Saturday, August 17, 2013
More Bumper Wisdom
- Your Turn Signal Is Still On
- It's Impolite To Stare
- U.S.M.C. Uncle Sams Misguided Children
- Eternity: Smoking or Non-Smoking?
- I wasn't born a bitch; men like you made me that way.
- I love to give homemade gifts, which one of my kids do you want
- They didn't let me out, they just gave me a day pass!
- (Front Bumper) If you can read this, I didn't hit you hard enough.
...and i should care, why? - 0-60 in 15 minutes!
- 100% Irony Free
- 186,000 Miles/Second: It’s Not Just A Good Idea, It’s The Law!
- 3 kinds of people: Those who can count and those who can't.
Movie Review ... After Earth
M. Night Shyamalan seems to have slowly become box office poison. That he continues making films is a testament to the goodwill his early work such as ‘The Sixth Sense’ and ‘Unbreakable’ generated. Unfortunately ‘After Earth’ won’t do him any favours with its rambling plot further diminishing his once golden allure.
A thousand years after a cataclysm ruined Earth, the planet Nova Prime is humanity’s new home. Revered soldier General Cypher (Will Smith) embarks on a journey with his estranged son Kitai (Jaden Smith). When their ship crash-lands on Earth’s ravaged plains, an injured Cypher sends Kitai to recover their rescue beacon. Aiming to prove his worth to his father, Kitai sets out on a mission full of unknown peril.
In spite of its dazzling CGI vistas and interesting theme of man versus nature, ‘After Earth’ isn’t very memorable. The biggest drawback is the performances. Despite being true-life father and son Smiths senior and junior show little chemistry. It’s difficult believing in their relationship as their character’s dis-interest in each other smothers any emotional investment. Their roles make demands that their limited range can’t give with their acting mediocre at best.
Their mis-guided renditions are magnified by the confused story. Plot holes abound with many sequences making little sense. These make ‘After Earth’ difficult to follow although the grand visions of a re-discovered Earth provide some distractions. Shyamalan doesn’t seem interested in providing something unique with the over-used ‘son wanting to please the father’ plot device clumsily handled.
Better actors and a more focussed script may have made ‘After Earth’ engaging. His latest effort provides further evidence of Shyamalan’s fading talents with his glory days seemingly as distant as the relationship of ‘After Earth’s protagonists.
Movie Review Rating out of 10: 3
Movie Review by Patrick Moore
Agree with Patrick about his Movie Review? Then please use the comment box, titling your comments with Movie Review After Earth
Patrick Moore's Movie Review is an alternative look at current movie releases in Australia.
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Trivia Bits 17 August
- Indian god Vishnu is described as having dark-blue skin and four arms.
- Starring alongside Betty Grable and Marilyn Monroe in the 1953 movie How to Marry a Millionaire was Lauren Bacall.
- Meaning little, the word tad may have come from either tadpole or taddick.
- Until 1910, DW Griffiths New York film studios were known as Biograph.
- Popular in the 19th Century, Impromptu is a short musical composition that through its casual mood suggests improvisation.
- King George VI when he came to the throne did not keep his name Albert in respect his great-grandmother Queen Victoria’s wish that no future King should be called Albert.
- The abbreviation UAR describes the republic created in 1958 by the union of Syria and Egypt. The union began in 1958 and existed until 1961, when Syria seceded from the union. Egypt continued to be known officially as the "United Arab Republic" until 1971.
- In Chinese mythology, the mortal inventor of wine deified for his services to humanity was Yi Ti (alternate spelling Yi Di).
- Seville is a Spanish port on the River Guadalquivir and also the name of a type of orange.
- Female priests known as Vestal Virgins attended Vesta the Roman goddess of the hearth.
Friday, August 16, 2013
More Job Interviews Gone Bad
I have a distinct feeling that these interviewees had wished they out brain into gear before opening mouths.
- "Do you think the company would be willing to lower my pay?"
- "Why am I here?"
