Rogue One Review
Rogue One takes place just before Star Wars episode IV begins. It’s the story of those who risked everything to steal the Death Star plans.
Director Gareth Edwards (Godzilla, Monsters) does an excellent job with tension and pacing. The film is 2:14 hours long, but it doesn’t feel like it. It's also the first Star Wars aimed fully at adults. (If you have really young children, I recommend seeing it without them first.)
Like Empire, it’s a darker film. But that’s balanced by a memorable cast of characters, including a snarky reprogrammed Imperial droid. (Voiced by Alan Tudyk of Firefly fame, who steals the show.)
The special effects are incredible, detailed, and full. The movie moves through numerous scenes and planets, each possessing its own distinct personality. And the space fights and battle on the beach – just wow!
The first two thirds are good, but it’s the final third that elevates the movie to great.
Highly recommended! And see in 3D if possible.
I plan on seeing it again during the Christmas break…
Trans Siberian Orchestra in Concert
The show is just mind-blowing. I guarantee you have never seen a concert like it. Rising platforms, a catwalk, massive projection screens, moving lights, snow, flames, explosions, fireworks, and more laser lights than a hundred concerts combined.
The twenty-plus musicians and singers are also top showmen. They know how to play to the crowd and ham for photos. Every singer possesses an amazing and commanding voice. They even had Russell Allen from one of my favorite bands, Symphony X, perform three songs. And if you’ve never heard an electric violin, you are missing out.
In addition to songs from their albums, they also told the story from their very first video about a runaway girl in an abandoned theater. There’s a narrator in between songs who plays his part to perfection. Bookending this are Christmas and other songs from their multiple discs.
If you’ve never seen them, I highly recommend you go!
And I’ll leave you with this Monday’s Music Moves Me (hosted by Xmas Dolly) song from TSO:
Don’t Judge Beasts by Tara Tyler
A rant by Professor Knotson Hardaway.
You should never judge someone based on appearances.
The human definition of a monster: an imaginary creature that is typically large, ugly, and frightening.
Please note, ugly is in the eye of the beholder. Beasts get very offended if you call them monsters. They are sentient, some much more intelligent than humans. Monsters act on animal instincts and kill for food. At first glance, beasts look different than humans, and fear is a common, instinctive reaction. Beasts understand this, but once humans realize beasts are logical beings, the term monster should never be applied in reference to them.
Beast is also a slang term the teenagers use in referring to each other or as an exclamation of surprise or loss. If a beast calls someone a monster, it is considered derogatory or a curse.
So when you come across a scary-looking individual, you can hide, but don’t call him a monster. You might be able to pull out his thorn and have a beastly friend for life.
Thanks for hosting me, Alex!
Gabe the goblin just saved his town Broken Branch Falls from splitting apart. He also revealed that humans--horrible creatures of myth and legend--may actually be part of their history! But seriously? Nah!
Now Ona, Gabe’s girlfriend, is headed thousands of miles away to Camp Cradle Rock for Spring Break seeking evidence of humans. Gabe knows better than to tell a stubborn ogress she’s crazy, so he’s letting her go and spending the break at the beach like a normal teenage beast. And he’s determined to have a good time without her, whether he likes it or not.
But when Ona goes missing, Gabe and his friends set out for the wilds of the west to find her, no matter what dangerous creatures get in his way. Not even humans.
Find Cradle Rock on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and Goodreads
Spectral Movie Review
From the IMDB - A sci-fi/thriller story centered on a special-ops team that is dispatched to fight supernatural beings. Starring James Badge Dale, Emily Mortimer, and Bruce Greenwood.
It was a really unique concept, with actual science behind it. The suspense built as the creatures went from mere ghost images to real threats with their ability to flash-freeze anyone they touched. All hell breaks loose when the specialist who created the goggles that can see the creatures is sent in with a rescue team and it never lets up.
The effects were very impressive – handled by Weta Workshop, who did Lord of the Rings.
Something prevented it from moving up to the next level. But as a NetFlix watch, it’s definitely recommended.
Mini-Alex would like to wish all of you Merry Christmas, Happy New Year, and holiday wishes! May you all be blessed this holiday season.
Who else saw Rogue One? Have you seen TSO in concert? (And if the answer to either of those is no, why not?) Know some beasts or monsters? Ever seen Spectral?
I’ll be taking time off during the holidays and be mostly offline from December 24 through January 2.
See you Wednesday, January 4 for IWSG post day and the announcement of the IWSG Anthology Contest winners!
