Movies are not books

Okay, I saw Die Hard 4, and usually I write some sort of review on movies I see. Not this time. Plan and simple, I like it. I went in wanting to see a movie, and I did just that. No preconceived notions, no questionable reviews, not that I tried to tune out all that. I just wanted to see Bruce on screen, being a the kid he is, and he was. It was funny, and impressive. I'm not going to compare it to the previous films because it can no longer be considered one of them. It stands on its own as a good, funny film.

Harry Potter. Well, only 12 days away for the film which I will probably go to a midnight showing of. As people may know, I have been trying to schedule a game night with people. I emailed about the 21st-ish. Well, since I am fan of the films and not the harry potter books, I didn't take into account the book release on the 21st. So I will move it for harry potter fans to the 28th. I'll also email again. That taken care of, let me re-iterate how great it is to see a film first, then read the book. You are NEVER disappointed in the story....EVER. You see the film and you think "wow, that was cool" then you read the book and say "this is even better, wow, I didn't know that". Instead of "wow, I love this book, it is freakin' awesome. They should make a movie about this." And then, "I can't believe they left that part of out, it is so important to the story. Why did they do that? That's not how it happened. Okay, that is right but all the other stuff leading up to that was wrong and now everyone in this theater (who hasn't read the book) is gonna think that that is how it happened. I'm gonna have to tell everyone I meet that it was way better in the book and that the book makes more sense. This movie is crap, they didn't tell it like it was in the book. If they are going to change so much why even make a movie? They just did this to make money and I can't believe I help them do that." Now I'm gonna let people in on a secret of the film industry. You ready? Here it is.

Movies are not books.

I know, it was hard for me to realize at first to but then I started to think about it. Its right movies are not books. Books have pages, lots and lots of pages. Books don't have time requirements (except deadlines for release). Books don't have a limit to the number of pages they can have in order to tell a diverse and enthralling story (well they do but it is reverse, like it has to be at least 300 pages long, no shorter but no limit to the maximum). Where movies have a budget, a time frame or no longer than 2 hours (example), a release date, a rating they must adhere to, producers to please, sponsors to please, fans to please (fans of the books or the director or the actors or the writer (screen or author) or the studio or all of it). They have to make everyone happy because a lot more money goes into films than books and they would some of that money back. They have to compromise. Change it enough so that the layman will be able to understand and interested and put a slight spin on the story so that 'die hard' fans will be curious and interested. If they made a film just for the fans, they would lose money since the fans don't make up a large portion of the populace. Books don't cost much so they can write a story they want and watch the money rake in.

Remember when you go see a movie based on a book/novel/comic/graphic novel/bible/whatever. It will be different 90% of the time. Lord of the Rings even made compromises and they 3 films to tell one story.

Movies are not books.

It's Official

As of last night, all my shows (aside from 2 which won't quit, more later) are over. I watched last 2 episodes of Enterprise last night and then they started all over again. Stargate SG1 is over (out with a whimper). Atlantis had its season finale. Lost had its, Heroes, The Showbiz Show, Battlestar Galactica (which I hear is coming in September), still haven't heard anything on Deadwood's last shows, Office, My name is Earl, Grey's (thank god, don't think I'll be watching this anymore anyway). My only shows are Daily Show and Colbert Report. I do have one new show, Man vs. Wild. I do still have one cartoon, Naruto. This makes up for an hour of TV watching Mon-Fri and a half hour on Sat with Sun free. Haha, I'm actually losing weight because of this...HA. Granted I replaced it with video games but I actually have to force myself to play for more than 2 hours cause I get so bored. And to be honest, I think I'm so desperate for a game night just so I can occupy some of my time....just something to do.

I'm bored at work, I'm bored when I get home and since I'm slimming a little (probably also due to the dental work, hurts to eat), I have all this energy. I'm no longer nervous of doing something at work just cause I so want to do something.

