Golden Globes

Although the Golden Globe nominations just came out and I have a few movies to see (18 to see all the best screenplay, acting, and picture nods) it means one thing to me. The best time of the year for movies has finally begun.

As I do every year, I will attempt to see the other 18 movies by the time the awards happen (yet another reason I love winter break!). The Golden Globe nominations are a good place to start if you're looking for those outstanding movies you may have missed earlier in the year and are usually at least somewhat accurate when it comes to predicting the Oscars.

Looking at the nominations so far, four movies clearly stand-out: Lincoln, Zero Dark Thirty, Les Misérables, and Silver Linings Playbook. The leader of the pack is Lincoln, no surprise to anyone, with seven nominations, the other three falling behind (with four nominations) my least favorite nominee, Argo, and my most anticipated movie of the year: Django Unchained (each receiving five nods).

Of the six mentioned above, I've already seen three and the winners are clear: Lincoln and Sliver Linings Playbook hands down. However the buzz surrounding both Zero Dark Thirty and Les Mis may make me think twice.

If the past few years have taught us anything it's that Kathryn Bigelow knows how to make a war movie not revolve around a war (the main rationale behind her adrenaline junkie focused Hurt Locker taking the big prize at the Oscars). But how can one make a movie about the search for Osama Bin Laden not revolve around war? I don't think it can be done, which makes me think this will end up being reminiscent of past 'war-centered' award winners like Apocalypse Now, Platoon, and The Deer Hunter. Where this movie will be different is the fact that no one in America will be able leave the theater without wanting to chant "U.S.A."

This is what I expect to see surrounding me in the theater:

As much as I love The Hurt Locker and Kathryn Bigelow for taking down James Cameron and his precious Avatar"d," (Don't get me wrong, I like Avatar, but I would have liked it better had it been an original story) I think this is an low and easy way to get nominations. Take a story that everyone has at least heard about and make it into a movie. I sincerely hope I fall in love with this movie.

Now onto Les Mis. A musical. The last time a musical won was 2006's Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street. Could this be the year to dethrone a comedy? Possible, but not likely. Either way, it is already being heralded already as one of the musical greats. Probably most famously for having the actors sing live on the screen. In the modern age, yes this is something new and rare, but when film first started, the only way to record sound was to actually have them sing live. Maybe the nostalgia will capture audiences the way it did last year in The Artist. Although for many I think it will add a feeling of watching an actual Broadway production, which will detract some, but attract many more.

Finally there is Quentin Tarantino's new film Django Unchained (for those who don't know, the 'D' is silent). In true 'him-fashion,' for lack of a better word, Tarantino has made what looks to be like the best western in years! I'm especially looking forward to seeing Leonardo DiCaprio and Christoph Waltz (both nominated for Best Supporting Actor) square off in the film. Both are able to carry weighted roles and make them look easy. Seeing Jamie Foxx and what I'm sure will be gratuitous violence through out is definitely exciting as well.

Other movies worth mentioning are the Ewan McGregor and Emily Blunt carried Salmon Fishing in the Yemen, the awkwardly adorable Moonrise Kingdom, and the apparently visually stunning Life of Pi (Move over Avatar).

While I still like the Golden Globes they pale in comparison to both the Oscars and the Emmys so no TV talk from me today. Even some of the movies were a surprise. There was talk of The Dark Knight Rises getting some attention, but alas, it went unnoticed. We shall see how these movies hold up through the coming months building up to the Oscars.

Lincoln

Abraham Lincoln had an extremely tumultuous career as President of the United States. The Civil War and emancipating the slaves, culminating in his assassination. He was a man of many stories and loved by many and this new (albeit early) frontrunner for Oscars nails it on the head.

Lincoln is far less of a biopic than it is merely a period drama of his accomplishments in the last months of the Civil War, but as a period drama it is stupendous. Take Steven Spielberg, Sally Field, Tommy Lee Jones, and the incomparable Daniel Day-Lewis and combine them and you will get one of the greatest takes on a president ever made.

Opening in true Spielberg fashion, we are tossed right into the middle of Civil War at its peak. After an opening similar to Saving Private Ryan we meet the man, Abraham Lincoln (Day-Lewis). With many people against him, the movie follows how he helped end the Civil War and free the slaves.

Want to know what it felt like to live during 1865? See this movie. The art direction, costume design, and dialogue is how I imagine it was during this time. 

Daniel Day-Lewis became Lincoln, as he does with most of his roles. It is incredible to watch. It feels almost like watching a play where Abraham Lincoln is playing himself on stage. Sally Field as his deranged wife is astounding. I believed her emotion and felt like she actually was going crazy from losing a child. Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Tommy Lee Jones are perfect in the roles they play. 

With an odd amount of humor, unfortunately not joining the movie until a good 45 minutes in, James Spader's character and his other cronies are hilarious and provide some uplift and laughter to an otherwise slow movie. Without them I probably would have fallen asleep.

As a period drama this is an awesome movie, but as always seems to happen, slow movies will get lots of Oscar attention. I'm not saying that it doesn't deserve the nominations, but as of right now I don't think it should win best picture. Day-Lewis and Field are definite front runners for Best Actor and Supporting Actress. It will be quite the showdown in these categories this year. I hope anyway.

9/10

Silver Linings Playbook

Before I start this, I know I seem to love every movie I see. This is a problem for a lot of people. One of the most often questions I get is "how do you not like a movie?" My response usually involves something about how I find the things I like about a movie and remember those. And for the most part I do like every movie I see, but nowadays it's even more true. Maybe it's because I know the movies I want to see and I don't settle for other movies or maybe it is because movies are simply getting better overall. 

Yes, there are still the awful movies (Twilight series among others), but I tend to avoid seeing those without any problem. Occasionally watching a bad movie is a lot of fun (see the Step Up series), but once you figure out how to spot the winners from the losers going to the movies is always an enjoyable experience. Silver Linings Playbook is almost a hidden gem only because of its limited release.

It has been receiving attention for awhile since it debuted at film festivals across the country, even some Oscar buzz. I was skeptical about the Oscar talks until I saw it for myself. This movie comes out of left field and just works.

When you take a mentally unstable person and another mentally unstable person and make them the main character of your movie (or book) you open the door for anything to happen. Bradley Cooper's character, Patrick, spent eight months in a mental hospital for various reasons that I will not mention here and Jennifer Lawrence's character, Tiffany, has her own issues as well. The two compliment each other perfectly.

