Movie: Chronicles of Narnia: the Voyage of the Dawn Treader
Release date: 2010
Rating: Rated PG for action scenes, some scary scenes. People die too.
Synopsis
Edmund and Lucy, once known as King Edmund the Just and Queen Lucy the Valiant of the magical Kingdom of Narnia, are spending their English lives with their despicable cousin Eustace Scrubb. In no time, a magical picture comes to live and they find themselves on the ship of the great King Caspian, the Dawn Treader. Caspian is to find his father's lost companions and, if possible, even journey to the end of the world.
Pros: If you read the book, toss it out the window. The movie takes many of the book's scenes, but runs with its own new plot and deletes many cool scenes. For instance, you will never see Ramandu and you will spend no time with the Dufflepuds. However, the movie adds many very, very cool scenes, going more into depth with Eustace. The characters, especially that of Reepicheep, are especially memorable. The addition of a solid plot feels good, and the acting is pretty solid.
Cons: The CGI is still on the lower side, but passable. There really is nothing too fantastic about the sound, and you can tell very clearly where they cut parts of the book out. This makes some of the movie feel rushed and tight.
Best moment: The Sea Serpent. Crappy in the book, totally awesome in the movie.
Rating: 7.6/10
Wednesday, December 29, 2010
Tuesday, December 28, 2010
User status
One of the mods we had installed on Valucre earlier allowed for the users to give themselves a "status", that would be visible both on their profile and in the side panel display of their profile with every post made. After we updated the VBulletin core this mod wouldn't work anymore.
We found a new one that works with the updated version.
Valucre Status Updates
We found a new one that works with the updated version.
Valucre Status Updates
BBCodes
BBCode (Bulletin Board Code) is a markup language that message boards use to format posts. The tags are done in square brackets [like these] and then parsed (the text is analyzed basically) before being translated into a markup language that the browsers understand, which for Valucre is HTML.
BBCodes are how you bold and italicize, how you implant images and videos, and some other neat stuff. Now that you know what a BBCode is, in detail, you're probably wondering the kind of BBCodes available on Valucre. We have some pretty nifty ones, and the following link will detail most of them. Expect more to be added.
Valucre BBCodes
BBCodes are how you bold and italicize, how you implant images and videos, and some other neat stuff. Now that you know what a BBCode is, in detail, you're probably wondering the kind of BBCodes available on Valucre. We have some pretty nifty ones, and the following link will detail most of them. Expect more to be added.
Valucre BBCodes
Monday, December 27, 2010
Rosinder
For a while Rosinder's option in the Lore drop-down menu has been empty, and consequently leads users that click on it back to the homepage. Well just earlier today we (Damon and I, but mostly Damon) put together two comprehensive informational pages for the users at large. Below you'll find both the link and the introduction to Rosinder as a whole.
Valucre's Rosinder
Introduction
Rosinder was built with high and heroic fantasy, sword and sorcery in mind. It can be described as primarily medieval, its citizens engaged in a struggle to keep outside socioeconomic and magitechnological advances from intruding on their vaunted traditions.
Its place in the world, at the center of Tellus Mater, is particularly rich in arable land, which accounts for how common outside forces have attempted to invade Rosinder, which has only suffered from drought or famine from mismanagement of resources; its climate has no dry season. Most of the lands are politically divided into baronies, counties and duchies.
The nation is currently ruled by the House of Lords by both divine right of their lineage and popular vote, but the House of Commons allows for the first time a chance of direct compromise between nobles and the proletariat. However, the Republic is in its infancy and has yet to establish checks and balances against the accumulation of power.
With the House of Lords unanimously voting to restructure the military for aggressive expansion, Rosinder seeks to expand its empire across all of Valucre; the primary concern of its imperial march is to spare the world from its destruction by relieving people of their erroneous ways and showing them the glory of God.
Valucre's Rosinder
Introduction
Rosinder was built with high and heroic fantasy, sword and sorcery in mind. It can be described as primarily medieval, its citizens engaged in a struggle to keep outside socioeconomic and magitechnological advances from intruding on their vaunted traditions.
Its place in the world, at the center of Tellus Mater, is particularly rich in arable land, which accounts for how common outside forces have attempted to invade Rosinder, which has only suffered from drought or famine from mismanagement of resources; its climate has no dry season. Most of the lands are politically divided into baronies, counties and duchies.
The nation is currently ruled by the House of Lords by both divine right of their lineage and popular vote, but the House of Commons allows for the first time a chance of direct compromise between nobles and the proletariat. However, the Republic is in its infancy and has yet to establish checks and balances against the accumulation of power.
With the House of Lords unanimously voting to restructure the military for aggressive expansion, Rosinder seeks to expand its empire across all of Valucre; the primary concern of its imperial march is to spare the world from its destruction by relieving people of their erroneous ways and showing them the glory of God.
The Tourist -- 9 / 10
Being that this movie has Johnny Depp in it, it's almost instantly pushing a 5.0 rating, although that Public Enemy movie barely pulled that, just because he was in it. With this said, I believe his name -- lemme check... Ahh, Paul Bettany. I love this guy. <3 He's seriously one of my favorite actors, because he's always playing a STRONG secondary, much like Barry Pepper. <3
Anyways -- the movie! And why it got such a high rating!
Anyways -- the movie! And why it got such a high rating!
Well then, let us begin! The movie is twisted. It's got you thinking and you're always looking for who the bad guy is! It's so confusing. And so much fun trying to find it, and you're laughing the entire way through. It's extremely well done and in the end, you'll probably figure out what's going on, and then lose your way moments later.
Never sure until it hits you. <3
Synopsis: I can't say much without giving too much. Jolie's under surveillance and planning on meeting up with "Alexander" -- an old love, that stole a LOT from a gangster, who wants him dead. OOHHHMAN! Let the confusion begin!
Pros: Depp is hysterical. Great character. The storyline is awesome and the twist actually got me. Which I enjoyed immensely. I love a movie that can screw my perceptions, which are usually really good and on point.
Cons: It ... oddly enough, felt like it went by so fast. Lol. They could have added in another thirty minutes and you'd have never known!
Over-all: The fact that Jolie had her clothes on, makes me happy. I don't like to think of her as a slutty actress in her older years, but shit... if she's not naked, she doesn't sell as well. Lol. Depp is always great. The movie picked up a 9 / 10 on the Zenith scale, for twisting me up.
Secretariat -- 3 / 10
I had posted this on Valucre.com -- but this is one of my most LOLreviews, so I felt compelled to blog it.
DISCLAIMER: Loads of cussing.
Ha. Here's the extent of my displeasure: Story time!
So we're on the way to see a movie, that I didn't really want to see anyways, BUT -
1.) it was free
2.) it was to be a family thing.
Dad calls. He's not coming because there's "just not enough daylight anymore to get things done".
Sarah calls. She's not going to make it because she's out with Paula (bff) and they're dress shopping for Paula's soon-to-be wedding.
That leaves me, Heather, Beth, and Mom. =/ ...
Here's where you all get the slack-ass version of a boring movie because I physically cannot bring myself to actually post up a serious review.
Secretariat.
It's a movie about a fuckin' horse. The fuckin' horse stands fast at birth. And runs faster. Whoopdy-fuckin-do.
It's a Disney movie, also -- did I mention this? So you KNOW -- THE HORSE WILL WIN. 10 minutes into watching this.
If you knew NOTHING ELSE ABOUT THIS MOVIE AND THE FUCKIN' HORSE -- DISNEY DOESN'T DISAPPOINT. BAM. HORSE WINS.
FYI -- THIS ISN'T A SPOILER, IT'S RETARDED COMMON KNOWLEDGE TO PLEASE THE MASSES.
-- yes, yes -- it's a "true" story, still over-exaggerated like all Disney flicks.
So.
OMGFAMILYSTRUGGLE. DOES SHE CHOOSE THE HORSE OR THE FAMILY IN THE 60s?
NEITHER -- It's DISNEY. She fuckin wins it all. Takes the cake. The horse. The family. And the fuckin' movie.
There. I'm done.
If you wanna be bored for fuckin' 2 hours. Go see this movie.
Then -- you can kill yourself.
Rating: 3/10 - because the fuckin' horse was pretty. +3
-_- Fuck My Life.
Shrek Forever After -- 6 / 10
It's amazing what can be accomplished when you follow a script -- right, Meyers? It's no secret that Mike Meyers, while being a funny-man, has a bit of an issue with "ad-libbing" his scripts, which I [personally] tack to the failing fall of the Austin Powers series. The first was Lolerific and amazing, and down-hill from there. But we're not here to discuss that, we're here to discuss a ... hopefully ending trilogy quadilogy.
Ha - my bad. I stopped to watch the Season of the Witch trailer, as you'll most likely get a review for this coming Friday, but that goes to show how much I really cared about this film, lol.
