Movie Review Monday: Trainspotting

Welcome to another edition of Movie Review Monday!

This week's film comes to us via Netflix, and is 1996's Trainspotting, starring Ewan McGregor, Jonny Lee Miller, & Robert Carlyle, among others.

I've had this film in my queue for quite a while. So long I don't even remember why I put it there in the first place. I know it's a classic film with its own sort of reverence and respect in the film world. After watching it, nearly twenty years after it came out, I can see why it was so engaging to folks. It's a highly unique, stylistic, surreal, fast-paced movie that leaves you disoriented, but still getting a fun ride and a interesting character study in the process.

Ewan McGregor's Renton is the main character, and the story follows his journey to get clean, literally and figuratively. He and his friends are addicted to drugs but Renton is looking to get off the stuff and clean up his life and go straight. A great deal of the interesting elements of the film come from Renton's struggles with drug use and the trippy sequence when he is in withdrawals. Most of the movie is Renton's narration, so you're able to get behind his actions and hear what he is thinking versus imagining it. It is done in such a way to not belittle the audience's intelligence, but to provide a more complex context to the happenings in the film. We also see how Renton's actions affect others, which is a nice touch too. Most of the movie could be watched being against Renton, since he is very morally gray. It makes for an interesting story, that I would liken in spirit to something like Breaking Bad, where you're rooting for and against the main character at different times.

My only criticisms might be that the other characters seem sort of two dimensional at times. It is Renton's show to be sure, but the other folks just seem to be a one trick pony or even just sort of vanish altogether. It's not a major gripe, but the most evident one I can think of.

That being said, I definitely recommend Trainspotting. It has a cinematic vibe similar to Scott Pilgrim VS The World in the way it is edited and shot, so I was definitely sold on it in that way.

You can stream Trainspotting now on Netflix!

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What I'm Geeking Out About This Week - 09/19/14

Come geek out with me!

Hey there! Thanks for checking out what I'm geeking out about this week. This has been a random week of awesome stuff that I want to share with you all so lets dive in!

• The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 1 Trailer

This amazing trailer dropped this week and it is really getting me hyped for this movie. There isn't much else coming out this fall that I'm getting a lot of buzz for so I'm definitely going to look forward to seeing THG: Mockingjay P1 when it comes out November 21. I've warmed to this series of films, especially with Catching Fire being really great. The first movie didn't do too much for me and I was just left wanting basically what is happening in this movie to happen. Catching Fire was a solid bridge movie though and definitely worth a watch before Nov. 21!

• Apple iOS 8

I upgraded my various Apple devices this week to the new operating system and have been loving all the new little features. I always appreciate that every year, with the new iOS updates, I feel more value coming into my pocket at no cost to me. Apple definitely does well by me with their continuous improvements. I can't wait to get OS X Yosemite on my laptop and desktop!

• @midnight

I've been enjoying this late night comedy show hosted by my role model, Chris Hardwick, since it premiered earlier this year. They've been very consistent with the quality and the guests and I find myself watching it every day along with current episodes of The Daily Show. They crush it with their signature Hashtag Wars on Twitter (even when they're off the air for breaks!). I also can't complain with seeing Chris Hardwick more often on my television. He's so great, the show is great, check it out now!

Thanks for stopping by!

Star Wars & Always Seeing the Good in People

"No. You're coming with me. I'll not leave you here, I've got to save you."

"You already... have, Luke. You were right. You were right about me. Tell your sister... you were right."

I have surprisingly not blogged a lot about Star Wars yet, even though it is one of my major fandoms. I've loved it for a long time now and I am cautiously optimistic about Episode VII that is due to come out next year.

A major arc of the Star Wars films is Anakin's journey toward the dark side and coming back to the light in the end to save the day and rescue his son, Luke, from the Emperor. Luke, after discovering that Darth Vader is actually his father, Anakin, can't bring himself to simply kill his father for the good of the galaxy. He knows Anakin is a good person who did bad things, not just simply an evil person who must die without any chance for redemption. Others see Luke as foolish for believing he can save his father, who others see as too far gone. Luke commits to his stance to save his father AND the galaxy, not willing to give up simply from the pressure of others. In the end, he is able to accomplish his goal and give Anakin a brief moment in the light before he dies from his injuries inflicted from his rescue of Luke.

If you've seen Return of the Jedi, you know the whole sequence I'm talking about and if you've seen the whole saga of films, you know Anakin's arc from the six films. While there is a lot of valid gripes folks have with the two trilogies (myself included), the thing I love about the story is Anakin's character arc, going from a wide-eyed kid on Tatooine, to Jedi Knight and hero of the Clone Wars to a broken man (literally and figuratively) and back to his good natured self that has always been there deep inside.