The story is very relatable on many levels. Either you have come in contact with someone with mental issues like the characters or you have actually acted like the characters in the film (with or without the instability). It follows the ups and downs of bipolarity through the characters and the plot and it is great to watch. I feel that you really get a chance to understand the troubles of mental instability all while being able to laugh. There were very few moments where I wasn't laughing.

Cooper and Lawrence deliver one hundred percent. I believed both of their mental instability. Whether it was acting or just a regular actor's personality doesn't matter. They were both incredible. Definite Oscar contenders (first for Cooper and second for Lawrence and so far my favorites to win them, but Lincoln will probably change at least the Best Actor). Robert DeNiro is stupendous as the father set in his ways. Other than that most of the characters fall by the wayside since they have minimal screen time...With one exception: Chris Tucker. He was an huge addition to the humor and you'll understand if you see the movie.

Overall, this is a great movie for everyone. No matter who is watching he or she will definitely be able to find something to enjoy in Silver Linings Playbook. There are multiple meanings for many of the jokes and lines throughout this movie and you can read into them however you like. And therein lies the beauty of this film. I think this is an instant classic and a must-see. It will build Oscar buzz and hopefully take a few awards.

9.5/10

Wreck-It Ralph

In an age replete with constant references and homages Wreck-It Ralph fits right in. An incredibly fun take on video games, you cannot help but enjoy it.

Any fan of "older" video games will find something they recognize here. Whether it is something from Pac-Man or Qbert to Bowser or Sonic the video game references and cameos do not ever seem to stop.

The story is entirely engaging and delightfully fun to watch. Ralph and Felix are part of a fictional game named Fix-It Felix Jr. Ralph destroys a building and Felix has to climb the building and fix the building and save the people who live in it. Ralph is lonely because at the end of the day when the arcade closes everyone in the building shuns him and is afraid of him. From there it gets fun as we follow Ralph through different adventures so he can try and be a good guy for once.

Much of the humor comes from the references in the writing, whether they are from past video games or other "nerdy" allusions to movies or comics. Small details in the film are what made me laugh more than anything. One of my favorite instances coming from the beginning of a race sequence. For fans of the Mario Kart series of games it is obvious. If you push the 'A' button too soon you get a bad start and just like in the game a few racers don't start as quickly as the others.

Voice acting can be just as challenging as live-action acting and the actors nailed it. Ralph would not be nearly as likable if it were not for John C. Reilly providing the voice. Vanellope voiced by Sarah Silverman is perfect, starting out as an annoyance, but growing on you as the movie goes on, much like Silverman in real life (watch The Sarah Silverman Program if you don't believe me). There are many more great performances here, but Jane Lynch and Jack McBrayer as Calhoun and Felix respectively are awesome. Each bringing his or her stereotypical humor to their roles.

As a whole this is a great movie, fit for children and adults alike. Much more enjoyable than I had anticipated and I could not stop smiling except for a brief period of time. Definitely go see it this holiday season.

8/10

Skyfall

Let's cut straight to the chase: this was very closely my favorite movie of recent memory (aside from Cabin in the Woods). Less surprises than Looper, but still an excellent storyline and tons of excitement. James Bond is back, better and badder than ever before.

Bond has been a beloved character for years and whether you think Daniel Craig fits the bill or not, Skyfall should make the answer rather obvious. Aside from the occasional shots of his awkward running stride, Craig is a great Bond and if you haven't heard he has signed on for two more films as well.

Beginning with an outstanding opening chase scene and an exciting and impressive opening credit sequence paired with Adele's single. I was hooked from the start. Following Bond into a story full of a perfect balance of old and new (revamping classic characters and reviving the playfullness of older Bond movies) was incredibly fun this time around (as opposed to whatever you'd like to call Quantum of Solace).

As for the story I won't give anything away, but look forward to a witty candor amongst characters that is refreshing and relieving at times. Little side glances from characters and quips about age coarse through the veins of this film and make it a memorable experience. Watch for the symmetry in many of the shots, though I feel it's hard to miss. It just adds to the subtle beauty of this Bond movie.

There are three things, among others, that are hard for me to believe in movies: fear, sadness, and cold. Check (✔) the first one off for Skyfall with Bérénice Marlohe's performance as Sévérine, one of the Bond girls. Then there's Q played by Ben Whishaw. He was excellent playing the brainy, young character opposite Daniel Craig's "old" Bond. And the mere fact that Craig turns on the waterworks, however brief, should be another ✔ off the list. Judi Dench is as impactful as ever as M, giving a beautiful performance of a snippet of a Tennyson poem swelling with the music. Naomie Harris who you might remember from 28 Days Later or the Pirates of the Caribbean series brings a rapport with Bond to the screen that hasn't been seen from a Bond girl in years. And Ralph Fiennes (aka Voldemort) shows his always skillful acting ability as Gareth Mallory.

Javier Bardem stands alone here. Both literally and figuratively. While his performance was both powerful and frightening, it felt familiar, reminiscent of the Joker from The Dark Knight. Bardem is always an incredible actor at the top of his game here. Still not as scary as Anton Chigurh (did you remember his name?) in No Country for Old Men. And many critics are claiming that he is the scariest villain of any Bond movie, but it's almost too easy to claim that once you learn his motive...Possible spoiler

Anything can be scary if it's made personal. And is only amplified when his malevolence is directed towards a main character.

However, the malicious and sadistic tones he conveys are incomparable to previous villains and his performance as Silva is not one to be forgotten.

Two things did bother me in Skyfall: Daniel Craig's awkward running and the CGI breath to show just how cold it is (✔? Only thanks to the snow and frozen water).  Why does his running bother me? Because he looks like he is a person in Minecraft living in an hi-def world. The CGI verges on annoying simply due to just how fake it really looks. It's nit-picky, oh well.

Skyfall joins a special tier of films, and in my opinion is one of the best Bond films to date. It will surely create new fans of the series and should impress any die-hard fan.

9/10

Argo

Movie posters can tell prospective viewers a lot about a movie. They let you know who is in the movie, the tagline, and often give hints to smaller details in the film. What does the poster for Argo tell the average movie-goer? All of the above, but on top of them one thing reigns supreme: Too. Much. Ben. Affleck.

Anyone who is a history buff (or saw a preview) knows that this story revolves around the rescue of six American diplomatic personnel trapped in a hostile Iran. Sorry, that should be rephrased, it revolves around the CIA operation, not the people, which is the major downfall of this film.

