Indiana Jones and The Kingdom of the Crystal Skull

Yesterday we went to see Indy 4 for Melissa's birthday. Unfortunately, it's a hard movie to review. It has a lot of baggage before it ever gets started that will make people's opinions tilt one way or the other. There is no way to look at the movie without looking back at Raiders or even looking back over the 20 or so years since The Last Crusade came out.

You know what: If you aren't ready for total geek mode, you might want to turn back now, because you are about to reach the point of no return. So, before I get into that, I'll give you my recommendation: If you want to go see it, go see it. Don't go in expecting to see Raiders again, but go in expecting to have fun. Many people like it, many people don't. I liked it and would be glad to see it again.

Going in, I was excited yet skeptical. I knew it wasn't going to be Raiders again. Nothing else is Raiders of the Lost Ark. Even Han Solo has a hard time being as awesome as Indy in his first film. Likewise, I was aware that Harrison Ford had aged. Everyone does, but I wasn't sure if I wanted to see Indy become older. He is supposed to be young and practically invincible. Harrison Ford is well into his 60's now, and I didn't know what to think of the possibility of an older Indy who couldn't do everything he used to do. The doubts all went away the first time I saw him put on the hat. The feeling of nostalgia took over, and it was time to just go along for the ride. Ford is Indiana Jones. Even in his 60's, he still makes you believe that he can do whatever it takes to keep important artifacts out of the hands of the movie's evil group (i.e. Nazis, cultists, Russians).

The not so good:

One thing that the films have always been good at is stretching the believable as far as possible, but never too far. Indy would get into a situation that seemed inescapable, but with a wave of the writer's deus ex machina wand, a way would appear. It would never work that way for you or me, but this is Indiana Jones we're talking about here. Early in the film, however, he was put into a situation that served no real purpose for the story, and the way of escape provided was absurd even for Indiana Jones movies. It bothered me when it happened and continued to distract me for a while.

There were a few other things I had issues with as well, but none were truly major. Much as I was in the previous paragraph, I am going to be intentionally vague to avoid spoiling things for anyone who hasn't seen it, but hopefully those who have seen it will know what I am discussing. The biggest of the issues was the central theme of the movie. It took me a little while to decide that it really wasn't too much of a departure from the other films, which used religious, mythical and supernatural issues as the back drop for the story, but that it had just taken a different turn when dealing with them. I realize this was a real problem for some people, but for me the issue was more temporary and then I adjusted my suspension of disbelief to accept it. Other issues included Shia and the monkeys, moving car swordfights, and the fact that we have apparently reached the point where the humor in the film needed to included repeated hits to the crotch.

The so-so:

Cate Blanchett, who seemed to be to big of a name for the part, was ok as a villain, but was certainly no Belloq or Toht. Then again, thinking back on The Last Crusade, I realize that there were villains, but I remember them more as faceless Nazis performing the role of antagonist than anything resembling a true villain.

The good:

I was certainly skeptical of Shia LaBoeuf as a new major character, but The Beef turned in a solid performance and was a welcome addition to the group.

Once Karen Allen and Harrison Ford were back onscreen together, their chemistry (which mostly involves arguing) was back to what made them by far the best couple in any of the Indy movies (which is probably why they are the one to be in 2 movies).

As is the case with all of the movies, the best part is Harrison Ford stepping into the role of Indy. He wears the rogue's smile as easily as he wears the fedora. He is smart, adventurous and always gets the girl. An entire generation of boys grew up wanting to be him, and now that those boys are men, they can continue wanting be like Indy when they grow up, even if that means never growing up.

Bob Barker Is Rolling Over In His (Proverbial) Grave

I've mentioned in the past that I often watch The Price is Right when I go home for lunch. It is entertaining, often amusing and occasionally gives me something to babble on about. Today, however, something happened that was so shocking that I needed to post about it. I'm still not even sure that it wasn't all some sort of weird dream. Normally, the models stand around holding or pointing at prizes while waving and smiling as much as the Botox allows. Today, during the first Showcase, three models were sitting around a table pretending to have a discussion about the former guys in their lives when it happened. . . The models spoke. One by one, they shared a "story" that led into a reveal of the next prize. I couldn't believe it. I was fairly sure that there were rules against this sort of thing, but apparently not.

Did anyone else see this, and were you as surprised as I was?

Apologies to Melissa for stealing and slightly altering her statement to use as the title for this post.

Another Day, Another Meme

I've been tagged with a meme for the first time in I don't know how long. Oh sure, I've stolen them now and then, but no one's actually tagged me in forever. At least getting tagged by Esther gives me something to post.

What I was doing 10 years ago:

Ten years ago, I was just finishing finals and graduating from NMSU and getting ready to get married in a couple weeks.


Five things on my To-Do list today:

1. Go to work
2. Freak out about things that aren't done and need to get done
3. Try to remain calm
4. Go home
5. Try to relax and sleep so the process can start over tomorrow


Things I would do if I were a billionaire:

Live wherever I want. Do whatever I want. Not have any bills.


Three of my bad habits:

1. Not keeping in contact with people, even the ones I care about
2. Obsessing over every little thing
3. Being generally lazy


Five places I've lived:

1. Huntsville, AL and surrounding area
2. Vicksburg, MI
3. Las Cruces, NM
4. Rantoul, IL
5. Portage, MI


Four jobs I've had:

1. Microbiologist
2. Graduate research assistant
3. Tutor
4. Pizza making guy at Little Caesar's


Five books I've recently read:

1. Something by Terry Pratchett
2. Something else by Terry Pratchett
3. Yet another thing by Terry Pratchett
4. Noticing a pattern in my recent reading yet? I'm sure there were other things, but I really can't think of any right now.
5. Most of The Time Traveler's Wife


Five people I'm going to tag:

I don't even know who's out there for me to tag, so if you have a blog and you're actually still reading this, consider yourself tagged.

