Kong: Skull Island Review

So, for my first official movie review on my blog I am choosing to do a new film. Kong: Skull Island the second installment of what is now being referred to as the ‘Monsterverse’ (The first being the 2014 Godzilla). I will keep this as spoiler free as possible. This is (at least) the third remake of the original 1933 cinematic marvel that was King Kong, and this time, the story is completely different. This also happens to be my favorite remake of the character. The original will always hold a special place in my heart as well as in cinematic history, but this version is truly trying to be its own thing. There are a few references to the original in the film, but they are relatively few and far between with a story focused on its own narrative and style instead of trying to recapture the original. It is fun, face paced, and entertaining.

The basic story is that a group of scientists, led by Bill Randa (John Goodman) discover an island hidden from the world by a perpetual storm system. A rare window appears allowing them to be able to get to the island under the pretext of geological study with the true intention of searching for what they refer to as ‘M.U.T.O.s (Massive Unidentified Terrestrial Organisms). They are taken under military escort led by Preston Packard (Sam Jackson), a bitter, angry man that leads a group of extremely likable soldiers. Along with them is a war photographer played by Brie Larson and an ex-British Special Forces soldier, James Conrad (Tom Hiddleston). Very quickly all hell breaks loose and the movie picks up the pace with some incredible action scenes while still having some time for character development and storytelling. Along the way they meet a marooned WWII Pilot played by John C. Reilly.

I don’t want to give too much away, and since this is my first review I am going to err on the side of caution, but basically, a group of nasty monsters called Skull Crawlers (named by Reilly cause he thought it sounded cool) show up and the Kaiju battles begin. And through it all, the humans are trying to reach their extraction point in order to be able to escape the island, as the storm will soon be back up to full strength and be impenetrable.

All in all, this is a really fun, and quite good movie. King looks great, and his new design (not a surprise cause it’s in most of the advertisements) lends itself well to some very fast and brutal action scenes that are a lot of fun to watch. For those who don’t know, I am a big fan of Kaiju films, and this is one of the best I have seen in a long time. It may be one of the best ever made by the U.S. The acting is solid, the action is great, and Kong looks fantastic. I highly recommend it.

Here is the link to the IMDB page for the film in case you want to look up more about it:

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt3731562/?ref_=ttfc_fc_tt

Well, there is it, my first review. Let me know what you guys thought of the movie. Also, let me know what you thought of the review, and maybe some ideas on how I can make future ones better.

The Future of this site

Hi all, so its been a LONG time since I last posted, and that has a lot to do with me not knowing what to say/write.  I don't want this to be some public journal of me complaining or something.  The internet has enough of those already.  So, instead, I'm gonna try to start doing something else the internet already has a ton of.  Movie reviews.  I have studied film since high school and would like to do something like that.  So yeah, movie reviews will be coming.  Also maybe an occasional tv show.  Old movies, new movies, movie topics.  All that good stuff.  I hope you like it!  (And that I actually keep up with it...)  Thanks for reading!
Hope you are all doing well.  God bless!

My thoughts on GamerGate and related topics...

