Ad Astra - To the Stars & Back, NOT a Space Odyssey

The first half of the film, I thought, was well made. A little bit of a slow burn but visually very good and it felt like it was building up to something big. While some shots like the rovers though, were amazing, there was a weird dichotomy in the sets.  The ships and space walks were fantastic but the buildings on the moon and Mars felt like a mix of plain concrete walkways and cheap, nailed together boards and office furniture. 

That aside, I was enjoying the film for the first 2/3s and could see almost Kubrick type elements building to a confrontation and possible psychological break down. 

Unfortunately, the end was a fizzle. No real confrontation or explaination. No really answered questions, no dire threat. And an uneventful return home. In the end, what felt like it could have been a great film, in the style of 2001 a Space Odyssey,  ended up being mediocre at best. 

A Dark Beginning for the Dark Universe

Anyone who has been online this week has probably come across the many bad reviews being put out for Universal Studios' newest incarnation of The Mummy.  It's even currently sitting at a not so fresh 17% on Rotten Tomatoes, though if you look closer the audience score is actually 45%.  That's probably a bit more accurate and fair.

The studio has decided to create its own Dark Universe, likely inspired by the success of such franchises as Marvel's MCU, and bring to life the army of classic movie monsters it just happens to own the rights to.  The Mummy is the first step into this new overlapping world and gone is the campiness of the 1999 Brendan Fraser and Rachel Weisz romp along with the brooding full body wraps of the classic 1959 version with Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing. Instead, the film is full of clear visuals, crisp visual effects and surprisingly not horrible acting.

I went into the film not expecting much, I will be honest.  I knew what people were saying and I have also grown somewhat tired of the recent offerings from Tom Cruise, action hero. I can say though, quite honestly, I was pleasantly surprised.  Yes, some parts almost have a slightly desperate quality where you can tell the team making it wanted to put in everything they could in the hopes of making it successful but nothing jarring.  The story's main antagonist in the vengeful Egyptian princess Ahmanet is carried off really well by actress Sofia Boutella and the sweet looking blonde from the trailers, played by Annabelle Wallis, has more depth that I was expecting from the trashing her character was getting in the reviews.  To the point where I'm really hoping they intend to branch her out and make her the main lead and tie in for the next story.  I think both the character and the actress have more to give if they are given the chance and the script to work with.   Even Cruise manages to give some good comedic timing moments and character development. 

It definitely has some flaws but I watched it and was entertained.  There were some jumps, some snickers, some moments of genuine surprise and I enjoyed seeing nods both to what is alluded to for the rest of the Universe and to earlier imaginings of the story.

The movie is no Iron Man, breaking barriers and leaving audiences astounded, but its more enjoyable and entertaining than it's being made out to be. If Universal can step its game up a bit for the next installment, it may actually be able to get more audiences on side and build this Dark Universe it's hoping for.

Two Little Words and the World Crumbles

There's been a lot of uproar on social media the last couple days, with all of it caused by two little words..."Hail Hydra".  The reveal of Marvel's so called Hydra Cap has brought about some very strong feelings and opinions in many people and I've been trying to find a way to put my own feelings into words.

I missed the original announcement/reception because I'm not online at my work place. When I finally heard the news and sat down to do some catching up, my initial reaction was disbelief combined with the thought "well, he's got to be undercover or something". But the way Marvel and the writers are talking about it deliberately denies that idea.

After that, all I could feel was dislike and heavy disappointment. For so many reasons. 

Firstly, for whatever their stated reasons for going down this path, this feels like a really cheap gimmick and something you're more likely to see in DC than in Marvel. This is not me just having an us against them attitude either, I'm very aware people can like both, but I personally generally find DC characters and storylines somewhat lacking and heavily relying on these kinds of gimmicks mixed with cardboard archetype characters. Marvel usually has more depth than this.

Secondly, they're inferring things like Sarah Rogers, a woman that has always previously been about standing up for yourself and others and being the best you can be, led Steve into Hydra back before the serum. I'm sorry, but Natasha and Bruce's MCU Ultron romance has more believability than that. (For those who don't know me, that's said with sarcasm and heavy eye rolling)

Thirdly (and importantly), it's both disrespectful to the core ideals the character has always held and to the original (Jewish) creators of the character. Yes, Marvel owns Cap and can do whatever they want, but they also have a responsibility to the fans and to the legacy that Steve Rogers as Captain America represents. This kinda craps on both. 

Finally, the attitude of the writers and Marvel more closely echoes the glee of Internet trolls right now than the usually stand up company myself and others are used to loving and cherishing. They are delighting in the divisiveness this idea is causing, the writers are actively encouraging it, and they don't seem to care about the heartache being caused to fans of all ages. That's sad to see from a comic company that usually writes with a bent towards inclusiveness, equality and acceptance.

They will make their money, I'm sure, as there are always those that enjoy seeing things torn apart or that don't have strong feelings or find Cap boring etc etc etc. But it won't be my money and it won't be that of many people I know and trust. Which is again sad because I was kind of curious and looking forward to the new series. I LIKE the new look. But I can't like or condone the story, even if it all comes right in the end.

John Wick

What can I say about John Wick? Firstly, the fact that it seems to be coming to the end of it's run in our cinemas, despite only having been out 2.5 weeks, is a bit of a travesty.  I'm sure that those who make the decisions have some great reason for this.  Just like I'm sure there's a reason a lot of people haven't gone to see this film, but I'm not entirely sure what either of these are.

I've been curious about this film since first hearing about it, mostly because the production involved some of the most talented names of the stunt community today and I knew the action scenes would be visually interesting.  I also thought it interesting that Keanu felt strongly enough about the film to help back it as one of the executive producers.  What's it about?

John Wick is a simple story of sadness, revenge and an ex-hitman coming out of retirement for very personal reasons.  One of these is the death of his dog at the hand of some thugs. 

No, this is not a spoiler, it's shown in the trailer. For those who may have skipped this film because of that fact, let me put your mind at ease. I was worried about my reaction to that part too but it is, thankfully, short and off camera. It hits home and makes a point, makes you feel, but it's not the excruciating moment it could have been otherwise, in my opinion.

It definitely makes you feel for John, though, and makes you want to cheer him on.

The film has a pretty straight forward plot and there isn't a lot in the way of character development but that's actually okay.  This is, in a way, an action film made by action fans, for action fans.  First time directors Chad Stahelski and David Leitch are stuntmen, through and through. They've been in the business a couple decades each and have worked on some of the biggest name movies in Hollywood.  They know what works on film and what looks good.  The action shots were clear and free of shaky cam, wide enough to get a good sense of the action and allowed the viewer to follow everything easily without jumping from cut to cut.  The fights themselves...well, they just worked. They were fast, brutal and realistic and they didn't seem like rehash of fights scenes you've seen before.  A lot of that credit goes to the guys and gals at 87Eleven Action Design, who did the stunt work in the film.  This is a group of talented and hard working people who live and breathe stunt work, and it shows in their projects.

For all that John Wick is a pretty simple action flick, it's also got an underlying sense of humor that helps move the story along.  It keeps the film from being too morose and dark, gets the viewer cheering even more for John and adds to the entertainment value of the film.  I personally found myself snickering quite a few times.  Some of that is definitely due to some of the fantastic actors thrown into some of the smallest of parts.

Generally speaking, I found it an entertaining movie.  What more can I say?  It has 84% on Rotten Tomatoes?  I'd probably agree with that.  I enjoyed seeing it on the big screen, where it's easy to take everything in, and I'm fairly certain I'll watch it again when it comes out on dvd.  If you can catch it before it leaves the cinemas (without breaking the bank) then do it. Take a night and just enjoy some entertaining action.

87Eleven Action Design on YouTube

 

Snowpiercer

I'm still kind of processing what I just watched, not because it was strange or confusing but because it was more than I was expecting.