Best update ever

Glasses kinda broke (for those who don't know, I have glasses now). Be feeling kinda paranoid lately. Mainly cause people aren't talking to me and I difficulty watching them, so, basically, I have been slacking at observing which makes me think everybody is having secret feelings of anger towards me. I know not really. Getting a little further in stuff I can do (legally) at work. I held off on getting that one card paid off, which might burn me this next pay check. A few dental appointments coming up; a cleaning and root canal, no worries though. My tooth has already had all the nerves scraped out of it, just got to do a little construction and then a crown. I can not wait (meaning it is UNBELIEVABLY difficult to wait) for Harry Potter 5. Taking loads of Advil so I can eat. playing lots of games and not getting anywhere in them at the same time. And now, I done for the day. Later

I feel oogy

I went and saw DOA yesterday. UUUUHHHH, okay it was entertaining, purely in a bad Mortal Kombat way. Best part of it was the the guy who played Lukang in Mortal Kombat (the main character, I'm not sure his name is spelled that way) is a Chinese pirate that gets his ass handed to him by Jamie Presley (playing Tina).

DOA is a video game that is made famous by the fact the girls fighters in the game have anti-grav boobs. Every movement the girls make makes there boobs bounce. It is also made famous by taking the concept and making a DOA: Volleyball edition; of course, made simple to see the girl fighters in bikinis and jump around.

Hookie, very hookie. The film is filled pantie shots and gratuitous fight scenes. They didn't even bother to change the characters costumes or their personalities. Best acting was done by Jamie Presley (not a big shock, she is very good even though she is type-cast), the actor to play her dad.

I felt better after watching Severance though. A British film about a company "teamwork" camping trip, that happens to have very recent rash of murders in the area. It turns out that the people dieing are working with the same company (which we all know). Don't worry, no spoilers. This a funny ride, through a horror movie. Mostly all European actors except for Laura Harris. This actress is slowly becoming one of my favorite blonds. Her biggest roles (as I know them) is the new girl in Faculty and as the dead movie star in the Showtime show Dead Like Me. I liked this one. Even though some of the film techniques seem to be stolen from 28 days later.

New movies this weekend
1408 - I'm looking forward to this. Although, imho, the mystery has been taken out of it by all the trailers, it seems like it will still be very good.

Evan Almighty - Maybe. I like Steve Carell, so maybe.

And the one that is not being released near me that hasn't had enough plugging is You Kill Me - Ben Kingsley is a drying out sort-of retired hitman (who can only kill people when he is drunk) and Tea Leoni who is...well, herself sort-of. Basically she is always the whining annoying women in just about everything I've seen her in and from what I seen and read...she hasn't stretched that talent one ounce for this film. You know, now that I write semi-review for this...I think I'm glad it is not being released here.

Guild Bashing

I just read this article in "Games for Windows: The Official Magazine" actually had me laughing at my desk after which I had to explain to my co-workers why it was all about.

CRISIS ON INFINITE SERVERS
by Cindy Vane (Cindy is probably, at this very moment, fleeing from psychotic, raid-organizing, meeting-tainted guild recruiters.)

So, I'm minding my own business, farming rat whiskers, and some fellow who calls himself "KnifeMe" hits me with an unsolicited whisper:
"U wan join up w/ a kickass PVP guild? We recruting heavy time specially 4 healerz."
"Um, no thank you."
"y r u not guilded?"
"I'm a bit 'guild shy' at the moment."
"Oh y is that?"
"It's a long story, but anyway...Ok, do you have a website I can visit that explains your guild's philosophy?"
"no i just started it me n my brother."
Sigh, "Um, no, really, I'm not interested."
"u gotta hava guild n this one is gonna be UBER lol. We calling it Oafkin Croop's Dueling Cocks."
I nearly faint when he spells "dueling" correctly. "/ignore KnifeMe."

