancy bed by any means, just a cheap motel one. I wasn't surprised, though, our relationship had been growing. He was taking things at my speed, which was faster than it was slow.
Nodding my agreement, Plague took me through my first sexual experience. Well, my first that I could remember. The enjoyment I got to being so close to Plague was exhilarating. However, the physical feelings that I experienced were not as enjoyable. He was kind enough not to do anything too rough or extreme.
By the end of the night I had grown comfortable with gay sex. It was enjoyable but, somehow, lacking in an area I couldn't figure out. Plague and I had a conversation afterwards and he reassured me that it wasn't unusual for virgins to be frightened. I then realized I would have much more time to grow closer to my lover. And I wanted to grow as close to Plague as I could in every area.
I shook my head and concentrated on the road. I, Matthias, didn't have time to think about Plague right now. Making sure I didn't crash was much more of a concern. Finally the gas station was in sight and I pulled up.
The only one that paid any attention to me was a bum. I got out of the car and started to pump gas. All throughout this the bum just continued to look at me. It was uncomfortable to have such a gaze thrown at me. While Plague did sometimes stare at me, it was full of adoration. The bum's gaze, however, was judgmental and ready for a fight.
After I filled the car up I walked to the bum. I was scared for my life and didn't know if Plague could wake up in time to save me. But, on the other hand, he had trained me to fight. I was a beginner, but could hold my ground.
When I approached the bum I gave him a signal. It was made up of sounds and gestures. The combinations wouldn't make sense to a random person watching. It would just seem like I was yelling at the bum.
The bum looked at me closely and nodded. He told me a location in Sante Kol, New Mexico where the people we were looking for were located.
I walked to the car, got in, and started to drive to the location that the agent had given me. Though I'd always think of him as a bum.
The Green Blog
I had trusted him with something much more valuable last night. I had come out of the shower when I saw Plague lying on the bed. It wasn't a fancy bed by any means, just a cheap motel one. I wasn't surprised, though, our relationship had been growing. He was taking things at my speed, which was faster than it was slow.
Nodding my agreement, Plague took me through my first sexual experience. Well, my first that I could remember. The enjoyment I got to being so close to Plague was exhilarating. However, the physical feelings that I experienced were not as enjoyable. He was kind enough not to do anything too rough or extreme.
By the end of the night I had grown comfortable with gay sex. It was enjoyable but, somehow, lacking in an area I couldn't figure out. Plague and I had a conversation afterwards and he reassured me that it wasn't unusual for virgins to be frightened. I then realized I would have much more time to grow closer to my lover. And I wanted to grow as close to Plague as I could in every area.
I shook my head and concentrated on the road. I, Matthias, didn't have time to think about Plague right now. Making sure I didn't crash was much more of a concern. Finally the gas station was in sight and I pulled up.
The only one that paid any attention to me was a bum. I got out of the car and started to pump gas. All throughout this the bum just continued to look at me. It was uncomfortable to have such a gaze thrown at me. While Plague did sometimes stare at me, it was full of adoration. The bum's gaze, however, was judgmental and ready for a fight.
After I filled the car up I walked to the bum. I was scared for my life and didn't know if Plague could wake up in time to save me. But, on the other hand, he had trained me to fight. I was a beginner, but could hold my ground.
When I approached the bum I gave him a signal. It was made up of sounds and gestures. The combinations wouldn't make sense to a random person watching. It would just seem like I was yelling at the bum.
The bum looked at me closely and nodded. He told me a location in Sante Kol, New Mexico where the people we were looking for were located.
I walked to the car, got in, and started to drive to the location that the agent had given me. Though I'd always think of him as a bum.
The Green Blog
The Skin I Live In (2011)
Title: The Skin I Live In
Director: Pedro Almodóvar
Starring: Antonio Banderas, Elena Anaya, and Jan Cornet
Rated: R
Released: 2011
Personal Rating: 6/5
Oscars: N/A
Basic Plot: A brilliant plastic surgeon, haunted by past tragedies, creates a type of synthetic skin that withstands any kind of damage. His guinea pig: a mysterious and volatile woman who holds the key to his obsession.
Themes of Love and Revenge
This movie runs on love and revenge. The actions of the protagonist (who is the villain in this movie), Robert Ledgard, are rooted deeply in his feelings of love and revenge. One example of this (that won't spoil the movie for you) is that the face he gave Vera (his patient) was his wife's face. While this is disturbing, it is a show of love.
The Cinematography
Each shot of this movie is beautiful in its design. Each shot moves you and draws you in. Yes, acting is important, but how a film looks helps improve the experience. The music helps (and one song in particular proves to be of importance) and makes the viewing experience delightful.
WTF is Going On
I feel this should be addressed since this isn't a movie for everyone. This movie is VERY disturbing. Once the twist happens it gets VERY VERY DISTURBING. While I love this movie, I would say that if you are young (under 18) and/or conservative in political views and/or religious views (like Catholics) you probably won't enjoy this film. I don't want to turn people away from this movie, but it does deal with matters that some people might find VERY offensive.
Final Thoughts
This movie rocks! At the end of it I felt like I could hardly breathe since I was so full of emotions. I was both horrified and delighted about it. It is a great combination of horror, thriller, and science fiction. I have not seen such a good movie in a long LONG time. It is a foreign film, and subtitled, but that shouldn't matter to someone looking for a masterpiece.
Director: Pedro Almodóvar
Starring: Antonio Banderas, Elena Anaya, and Jan Cornet
Rated: R
Released: 2011
Personal Rating: 6/5
Oscars: N/A
Basic Plot: A brilliant plastic surgeon, haunted by past tragedies, creates a type of synthetic skin that withstands any kind of damage. His guinea pig: a mysterious and volatile woman who holds the key to his obsession.
Themes of Love and Revenge
This movie runs on love and revenge. The actions of the protagonist (who is the villain in this movie), Robert Ledgard, are rooted deeply in his feelings of love and revenge. One example of this (that won't spoil the movie for you) is that the face he gave Vera (his patient) was his wife's face. While this is disturbing, it is a show of love.
The Cinematography
Each shot of this movie is beautiful in its design. Each shot moves you and draws you in. Yes, acting is important, but how a film looks helps improve the experience. The music helps (and one song in particular proves to be of importance) and makes the viewing experience delightful.
WTF is Going On
I feel this should be addressed since this isn't a movie for everyone. This movie is VERY disturbing. Once the twist happens it gets VERY VERY DISTURBING. While I love this movie, I would say that if you are young (under 18) and/or conservative in political views and/or religious views (like Catholics) you probably won't enjoy this film. I don't want to turn people away from this movie, but it does deal with matters that some people might find VERY offensive.
Final Thoughts
This movie rocks! At the end of it I felt like I could hardly breathe since I was so full of emotions. I was both horrified and delighted about it. It is a great combination of horror, thriller, and science fiction. I have not seen such a good movie in a long LONG time. It is a foreign film, and subtitled, but that shouldn't matter to someone looking for a masterpiece.
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