Overall, the acting is superb. Special mention to John Goodman and Alan Arkin for stellar performances in their roles. And for the small amount of time we actually get to see the six Americans they are impressive. They really wring out as much empathy as they can with the little screen time. Bryan Cranston has become more and more of a household name again thanks to his time on "Breaking Bad." Fans of his earlier work on "Malcolm in the Middle" may be happy to see a resurgence of his bumbling character Hal save for a few shining moments.

Then there's Mr. Affleck. It's true that his acting is good, excluding the atrocity that was Gigli. But it's also true his directing is better. (See Gone Baby Gone  or The Town and tell me otherwise). Here it becomes a story not about the operation or the six Americans, but rather Affleck parading around on screen, his character lying (and drinking) at every turn. It's certainly not a bad performance, but the one thing about it that really sticks with you is his ability to grow a great beard.

Being based on a true story Argo has a lot of things going against it (familiarity with the plot), but it does a good job of making it all feel novel and exciting. It builds tension well and keeps us on the edge of our seats for a large part of the film. But what good is a rescue plot if you ignore the development of the people who are supposed to be rescued? Exactly what happens in this film: little to no empathy for any of the supporting characters.

I will say that the amount of positive reviews Argo was receiving definitely affected my viewing, but either way I would have walked away feeling like I just sat through 120 minutes of watching Ben Affleck's beard grow while he chases down the necessities for his operation. If you enjoy history (or Affleck) see this movie. Otherwise it can wait until DVD.

6.5/10

Seven Psychopaths

From the director of In Bruges comes the tale of seven psychopaths fighting over a Shih Tzu. In the comedic vein of Quentin Tarantino and the Coen Brothers, Seven Psychopaths relies on the cringe/dark  side of humor for many of the biggest laughs. And it nails it! The writing is what makes this movie. It's a movie about a struggling writer (Colin Farrell) and his struggles to write his new screenplay entitled Seven Psychopaths. 

When watching this movie, or any movie for that matter, if it ends up involving a movie within a movie (show within a show works as well), be ready for meta jokes and intertextuality. With Seven Psychopaths this is done extremely well. So well that it's hard to even pick up on a lot of them. Obviously the main jokes come from the stories of different psychopaths, but it's done in a Quentin Tarantino-esque way that pulls us into the universe of these characters. The references then, do not detract from the film, but rather make it much more enjoyable.

With somewhat predictable turns the story is laid out for viewers during the one hour and fifty minute runtime, this movie is incredibly entertaining. And while the humor is dark, it allows us to unleash our inner psychopath, whether you think you have one or not. The darkness of the humor does not skimp on gore either. Whether it's body parts flying, gunshot wounds, or blood spatter, the laughs do not stop coming.

The acting on all accounts is good. All the stock characters (read psychopaths) are present, but never have they all been together in one movie. An alcoholic in denial, a mob boss, a man out for revenge, plus four more and you get an outstanding final project. Christopher Walken, Woody Harrelson, Tom Waits, and Sam Rockwell create incredible supporting characters to Colin Farrell's character. And the women, Olga Kurylenko and Abbie Cornish are great as well (despite their limited amount of screen time).

That being said, it's definitely more of a writer's movie. If you enjoy good writing you'll really love this movie. The way the plot keeps the screenplay in the movie central to the overall plot and continually references it makes this seemingly unbelievable story just a little more believable. The characters all have some traits that everybody can identify with.

Take the gore with the humor, release your inner psychopath, and sit back and enjoy this humorous take on a violent kidnapping plot. Make a night of it and watch In Bruges as well. You may be surprised with the things you find yourself laughing at.

8.5/10

Live Music

There are few things in life that I enjoy more than live music and this week I had the opportunity to see three of my favorite artists.

First was William Elliott Whitmore again. (third time in a year and a half I think) He was absolutely outstanding. It's hard to believe that someone can sound as good as he does live. I think my favorite part of his shows is how he doesn't make a setlist, but rather relies on his audience's knowledge of his music. When he finished one, the Majestic theater would erupt with calls of different songs. He spent a large time of this last show playing songs from Animals in the Dark and it was amazing. I can't wait for him to come back.

Finding new artists that I love and want to see live is always fun, but sometimes you need a little nostalgia in your life. Taking Back Sunday and Bayside touring together was that for me. And it made me realize some interesting trends of the people who attend these shows.

"Back in the day" (aka about eight years ago) seeing rock shows was an interesting experience. Kids would show up to a venue ready to look like an individual and lo and behold everyone looked the same. The same swooping hair, often died black with blonde streak, placing me in a sea of skunk-headed people. And that's just the start of the similarities, the tall lanky guys (guilty as charged) were everywhere at these shows, Vans and Chuck Taylors on your feet, and god-forbid you would wear a shirt of the band you were seeing.

Not only were clothes and hair an identity, but so was knowing the opening band. If I heard a band I liked was touring near me I would either immediately research and download the openers or I would look at who the headliner was to see if it was worth going. If you didn't know the opening band you were not going to fit in with the "scene kids." (which looking back, why would you want to?) They always thought they were better than everyone else because they knew the opener and that they knew the band before they were popular.

Going to see Taking Back Sunday now (possibly the seventh time maybe more I've seen them) was an even more interesting experience this time around. First of all they were going to play their first album Tell All Your Friends from beginning to end, something we as fans have been wanting to hear for a long time. This time around instead of lanky guys and "skunky" hair the crowd was (mostly) diverse. There were still the "scene kids" and of course the hipsters, but there were "bros" in flat-brimmed hats, the tall lanky guys "filled out" (read as got fat), and then there were the regular people wearing clothes that fit and just having a great time.

Not only were the people different, but their attitudes were different as well. Instead of being jerks pushing and shoving through the crowd, everyone was polite and said excuse me. It was confusing at first, but then I thought about it a little more and realized that we all used to have to deal with jerk-fans who would push through and step on your feet and just not care. So somewhere along the line of aging we, as a whole, learned to be nice to each other and just enjoy the music.

And enjoy the music I did. Seeing the passion in the singer's face and body language as he yelped out those lyrics from songs written when he was just out of high school. The hatred he had for a girl back then has now become hatred for some of his lyrics. It was cool to see that he outgrew the meaning of the lyrics just like many of us as fans did.

Some things never change. The mosh pits, the screaming every word of every song, and the feeling of compression in your chest from other fans pushing behind you; all the things I've always loved about this kind of show. I never considered a show to be fun for me unless I walked out drenched from head to toe in sweat. Both mine and everyone else's around me. It may sound disgusting, but it's not everyday you get to be within the first five rows of a mosh pit. Not one person this close minds the pushing and shoving here because we're all there to hear the music. It seems that when the band starts playing their set the audience goes into his or her own world and we're brought back only when the last chord of the last song is played and the band leaves the stage.

