Geeking out about higher ed since 2013.
If you're as excited as I am for Dawn of the Planet of the Apes as I am, you'll want to check out these short films that tell some short vignette stories that lead up to the feature film. I feel like the movie is going to have a bit more of an impact knowing how the outbreak of the simian virus affected humanity.
Let me know what you think if you watch them
This week's movie is Mr. Nobody (2009), starring Jared Leto as the last mortal in a world of quasi-immortals. Laying on his death bed, he reflects back on his life and tries to figure out if he made the right choices.
My feelings on this movie are mixed. The proposition this movie puts forth is what drew me in but it is certainly a lofty goal to achieve. The end result is a movie that is a complex & thoughtful answer to a complex & thoughtful question. I say this in both a good and bad way.
Where the film works is where it is giving credence to all the "what ifs" of our life and trying to figure out what was the "right choice". The film goes through Jared Leto's character's (Nemo, aka ' Mr. Nobody') entire life of choices and showcases how sort of a butterfly effect can happen with our choices. Where I feel as though the movie falters a bit is how the 'story' is told. It is very nonlinear, frenetic, disjointed, and at times seems to lack a sense of direction. The visuals and editing are interesting up until a point where it gets to be frustrating (to me at least) since I just couldn't keep track of what was happening. Jared Leto is the only real main actor in the movie, with some other folks in lesser supporting roles. Leto does well in the movie, reminding me that he is pretty awesome for being a good actor and a good musician with 30 Seconds to Mars.
I will commend this movie for it's high aspirations. It was a movie I initially wasn't into so much when I finished watching it but it was a good conversation starter when I was explaining it to some friends. I'll leave it up to you to decide what you think about this movie. It's complicated to be sure but maybe that's a good thing?
Stream Mr. Nobody today and be sure to let me know what you think of it if you check it out!
Thanks for stopping by!
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nX5PwfEMBM0] Thinking about making a trip out to see Snowpiercer this weekend. It has gotten a lot of good buzz and it is expanding its release to a lot more theaters across the country. Anyone see it already or plan on seeing it?
Salutations, good people!
Here's what I'm geeking out about this week. (Happy Independence Day!)
I've given love for this show many times in the past and this time is one of much joy, being able to say definitively that Community is coming back for season 6 on Yahoo. I was hoping to see it on Hulu since I want their digital network to have a killer show like House of Cards or Orange is the New Black but I'm still happy that it ended up somewhere. I'm mostly looking forward to some closure since just having this would be good to wrap things up (and then a short movie just to complete the prophecy). I'm sure I'll share my thoughts when the show comes back. If you haven't watched the show yet, all of the series is streaming via Hulu Plus. Long live Community!
I am continually exploring more of the world of comic books and my latest foray is into some of the recent Green Lantern comics, namely all the stories surrounding the Blackest Night story arc. I really do feel like Green Lantern (any and all of them) is my favorite DC character, right alongside Spider-Man from Marvel. I've only just started getting into some of the comics I've bought recently (Sinestro Corps War, Rage of the Red Lanterns, Agent Orange) but be sure I will be mining them for some relevant moral nuggets to share with you all.
So, as of today, I have been back up in my home state of Maine for a week now. I came here for my new job at a school up here and I've just started to get settled in fully. I've started to meet all the people I'll be working with, decorate my new office (which I'm excited to have, since it is my first one), and explore the surrounding area. I'm eager to get into my routine and start working on some projects since I'm still sort of the newbie after my first week who doesn't know how to do anything. I'll definitely be sharing thoughts about things as the process goes along.
Thanks for stopping by and enjoy the holiday weekend!
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DpSaTrW4leg] Excited for this movie to come out next week! Who else is planning on seeing it?
Greetings!
Here are all of my awesome reviews for the month of June. Enjoy!
As always, if you have any recommendations for movies that I should watch that are streaming on Netflix, let me know! I always appreciate getting pointed in the direction of new movies I haven't seen.
Thanks for stopping by!
Hey there!
Welcome to another collection of my geek outs, this time, for the magical month of June. I had an eventful month but I still wanted to share what was going on for me in the realm of geekdom and life so check out everything from the past month below.
Thanks for stopping by and to all of you for your continued support. It means a lot!
Salutations good people!
Welcome to another Movie Review Monday! This week's film is World War Z, starring Brad Pitt.
This movie (loosely based on the book of the same name) is an interesting one for many reasons. First off, it had many production issues, creating a huge budget for the movie (nearly $200 million) as well as needing re-shoots to do the entire end of the movie over after the original cut didn't jive with the powers that be (the explanation of the original ending has some spoilers, so wait until you've watched the movie to find out how it was supposed to end).
The movie is also intriguing since it is so loosely adapted from the book. I haven't read it but I know at least that it is a journal retrospective of how the zombie apocalypse happened whereas the movie is more of a race against time action thriller. An adaptation of a book of faux interviews is difficult to be sure, but it could have been something more original with such a unique basis to pull from.
Alright, onto the movie itself. I watched the uncut version available on Netflix, which has more blood and violence than the PG-13 version shown in the theaters (check out the differences here after you watch the movie). I would recommend seeing this one since it is more of what the movie should have been. The violence gives the movie more of a tense, visceral feel that builds upon the best parts of the film.
For my actual review of World War Z; I enjoyed this movie. I enjoy the zombie genre enough and I like this different interpretation and worldwide scale to the story. Brad Pitt does well carrying the film, being in pretty much every scene. The zombies are great and I appreciate all the practical effects they used paired with CGI when it was needed. The tense action and investigative drama of the plot is engaging as you journey with Pitt's character to figure out this global epidemic.
While it could have been something completely different and original and isn't perfect, I enjoyed World War Z and would definitely recommend it. Stream it today and I hope you enjoy it as well!
Thanks for stopping by!
Hey there, friends!
Here is what I'm geeking out about this week (pardon the simplicity, I'm moving this week to Maine for a new job. Be on the lookout for posts on that soon...).
I downloaded a bunch of podcasts to get me through the ride up to Maine, which is 7+ hours. I'm not much for long car rides but having something thoughtful to listen to definitely helped. I'm a big fan of the Nerdist Podcast, Smart People, and The School of Greatness.
I've had a blossoming coffee addiction grow since last summer when I did orientation for long hours all season. I am very grateful for it helping keep me awake, which allowed me to drive safe, which allowed me to not die nor kill anyone else in my car while driving to Maine. I am forever in your debt, sweet java!
Where I am right now when I sit and think about it is greatly humbling. I am very grateful to have gotten a job where I did, when I did and I am thankful to have a loving partner, good health, a freaking master's degree, and all the little things in my life that I'm sure I take for granted. I want to work to help others get to where I am in my life, in their own ways of course. I want everyone to be able to feel safe, have a roof over their head, and be able to do what they love. It's a continuing work in progress to be sure but it is sure to be a hell of a ride.
Be well, everyone and I'll see you next week!
Thanks for stopping by!
I stumbled upon this article recently and found it to be another thoughtful and relevant look into the images media is portraying for audiences today, similar to the "Flawless Rescue Stud" phenomenon I wrote about earlier.
I definitely agree with the author that Emily Blunt in Edge of Tomorrow was a great character, and I wish more females in movies were like her. It is disappointing to hear of a lot of recent films with strong females who are given nothing to do to further the plot. It seems like such a waste!
I always enjoy reading things like this so I thought I'd share. Let me know what you think about it.