Monday, May 29, 2017

Mind Sieve 5/29/17


Let's remember and give thanks to all those serving in the armed forces who've died to keep us safe and our way of life intact. 

Fan Fun


Fun music video Hubby shared with me! Fergie - A Little Party Never Killed Nobody (All We Got)



It's Gonna Be Okay - The Piano Guys w/Sir Cliff Richard. Very upbeat song. They do look like they're having fun! lol. 



Marvel's The Defenders Trailer - misfit team of awesome! Sweet! 



Marvel's Cloak and Dagger Official Trailer - yes! Loved that comic!


Social Media/Author Platform

3 Simple Mistakes to Avoid if You Want to Make Your Book a Best Seller by Matthew Turner - some popups but not bad. Another post that infers I need a clone. With a full-time job and writing, there's no time for all this stuff. :(

Writing

Be Specific! How to Get to the Point in Everything You Write by Grammarly - some basic but super important items. :)
Forget About Being a Good Writer (And Do This Instead) by Jeff Goins. Some helpful insights. :)



Sunday, May 28, 2017

Virtual Tourist - Sherlock Holmes: The Devil's Daughter 5/28/17

Good morning!
Hope you're having a fabulous weekend!
Sherlock Holmes: The Devil's Daughter
View of the grounds and clubhouse of the archeological society. 
Some giant carved rocks appropriated for the club grounds. :P
Scotland Yard - didn't change from the last game, which made the new Sherlock and Watson stand out in my mind. :P
Inside the archeological society's clubhouse. It's a neat place!
Some of the items donated by the members.
Long cross view of the clubhouse.
London's sky in the morning.
Steelworks factory for fences and statues. Also a giant puzzle on how to get into the owner's office! 
An unusual bedroom belonging to one of the suspects. 
Loved this thing!!!!!  A world map made of metal. Once the final piece is placed, it opens a hidden chamber inside. So cool! (Pic caught it in mid opening. :))
Have a great day!

Friday, May 26, 2017

Movie Review - Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales

Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales
Starring: Johnny Depp, Javier Bardem, Geoffrey Rush, Brenton Thwaites, Kaya Scodelario, Kevin McNally, Golshifteh Farahani, David Wenham, Stephen Graham, and more. 
Directed by: Joachim Ronning and Espen Sandberg Screenplay by: Jeff Nathanson Story by: Jeff Nathanson and Terry Rossio Based on Characters Created by: Ted Elliott, Terry Rossio, Stuart Beattie, and Jay Wolpert
Premise: Will's son Henry has been trying to find a way to break his father's curse. He believes Poseidon's Trident has the power to do so. But to find it, he needs to find Jack Sparrow. But Henry is not the only one looking for Jack. Plus many others also want to get their hands on the Trident. The hunt for the treasure begins. (Rated PG-13)
Review:
1) Acting - Total Thumbs Up: Johnny Depp once more reprises his unique take on a pirate captain as Captain Jack Sparrow. His crazy expressions, obfuscation, and general "go with the flow" attitude are in high force. Brenton Thwaites is very reminiscent of Orlando Bloom's Will Turner, which seems apt as he is playing his son Henry. Kaya Scodelario as Carina Smyth is spunky, stubborn, and driven. Javier Bardem does a nice job as Captain Salazar. Geoffrey Rush gets to prove to everyone Captain Barbossa has got it all. Then comes to realize there is an even greater treasure to be had. Loved the expressions as the truth of things finally began to register. :)
2) Special Effects - Total Thumbs Up: Special effects tend to make up large sections of the "Pirate of the Caribbean" movies and "Dead Men Tell No Tales" is no exception. The smoky piecemeal appearance of Salazar's crew is neat and very haunting. The effect when they touch land even more so.
The whole gag with the bank robbery and running through town was great! Only Jack has this kind of weird luck. Oh, and wait until you see the guillotine gag - hilarious!
Salazar's ship was fabulous! A literal shark of the seas. I also loved what they did with the masthead later in the film. Too fun! The undead birds and sharks were a nice addition as well. The monkey is still a total ham. :P
They did save the best to show toward the end. The island holding the last clue to Poseidon's Trident was gorgeous! The area that unfolds from there was way cool as well. They did all sorts of fun things with water. And the trident itself was lovely. Something more befitting of the sea than the usual trident portrayal.
The Black Pearl's transformation was also a lot of fun. Especially when the change stalls. Later, the maneuverings with the edge of the water and the anchor looked great!
3) Story - Neutral: I wish those who give the final okay on scripts and changes would remember the devil is in the details. While they carefully kept track of some information, they totally disregarded others, so certain things made no sense. For example: Don't make a commander who is dead set on killing witches, and will hunt them relentlessly with all the soldiers at his disposal, then turn around and go pay/use one to come do magic! Also, if you have a captain say he only ever kills pirates, don't have him going around killing non-pirates! (Since Salazar is a Spaniard, adding two words to his statements would have fixed this. Just say "pirates and Inglés," and he would have been covered to kill all the Brits and pirates he wanted without anyone raising an eyebrow.)
Another bit that seemed weird is that Disney appeared to pull the same thing they did with "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" - they tried to cookie cutter the new film into a clone of the first with bits from the others. What is that about? Girl in distress, a boy about to get killed, Jack in trouble, all looking for a special treasure as they are hunted by the undead. Huh. It's like they're afraid to try new plots. :( 
One thing I did like was the undercurrent themes of obsession, drive, and what we should all truly treasure.  Pay attention to the ship names as well, there are some subtle jokes going on there. :)
Another subtle bit was Jack's descent since the events from years before when he bid his friends goodbye. His luck, his drive, his sense of purpose, all eroded by his inability to help Will. Jack's final comment as he spies upon events on the hillside at the end said it all - veiled as usual of course.
Do make sure to sit through the credits! One final scene at the very end. :)
4) Stunts - Total Thumbs Up: Much to love in the stunt department. Pratfalls, guillotines, hangings, chases, sword fighting, shark wrangling, and much more. Of particular fun was Jack's fight/chase scene between two ships jumping from canon to canon. :P 
5) Locations/Cinematography - Total Thumbs Up: Filmed in different parts of Queensland, Australia, there were plenty of gorgeous shots of the bay, the sea, and the sky. The sunrise over the map island and the blood moon are especially lovely. Add in the CGI locations like the Devil's Triangle and the resting place of Poseidon's Trident, and you're in for many visual treats. 
Conclusion: Though a fun romp and filled with cool effects, "Dead Men Tell No Tales" felt too much like a retelling of the original "Pirates of the Caribbean." Some inconsistencies drew away from the fun. Stay through the credits for a final scene at the very end!
Rating: 3.5 out of 5 (Hubby's Rating: Worth Full Price of Admission) 