Like most people, I'm sure, I heard about the film 'Snowpiercer' because its star is none other than the very popular Chris Evans. Realising that it was both a somewhat post-apocalyptic sci-fi film and one with a serious tone to it made me very curious, especially because Chris is known more for his comedic side than his serious one.

Note to Avengers fans, this is also the role he was in the midst of when he had to hide his grown out beard for the infamous Shwarma credits scene.

That was quite literally all that I knew going into the film. I certainly didn't know it was based on a 1980's French graphic novel known as 'Le Transperceneige' but have discovered that since and am now curious enough to try and track down a copy of the novel.

The basic premise of the film is that humans have screwed up royally (as we tend to do, especially in post-apocalyptic scenarios) and the entire world has been covered in ice and snow. The few surviving humans live on the Snowpiercer, a special train that travels continuously around the world, never stopping. Going outside means death. If the train were to fail, everyone would die. And, in a perfect representation of society as a whole, there is a class system in place where the rich and powerful have everything they want and ride at the front of the train while those with nothing ride at the tail.

Curtis Everett (Evans) is a man who has lived half his life in the tail of this train, surviving on the little given to them by the elites at the front. As with any story involving caste systems and the downtrodden, Curtis and his cohorts want a change and they plan a rebellion.

This is South Korean director Bong Joon-ho's first English language film and contains a cast of Tilda Swinton, John Hurt, Ed Harris and a grown up Jamie Bell alongside the earlier mentioned Evans, which kind of surprised me as I'd tried not to read much about the film beforehand. It's all pretty much perfect casting, as is the rest of the ensemble that makes up the group of interesting and classic characters.

Visually, the film had a strange kind of beauty to it and the contrast between the different parts of the train and the starkness of the white snow outside it was quite eye catching. The effects weren't perfectly flawless but there wasn't anything that jumped out too badly and some parts were amazingly well done. For all that my brain knew the truth behind this miraculous train to be an impossibility, it all blended well enough together that I was allowed to believe in it for the sake of the film.

The story was simple, classically so, so there weren't too many surprises but some of the twists towards the end were unexpected. Despite the simplicity of the story, or maybe because of it, I found myself actually quite drawn in and fascinated throughout the film. Seeing Chris in this role was also a real draw as there were no one liners, no snappy comebacks, just a seriousness and gravity to the character that was very believable and deeper than he's shown in even his role as Captain America. Of course, you find out about his story as the film goes on, through his own words and his interactions with those around him and some of it is a little shocking.

I don't want to give much away, and I certainly don’t want to drum up expectations, but I found this film enjoyable and entertaining. I would actually like to watch it again so I can pay more attention to the background. I recommend this film, to anyone who likes survival stories or that dead world atmosphere and certainly to anyone fond of Evans' work as it's a good role for him and quite a change of pace.

Truth, Justice And Relevance - A Reply

The date of July the 4th means a great many things and has significance to a large number of people. Today it has inspired some thoughts and a blog post from a friend about a couple of the biggest icons in comic history, and their relevance today.

Truth Justice Liberty Hope Relevance is an interesting read, talking about DC's Superman and Marvel's Captain America and their place in the world today.  Reading it, I knew immediately that I would have something to say in return because it feels like a puzzle piece, just one piece of a larger conversation that has been ongoing between myself a friends for a very long time.

I'll start by admitting a personal bias right off.  I've been an avid supporter of Marvel just about my whole life and my attempts to get into the DC universe have generally been met with a variety of less than stellar responses. I'm going to do my best to put that bias aside however, while at the same time I'll also be trying to look at this from the view point of someone who hasn't grown up immersed in comic culture.

Captain America & Superman...are they relevant in today's cynical society or has the shine worn off these icons of "good"?  This is the essential premise of the question Darcrider asks.

As he says, each of these characters is held up as an image to embody what is the "best" in the United States of America, living symbols of truth, justice and the American Dream. Each filled to the brim with happy propaganda and somewhat dated in their adherence to "old fashioned" values that sometimes seem to have no place in the world today.  With various levels of success, they continue to front large franchises as the average public buys movie tickets, plastic toys and logo-ed t-shirts, so you would think that answers the relevancy question in itself but I think it's more complicated than that.

Superman feels like he's always been around and, unless you were born before 1938, that's pretty much true. Everyone knows his origin; the last survivor of a dead alien world, raised without knowledge of his birth by a simple Kansas family until his teens when are the powers given to him by our yellow sun show him just how different he really is. He is the eternal outsider fighting for a world not his own and saving us from ourselves and outside forces, doing it because it's the "right" thing to do and also in the hopes of finding acceptance with people who would supposedly just fear him otherwise. Clark Kent, the name he was first raised under, becomes his secret identity to hide who really is.

Captain America came into the comic scene just 3 years behind his DC compatriot, all bright and shiny in his very obvious red, white and blue finery.  He was created to instill patriotism and fight fear in a populace gone from Depression to war in a blink of an eye.  A symbol of good, of strength and justice and all that people should strive for, he doesn't actually exist.  Steve Rogers is a man who grew up rough in Brooklyn, New York during the Great Depression, the son of Irish immigrants. Sickly and frail for most of his young life, he still wanted to make a difference and gets his chance thanks to an experimental serum. That serum and the Army's propaganda machine, turn him into Captain America.

In a way, for all their similarities, these two icons are almost polar opposites.

I can remember a time when I thought Captain America was dull but that had more to do with perceiving him as an overly patriotic symbol of the great US of A rather than for his ideals.  When I came to realize that he was more than the flag he wore, that's actually when I began to find him interesting.  The average person doesn't know the origin of Cap as well as they do Supes nor do they know his story, the layers of his personality and why he stands for what he does.  With Superman, it's very much what it says on the package for most people.  I feel he loses relevance more in his lack of surprises than in his shining morals.

DC likes to write Archetypes, Marvel likes to write characters. Darcrider quotes a comedy story of Lex Luthor verbally taking Superman down a peg or two and, while the story itself is meant to be a jab at Marvel in general, I actually feel that it makes my point for me in a lot of ways.

“…Your job is to be an inspiration for people! Someone they can look up to! Someone they can aspire to be like! In steadfastness, in character, in ideals! And what did Marvel offer? They said, ‘Don’t worry! You don’t have to aspire to anyone in our books. You just have to relate to them.’ And now we have an entire culture that thinks that who they are is just fine and how dare anyone suggest that they can improve themselves? Why aspire to be Superman, when it’s so much easier to relate to Spider-man? No one wants to look up to you Superman; they don’t want to strain their necks. Instead, they look straight ahead at the compromised heroes in front of them and say, ‘That’ll do just fine’…”

Do we not want to strain our necks or is it that people don't want to look directly into the sun?  It's unattainable, it's an impossible dream and hazardous as well.  Superman has often been referred to as a Sun God for a reason. The Moon is just as big a dream, just as high a mark to strive for but it's not going to burn you while you dream and plan and it's grounded in some real possibility. Ground a hero in something people can relate to and they feel more able to attain the same lofty heights that hero stands for.  Captain America is a symbol of good but it's an attainable good. When he holds people to account for their actions, he does the same for everyone, including himself, including governments.

I don't think it's their ideals that take these characters out of relevance or makes them dull, I think it's their treatment and the treatment of their stories. Captain America holds so much more humanity and more surprises for people right now, so he draws people to want to find out more. DC needs to find the humanity in Superman, which you can see they kind of TRIED to do in the recent Man of Steel film, but they went about it in the wrong way.  And they need to stop telling the same story over and over again!

One of the few DC writers I really love is Grant Morrison, who has an amazing ability to find the interesting and the relatable in the most ridiculous of characters. (He managed to legitimized Bat-Mite! I'm still stunned) In his book Supergods: What Masked Vigilantes, Miraculous Mutants, and a Sun God from Smallville Can Teach Us About Being Human there is a quote from the writer that seems quite perfect here: “We love our superheroes because they refuse to give up on us. We can analyze them out of existence, kill them, ban them, mock them, and still they return, patiently reminding us of who we are and what we wish we could be.”

