hetalia (once again)

Today I will talk about Austria, Hungary, and Spain.

Austria is one of many people that live in Germany's house. He mooches off of him and doesn't really know how to do any thing.

Hungary is the person who has done most of the things for Austria and has stood up for him against Prussia.

 And Spain is just as helpless as Austria but can still survive on his own. He also took care of south Italy for a while

-adevlupes

Some thoughts on Tron: Legacy

This is a copy and paste of the review I wrote for Facebook. I will offer some additional comments at the end. 


"Tron: Legacy is an amazing movie. It has some of the most wildly imaginative spacial effects that there are to offer. The story is pretty well done, even though there are still elements that aren't original. Still, there is a lot there to love and that is the best about it. Is this movie for everyone? No. There are many who have looked at this movie and written it off. That is too bad. It is filled with adventure and really cool things to watch. It is a great revisit to some characters that we are familiar with, if you watched or remember the original, while giving us new characters to enjoy. Is there problems in the movie? (Spoilers, just in case) Isn't there always? One of the biggest problems I have is with the de-aging of Flynn. In the old days, they would have just put some makeup on Jeff to make him look oddly old, my wife would have complained about it, and we would have gone on with our lives. Now, with digital technology, we feel its something that we must use for everything, and, in this case, it doesn't always work. The major issue being that his eyes looks mostly off and his mouth seems weird. I am glad that they tried this route, but I wish it had been better. Also, we are given loads of introductions into this world, yet we aren't given a ton of time to get adjusted. That being said, when we are able to move around said world, it's amazing. I wish that there had been a bit more given to one of the characters, but maybe one day, if they follow this up, there will be more time. What worked? So much more. The games were awesome. The action is top notch. The surprises are really wow- inducing, and the ultimate outcome is a bit shocking and sad. The End of Line club is great, Daft Punk's score is amazing, and the little bits and pieces that they put in there for the fans of the original made me smile in so many ways. Yes, I feel this movie is good. I am so happy that this film turned out as good as it did, and I was able to return to a world that I loved as a kid and as an adult. I hope it does well, and we can get other movies."


This movie came out, made very little money, made very few waves, then disappeared. Why? Well, that's where it gets interesting. Or not. In any case, I think that it suffered from two major issues.

The importance of Back to the Future

I remember that day so well. My dad, being a physical education teacher, decided to give me this challenge: climb a rope at his school and get to see a movie. I hated that. So very much. To climb this huge rope to the top was a daunting task, at best. I had been trying to do it forever, only to fail. Yet, somehow, this deal seemed to be a motivator.

So what movie did I chose? What movie did my Dad take me to? He took my 8 year old self to see Back to the Future. When I got to see the movie, I was amazed. I remember just how floored I was by the very idea of time travel. Of course, I didn't understand why or what it was. It was just some kid who went back into the past. I loved it. If nothing else, I loved the Delorean. For years, I had no idea what that car was, but it was silver and it made noise, the doors lifted up, and it sparked and left a fire trail. All in all, I was stupefied.

So why, after all these years, do I still fall back on this? Yes, the nostalgia does play a huge part and just how wonderfully it holds up after all this time, even filled with full on 80's sensibilities and clothes, but there has to be something else. I think it's because even after all this time, I still can't wrap my head around the idea of traveling back in time.

For those who don't know the film, and if you don't I feel sorry for you, it is about Marty McFly, your average high schooler whose family seems plagued with bad luck. His parents are losers, his family is a mess, and his dreams are crushed. After he is able to go back in time, he meets up with his parents and almost is lost because of the changes he's made. In the end, he travels back home and finds his whole life has changed.

Next time, you wear it!

Doc Brown, played by Christopher Lloyd, has always been one of my favorite characters. He is a mad scientist type, who invents the time-machine to travel through time, solving some of the Universe's biggest mysteries. He's a blast to watch and somehow, when I was a kid, he was just so darn funny. His facial expressions and over-the-top acting skills are just dead on. Not to mention that hair.

Marty is played by Michael J. Fox, who just screams that aura of teenage years. You can really see this kid growing up in this time, in this place, in this world. He was the character that I most wanted to be like when I grew up (from this movie) just so I could go back in time! His "life preserver" vest was always something cool that, even when that fashion went away for good, I still secretly wanted one. And the fact that he could ride behind a car on a skateboard while holding on to the back bumper? Who didn't want to do that? He was a cool teenager! I was never that cool in high school.

hetalia (again)

Today I will do Prussia, Lichtenstein, and Egypt. Prussia is Germany's big brother. He is constantly making fun of Germany even though he lives in his house. Also when he learned to talk, he kept a diary and has never missed a day writing in his diary. Lichtenstein's big brother is Switzerland who is very protective of her toward Austria. And last but not least, Egypt doesn't talk at all.


-adevlupes

Soap operas are neither soap nor operas. Discuss.