Sunday, May 21, 2017

Virtual Tourist - Deus Ex: Mankind Divided 5/21/17

Morning!
Hubby's sick with a cold, and I am not far behind. Boo! The weather has been flip-flopping like crazy!
Taskforce 29 HQ
A cool thing the game peeps did. If your original rescue mission failed, you would not meet this guy at the office. But if you did!  :) I thought it was a nice touch that the game made a distinction.
Super cool 3D hologram, no? :) 
This was funny and sad. This is Jensen's workspace at HQ. The board pretty much says it all. Poor guy. (Not sure what's up with the cereal boxes.) :P
Back in the Streets
Coolest store front for a wristwatch no? I guess for these guys that would be very retro! :P
Barb wire fences next to old castle defenses. 
Meet the current head of the underground newspaper. He became a little bit of an issue as it appeared he'd gotten intel about HQ's secret base. Not a good thing. 
Down in the sewers. A super cool bit of graffiti! 
The weird advertising is half the fun of walking around. 
Is this not the cutest setup for a fast food burger joint? :)
One of the things Jensen does best. Crawling through vents! :P
May the weekend find you dry and your sinuses behaving! :)

Monday, May 15, 2017

Mind Sieve 5/15/17

Morning!

Going to try to do a full post for this week. Wish me luck!

FanFun


Symphony of Science - Onward to the Edge! Hubby shared this with me. Once the song starts it's just too cute!



Something else he sent me. These solar panel roof tiles from Tesla look awesome! :) 



Despicable Me 3 "Minions Prison Trailer" and more. Like a musical! lol. 



IT Trailer 2 (Extended) - okay, that is definitely one creepy looking clown! o.O


Social Media

Introducing Instagram Stories - they disappear in 24 hours if you don't move them to the feed. Not sure of the point of it?

Writing

Want To Grow As A Writer? Transform Your Critique Group by Writing Coach at the Writers Helping Writers Blog. Some excellent points in the article!
Have a great week ya'll!

Sunday, May 14, 2017

Virtual Tourist - Dishonored 2 5/14/17

Morning!
Happy Mother's Day
Happy Mother's Day!
Dishonored 2
View from the top of the sanctuary building on the small island outside the city.
Isn't that gorgeous?!
Odd looking flower, no?
Maintenance man - he's seen things they are trying to keep quiet.
Love those windows!
Bad things have happened here...
The poor man has been experimented on. He has a lot of answers. 
A shutter in the kitchen close to the water. This way leads to a partially sunken boat and some goodies.
Disquieting view
A storm is coming.
Have an awesome Sunday!

