I wasn’t really sure what to expect when I decided to watch 28 Days Later. I have had it for a long time, but never got around to watching it until now. I was surprised by how “old” the movie looked when it started. I could have sworn it was a rather recent film, but it took a quick trip to IMDB to verify. Although this was filmed in 2002, it seemed to me to be from the mid 90’s. I’m not sure if that was due to the DVD transfer or what. Anyway, once I satisfied my curiosity, I continued on watching the movie.

The main plot begins with a group of animal rights activists trying to free some monkeys that were being experimented on. They were being studied with infections of a “rage” type virus. Of course once one monkey was freed it promptly tried to kill one of its rescuers and they were immediately infected. The time shifts forward to “28 days later” where we see the main character, Jim, waking up in a hospital room. It is completely abandoned with no sign of life to be found. The hospital is trashed and he begins to gather food and then sets out to search for others.

The first few minutes remind me of many other post apocalyptic movies with the same type of “hellooooo? is anyone out there?” type scene. After a little while, he comes across a church full of bodies. He’s then attacked by a crazed zombie type and during his escape he’s rescued by a couple of survivors. That covers about the first 10-15 minutes of the movie. The rest involves a search for other survivors and tracking down a safe haven that is broadcasting on a radio frequency.

This reminded me a little bit of I am Legend, except that instead of there being essentially one survivor, there are a handful. The character development was pretty thin at first, but once Selena (one of the rescue party members) and Jim start talking about what their priorities are, it started to pick up. It was interesting to see Selena grow from a “me first, no matter the cost” type of person, to one that was actively looking out for others. On the flipside, it was interesting to see Jim essentially turn into a complete badass with no qualms about doing what was needed for survival. The movie was pretty good, but not great. I’m interested to see how the sequel 28 Weeks Later turns out.

Luke Skywalker's Cyborg Hand

OK, maybe Luke wouldn’t envy this hand, but it looks like we are much closer to the technology in The Empire Strikes Back when he gets his hand lopped off by his father. Matthew James is a boy born with a defect that stopped the growth of his arm at the wrist. He just got a brand new hand with the help of the Mercedes F1 Team. Matthew actually wrote Mercedes, the car maker, to ask for help getting an i-Limb Pulse prosthesis in return for displaying their logo on it.

After receiving the letter in June, Mercedes invited Matthew to their headquarters, where he toured the factory and met racing legend Michael Schumacher.

The company [Mercedes] said they were unable to pay for the hand but agreed to help Matthew raise the money, by asking fans and sponsors to make donations.

Mercedes couldn’t pay for the hand? That seems hard to believe. Anyway, it’s a good read so check it out. There was a follow-up video that I’m embedding below.

Via The Telegraph

A friend of mine recommended that I watch Monsters. It was available on Netflix streaming, so I added it to my queue.  The premise is that a survey mission to investigate extraterrestrial life burned up on reentry to Earth over Latin America. The “Monsters” appear later on, for what seems to be a seasonal basis. They terrorize the locals, and the main character is visiting to try and capture some photographs of the destruction. There is an invasion coming and Andrew, the photographer, is anxious to get some pictures so he can cash in. His plans get interrupted by a demand from the publisher to escort his daughter out of the country. She’s engaged to be married, but the fiancé has already made hit home. Why? Probably some type of fight. The movie came across as being a suspense, romance, and science fiction flick all at the same time. I usually like it when I see genres mixed, but Monsters was spread too thin. Nothing made me think, “this is a good movie.” The action scenes were rather intense, but I didn’t really get scared or startled. The awkward romance that blossomed between the photographer and the girl was predictable. The mystery behind the nature of the Monster invasions was interesting, but not enough to carry the rest of the movie. It wasn’t a bad movie, but not one that I’d recommend someone spend money on to see.

Quarreling parents, an annoying kid, and a lovable robot make this short film a fun trip into the near future. Who hasn’t wanted a robot playmate of their own? Blinky is no Robbie, but at least he tries. Check the 12 minute movie out for a treat. Be sure to go full screen and turn on HD if your connection can handle it.

It looks like the original video was password protected. I found this version with Spanish subtitles.

“Blinky™” (subtitulado en español) from El Justiciero Enmascarado on Vimeo.

via Geekologie

I’ve been huge Star Wars fan since childhood, but was a bit disappointed overall with some of the inconsistencies that cropped up when the prequels were released.  Keith Martin helps make sense of it all. He ties the prequels together with Star Wars: A New Hope (later to be called Episode IV) in his post “A New Sith, or Revenge of the Hope.” It is packed full of insights, some of which I’ve seen tossed around here and there, but he also adds a bit of humor in just the right places.

If we accept all the Star Wars films as the same canon (as it seems we must) then a lot that happens in the original films has to be reinterpreted in the light of the prequels. As we now know, the rebel Alliance was founded by Yoda, Obi-Wan Kenobi and Bail Organa. What can readily be deduced is that their first recruit, who soon became their top field agent, was R2-D2.

Check out the full post over at Keith’s live journal page:

A long time ago (2007) in a city far, far away (Carbondale), I posted about Sith Vixen and her Femtrooper costume. A photographer has topped this by gathering up a group of Star Wars geeks and putting together an amazing photo shoot. There is a femtrooper in this one, however she’s called “Femme Storm Trooper”. I personally think femtrooper is better name. Characters also included are Lady Vader, Darth Vader, Slave Leia, Oola the Twi’lek, Boba Fett, and Padme. The Slave Leia and Femtrooper scene is a particularly interesting. I’m not really much of a tattoo fan, but Padme has a pretty awesome Death Star and R2D2 on her right shoulder. This is only part 1 of the photo shoot, so be sure to bookmark the blog and keep an eye out for more!

