Rambo: First Blood and My First Time!

Believe it or not, I watched "First Blood" for the first time last night. I had never seen any of the Rambo movies, but with Stallone's return to the franchise a little while ago, I thought I ought to get around to it and see what all the fuss is about.

It was pretty good! I can see why it was appealing. John Rambo is a haunted and hunted character, but more than capable of taking the opposition out, as his superior military officer seems specifically planted to remind us every 5 to 10 minutes of the movie.

I'm guessing the movies will go downhill after this film, in terms of character development. Not that there was much to this film. Yet Rambo was a sympathetic hero that I felt sorry for, even as I waited to see how badly he would take out the next idiots to try and kill him.

The alternate ending to the film was very compelling, and I wish they would have used it instead, though it would have made sequels impossible. When his commanding officer refuses to kill him, John grabs control of the gun and forces it to go off into his chest, ending his tragic and continuous mental anguish.

Not one I would ever purchase, but I think I'll probably rent the next one!

Paeter On "Critical Press Media"!

Last week I had a great conversation with internet buddy Winston Crutchfield about "Spirit Blade" and current fads and failures in the comic book world. We had a blast geeking out together and you can check it out at: http://criticalpressmedia.com
The Permalink to the episode is: http://criticalpressmedia.com/2009/02/20/spirit-blades-and-lantern-rings/

Enjoy!

-Paeter Frandsen

Oh Crap, a CLIP Show!

As soon as last night's episode of "Legend Of The Seeker" started, I knew I'd be let down by it. Richard "wakes up" back home and none of the events of the series so far have happened to him, but he remembers them all. A cliche that's been overused in sci-fi and fantasy. I knew instantly that this would be a completely self-contained episode that would do nothing to further either character development or the overall story of the show.

Even worse, I soon discovered that, in an effort to convince his "dream world" friends of his adventures, he began sitting down with them and recounting all that he has done so far. That's right... roll the clip!

On the off chance that something new happened between "flashbacks", I stayed in front of the TV for the entire episode, but spent much of my time reading comics. Granted this episode was going head to head with the Oscars and didn't have much hope for viewers, but come on... a clip show?

Beyond The Cosmos (Book Review)

"How can my choices be totally ‘free’ if God is in control of all things at all times and knows the end from the beginning?"

"How can God really be both Three and One at the same time?"

"How could Jesus’ suffering, over a finite period of time, pay for the lives of millions of sinners who would otherwise be worthy of eternal punishment?"

Anyone who has ever thought deeply about these issues, or who likes to think imaginatively, yet logically "outside the box", will enjoy reading "Beyond The Cosmos".

Astronomer Hugh Ross uses recent discoveries in astrophysics to reveal logical responses to these questions, and for the most part, he greatly succeeds. Although the first two chapters may be intimidating and even difficult reading for those who aren’t good with math (yeah, that’s me I’m talking about), the book quickly settles into an easier read by chapter 3 or 4.

Recent discoveries in mathematics and astrophysics reveal the existence of multiple space-time dimensions beyond the four dimensions that we experience. Ross takes advantage of these discoveries to logically reason through some of the doctrinal issues that have left theologians scratching their heads for centuries.

A few chapter titles include: "Extra Dimensions in the Bible", "Extra-Dimensionality And God’s Triunity", "Extra-Dimensionality, The Incarnation and Atonement", "Extra-Dimensionality and Evil and Suffering". Of these chapter, the latter is somewhat disappointing, given that Ross doesn’t apply many of his previous arguments to this complex issue. Despite this, I found that some of his previous arguments could be applied to this issue, and I found some answers in my personal contemplation of the issue as a result of thinking through other parts of this book.

It’s not a book for everyone, but if you have an imagination that enjoys exploring new concepts in science fiction, you’ll probably enjoy the possibilities this book presents using real science. Your concept of God will likely be expanded beyond what you thought possible and contrary to what some may say, you'd better NOT check your brain at the door!

Highly recommended!


Quality: 9.0/ 10

Veracity: 10/10

Wake Me When It's Over, DC

I listened to some DC Comics podcasts recently where the creative team on the Batman titles defended the confusion of the batbooks (namely Grant Morrison's recent run) by saying "the story isn't over yet".

So let me get this straight:

Batman is no longer featured in his own books(with characters like Batwoman taking his place), I have to read two years of Morrison-written (or influenced) stories AND the man's entire personal DC Comic Book collection to make sense of this stuff?

Contrary to popular belief, faith is not necessarily blind. It must be earned. And after "Batman RIP" and "Final Crisis", you're asking a bit much, DC. So just wake me when it's all over...

A Saturday Sci-fi Movie That Didn't Suck!!

Last Saturday night, on the sci-fi channel's "Most Dangerous Night Of Television", I was surprised to sit down and watch a movie that was actually well-made! The weekly movie timeslot is usually just a "danger" to precious free time over my weekends, so I avoid their weekly offerings of crap with very rare exception. But I saw a commercial for the movie "Splinter" that intrigued me, so I decided to give the movie at least 30 minutes. It hooked me for two hours.

Cast performances were realistic and enjoyable. No B-movie camp quality to be found anywhere. Special effects were great, largely because they were practical, saving digital effects for quick shots, where they belong in movies of this size and budget. At every turn, this little horror flick played up its strengths. The creature design was very creepy, taking some obvious inspiration from John Carpenter's "The Thing".

The plot was somewhat formulaic, but there are only so many ways to write a story in this genre, so I was willing to forgive them that.

I'd recommend checking your listings to see when this airs again, as the sci-fi channel sometimes repeats new movies within a week or so of the original air date. It's worth your time and costs you nothing!

Free D&D Adventure Modules!