Honestly, I swear -- I just changed the title cause I thought this was shrek 3. LOL!
So. The movie was actually pretty funny, but I wouldn't go all out and scream it to the world. The first was still my favorite so far, and the second/third whichever-- sucked. I don't think I even saw the third one, lol. I don't remember, I don't know -- but I felt this movie was good enough to throw-down on a quick review.
Ha - my bad. I stopped to watch the Season of the Witch trailer, as you'll most likely get a review for this coming Friday, but that goes to show how much I really cared about this film, lol.
Synopsis: Rumpelstiltskin or however the hell it's spelled, is back at his trickery again and originally tried to magically deed the entire kingdom to himself, by blackmailing the king and queen of Ever After. Yadda, yadda - he tricks Shrek and then the adventure begins!
Pros: Uhm, I suppose the plus would have to be the funnies. The world is switched around and Witches and Rumpel now run things, which is full of lols, and now apparently there are more ogres? Yeah, I know - wtf. Shrek is suddenly not as special as he once was. Lol. Way to go, DreamFail. =/
Cons: Uhm ... it's like the 4th or 5th one now? And they're not getting any funnier. Lol. The first was the best.
Over-all: Netflix. And I've lowered the rating twice since I started writing this review. Lmfao... Don't let all the negativity fool you. It's a kids movie, and it's pretty amusing.
Tron Legacy -- 7.5 / 10
Before people go questioning my rating, I have to say that taking in all the factors and the true-fact that this movie is made by Disney, you can't expect to be totally satisfied. Now if Legendary Pictures or James Cameron got a hold of Tron: Legacy, I'm almost guaranteed the rating would have been higher and for a solid purpose, than this fluffy 7.5 I've given it.
Well, let us begin! I have to start by saying Garret Hedlund and Olivia Wilde in the same film is worth at least a 6 / 10, and that's not suggesting that it's a porno, hahHAHhah! They really end up making the film excellent, and then the Daft Punk soundtrack, added to the graphics really send this movie up ... 1.5 points on the Zenith-scale of sexy.
Synopsis: The movie is about a man in the 80s, who's brilliant and creates this "game world" that turns out to be different than anything else before, but he vanishes. Gone. For twenty-some years, and suddenly, traces of him seem to be noted and the adventure for his son begins. To find his missing father.
Pros: The graphics are ... orgasmically gorgeous. The motorcycles. The jets. The world itself. It's a wonderful, and exciting adventure -- the world is beautiful. Olivia Wilde. She's beautiful. She's fun. And she can act. Sounds like my kinda woman! Lol. >_> @ -hides from his wife-
Cons: The Jeff Bridges graphical "Clu." REALLY, DISNEY?! A multi-f@#kin' BAZILLION dollar company, and you can't beat the graphics of Mass Effect or Final Fantasy XIV?! This is the SOLE reason, the movie wont make it above an 8.0 rating. Because of these cheap bastards and their fear of actually making a movie that might not have a happy ending.
The story was lacking, however - boy goes into world. Tries to save dad. Bad guy kicks some ass. You can't really develop a story around this... Lol.
Over-all: The movie was rated higher than it should be, because of great actors, because of beautiful graphics, and because the movie is awe-inspiring, however it left you wanting to see way more of the bikes and jets. Lol. Therefore, the 7.5 / 10 is deemed "fluffy."
Well, let us begin! I have to start by saying Garret Hedlund and Olivia Wilde in the same film is worth at least a 6 / 10, and that's not suggesting that it's a porno, hahHAHhah! They really end up making the film excellent, and then the Daft Punk soundtrack, added to the graphics really send this movie up ... 1.5 points on the Zenith-scale of sexy.
Synopsis: The movie is about a man in the 80s, who's brilliant and creates this "game world" that turns out to be different than anything else before, but he vanishes. Gone. For twenty-some years, and suddenly, traces of him seem to be noted and the adventure for his son begins. To find his missing father.
Pros: The graphics are ... orgasmically gorgeous. The motorcycles. The jets. The world itself. It's a wonderful, and exciting adventure -- the world is beautiful. Olivia Wilde. She's beautiful. She's fun. And she can act. Sounds like my kinda woman! Lol. >_> @ -hides from his wife-
Cons: The Jeff Bridges graphical "Clu." REALLY, DISNEY?! A multi-f@#kin' BAZILLION dollar company, and you can't beat the graphics of Mass Effect or Final Fantasy XIV?! This is the SOLE reason, the movie wont make it above an 8.0 rating. Because of these cheap bastards and their fear of actually making a movie that might not have a happy ending.
The story was lacking, however - boy goes into world. Tries to save dad. Bad guy kicks some ass. You can't really develop a story around this... Lol.
Over-all: The movie was rated higher than it should be, because of great actors, because of beautiful graphics, and because the movie is awe-inspiring, however it left you wanting to see way more of the bikes and jets. Lol. Therefore, the 7.5 / 10 is deemed "fluffy."
True Grit -- 7.5 / 10
Merry Christmas, everyone! It's your lovely neighborhood Zenith again, here to drop you a line on some of the movies that have come up during the past week or so, and as promised -- I've got your reviews! =]
So, let us begin!
So, for those looking at this movie and going, 'Oh, no way -- you can't replace the Duke!' I have mixed feelings on that phrase. Let's be perfectly clear on one thing: I respect John Wayne for his bad-assery, however his acting skills were a little ... hnm ... sub-par? Lol. Sure, he could be a bad-ass and shoot shit, but this is the era where acting talent is taken into account, not just the story. (See the Crash of Narnia, if you want a clear understanding of what I'm talking about. Lol.)
Jeff Bridges did an excellent job, and the movie was supposed to be geared at the book, not as a remake to another movie. Seeing him in this film, after having seen Tron, or Iron Man -- you'd have a hard time believing it was the same guy -- and that's the acting talent. I feel he did a really good job, and the movie had great excitement and laughs at his expense, as well.
Synopsis: Well, basically -- this girl's father is killed in an unfair transaction (she feels), and goes to claim his body and hire on a gun to find or kill the man responsible. She's a little shit and a total spitfire with a tongue that delivers lashings all throughout the film in the most brutal of manners.
And the hunt begins!
Pros: The new girl, Haliee Steinfeld -- nearly stole the show, if not did. I've never seen her in anything before this, but as a phenomenal role completed, I'm sure we'll be seeing her in plenty of new movies to come. She's sharp and seems to gather up the and be the role, better than most "child actors."
Sadly, that's really the only Pro I can list. Maybe throw out a pseudo-Pro, that this the first western I've liked in a while, lol. Since 3:10 to Yuma. <3
>> Edit: There is another pro that I just thought of, lol. Barry Pepper. I love this guy. I don't know what it is, but his characters are always so on-point an intricate that he ALWAYS seems to fit his roles, and he has that face that just melds into the part. <3 Much love.
Cons: Some of you might hate me for this, and don't get me wrong, I like Matt Damon, but ... he was the worst part of this film for me. After fanboying over the Bourne Series, and even Green Zone, I kinda enjoyed. But man ... I love the guy, but he's just a terrible western-style character. Lol. I don't know what it was, but his Texan accent was off, his character was funny and amusing, but ... oyie. Made me wanna get bit by a rattlesnake...
Over-All: I wouldn't recommend it to be seen in theaters, personally -- but that's my bias talking. It was a very well-done movie, but just not ... meh. 7.5 / 10
So, let us begin!
So, for those looking at this movie and going, 'Oh, no way -- you can't replace the Duke!' I have mixed feelings on that phrase. Let's be perfectly clear on one thing: I respect John Wayne for his bad-assery, however his acting skills were a little ... hnm ... sub-par? Lol. Sure, he could be a bad-ass and shoot shit, but this is the era where acting talent is taken into account, not just the story. (See the Crash of Narnia, if you want a clear understanding of what I'm talking about. Lol.)
Jeff Bridges did an excellent job, and the movie was supposed to be geared at the book, not as a remake to another movie. Seeing him in this film, after having seen Tron, or Iron Man -- you'd have a hard time believing it was the same guy -- and that's the acting talent. I feel he did a really good job, and the movie had great excitement and laughs at his expense, as well.
Synopsis: Well, basically -- this girl's father is killed in an unfair transaction (she feels), and goes to claim his body and hire on a gun to find or kill the man responsible. She's a little shit and a total spitfire with a tongue that delivers lashings all throughout the film in the most brutal of manners.
And the hunt begins!
Pros: The new girl, Haliee Steinfeld -- nearly stole the show, if not did. I've never seen her in anything before this, but as a phenomenal role completed, I'm sure we'll be seeing her in plenty of new movies to come. She's sharp and seems to gather up the and be the role, better than most "child actors."