Macklemore and Ryan Lewis

For those of you who haven't heard of the new white rapper this post will be a huge favor for you, assuming you enjoy rap and hip-hop. I know quite a few people who still oppose it because it's vile, vulgar, and inappropriate.

However Macklemore's lyrics on his debut album The Heist are some of the smartest and often most inspirational lyrics I've ever heard. And combining these lyrics with production from Ryan Lewis and you'll have a hit album for awhile. Every song is fun to listen to and has intriguing lyrics.

Some I will definitely have to pick up on after a few more listens due to the speed of his rhymes. Most college students have probably already heard one of the first singles: "Thrift Shop." It's about exactly what it sounds like and it pokes fun at people who need to buy designer clothes when many people go to secondhand stores and find their own style through different "come-ups." But it's so catchy that you'll be singing it all the time.

The next song many have heard is "Same Love." This is a great song for the time it is written in. It is preaching that love is love is love, no matter who it's with. And not only that, but it draws out other problems in our society.

One of my favorite things about Macklemore's songs are that oftentimes the backing instruments sound like samples from other songs, in "Same Love" it sounds like "Waiting on the World to Change" by John Mayer and in one of his older songs "Vipassana" it is "Empire State of Mind." Whether these are intentional or not, the different genres of backing instrumentation makes this a versatile yet cohesive album.

If you're a fan of intelligent lyrics over catchy beats and instruments you'll enjoy this album a lot. Check it out when you can! Also check out my favorite song (not from The Heist) "Contradiction" here.

9/10

Looper

Have you ever had that movie experience where your mind is completely blown? Like Memento or Inception or even The Dark Knight (Heath Ledger's performance, whew!)? Would you like to have your mind blown again? Well look no further this year, for in the realm of science fiction, one movie reigns supreme: Looper. (My apologies to Christopher Nolan for not supplying pop culture with a mind destroying film this year)

Before this movie I could only fathom what seeing Blade Runner for the first time in theaters could have done to someone. It would have been mindjarring (my personal combination of mind blowing and bottling). As was my experience with this film. Rian Johnson has done what he did to film noir with Brick (2005): flipped it on it's head.

I thought I knew sci-fi movies and knew the kind of movie that Looper was, but whatever thoughts I had in my mind were changed because of this movie. The story begins with us following the life of Joe played by Joseph Gordon Levitt. His narration draws us in slowly and gently, but ever so subtly and we are transported to another world (or dimension depending on how you look at it). And after that we are given the conundrum: "if you were to meet your future self, should you kill him or her if you were a looper? "The sci-fi genre has not seen the likes of this movie since Alien or the aforementioned Blade Runner. The script is written so beautifully with subtle mentions of different topics that we never get a full explanation of, but have to fill in with our minds, and keeps reminding you that Bruce Willis is from the future. (Most of the movie I had to remind myself that he was)

But nobody likes a good story without a great ending. And Looper does NOT disappoint. Four little words in the film are all it took to blow my mind this time around. I walked out of the movie, drove home, and immediately asked my roommates if they wanted to see it tonight. The acting is incredible for the genre. And the special effects/make-up used to make Joseph Gordon-Levitt look different are unbelievable. He is transformed into a younger Bruce Willis with no visible changes at all. I could barely believe my eyes.

Whether you like sci-fi movies or not this is an absolute must-see. (Do you like Christopher Nolan movies? Yes? GO SEE THIS MOVIE TOMORROW!)<--Said in your Billy Mayes voice. This is a movie that could turn non-fans into die-hards (no pun intended Mr. Willis).

9/10

Fall Television

It has been awhile since I've posted anything here, but it's finally that time of year again. The time for our beloved shows to return with brand new episodes and new shows attempt to gain our attention and garner an audience. Yesterday, "Parks & Recreation" returned, just one of many shows that I watch. A few shows, though none of my real favorites, have already begun.

"Revolution," a new show on NBC has proven to be better than I expected. Getting into a show is tough, though some pilots hook you right away. This show is for anyone who is a fan of "Heroes" because it feels like a cross between that and "Lost." It will hopefully continue to hold my attention and keep being exciting. If it doesn't do those things it will fall into the hole that "Heroes" did, but much much sooner.

Maybe I'm just biased to NBC, but most of the shows that I watch are on this network. Community, 30 Rock, The Voice, Parks & Rec, The Office, Revolution, Go On (another new show that has surprised me for the time being), and Parenthood. That last one has been a guilty pleasure for awhile and I don't know why I like the show. It's just a good show. Then there's Modern Family, the one show I watch on ABC and New Girl and Fringe on FOX for the network shows I watch. Finally there's American Horror Story and Wilfred on FX. And my friends wonder why I don't need anymore shows to watch...

Of the five comedies on NBC that I watch, two are having their final seasons this year (30 Rock and The Office) and two others need to have incredible viewership, and fans ready to fight for them, if they want to stay on the air (Community and Parks & Rec). The two endangered of being cancelled are two of the funniest shows on TV currently. I honestly cannot think of more smartly written sitcoms nowadays. They both have been falling into the rut that Arrested Development had, they are almost too smart for the "common viewer." However as Arrested Development is gaining more attention again I think people are beginning to watch Community and Parks & Rec the same way, if not these two shows are getting a similar viewership.

As shows start up again, so does my quoting and referencing. Parks & Rec had some gems last night and I can't wait to use them to see who really follows these shows too. I can't wait to see what surprises come from these different shows and how the new ones change over the course of the season.

Safety Not Guaranteed

Time traveling has been out of the movies for sometime, especially romantic dramas. Coming from the producers of Little Miss Sunshine this movie was pretty similar in terms of humor. It was a quirky indie movie with lots of indie music and good humor.

If you like seeing smaller films in the theater alongside the bigger box office hits, you'll enjoy this movie. Including three of my favorite actors from three great comedies they were the perfect combination for Safety Not Guaranteed. Aubry Plaza from "Parks and Recreation," Jake Johnson from "New Girl," and Mark Duplass from "The League." Seeing the three of them together on screen was incredible and they all had some great chemistry. Aubry Plaza with her standard dark humor delivering lines with a flat face and tone was perfection. Mark Duplass brought just the right amount of crazy to this idiosyncratic comedy.