Femtrooper versus Slave Leia

Robin Cook Photography Blog

Flickr gallery

Via Geekologie

My wife and I were spending some time with our friends this weekend. We were trying to figure out what to do while we ate our lunch, so we flipped through some Netflix streaming titles. Eventually, Mega Shark versus Giant Octopus popped up. This movie sounded familiar. Where had I heard of it before? I could have sworn I saw a trailer on YouTube or something like that a while back, but I wrote it off as being some type of joke. Sadly, this was not the case. There was some reluctance for everyone to watch it despite my desperate pleadings. Everyone gave in and we embarked on an experience that nearly defies explanation.

I watched this with the same group that we saw 2012 with during our chocolate martini party. Unfortunately, we watched Mega Shark versus Giant Octopus while sober. I think some alcohol could have made it just a bit more funny. The acting is horribly bad, the plot even worse, and editing not far behind. Deborah (Debbie) Gibson plays the lead role of Emma, the overconfident scientist that is witness to the unleashing of two monsters following the disintegration of an ancient iceberg. The only other actor that was recognizable was Lorenzo Lamas playing the overconfident military stereotype. He is in charge of hunting down the beasts, soon to be dubbed Mega Shark and Giant Octopus. The special effects in this film consist of stock footage from National Geographic with no real thought to what is actually there. I’m no marine biologist, but seeing stingrays near icebergs does not make sense.

The real entertainment we got from this movie was from ourselves as we tried to predict what crazy thing would happen next. Overall, we were pretty accurate. I can only hope that the writers and director were actually trying to make a horribly bad movie. I know Lorenzo Lamas can do better! I have no idea what I’ve seen him in before, but even for him, the performance was terrible. As for Debbie, <cough> Deborah, she at least appeared to be trying.

The biggest let down of the movie was the final battle. I had low expectations, but it turned out that they weren’t low enough. All I could say to myself as the credits rolled by was, “That’s it?” It is not the ending, but the journey that makes it worth it. Do not watch this alone! The more people that watch at the same time, the better. Also, some alcohol would help as well.

–edit–

I was reminded that I forgot to mention the awesome “science montage” where the crew tries to synthesize a pheromone to attract the monsters into traps. It was pretty damn cheezy and one of the highlights of the movie.

Here is what we had the night before.

Fresh-fruit Punch (Cold) from: The Cocktail Handbook ISBN 0-7607-3974-9

Ingredients:
block of ice (use a butter tub or something and freeze water)
60 cl (15 fl oz) of fresh fruit – either one variety or mixed fruits (we used star fruit, pineapple, strawberries and kiwis)
500ml (1 pint) gomme syrup
350ml (12 fl oz) white rum
700ml (1 ¼ pint) gin
2 x 750 ml bottles of dry white wine (We used Von Jakob Little Grand Canyon Gold semi-sweet because we like it sweet) http://www.vonjakobvineyard.com

Method:
Wash and slice the fresh fruit and place it in a large bowl. Pour the gomme syrup and rum over the fruit and place it in the refrigerator for at least six hours. Put the block of ice into the punch bowl and pour the “marinated” fruit and liquid over the ice. Add the gin and the white wine and stir thoroughly. Let the mix stand for a few minutes before serving in ballons or wine glasses.

Despite the large amount of alcohol in this punch, it does not taste like it. If you don’t like sugar, this definitely is not for you.

Sunshine is another movie I noticed on a “must watch” Sci-Fi movie list. The premise of the movie is that the Sun is dying, leaving the Earth in a permanent winter. A group of astronauts are riding on the back of a big bomb the equivalent size of Manhattan island. They are supposed to launch the bomb into the sun to kick start it back up to full brightness. Sounds simple enough, right?

The movie starts with the crew learning that they are reaching the point where communication with Earth is not possible any longer. They had been expecting this, but not for another week. A few of the crew members haven’t come to terms with the isolation quite yet. Even though they are already millions of miles from Earth, this pivotal point hits them hard. Tensions flare up when the communications blackout occurs during a crew member’s recording of a longer than usual video message.

With most of the crew on edge, there is one more fact revealed. This mission represents the last chance for Earth. There are not enough raw materials to make another bomb. While everyone seems to be focusing on the chance for failure, the unexpected happens. The communications officer intercepts a distress signal originating from the first ship that was sent seven years earlier. They are tempted to attempt a rescue mission if only to secure another bomb for a second chance to restart the Sun. This first 15 minutes or so sets the stage for the rest of the movie.

As with most “impossible mission” stories, the heroes encounter a major challenge. The struggle to find a solution to the problem is just part of the plot. Some people might be put off by a sudden change in direction two thirds of the way through the movie.  I could sense something was building up, but didn’t know what. I didn’t really mind the change of pace. I’d recommend this movie, but understand that the ending might not be what you expect.

Plot aside, I have to say I thoroughly enjoyed the stunning visuals in this film. There is an observation deck that the characters to and view the Sun through protective filters. I’m not sure why, but I liked seeing the fiery storms on the surface of the Sun. I was only watching the DVD version, and it looked great. I’d love to see how it looks on Blu-ray.

I just was sent this from a friend via StumbleUpon and enjoyed this. If you are a Star Wars fan, you will too.