Friday, May 12, 2017

Movie Review - King Arthur: Legend of the Sword

King Arthur Legend of the Sword
Starring: Charlie Hunnam, Astrid Bergès-Firsbey, Jude Law, Djimon Hounsou, Eric Bana, Aidan Gillen, Freddie Fox, Graig McGinlay, Tom Wu, Kingsley Ben-Adir, Neil Maskell, Annabelle Wallis, Bleu Landau, and more.
Directed by: Guy Ritchie Screenplay by: Joby Harold, Guy Ritchie, and Lionel Wigram Story by: David Dobkin and Joby Harold Cinematography by: John Mathieson Music by: Daniel Pemberton
Premise: A betrayal destroys the peace Uther Pendragon has built and it's led to the massacre of most mages. But Uther's son escaped Vortigen's grasp as well as Excalibur. Years later, the sword surfaces again embedded in a stone. Vortigern can't afford to have his plans interfered with. So all males of a certain age must come forward and try their hand at removing the sword from the stone. Yet pulling the Excalibur free also means certain death. (Rated PG-13)
Review:
1) Acting - Total Thumbs Up: Charlie Hunnam does an excellent job as the down to earth, yet troubled Arthur. Astrid Bergès-Firsbey as the mage was both mysterious and no-nonsense. Jude Law didn't have to stretch too hard to play the backstabbing Vortigern. Though I will say, he did a fabulous job looking conflicted as he made his sacrifice.
2) Special Effect - Total Thumbs Up:  Just when I think I can't be wowed by special effects, I run across something to prove me wrong. All the effects in the film were fabulous! (And they should be, I saw at least three visual effect companies in the credits!) The 3D component served several of the special effect sections quite well.
The giant elephants with pyramids on their backs in the beginning sequence were super rad. Loved their fire eyes and their cunning intelligence as they wielded giant rocks tied to ropes. Sweet!
The three fates/sirens/octopi looked amazing! The tentacles and undulations were superb. The Lady of the Lake also gets a super neat sequence of her own.
The demon warrior with the flaming and smoke cloak was super cool! So were the bizarre fire bombs. The giant rats, bats, and snakes were very detailed and looked alive.
Though a mixture of cultures, all the fantasy locations looked fantastic. Londinium was a bizarre mix of British and Roman but looked awesome. The tower, the Bad Lands, all the CGI locations looked super.
3) Plots Story - Neutral: If you come to see this film expecting an accurate rendition of the Arthurian legend, you're in for major disappointment. Much as Guy Ritchie did with the Sherlock Holmes movies, he's kept the bits he liked then jumbled/changed the rest. The previews alone should have been an indication this would not be cannon, but in case you didn't realize it, I figured I'd give you a heads up!
You know you're not in our England when you see a Mayan temple on a hillside not far from a mage's tower. Londinium itself is a weird mix of Roman, Greek, and old English styles. It's difficult to say if it was intentional in order to let us know this won't be your usual Arthurian legend or people not doing their homework or just something someone had always wanted to do.
The plot is straight forward for the most part. There are no real surprises aside from those at the beginning. Some of the motivation was suspect though. They say Vortigern betrays Uther because he was jealous of him, but I didn't see much to be jealous about. He had a loving wife, a beautiful daughter, a high position in court. He could even do magic! So his "jealousy" motivation didn't quite work. (Coming to love people fearing him came later, so not part of the original equation.) Also, the fact he suffered so much in his sacrifices for power scenes - if you feel so terrible about it, why would you do it at all? Bleah.
Arthur's motivations worked a little better. And they had an arc for his needing to overcome a hurdle to get to use the sword as it was meant to be used. (Excaliber in this film is super powerful!) One thing they never do cover is why Arthur was hoarding so much gold. What had he planned to do with it? The detail would have meant more if they'd given us a reason. Otherwise, it just looks like greed for greed's sake.
They did do a bunch of fun and good bits. There was a lot of story to cover and some of the ways they condensed things worked pretty well. The gag with the story of the Vikings was a hoot and a half. Some play with camera work made for some funky storytelling as well.
So some definite points for the fun and some of the maneuverings, but negative points for so wholly messing up the legend. The fact Mordred is in the beginning sequence made me think Uther was Arthur for a while. Ugh.
Oh, and we get one, one super quick glimpse of Merlin. And that's it. Boo!
4) Stunts - Total Thumbs Up: Aside from the CGI deaths and pratfalls, there are also plenty of fights, chases, and other physical stunts. Good job by all involved!
5) Locations/Cinematography - Total Thumbs Up: While historically inaccurate, all the sites looked fantastic. Londinium was a giant mix of several cultures and showed many differing types of architecture. Bizarre but cool. The Stonehenge type temple and several other mystical locations were fab. I fell totally in love with Vortigen's cave. Sometimes less is more!
6) Costuming/Makeup - Neutral: I keep going back and forth on this one. Most of the costumes looked great. But then they'd throw something in that would bug the heck out of me. For example - the ladies by the bank who find the boat - the way they're dressed, I thought them ladies of the court rather than ladies of the night (they were awfully dressed up for doing laundry!). And in several spots, Arthur's clothes don't look period but rather modern. His fleece lined coat, his machine stitched night shirt. They looked like something out of a modern store. Jude Law's clothes all looked great and medieval. And so did most everyone else. But Arthur's colors, cut of clothes, etc. stuck out a lot.
7) Music - Total Thumbs Up: Daniel Pemberton does a lovely job with the soundtrack. Has several flavors mixed in it all the way from modern to Scottish. Lots of fast paced tracks that merge well with the action around it.
Conclusion:  "King Arthur: Legend of the Sword" is a retelling of the old legend which has been chewed up and put back together in a different way. Think Robin Hood meets King Arthur meets Spartacus meets Dungeons and Dragons, and you'll have a good idea of what you're in for. And yet, it was still fun.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 (Hubby's Rating: Worth Full Price of Admission)