Following a magazine writer and two interns responding to an ad in a local newspaper about looking for a partner to go back in time with. The whole story develops from there and the relationships and inter-weavings of characters is so much fun to watch. Similar to the indie comedies in the past (i.e. Juno and Little Miss Sunshine) there are great lines and great scenes.

For the money spent on the movie it makes use of every penny. The only time it is clear that money was spent on it is towards the end. Not only that, but this comedy follows some of my favorite things like witty retorts and intelligent references to other movies and the way they are combined makes Safety Not Guaranteed a movie that shouldn't be missed. Try and catch it if you can.

7.5/10

Dark Knight Rises

I have started this post at 3:54 am, the morning of July 20th. Or more accurately the day I've been waiting for for nearly a year, anticipating the glorious end to a great trilogy.

My previous favorite movie theater experience was a stereotypical event that many people would find irritating. I saw Wolf Creek in Mayfair mall at night. While at the theater the other spectators were yelling at the screen, which I loved! However this triple-feature at least tied that. In between Batman Begins and The Dark Knight we had trivia and between each of the movies we had a jolly old man come in and introduce the next film. It was also filled with some big Batman nerds, which made the experience that much greater. And I should say that midnight showings are nearly sacred to me. I LOVE midnight showings, the entire atmosphere is just better at these showings.

The third act of this trilogy is one of the better third acts I've ever seen. My opinion could be swayed due to my viewing of the entire trilogy in theaters. This was the first time I've ever done an in-theater movie marathon before and I'm happy this was the one I chose to see. The Dark Knight Rises tied in so closely and so well with the first two that having just seen them a mere six hours before the midnight premiere made the tie-ins that much more apparent. Many of the similarities were in the dialogue and a few flashbacks, but what set this apart in the trilogy was the cast.

The characters in every movie have had great performances (i.e. Joker/Heath Ledger). However, every character of this film has a perfect actor or actress who should have portrayed them and in true Christopher Nolan fashion each received his or her perfect fit. Whether it was newcomers Selina Kyle (Anne Hathaway) or John Blake (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) or old favorites Jim Gordon (Gary Oldman) or Lucius Fox (Morgan Freeman) the actors were pitch perfect. Ladies and gentlemen we have a Catwoman that I actually liked! Not just a sex symbol, but a real character, Hathaway showed some grit in her performance as the jewel thief. For a comic book movie the characters felt real and not just like they were straight off the pages of a book.

What was really weighing on this film for many moviegoers was the villain, Bane. If you remember back to the first two trailers, his voice was nearly unintelligible and their best solution was to re-dub the film. It was the best solution and only strayed into the unbelievable and almost annoying once. Annoying may not even be the right word, but it got a bit high for a big guy like Bane. I simply cannot write a review without mentioning how Tom Hardy compared to Heath Ledger's Joker. Seeing as how the two villains are nearly polar opposites (one more physical and the other playing a more mental game) they were both great performances. Aside from Hardy's voice his performance gave me chills. I had to get picky to even think of this one incident.

As for the action, what would a Christopher Nolan Batman movie be without a lot of action? From the many new gadgets and the old ones he brought back were great fun to watch on screen. It was a terrific blend of action, character development, and story. So perfect that Nolan almost achieved something only two things have accomplished before: getting me to cry. I know I'm not the only one in the theater who was close to tears, and I don't care either. It was that good.

There are plenty of twists and turns that, while sometimes guessable, are much more fun to just let them happen. Replete with many jaw dropping, "aha," and "oh my god, did that really happen?" moments, Overall I thought it was a near perfect end to an outstanding trilogy. The Dark Knight Rises is the summer movie event I've been waiting for. I cannot wait to see it a few more times in the theaters. 

9.5/10

Final Leg

Well I'm back in America. It was a long day of traveling and done with about four hours of sleep for two nights. This whole experience was the trip of a lifetime and probably one of the best, if not the best experience of my life so far. Finished the program with a good grade, great friendships, and some very fond memories.

To everyone in the group, I just wanted to use this to thank you for everything throughout the summer. All the quotes and great memories. I am entirely serious when I say that I'm going to visit you all. I'm going to at least try and get to everyone in your town and hope that you will come to Madison at some point because we'll have a great time anywhere we go.

I can't wait to see where we all go in our lives because I know that we'll all do great things. It was great spending the past month with all of you and I hope you have fun in the second session. Don't let the new group take our place! Though I know it'll be tough to replace us :P

Anyways, the last couple days were devoted to school work and cleaning. We did get to go to Milla Milla Falls, possibly my favorite spot on the entire trip. Tied with Mossman Gorge at the very least. Really really cold water, but once you were in it felt great! We even got to swim underneath the waterfall. It'll be one of my most cherished memories from the whole trip, but the amount of memories I have from this trip is almost innumerable. It was an incredible experience and I wish I could do it again!

The trip home was very sad. It could have been a combination of being over tired and leaving the group and center, but there were lots of tears as we said goodbye to everyone. Bittersweet tears is the best way to describe it. My favorite part about this whole time was how close we all got as friends. It really does feel like a family and many friendships that no matter how long we have between seeing each other will feel like no time has passed. With so many great friends all over the US now, I can't wait to see you all again. Thanks for the memories! See you all real soon to make more.

Home Stretch

This has been a very busy few days. So much crammed into not a ton of time and it is taking it's toll on a large part of the group. People are getting sick, some are tired all the time, and some are hungry all the time. We're still getting along really well, but some are needing more alone time since we're constantly in contact with each other. 

While some things like that are happening, this trip just keeps getting better and better. Friday the 29th, half the group went to and off-site area to help plant trees and the other group (mine) found seeds on our access road and planted them and took a tour of the restoration sites around the center. It was very interesting and fun at the same time. Then it was time for lunch, but not at the center! We drove to Lake Barrine, another crater lake, and ate there and got to walk around. We saw a carpet python chilling but the lake in the grass. He was just trying to get some sun. Unfortunately the internet is not doing so well here so pictures aren't readily available for me right now.

Saturday was a really fun day! We got to celebrate TREAT's 30th anniversary. TREAT is Trees for the Evelyn and Atherton Tablelands and is a program where they plant seedlings around the tablelands area and keep an eye on them as they grow older. It has been working really well in a lot of the areas and is supported by many of the local community. I thought it was great that the community supported this program and continue to today. From TREAT we went back to Lake Eachem and hung out there for an hour and then went back to the center. Here we relaxed (finally!) even though we all should have been working on our homework.