Sadly, that's really the only Pro I can list. Maybe throw out a pseudo-Pro, that this the first western I've liked in a while, lol. Since 3:10 to Yuma. <3
>> Edit: There is another pro that I just thought of, lol. Barry Pepper. I love this guy. I don't know what it is, but his characters are always so on-point an intricate that he ALWAYS seems to fit his roles, and he has that face that just melds into the part. <3 Much love.
Cons: Some of you might hate me for this, and don't get me wrong, I like Matt Damon, but ... he was the worst part of this film for me. After fanboying over the Bourne Series, and even Green Zone, I kinda enjoyed. But man ... I love the guy, but he's just a terrible western-style character. Lol. I don't know what it was, but his Texan accent was off, his character was funny and amusing, but ... oyie. Made me wanna get bit by a rattlesnake...
Over-All: I wouldn't recommend it to be seen in theaters, personally -- but that's my bias talking. It was a very well-done movie, but just not ... meh. 7.5 / 10
Thursday, December 16, 2010
Romance Sideplots
They're everywhere, most prominently in movies and books. You have your hero who must take down a drug lord, kill the evil wizard, slay the mighty dragon, save the world... and have sex.
Yes, you read that right. He or she must, by any means necessary, get laid. Someone of the hero's opposite gender must wander in, eyelashes fluttering or abs flexing, and automatically spark the lust of our doomed hero. Never mind if it has nothing to do with the plot. Never mind if it derails it. Never mind if it is useless, stupid, contrived, or just plain disgusting.
Now don't misunderstand. I loved The Time Traveler's Wife. I loved PS., I Love You. I loved every sweet moment of every romance story. No, I'm talking about movies like The Sorcerer's Apprentice, The Oxford Murders, even that damn movie Piranha. These movies don't need, benefit from, and are entirely ruined by their romance subplots.
The Sorcerer's Apprentice: the hero is a young college guy who is chosen by fate, destiny, and the gods, along with Nicolas Cage's stern voice, to save the world. The hero dons the cape and... tries to get laid. Who cares about the world? He wants to put it all on hold so he can bang a girl older than he is and take her on dates and put her and everyone else in danger so he can get rid of some serious blue balls. Nice.
Piranha: admit it, the movie was cheesy and you liked it. The hero finds himself surrounded by hungry, hungry man-eating piranhas! He with his girlfriend in a boat underwater and time is running out! Surely he will waste no time in getting THE HELL OUT OF THERE. Right after giving her a romantic kiss, because everyone knows he's got all the time in the world as long as it contributes to a romance subplot.
The Oxford Murders: this one really got to me. Right off the bat the hero meets a girl, and right off the bat someone dies. Now there's murders going off left and right and the hero must solve the mystery. Of course, there's time for solving serial killer puzzles and a time for sex. So we're treated to a lovely shot of a girl wearing nothing but an apron, her fat ass in full glory for everyone to see, and then proceeds to have sex while dropping spaghetti over him.
First of all I hate spaghetti. My mom would cook it all the time and I can't stand the smell. I almost threw up with this disgusting scene. And let me tell you what she contributed to the plot; nothing. Seriously. She was there and then was gone. What was her purpose? Just a romance subplot.
Why do we have these things? To show how compassionate and human our hero is? Why? Show it in other ways. Give him a buddy. Match him or her up with a family member, a brother, a woman he's not immediately infatuated with. Show it in actions, not a lot of useless cuddling and sweet nothings murmured as you're getting devoured by zombies. Is it to add suspense? Bullshit. Unless it's a romance movie, you've got suspense in Godzilla or a runaway train or countless other sources, and the romance is just a distraction. An unwanted distraction.
Now with almost every movie and almost every book, there's got to be some kind of romance subplot. Get rid of them. Stop it. If it needs sex, make the first scene have the hero and his or her special friend boning, and then let me enjoy the rest of the damn movie.
Yes, you read that right. He or she must, by any means necessary, get laid. Someone of the hero's opposite gender must wander in, eyelashes fluttering or abs flexing, and automatically spark the lust of our doomed hero. Never mind if it has nothing to do with the plot. Never mind if it derails it. Never mind if it is useless, stupid, contrived, or just plain disgusting.
Now don't misunderstand. I loved The Time Traveler's Wife. I loved PS., I Love You. I loved every sweet moment of every romance story. No, I'm talking about movies like The Sorcerer's Apprentice, The Oxford Murders, even that damn movie Piranha. These movies don't need, benefit from, and are entirely ruined by their romance subplots.
The Sorcerer's Apprentice: the hero is a young college guy who is chosen by fate, destiny, and the gods, along with Nicolas Cage's stern voice, to save the world. The hero dons the cape and... tries to get laid. Who cares about the world? He wants to put it all on hold so he can bang a girl older than he is and take her on dates and put her and everyone else in danger so he can get rid of some serious blue balls. Nice.
Piranha: admit it, the movie was cheesy and you liked it. The hero finds himself surrounded by hungry, hungry man-eating piranhas! He with his girlfriend in a boat underwater and time is running out! Surely he will waste no time in getting THE HELL OUT OF THERE. Right after giving her a romantic kiss, because everyone knows he's got all the time in the world as long as it contributes to a romance subplot.
The Oxford Murders: this one really got to me. Right off the bat the hero meets a girl, and right off the bat someone dies. Now there's murders going off left and right and the hero must solve the mystery. Of course, there's time for solving serial killer puzzles and a time for sex. So we're treated to a lovely shot of a girl wearing nothing but an apron, her fat ass in full glory for everyone to see, and then proceeds to have sex while dropping spaghetti over him.
First of all I hate spaghetti. My mom would cook it all the time and I can't stand the smell. I almost threw up with this disgusting scene. And let me tell you what she contributed to the plot; nothing. Seriously. She was there and then was gone. What was her purpose? Just a romance subplot.
Why do we have these things? To show how compassionate and human our hero is? Why? Show it in other ways. Give him a buddy. Match him or her up with a family member, a brother, a woman he's not immediately infatuated with. Show it in actions, not a lot of useless cuddling and sweet nothings murmured as you're getting devoured by zombies. Is it to add suspense? Bullshit. Unless it's a romance movie, you've got suspense in Godzilla or a runaway train or countless other sources, and the romance is just a distraction. An unwanted distraction.
Now with almost every movie and almost every book, there's got to be some kind of romance subplot. Get rid of them. Stop it. If it needs sex, make the first scene have the hero and his or her special friend boning, and then let me enjoy the rest of the damn movie.
How to: Ignore user
This is a guide for anyone that doesn't know how to add a user to their ignore list. The ignore list is a handy feature that can solve a lot of inter-personal problems, as a person annoying you can go on your list and you never have to worry about reading their posts again. Ignore the trolls and leeches. Happy ignoring, Valucre!
Wednesday, December 8, 2010
Tangled -- 8 / 10
| Maker - Disney
| Rating - G, most likely
| Synopsis - It's the story of Rapunzel, all over again. With an interesting twist that she's been grounded for ... oh, life. Evil "mother" finds a flower that extends her life if she sings to it, and the Queen of the land is dying -- out of fear for his unborn child and wife, the King cries out and the town goes to work searching for a miraculous golden flower that has healing powers. Evil mother tries to hide it, fails miserably, and thus -- the family is saved, but then the daughter is stolen! OhSnap!
Who knew that if you healed the wife, the kid would get awesome ever-growing hair that could never be cut and was so strong, she could use it like a bull whip, swing from stuff, and even tie people up! Right, how many little girls aren't going to cut their hair now... poor parents.
| Pros - Disney has finally found it's way back to the original classics, having floundered for SO long without their Disney Princess/Kids movie careers in check. After that evil crap they pulled with that voodoo creepster movie (it's currently 5:57am and I can't remember the title - their last film out that was animated), they haven't been on par with Beauty and the Beast, Mulan, or even close to epics like Sword in the Stone and Fox and the Hound.
This movie had it all. Humor. Cutesy-ness. Amusement. AND -- sing a longs that we all loved and enjoyed as kids. Finally, a Disney flick worth taking your kids to.
| Cons - It seemed to drag on a bit, but maintained the Disney short-and-sweet experience, even still. I know how I am, and with a mild case of insanity and A.D.D., this film had be sitting on my hands, for fear of staring at my watch. Although ... I am old. Lol. /le shrug/
| Exciting Note - The horse is awesome! I want one.
| Zenith's Approval Rating - A solid 8 / 10
Writing With Eachother - A Template for Successful Roleplay
As one of the official Chosen Tournament judges, I've overseen a fair share of T1 matches. One of the most difficult things to do when issuing a judgment is trying to figure out what's actually going on. This is due to the contradictions and paradoxes that occur when two players are writing against each other, something I'll get into in a moment. Because of the difficulty in understanding fights, we often ask the participants to supply us with a detailed list of actions that have occurred up to the contested point. Oftentimes, we find that the timelines don't even match. Why is this and what is going wrong?
