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Topics - Chiprocks1

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31
DVD's & Blu-rays / Glass (2019)
« on: May 30, 2019, 07:34:46 pm »
Glass (2019)
2 Stars out of 5

Trailer


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=95ghQs5AmNk

Well, the rating pretty much sums up my feeling for Glass. It is AWFUL! I should have known better than to think that M. Night Shyamalan was up to the challenge of ending his Unbreakable Trilogy on a high note. NOPE! I seriously detest this so-called movie. M. Night is without a doubt the most pretentious film maker today and for the matter, the past 25 years. He is just not a good film maker. He cribs a lot of shots from other directors that actually know when to use it rather as a crutch to cover up poor storytelling. It goes without saying that he is a terrible writer that thinks that just coming up with a "Twist" at the end is all one needs to be consider a decent writer. But even he can't do this. He did once and has been living off said Twist his entire career. Please, just go the f*ck away and stop wasting everyone times with you self-indulgent dreck. How the f*ck does he continue to have a career with so many misfires. Yeah, I was at the end result of Split given how many bombs he has had over the years and the notion he could ever produce anything of quality. It took just one movie removed from Split to undo any good will he got from me. I'm done. I will never watch another one of his "films" again. Only reason this gets 2 stars is for the pool of characters that James McAvoy delivers. Both Bruce Willis and Sam Jackson are wasted in this movie.....and not in the stoner way. Might have been better if they had been stoned.

32
Now Playing: Movies / Rambo: Last Blood (2019)
« on: May 30, 2019, 03:44:39 pm »
Teaser Trailer

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AJ5kILQxGZQ

When news first broke about the next installment in the Rambo franchise, it was an image of Rambo on a horse with a Cowboy hat. I was like WTF?! It went against everything I would expect from the character. Well, with the first Teaser Trailer up, now it makes perfect sense. Looks like Rambo is taking on the Cartel. My guess is that their drug smuggling tunnel runs beneath's Rambo's farm. Don't f*ck with Rambo's farm! You're f*cked now! Well, that's how the trailer is playing to me anyway. Looks good.

33
DVD's & Blu-rays / Bohemian Rhapsody (2018)
« on: May 29, 2019, 09:03:59 pm »
Bohemian Rhapsody (2018)
4 Stars out of 5

Trailer


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mP0VHJYFOAU

Bohemian Rhapsody is a movie I have been waiting to check out since the trailer first dropped and the performance was fantastic and all the props go to Rami Malek in his star-making turn as Freddie Mercury. He really does become "him" to the point that I found myself numerous times forgetting it was Rami on screen. As for the rest of the movie, especially those that take on Brian May, John Deacon and Roger Taylor, it was really good. As good as the movie is, it's not perfect. There are 2 things that I didn't particularly like. First is that the movie just feels too cramped. I get that we are only able to get so much in a theatrical movie, but it felt like there were huge chunks of stuff that was omitted. The second thing, in the middle of the movie, it gets depressing watching Freddie, the biggest rockstar on the planet as the loneliest person on the planet. I saw some VH1 type of movie on Queen/Freddie a few years ago and that too was depressing to see. So for me, the movie is just humming along, hitting all the right notes, but when it comes to his isolation, it just threw the film off for a bit. It doesn't last too long though. But overall, I did enjoy the flick and watching them recreate Live Aid was damn good. Just blows my mind that I was able to watch the original air date and then have the chance to watch this all these years later. The movie is worth checking out for sure.

34
Television / Game of Thrones (Season 8 - 2019)
« on: May 20, 2019, 10:30:29 am »
Game of Thrones (Season 8 - 2019)
3 Stars out 5

Trailer

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rlR4PJn8b8I


So who will end up sitting on the Iron Throne at the end of what has arguably been one hell of a ride the last 8 years. That has been the one question every single fan of the show has been asking with each successive season and certainly one that has always been on my mind as I devoured each and every episode of what I consider to be one of the greatest series of all time. In the end.....no one does. But before we get to that. I have to talk about the other "stuff" that happens along the way in this truncated season of only 6 episodes. Sure, the last 4 episodes are of theatrical movie lengths, but how long or short an episode doesn't factor into whether Season 8 was a good season or a bad season. It doesn't matter. Story does. And this is where I have some issues with Season 8.