INVITATIONS, NINJA STYLE
Ninja guild invites bug the crap out of me. Ninja group invites do, as well. In fact, any private message from someone who doesn't know me is immediately suspect (especially if it includes the phrase "$$ cheap gold $$"). As a maxed-out healer on several MMO fronts, I get a lot of that sort of thing. I reply to the group invites using an invariably polite macro that says something like "I'm sorry. I'm with a party that I cannot leave at the moment, but thank you for thinking of me, and good luck!" Gag. But it works...and sometimes they even reply with something brilliantly clever, like "You too. Take care!"
But with guild invites, I feel strangled by a cravat of turmoil, brought on by uncomfortable memories of guilds I have known. I ask myself, "Do all guilds consist primarily of a bunch of psychotic weenies with emotional issues? Or have I just been really good at joining the ones that are?" I've gotten reprimanded for not saying "Hi!!! :)" immediately upon entering guild chat; for talking too little; for talking too much; for not dropping everything I'm doing to run to the other end of the universe to assist a bunch of people I'd never ever associate with in real life; for not participating in the "Ding! Gratz!" paradigm...and I've been accused of any number of other atrocities.

WHERE DO THEY FIND THESE PEOPLE?
The last guild to kick me out was run by a female Dwarf with perpetual PMS who was looking for affirmation from other carebear boys and girls so that they may sing "Kumbaya," have scavenger hunts, and share their MySpace accounts. When a difference of opinion led to my unceremonious booting, she told my former guildmates--and anyone else who would listen--that I was kicked out for trying to have sex with her over TeamSpeak. Seriously.
In another guild, I made the mistake of being empathic with a guy who possessed all the typical traits of a wrist cutter. He was a tank--a terrible tank--and no one wanted to group with him. I'm no longer guilded there, but this guy still jumps on me the second I log in, shouts "MEOW,"tells me how miserable he is, and then invites me to group with him. I'm running out of excuses.
And let's not forget the l33t powergamers whose main focus is to flex their e-peens in public forums. Listening to them converse is more painful than reading Ann Coulter while deeply inhaling fumes from a burning plastics factory.
Can we all agree that the trouble with MMOs is that other people suck? You never suck. It's all of them that suck. Just remember that, and you'll be a lot lonelier...er, happier. Play solo. Construct a few refusal marcos. Attend a kiting seminar. Just say no to guilds! :end:

This is a awesome article. This is all my grievances with MMOs. I hate mass people anyway and this is just every feeling of hate balled into a brilliant article. I have often wanted to play WoW again, but this is why I don't. I loved playing the game, lots of cool quests, excellent story for some, and some of the quest chains were very long and quite fun (especially solo, solo taught me strategy); unfortunately, people occupy this game. I started on a PvP server just because my friends were on it. I should have jumped ship and got on to a different server, but I still didn't know the game so I had to constantly ask them questions and for help. Granted, I spent a great deal of time getting as far as I did but I start games over all the time.

I joined Gamefly, btw. I'm not sure if I'll stay still (3 more days of free trial run). I really want to focus on beating the Xenosaga series. Then I'll move to .hack// series again. Not the best graphics but its really cool. Xenosaga series is the prequel to the greatest RPG of all time, which is Xenogears. They had to change the name for copyright laws since it was under another company.

.hack// (pronounced Dot Hack) series is a RPG (try to follow me here) of a fake MMORPG, based in Japan, that has a growing virus (actually the game is becoming sentient) that causes players, who encounter the virus, to slip into a real coma. The game has chosen you to stop the virus. Did you follow? Okay, a little more detail. The Epitaph of Twilight (a real 'in game' poem written centuries ago in Japan) has been programmed into the game for a story line. In the poem is a little girl who tried to help the human race against the power of the gods. When the other gods, that were helping the human race, saw how cruel the humans really were they began to leave. The humans fear they would lose the war if they didn't have the power the gods to back them so they trapped the last god, the little girl, with 12 curses so that she could not leave. The humans eventually won by basically summing all the power the little girl had and using it in one final blast, killing the girl and the gods. Well, the MMORPG, in the game, has become aware, due to Japanese engineering, through advance AI programming. So the little girl gives you power to stop the game's growing viruses, which are the 12 curses binding her. Well, after the first 4 games (all one story), the company building, housing the servers, burnt down and the company eventually disappeared. Well, two years later they reconstructed the company and the MMORPG, known as 'The World' version 2, but with no Epitaph of Twilight. The second series of .hack// has to deal with PKs (player killers), people so bored they start killing other players just for fun...in the game, that is. Well, there is a PK in the game that is said to kill your character for good and put the real player into a coma, and he just happens to look like your character from the first series, wink, wink. I can't wait to play this series, but I can't play it now. I have to play the previous 4 again because, like all series games, the data you saved from the previous can be transferred to the next. So you see how I have a lot of gaming to do.

