Virtual Tourist - Skyrim 7/5/15

Morning!

Skyrim
Just running around you run into all sorts of places!

Such a lovely view!

Bet this is so cool in the summer.

Has a bit of a pest problem though.

Lovely night for a full moon

Stars!

Neat carving (though it might also be a creature's head) - the witch who lives here was not very friendly.

Super interesting life form. A type of nymph? The witch had already killed it.

Such a large mountain!

Oh yeah, I'm a bad kitty!

This is the main room of a nest of vampires. Vampires! Had not been expecting those.

Statue looks super old. 

Hope you've had a fabulous weekend!

Mind Sieve 7/28/14

This will be a quick one!
ArmadilloCon was fun, but the catching up begins!




Morganville Trailer!  Woot!  Web series based on the Rachel Caine Morganville Vampire series. Sweet!

 

Mad Max: Fury Road Trailer. He's back!

Movie Review - Vampire Academy

Vampire Academy

Starring: Zoey Deutch, Lucy Fry, Danila Kozlovsky, Gabriel Byrne, Dominic Sherwood, Olga Kurylenko, Sarah Hyland, Cameron Monaghan, Sami Gayle, Ashley Charles, Claire Foy, Joely Richardson, Dominique Tipper, and more.

Directed by: Mark Waters Screenplay by: Daniel Waters Based on the Novel by: Richelle Mead Cinematography by: Tony Pierce-Roberts Music by: Rolfe Kent

Premise: After a year living among normal people, Lissa Dragomir and her protector, Rose Hathaway, are found again by the Guardians of the Vampire Academy. Lissa and Rose are the only survivors of a terrible car accident two years prior. One which has made Lissa the sole remaining Dragomir, and one who is in line for the throne. Not that the way she's treated by everyone at the academy makes her feel like she's actually anyone important. But her special bond with Rose, which goes beyond their survival of the crash, might be the one thing which will keep her out of evil's clutches. (PG-13)

Review:

1) Acting - Total Thumbs Up: Zoey Deutch was so much fun as Rose Hathaway. As the main character, her delivery of Rose's 'snark' and general 'speak her mind' attitude gave the film a lot of zing. Lucy Fry played a very convincing Lissa, demure and reserved yet slowly flowering into the queen she might yet be. Dominic Sherwood did great as the first smitten, later spurned, then boyfriend and Rose's 'frienemie'. Sarah Hyland and Sami Gayle were very convincing as their roles slowly changed through the film.

2) Special Effects - Total Thumbs Up: Since the Moroi are magic wielders, this gave ample opportunities for the special effects department to show us some neat little special effects. The change in Rose's eyes whenever she tuned in to Lissa looked great. And so did the Strigoi - the truly undead vampires in this universe. Their wolves were all right, though most special effect groups do seem to have a hard time with them. But definite praise should be given for the transformation which occurs late in the film - it was so seamless you almost didn't even realize it happened. A very impressive piece of work.

3) Story - Total Thumbs Up: Viewers are rushed about a little as a lot of information is fed to us very fast. Rose's continued commentary, however, helps with the transition. For the short 104 minutes of the film and the amount of history needed to be imparted to viewers to give them a sense of the world they were viewing, the screenplay did a pretty good job. I've not read the series the film is based on, but overall I felt I was given enough information to have a decent 'clue' on what was going on and why.

This is film based on a young adult series, so it brings up a lot of the usual issues in high school, except these are between living, magic using vampires and the half breeds who protect them. But there's also deeper machinations going on, like the fact Rose was compelled to get her and Lissa to run away the year before in the first place.

It does take some getting used to to think of the vampires at the academy as being alive and of another, very dangerous group who are actually the true undead. But as with any good story, the obvious bad guys aren't always the ones you really need to worry about. Not at first.

4) Stunts - Total Thumbs Up: Some neat training scenes and some definitely cooler combat scenes kept the stunt team quite busy. Add a few bits of magic later on, and the fights got even more of a kick.

Conclusion: "Vampire Academy" is a fast, fun ride. Some twists and turns and not all of them obvious. A cool introduction to a convoluted world.

Rating: 4 out of 5 (Hubby's Rating: Worth Full Price of Admission)

Movie Review - Hotel Transylvania

Hotel Transylvania

Starring: Adam Sandler, Andy Samberg, Selena Gomez, Kevin James, Fran Drescher, Steve Buscemi, Molly Shannon, David Spade, Ceelo Green, Jon Lovitz, Brian George, Luenell, and more...

Directed by: Genndy Tartakovsky Screenplay by: Peter Baynham and Robert Smigel Written by: Todd Durham, Dan Hageman, and Kevin Hageman Original Music by: Mark Mothersbaugh

Premise: In 1895, in an attempt to make sure his daughter would grow up safe, Dracula built a hidden castle where monsters could come and stay and not worry about being attacked by humans. In 2012, as his daughter's 118th birthday approaches, Dracula is desperate to curve her stubborn desire to see the world beyond their safe haven. He has a plan, and it miraculously succeeds, until his worst nightmare becomes a reality - a human has found the hotel. (Rated PG)

Review:

1) Voice Acting - Total Thumbs Up: A lot of comedic talent was brought in for the voice acting in the film and it worked fabulously. Adam Sandler does a great job as Dracula, the over protective father and still grieving widower. Mr. Sandler brings just enough of an accent that his portrayal fits the standard Dracula mold, but not overly so. He got it just right. Andy Samberg is a fun, happy, Johnny. And Selena Gomez was incredibly sweet as Mavis.