This doesn't just happen in T1. A trend I've noticed among certain roleplayers is that they tend to write against each other as opposed to with. This, I think, is due to two reasons:
1. Ego - players want to be at the center of plots, so they're constantly fighting to be the center of attention. This also leads to a lack of accommodation, which can cause a clash of style.
2. Minimal Communication - This is especially noticeable in T1 matches. Players who frequently communicate seem to have the best synergy. If you know where the plot is headed and have a good idea of everything that is going on, you can make your post better integrate with the plot.
I know many people pride themselves on their writing and look at roleplay as a sort of writing exercise. This is good and a sentiment that should be facilitated and supported by the community. The problem lies in the fact that most threads read like a broken mash-up of events that seem to make little or no sense.
How is it fixed?
I don't have a sure-fire way to address the problem presented above, but I do have a few tips that may help those that wish to improve their literary relationship with other writers.
My first recommendation is to obviously drop the ego and communicate with your partners more. This should come as no surprise given the fact that I mentioned both of this issues above.
My second recommendation is to agree on the flow of time between posts with your partner. My intention here is to address the several temporal paradoxes that seem to arise when players fail to take time into consideration. If you're not involved in competitive roleplaying, it is advisable to give each player a certain amount of "IC" time with which they can play. Their post should be focused on their character's actions, but it can also address certain things that your character is doing.
The final idea I wanted to share has to do with the distribution of responsibilities. What I mean by this is that, in any given thread, you'll often find that a certain player takes on the responsibility of painting the setting, while another might describe major non-player actions. I feel that, for the flow of the thread, that it's important to share these responsibilities. The first post should always set the scene, but there is always more that can be described. Additionally, players can take turns controlling NPCs so to optimize the flow of dialogue and action. This, in my opinion, will provide the largest increase in synergy.
Leave some comments and tell me what you think!
This doesn't just happen in T1. A trend I've noticed among certain roleplayers is that they tend to write against each other as opposed to with. This, I think, is due to two reasons:
1. Ego - players want to be at the center of plots, so they're constantly fighting to be the center of attention. This also leads to a lack of accommodation, which can cause a clash of style.
2. Minimal Communication - This is especially noticeable in T1 matches. Players who frequently communicate seem to have the best synergy. If you know where the plot is headed and have a good idea of everything that is going on, you can make your post better integrate with the plot.
I know many people pride themselves on their writing and look at roleplay as a sort of writing exercise. This is good and a sentiment that should be facilitated and supported by the community. The problem lies in the fact that most threads read like a broken mash-up of events that seem to make little or no sense.
How is it fixed?
I don't have a sure-fire way to address the problem presented above, but I do have a few tips that may help those that wish to improve their literary relationship with other writers.
My first recommendation is to obviously drop the ego and communicate with your partners more. This should come as no surprise given the fact that I mentioned both of this issues above.
My second recommendation is to agree on the flow of time between posts with your partner. My intention here is to address the several temporal paradoxes that seem to arise when players fail to take time into consideration. If you're not involved in competitive roleplaying, it is advisable to give each player a certain amount of "IC" time with which they can play. Their post should be focused on their character's actions, but it can also address certain things that your character is doing.
The final idea I wanted to share has to do with the distribution of responsibilities. What I mean by this is that, in any given thread, you'll often find that a certain player takes on the responsibility of painting the setting, while another might describe major non-player actions. I feel that, for the flow of the thread, that it's important to share these responsibilities. The first post should always set the scene, but there is always more that can be described. Additionally, players can take turns controlling NPCs so to optimize the flow of dialogue and action. This, in my opinion, will provide the largest increase in synergy.
Leave some comments and tell me what you think!
Thursday, December 2, 2010
Merger + 100K break
Paragon, a roleplay forum owned and administrated by the user Sorano on Valucre, has joined the fray! Come and celebrate the successful merger of Paragon and Valucre. Also, thanks to the merger of Paragon and Valucre, we have tipped over the 100K post line. Celebrate that too!
Valucre's merger with Paragon.
Valucre's merger with Paragon.
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
Happy Thanksgiving!
While this is a little late, I was personally busy with the holiday and family, so you get a post-update of the holidays, but something that I think is important enough to share with others. As this is the season for holidays, a lot of people have truly forgotten what it means to just enjoy friends, family, and be thankful for what you have.
I am thankful for my family. That I have a roof over my head. A wife that loves me. A God who cares. And I am thankful for every day that I am allowed to breath. To smile. To laugh. To enjoy humor. I am thankful for the soldiers who fight for my freedom. I am thankful to be American. (As random of a blessing as this is, lol.) I am thankful to have a place to relax and write with great friends. [Shameless Valucre-self Promotion]
Give thanks!
Enjoy life!
Be blessed!
Happy Holidays!
From the Valucre Staff! <3
I am thankful for my family. That I have a roof over my head. A wife that loves me. A God who cares. And I am thankful for every day that I am allowed to breath. To smile. To laugh. To enjoy humor. I am thankful for the soldiers who fight for my freedom. I am thankful to be American. (As random of a blessing as this is, lol.) I am thankful to have a place to relax and write with great friends. [Shameless Valucre-self Promotion]
Give thanks!
Enjoy life!
Be blessed!
Happy Holidays!
From the Valucre Staff! <3
Sunday, November 21, 2010
DoA: A Review
Release year: 2006.
Original title: DOA: Dead or Alive.
Rating: Rated PG-13 for pervasive martial arts, action violence and (plenty of) sexuality.
Tagline: You're invited.
Genre: Action, adventure.
I've noticed that a lot of kung-fu (a term I use for general martial arts even though I know it isn't the most accurate) movies were coming out in 2006. When I first saw the trailer, given my fan-boy attraction to the game, I wanted to check it out but forgot about the movie completely until just a few days ago.
Synopsis
The movie focuses around three chicks, primarily. Kasumi, who is some kind of ninja princess; Tina, who is a pro-wrestling super-star and the daughter of much the same; and Christie, who is some kind of assassin and master thief. There are other characters, male and female alike, but the focus for the movie until the competition starts is around these girls and, later, around one more girl, named Helena and who is the daughter of the man that started the DoA tournament, who joins their posse.
The fighters are pooled into a plane, which they have to jump out of mid-flight and make their way to a temple before sunset or risk being disqualified. I thought this was kind of silly after going out of your way to assess fighters and charter a private jet, but since I'm not a playboy billionaire I won't ever know the mindset behind this.
At the end of the tournament, or heroes and heroines have to band together against a single enemy.
This film is fan-service galore. They get as close as they can to nudity without actually going the full Monte, simultaneously leaving much and leaving little to the imagination.
Pros: The fan service. All of the womenfolk are easy on the eyes and are constantly put into scenarios that let them show off all of the hard work they put into the gym in the off-season. The moves were made more explosive than you get in an honest-to-goodness fight and even in the usual brand of pumped up kung fu, something you'll notice it when they get a hard hit off you hear a booming sound and the screen shakes. To some? Gaudy. To me? Made things seem a bit more fun, even if less serious.
Cons: Some of the wire-work was pretty obvious and ruined the mood. A particular bad scene is one near the end where Helena gets into a sword fight. It was "eh" at its finest. Sloppy, inconsistent, and just not that good.
Best Moment: Tina's fight against Jack? I don't remember his name, but it was the only black guy in the whole film. The fight was one of the longer ones, one of the better balanced, and it had some pretty sweet moves.
Rating: 6.7 / 10.
In closing I just want to say that though this doesn't really compare to some of the other hard-hitting kung fu films (Iron Monkey and Ip Man are classic examples of this for me), it is a more 'fun' film. The motions are more dynamic and fitting to a game environment, and you don't have to be an aficionado to enjoy the film.
Friday, November 19, 2010
Fatal Contact: A Review
Release year: 2006.
Original title: Hak kuen.
Rating: R for violence, language, and suggestive situation.
Tagline: Only one can be champion.
Genre: Action.
Synopsis
I've always been a big fan of kung-fu films, both the old and the new, and Final Contact was on a list of kung-films recommended to me. I got it a few weeks ago and only got around to watching it tonight. My expectations for the movie weren't quite blockbuster, but were reasonably high given the source that recommended it is a good friend with usually good movie tastes.
Though not exactly what I hoped for, I was not let down by the movie.
Kong, the male star of a traveling troupe of martial arts exhibitionists (Jackie Chan should come to mind), is approached by the leaders of an underground fighting ring because his exhibition has managed to impress them. 20k win or lose they tell him, but the guy is a bit reluctant to participate. Enter Tin, who convinces Kong to enter the fighting ring and Captain, a beggarly chap who works as a guard for the men who run the fighting circuit and who is also, secretly, a master of martial arts. He passes off feats of dexterity and strength as magic tricks for cigarettes from his friend, which I thought was amusing.