- "I have no difficulty in starting or holding my bowel movements."
- "At times I have the strong urge to do something harmful or shocking."
- "I feel uneasy indoors."
- "I think that Lincoln was greater than Washington."
- "I get excited very easily."
- "Once a week, I usually feel hot all over."
- "I need the position because I want to get away from dealing with people."
ARTPOP Beats Madonna For Most Pre-Ordered Album In History
Madonna made iTunes history with pre-orders for her 2012 album, 'MDNA' being number 1 in the pre-order charts on iTunes in 50 countries across the world. Her label Interscope has confirmed that Lady Gaga has broken that same record, with her upcoming album ARTPOP preorder reaching #1 in 52 countries around the world! Congratulations are in order for the new Queen of Pop.
Lady Gaga took to Twitter to celebrate, saying that "Proud is not big enough word! I'm so grateful to have such loyal fans!" She also described the feel of the album to the adoring fans: "I love the whole album! Love to play it start to finish! It's like one night at the club."
Meanwhile, Lady Gaga's new single "Applause" reached #1 in 42 countries. You can see the countries below.
#1 United Kingdom
#1 Argentina
#1 Armenia
#1 Australia
#1 Austria
#1 Azerbaijan
#1 Belarus
#1 Brazil
#1 Bulgaria
#1 Chile
#1 Colombia
#1 Costa Rica
#1 Cyprus
#1 Czech Republic
#1 Ecuador
#1 El Salvador
#1 Estonia
#1 Finland
#1 Germany
#1 Greece
#1 Guatemala
#1 Honduras
#1 Hong Kong
#1 Indonesia
#1 Ireland
#1 Italy
#1 Latvia
#1 Lebanon
#1 Lithuania
#1 Luxembourg
#1 Malaysia
#1 Mexico
#1 Nicaragua
#1 Norway
#1 Panama
#1 Paraguay
#1 Peru
#1 Philippines
#1 Poland
#1 Portugal
#1 Romania
#1 Russia
#1 Singapore
#1 Slovakia
#1 Spain
#1 Sweden
#1 Switzerland
#1 Taiwan
#1 Thailand
#1 Turkey
#1 Venezuela
#1 Vietnam
Movie Review ... World War Z
Being dead brings great rewards if the current spate of zombie films is anything to go by. Many movies and TV shows in the genre have been hits with walking ghouls raking up big dollars. Based on a Max Brooks novel, ‘World War Z’ joins in this celebration of beastly carnage. Attempting an epic feel only a mega-budget can allow, it should aid in ensuring the genre doesn’t shuffle off to its mortal coil.
When a zombie plague begins spreading across the world, entire countries begin falling. United Nations employee Gerry Lane (Brad Pitt) is tasked with finding a cure. Horrified at what he sees he aims to galvanise political and military support. Trying to save humanity from itself, Gerry’s actions become the only hope Earth has of survival.
‘World War Z’ proves how bad editing and lethargic direction can spoil a good premise. Mirroring its troubled production, whole scenes seem to have been taken out in order to create a more ‘action-heavy’ film. Unfortunately absence of clarity results in a loss of much needed characterisation. There is also a terminal lack of urgency – constant tension only appears intermittently. Not helping is Marc Forster’s direction which feels unusually dis-engaged.
Although needing more depth ‘World War Z’ scores with its impressive action sequences. These successfully convey the world-wide calamity in which Pitt’s character can utilise his specific skills. The zombies he faces are agreeably ferocious with the money used in bringing them to CGI-life well spent. Those elements go some way in masking the story’s predictability and episodic nature.
Not quite the enterprise it should have been, ‘World War Z’ still has some good moments. If only the production issues didn’t affect its focus, it may have been more memorable than the somewhat mediocre effort presented.
Movie Review Rating out of 10: 5
Movie Review by Patrick Moore
Agree with Patrick about his Movie Review? Then please use the comment box, titling your comments with Movie Review World War Z
Patrick Moore's Movie Review is an alternative look at movie releases in Australia.
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