To cap off the day, some of us made chocolate chip cookies and played volleyball before dinner and then went to the pub! This was a night a lot of the group was looking forward to just so we could talk to some locals and make new friends. We had to take a bus to and from the pub because it was in a different town, but it was definitely worth it while we were there. We met a lot of fun locals who taught us better ways to say words, like g'day, and were just all around great people. When we got back to the center, we had to walk down the access road. This shouldn't really be called a road at all. It's more of a gravel path up and down hills with potholes all over the place. A few of us had planned to do a 'naked rainforest run' because this was written in one of our cabins and we followed through. It was an obscene amount of fun to run through the rainforest like that: completely free.

Sunday was our relax day and it was well spent. I woke up and made hash browns for some of the group and pretty much continually ate all day, wrote a paper due that night, played volleyball, and worked on getting a tan. "Hole in the ozone...cook me." This quote has held true so far and will continue to carry over unless I get too burned one day.

Monday was our trip up to the Daintree. One of our interns told us that it would be really hot and humid while we were up there, but we lucked out and had great weather! It was dry and sunny for most of the time we spent there. We got there late at night and just ate dinner and went to bed. But the place we stayed at was an awesome hostel, with different cabins and buildings separated by gravel paths through the rainforest. 

Tuesday was another full day of driving and walking around the Daintree. We went to a discovery center place with an arial walkway and a tall tower so we could see the canopy of the rainforest we were walking through. It was very interesting to actually be up in the tops of the trees for once. From there we went to a fan palm forest and then onto a homemade ice cream shop. This wasn't any homemade ice cream this was bush tucker ice cream! This means it is made with fruit and/or nuts from the bush (rainforest) and the four flavors I had were awesome! I don't remember what they all were, but I think they were blue berry, jack fruit, walnut, and sour sop. They were delicious!

Then we went to a beach for our last field lecture from our professor Justus, who's from Kenya. It was a short lecture and then we had time on the beach at the Cape of Tribulations. It was beautiful there despite the overcast weather we had for the first time in the Daintree. Some of us started climbing some rocks around the bend, but stopped because it might have been a sacred Aboriginal initiation site, where women weren't allowed.

Then we had a night to ourselves, but a group of us went to the nearby pub in a hotel and hung out there for awhile. Again, we all were greeted with open arms by the patrons of the pub and became friends with all of them. We met the owner and his family and even his dog, who while we were there ripped the head of a rat off outside the hotel. The owner told us that the dog was a people dog and anything else on four legs or that flew it would attack. It seemed to be true because he was a very friendly dog.

Wednesday was a little less busy, just a lot of driving because it was time to go back to the center. The first thing we did this day was take a crocodile cruise down the Daintree River. We saw four adult crocs and many little babies. The alpha male of the area nearly attacked a younger male that was sun bathing on the bank of the river, but when he caught a glimpse of Scarface the young male took off down the river. We were hoping to see a crocodile fight, but the young one was far too young to even think about challenging Scarface.

Our last stop on the way back to the center was probably the coolest in my opinion. It's a place called Mossman Gorge and is an incredible river in the middle of the rainforest. We got to swim in the cold waters here and it was just perfect. Our student affairs manager's favorite place in all of Australia and one of the interns second favorite places. For me I think it has to rank up there too. I highly recommend it for anyone who wants to swim in water that makes your hair feel dry even after you've been underneath. Just spectacular.

Back at the center we got to celebrate the fourth of July with some sparklers and an American flag cake, which was delicious!

Thursday and Friday were the last days of our class when everyone was scrambling to finish the papers and study for our exam on Saturday. This has been the trip of a lifetime and I've made some amazing friendships that I plan to keep forever! One thing I'll never forget was what the owner of the pub in the Daintree told us: "When you get a group together that's this good of friends, you can't lose touch." I really like that because we've known each other for now a month and the fact that he can see what good friends we are after just that amount of time is awesome!

Only two days left of this amazing trip with some lifelong friendships made and built upon. I don't want it to end and I can't believe it's almost over, but I guess it's about time for me to go back to America so I can visit everyone at their schools during the next year! It's going to be fun with everyone visiting each other around the country and just making more unforgettable memories! This is a great group of people and I'm so happy I got to spend the past month with all of them.

Cabins in the Rainforest

One of the highlights of the trip so far had to have been our free Auckland weekend. It was great to be able to go out with each and just explore the city however we wanted to. Traveling everywhere in a big group has been great, but sometimes the days are really long and we're all exhausted at the end of the day. We got to see some of the quieter and shyer members break out of their shells and we all had a great time!

As I've said before I love meeting new people and this weekend was a great time for that to happen. I met eight new friends this weekend and they all took us out on the town and showed us their favorite places to eat and hang out. It was a great treat! We've got a lot of great memories from this weekend to add to this entire experience. Not only do I love meeting new people, but I finally got a picture with my friend Alexa, from half way around the world!

It was great to see her again and this time have her show me where she lives and some of the things she loves about the city.

From Auckland we had a long journey ahead of us to get to Yungaburra. We left our hostel for the airport at 4:30 in the morning and then got there nearly three hours before our flight so we slept, read, or ate the time away. Then we landed in Sydney and had a three hour layover there and when we finally landed in Cairns we had about an hour and a half van ride into the rainforest. We finally arrived at the Center for Rainforest Studies outside of Yungaburra around seven at night. It was a long day. But when we arrived here we all perked up because we were in a new place!

The first full day we were here was Tuesday and we started the morning off with a site walk to get us all used to where we would be sleeping and living for awhile. We walked a loop around the center and got to see a lot of cool rainforest. Yes, I am actually living in the rainforest. We all bunk in cabins in the woods (rainforest) and the "man cave" as we all have deemed it looks the most similar to the cabin in the recent movie. IT'S AWESOME!

Anyways we learned about all the deadly animals we could encounter here and by the end of the site walk I think almost everyone had had a leech either bite or almost bite them. The worst part about these leeches is they drop out of the trees and sometimes can end up on your eye ball. Eyeball leeches. What the hell?! Aside from that the leeches are fine. They try and bite my legs a lot, but because I have hairy legs they can't get to my skin. Very handy if you ask me. There are a few spiders and snakes that we could come into contact with here, but those haven't happened very often. And finally the stinging trees. If we touch a stinging tree we'll be in pain on the spot and will be reminded of this contact everyday for NINE MONTHS. Too long for one touch of a tree for me, even though I'm tempted to touch one just to see what it's like.