What follows next is as predictable as it is entertaining. Kong rises up the ranks, fighting progressively more difficult opponents, has his limits tested constantly, and is dragged into a world of shady businessmen and the pursuit of the almighty dollar.
Pros: Captain provides some serious comedy relief, and not in the corny way that Krillin does to Goku, as Captain is actually incredibly skilled in the martial arts. Kong's characterization is also a VERY big pro, because we see the man go from innocent performer to hardened martial artist; from the moral high ground to seedy underbelly. There were some original moves put into play and, in the second to last battle, an amazing amount of really dynamic grappling moves.
Cons: The movie is in a foreign language and so comes with sub-titles. The copy that I got, the sub-titles were actually pretty bad. I mean it gave me enough that I could get a handle on the story and what was going on, but I was left with the feeling of missing a lot of nuance, especially when it came to the jokes. Also some of the moves had me feeling like "Seems very Tony Jaa-ish". A few of the wire stunts were obvious, but not all of them.
Best Moment: The ending. Not at all what I expected it to be. Most action movies have an action packed ending and it fades to black shortly thereafter, leaving only a few minutes of exposition to wrap up loose ends. Fatal Contact takes a different route, and tops the movie off poignantly, taking care of all loose ends and reminding us that the characters aren't just fist-machines.
Rating: 6.9 / 10.
Thursday, November 18, 2010
Ong Bak 2 -- The Beginning
Movie: Ong Bak 2 : The Beginning
Release date: 2010
Rating: Most likely R, seeing as throats are torn out?
Synopsis
I went into this with low expectations because most foreign flicks tend to be a let-down when it comes to the action sequences and over-all storyline. I've seen The Protector and Ong Bak (which are both Tony Jaa movies; lead role) and after watching the Protector, I really was disappointed in the footage and storyline, which I thought to be really pathetic, however the first Ong Bak is what reeled me into Jaa's Muay Thai background and fighting styles. (If I could fight with any style, Muay Thai would be it. It's beautiful and powerful.)
Basically, the boy's of royal family and they're slain. He's picked up as a slave, and then fights to free himself (a crazy fight-to-the-death with a crocodile) and then find himself being trained by the people who over-threw the Slave Market. Now it's up to him to train up, to go back and defeat the man who killed his family.
Pros: The fight sequences are simply stunning. You'll catch yourself covering your mouth, hiding the squinting, "OHHHHH!!" as he does some extraordinary moves and techniques to really drive the film home. The styles are sweet and the weapon combat is just absolutely sic. The acting is, sad-to-say, better than a lot of American flicks because it's actually believable in most parts and not some cliche bullshit.
The story is also actually, really interesting.
Cons: It's in subtitles, which isn't terrible, but it's distracting sometimes to try and read while watch what's happening. Other than that, I really can't give a suitable con. I really was surprised by this film.
Best Moments: Drunken Martial Arts. Freakin' ... amazing.
Rating: 8.5 / 10
I'd say it's definitely worth seeing if you enjoy your 'Kung Fu' like I do. Lol.
Release date: 2010
Rating: Most likely R, seeing as throats are torn out?
Synopsis
I went into this with low expectations because most foreign flicks tend to be a let-down when it comes to the action sequences and over-all storyline. I've seen The Protector and Ong Bak (which are both Tony Jaa movies; lead role) and after watching the Protector, I really was disappointed in the footage and storyline, which I thought to be really pathetic, however the first Ong Bak is what reeled me into Jaa's Muay Thai background and fighting styles. (If I could fight with any style, Muay Thai would be it. It's beautiful and powerful.)
Basically, the boy's of royal family and they're slain. He's picked up as a slave, and then fights to free himself (a crazy fight-to-the-death with a crocodile) and then find himself being trained by the people who over-threw the Slave Market. Now it's up to him to train up, to go back and defeat the man who killed his family.
Pros: The fight sequences are simply stunning. You'll catch yourself covering your mouth, hiding the squinting, "OHHHHH!!" as he does some extraordinary moves and techniques to really drive the film home. The styles are sweet and the weapon combat is just absolutely sic. The acting is, sad-to-say, better than a lot of American flicks because it's actually believable in most parts and not some cliche bullshit.
The story is also actually, really interesting.
Cons: It's in subtitles, which isn't terrible, but it's distracting sometimes to try and read while watch what's happening. Other than that, I really can't give a suitable con. I really was surprised by this film.
Best Moments: Drunken Martial Arts. Freakin' ... amazing.
Rating: 8.5 / 10
I'd say it's definitely worth seeing if you enjoy your 'Kung Fu' like I do. Lol.
By Zenith
Sunday, November 7, 2010
A Letter to 3D Swindlers
Dear 3D Swindlers,
Make no mistake. I love 3d. The first time I ever saw anything in 3d was when I was 7 years old. The image had an area of 10 feet. 17 years later I walked into a theater to see Beowulf, and I sat amazed as 3d spears threatened to stab out my bespectacled eyes. The exorbitant price to see such a foul movie was worth it, just for the 3d.
Or it would have been if I hadn't been cursed with something called nearsightedness.
This alien term means I cannot see clearly images that are far away. It means I wear glasses. My fellow farsighted friends are the same. Now imagine how we feel when we see a movie that is offered only in 3d in our local theaters, and we are forced to wear these 3d shades, which by no means can fit over our eyeglasses. We are forced to tilt our heads at an odd angle to keep them in place, adjusting them with our hands every few minutes lest they slip and fall off. This is all because you Swindlers didn't bother to put a lip or a ledge on the 3d frames so they might hook onto our eyeglasses.
Now I've heard several counter-complaints to this, and never have I heard such close-minded views. The first? Contacts. Why not wear contacts? Well, my good Swindlers, think of it this way. Would you wear itchy socks if more comfortable ones were available? Exactly not. Some of us actually like our glasses, or feel uncomfortable shoving things around our eyeballs. Our eyes are sensitive things, if you hadn't noticed.
The other is fashion.
Ha, ha. We glasses-wearing folk would look foolish wearing 3d glasses to hook over our eyeglasses. Well I'll tell you what. We still look stupid wearing glasses not made this way. And here's the thing - do you look around trying to pick out who looks like an idiot in a theater, or are you focused on the movie? Quite. You got it.
Now here's another thing. There are a few unfortunate folk out there who have something called lazy eye. It means when we focus on a picture, we see only with one eye. We literally cannot see out the other. We lose our depth perception. We see exactly what you see when you close one eye when looking through a telescope or aiming with a gun. And our loss of depth perception prevents us from seeing the glory of your fancy 3d movies. And we are still expected to pay the insane prices and wear your ill-fitting glasses to see a movie that probably isn't even that good to begin with.
Not everyone is born with perfect eyesight. We are willing to put up with a lot if you'd only make some goddamn shades to hook on our glasses so our necks don't stiffen during a showing of Saw 3d, which uses 3d for about 3 instances. We don't care if we look like idiots in the darkness of a theater or the privacy of our own homes, which you are planning to invade with your 3d technology. Quit fussing over how well your new 3d shades curve or how many diamonds to put on the frames, and make us something we four-eyed people can wear.
Thank you. Swindlers.
Make no mistake. I love 3d. The first time I ever saw anything in 3d was when I was 7 years old. The image had an area of 10 feet. 17 years later I walked into a theater to see Beowulf, and I sat amazed as 3d spears threatened to stab out my bespectacled eyes. The exorbitant price to see such a foul movie was worth it, just for the 3d.
Or it would have been if I hadn't been cursed with something called nearsightedness.
This alien term means I cannot see clearly images that are far away. It means I wear glasses. My fellow farsighted friends are the same. Now imagine how we feel when we see a movie that is offered only in 3d in our local theaters, and we are forced to wear these 3d shades, which by no means can fit over our eyeglasses. We are forced to tilt our heads at an odd angle to keep them in place, adjusting them with our hands every few minutes lest they slip and fall off. This is all because you Swindlers didn't bother to put a lip or a ledge on the 3d frames so they might hook onto our eyeglasses.
Now I've heard several counter-complaints to this, and never have I heard such close-minded views. The first? Contacts. Why not wear contacts? Well, my good Swindlers, think of it this way. Would you wear itchy socks if more comfortable ones were available? Exactly not. Some of us actually like our glasses, or feel uncomfortable shoving things around our eyeballs. Our eyes are sensitive things, if you hadn't noticed.
The other is fashion.
Ha, ha. We glasses-wearing folk would look foolish wearing 3d glasses to hook over our eyeglasses. Well I'll tell you what. We still look stupid wearing glasses not made this way. And here's the thing - do you look around trying to pick out who looks like an idiot in a theater, or are you focused on the movie? Quite. You got it.