(You notice the book title talks about Superman teaching the meaning of being human? Think on that.)

Being "good" or a "hero" doesn't make a character irrelevant no matter how cynical our society gets because the fact we keep making comics and turning to comic book characters for our escape shows just how much we need them, how much they mean to us in the ideals they represent. What causes problems is when we stop looking for new stories to tell and ways to MAKE our heroes continue to grab our hearts, minds and dreams and make us strive to be more in-spite of ourselves.

Btw, Happy Birthday, Steve Rogers. :)

Evil Dead Rises Again

After many months of pouting and wishing they had actually released this film to standard Australian cinemas (it was made in New Zealand! We should have got it here), I have finally had the opportunity to watch the brand new Evil Dead film.

Like so many films, especially the ones that are remakes or sequels of beloved favorites, I went into this with an expect the worse but hope for the best attitude.  I knew it wasn't going to be that strongly tied to the original and much loved Evil Dead trilogy and I had already heard, as many have, that Bruce Campbell was not in this film at all.  The main thing I had heard was that it was bloody, gory and supposedly had some people retching in their seats in the American cinemas.

Wow, distracting! I'm trying to write this up right after having watched the film but the other half has Olympus Has Fall playing at the same time.

Anyway, back to Evil Dead.  I kept notes while watching the film, pretty much checking off all the 'needed' classic horror movie elements.  I'd list them...but, you know, spoilers.  It had them all and then some.  You know all those things that movies like Cabin in the Woods makes fun of? Yah, they're pretty much all there.  To me, an avid horror fan, it was both really welcome and a little cheesy. It means, though, that you start to recognize things and kind of know what to expect.

This movie has been tag-lined as 'The most terrifying film you will ever experience'  To that, I have to say only if you don't generally watch horror movies. For pure scary or creepy factor, I personally didn't find it that strong. But the gore...the gore was definitely one of its strengths.  For pure blood quotient and things you really wouldn't want to have done to you, this film did pretty good.  And for anyone who's a fan of the original Evil Dead film, that very first piece of classic horror cinema, you will definitely recognize and enjoy certain nods to that film.

Overall, the writing and the storyline could be called a little soft and the actors and characters probably don't have quite the charismatic strength that Bruce Campbell and his cohorts managed to express.  In a time where almost everyone has seen movies like The Ring, the Hostel films, anything from the Saw franchise or Paranormal Activity, this film probably doesn't have quite the impact the filmmakers would have hoped but it's a straight out, decent horror film and an alright addition to the Evil Dead family.  I enjoyed watching it, I will probably add it to my collection because it was straight out fun even if it could have been stronger and I will almost definitely watch the sequel when it happens. Just don't expect it to be everything you might have dreamed of.

I do very much wish I could have seen it in the cinemas, though. I'm sure the impact would have been much greater.

Oh yah, you might want to watch until after the credits, too.

Post Hardcore 2013

Whether you call it punk or hardcore or something else entirely, there is no question that this is a genre of music that has its lovers and its haters. Thankfully, its lovers don't care what the haters think so we get great little music events like the ongoing Hardcore one held this past weekend at The Hi-fi in The Entertainment Quarter.

I personally listen to a rather large range of music, often depending on my mood, but I'm one who has had a long time love of punk music.  I got introduced to the classic likes of The Ramones, The Clash and the Sex Pistols, along with their more hardcore cousins Black Flag, The Misfits and the Dead Kennedys, as a young teenager. The perfect time, really, to first hear these bands.  They're all still on my playlist too, even if they aren't always in high rotation, along with several much newer bands of the genre.

This weekend, I went out to see some bands in this loved genre that I honestly knew almost nothing about, so you could say I had the most open mind possible.  I had originally planned to get tickets but, like many things, I forgot.  Luckily, I happened to enter the Hi-Fi's contest for a double pass and won, so I have them to thank for the chance to check out some local Australian talent and a great old school hardcore band from the States. So, without further adieu...the roll call and review.

Higher Power

First off the rank, and facing a still quiet and slightly undersized crowd, were this Melbourne based crew.  My first impression about these guys were of the bass player and the guitarist.  Both were really good, fingers flying like they had wings (pardon the cheesy metaphor) and they were both really into the music they were playing.  The music itself didn't grab me off the bat.  Hardcore is a great genre but it's sometimes hard to stand out from the crowd of hard-rocking, hard hitting hardcore bands. I couldn't help but feel that these guys hadn't yet found something to pull them up out of the pack, something to make them stand out from the rest of the background noise.  Which made me a little sad for such obviously talented musicians.  The main thing that stood out for me about the vocalist was that he was angry and having one hell of a fight with his microphone...which he was losing.  In all, they were a good standard band and I didn't mind listening to them at the time, but they didn't with me.

Boneless

I feel bad for this band.  Stuck in what was probably the hardest to remember spot, I am actually struggling to remember much, if anything, about them.  I even briefly forgot their name!  I know that there wasn't a single bad band that I listened to last night but some definitely stood out more than others, for various reasons.  This was not that band.  They are Sydney based, like several of the bands playing Hardcore this year, so I may have the chance to hear them again.  I'm hoping that if/when I do, they leave me with something more memorable.

Vigilante

Another Sydney based band, these guys were one of the most cohesive and 'on' bands of the night.  Good sound, good rhythm, I found myself enjoying them quite a bit.  They seemed to really be enjoying their time on stage and the crowd was into them.  I also really liked that they had a message, that the vocalist had a message he felt he needed to put forward against violence and also about being yourself.  It made it feel like they were putting more feeling and more thought into the sounds they were making.  I think this band just needs a little something more to bring them up to the next level, a little something more to their music and maybe something distinctive to their look to make them stand out.  I'd see them again.

Warbrain

While Melbourne based Warbrain were not my favorite band of the night, they were defineitly one of the favorites with crowd.  Guys and girls rushed up front, screaming and chanting the lyrics along with the band.  The lead vocalist was also really into his music, running up and down the stage, probably doing as many laps as half the guys in the pit.  There was something about the guitars, the music that I did like, that caught my attention.  One or two songs kept dragging my memory back to The Crow soundtrack, certain riffs triggering a bit of an emotionally response.  It wasn't anything directly from any song or band, more of just a feeling, a mash up of the soundtrack's specific mid-90's sound with a little bit of a Nine Inch Nails meets My Life With The Thrill Kill Kult vibe with hard hitting,screaming vocals.  It's entirely possible no one else will ever hear it, but it was something that hit my while listening.

Toe To Toe

This first of the 'old school' hardcore bands to finish out the night, these guys have been rocking Sydney since their formation in the very early 90's and their full on, balls-to-the-wall sound showed it.  Definitely a much earlier sound than some of the first bands which are almost all fairly newly formed.  Good though and the crowd were into them so if you want classic hardcore punk sound, these guys had it.

Youth Of Today

The closers of the night, and the major draw card, this was the classic hardcore band's very FIRST visit to Australia and they were making the most of it.  Vocalist Ray Cappo was owning the stage like it was 1985 not 2013, though his powerful mid-song affirmations to the crowd might have been a bit more breathless than back then.  The short Conneticut born Italian (his words!) has done a lot of things in the years since the birth of this band, to the point where flyers for a day of yoga with him were being handed out between sets, but he still had the crowd jumping and revved up.  Old school songs, old school sound, I really loved having the opportunity to see these guys in person.  The only thing missing were classic punk clothes and 80's big hair. In all, a great sounding band that I had the pleasure to see perform before they call it quits forever.