Ren Faire

This was a blast. I love Ren Faire and this year was just good as when it was at Iowa Western. It was smaller, quaint really, but better. Since it was picked up by St. Louis, they need little to fund the venture. Due to that, prices were lower in a lot of places. I got some cool henna. Soem insence, a few cheap (remember afore mentioned lower prices) blades (I always want some throwing knives). Lemonade for a buck (not the good stuff, which was there, but still). Turkey legs, and funnel cakes, homemade icecream and rootbeer, and yes, homemade rootbeer floats, burgers and dogs, and some pasta and oriental foods. It seemed all the shops were there but they were scattered about and made it seem less cluttered. Some of the main acts (no tortuga twins this years) and a new act called the Limey Birds. Jolly Rogers were, of course, present and accounted for....best thing about the faire. New CD's, some pirate swag, and tickets to there concert in KC on July 14th for 10 bucks. Yeah, a concert...for the Jolly Rogers. How cool is that? No need to respond, because it is very cool.

I had a good vacation for once in my life (I mean actual vacation time I have taken off from work, not like my trip to San Fran, that was awesome, but I wasn't on vacation cause I didn't have a job). The perfect mix of thinigs to do and doing absolutly nothing. I enjoyed every minute and now back to the grind, which I look forward to since I am rather done with vacation stuff.

Anyway, good time had by all (which is really just me).

Nuthin' to do...might as well update

Well, today is the last day of the week for me. Seems like I have had quite few days off. Well I have. They told me to use up my vacation time before the end of fiscal year; I had like 6 days to spend, a holiday, and 3 sick days. Not to mention a few days I leave early for doctors and dentists (I know, I know, dentists are doctors). Well, this is the last of the official days off, and I think I have enough sick time for one more day. But I'll save that.

I joined Gamefly today. A free 10-day trial. I probably just stop or maybe keep it now that I think of it. Could save me loads money in games I just want to play and not keep. Speaking of; I have been thinking of selling some more stuff. Not for a need of money but just that I'm getting older and I got a lot of shit. I plan to contribute some books to antiquarium...if they'll take 'em....if they're still around. Games sell pretty well at gamers. I don't know about movies though. Some aren't exactly suitable for re-sell...maybe ebay. I do have a digital camera now. Don't know if I want to pay to put something up and know that it won't sell well or forever.

Biggest news is Ren Faire. I hope to have a blasty blast (thank you Dane Cook). And since 4th of July at the KC is out I might change it into game night. Maybe. Last time sucked ass, even though I really appreciate all who did show, it still kinda sucked scrotum.

Tada

Because I know you are all at the end of your seats with antici...pation (sorry, rocky horror moment, I couldn't resist mate,...sorry Pirates moment).

100% COMPLETION METROID PRIME 2: ECHOES

This was hard. And then I find out, after completing it, that there is a hard mode.

Anyway, this is gonna sound kinda funny. In 2 and a half weeks I would have been home from Korea if I had stayed (if I wanted to come home that is). I still don't regret the decision of coming back when I did but I am also glad I did the whole experience. The funny part is that probably within that time (the 2 1/2 weeks) I will officially be moved back in. I started to unpack the last of the boxes last night so we could get the AC's in. Now, I have to arrange everything to my liking but the time it will take do, much less get to it, is probably 2 1/2 weeks.