Now here's another thing. There are a few unfortunate folk out there who have something called lazy eye. It means when we focus on a picture, we see only with one eye. We literally cannot see out the other. We lose our depth perception. We see exactly what you see when you close one eye when looking through a telescope or aiming with a gun. And our loss of depth perception prevents us from seeing the glory of your fancy 3d movies. And we are still expected to pay the insane prices and wear your ill-fitting glasses to see a movie that probably isn't even that good to begin with.
Not everyone is born with perfect eyesight. We are willing to put up with a lot if you'd only make some goddamn shades to hook on our glasses so our necks don't stiffen during a showing of Saw 3d, which uses 3d for about 3 instances. We don't care if we look like idiots in the darkness of a theater or the privacy of our own homes, which you are planning to invade with your 3d technology. Quit fussing over how well your new 3d shades curve or how many diamonds to put on the frames, and make us something we four-eyed people can wear.
Thank you. Swindlers.
Wednesday, November 3, 2010
Earthquake Activity [old]
I'm sure that with Haiti, Chile, and other countries - as well as the U.S itself - appearing in the news quite frequently for Earthquakes, you may find yourself asking "Where are all of these coming from?"
And for you skeptics, it's not just the media throwing catastrophe in our faces. There are a tremendous amount of Earthquakes happening, more so than in recent history.
So what is an Earthquake? Why are they happening more frequently now? In it's most simple definition, an Earthquake is the result of a release of energy caused by friction and pressure in the Earth's crust. This release of energy rattles the ground; a large-scale version of pushing (or grinding/pulling) two pieces of paper together.
So what's up with there being more earthquakes? We're likely just experiencing a part of a cycle where the Earth's tectonic plates are shifting more as a whole. Alternative views include a super volcano being due to erupt, or it could even be apart of the world starting to end due to 2012 (If you jump on those theories).
Thursday, October 28, 2010
Red: A Review
Release year: 2010
Original title: Red
Rating: PG-13 for intense sequences of action violence and brief strong language.
Tagline: Killer company man.
Genre: Action, comedy.
The introduction is quaint in its simplicity. We see Frank Moses (Bruce Willis) going around and doing his tough-guy thing. He puts up a few decorations after noticing that his is the only house lacking them and shows us a glimpse into his softer side during a conversation with Sarah Ross (Mary-Louise Parker), a customer service worker for the place handling Frank's pension checks.
Due to Sarah's direct involvement, Frank is growing an avocado plant in a jar and has been keeping abreast of a series of romance novels, Sarah being the sole motivation.
Frank's house is visited in the middle of the night by some very well-trained assassins. Frank is prepared, though, and gets the upper hand very quickly. I won't tell you what he does or how he does it because the movie is an action-comedy. Telling you the action would be the same as ruining the jokes, the two are pretty much the foundation the movie is built on.
So anyway, that happens. Frank predicts that his phone line has been bugged and goes to Kansas City. The interaction between Frank and Sarah is absolutely priceless. I won't go too much into the comedy here, but I will say that their chemistry is strong, and maintains a decent level throughout the entire movie. You end up liking them both individually and as a couple.
Somewhere around this point is a pretty awesome car chase scene.
Next Frank goes to New Orleans to find Joe (Morgan Freeman) his mentor. Joe is currently living in a retirement home and later reveals he's terminally ill, though the casual nature that he does this in suggests that Frank already knows as he rightly should. Following clues left behind by a deceased reporter, whose death they suspect is no accident, the duo find a hit list. One that leads them to track down Marvin (John Malkovich), easily the most likable character in the entire movie.
Now I will say this. I feel that, as of late, it seems that group movies need that one off-kilter character that funny, crazy, but still dangerously skilled. In the A-Team it was Murdock, and here it's Marvin. I wouldn't put it beyond the staff of Red to have done this on purpose as some sort of parody, given how obvious the allusion is, but I think it's just good ol' fashioned character-type casting.
They continue onward, track down someone on the list, and this eventually leads to the next action scene. This one is a doozy, so hold on to your seats and keep your eyes peeled. A lot of stuff happens all at once and you want to make sure you squeeze every bit of enjoyment out of it.
I've left out a lot at this point, and I've also stopped quite some time before the end of the movie. I do this because the plot is not horribly complex or involving. It, and the characters inside of it, are entertaining and novel but only just enough to carry the movie forward. It is an action-comedy almost to a fault, with the best parts of the movie being the action and the comedy respectively.
The dynamics between the characters, though, are a rich source of characterization and their development is not at all static. The dialogue might be the best part of the movie. The top action shots for involves Willins in one and Malkovich in the other, so keep your eye out for those two.
If you've seen the movie post comments about what you thought, what you liked, and what your best action picks are.
Monday, October 18, 2010
The Legend of 1900: A Review
Release year: 1998
Original title: La leggenda del pianista sull'oceano
Rating: R for language (and NOTHING else)
Tagline: A beautiful story of a man who could do anything... except be ordinary.
Genre: Drama, fantasy, music, romance.
Let me just start off by saying that I love this movie, that it dominated the number 1 spot on my personal top 10 for a good, long while and that it currently contends with some of the greatest movies of all time on said list.
Max (Pruit Taylor Vince) was the trumpet player aboard a ship that ferried illegal immigrants from Europe to America, through New York, about five times a year. His introductory monologue is well-paced, ripe with emotion and vivid in the message it wants to convey. After his introduction, our story continues with Max walking into a pawn shop to sell his trumpet. Begging the owner to let him play his trumpet one last time, the owner recognizes the tune Max plays and pulls out a shoddily stitched together vinyl record. The tunes match up. The frame narrative is set up and the second story begins.
The transition is beautiful, the flashback here executed without the clumsiness that soap operas are known for. Throughout the film, time is toyed with through the use of flashbacks and quick-cuts back to the present but is handled beautifully all throughout.
The story-within-a-story begins with coal stoker Danny Boodman (Bill Nunn) picking through the ground of the upper-class party room after all of the immigrants unload. Here he finds a baby in a hand basket. You read it right. Danny decides to adopt the abandoned baby and raise him as his own. He names the child Danny Boodmann T.D. Lemon Nineteen Hundred '1900' (Tim Roth).
At this point you might be asking just how much I'm going to give away. Well the answer is, not that much really. So we're going to blur over the finger and coarser details of things here and flash forward in the plot a little bit. 1900 is now grown and, as it turns out, a musical prodigy. He is said never to have stepped foot off the ship in all his years on it.
Introduce Max. Again we're going to gloss over some details, but if you like characterization then you'll love the following scenes. The audience is given a very comprehensive grasp of 1900 as an adult. The thirst for wonder and magic, the ability to make it happen even (figuratively) and the raw, musical genius. We also get a good idea of Max, and more importantly of the bond of friendship between them.
Well, then it happens. What happens exactly? Piano duel. You read it right, and if you've never managed to conceptualize a piano duel before, let the notion detonate in your mind for a little bit.
Ready for more? Well alright then. Jelly Roll Morton (played by Clarence Williams III, Morton's real life persona is credited as a pivotal figurehead in early Jazz and who credits himself as the inventor of Jazz in the movie) hears about 1900 and challenges him to a piano duel. Three rounds, no holds barred. Slow to start, tense middle, and strong finish. Everything you could want in a piano duel, and believe me, that's saying a lot.
There is a lot of tension mixed into this as in the first story, the one with Max and taking place after the events of the ship, Max is in a race against time to convince a crew not to blow up the now defunct ship and save the man he is sure remains inside. And, to add even more punch to the bowl, inside of the second story (where we see 1900 in action), a short-lived but undeniably intense romance is interwoven into the man's legacy.
There's a LOT I've left out and with good reason. The rest of the movie is powerful and might truly inspire you.
Watch it.
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
Chile Miners...sure hope they bundled up...get it?!
Rob's recent blog about earthquakes got me thinking about the miners in Chile. http://news.blogs.cnn.com/2010/10/13/chile-second-half-rescues/ Apparently, all 33 of them have been rescued, for those of you who were wondering. While plenty of other sites are getting their news on, I feel the need to take a more personal twist on it.
I first heard about the whole incident from my boss at work. We were eating lunch one day and he mentioned it, I saw it on the news later that day but I remember him (my boss) and correspondents on CNN talking about all the psychological trauma these guys were expected to go through and exactly how long they were going to be stuck down there. While I know it was quite some time, I feel it's very fortunate that the 33 miners made it out alive. I can't imagine it was easy for them, but in a world where we tend to see so much more bad news than good, it's refreshing to see that we (as humans) aren't completely ignorant and incapable of assisting one another.