 
It was a great event and a lot of fun, if you love the genre, and I think that there was only one thing that disappointed me the whole night.  Not a mohawk in sight all night, though there were some impressive beards and one truly great mustache.  The crowd was a lot more mixed than I expected, lots of girls truly into the music as well as a real mix of ages and looks...skaters and old school punks mixed with Sea Shepherd activists and metalheads.  Next year, I might check out the second day of the event, which presents more bands than the 18+ night I attended and is also All Ages.

The Truth About Emo

If there is one thing I loathe with the power of a dying sun, it's the term 'Emo'. I mean, what is it? It's not even a THING! Emo is a bunch of teenagers trying to make themselves feel special in the way they express how Awful and Terrible it is to be a teenager. Guess what? That's not a new thing.

Everyone who has ever had to grow up (ie EVERYONE) is aware that it sucks to be a teenager. 

And by the way, cutting yourself to show how emotional and angst ridden you are isn't Emo, either. It's not even a part of being a teenager, it's just dumb. As a way to make yourself feel better, it's self-defeating and self-destructive. Don't do it! If you REALLY feel that badly about life and/or yourself, talk to someone and get some help. Please!

Emo isn't a style. All it ever was, was a confused mix of hipster and goth with the only distinctive thing about it being a bad hair cut. And guess what? Making like you're trying to hide from the world behind your hair? Not new, really really not new.

There is no Emo music genre. The bands that got labelled that way mostly just had the dual misfortune of being popular during the supposed 'Emo period' and being popular with the teenagers who were trying to show how Deeply Upset™ they were. Also, here's food for thought. Emo is supposedly short for Emotional but if you're listening to or creating music that doesn't have any emotion basis to it, then you're doing it really wrong. And you kind of don't need to label it.

All Emo is, is an empty made up label that doesn't mean anything to anyone and that even the creators of it refuse to admit to anymore. Emo is a joke. Emotions are real, being upset as a teenager is real (not new, but real), music is real, finding your own sense of style rather than following the crowd...is real. The rest is just empty boxes that nothing actually fits into and sad attempts at marketing.

Need help? PLEASE click!
(Links below are Australian organizations but there are groups like these anywhere so please get help if you need it)

www.beyondblue.org.au

www.headspace.org.au

au.reachout.com

www.lifeline.org.au

Trains, Books and Reasons

There are a lot of stories about rape culture, female safety and so forth going around at the moment. It's a major issue affecting us all right now. And between the Steubenville case, Unwinona's blog and some conversations (online and off) with some female friends, the idea of train safety and the issues of public transport have been heavily on my mind.

Part of this is because I worry for the safety of my friends and partly because I am one of the fortunate females who hasn't had to deal with some of the kinds of issues others have. I find myself wondering why.

My first thought is kind of negative and self destructive but I have it anyway....maybe I'm just not attractive enough for the guys to bother with. The thought doesn't really affect me much, I'm capable of owning up to its silliness and inconsequential nature, shrug and move on. Whatever. From there I have to look at true facts and subjective issues.

I'm tall, but not overly. I'm average weight, Caucasian and have long blonde hair. I'm generally a jeans and t-shirt kind of girl but dress up on occasion and even DRESS-UP on the trains too. I don't go out of my way to worry about attracting attention, that's for sure.

One reoccurring theme that I've noticed come up is one thing I don't do; I don't read on trains. I'm an avid reader and adore books but I don't bother reading on trains. I have in headphones almost all the time, 7 out of 10 trips I have to stand or deliberately chose to stand and part of why I don't read is a lifetime habitual preference to be aware of my surroundings. I like to people watch, plus I was heavily bullied as a teen so I like to have an awareness of the people (men, women and kids) around me, something I don't have when I get lost in a book. I'm also paranoid about missing my stop and impatient to be one of the first out of the carriage because I hate being stuck in the cattle crush. I'm a very friendly, open person but I'm told I have a distinct 'back off' vibe at times, though I can't tell you when or how.

In there, somewhere, is the reason or reasons I've been so fortunate to have as little trouble on trains as I have. (Which I hope continues after this!) I'm tempted to run tests and add or subtract the variables until I figure out what it is but that would be almost impossible to do properly and probably not overly safe. Is it the book thing? It's the only reoccurring thing I've been able to pin point in the tales of friends and strangers. Which is ridiculous because why shouldn't a girl be able to read on a long train ride if she wants to, without attracting unwanted attention? Is there something about the nature of the action that causes curiosity or gives off an easy target vibe? The lack of awareness maybe? Or is it something infinitely more subjective and/or more personal about each individual involved?

It's something I would like to figure out or have SOMEONE figure out, in order to help ensure the safety of women everywhere. Of course, we shouldn't have to constantly worry about being safe, protecting ourselves and avoiding adverse situations but until the whole world changes, we have to live in it and deal with the current society issues. Ignoring them to make a point obviously isn't safe for anyone.

I hope that maybe something I've said about my personal scenario above may help someone, even just one person, or may strike a chord somewhere in how to fix things in general to make them safer.

Of Legacies & Evolutions

At this time, I've watch the movie twice and played through the game twice so I thought now might be a good time to do some reviews of each of them, my first for the new year. I'll start with the film first, since that's the way it should be done.

Tron: Legacy

Tron: Legacy opens and introduces us to Sam Flynn (Garrett Hedlund), a young man with a taste for adrenaline and a dislike for responsibilities and authority. Having grown up without his father, and still having no idea what happened to him, has left a mark on the young man. His father's company of Encom is now run by a board of directors that would be more to Dillinger's liking than Flynn's and good friend Alan Bradley (Bruce Boxleitner) has been sidelined.

Right off the bat, I found Sam to be a likable character. He's got his own set of issues but they're tempered by an obvious sense of humor and a good heart. And it's clear that Alan has done his best to look out for his friend's son.

After getting a nostalgic look at Flynn's Arcade, we end up on the Grid with Sam, where he faces Recognizers, sentries, Clu and gets thrown into the Games. He escapes with the help of a friendly program named Quorra (Olivia Wilde) and soon finds his father and learns the truth of what happened so many years before, including the fate of the movie's namesake.

Kevin Flynn (Jeff Bridges) is a very interesting character in this, part visionary, part hacker, part zen philosopher. He's been trapped inside all these years and has done his best to come to terms with his new life and the things he's lost but you get the idea that everything he was is still simmering just under the peaceful seeming surface. Seeing his son again, all grown up, definitely shakes things up for him and solidifies his priorities, things his long captivity has made him realize were more important all along.

Throughout the film, as Flynn, Sam and Quorra race to stop Clu, you meet a whole host of interesting characters including Castor (Michael Sheen) & his crew at the End of Line Club, Siren Gem (Beau Garrett), the unstoppable Rinzler and Clu's somewhat oddball sidekick, Jarvis (James Frain). There is even a great cameo by Daft Punk as a pair of mp3 programs.

Some would say that the film's plot is too simple and sparse to be enjoyable but I can't agree. In an industry where everyone is trying to create the new Inception, the next A Beautiful Mind or is just resorting to blowing up as many things as they can, I found watching this sequel to the original Tron very refreshing. The story is classic, a young man's search for the truth, and his father, and his growth along the way. It sucks you in right from the very beginning and makes you care about the fate of the characters and it's all set against the beautiful backdrop that is the stunning visual effects of this film

Fans of the first film will immediately spot the familiar recognizers and tanks, though they have been updated, and the new Grid is pure eye candy. No hand done rotoscoping here and the new suits look fantastic. Each effect is done with an eye for detail and is flawless in its execution while Tron City looks like you could live there, and you want to by the end of the film. The only exception might be when you see young Kevin Flynn and his grid sidekick Clu 2. Yes, you can tell that the faces are entirely digital and under certain lights can look a little too false but when you consider they're attempting to create a young version of an actor who is now in his 60's, I can't entirely fault them.