AC side note, it is nice to not sweat during the night...

In truth, the boxes are actually from the supposed move out of the apartment, not the move to Korea.

I even had time to go through the video game collection and put all the games I haven't beaten, much less played, off to a side to do so. Not as many as I thought really, about 20.

Tonight: Litter boxes and Enterprise - btw I mentioned this before, but this is a really awesome show. This show had like 4 seasons (where I thought it was only 2...maybe) and actually got me interested in Star Trek again. The first Enterprise; the first crew; the first deep space missions; the first threat to Earth; first contact scenarios with no prime directive established yet because the is no government of aligned planets; no shields, just hull plating (actual armor instead of an energy barrier); Warp 5 is tearing the ship apart. Very cool stuff.

Huh...

I just realized that I have been blogging for over a year. For over a year I have been bitching about nothing....cool.

Anyway, I called in sick on Tuesday and Wednesday. And then I got back and did...nothing. After being down here for about 2 months I really starting to get bored of doing nothing. However, they told me that starting next week it is training week for me...even though I will only be here for 3 days and one of those days I leave early for a dentist appointment...and won't be back til Tuesday the following week.... .... ....So 2 and half days for training next week. Yay.

To be honest there has been a lot of training...sort of. I have been covering the reading material mostly and done a couple things with supervision, but that really doesn't amount to the time spent burning the clock and collecting a pay check.

Anyway, I feel loads better and saw a funny movie last night. Wild Hogs. It was enjoyable, nothing special, but funny. The end credits were really funny. During the film a bar gets burned down and at the end credits a mock Extreme Makeover: Home Edition was aired of the rebuilding of the bar for these homeless and wayward bikers. Really funny.

Few good films came out today. Hostel Part 2, Ocean's Thirteen, and The Valet.
Hostel I'll see; maybe Ocean's; but Valet seems kinda Jerry Lewis-y.

Sinus City

So, I'm sick. Sinus infection; it's like my tenth billion one. I get these all the time, I just loves my dairy a little too much I guess. Well, to be honest I was sick Sunday. Always am when I spend the day out K and C's. Not enough exposure to the smoking on top of an impeding sinus infection. I doing better today; good enough to go to work. I actually couldn't wait to get to work today. I just finished boxing up the rest of 2002 and 2003's files. Can't believe it took me 4 hours. I have been working on that project for a few weeks. Lots of interruptions. But now, I move on to 2004 and 2005's files. I just hope to finish 2004 before Ren Faire. June 15th through the 17th. I took the last of my vacation time for it. I want to go everyday it is open...we'll see though.

I need to get out to see a few movies as well. Maybe tonight.

Vega is doing extremely well. Her only problems now is her meowing, it coming out but very quietly; and getting down from heights. She can do it, she almost doubles over and her back legs don't always land on her feet.

What is the sound of financially?

Well, I'm one pay check away from my second credit card being payed off. I took a dive in payments to the last card and will probably not pay much or any with the next pay check. Why? (I know you care, don't act like you don't). Ren Faire. I want to have money when I go the Ren Faire this year. I have no intention of spending anywhere near all of it. But, for once I would like to maybe get sucked into an impulse buy at the Ren Faire.

"What do you need a jar full of dragon tears for?"
"I don't know, but look just look at it...doesn't just scream 'You have no use for me, but I'm pretty'."

Buy a Jolly Rogers CD and not worry about the fact that i just spent my grocery money. You know, stuff. I'm even gonna dress in my slapdash pirate outfit. It will be a good time had by all.

On a different note, my older brother just got engaged and congratz to him and his. And...my mother just purchased an entire ceramic business...for like 500 bones. (the bones of the children she sits for Mwhahahahah...).

She isn't currently planning to do anything with it other than something to do and for the family to enjoy. Maybe one day, she'll start something up but who knows.