Happy Halloween! (Not For The Easily Queezy!)

Battlestar Galactica: The Plan (Movie Review)

Battlestar fans have been waiting for this direct to DVD release in hopes of getting one more fix of the Battlestar they loved so well. Did it come through? Sure! Depending on what you were hoping for.

BSG is known for several storytelling elements: Action sci-fi battles, human emotional drama, philosophical/social commentary and unraveling mystery. The Plan has a fair dose of all of these, but certainly seems to exist for the latter. Not that it sets up the mystery. The series did that. Producers admitted that despite the claim that the Cylons "have a plan" at the beginning of every episode, they did not pay off that idea as well as they should have in the series. So "The Plan" exists mostly to remedy that.

The movie takes you through some major events of the series, weighing heavily on the first season, and intercuts old footage with new to give you a "behind the scenes" look at the Cylons during major BSG events. A few questions are answered that may have gnawed at hardcore fans (like who Caprica 6 was talking to after Baltar walked away from her outside waaaay back in the mini-series), but the revelations are by no means important for casual BSG viewers. While adding an additional layer to the series, The Plan falls short of the magnificent "Razor" DVD release.

Special effects were equal but no better than the series. A tiny shame for a DVD movie release, but still wonderful if viewed with a TV show in mind. The opening chapter presents another look at the attack on the Colonies, which is very well executed and gives a much stronger idea of the hopelessness humanity faced against the Cylons. They have never appeared more unstoppably destructive.

I didn't hold out hope that "The Plan" would answer the questions that SHOULD have been answered at the end of the series and weren't, but it would have been nice to have a more interesting philosophical theme than "love outlasts death", which ultimately comes across as an ethereal, insubstantial statement in its execution here.

What fans will enjoy is a MUCH deeper look at John Caval, the first model of human looking Cylons. Dean Stockwell does double duty carrying this movie, as the plot focuses on two model 1's and their different internal journey's regarding the Cylon agenda. Although Stockwell was not given exceptional material to work with, he is fascinating to watch.

In the end, this is a BSG story that has little focus on the cast you watched the show for, but has some enjoyable action/sci-fi/effects sequences and adds new layers for your second or maybe third time through the series on DVD. Although it does deal with some philosophical themes, they are not focused enough to come through and be worth discussion afterward unless you're especially looking for a topic over coffee.

Hardly the best BSG, but definitely something fans enjoy seeing and many will want to buy.

Quality: 8.0/10

Veracity: 7.5/10

"Pilgrim's Progress"!

Okay, I usually don't talk about my work stuff here, but it's not often I release a new project either! So I hope you'll indulge me...

It is my pleasure to announce the release of Spirit Blade Productions’ latest audio drama, “Pilgrim’s Progress: Similitude Of A Dream”!

Based on the classic allegory by John Bunyan, this re-imagining retains the rich layers of philosophy and theology contained in the original, while repackaging it in the form of a mythical fantasy adventure. Monsters, magic, danger and discovery all await your ears and imagination! The epic story of one man’s journey may just be your story as well!

To listen to the trailer, get more information or download it now, visit www.spiritblade.net!

Blood: The Last Vampire (Movie Review)

Although I've seen the Japanese animated flick, "Blood: The Last Vampire", and I remember enjoying it, that's about all I remember. So it obviously didn't make a lasting impression. But when I saw a trailer for the live action re-make of the original movie, I knew I wanted to see it. And I'm glad I did, despite the fact that the live action version will probably be almost equally forgettable to me.

The story centers on a Japanese half-demon(vampire) girl who has been alive for hundreds of years, hunting the vampire that killed her father. In this story, she goes undercover, in service to a secret vampire hunting organization, as a high school student on a US military base in Japan. It seems this was done to bring more Americans into the script, which does help make the film more accessable. Most of the film was written and filmed in English, with subtitles appearing for Japanese language sequences.
Despite this, the movie suffers from the same kind of weak acting normally associated with dubs of anime. Nothing is outrageously bad, but the script and characters (especially the scenes in the school) are 2-dimensional and performed artificially.