Combine all of this with the amazing soundtrack created by Daft Punk and you really can't go wrong. The score is distinctive, bringing to mind certain scenes from the film long after you've finished watching it, and several of the songs, such as Derezzed, wouldn't be out of place on Daft Punk's latest album. Those planning to buy the OST do need to realize, though, that it IS a soundtrack and not a new studio album from the pair so it contains the entire score of the film and not just the dance hits. Personally, I enjoy driving to it.

I really can't recommend this enough. It's a beautiful film and I found I actually enjoyed it more, and got more out of it, when watching it the second time. The first time, you are so dazzled by the look and sound of the film that the plot actually takes second place. Just don't watch it expecting a high brow art-house film because that's not what Tron: Legacy is. This is a film for the imagination and the inner child, a film that makes you smile and catch your breath and that anyone, of any age, can sit and enjoy time and again.

SOME SPOILERS PAST THIS POINT!

Tron: Evolution

The first thing I need to say about the game is don't play it first. While Tron: Evolution IS intended as a prequel to the film, the storyline works better if you have already seen the film. Not only do you see the correlation with certain events and the tie ins they've worked into it but you won't be spoiled about certain information. There are several things that you learn in the game that are, more or less, meant to be surprises in the film such as Castor/Zuse, Quorra being an ISO and the last of her kind and few other bits a pieces.

The first thing you will notice about the game, though, is that it is just as visually breathtaking as the film. You really do feel like you're in that world, which is great because in playing the game you get to explore more of what you only glimpse in Tron: Legacy.

The year is 1989 and your character is Anon, a specially programed system monitor created by Kevin Flynn to sort out what's been going on with the Grid. In this role you meet Tron, Quorra, Clu, Zuse, many of the ISO's, a friendly program named Gibson and eventually come face to face with the creator himself. You witness Clu's attack on Tron and Flynn in a cut scene taken almost perfectly from the film, see the destruction and purge of the ISOs and go up against the game's real enemy, a terrible virus by the name of Abraxas. Towards the end, your main goal is to protect Quorra and get her to safety. Yes, that sympathetic program she mentions in the film...it's you!

Whether going up against Clu's variety of sentries or the virus infected programs Abraxas has created, you generally fight with your light disc. The game carefully teaches you the basics of fighting and moving through this digital realm and then gives you a list of combos to use. Different enemies have different weaknesses and you can upgrade your software, adding mods to your disc to make it easier to fight them or just increase your health and energy.

Controls for moving about take a little bit of getting used to and can be a tiny bit frustrating for a bit but, with practice, getting through the game becomes very interesting and enjoyable. Even after playing it twice I still often derezz when I hit the controls wrong but you get used to that quickly. The moves you use have been predominately taken from Parkour so you leap over objects, run along walls and spend a lot of time flying through the air over the bright lights of the Grid. When not competing hand-to-hand, you also go up against tanks...and then get to drive and fight with one! I have to say, using a tank to blast Recognizers out of the air is one of my favorite parts. Not to be left out, there are also fast paced lightcycle sections where you have to move quick while avoiding being derezzed by recognizers, tanks or an assortment of objects that get in your way.

Tron: Evolution is not a very long game and can go quite quickly once you get the hang of the moving and fighting but every minute is fun and very beautiful. Even once you finish the game, you can try again on higher levels or play online multiplayer battles with discs, tanks or lightcyles and you keep your level throughout. On the Xbox 360, there are of course a variety of achievements to be won and they aren't impossible to reach.

Remember that, like most of the Xbox games, you need an Gold membership to play the online multiplayer maps with friends or other random players but for anyone who has enjoyed either of the Tron films and wants another way to get immersed in the world, I highly recommend this game. It's eye catching and fun and challenging enough without discouraging less proficient gamers and adds a bit to the storyline of the film.

Let Me In? No, let me OUT!

There are probably going to be a number of people that won't agree with me on this one. I know this for a fact because the two people I watched this film with kind of think I'm nuts. The reason is because I really didn't enjoy this film.

I can't blame my dislike of Let Me In on being a fan of the original or anything like that. What did it for me is the sheer amount of BOREDOM I had to deal with for the first 2/3s of the film. The story was not enthralling, the pacing was slow and I don't think there was actually anything scary about it. For a film that was being advertised as 'the scariest ever!', it actually almost put me to sleep. The last part was decidedly more interesting but still not to the extent that I would choose to watch it again, let alone buy a copy.

Chloe Moretz plays Abby, a little girl with a secret. I'm sure I'm not spoiling anybody by saying that secret is that she is a bloody thirsty vampire. Chloe does a fantastic job in the role, especially given the general lackadaisical tone of the film, and she truly was the one bright spot. This didn't surprise me and I find myself looking forward to her future work. Kodi Smit-McPhee plays Owen, a young boy living with his recently separated mother in the early 1980's. Owen is a bit of an oddball and gets quite heavily picked on and beat-up at school. The film does manage to show a very clear and real look of what it is like for a kid like that in school but I was never able to feel a huge amount of sympathy for the kid like I should have. He's really quite creepy, somewhat antisocial and seems incredibly dense. I'm going to assume that was what the character was supposed to be like and not what the child actor himself is really like. It's hard to give him the benefit of the doubt, though, since the last film I saw him in, The Road with Viggo Mortensen, was another one where I really didn't like his character. Kind of wanted to shoot the kid myself by the end of THAT film.

There are a couple of somewhat bloody attacks in the film and they could be scary to someone...I'm just not sure who. The digitally animated movements of Abby's more feral vampire side looked more ridiculous than terrifying and the effects themselves were quite under par. It all boiled down to me being quite glad when the film was finally done so I could go on with my life and forget the time I had just wasted. Had I been alone, I would have left long before the movie finished...somewhere around the time I was trying not to doze off in my seat.

One truly good thing I can say about the film is that all the teens and tweenies that are currently going crazy over how romantic and amazing vampires are, they should watch this film. It would give them a somewhat more realistic look at vampires and make them realize they don't REALLY want some creepy pale dude stalking them and hanging around outside their bedroom windows.

Tron Legacy - A Preview Review

Not long ago, I came out of the Parramatta Greater Union cinema, having gone there to see the exclusive preview screening for the new Tron: Legacy film. This preview consisted of 23 minutes of footage, most of it from towards the beginning of the film to avoid spoilage.

In the preview, we got a glimpse of the story including a bit of an intro to young Sam Flynn (Garrett Hedlund), an up close and personal look at the newly revamped Recognizers, a bit of what we can expect from the fully 3D disc games and light cycles and a some time with the one and only Kevin Flynn (Jeff Bridges) himself. Having seen all of the released trailer footage so far, I had a bit of an idea of what to expect but none of it really came close to seeing it all up there on the big screen.

Now, I'm not a big fan of the over use of 3D filming right now but I fully admit that some films really do suit the new technology. This is going to be one of them. Tron Legacy will probably look just as breathtaking and beautiful in 2D but the designs, lighting and film effects all work incredibly well with the new tech.

The new visual effects are seamless and are the same step up the ladder that the original film was. All of the classic and recognizable vehicles are there, polished up and dusted off, along with a couple new designs that actually look original and not like a knock off of some other film. The classic Tron suits have also been given a slightly more modern look but are still completely recognizable, though they now come in more than just basic black! And the lights aren't rotoscoped!  In one scene, there are four women wearing suits fairly recognizable from the classic film but they are entirely white and silver, the women's movements synced with each other like a carefully choreographed dance. You also get to see Sam Flynn make his transformation from normal everyday clothes to a Tron suit, complete with ID Disc, and the way it happens looks great. A really amazing amount of detail was put into every moment of the film so far.