I dunno, I was pleased to see it all worked out, even if the guys did end up taking some serious blows to their psyche, at least they'll get to go home and see their loved ones again. And if they don't have loved ones, at least they'll get to smell fresh air again and see the clouds and interact with people again. Jack London wrote a short story called "How to Build a Fire." It's about a man who's a part of a transport crew, carrying something (I think it's some guys coffin...I'm sorry if I butchered this summary i haven't read it in ages.) through Alaska or antartica and he stays behind for whatever reason. Everything is going good until a snow storm hits and he starts making not so good time. The man finds it increasingly harder to build a fire, not only for lack of dry wood, but his fingers just aren't working properly any more and he can't strike a match. He's certain he's lost several toes to frost bite and eventually he sits down and resigns himself to his fate. (Here's where i'm going with this) As he slowly freezes to death he marvels at his hands, at the world around him at all he took for granted and would begin to appreciate more once he's saved. (Wanna know how it end? Read it or wiki it!)
I got into a car wreck several years ago, one I probably shouldn't have been able to walk away from, yet I did so unscathed. It changed the way I looked at the world and I can only imagine how these Survivors are looking at it. The man in to build a fire went through a few brief moments where he was certain he was going to die, I had less than a second to comprehend everything...these guys had what? Like a month?
Either way, makes me glad for the little things...(that's what she said--ahthankyou)
-Alex (paradigm)
I first heard about the whole incident from my boss at work. We were eating lunch one day and he mentioned it, I saw it on the news later that day but I remember him (my boss) and correspondents on CNN talking about all the psychological trauma these guys were expected to go through and exactly how long they were going to be stuck down there. While I know it was quite some time, I feel it's very fortunate that the 33 miners made it out alive. I can't imagine it was easy for them, but in a world where we tend to see so much more bad news than good, it's refreshing to see that we (as humans) aren't completely ignorant and incapable of assisting one another.
I dunno, I was pleased to see it all worked out, even if the guys did end up taking some serious blows to their psyche, at least they'll get to go home and see their loved ones again. And if they don't have loved ones, at least they'll get to smell fresh air again and see the clouds and interact with people again. Jack London wrote a short story called "How to Build a Fire." It's about a man who's a part of a transport crew, carrying something (I think it's some guys coffin...I'm sorry if I butchered this summary i haven't read it in ages.) through Alaska or antartica and he stays behind for whatever reason. Everything is going good until a snow storm hits and he starts making not so good time. The man finds it increasingly harder to build a fire, not only for lack of dry wood, but his fingers just aren't working properly any more and he can't strike a match. He's certain he's lost several toes to frost bite and eventually he sits down and resigns himself to his fate. (Here's where i'm going with this) As he slowly freezes to death he marvels at his hands, at the world around him at all he took for granted and would begin to appreciate more once he's saved. (Wanna know how it end? Read it or wiki it!)
I got into a car wreck several years ago, one I probably shouldn't have been able to walk away from, yet I did so unscathed. It changed the way I looked at the world and I can only imagine how these Survivors are looking at it. The man in to build a fire went through a few brief moments where he was certain he was going to die, I had less than a second to comprehend everything...these guys had what? Like a month?
Either way, makes me glad for the little things...(that's what she said--ahthankyou)
-Alex (paradigm)
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
A lot has been going on with Valucre, but not very much of it that can be seen right away or that the members will be exposed to immediately without putting in a bit of elbow grease themselves. The first thing I want to draw everyone's attention to is the relatively new article Forum Know-How, which you will find in the link below.
Valucre forum roleplay know how
There were a couple of questions that kept coming to staff from new members and old members alike. Despite having the answers readily available for the new member, that is. I came to the inevitable conclusion that the material, though present, was not in the user's face and so would likely be ignore, or that the information is hard to find. Whatever the case, things needed to change.
So on the Homepage's side navbar, you'll see a link called Rules. In Rules you'll see a few more links to reference articles such as the definition of Mild Powers that we allow here on Valucre, the Roleplay FAQ for any member that has questions about the canon world of Valucre, the Code of Conduct, how to contact administration and then some. Forum know-how is an adaptation of the This Is How It Is article I wrote before, which I will also link to.
Valucre's "This is how it is" document
I wrote up both of these articles in an effort to bridge the communication and information gap that seems to be the biggest problem attacking forum roleplay as we know it. I can only hope that these articles receive the proper attention due to them so that the staff can focus on more intensive issues with the board rather than answering the same questions over, and over, and over again.
Not that we mind helping members out, but keep in mind what it must be like on this side of computer screen. You're asking a question and, hopefully, receiving a prompt and comprehensive answer. We, on the other hand, have to promptly and comprehensively answer the same or similar question a dozen times. It's not fun.
I'd like to bring your attention to some changes made in the Newsletter and in the Open Threads listing.
Valucre Newsletter, August 24th 2010
Valucre's Open Thread listing.
Namely the change to keep your eye out for is that the Current Events has been changed to a simple Open Threads list, which will have the list of open and available threads throughout each newsletter cycle. I do this because an open thread can go on for weeks and months, so it's alright to have that aggregate listing.
The Open Threads listing in the Free Chat forum will be used a continuously updated capacity. Meaning that this thread will be updated on the fly as new open threads come up and will act as a more current listing. It has been modified to include interest checks and coliseum updates as well.
The attentive user will also notice on the Homepage navbar that there is now a Newsletter link which leads to an archive of all the past newsletter, for easy reference.
Monday, July 12, 2010
The insomnia is starting to get back to me. I don't much complain about it like other people do though. Then again, I don't suffer the most extremes of it again. I don't stay up three days in a row for example, and I know some people that can't help but do so. That's gotta suck. Instead, I just lose the motivation to go to sleep and stay up reading or writing or listening to music. With a healthy mix of Cartoon Network of course.
Oh, speaking of, has anyone else taken the initiative and checked out Adventure Time? Given the fact that it was originally made for a 12 year audience, I can see why many people wouldn't be inclined to give it the time of day. But it's a truly great cartoon. It's hilarious, thought provoking, and just downright bad-ass. I love the attitude of the characters and their reactions to their unusual stimuli. It's got adult humor. Kind of like our generation of Ren and Stimpy, but not nearly as dirty. Just clever.
That said, I recently saw that one of the episodes of Adventure Time was Emmy-nominated. So I'm not the only one that thinks this fucking awesome cartoon show should be critically acclaimed! My girlfriend likes it a lot, and so do her younger nieces and nephew, so it really reaches across the age borders. I just gotta get some adults on it, and it'll be all gravy.
There's this song called Tree of Life by Debaser that I'm just in love with. I've listened to it something like five times a day for at least the past three or so days. That's a pretty good record for me, especially considering that I like to keep the music moving, always taking in new stuff and making sure that the new generation is on point with their music making skills. If the song doesn't get you bumping, then your neck is broken. Put plain and simply.
I was watching Catch Me If You Can the other day with Cynthia. The movie was a lot better than I remember it to be, and really well thought out. I mean, I always enjoyed it but just gained a new appreciation for it. I didn't realize how long DiCaprio's character was when he get caught. Totally forgot the fact that he pleaded to get tried as a minor. That means he did all of that in just one or two years lol. What a crazy life to have.
I'm almost done reading my Lovecraft collection of short stories as well. When I first started reading the collection, I didn't find much of Lovecraft's writing impressive and neither did I find his plots particularly captivating. It took me a while to realize, though, that this is mostly because the surplus of horror that our technological age has allowed me to access kind of ruined the suspense. Every time that someone is biting someone else I automatically think zombie, so when that's kind of the big surprise, it doesn't do much for me.
But as I got deeper and deeper into the stories, I could see what draws so many people to him. He's a master of suspense. He's also an amazing writer, capable of giving particularly vivid descriptions without losing you in purple writing. I like it a lot. Cthulu's a champ.
Monday, July 5, 2010
So, thanks largely in part to my girlfriend's influence and the availability of the videos, I started re-watching Avatar. I don't know if it's because I somehow missed the first episode, a possibility which even now I think is highly unlikely, or because I just can't remember it too well, or simply because the creators are that fucking sneaky but . . . there was a lot of seeding in the first episode that I didn't notice the first time around.
Either way, it was all as beautifully done and artfully executed as I can remember. Even though I had made this realization halfway through the saga, starting the series over really emphasizes the differences in their power. There was very little that Katara could actually do near the on-set of her adventure, while in the middle of it all, she was outright wilin' out.
That said, I recommend a re-watch to any that enjoyed it before and a fresh watch for anyone that hasn't seen it yet. If you have any reservations about it . . . don't.
Other than that, my fourth of July was rather uneventful. Or uneventful as far as the standard goes, anyway. Didn't fire off a single firework. I did, however, get to spend most of Friday and all of Saturday and most of Sunday with my girlfriend, a rare event given the distance between us and her work schedule.