The fight scenes are spectacular, however. Lots of wire work and cool slow motion that Matrix and 300 fans will seriously dig. It's been awhile since I watched a movie with martial arts fighting as enjoyable to watch as this was.

On the downside, the action can get a little far-fetched at times, especially in one fight scene near the end, where a character's strength and determination to fight and live results in emotional detachment for the audience, as he appears to lose 3 gallons of blood before showing any signs of fatigue. I was reminded of some of the old classic kung-fu movies where people get stabbed all over and it seems to have little effect on their amazing motor skills. Maybe that's normal for Asian audiences, but it was too odd for me and kept me from genuinely fearing for his life.

There is also some embarrassingly bad CGI in this movie, and it unfortunately occurs most often when representing the biggest, nastiest vampire of the bunch. They switch between a bad rubber costume and what looks like graphics from a video game. The CGI blood in combat sequences wasn't as bothersome to me, but it still looked very fake.

Some CGI near the end looked very good, however. In a final battle, our hero faces off against a being with flowing 15-foot lines of cloth constanting floating around them, which looks really cool.

In a classroom scene near the beginning, Mary Shelly's Frankenstein is being analyzed, and the subject of God enters the conversation. The teacher asks a student at one point if they thought God is like an irresponsible parent, abandoning his children. The student changes the subject and we never get to see where that might have gone, but it's clear the writers are playing with some significant themes. Or at least they planned to before cutting the development of those ideas short. There is also a subtle subtext relating to the nature of evil within us, but it isn't given much time in the story.

In the end, this is a cool action flick, briefly marred now and then by some bad CGI, with a few short philosophical moments that are clearly present but undeveloped. If you're looking for some cool fighting eye-candy, check it out. Anything beyond that and I'd recommend passing on this one or paying no more than a buck, as I did.

Quality: 7.5/10

Relevance: 7.0/10

www.spiritblade.net/paeter
www.spiritblade.net/podcast

My PC Is My Friend

I've decided that having a computer is like having a relationship. My PC is like a close friend or family member. It doesn't always make sense or communicate with me. Sometimes it just does what it wants to do, when it wants to do it. It may consistantly act one way for a little while and then have a major personality shift because of some event in its life that it hasn't told me about yet.

Sure, maybe it's just sick now and then. Naturally, I can fix the issue if it's a virus or registry error or I just need to defrag something. But I'm talking about the other times, when those tricks won't work. In those moments in our relationship, I've discovered that I just need to figure out what it likes and doesn't like and try to work around that. It doesn't want to be analyzed and picked apart. It doesn't want someone who is always trying to "fix" its problems. It just wants to be treated gently and with respect. Which I can do. Until I kill it.

"Magic" Back From My "Graveyard"

For the first few years that my wife and I were married, we were really into "Magic: The Gathering". I was especially. In addition to buying a bunch of cards all the time, I found an old computer game that simulated card matches for "Magic". It was alot of fun to play, but before long we had new computers that were not compatible with this old software. (And no, backwards compatibility tools were powerless to help me.) So I had to stick to real cards and real matches. But a lack of competitive nature, lack of funds, and lack of playing partners (my wife lost interest) led to me retiring my cards to the back of a closet, where they remain to this day.

But last week I got a little itch to get them out again. After looking through the cards, I was reminded of how I really don't like the competitive aspect of the game. But my interest was stimulated enough that I stumbled upon some user-made compatibility software online that would allow me to get my old "Magic" computer game out again and play it on XP!

So although I won't be buying any more cards and will have to make do with a set amount of them to play with in this game, I'm geeking out again over "Magic: The Gathering"! And it doesn't cost me a dime!