The preview didn't give much away story wise, certainly not much more that the trailers have, but what I did see just made me want more. I have to say that the de-rezzing effect was perfect and really gave a proper feel of why that term is used. And even though we didn't see the very start, I got right into the movie right away, I was sucked in. Of course, the soundtrack helped. Done by the ever amazing Daft Punk, every musical cue suits the visual aspects of the film and really make you feel what's going on. I look forward to the whole soundtrack being released, as I will be definitely be getting a copy.

I'm really glad I got the opportunity to see this small bit of footage because it's made me very excited for the December release. Like a lot of fans of the classic, I'm sure, I was at first a bit worried when the sequel was announced but my worries have really been put to rest. I very much look forward to enjoying the whole film, both in 3D and in 2D. The official release date is the 16th of December, the full soundtrack comes out on the 8th of December and the dvd & blu-ray versions should be out in April 2011. Also, until the release of the film, gamers can try their hand at Tron: Evolution which is to act as a bit of a prequel to the upcoming film and is said to be very action packed with moves inspired by parkour and a capoirea fighting style. The game comes out on the 25th of November and features the voices of Bruce Boxleitner and Olivia Wilde from the film and also the very popular Jensen Ackles from Supernatural. Word has it that the limited edition of the game comes with a Lightcycle, courtesy of Sideshow collectibles.

I look forward to the film, I look forward to the game, to the soundtrack...to everything. Even all the merchandising Disney is bound to be doing. Is that a replica ID Disc I see? Hmm.....

I will definitely be watching this come opening night. Until then, I have several friends I need to introduce to the original! :)



X-posted to LJ

Of Me, Vikings & Cowboys

So, I'm sitting here listening to some of my favorite music and got the idea that maybe I should write a bit of an explanation. About what? Well, about me, I guess.

You see, I've been living in Australia for over 8 years now. It's a long time to be away from friends, family and all the things familiar to you. Visits home are great because I spend a lot of the time stocking up on things I missed and people and places I remember from my childhood because, I'll be honest wit you, as similar as Australia and Canada are...they are still DIFFERENT.

In some ways, I think it would have been easier to adjust to some things here if they had been more different to what I was used to. When everything is so much the same, you forget and begin to expect things to be a certain way, which means it's kind of a bigger jolt when it isn't. I gave up a lot of things when I came here, changed habits and what not, and one of the things that fell by the wayside for a long time was the parts of me that were 'country'.

Sydney is a huge sprawling internationally recognized city. It has its lower ends and very up market areas, its cultural districts and its trends. It is very commercial and forward yet still a bit backward and stuck in the past...an odd combination that has taken me a long time to get used to and it still bugs me at times. But it's very urban. The closest thing to truly rural Australia that you get here in Sydney is probably the Royal Easter Show, otherwise you have to drive for about 3 hours before you start to see more of the country heart of the place. Which is why, when I moved here, the cowboy boots, the big belt buckles, the turquoise jewelry and so forth all got packed away. I wanted a change and I wanted to blend in.

I eventually came to realize some things, though. I missed it and it will always be a part of me, no matter how deep into the city feel I get. I wouldn't exactly call myself a redneck, but there's a big part of me that rolls my eyes at some of what I see in the city. Spending my summers out on the family farm, life was so easy! It was quiet and peaceful and you didn't have to worry about makeup or getting dirty or meeting expectations. You got frustrated with something, you hopped in the truck or on the back of a bike and just went off for a while.

So, the country stuff came back because, as much as love girly things and dressing up, I missed the simplicity of my boots and jeans and plaid shirts. *laugh* And then the looks started.

I'm a pretty eccentric person and I do costuming. I'm USED to people giving me odd looks when I'm doing that. But walking into a shopping center with my cowboy hat on, a plaid shirt and boots...I think I got more stares than I usually do.

Sydney doesn't see their 'cowboys' often...and they don't quite look the same as North American ones do. Rural Aussies seem to be more heavy work boots, singlets and low brimmed dusty hats that MIGHT have had a shape at one point. They're beer cans in stubbie coolers and lawn chairs with cattle dogs panting next to them. It's a different image, so I don't quite match.

I grew up in a city but I also grew up in the country, around horses and cattle, dirt bikes, rodeos and demolition derbies. When I think back to the first music I can remember hearing on the radio, it was country. Kenny Rogers, Dolly Parton, Johnny Cash, Patsy Cline...that was my childhood. Then came Reba McIntire, George Strait, Garth Brooks and then Shania. I had friends among the local First Nations kids...and enemies too. I grew up aware of the modern issues of the Native American/Canadian tribes and had run ins with some, which probably affected my thoughts about them for some time, but I was also fascinated with their history and their culture. I grew up hearing stories about Coyote and Grandfather Raven and How Bear Lost His Tail. I learned how to bake bannock bread and about pemmican because the explorers that founded my country used it to survive on. (Something, I just found out, that got picked up by Australia explorers like the ill fated Burke and Wills)  I remember being invited to learn how to make dreamcatchers with a class of native students...something I've made many of since and never forgotten how to do.

As I got older, I began researching and learning about my own genetic heritage, being Norwegian, and learned about the Norse mythologies and culture. What I found was that many of the things that fascinated me about the Native American culture were echoed, sometimes strongly, in my own heritage. The art styles, the crafts, the reverence given ravens and the stories of tricksters...all have such strong similarities that I am no longer surprised that there was a viking settlement so early in history up in what is now Newfoundland. I'm sure that the cultural similarities would have made communication easier between the two groups, despite the language barriers.

The western country elements I wear and love have many layers of significance to me, these days, many of which I could expand on for pages but I won't. The connections to my heritage and childhood, my country and family being the gist of it. The stares continue here in Australia but I've gotten used to that, too, and it makes me laugh sometimes. I like shaking things up, a little.



X-Posted to LJ

Bullet, Not Death...Yet

I just completed reading the most recent offering from Laurell K. Hamilton in her Anita Blake book series, the simply titled Bullet.  You would think we would be nearing a conclusion at some point soon, since this is book 18 of the series plus two side stories, but that doesn't seem to be the case just yet.

Certainly, events are unfolding and changing for Anita Blake and her troop of weres, vamps and other assorteds but not nearly as quickly as I kind of expected. The book deals mostly with the aftermath of the explosive death of Marmee Noir and, as usual, with the ever expanding and evolving powers of Anita herself. As usual, things don't go according to plan and there doesn't appear to be a nice sparkly happy ending looming any time soon for the tiny brunette and her many lovers but some good things do happen. For one thing, there is another emergence of the ever moody Richard Zeeman but this time some good seems to come of it. Of course, no Anita Blake novel would be complete without her jumping in the sack with a wide variety of people, both intended and not.

Having read these books from the very beginning, I remember when this girl was all about the Catholic upbringing and the 'not before marriage' declarations. While many of the books have de-evolved down to, essentially, slightly plotty smut, I am one of the readers that don't mind it too much. Ms. Hamilton does usually take time to give the story some plot and evolution and attempts to tie the sex in with what is actually happening. There are reasons for most of it, anyway. And had we spent the last dozen or so books still dealing with Anita's original moralistic hang ups, I probably would have stopped reading by now because there is only so much pent up sexual tension a person can read before going nuts. *coughtwilightcough* I know there were quite a few readers who were turned off the books over the years because of the sex but I find that easier to handle than the excessively puritan ideals would have been. If Anita had been surrounded by all these gorgeous and available men all this time and had NOT gotten laid, I wouldn't have found her very realistic and would have wanted to strangle her. Really. :)

Anyway, as far as books go, it was an enjoyable read for someone who has been a constant fan of the series. It doesn't give quite as much story as I might have liked and things are starting to seem a bit slow in coming to fruition, but if things pick up really well in the next book then everything should be fine. This could just be the small lull before the shit storm. I'm kind of hoping it is because, as much as I enjoy her writing, there is only so long Ms. Hamilton can milk this cash cow before even her most devoted readers jump ship.