The current decline of the soap opera is a tragedy. For me, soaps are bonding with my sister over long summers of Another World. Soaps are sick days spent bundled up on the couch with my mom, watching General Hospital. Soaps are evenings of dedicated YouTube searching, looking for the clip that shows John Paul and Craig finally, finally getting their sunset ending on Hollyoaks.

Soaps give me an almost giddy sense of nostalgia. You wouldn't expect them to give a lot of attention to continuity; characterization, motivation, and emotional arcs veer wildly from extreme to extreme, and aging is always subject to the whims of casting, so why would story continuity matter? But when I tune in to the weekly repeats of General Hospital on Sundays, I see call-backs to storylines and characters I remember from when my roommate used to watch the show thirteen years ago ... sometimes even from when my mom used to watch it twenty-five years ago. I can't even tell you how hard I smile when Robin Scorpio is on the screen, still played by the same actress I used to see when she and I were both eight years old.

I've also derived a lot of joy over the years from seeing actors from soaps go on to wider success. Every time I see Amber Tamblin in something, I think of Emily Quartermain, drunken teenager. At the height of her fame, I never admired Anne Heche more for any role than I did for her turn as good and evil twins Vicky and Marley. James Franco, Sarah Michelle Geller, Nathan Fillion ... so many successful actors started out on soaps.

Every time another soap gets cancelled, I feel a stab of disappointment. I can't help but hope that the soaps that are left keep going for many, many years. I want to see the absurd drama and sweet romances, I want to watch tomorrow's stars before they're stars, and I want to be able to look back and 'remember when.' Sure, they're melodramatic and unrealistic and over-the-top. But so are 'reality' shows.

Al

hetalia (cont.)

More Hetalia! The countries I will talk about are America, England, France, Russia, China, and Sealand. First up, America is an egotistical little moron who always thinks he's the hero. Also, the only thing he eats are hamburgers and he has no sense of taste. England has equal amount of taste and his pastimes include pointing out other people's mistakes, going to war with France and knitting. France is the one all the girls on the show fall in love with, and I seriously don't care about him. Russia only drinks ... vodka (who didn't see that coming?).China ... I don't really pay much attention to.  And last and very certainly least is Sealand, who just wants to be a country. He has a nice sailor outfit.

-adevlupes

Superman: Earth One

J. Michael Straczynski's Superman: Earth One is amazing. However, it is another take on the origin of our favorite Krypton survivor, so if that isn't what you want, then you might want to move on. Also, if you are Superman origin purest, well, you're not going to find a lot here that you are going to enjoy. If you give it a chance, though, you might be able to see the gold that is hidden within the pages.

I remember seeing the cover to this book at one time and I immediately assumed that this was going to be a Twilight version of Superman, with an emo, whiny, boo-hoo superhero who has too many personal issues. Imagine my reaction when I found out that this was not the case. Yes, he is a younger Superman, almost like the Smallville version, but looking younger. He is young enough to know that he has these powers, but he is struggling with the idea of not really using them for much, preferring to use them sparingly. Sure, he wants to do the right thing, but he needs to find out what exactly the right thing is. This Clark can at times be off-putting. He is making what look like selfish decisions while he does his soul searching. In fact, this Clark almost feels like Peter Parker, kind of stumbling through his decisions and sometime rash decisions. He is learning to become Superman.

There is a bit of Smallville background, which is fine, but doesn't have a huge amount of pages, as this is Clark's entry into Metropolis, using his knowledge and abilities to get the good jobs and opportunities. At one point he heads into the Daily Planet, his iconic home, where is given some advice to keep trying, to which he walks away. It shows that for everything that is super about him, this Clark is still learning and still just starting.

Then the world is attacked. He is now forced to make that final decision, does he finally reveal himself to be the hero he can be, or does he stand by and watch the world end?

Okay, so it's Superman, so there is no surprise there, but the struggle to get to that point is important, learning along the way his world's background in the process.

This is just a darn good read. I am not the biggest Superman fan; he's never been a huge draw in my comic selections. The movies are good, for the most part (Superman the Movie, Superman 2, Superman 2: The Richard Donner Cut are standouts, to be sure), and I have read some stories involving him in different situations, such as Red Son, or True Brit. I have even read the Death of Superman, A World Without Superman, and The Return of Superman, not to mention many different stories where Superman makes an important appearance in, like Kingdom Come. So, yes, I do encounter him, but I am still not a huge Superman person. So, with the cover showing an emo-looking Superman in a hoodie, and the promise of yet another reboot, didn't sound appealing, but the reviews kept saying otherwise. Now, I understand why. This is well written, well illustrated stuff. It keeps the reader wanting more, even when it comes to its end. You want to know more about this Superman. How is he different? What will he do when another supervillain threatens his world? These questions may be left open in the end, but the story before gives us enough for the moment.

So is this recommended? I say yes. It's a good read, and an interesting new take on a classic tale. Even purists should find something here to enjoy. One of the few complaints I do have with it is that it does feel like the first part of a much bigger story. However, there doesn't seem to be anything announced that will be following it up. While that is a bummer, this is a good first step.

This is a hardback edition retail price of $19.99

--MGS

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