Given the amount of time we are working with, a lot and I mean a loooooooot of this season felt very rushed and at times it seemed the writers were actually very lazy in fleshing anything out or at least giving the viewer things we have been waiting years for and built up over time to a satisfying end. Case in point. If you have followed the exploits of all the characters, you are definitely one that has thought long and hard how Cersei Lannister would meet her demise. Maybe it's the fault of the viewer to take things to the extreme and craft your own way she should perish...but how can you not go to the extreme while watching Game of Thrones, which the entire series is built upon each and every season? So, no, it's now the viewers fault....it's damn well the fault of the writers and it was a cop out.

To have Cersei , along with Jaime Lannister get crushed by failing debris while King's Landing is being destroyed felt like a HUGE betrayal as a long time fan of the series. Really? This is how you want to give to the fans? Debris??? Given how horrible she was as a "Queen" and as a person in general, every one of my scenarios was based on the idea that she would get her comeuppance in the end, where the camera zooms into her face and we see in her eyes everything she has ever done wrong hitting her smack in the face as someone (take your pick) thrust that blade into her. Nope. We don't get that and we are deprived of that moment. Fail. There were other screw-ups that didn't give us what we wanted. Euron Greyjoy's demise also failed to deliver for me. But it was a misdirect at the time, so I didn't dwell on it in the moment. The way they left it, I was of the mindset that he would pop up down the road during Cersei and Jaime's escape. That never panned out and that's when it dawned on me how crappy his ending turned out to be.

With regards to The Hound and The Mountain. This was good, bad and funny as f*ck given what I was witnessing. They have been teasing their inevitable showdown for years now and this one probably near the top of things I have been patiently waiting for. The fight was just way too short to my liking. And yes, I still think it should have been bloodier....or more brutal than it was. Sure, stabbing Mountain over and over is "brutal", but not in the way fans, myself included have built their clash up to be. I always KNEW that neither one was going to beat the other. I KNEW they would end up killing each other in the end and that's what we got, which was someone satisfying. Now the funny of it all is how BLATANT they ripped off the final showdown of Darth Vader/Anakin Skywalker at the end of Return of the Jedi.

There's no getting around what they did here. From the "Vader" helmet the Mountain was wearing, to his unmasking to reveal a f*cked up visage, who looked exactly like Skywalker, albeit one on steroids and of the same complexion, I couldn't believe how ballsy both writers were. Sure, I get that you're off to write your own Star Wars Trilogy, but you don't need to life from existing Star Wars lore to finish GoT.

So, was Season 8 all bad? Yes and no. There were a lot of things I did like. I don't think it's as bad as everyone is making it out to be. It's got its problems for sure. The standout episode for me of course was the War against the White Walkers that had a very satisfying conclusion by having Arya Stark and her 'Needle' to kill the Night King. And this is kind of where the story itself goes off the rails with each subsequent episode being less than the previous due to characters, especially that of Daenerys. I dunno, I get that she was now paranoid with news of Jon Snow as the rightful King being spread to the people and usurping her own power. But her fall from grace was just too fast (also a product of having little time to write for). So her decent was unsatisfactory for me. 

The Finale though was a huge letdown for sure. By "ending", I don't mean just the last episode. It's the culmination of the last 3 as a whole that just didn't give me what I want. I did however have Bran picked as the one that would in fact become the new King. But he, nor Daenerys ever got to sit on the Iron Throne as she was murdered by Jon and her Dragon, out of anger lays waste to the Throne with his blowtorch rage. So, there was no Throne left. Banishing Jon Snow to the Wall....again, kind of was pointless. There are no White Walkers to defend against and just didn't make sense as a form of punishment. Bran is the King, what he says is law, so he could have, and should have given Jon a pardon. Oh, well, that's all for now. I'm sure I will come back to this thread over time as more stuff come bubbling up as I give Season 8 more thought. For now, this will do..........