Oh, and if you're someone completely new to the series, DO NOT start here! *laugh* Not only might you be turned off by the story but you'll probably be a bit confused. I do very much recommend going back to read the first books where Anita's life is all about raising zombies, helping out the police and ganking the occasional psychotic evil vampire. You just may want to stop reading by about book 8 or 9 because that's when things really start to go a little Harlequin fantasy romance...in full detail.

Updates & Thoughts

Just realized that it has been a while since I last updated this so I figured I should get off my lazy butt and do something about that.

I had sort of meant to do some movie reviews, one for Inception and one for The Expendables, but it seems silly to do it now. Plus, do I REALLY need to tell everyone to go watch Inception? I mean, really, I think word of mouth did a great job on its own in getting people out to see that flick. Talk about a bit of a mind bender but I did really enjoy it. Not something I think I would watch over and over again but definitely worth a couple watches. The second time you see it, you notice different things, pick up stuff you missed on the first go around. I do recommend going to YouTube, though, and looking up an interesting little video regarding the main musical cue in the film. You know that deep, booming sound they use for the ads? Yah, has a very interesting connection with a certain Edith Pief song...the same song they use as a 'wake up' cue in the film!! The film is chock full of connections like that. Oh, like the girl who plays the wife? Is well known for her role in another film as...wait for it...Edith Pief. The layers (ha ha, get it? Layers...) of this film are kind of insane. I love the girl named Ariadne, though. I mean...she's the maze maker, right? Well, the mythological lore is that Ariadne was the one who gave Theseus the ball of thread to help make his way through the Minotaur's MAZE. Like I said, layers.

Go watch it, if you haven't yet! Bloody hell. *laugh*

Okay, so mini review there. :P And go watch Expendables because it's fun and funny and just great to see so many major action stars in one flick. It's a huge, mindless, testosterone filled blow up fest but entertaining.

Meanwhile, still using the ipad...it goes everywhere with me and is again the instrument of my current blogging. So far, the only thing I think I wish I could change is to make it just that tiny bit more computer like. To be able to access files and folders a bit would be good and word processing situations seem to be a tiny bit of a let down but that hasn't been an issue for me yet. Oh yah, that and the whole no directional arrows on the internal keyboard. That's still a pain once in a while but they may change that with a firmware update. Otherwise, all is good. I think I've become surgically attached to the damn thing, though. Guess I can't make too many cracks about people and they're iphones now but at least this is, technically, an actual computer. *shrugs* Need to hunt down a different bag/backpack thingy, something that will carry all of my purse gear and the ipad at once if I need to. Much easier for traveling because atm I'm carrying my purse and this in a separate shoulder bag. Easy but still an extra bag.

Oooh, got a look at the new ipod Nano's! I'm drooling, I will admit it. I love my Nano but these new ones are TINY! Along with a full tiny touch screen, it clips on and is about half the size of the current Nano. Just another toy to add to my list of things to get as soon as I can.

M's been laughing lately. I'm not a major tech head but I guess I look a little like one now when at my desk in the office. I have the laptop open, the ipad docked with the external keyboard, my cellphone next to me...all I need is some sort of uber cool over-head display and my set up would look awesome. Maybe when M gets around to updating his Mac monitor, I'll snarf the older one and put it on an arm. Yes...plans I have. *does evil steepled fingers*

I have three books to read through right now so when those are done, I'll post reviews on them. One is the newest Anita Blake novel, Bullet, one is called Storm Glass by Maria V. Snyder and the third is the newest vamp diaries book from L.J. Smith. While not a huge fan of the show, I was a fan of Smith's books as a teen so it's funny to see them back in print and have her writing for them again. Makes me curious so I'll give it a go. Just too bad they haven't decided to reprint her Secret Circle books as well. Maybe soon.

That's all for now. Will attempt to not leave it so long again. I've had this blog just over a year now and still haven't done too much with it but I'm slowly feeling my way along.

PS...using the Kindle app on ipad? Lots of fun and SO convienient. I still like to buy certain books for the collection physically but others are great as digital Kindle books...and no shelf space required! I imagine the physical Kindle, which I almost bought prior to getting the ipad, is almost as cool. :)

IPad, Apps & Happiness

Since I've had my iPad for about a week now, I thought it might be time to write down a few thoughts about it.

I'm not someone who's going to be able to push its abilities, especially right off the bat, because most of what I do tech wise isn't very intense to begin with but I've been trying to use it for all the normal things I would do on my full sized laptop.  Generally, so far, so good.

I now understand the issues people have had with the fact that Apple has made it so that anything flash animated can't work on the iPad but it's only a small annoyance and not anything major.  Mostly, there are one or two silly internet based things that I would normally like to have access too but can't use so I have to wait till I can get to the laptop.  Otherwise, there really isn't anything I've asked it to do that it flat out hasn't done.

Internet access is quick and easy, for the most part, and I have been able to access all my usual websites and forums.  Typing on the inbuilt keyboard is quick and easy, though having to rely on the touch of my finger to move back or forward in paragraphs that have already been typed can be a bit of a nuisance.  That being said, the external keyboard (which I am using atm) is small, light weight and dead easy to use with EVERYTHING I've tried on here.  I do wish that I could use a Firefox based platform on here instead of a Safari one but Safari does work fine.  I'm used to the tab system and a few other small features that Firefox has and Safari doesn't but it hasn't actually caused any problems.  Opening links to a new page turned out to be quite intuitive and holding down a touch on most things within the internet scope seems to work great.  You get a relevant list of choices and need only pick what you want, whether it is to email, reply, save an image or open a new window, it all seems to come up easily.

Several of the sites I would normally visit on any given day actually don't need to be seen through Safari on the iPad because that is where the apps come in.  The main exceptions to that rule seem to be Facebook and Myspace.  I have looked at apps for both but there aren't any dedicated to those sites yet and only ones using Facebook's chat ability as a tie in to other chat apps.  As I don't use the FB chat option, this has not interested me so far.  Twitter is a different matter.  Twitterific is free and I have found it very convenient in using and quick to update, so I check it constantly.  I have yet to try the AIM chat app since I haven't used my AIM account in years but the MSN and Nimbuzz ones seem to work alright.  The only downside to those are that they were originally built as iPhone apps, not iPad.  The iPhone apps all still work just the same but they aren't created at the same resolution so you have to expand them to fill the iPad's screen.  This makes them a little pixelated and blocky.  I'm sure, with time, iPad dedicated apps will come up for most of the major chat programs and then those problems will disappear.  The apps are all free ones so downloading them for use until something better comes along is not that big a hardship.

Removal of unwanted and/or unneeded apps has proven to be very easy, as is moving and arranging them to your liking.  I currently have three separate app windows in use, personally.  You also don't have to worry about accidentally erasing the apps because it takes a very deliberate series of touches to delete them.

I have played a few games, some very simple and some slightly more graphically intensive, and enjoyed them all so far.  I highly recommend Soosiz for those looking for something fun and addicting but be warned, it can make you a little motion sick if you play it for long periods.  NOVA is a fun first person shooter with nice looking, though a little repetitive, graphics.  It makes me think it's the iPad lovechild of Halo and Doom.  All your easy computer standards are around for use, such as solitaire and sudoku, and the air hockey game is great whether you're playing with friends or against the computer.  Great way to pass the time.

I have only had one or two minor crashes, most of which were based around the NOVA game.  I think that because it is a rather large app (in comparison) and somewhat more graphics intensive, sometimes the iPad just doesn't like it and closes itself.  It only takes a moment to reopen and try again and it's only been on start up so far, not during gameplay, so you don't lose anything that you've done.  The only other app to cause the same issue was Tap Tap and only after I had just downloaded a whole bunch of new songs for the game so it could be that everything hadn't quite settled in yet.