I'm not a big fan of D&D. I've played it once or twice and had fun, but the rules are a little more complicated for GMing than I like. I've finally found a Fantasy RPG rules system that I dig in "Eldritch". (http://www.goodman-games.com/eldritch.html) But since it's a new game produced by a smaller game company, it just doesn't have the kind of support D&D has had for decades. Support that I have to rely on since I'm no longer in college with time to burn creating adventures and elaborate plots.

Luckily, the internet exists and I can jump over to Wizards Of The Coast's website for some free stuff! They maintain an archive of old edition D&D material that I'm adapting for use in my Eldritch game. It only takes a few minutes to generate monster and traps stats in Eldritch, and the rules lend themselves to creating enemies and scenarios that balance well with your group of heroes. So all I really need is the plotline, some maps and descriptive text, which I can get in these old D&D modules!

If you want to check them out for yourself, visit: http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/dnd/downloads

Lois and Clark/Ma and Pa

Recently I've been tempted to get online and purchase the first season of "Lois and Clark". I loved this show when it was on and thought it captured some wonderful things about the Superman mythos. Terri Hatcher looked the part of Lois Lane more than Margot Kidder (though her portrayal didn't seem quite "tough" enough to equal the unstoppable female reporter of the comics). The romance was handled well(for most of the show) and we got to know both of the title characters in wonderful ways.

Dean Cain left much to be desired in the role of Superman, but his Clark Kent fit the modern comic book mold: simple farmboy, instead of the clumsy ultra-nerd. (Don't get me wrong. Christopher Reeve's performance in both roles is yet to be beaten, but Cain's Clark was and still is a valid approach to the character, and one that I very much enjoyed.

The best moments of the show, however, were not scenes involving the world's strangest love triangle. The scenes I loved most were those between Clark and his parents. This show captured the Kents in a way I will never forget and wish they would have employed more in the comics. And now that Pa Kent is dead in both movie and comic book continuity, I feel a desire to experience that great parental/familial relationship again through the TV show.

At least until around season 3 or so...

Push (Movie Review)

If you're a fan of superheroes or just superpowers in general, you're probably itching to see "Watchmen" when it arrives less than a month from now. You might even look for another movie to scratch your itch in the meantime. "Push" may or may not be it.

The premise of the film is that humans with various superpowers (mostly mental and telekinetic or some variation of those two) have been created through secret experimentation. These humans have been experimented on against their will and many of them would rather live normal lives. But the mysterious organization responsible for the experiments wants to hang on to a few of these escaped superhumans who are especially powerful, so they can be studied and their powers duplicated to create super-soldiers.

The backdrop for the film is Japan. The vibrancy and color of the locations gives the movie a unique look that, while not over the top, is a far cry from heavily tinted movies like "The Matrix", "300" or "Underworld", and serves as a welcome change. The action scenes look very cool and the visual effects are stylish yet conservative. (The telekinetic "force field" was a favorite of mine!) Despite this, don't go in expecting a full-blooded action movie.

"Push" tends to drag its pacing now and then, without using the softer moments to build character effectively. I got the feeling that these characters might be interesting people, but the movie never really gives them the opportunity to show who they are beneath the surface. Performances by all cast members were good. Dakota Fanning continues to be impressive for her age and may well continue to stand out as an adult. Chris Evans is likeable and probably glad to be in a better superhuman flick than "Fantastic Four: Rise Of The Silver Surfer".
Despite the slow moments in the film, it felt like some key plot material hit the cutting room floor when it should have been on the screen. The last third of the movie is hard to follow logically. Characters suddenly have information without any justification for how they got it. The mysterious final plan of the heroes is a great set-up that never pays off. In the end, we're left saying "Okay, I think they just did something really clever. Can someone please explain it to me?" As a result, the ending of the film feels anti-climactic and is a bit unsatisfying.
This isn't a "bad" movie. But it's probably a rental.

As for points of potential discussion, not much there either. Although, any movie that deals with precognition or time travel can lead to discussion of the nature of time and our free will.

Quality: 7.5

Veracity: 6.0

The "Real" Final Crisis

The thrid issue of "Final Crisis: Legion Of Three Worlds" came out yesterday. Messed up publishing schedules have led to much of Final Crisis and its crossovers being released out of order, but that doesn't seem to be effecting this book, outside of the frustration of delays.

I'm really digging this story. It spans both time and space, it has a direct connection to previous Crisis stories (Superboy Prime) and it has a massive cast of characters that, though unfamiliar to many, are still more recognizable than many of the characters featured in Final Crisis.

My point? THIS book should have been published as the main event! It's 5 issues long (just two less than the main Final Crisis story) and it all makes sense! Great action and characters who you understand. It also look like it will be a "continuity cleaner", a common thread in previous Crisis stories. And as a bonus, it takes place in the distant future, which even more appropriately fits the theme of a "Final" Crisis. Now DC just needs to get caught up and release the rest of this series, pronto!

Realistic Superbowl?

I thought the game was pretty good. I think the outcome was a realistic one, but the game itself swerved into some rather unrealistic moments. The match shouldn't have remained as even as it did throughout the game. I mean, I'm not sure what a "Steeler" is, but I would assume it's some kind of metal worker. Bottom line, a Steeler is a human and a Cardinal is a bird. If the rules of this game hope to realistically reflect a battle between man and bird, the rules may require some tweaking. Perhaps the incorporation of character/class stats or a bonus for humanoids would balance things a little better. Or a die roll with an accompanying bonus "to hit" after each timeout.

I can't believe so many people think this game makes sense. In a more thought-out and realistic combat simulation, it really would have been an easy encounter for the Steelers. This game needs some work.

Boy, that GI Joe trailer was cool though, wasn't it?

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