Black Snow

Looking back, a snowfall of any sort was a big deal when I was a kid. It arrived, often unexpectedly, then, just as quickly, it would be gone. For that short period, however, everything was beautiful and seemed perfect. Maybe it was the rarity of it or maybe it was the fleeting nature, but it was a special event. Maybe it was seeing it through the eyes of child, unfettered by the worries and responsibilities of an adult life.



Things seem so different now. Having lived through winters where the ground practically disappears for weeks or months at a time and the annual snowfall is likely greater than the combined snowfall of any place I lived for the first 20 or so years of my life, I no longer look at snow with wonder, but with a contempt bred of familiarity. When the first snow begins to fall, it is still beautiful, but the reality of life quickly sets in and before long, what was once pure and pristine is ugly and dirty from wheels and plows. Whatever snow life can't push out of its way gets driven over and ground down. The once white snow is a dingy gray-black that collects on the undersides of cars and on the soles of shoes. Its stubborn refusal to melt allows us to see only a tarnished image of what snow has become rather than what it truly was. The excitement of snow has worn off and everyone begins to long for Spring. But still it stays.



In the end, the rains come and melt the snow and wash it all away. And all that is left is a memory. A memory of that first moment when the snow falls and everything is beautiful and perfect again.

I (did not) Feel The Earth Move Under My Feet

Today's earthquake in southern Illinois was felt in various parts of the country including here in southern Michigan, but at 5:30 in the morning, I didn't notice a thing. We are about 250 miles from the epicenter, but you'd never know this by watching our local newscasts. This was a huge story on our news today, and rather than just acknowledge that it happened and that a few people might have felt something small, we had to discuss the impact it had on people here. They interviewed probably a half dozen people about their experiences which included things like "the papers on the fridge flapping ever so slightly." If nothing else, it reminded me of why I can't stand watching local news.

Who Says Video Games Aren't Educational?

I've been a fan of video games for almost as long as I can remember. I can remember playing games way back on our Atari 2600 and our very first computer (a Texas Instruments model which used cartridges rather than disks). I still play, and as games have moved online I have followed right along. Over the years, there are a few things that I have learned...gaming truisms you might say. It may not be everything I need to know in life, but I have learned a lot from video games.

• Cheat codes are forever: Once you get one of these things ingrained into your memory, it stays there long after you have stopped playing the game. (Who doesn't still know up, up, down, down, left, right, left, right, B, A? Or for those of you slightly younger: IDKFA?)
  




• Using cheat codes does not make you better at the game, but it can make some games more fun.




• Playing sports video games does not make you qualified to be a coach.




• Playing a video game which contains violence has never made me become or want to become violent.





• Repeatedly losing at video games has.




• It's annoying when someone stands over your shoulder and tells you how you should play.




• That also means it's annoying when you do it to them, but you're going to do it anyway.




• When a game has a highly repetitive theme, creating fake lyrics will not help get it out of your head.




• Point and click interfaces are much simpler than the early text command interfaces in which trying to figure out what to call that thing on the ground that you are trying to pick up usually ended up with an exchange that went something like this: "Get stick." "You cannot get the stick." "Get club." "You can't do that, at least not now." "Look ground." "It's covered in grass." "Get thing." "I don't see a thing." "Look on ground." "There is a staff on the ground." "Get staff." "You pick up the staff. You now have a staff." Great, now what am I supposed to do with it? "Look staff..."




• However, point and click interfaces have eliminated having certain things happen when you get desperate or bored and start trying commands that are obviously not what you are supposed to do, for example: (from the King's Quest series) "Kill (I think this may also work with "hit") monk" "Anyone who would kill a man of the cloth doesn't deserve to play this game. Therefore, we shall end it." *Player dies*




• The guy in your online game that calls you a "noob" is likely under the age of 15, or over the age of 30, living at home and relatively friendless.




• Actors in video games tend to overdo it a little bit.




• Combining that with Christopher Walken's innate over the top style yields great comedy.




• Video games do not make good movies.




• Typically, movies do not make good video games either.




• Video games based on children's movies tend to be impossible for anyone whose age is recorded in double digits.

• However, it is apparently possible to make a funny web series based on gaming.




• The most mundane of objects is probably vital to your completion of that quest. (A red iris flower? Why would I need that?)




• Trying to read after hours of Super Mario Brothers only leads to an imaginary Mario running along the tops of letters and jumping over the gaps between words.




• When in doubt, look online. Someone has probably already faced the problem you are having and has posted the solution somewhere.




• Some games have an eternal shelf life. Not only do people of my generation still remember minutiae about Super Mario Brothers and Oregon Trail, but many of us still go back and play versions of those games even now.




• Some of the most enjoyable games I have ever played were shareware. (One of my favorites was Chopper Commando, a game written by a 15 year old that even included wonderful misspellings like "helicopter destoryed.")




• The princess is most likely in another castle.




• And always remember when the game tells you "Warrior needs food, badly," you'd better listen.

I can't be the only one who thinks like this. At least, I hope not.

LOL-actica?

Just a brief post to get you ready for tomorrow night at 10:00 P.M.

Sometimes when you mix two different types of nerdyness you come up with unexpected (and seemingly contradictory) results.