35
DVD's & Blu-rays / Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018)
« on: May 11, 2019, 08:27:37 pm »
Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse
5 Stars out of 5

Trailer

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g4Hbz2jLxvQ


Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse more than live up to my expectations. It exceeded it. I knew that this was going to be a great movie just based on the Trailer itself. But man o man, what a joyous and fun movie this turned out to be. Immediately you are hit visually by the stunning animation that pulls from a lot of sources to give you a well-rounded feast for the eyes. If you are a fan of CGI, traditional 2D animation or the source material this comes from: Comic Books, you are going to absolutely LOVE this movie. But this movie is so much more than that. I do have to point out a couple of sequences that take place that I have NEVER seen in any animated film: TIME LAPSES!!! Seriously, this is when I knew the film makers were thinking outside of the box to make this as legit as any traditional live action flick.

As for the story itself. Love it. Really happy to see Miles Morales finally getting his own movie to shine in. You just absolutely love the kid and what he is taking on when becoming Spider-Man for the first time. There is a lot of heart here that will have you choking up at times. But there are plenty of laughs as well. Some funny sh*t that had me belly laughing all through the movie. Out of all the people that lend their voices here, the only one that I absolutely recognize was Jake Johnson who was perfectly cast as the older and sloppier Peter Parker / Spider-Man. I want a sequel just to hear more from him. But yeah, I was shocked to see that Nick Cage was in this. I wasn't really paying attention to the voice, but in hindsight, yeah, it's unmistakable. Love, love, love the Stan Lee cameo. I wasn't really looking for or expecting to see a cameo for him. It was a nice touch. Be sure to stick with the Closing Credits. One of the best....and funniest you will ever see and yes, stay for the post credit scene(s) that will have you howling in delight. OMG, so funny. Highly recommend this as a Buy for sure.

36
Short Films / Star Wars SC 38 Reimagined (2019)
« on: May 08, 2019, 06:35:02 pm »
Star Wars SC 38 Reimagined

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=to2SMng4u1k

This is how it should be in the original because it just doesn't sit well with all the other Lightsaber duels in the franchise. Yes, I get that it's a product of the times with 2 old (really old) me being asked to fight beyond their capabilities. But still, the way it was choreographed just never was good. My only criticism for this short is that it's still too short. They could have still fleshed it out a bit more and added another 5 minutes or so and it would keep in line with the story.

37
John Singleton, director of "Boyz n the Hood," dies at 51

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8MxMf0vGZss

Still stunned at his passing. Was not expecting this news at all. Boyz n The Hood is still a movie I will watch whenever it comes on. RIP.

38
Television / The Mandalorian
« on: April 14, 2019, 09:22:50 pm »
The Mandalorian Teaser Trailer

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kOqyaFTR1cA

I'm seriously considering getting Disney+ just for this series alone. Bonus of course will be all the MCU Series on the way as well. But this one in particular is what's going to sell me on getting this streaming service. Tell me you're not pumped for this? I had no idea that Giancarlo Esposito and Carl Weathers were attached to this.

39
Video Games / Star Wars Jedi Fallen Order
« on: April 13, 2019, 10:16:35 pm »
Star Wars Jedi Fallen Order Trailer #1

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xaCy-qCR1UY

Was not expecting to see any new Star Wars games coming out, so this one is a big surprise. Still hate EA for a lot of reasons. But you can't argue at just how amazing this looks. Really glad to hear there will be no Multiplayer and Micro-transactions attached to this one. With this being a Campaign-Story-Only game, EA will have no choice but to give it their all to try and mend fences with their customer base. No excuses.