Geeky Fall Shows

Recently I decided to get caught up on some TV premieres via Hulu. Three caught my attention:


Flash Forward

An ensemble cast of familiar faces is lead by Joseph Fiennes with moderate effect, but it all feels a bit like we've seen it before... in another ABC show called "Lost". In "Flash Forward" the entire population of the world blacks out and experiences visions of the same day, six months into the future. The blackouts caused accidents all over the world that humanity races to recover from. The visions inspire fear in some and hope in others and everyone is trying to solve the mystery of what happened and why.

The show will possibly take the opportunity to explore spiritual themes like the existence of God or other supernatural beings. The idea of free will and the nature of the future (fixed or "changeable") will also likely be covered and given commentary. The dramatic elements are interesting, but not uniquely compelling. And the repeated "flashforwards" feel too much like classic episodic elements of "Lost" to be anything new. As a sci-fi fan the show is interesting to me and I'd like to try it out some more, as it looks to have some interesting ingredients in its make-up. But with extremely limited time, I just don't think I have time for a show with as few sci-fi/fantasy elements as this show has, which are additionally unoriginally executed.


Stargate Universe

Once again, the sci-fi channel brings us a Stargate spinoff, though this offering may be different from what viewers have come to expect. In many ways, the show is just as ungroundbreaking as it's TV predecessors. Although I loved the Stargate movie and some of the first season of the TV show, it soon became static and plot driven, with little artistry in the way it was shot and straightforward characters who behaved in preditcable ways. "Universe" is my first exposure to the franchise since watching the premiere and two episodes of "Stargate: Atlantis". I was dissappointed to see transporter technology. They even called it "beaming". More and more this franchise seems to have turned into "Star Trek" set in modern times. However, "Stargate Universe" does start borrowing from better sources, in my opinion. The show obviously takes a cue from Battlestar Galactica, using a more hand-held camera style than previous Stargate shows I've seen. It also share's Battlestar's theme of "human survival in space". (Not to mention a long-haired scruffy looking "Doctor" with an accent that everyone needs but no one is sure if they can trust.) In general, the show has a grittier feel than previous Stargate shows, but far from the hard-hitting emotional realism of Battlestar Galactica, which isn't a bad thing unless you're especially in the mood for that kind of experience. Unfortunately, they aim to keep things light through mostly forced, unfunny jokes. Still, "Universe" seems to be giving more attention to character-driven subplots than previous "Stargate" shows. The pilot also contains a plot element in the second half centered on self-sacrifice. I read some online buzz about this from other Christians who thought it represented some "Christian themes" in the story, and though it was interesting, I didn't find it to be exclusively "Christian" as much as I found it "compatible" with the gospel message. If I find the time, I may watch a couple more episodes and consider sticking with it if the quality is maintained or improves.

Heroes

Although last year Heroes got off to a rough start, this season begins with several of the elements that made this series solid to begin with. Finished with the lame "good/bad reversal" plotlines of last year, this season introduces a few interesting new characters without cutting needed development time for the plotlines of the core cast of characters.
Matt Parkman's struggle with the "ghost" of Sylar is unoriginal, but interesting, provided it leads to Sylar's proper return. Speaking of which, I still mourn the loss of Nathan as a character and wish they would bring him back instead of persisting with his "shell". However, if/when they do bring him back, it will very possibly come with an assumptive statement about the nature of the human soul, for good or ill. Worth keeping an eye on.
Regardless of what direction they take with the various mysteries and plotlines this season, Heroes seems to be returning to its more character-driven roots. I can only hope they've learned their lesson and things will continue to improve from here.

www.spiritblade.net/paeter
www.spiritblade.net/podcast

My Last Camping Trip

Monday night I drove out of town to go camping with my family. I'm not a big fan of bugs, the outdoors and well... nature. I've never understood why people think it's fun to pretend that we don't have electricity or durable shelter while still using flashlights and camper trailers. It seems to me that nature can be "enjoyed" just as easily through a modernized cabin or hotel window.