Wednesday we were split into four different groups to investigate four different towns around the area and how they felt about where the lived. It was a very cool exercise and I found it to be very interesting because we all got to meet more new people and learn about their lives in the town, how they felt about conservation, and what they did or didn't like about their towns. Just very cool! The town that I went to, Atherton, was great! We learned about an award winning bakery with fantastic apple turnovers and an added bonus of vanilla Coke!

And now today was a great day too! A very very very long one though. We had a lecture in the morning and then went to Malanda Falls to have field lectures. I learned a lot today and had fun doing it too! We got to see a lot of different animals in the wild like tree kangaroos, kookaburras, and even a possum (they're actually very cute here). See:

Both the tree kangaroos and possum were just lucky finds, but were just incredible to see. Today had to have been the highlight of the trip. I know I say that a lot, or at least it feels that way, but everyone here is becoming better and better friends and we all get along so well that when we have the opportunity for free time like we did today, we're almost never bored. Our free time today was spent at a crater lake where we got to swim for a couple hours. Nice and cool water was nice after being in the sun all day. Hole in the ozone really makes a difference, it feels like the sun is always burning my skin. Nice and toasty!

SFS: Trip to the Mountains

I have spent the past four days at a place called the Marae. It was incredibly awesome! I'm not the most outdoorsy person per se, but I really enjoyed my time here. We all got to see what life was like on a farm and experience the life of a Maori family.

One of the greatest things was how accepting they were of all of us. They brought us into their lives, shared their culture, food, and home with us and we tried to do the same thing back. All 19 of us students stayed in one long hall, guys on one side and girls on the other. We weren't allowed to wear our shoes in this room because it was a sacred house where their ancestors were acknowledged and respected. We couldn't have anything but water in this room and all food was not allowed.

There wasn't hot water always readily available and the first night I took an ice cold shower. The reason being that I and a few others went on a short run that first night there. While running we saw shooting stars, the milky way, and the southern cross (again). Not only that, but we spotted an owl sitting in a tree and just took in the silence and darkness around us. It was awesome!

That first night was the latest any of us stayed awake, mostly just talking and hanging out until about midnight. Then we tried to go to sleep, but as was repeated every night, laughing fits befell a few of us and I ended up in tears from laughing so hard. Nothing was really funny, but when one of us started to laugh others would join in and it would become an endless cycle.

The first day we were there we got to witness a cool dog training program. This training is used for hunting dogs so they don't go after kiwi (another flightless bird). This dog aversion training was very interesting to watch because it only took one shock on an electric collar to get the dog to avoid the dead kiwi. Also, dogs who had been trained over two years ago, still had an aversion to kiwi and their smell and would stay away from them. Fantastic!

Following the kiwi experience from the first day, we all had the opportunity to go out into the mountains at night and listen for kiwi in the woods. This was fun even though it was pretty chilly. We went out about a fifteen minute roller coaster drive and sat on the road and just listened. Again, it was pitch black and absolutely silent. My group of six heard five kiwi over the course of two hours. We heard many possums and a few owls as well. And being out in the woods and having a clear night, we got to see a lot of shooting stars and many different constellations as well.

Yesterday was fun despite the rain and cold. We hiked through the mountains for about four hours in the rain and mud and had a barbecue up in the mountains at another cabin. While hiking around we got to see many of the sacred sites around where we were staying and it was very interesting to see it all. From there we walked back to the Marae to eat our Hangi (spelling may be off). This is a traditional pit-cooking style and boy was it delicious.

Two days before we took this hike the "man of the house" Aaron shot a wild boar that was on his land. That boar ended up being our dinner last night and it was great! A Hangi works like almost any pit style cooking. It's a hole in the ground that you have hot rocks in, which will cook your food. You put your food in a metal basket and lower it into the pit after wrapping it in layers and layers of burlap and a white sheet. Cover it all up with dirt and leave it there for three to four hours. Come back and you've got a fantastic meal, piping hot.

My favorite thing about being at the Marae has to have been the kids. There were four kids who would be around sporadically throughout the weekend and they loved to play. Three brothers, ages 7, 4, and 2 (I think) were the most fun. We practiced rugby, ran around, and just acted like kids. I loved it all. When we left today the women both told me that the boys would miss messing around with me and would tell them thanks and goodbye for me. All of us in the group have an open invitation now to go back to the Marae sometime in the future and visit everyone there and as of now, we're all trying to think of a good time to have an SFS reunion back at the Marae. Maybe it'll happen soon, but I think it'll be sometime in the distant future.

Maybe it'll happen, maybe it won't, but I know that staying there with this family (both SFS and Maori) was an experience I'll never forget.

SFS Days 2, 3, and 4

SFS: Day 2

So far this was the coldest day we’ve had. We did a lot of “get-to-know-you” activities in between our lectures in the classroom, which have been interesting even if every lecture didn’t apply to my interests. It was odd today because it wasn’t cold first thing in the morning, but when we went outside after a lecture it was suddenly freezing.

While everyone has done the get-to-know-you activities, they were actually quite enjoyable this time around. Maybe it was because we’re all in a different country, but we all have pretty much instantly clicked. It seems that no matter which bus we’re in (Bruce or Lucy as they have affectionately been named) we all get along and can have a great time. It has been amazing. I don’t think I could have asked for a better group of peers to work with for the summer.

After going through more lectures and lunch we went to the Arataki visitor center and got some incredible views of the rainforests in New Zealand. Then we finally got to actually go into the rainforest and go for a walk and talk. After some wandering around we found a place called the Kauri (a type of tree found all over New Zealand) Cathedral. The reason it’s referred to as a cathedral is because the trees are huge, tall pillars that looked similar to the columns often found in cathedrals.

Day 3

We were all very excited about today because we were going to get some time downtown in Auckland. After sitting through a few more lectures in the morning we went to the Auckland War Memorial Museum and wandered around for a while.

In New Zealand the Maori people are the indigenous people of the area and like the Aboriginals in Australia they love sharing their culture with other people. So the first thing we saw at this museum was a presentation of songs and dances from the Maori. It was a lot of fun to see. These dances included the Wakka, a traditional dance the All Blacks (New Zealand’s rugby team) perform before every match they play. It’s very intimidating.

Here’s a picture of a trumpet according to the museum. It’s from Tibet and from something like the 14^th century, but I’m not really sure.

Then we got about two hours downtown! Instead of following the group and wandering with them I got to meet up with a friend I haven’t seen in a long time, probably over a year. Alexa and I met up for some coffee and to just talk about our lives. We started planning the next weekend as well because all 19 of us will get to have a free weekend in Auckland and I want her to meet the group and vice versa.