Though unsurprised by the new lack of cartoons in this week's Animation Domination, I still found it uncouth and undoubtedly boring. Tedious, if you would, that I would have to spend that block of my time unstirred into amusement by fresh cartoons.
The new Adventure Time, where the Ice King gets married, is also equally hilarious. And, if you strip away the bright colors and rampant motion that comes from being a child's cartoon, it's actually quite haunting. Very scary to think of the implications and apply it to a realistic scenario. Still, it comes very heavily recommended by yours truly.
Saturday, July 3, 2010
I was going to watch the Last Airbender movie last night but I ended up not watching it. Not exactly breaking news, I know, but I just wanted to make sure you were updated in the dizzying heights and plummeting lows of my life. And the stuff in-between if I have anything to say about it.
Oh, I want to share a movie recommendation. Oldboy. A Korean film that came out in 2003. It's a part of the Vengeance Trilogy. If you've managed to hear about the trilogy without knowing what Oldboy is, I commend you for astounding powers of negligence once unheard of. The basic gist of it is that a man gets kidnapped and put away for 15 years and, when released, has 5 days to find his captor.
The jail they keep him in mimics a room. Couch and tv, calendar, slightly discomforting color arrangements like a cheap motel, and a shower. There is one large metal door that separates him from the outside world, and they give him food through a metal slot that opens at the bottom. The same exact dish three times a day, every day, for fifteen years.
It is very ill. Very bracing and awesome.
While we're on the subject of foreign films, I'd also like to put Amelie, Let The Right One In, The Science of Sleep, and City of Lost Children up for consideration. If you like Ron Perlman, btw, definitely check out City of Lost Children. It's one of his earlier films and dude's parleying in French.
Oh as a side note. For anyone that's curious about the level bump in your profiles with the Experience mod, the point values for posts were adjusted like two or three days ago. I think that the point values are there to stay, and soon we'll be getting a Shop mod that will make it all the more pimp. So keep your eyes peeled for that!
Thursday, July 1, 2010
On the 30th of June
Alright, so check it. I really messed myself up. I stayed up until like 6 AM in the morning, and at the end of it I was tripping balls like I was hyper and playing word-racer with Damon. The first game was cutting it pretty close, especially because I usually slaughter dudes like . . . it's just really bad. Ask Roger, he's felt the sting of the word-blade. Cynthia too.
So I mean, I'm usually a beast at it and Damon's over here crowding my nook and shit. So we played against and I have to say that the score was a little more comfortable the second time around. I reminded the foolish mortal that Mt. Olympus is not a place for him and his ilk. He slunk back to the shadows from whence he slunk and I sipped on my various cups of ambrosia.
Alright, so then I wake up at its noon so I've only slept like six hours. Usually that’s not that bad. Usually I can groove on that for a good while but I haven't been sleeping that well the past couple of days. My insomniac periods are the bane of my existence. They fuck with my circadian rhythms so hard, but they're so useful for hitting hot peaks of voluminous learning.
So then today I'm just chilling, cause that's how I be doing it. A friend of mine came over from Queen's and I showed him some rather hilarious Grind Time rap battles. Then he left and around 6 PM a friend of mine, named Keith, drove me over to a mutual friend's, Lorenzo, apartment. There we spent some time talking about atomic particle arrangements, energy frequencies and vibration states. And about the origin of thought as well.
We also chilled and did a little rap cipher, first to some beats and then acapella. It lasted for a while so I don't know if I should say "little" cipher, but we aren't professionals. We were having fun and coming up with some pretty dope spits, as they say.
I showed Keith some of the rap battles too because apparently I have to rep Grind Time to death. I appreciate their lyricism. So much more innovative and refreshing when compared to Smack rappers and shit. Rediscovered my love for Tonedeff as well. I was showing Keith who I thought had one of the best technically perfect styles. Like just flawless technique, and it had me bumping immediately.
I think I am going to refer to my earlier post and listen to some of the movingest classical music again. Barber of Seville gets me feeling like a mad scientist, just creating life and shit.
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
Classical music and a forum update
Like the title says, just some musings. I was going through my archives of music, bits and pieces of which I haven't touched in the longest time after my deep-sea dive into truly good hip-hop, and stumbled across my classical music collection. So I found the videos, which you can see below, to what I think is some of the livest classical music that you can get your hands on. The first is particularly lively; the second more sombre, but amazing.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OloXRhesab0
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SLuW-GBaJ8k
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9HpNHhRdiOI
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RRMz8fKkG2g
And this is a special mention. Chopin's Nocturne in G Minor
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XnSdLGd4jsQ
Now as for the update. This update will also be featured on the newsletter, but it got installed yesterday and it's good enough to mention today. The Experience MOD has been installed. This gives users levels, points, rankings, and coming soon trophies and awards for their activity.
It's important to mention that this is only counting IC posts, so your post count does not reflect your experience level and spamming OOC threads and boards won't impact it at all. We are still tinkering with how many points to give for what, but that shouldn't stop you from going out there and racking up points anyway.
You get points for posting, for starting threads, and even for views on your thread.
Another thing to note is that this MOD is, to date, only counting the Valucre Canon (Terrenus, Genesaris, Tellus Mater) and Itoryn. For those of you wondering why not tabulate other boards, Damon made a posting on this which I'll quote below.
--------
"a. Forum clutter. I want to separate the OOC from the IC in the Other sections before we count them, if we count them, as right now even the current set up is probably going to change. Valucre in general needs some cleaning up, though.
b. The modification isn't a post count. We already have a post count. It's a point system. The points are meant to be used. Which boards get counted depends on whatever we decide the points should be used on (we're looking at a shop of some kind). Maybe we'll decide to just use it as a post count marker in the end, but right now we hope we can make it more purposeful than that. Example time! Itoryn uses a pseudo-RPG system (feel free to imagine Itoryn as any tabletop RPG played online if it helps, such as D&D). It, as a board, would benefit from using this. If Itoryn is given a shop system, then why should posts not made in Itoryn be used to affect Itoryn?
c. The solution to the above problem—why does only Itoryn get a shop (or points) and not my role play?—is multiple currencies. We'd like each section to have it's own (The Dead, Itoryn, Artifacture, Gaian Academy, any of the Other boards) special points. How will this be handled? No idea! The modification we are using is in beta. Multiple modifications, also in beta, will be released over the next month, which will be compatible with the points modification we are using now. Until I actually see what this smorgasbord of add-ons actually does.
This goal is likely too high of an expectation to turn out as we hope, so see a. Forum clutter, b. Maybe we'll just use it as a post count marker in the end; and expect Other to be counted soon, but maybe not permanently depending on what we decide to do."
Posted by Carlos (supernal)
Monday, June 28, 2010
Fresh to Death and Other Updates
Valucre's Fresh to Death tournament.
The Fresh to Death Tournament is well underway, and we've progressed about halfway through the first round. I'm excited as a judge because we haven't really been called in yet, which is a huge plus. We always prefer when players are able to sort out their problems among themselves as opposed to getting the judges involved.
That said, I'm pretty disappointed about the number of disqualifications going on. There have been two legitimate time-DQs and one DQ/TKO (I'm not really sure?) As of right now, a few players are over the time limit, but we're being lenient since it's still early in the tournament.
In fact, the time limit thing was something I wanted to also discuss. Some people have messaged me saying their opponent has gone over the time limit, when it was only for a few hours. Note that we don't enforce strict time limits because someone might have had something happen where they can't post or they might just not have realized that it was their turn. The tournament is about T1 prowess, not posting reliability. The purpose of the time limits is just to ensure that everything moves forward - there is no honor in winning by disqualification.
By the way, has everyone seen the Fedor loss? That's insane and I'm still in shock that it happened.
Post by James (Traxien Cion)
The Fresh to Death Tournament is well underway, and we've progressed about halfway through the first round. I'm excited as a judge because we haven't really been called in yet, which is a huge plus. We always prefer when players are able to sort out their problems among themselves as opposed to getting the judges involved.
That said, I'm pretty disappointed about the number of disqualifications going on. There have been two legitimate time-DQs and one DQ/TKO (I'm not really sure?) As of right now, a few players are over the time limit, but we're being lenient since it's still early in the tournament.
In fact, the time limit thing was something I wanted to also discuss. Some people have messaged me saying their opponent has gone over the time limit, when it was only for a few hours. Note that we don't enforce strict time limits because someone might have had something happen where they can't post or they might just not have realized that it was their turn. The tournament is about T1 prowess, not posting reliability. The purpose of the time limits is just to ensure that everything moves forward - there is no honor in winning by disqualification.
By the way, has everyone seen the Fedor loss? That's insane and I'm still in shock that it happened.
Post by James (Traxien Cion)
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