Many of us have some knowledge of 'GamerGate.'  It has been in the news, and all over the internet and gaming communities.  So let me start off by saying this.  I personally don't know much about it, and frankly, I don't really care.  Does it bring up good points?  Sure, from what I can tell, yes, it does.  Do both sides have intelligent and important things to say?  Of course.  That should go without saying.  Here is the real issue (And honestly most of what this post will be about).  All GamerGate has become is a shouting match between two children convinced that not only are they right, but that the other is stupid, ignorant, and evil.
And there is the problem.  Until the threats and name calling subside, nothing will truly get done.  I know there are intelligent and well spoken people on both sides of this matter, and that they are not being listened to yet.  I know that gamergate has a fair amount to do with 'Gamer Journalism' which I find hilarious because it is, while admittedly not great most of the time, just a small piece of a MUCH bigger problem.  Journalism as a whole is sick.
Before I start, let me say that there are indeed good journalists out there, as well as commentators and reviewers that are all fantastic.  The problem is that Journalism in general is no longer about reporting information or truly sharing one's thoughts on a particular thing.  It is about money.  What will get us the most views/clicks/site visits/comments and so forth.  You will not see the calm, level headed, intelligent people involved in gamergate on the news, for either side.  You will see the loud, annoying, and highly controversial people from both sides having a shouting match.  And ultimately, this accomplishes nothing.  Even when a person who is rational and intelligent speaks up, the focus is not what they said, but on people's irrational reactions to it.  For example, Felicia Day, a well know person in the gaming culture, spoke her piece regarding gamergate.  What did all the journalism sites report on?  Her thoughts?  Her opinions?  Her logic?  No, of course not.  They focused on the harassment she received.  The reason for this was obvious.  They wanted attention to their site.  They didn't care what Felicia Day had to say.  They cared that someone threatened her and harassed her.  This is a problem.  And both sides do it!  This is not something that just conservatives or liberals do.  Every group is guilty of this.  Sometimes they get lucky and find someone who is both making good, and rational, arguments while also meeting their need for entertainment.  However, this is rare and often their views and ideas are pushed aside in order to make room for more entertainment.  And yes, I know things have been like this for a while, but that doesn't make it alright.  I think it is ridiculous how much attention this is getting and what the attention is doing to the situation.
Anyway, that's enough about the media.  I do have a few other things I would like to comment on however.  Next up is how this whole thing "started."  I put that in quotes because frankly this discussion has been going on in the gaming industry for years, and great strides have been made in recent years by several (Not anywhere near all) gaming companies.  But anyway, this whole thing supposedly started with  Zoe Quinn and her game, Depression Quest.  Before anything else, let me say, I have not played this game, nor do I care to, but if it helps people with depression deal with things (As I believe was its goal) then good for it.  The problem was that she released it right after the death of Robin Williams.  I am aware that she set up the game to be free and a pay what you want style with all proceeds being donated to Suicide prevention groups, which is great, but she still received backlash and aggression from the community saying it was ill-timed and that she was capitalizing on the death of a beloved actor.  To which I say... Duh.  Had she put off the release a bit, maybe this wouldn't be an issue, but she chose to release it then, and she should have been aware of the consequences that may come with that.  People were emotional and hurt by the passing of Mr. Williams, so they reacted like emotionally hurt and shocked people do.  They latched on to something and let it become an outlet for their feelings, which in this case led to anger.  The fact that this was a surprise to anyone is just plain silly in my opinion.  People get upset and say and do mean and hurtful things.  We are all guilty of it at some point.  
Another issue that led to gamergate was when Zoe Quinn's boyfriend wrote a blog post saying she had cheated on him with a gaming journalist.  The boyfriend claimed he gave her good reviews because of it.  Now, let me say that again, a boyfriend who believed he had been cheated on tried to make his ex and the guy she had an affair with look bad.  Why is this a surprise?  I can't count the number of women who go on the internet to make their boyfriends look bad when they think they have done something wrong.  This goes both ways all the time.  Guys and girls do it to stupid levels making wild claims and accusations.  Why did this one suddenly get attention?  Is there really any reason this should get more attention than any other rant from an obviously angry ex?  Not that I can think of.  
And there is where problem number 3 arises.  This became a big deal because of the gender of the players involved.  A woman claiming their boyfriend cheated on them to get something is not only seen as normal, but borderline heroic, but a guy doing that to his ex-girlfriend?  He is clearly a misogynist.  This is where the idea of the 'Social Justice Warrior' comes in.  And no, I am not saying everyone in support of this is the typical 'SJW,' but often the most vocal fit this profile extremely well.  These are the people that rush to the defense of the downtrodden, as long as they are not of a certain gender,race,political, or sexual preference.  And how do they rush to help, do they offer consolation and uplifting assistance?  Nope.  They target the 'attacker' and seek to destroy them with claims of misogyny, racism, sexism and all the other favorites they have.  This is where the toddler mentality comes in.  They don't argue or make points.  They use personal attacks to avoid questions in an attempt to get their target angry enough to say something foolish and then use that against them.  It really is childish, and both sides do it.  It is the people that wake up and look for something new to be outraged over, and I can't stand it.  Some people, like Larry Correia, can be both angry and eloquent, making good arguments while still showing that he is upset by something, but most people I have seen simply switch to attacking people personally because they either can't, or feel they shouldn't have to, form a decent argument.
Anyway, my final thoughts are this: Once 'GamerGate' stops being a thing, then we will see the intelligent people start to show up again and changes that need to be made will be within the gaming industry.  And some kind of compromise will be reached.  And this will all fade and be forgotten just like 'Occupy Wall street' and a dozen other supposed world changing movements that had little to no effect on daily life.  So, until then, if you want to talk about gamergate get yourself a nice thick skin, because personal attacks are coming, regardless of which side you choose.
As a side note, no, I don't think this blog post will get any attention, and I don't care.  I wrote it because I felt it needed to be written.  And if you really want to know where I stand (Or would stand if I really cared enough to get involved) on the issues in GamerGate, just look at my other blog posts.  That should give you a clue.  Finally, let me say this, To the news media, and all of those who are deeply angry and just want to yell and scream at the people on the opposing side and tell them how stupid they are, go sit down in the corner and let the adults handle the issues going on in the video game industry.  When you calm down and grow up some, then you can join in.  I for one, am just going to let what happens happen.  Feel free to comment if you agree/disagree.  Hope all is well for you.  God bless.

Because, words...

Howdy folks!