40
Photography / 8K Videos
« on: April 13, 2019, 10:11:30 pm »
Japan Night Aerials in 8K

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6k7a8bw451M

Okay, I've been seeing a lot of "8K videos" popping up on YouTube lately. I put quotes around it for a reason. YouTube doesn't have the ability to play 8K vids at the monitor and I would say no one at home has an 8K TV or Monitor either. With that said, I do believe the content creators of said 8K videos are in fact uploading 8K to YouTube and letting it run at 4K. Well, I just checked out this particular video and it's stunning to see on my 4K. This is easily the best looking 4K vid I've seen on my TV. I know that YouTube compresses the hell out of videos, especially this one, but it's still jaw dropping to see. The amount of detail you can see here is just....mind blowing. On my PC Monitor, it's even more detailed....if that's even possible!

41
Star Wars Episode 9 The Rise of Skywalker OFFICIAL Teaser Trailer


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KIF5lXupC5M

I thought I had an existing thread for Star Wars Episode IX. I'm positive I do....but I just can't find it. Anyway, I had no idea we were getting a Teaser today. When I clicked on this to watch, I honestly thought this was going to be a 'Fan-made' Trailer. Nope. This is legit and let me tell ya something, this Teaser has rekindled my desire to see IX which is saying a lot given how The Last Jedi really did put me off in the worst possible way. I had no desire, or wasn't looking forward to seeing this one. Sure, I would watch it when it came out, it just wasn't on my Must-See list of movies. So, yeah, kinda pumped now. That opening shot with Rey doing the backflip with the Light Saber made me go "whooooa". Seeing Billy Dee Williams returning as Lando put a HUGE smile on my face. Bittersweet to see Carrie Fisher.

I'm still not sure what to make of the Title though. And who is that laughing at the end? Is that who I think it is? The Emperor? Or are we being trolled with a misdirect here and it's not what we think (and hope) it is? I dunno. The reason why I'm a bit skeptical is that this is a BIG reveal that I wouldn't expect JJ Abrams to want to give away in a Trailer, especially not in a Teaser. If it is in fact the Emperor, consider me piiiiiiiiissed! I don't want to know any of this until I see the movie and they have just ruined a big f*cking surprise.

42
DVD's & Blu-rays / Stranger Things (Season 2 - 2017)
« on: April 09, 2019, 05:43:18 am »
Stranger Things (Season 2 - 2017)
4 Stars out of 5

Trailer


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bRG5HeNKwKY

The second season picks up pretty much where we left off, but things are a bit different from Season 1. First off, Will, the boy that was abducted last time around and really didn't have a big role is now trying to adjust to life after his traumatic incident and thus is featured as a more prominent character this time around. The other thing of note is that Eleven (El) is being kept hidden for the majority of Season 2 and that means she is separated from Mike and the rest of the gang. It does serve up a pretty good reunion near the end, which is well worth the wait. I did enjoy this season as a whole. It's not as great as the first season, but there is a lot to like here. The only thing I really didn't like because it really could have been done without is El / Jane's "Sister" story line that was just a waste of time. Also, I thought the writing and acting was painfully bad here. The story is irrelevant because it goes nowhere. Now, if they choose to revisit it in Season 3, they can make something of it moving forward. But for now, I'm left scratching my head and saying "What's the point of this". With that said, I highly recommend Season 2 for sure. It was great to get Sean Astin in on the series. You knew there would be a Goonie's reference somewhere and when you see it, it will leave you with a big goofy grin on your face.

43
DVD's & Blu-rays / Venom (2018)
« on: April 01, 2019, 06:59:47 am »
Venom (2018)
3 Stars out of 5

Trailer

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xLCn88bfW1o


When the first trailer for Venom dropped, I was not happy. I just didn't think the 'Venom' that was revealed was all that impressive. I actually thought the FX looked 20 years old and didn't have any desire to watch this. Even as word got out from the audience when the movie finally dropped, I still had no desire in spite of all the "rave reviews" pouring in. Well, I finally got the chance to see Venom for myself and......it needs work. Lots of work. I still think the FX looks like garbage, especially by today's standards. But there is hope. Remember, it took Marvel 3 tries in getting the Hulk to look good and since then they have been able to refine and tweak the look to perfection. So, I'm holding out hope that Venom is also a work in progress and they too can finally get it done the right way.