A major takeaway here that I really appreciate is not giving up on people. People make bad choices, we all do, but that doesn't mean they're bad people. People make choices based on their past, what they're feeling now, and what they want for the future. All of this is subject to flux based on who they surround themselves with, their environments, and who may not be around them to help them make positive choices. I'm a empathetic person, and I always see things from others' perspectives. It can be a gift and a curse, but I would never want to not feel anything for others when they're suffering, confused, lost, or misunderstood. Working in student affairs, and especially in residence life, I see this a lot. I can't ever assume everyone is hiding something, has ulterior motives, or is doing this to hurt me personally. I prefer to stay positive, give people chances, and trust people until they give me a reason not to.

This lesson from Star Wars is a big one, I feel, in my ongoing effort to reach zen status (or perhaps Jedi Mastery?!). I don't ever want to be someone who is just mad at the world and thinks everyone is evil, selfish, and immoral. I think when people are given the opportunity to do what's right, they'll do it. We just have to trust each other, love unconditionally, and put good energy out into the universe. Maybe then we'll be able to work together to build a more decent, good, and just galaxy here and far, far away.

Thanks for stopping by!

Book Review: Geek Wisdom

“What was your religion when you were growing up?” And my answer was: “Uh, science fiction, pretty much.”

I've been wanting to review this book for a while now, as I read a few months ago but I just haven't gotten around to it. This 2011 book is by a collection of author who curate awesome geeky quotes from movies, television, and literature to explore the morals and lessons that make up the nerd lexicon.

Everything from Princess Bride, Star Wars, Lord of the Rings, Spider-Man, The Twilight Zone, and much, much more is covered here. Each quote has a short page or two's worth of extrapolation where the real world lessons are found. The writing is fun, light, and engaging, with a lot of great life advice woven in. The writing is broken up by broad topics; quotes about the self, conflict, the future, the universe, etc.

Here are a few of my favorite quotes:

"With great power comes great responsibility."

"Not all those who wander are lost."

"No matter where you go, there you are."

"Ideas are bulletproof."

"There are weapons that are simply thoughts. For the record, prejudices can kill and suspicion can destroy."

I take my entertainment seriously. I look into the symbolism, character arcs, lessons, morals, quotes, and implications of what happens in my favorite stories, no matter what it is. A lot of people are dismissive of geeky pursuits but I've always known that there is power behind what we enjoy. We learn, grow, and create community around what we love and this book helps capture some of that spirit.

I definitely recommend Geek Wisdom for all those geeks and nerds out there looking to find the deeper meaning behind their favorite geekdoms or even those not yet acclimated to all these wonderful worlds. Maybe it will get you excited to check out something new!

You can find it at Amazon, or any of your favorite booksellers.

Thanks for stopping by!

What I'm Geeking Out About This Week - 09/12/14

Here's to another week in geek!

This week's stuff is all local places and events I've been enjoying lately. I share these in an effort to encourage you all to get out and shop local! I'm sure there is more cool stuff going on than you know in your cities and towns and awesome stores to support with people who live in your community!

• Bangor Greendrinks

If you read my previous post about some life updates, you saw a picture from a fun event here in town called Bangor Greendrinks. As the name implies, it is a monthly community gathering for folks to have a drink and share their love of sustainability in all its forms. The events are held at different local establishments and have different local breweries supply the beer as well as a different local shop donate food for the event. It's an awesome community effort that I plan on going to every month. I've already met some cool people out at the gatherings and I look forward to meeting many more!

• Bull Moose

I usually buy all my movies and games from Amazon these days but I recently was introduced to a super cool local store called Bull Moose. It's a local chain that sells new and pre-owned movies, books, games, and music (including vinyl). The games are everything from NES to Xbox One and they have comic books, all sorts of movies, and lots of other cool stuff. I have really appreciated their customer service and their prices are very competitive. Even if I'm paying a little bit more, I've enjoyed the personal touch and the opportunity to shop local for all my geeky media needs.

• The Juice Cellar

These cool cats were at the most recent Greendrinks event and had some delicious samples of their all-natural, locally sourced juices and smoothies. I got to chat with the owner and founder at the event too, which was awesome, and I am really looking forward to their opening of their second location in downtown Bangor. I also thought it is super cool that they're doing an IndieGogo campaign to help launch this new endeavor, which is great marketing and helps have great community buy-in from the start. Yay for local healthy food stuffs!

Thanks for stopping by!

Movie Review Monthly: August 2014

Greetings and salutations!

Welcome to this monthly wrap-up of my weekly movie reviews!

In an ongoing effort to better serve up my content to you all, here is what I watched in the month of August. Enjoy!

• The Spectacular Now
• In Bruges
• Jiro Dreams of Sushi
• The Breakfast Club

Thanks for stopping by!

Some Brief Life Updates!

Hey there, everybody!

It's been a little over two months since I got up here to Maine for my new full-time position so I thought since I have a bit of down time after training and opening, I'd share some thoughts and feelings from the experience so far.