So yeah, it has been a very VERY long time since I wrote anything of worth, so I thought I would try and do so now.  Do I know what this post will turn into?  not a clue, but I feel like writing, so deal with it. :p  A lot has happened since I last wrote.  One of the biggest events is that I lost my job at the VFX company I worked at.  I won't go into which one or any details, or even really the politics of the industry and why this is happening, because, frankly, I don't care.  I once had a dream to work in the entertainment industry.  Then I started working in the entertainment industry and very quickly lost my taste for it.  All that to say, lost my job, boo hoo, I'm not going to complain, I got a new one, happy day.  I've had enough of people feeling sorry for me about that and frankly have had enough headaches over the whole situation, so, moving on.

Overall life is pretty good for me at the moment.  I am in good health, have food on my table and have friends and family that love me and that I love in return.

I considered making this a post about Memorial day and writing a thank you to all the men and women who have fought, and still fight, to protect this wonderful country that I call home.  Let e be clear, the reason I am not is because no words I could possibly write would feel adequate for that task.  I have enormous respect for the United States Military and its personnel.  I have military history in my family and my own brother is in the army right now.  The love and respect I have for these people goes so far beyond words that I feel it would be an insult to them to do any less.  So the only words I can possibly say to these people is this.  Thank you.  For everything you have done and will do.  Thank you.

OH!  I thought of something I can ask!  So, I have been working on a book.  And by that I mean I have an idea and a little bit written down.  (Very little)  I'm curious as to what y'all think of my premise.  So here it is:

The main character is a paladin.  A warrior of God.  (Yes, like in all the fantasy games.)  However, he serves the Judeo-Christian God and the book is set in Los Angeles.  It was inspired by the series The Dresden Files (A great series that I highly recommend) and I hope to use it to deal with some real world issues ranging from common struggles of faith to things like sex trafficking.  It will be a fantasy series with supernatural threats and evil, but also very human characters and problems.  I'm just curious as to what people think of the premise.  Anything you would suggest?  Like it?  Hate it?  Think I'm insane?  Let me know.  Hope all is well with everyone.  God Bless!

Random Poll

Who would win?

Chuck Norris Versus Tarzan, King of the Apes.  The contest.  Survivalist Adventure!  Who do you think will win?  Comment below and let me know!

A Political Post

With the election on the horizon I'm sure everyone is sick of political posts that attack one party or the other, or that go after a candidate and make up a bunch of false rumors about each side getting mad at them for doing something they already did.  So I, in honor of my favorite President, have decided to make a slightly different kind of political post.
For anyone who doesn't know, my favorite President is George Washington.  Yup, the first.  The only man to EVER be elected by a unanimous electoral college vote.  No other president has done this, not even James Monroe, who ran unopposed.  Now George Washington had a very specific view of the two party system.  (For those who don't know, that is the system we use)
He believed it would tear this country apart.
Now most people would hear this and think that he was referring to the disagreements and arguments that lead to a great deal of animosity between the two parties.  I tend to disagree.  I think what he meant was that blind devotion to a political party (Something I find very common) will lead to people electing the wrong leader just because he is on that parties ticket.
That is a HUGE problem.  The way that democracy works best is when people think for themselves.  When they have opinions and are informed.  But when you have political parties (I don't mean liberals and conservatives, I specifically mean Republicans and Democrats) people simply align with one and keep voting for it.  This blind devotion leads to parties being able to take advantage of their supporters and use them to "advance party agendas" that really just give them more money or power.  Then they attack their opponents for doing the exact same thing.  I'm not going to say which side I support, though if you know me, you know which side that is, because in truth, both sides are guilty of this at one time or another.  It is a sad fact.
Don't get me wrong here, I'm not saying people shouldn't vote or anything like that.  I'm saying that the system we have isn't perfect.  Do I have a better one, of course not.  I'm not a politician, I didn't study political Science of Government.  I only state what I see.  Our system has issues, but if we become truly informed voters and look beyond how a matter only affects us into how it affects the country, then maybe, just maybe, you'll see people start to turn less towards what the party says is right towards what they believe to be right.
So there ya have it.  A political post where I don't yell at either side.  I yell at both.

BTW, here is the quote that inspired this:

 "The alternate domination of one faction over another, sharpened by the spirit of revenge natural to party dissention, which in different ages & countries has perpetrated the most horrid enormities, is itself a frightful despotism. But this leads at length to a more formal and permanent despotism. The disorders & miseries, which result, gradually incline the minds of men to seek security & repose in the absolute power of an Individual: and sooner or later the chief of some prevailing faction more able or more fortunate than his competitors, turns this disposition to the purposes of his own elevation, on the ruins of Public Liberty." — George Washington, September 19, 1796

So I know everyone these days is writing about Chik-fil-a and either saying "good for you" or "for shame."  I'm not going to do that.  I'm not going to talk about which side I support.  If you know me then you know darn well which side I support.  And I'm not afraid of you saying you don't like me because of what I believe, I just have something else I want to focus on and if I take a stance on which side I support then you won't listen anyway.  So now that that is out of the way, on with the important thing.