The side actors brought most of the levity to the film and you can tell they had a lot of fun doing it. They all did a wonderful job. The little old Gremlin lady was hilarious.

2) Artwork/Animation - Total Thumbs Up: The Sony Animation Studios continue to put out some fun stuff for the whole family to enjoy. "Hotel Transylvani" is also available in 3D, and that always works well with animated films. All the signature parts of the old black and white monster movies are in the movie, then are taken one step further, as if all the monsters of old are reaching their later years - they've mellowed, married, had children, and have been saddled with the same types of problems normal families have. Some of these situations are very subtle, but also hilarious because of it. The shot of the wolfman in bed with his wife said it all.

The setting had a good, creepy vibe, very reminiscent of the real Dracula's Castle in Transylvania. And the audience gets to see a lot of it - from the giant ballroom, to the roof, to an underground maze, and more. The food served here will not make you hungry, so some of the gross factor kids love is present, but not enough to bother the parents. Seeing the problems of running a hotel from the eyes of the proprietor was fun as well.  Dracula does have a definite flare, even when only dealing with clogged toilets.

There were several beautiful spanning shots. And a truly lovely sunrise during one part of the film. All the settings were excellent.

3) Plot/Story - Total Thumbs Up:  Though the main theme is emotional - an overprotective parent and his independence seeking child at odds - there is also a lot of humor woven throughout the film. My husband was laughing out long almost continuously.

The movie has a lot of old monster movie and parenting/marriage jokes as part of the story, so there's a lot of fodder for the parents to enjoy. The kids will totally love the monsters, especially the wolfman's kids. Mayhem abounds to keep everyone's attention glued to the screen.

Conclusion: A fun, spooky, and rather poignant film that will be enjoyed by the whole family. If you're a fan of the old black and white monster movies, you'll find plenty to love here.

Rating: 4.25 out of 5 (Hubby's Rating: Worth Paying Full Price To See Again!)

Movie Review - Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter

Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter

Starring: Benjamin Walker, Dominic Cooper, Anthony Mackie, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Rufus Sewell, Alan Tudyk, Jimmi Simpson, Marton Csokas, Erin Wasson, and more.

Directed by: Timur Bekmambetov Screenplay by: Seth Grahamme-Smith Based on the Novel by: Seth Grahamme-Smith Cinematography by: Caleb Deschanel Original Music by: Henry Jackman

Premise: History gets written, but sometimes not all the details of what actually happened are disclosed. This is the untold story of Abraham Lincoln. Of the horrors he faced in his youth and the path he chose to try to reap vengeance on those who destroyed his family. A close look at the life of Abraham Lincoln Vampire Hunter. (Rated R)

Review:

1) Acting - Thumbs Up: Benjamin Walker did a great job portraying Mr Lincoln, especially in the later years, as he assumed the poses and mannerisms of the President that we've come to know from photos and other accounts.

There were several surprises in unexpected faces in the film such as Alan Tudyk and Jimmi Simpson. It was great to see them and they added their awesome talents to the film, even in the small bits.

Mary Elizabeth Winstead was adorable as Mary Todd.

2) Special Effects - Total Thumbs Up: Twice in the film the land around the viewer shifts from one time to another, but done subtly with layers being peeled back one by one. These were exceptional! They also were a great way to transfer the audience to another time at the same place and impart the look and feel of the era of each sequence before actually zooming in to those involved.

The fighting scene which ran through the middle of a CGI horse stampede was a sight to see! It truly brought home just exactly the type of supernatural beings Abraham was having to deal with. Where else will you see horses used as weapons? Too much fun.

The entire train sequence too was masterful. And done in such a way as to make some of the amazing actions appear plausible.

3) Plot/Story - Thumbs Up: Depending on the viewer, they will either accept the film as an Alternate History (the best route to take) or a rewriting of it. In general, the plot maintained historical accuracy, though not always in the specifics. Lincoln had several children, not just one, for instance.

But, pushing historical accuracy aside, and adding a small amount of 'suspension of disbelief', the story worked rather well. There was an odd surprise about the vampires in this universe that played for a nice sub story. I also enjoyed the red herring towards the end.

4) Locations/Cinematography - Total Thumbs Up: Truly wish they'd done this one in IMAX. There were lots of spanning views, moonlit nights, battles, trains, stampedes - plenty of food for the eyes. The sets and locations totally fit the period and the different locations. There were even subtle hints and jokes drizzled here and there amid the posters and advertisements. That was fun!

5) Costuming/Makeup - Total Thumbs Up: A lot of care seemed to have gone into the costumes to better submerge the viewer into the time period. The makeup for the vampires was well done and appeared to fluctuate depending on how recently the vampire had fed, which was a nice touch.

Conclusion: A fun venture into looking at a past that might have been, and one filled with great action scenes and CGI work.

Rating: 3.75 out of 5 (Hubby's Rating: Worth Full Price Of Admission)