Other than that, no major issues to report.  The Apple standard apps have worked great; photos was easy to figure out, as was iTunes, iPod, calendar and notes.  I'm using notes to originally type this up, actually.  The intuitive typing has worked very well for me, to the point where I wasn't actually sure if I was just typing well or not spelling things wrong or if it was the application fixing things for me.  And, again, anything it doesn't immediately recognize and brings up as an error is easy to check with a gentle touch as it is underlined in red.  I have noticed that it is more intuitive with the on board keyboard than the external but only slightly.

The sound for playing music is pretty good, considering how small the speakers are so I have no problem with putting on music or a movie and propping the iPad up in a corner while I do something else.  iPad is very good at multitasking and allowing you to do the same.  And, finally, the battery life is good, IMO, as I can use it most of the day for wifi and videos, games and so forth without having to worry about dieing.  Charging could probably be a tiny bit faster but I haven't really seen how fast it is on straight charge since I usually charge it WHILE I'm using it.

So, yah...no major complaints so far.  One week in and I'm as happy as a clam with my new toy.  It goes everywhere with me atm, which was made even easier by the recent purchase of a small fitted shoulder bag for it.  If any issues come up, I'll mention them but it has been good so far.  I DO hope that Apple makes an update for the built in keyboard though, so it has directional keys like a normal keyboard.  That is one place that the external is much better because the touch direction can be a small problem in some situations and with some sites.  But that's my only concern so far.

Now I have to go play Red Dead Redemption some more so I can give some honest thoughts on how that works out.  I wish Christmas wasn't so far away because now that I have this iPad, I'd love some iTunes cards!  Lots of tempting apps to try out but I'm trying not to spend too much money!

Extra note:

Something I haven't tried yet is using the 3G net connection for my iPad since I haven't gotten a micro sim and some credit for it yet.  That's next on the list.

Also, some other apps worth mentioning are:

iJournaler - A password protected, simple electronic journal.  Great for on the go and for privacy
IMDB - everything the website has in one app at your fingertips, so if you're watching a movie and can't remember who someone is or what they have done before, it's right there
Miso, eBay, & Photobucket - all great dedicated apps that make surfing from the iPad that much easier
Wikihood - This is a relatively new app and it takes info from the various wikis and Google and tells you things you may not know about places, like your home town, somewhere you intend to visit or just a random place you type in. 
Cat Piano - A must have cat lovers!!  Each key makes a cat meow and it's great for having fun with you kitty. XD
DC & Marvel comics - Can't say enough good about these!  For quick, cheap comics to read on the go and a great interactive paneling, they're one of my faves.
Weather HD - a beautifully designed multi city weather app with gorgeous graphics.  You can add as many cities as you like and get the time and weather for the location in C or F and it looks beautiful doing it. :)

Birthdays & Novas

Time for me to try and play catch up on here again. Told you I would go for months at a time without blogging! I'm horrible about stuff like that but I do try.

There has been a lot of things going on of late, so I don't know if I will be able to cover all of them. There have been movies watched at some point but atm I honestly can NOT remember what any of them were. Great reviewer I am! Note to self, make sure to do all blog posts as soon as I watch a movie or I'll forget I even watched it. *snicker* Duh!

Now, where to start? I'll start with the silly stuff and then get stuck into the meat of this little post. I cam across a fun site that gets you to enter some samples of your writing and then it will analyze you and tell you what kind of a writer you are and who you write like. I decide this sounded like fun so I entered a couple of the blog posts from here to see what it would say. Here is the result...which I really can't say I mind at all!! XD

I write like
Douglas Adams

I Write Like by Mémoires, Mac journal software. Analyze your writing!

Nope, I can not complain about being compared to Douglas Adams. Admittedly, I am nowhere near as funny as he is nor as good a writer but I like it and maybe one day I'll get off my butt and actual write something worth publishing.

Now, onto meatier subjects. In the last few weeks, two major events have occurred. The first being the annual Sydney Supanova convention and the second being my birthday. Sydnova was wonderful, as always, and because I was able to just enjoy it as a visitor for the first time in several years, I had a great time. Caught up with a lot of people, though I did manage to still miss quite a few, had a lot of pictures taken and generally had a good time. It was nice and I'm looking forward to being able to do the same thing next year at Brisnova.

Of course, my birthday was a MUCH more important event, wasn't it? XD It was generally a smallish affair but a fairly extravagant one at the same time. Saturday, M and I went into the city to the Blue hotel in Woolloomoolloo to check in because we were staying the night there. Then it was off to the lovely 360 restaurant in the Sydney Centerpoint Tower for dinner. I had venison carpaccio, Barramundi with semi-dried tomatoes and a tasting platter for dessert. All very lush and delicious!

Back at the hotel, fashion designer Alex Perry was holding a special show called Fashion 4Ward that helps to raise money and cancer awareness for 20-30 year olds with cancer. Seeing the show up close from our balcony and listening to the music live from the Rogue Traders was a fairly surreal moment and really amazing. Definitely not something I am going to forget soon.

The next day was spent having a quiet dinner at the Bavarian Bier Cafe in Parramatta with friends, including a young lady named Jodie who I had just met in the city on Canada Day. We got talking only to find out that, not only did we both live in the Parramatta area but, we also were from the same area back in Canada as well. I grew up in Kelowna and she grew up in Penticton. Very strange and very small world!

So that was my birthday...wait, what....I've forgotten something haven't I? that's right!! PRESENTS!!! Can't forget those. One would have thought that a deluxe dinner out and a night at our fave swanky hotel would have been enough but M decided to spoil me rotten as well. First, I got a bright pink Nixon watch that has both tidal and moon phase settings on it. Now, I would have been more than happy with that but he didn't stop there. Then I got a book called Bad Girls & Wicked Women. I really look forward to reading it; it's all about the most powerful, shocking, amazing, thrilling and dangerous women of all time. But it didn't stop there because I also got a video game in the form of Red Dead Redemption. I've been eyeing it off for a while because it looks really interesting and is entirely western based. Anyone who knows me will realize why but I happen to be fond of country and western stuff and also have a huge soft spot for cowboys so...it's really a perfect game for me. I haven't gotten too stuck into it yet but once I do, I'll be sure to post a review here. :)

Now, this is already enough to spoil me like crazy and I was very much thankful for everything, It was all so amazing! But M still had MORE up his sleeve, the main piece being what I am writing this entry on as we speak. Yes, he got me and IPad. *jaw drops open* I was floored but ecstatic. I've been drooling over theme since before the came out and it's now my new best friend. He also got me a cover for it, a neon pink neoprene case and a keyboard dock to make it even easier to type. I'm using that right now and I have to admit that it's great. Typing is pretty damn easy as it is on the IPad but this keyboard makes it even faster and easier. It's also small enough that I can carry it along with the IPad should I feel the need.

I haven't added too many in the way of apps to the IPad yet but that's partly because I'm not an IPhone user so I didn't have a backlog of things for it to grab onto. I'm also being selective on what I do put on here. It may have a lot of memory (M got me the largest one with both sim and wifi capability) but I don't want to fill it up with silly trash and I don't want to spend money on things I end up hating so I'll take my time and enjoy it as I go along. In the near future, I think I will write a proper review for the IPad as well. I know a crap load of people have already done that but I have one now and I might as well say my piece. If anyone reads it, than that's all good. :)

So, yah. Got spoiled for my bday. V got me a movie voucher and Jo got me a Borders card so I'm looking forward to using those too. In all, it was a great birthday. Unfortunately, spending so much time running around (the friday before my bday was spent at a bbq as well) means that I am now running low on energy and fighting off a possible cold. Ick! Fingers crossed that it doesn't get stuck into me cause I can't afford to deal with it right about now.

Once I get more stuck into things, I will post reviews on the IPad, Red Dead Redemption and on Bad Girls & Wicked Women, so keep an eye out for those. 'Til then, I'm going to put my feet up and watch The Losers.