Freedom of Speech works both ways. 

You can't say you support freedom of speech when the second someone says something you don't like you jump down their throat and say they are wrong and evil and stupid.  It doesn't work like that.  The First Amendment is for EVERYONE.  Not just the vocal majority or minority.  I could say something completely outrageous, and within certain limits involving threats, I am protected by the first amendment.  You are welcome to disagree with me.  However, trying to say that I am a terrible person and should not be allowed to say that.  That is where things go too far.  So please, whichever side you support, if you think you are right or wrong, remember that freedom of speech is for everyone...Except pears, cause they are jerks.

Also, on a side note.  The girl in this video is my hero.  She has incredible poise and handles this situation much better than I would have,

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bPLNgkP9nzc&feature=player_embedded

For the record, this guy was the CFO/treasurer of a medical supply company.  He is not the former CFO/treasurer.  This video cost him his job.

Yumm...

I really like food.  However, I'm also a pretty picky eater.  Weird, I know.  My favorite foods involve some form of cooked dead animal flesh, but thats not what I'm going to talk about.  Today I'm talking about dessert.  Why?  Because I said so.  So there.

Everyone has their own favorite dessert.  It could be cake, brownies, ice cream or one of a ton of other mouth watering choices.  For me, it's all about pie.  Berry pies to be exact.  Strawberry, blackberry, cherry.  I love them all.  However, pie is also one of those desserts I never learned to make.  Looking back, this may be a good thing as who knows how much pie I would have eaten.  I could say that I love pie because it is the "American dessert," but there are two problems with that.  One, it just isn't true.  I like pie because it tastes good.  That's it.  The other problem is that I don't really think pie is the "American dessert" anymore.  Most places either don't sell it or it comes completely pre made.  So I just feel like it has been overtaken in that category by things like brownies and cookies.  Mostly because people actually MAKE those.  Anyway, that is besides the point.  Actually, I think thats about all I've got.  Sorry if it was boring.  I'm working on something bigger, I promise.

What kinds of desserts do you guys like?  Hope you are all doing well.  God bless!

Fun Facts

So I'm a bit bored at the moment, so I though I would indulge you guys with some fun facts about yours truly.  Yes, everything I am putting here is the absolute truth about me.

I have seen Rascal Flatts live close to 10 times.  (I lost count, but I think 10 will be in September)

I used to work at Petco and was a reptile specialist there.

I have owned 2 lizards and 2 scorpions.

I have tackled a cow on more than one occasion.

I once dead-lifted a goat.

I played Defensive end and linebacker in High School.  This was odd as I was hardly pushing 120 pounds.

I have never had an actual girlfriend or kissed a girl.  Though I have had my heartbroken and know that pain far better than I wish I did.

I have recently taken up archery with the hope of becoming a bow hunter.

I have a weakness for ginger women.

I have about 2 1/2 years of formal martial arts training, but it has been a while.

I really like animals.  My favorite would be the Snow Leopard.

I am a conservationist.

I like dinosaurs.

I really don't like the smell of cigarette smoke and HATE the smell of marijuana smoke.  (Some of my neighbors have used it from time to time and it makes the whole walkway smell.)  It makes me feel sick.

I give odd names to my pets.  My scorpions were Bob and George.  My fish is named Captain.  My bearded Dragon is Tamarand Bruce Lee All The Names.  My Armadillo Lizard was named John Jacob Jingle-heimer Schmidt.

I sometimes wish I had been born in the distant past so I could be a knight.

I still watch cartoons.

I am a Doctor Who fan.  David Tennant is my favorite Doctor.

Well, thats all I can think of right now.  Hope you enjoyed getting to know me better.  God bless!

Dirty hands and a clean soul

So I was talking with someone and they said something that got me thinking.  This idea got into my head and it has quickly burrowed its way into a permanent home.  So some of you may know that I am planning on owning a cattle ranch some time in the future and raising beef cattle for a living.  For those that don't know, well, now you do.  So there. 
Anyway, this person had mentioned to me that they were interested in sports ministry and that they were, in fact, saved through the sport they play.  That got me thinking.  There must be a way that I can use my future ranch as a form of ministry.  I think something aimed specifically at city kids who don't get to get out into the country and get their hands dirty with honest labor.  There is something very cleansing about that and I think it would be a good thing to use to reach out to those who live lives so full of the noise and hustle of the city and show them how wonderful getting a little peace and space can be. 
This will take a lot of work and a lot more prayer, but something about this feels right to me.  So I just thought I would share that.  I would love to hear what you all think and any ideas you may have would be welcome. 
God bless everyone!