And of course I found my black mustache dye. It’s something I’ve always wanted to do, but never followed through with. The big joke here has been that I should have found Just For Men “Touch of Grey.”

Now my mustache matches one of the girl’s mustache tattoos on her finger! More pictures will be posted here as I take them and put them on my computer.

Day 4

Today has been probably the most rewarding day to date. After breakfast we drove to another site about a thirty minute drive away. Here our task was to clear out an area of forest from weeds so the native plants could thrive again. It seemed a bit daunting at first, but because there were 19 students and three interns and one professor, it turned out to be a lot of fun.

We were in smaller groups all around this hilled area and were all attacking different weeds. My group took the job of taking out the Goss plant. It’s incredibly spiky and I, along with the rest of my group, have scratches all up and down my arms. Attacking these weeds with saws and brute force was great fun and having some music playing while we did it definitely made it easier.

From there we traveled something like 45 minutes from here and went to a spot where, two years ago, trees were planted by previous students of the same program we are on now. It was cool to see the trees still growing and thriving in this place. Then came a trip down to the beach. Not just any beach, but a black sand beach. The beauty we saw here was basically indescribable. The pictures we took don’t do it any justice, but here’s one anyways:

      

Tomorrow our breakfast is the earliest it has been, but that’s because we’re moving onto another place. We’ll be staying at a place called the Marae to spend the next few days with a Maori family. We’ll be eating there and living with this family. I’m really excited and I know the rest of the group is too!

I also learned that at least one person here thinks my mustache looks fake now that it’s dyed because it doesn’t match the rest of the hair on my head. My argument to that is the fact that my mustache doesn’t really ever match the rest of my hair color.

SFS: Day 1

Field Studies Day 1: Waking up at five in the morning isn’t bad when you’re excited for the day to come even if it means more flights and more traveling.

I love traveling as you know, but this is different. I was incredibly excited to meet my studying group. I got to the Brisbane airport just a little early for my flight at 9:10 in the morning. I was at the gate by 6:15, nearly three hours before my flight and that was after I went through customs and checked in my luggage and everything. Too early for me. I walked around the airport waiting for my group to arrive. While waiting I ate my breakfast, which consisted of my first trip to an American restaurant the entire trip.

I may have been excited to meet my group, but when it came time to actually meet them, I was entranced in my music. Lil’ Wayne this time. Quite a contrast to what I have been listening to for most of this trip, but it has been awhile since I listened to good old Weezy. After who knows how long I was approached by one of the group members, Shaina, and she told me they were three rows ahead of me in the waiting area in the gate. When I looked over the group of about 14 other students were looking at me and apparently commenting on my mustache. I guess it makes me pretty noticeable! Good thing too, or I wouldn’t have found them until after the flight.

After quite a bumpy flight, the bumpiest I’ve had in years, we landed in Auckland, New Zealand. In just the two weeks that I wasn’t on a flight with my favorite entertainment screens, new movies appeared! This time I watched Man on a Ledge, unsurprisingly simple, but very entertaining nonetheless. Anyways, we loaded our luggage (well most of us did, some members of our group had their luggage get lost). And I got to introduce myself to everyone and get to know some of them on our 45-minute van ride to our site.

Without seeing it in the daylight it’s hard to determine just how cool it is, but so far it’s very cool. Living in cabins in New Zealand. I love it! And the people have been extremely friendly, which I wasn’t entirely expecting because they have all been traveling for about 36 hours. And us guys have it easy. In two cabins that could fit six guys each there are three in each, while the girls are four to a room. We had a delicious meal and hung out in the dining room area for the night playing Bananagrams and just relaxing after traveling.

Not only are the people fun so far, but I learned that one of the members of the group thinks Bucky Badger is terrifying. I was appalled at the first thought of this, but then realized that I actually really like that thought. The fact that our mascot can scare fans from other schools and other bands (he goes to Boston University) is fantastic! I could do nothing but laugh at him for that. Not only did I learn that, but there’s a surprising amount of Big Ten schools here, Illinois, Purdue, Ohio State, and of course Wisconsin. At least those are the schools I learned for now. Otherwise there are members from all over the country. That’s all from the first day. Slowly, but surely, the Bananagrams players are dropping out and going to bed and I may have to join them shortly.

Prometheus

For the first time since Blade Runner I believe, the master of science fiction, Ridley Scott (in my opinion), returns to a world he created with Alien. This time it’s set a few years before the first Alien and it attempts to answer some of the questions that have haunted mankind since the dawn of time. Such as: where did we come from, where are we going, who/what created us? And the most important of all: why are we here?

This time around no expense was spared when it came to the ship, the Wexley corporation spent a trillion dollars on the ship: Prometheus. For the first time in Alien history the ship shares the movie’s title. That is as far I as I want to take the comparisons to the original because, though originally planned as a true prequel to the entire series, Scott decided to go the smarter route and create an entirely different storyline.

We follow captains and couple Shaw and Holloway, another first for the series, and their crew into space where they believe they have found a moon where life could survive. Obviously something doesn’t go according to plan and we get blood, action, suspense, and many fun surprises. It’s awesome!

Another similarity with not only the Alien series, but all of Ridley Scott’s movies. The term here is used lightly because everything in the “series” paled in comparison to Alien and James Cameron’s sequel, Aliens. His ability to draw great performances out of all of his actors is incredible and it follows through in shining color here. Noomi Rapace, following her turn as Lisbeth Slanader proves that she can bring power and heart to a scientist, just like Sigourney Weaver did with Ellen Ripley in the original Alien.

Every single one of the supporting actors perfectly suited his or her roles. Aside from Rapace, Michael Fassbender as the agenda-running robot David creates a character arc not seen since Blade Runner. Throughout the movie he must endure digs against him and comparisons to what the crew are doing (i.e. searching for answers to the aforementioned questions) and he provides a nuanced performance. And finally an Oscar winner beautifully acts the character that proves to have the biggest agenda. I don’t want to make it too obvious.

The story here took “old” themes, but throws in new surprises, twists, and technologies, all while following a formula perfected by the great Ridley Scott. Absolutely spectacular and he follows through with great force. A definite must-see for the summer!

8/10

This is a picture of the theater seats. I love watching my movies loud and this theater did me proud. It was extremely loud and I loved every second of it. The one bad thing was the lighted seat numbers. I just covered them up with my hands which worked perfectly!