Friday, May 05, 2017

Movie Review - Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2

Guardians Of The Galaxy vol. 2
Starring: Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Dave Bautista, Vin Diesel, Bradley Cooper, Michael Rooker, Karen Gillan, Pom Klementieff, Kurt Russell, Elizabeth Debicki, and more.
Directed by: James Gunn Written by: James Gunn Based on the Marvel Comics by: Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning Cinematography by: Henry Braham Music by: Tyler Bates
Premise: After finishing a job for the Sovereign, the Guardian's find themselves in trouble when Rocket filches some of the goods they were paid to protect. Saved by a stranger, the group meets Ego, Peter's father. But the Sovereign are not about to let the Guardians' transgression remain unpunished. They hire others to do the work. And as Peter finally embraces the fact he's found his father, Gamora realizes something about Ego is not quite right. (Rated PG-13)
Review:
1) Acting - Total Thumbs Up: Lots of lovely and strong performances from all members of the cast. All the weird and sometimes clashing personalities are fun to watch. Several emotional scenes were beautifully carried out by all parties. Michael Rooker deserves added attention for his intense and emotional conversation with Rocket - and for pulling off a metallic 50's hairdo with style! :P
2) Special Effects - Total Thumbs Up: There were lots of great effects and visuals in the film. Mantis's antenna and her bug like eyes were so well done, you never doubted she looked like that.
All the Sovereign people were gold from head to foot, and it looked natural. Their throne room, gadgets, and remote controlled ships looked great. And the giant tentacle monster? Awesome!
Ego's palace was gorgeous. His ship and the molding platform were lovely. The moment reconstructions in the egg like receptacles were neat and loved that they had a different texture than everything else. There were several body repair sequences, and these were fab! The view of Ego from orbit said it all. 
The big fight on Ego's planet was spectacular. And kudos on making Kurt Russel look young and long-haired once more! He looked great! :)
3)  Plot/Story - Thumbs Up: On several levels, the plot for vol. 2 is a lot darker than the original film. The main point of this one is discovery. Discovery of self, of what's been there all along, of things you never knew you possessed, and fear of acknowledging emotional needs. Every single character has a revelation of one form or another. Many are not ones they are happy to find out about, even as they bring a sense of growth, depth or even a bit of peace to their souls. 
There are a ton of wonderful little moments. The opening section ties directly back to the beginning of the first film as well as the end. Adorable! 
Several major items that have shaped Peter's life are made clear. Things are not always as we assume. 
I did think some of the action was less believable this time around. While our heroes are intrepid and hearty, some of this went way beyond. Almost like overcompensating for the darkness and going too far with the size of the action. This took away rather than added to the film.
As always, be sure to sit through the credits. Not only is the cool backdrop of a record album ala Jefferson Starship entertaining, so are the "I am Groot" word plays, and the multiple extra scene snippets! :)
4) Stunts - Total Thumbs Up: Most of the stunts are CGI-assisted, but no less fun. Some of the gags were taken to a much higher level than the last film, which stretched believability quite far. Still impressive to watch though. :P
5) Music - Total Thumbs Up: While all the great 80's music and visual 50's music homage was fun, I was a little disappointed that they used those almost exclusively rather than more music by Tyler Bates. Some of this they made up with the neat, nostalgic treatment of the original theme by the Steepers in "Guardians Inferno." Very disco and reminiscent of Meco and their cool renditions of Star Wars music and other popular science fiction soundtracks of the time. 
Conclusion: While not as good as the first, Guardians of the Galaxy vol. 2 is still worth a watch. Darkness and discovery, as well as lots of humor, awaits!
Rating: 3.75 out of 5 (Hubby's Rating: Worth Full Price to See Again!)
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