In any case, I think after having a run-in with a 5-foot snake and two skunks in one night, I've earned a "pass" on the next camping trip suggested to me. No one was bitten or sprayed, but I came within 2 feet of accidentally stepping on the snake and was temporarily barred from entrance to my tent by a skunk. That's enough "enjoying nature" to last me for a while.

Going Camping...

This week my older sister is in town visiting from North Dakota with her family. My parents have put three days of camping on the agenda, so if I want to spend time with my sister during the next couple of days, I have to venture into the poorly named "great outdoors".

I'll be applying a boatload of "Off" and hoping for the best, but my track record with nature is not especially good. Here goes!

"Paeter's Brain" Is A Podcast!

I was just thinking today that I may never have mentioned (or at least not in a long time) that the content of these blog posts for "Paeter's Brain" (www.spiritblade.net/paeter) are usually included in my weekly podcast. (Especially the reviews!)

So if you read these posts as they come out and you've never checked out the podcast, jump over to www.spiritblade.net/podcast !

This weekend I'll be dishing out some news and rumors about upcoming cool movies and my thoughts on why they will or won't be awesome. Let me know what YOU think!

I Must Be Busy

Unlike my blog for "Spirit Blade" stuff, this blog is all about my personal thoughts and whatever I'm doing in my free time. And the worst times for me to try and post here are days like today. When I look back at my week so far and realize that I haven't HAD any free time.

So, uh.... How are YOU?

Laptop Issues

Over the weekend my laptop almost died. It's a hand-me-down that I've really found useful. So useful that if it finally kicks the bucket, I may need to look at plopping down the cash for a new one. I never used to need or care about getting a laptop, but since I watch my son at home while working 2-3 days every week, I've found our laptop to be vital to keeping things moving foward.

For now, a system restore seems to have done the trick, and there's still complete reformatting of the hard drive if all else fails. Though I'm not sure how to do that, so I hope it never becomes a real issue. Guess we'll see, won't we?

Superman/Batman: Public Enemies (DVD Review)

Although the DC animated movies were hit or miss at the start, it seems they’ve finally hit their stride. Wonder Woman, Green Lantern, and now “Superman/Batman: Public Enemies”.

With Kevin Conroy as Batman, Tim Daly as Superman and Clancy Brown as Lex Luthor, the voices that made these characters jump out from animated tv have brought the goods again in this flick. And the animation has jumped forward to keep pace.

If you read and enjoyed the original comic book story by Loeb and McGuiness, you’ll see some of your favorite moments repeated here. But you’re also in for some surprises as the story has been trimmed of its continuity heavy elements and streamlined into a self-contained but broad story.

Lex Luthor has become the President of the United States and a kryptonite meteor the size of Australia is headed for earth. But Luthor wants to get all the credit for saving the earth and uses his position to place a billion dollar bounty on Superman. Supervillains and a few heroes come out of the woodwork to bring Superman in, while Batman faithfully stands at his side.

The action and animation is great, it sounds sweet in 5.1, and these actors are unquestionably the best for their roles.

It’s a little odd that Levar Burton was brought on to voice Back Lightning and only say one line. (I’m not kidding. I don’t remember a second.) And the runtime is a little too short. (69 minutes) But if you spend just a few more dollars to get the two disc DVD set, the second disc makes up for it with some great special features. One is a feature on the differences between Batman and Superman, psychologically. Another is a GREAT dinner conversation between the movie producers and Kevin Conroy, in which they discuss highlights of his entire career voicing Batman. Some great insight and anecdotes. SO worth the extra few bucks. Also included is a first look at the next DC animated movie, “Justice League: Crisis On Two Earths”, which looks awesome, but will hopefully be longer than this movie.

Regarding Relevance, there's not much to talk about aside from an imperfect metaphor about Superman being a savior. It almost works, but not quite. Still a stand out moment that may lead to conversation after, though.

DC comics fans should not miss this and DC animated tv show fans should not hesitate to buy it, as long as you go with the 2-disc or blue-ray version.

Quality: 9/10

Relevance: 7/10