So, what about the movie as a whole? Needs work. The Big Bad Villain was just not all that compelling. I didn't give a sh*t that he would also become infected with a symbiote and transform into Riot. I found this to be the least interesting thing about the movie and the showdown at the end left a lot to be desired. Honestly, the only thing I thoroughly enjoyed in the movie was Tom Hardy, or more specifically his conversations with with Venom. When he is talking to himself, I found their relationship to be that of a bickering married couple. It's the way they talked to each other that gives the movie some much needed laughs. I say it's worth a Rent, but nothing more. Loved the cameo by Stan Lee (which I absolutely did NOT expect to see given that this wasn't part of the MCU). Loved the response of Venom "Who is that guy" quip. Also was not expecting the post credit Bonus Scene with Woody Harrleson of all people to play Cletus Kasady, who of course becomes Carnage. So, I'm definitely looking forward to a Sequel if Carnage is going to be the Big Bad Villain for this one. But as I said before, fix the CGI and give me a great story along with it. Otherwise is just going to be another misfire.

44
DVD's & Blu-rays / Peppermint (2018)
« on: March 30, 2019, 03:22:36 pm »
Peppermint (2018)
3 1/2 Stars out of 5

Trailer


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_D98X6ST5y4


Peppermint is a been-there-done-that flick. If you've seen one, you've seen them all. Essentially this is the Death Wish plot that has been done over and over. But what this movie has going for it is the "return" of Jennifer Garner. If you are a fan of Alias, then you are sure to enjoy watching Jennifer kicking ass and nothing else. I had the movie "figured" out from start to finish. That is till the epilogue. With her vengeance complete, in my script, I had her dying. Having killed every last motherf*cker that had a hand in her family's demise and the court system as well, I would be ready to just end it all to join her family in the afterlife. Who would want to continue onward? Well, that's how I saw it. But the epilogue SCREAMS sequel and it's clear that the Studio wants another Taken, Equalizer, John Wick franchise and this is how they will go about it. With all that out of the way, I did enjoy the movie in spite of the obvious plot holes and whatnot. My only criticism would be that the Villain(s) in the movie never rose to heights they needed to be to make Jennifer's quest more perilous. They all came across as rank amateurs. Worth a Rent at best.

45
DVD's & Blu-rays / The Equalizer 2 (2018)
« on: March 24, 2019, 09:29:11 am »
The Equalizer 2 (2018)
4 Stars out of 5

Trailer


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EiaVnU18pcs


When it comes to movies like this or more specifically a rebirth of an Actor's career in taking on a different type of roll, I look at Taken. With Liam Neeson, he transitioned from a seasoned actor to that of an Action Movie Star. And this is the same with Denzel Washington when he took on the role of Robert McCall in the first Equalizer film. I absolutely loved the first one and it was and still is the best movie that came out that year. But I had concerns about what a Sequel would look like because as before, I automatically go back to Taken, another movie I love....but not the movies that followed. Well, I did enjoy Taken 2, but too much of the same story and plot for that sequel was pulled from the first movie and therein was my biggest concern for The Equalizer 2. Happy to say that this one really has nothing to do with the former and stands on it's own.

It's actually something quite unique in how they tell the story. I didn't check my watch while watching the movie, but I would say it's a good 45 minutes before we actually get to the crux of what the story is really about, the moment where you say to yourself "this is the moment that kicks McCall's ass into gear". Leading up to this plot reveal is just a series of things that the character is reacting to, sizing up or just random occurrences. I mean I didn't see obvious things that were happening at the moment. Just small seeds being planted along the way for payoffs later, which I absolutely loved about it.

Now I get that the movie has some problems and it received mixed reviews, but I for one thought this was a worthy successor to the first flick. I thoroughly enjoyed watching this. I welcome a 3rd flick for sure and if they get Antoine Fuqua to return as well to direct, I am there. I highly recommend checking out both The Equalizer and The Equalizer 2 for sure. BTW, the naming of The Equalizer 2 just does not work for me. Drop 'The' from the title and just call it Equalizer 2. Anyway, yeah. Check em out. FYI, really dug the epilogue as well. It made me feel good seeing where the characters are by the end.

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