My first month here was pretty hard for me personally. I wrote previously about some of the professional struggles I had, and they only compounded some of the feelings of loneliness and adjustment struggles to being in a new, very different area from where I was before. It was a bit of a culture shock not really knowing what to expect going from central New Jersey to central Maine. I've never lived in Maine so the rural aspect to the area was a bit jarring at first. I should have known what I was in for from my visits throughout my life but alas, it nevertheless was a bit of a rocky landing. Thankfully, after the first few weeks of finding my way around and figuring out my own rhythm in this strange land, I began to feel better. The people were welcoming, the cool local places were a lot of fun and I got to see a whole other side to my home state I've never seen before.

So, as month two began, I was in much of a flow than I was before. I had some routine and a supportive community of friends and colleagues beginning to develop. Then training and opening happened. It was rough for me as it always is. It was especially tough since I am new to this institution and put a lot of pressure on myself to know all the answers and be able to do everything for my students but I couldn't. There are many other frustrations I've had over the entire two months but that my be a post for another time.

I look forward to the beginning of a new academic year that is full of learning experiences for me. I'm in a state I've never lived in before, at a small private university (unlike the two, large, public universities I came from before), working with new people in an albeit familiar way but in a totally different context. It is rough at times but I know I'll be a better professional at the end of it all.

I never want to just play it safe any more, I've had plenty of that. I look forward to more adventures this year and beyond as I look to grow and learn as a person and a professional. I'm ready to get out into the world and make a difference for my students this year.

I'll keep blogging periodically as cool things happen and I have something to say, so stay tuned!

Thanks for stopping by!

What I Was Geeking Out About: August 2014

Welcome to another monthly wrap-up of my weekly geek outs!

In an ongoing effort to better serve up my awesome content to you, here is a look back at the previous month's geek outs! Enjoy!

• Week of 08/01/14
• Week of 08/08/14
• Week of 08/15/14
• Week of 08/22/14
• Week of 08/29/14

Thanks for stopping by!

Movie Review Monday: Heathers

Welcome to another edition of Movie Review Monday!

This week's movie is Heathers from 1988, which comes to us via Netflix and stars Christian Slater and Winona Ryder.

The basic premise of the classic movie is that a high school student named Veronica (Ryder) is fed up with her clique-y group of popular friends, the "Heathers", and wishes they would just go away. In comes Slater's character who has a deadly solution. It all seems like fun and games until the bodies start to pile up and the whole school is thrown into chaos. Think Mean Girls just with more guns, death, and mayhem.

The movie isn't terribly gory or violent. It is also rather cheeky and silly at times. It's a mash-up of genres for sure, a dark, comedic, thriller where Ryder is forced to deal with her problems maturely. There is a lot going on thematically but it all works. There is also cliche 80s and high school stereotypes in the movie, which is great decades apart from the time this movie came out. You have your overly dorky nerds, stupid cops, aloof parents, and dimwitted jocks. The dialogue in this movie is also pretty incredible, with zingers, one-liners, and quotables all over the place. It's a lot of fun and gives the movie its unique flavor.

My only gripe, which I totally acknowledge comes from me being in 2014 and this movie being nearly as old as I am, is that a major sequence in the film is about how the jocks are pranked and made to look like they're gay, which is apparently the worst thing in the world. It was certainly a different time back then.

I recommend this movie as a pretty solid popcorn movie you don't have to think too much about but it is certainly smarter than it looks.

You can check out Heathers streaming now on Netflix!

Thanks for stopping by!

What I'm Geeking Out About This Week - 09/05/14

Welcome to another week in geek!

Hey everybody. Here is what I'm into lately!

• Party Down

So this cult series originally aired on Starz from 2009-10 and had one of my favorite actors in it, Adam Scott from Parks & Recreation fame. Parks grabbed Adam Scott from this show as did Glee with Jane Lynch. The series didn't fare too well with viewers at the time but it has had a second life after its too short tenure. All of the episodes have found a home at Hulu Plus and I've been rewatching them for nostalgia's sake. The premise is that a bunch of wannabe actors and writers in Los Angeles work as caterers and get into a bunch of wacky antics. To put it succinctly, the show is great, you should watch it. All the actors are wonderful in it and it is very smart and witty, like me!

• Timehop

I've seen a lot of people using this app lately so I decided to check it out. It's been a lot of fun seeing what happened on each day in my life several years ago via what I posted that day. It's free and fun and helps us wax nostalgic, social media style. Check it out!

• Fantasy Football

I have had the pleasure of being a part of a student affairs fantasy football league of some kind for the past three years. Doing fantasy football has been an awesome way to get more into the sport, since I get all the updates of how my players are doing and have more of a general idea of how each team is doing as well. I won my league last year, and I have a pretty solid lineup this year so I am looking forward to seeing how they do!

Thanks for stopping by!