Buffy the Vampire Slayer - The Body

Death is a constant source of motivation in movies, tv, and books.  When it's such a large focus, doesn't it seem odd that very few shows deal realistically with how people cope with death?  Movies might tug at your heart strings and manipulate you into being sad, but how often do you really relate to the people dealing with death in your chosen piece?  I rarely identify with their reactions, but when I watched The Body, it was so close to how I have felt in those situations that it made me uncomfortable.

The rest of this review revolves around an episode of Buffy that is later in the series.  If you haven't seen the series in its entirety, you should probably stop reading now.  If you don't care about spoilers, read on.  

The Body is an episode of Buffy that centers around death.  Now, the Scooby gang has regularly dealt with death*, but that doesn't mean they're prepared to deal with the death of someone they love.  Willow completely loses it when Tara dies, but becoming an evil witch who skins someone isn't particularly realistic.  When Anya dies, no one really seems to care.  Joss Whedon doesn't always write realistic reactions to death, but when Joss Whedon penned The Body, he hit the nail on the head.  

The Body is the episode where they find that Joyce, Buffy's mother, has died.  Of course, they worry that there was something supernatural at fault, but Joyce died of natural causes.  I think that made it harder for the crew to deal with, but it allows us to see how they deal with it.

Now, I'm not too experienced when it comes to death.  It still scares me, but more than anything, I find it confusing.  My paternal grandparents have both passed on, but I wasn't that close to them.  My maternal grandfather has died, as well, and that was perhaps the hardest loss for me.  Part of what made it so hard to deal with was seeing him at his worst.  There is something so very sad when you see someone who was always so robust and funny reduced to a fraction of who they were.  It's hard.  

Death is different for all of us, as are our coping mechanisms.  In the Body, you see each character struggle with both their role and what Joyce's death means.  Each of their reactions is valid, and you can find someone in your life, maybe even yourself, who has reacted in the same way.

Willow focuses on simple things and their meanings.  She spends a chunk of time worrying about what to wear just to meet Buffy at the hospital.  While any rational person knows this is not the most important choice to be made, it is something she has some control over.  She curses her clothes for not being adult enough and only wants the blue top that Joyce liked.  Does any of this help the characters to accept what has happened?  Of course not, but we need to feel like we can control something when the worst happens.  Unfortunately, even this is too much for Willow, just as those simple choices are too much for us when we experience loss.

Xander has a more recognizable reaction, one that I would almost classify as male.  Because females are just as capable of this type of reaction, I hesitate to make it gender based.  Xander punches a wall and just wants to find someone to take his anger out on.  He seeks to assign blame.  Whether pointing the finger at Glory** or blaming the doctors, Xander doesn't want to deal with his anger; he only wants to let the hurt out.

I think at some point in time, we've all felt like Tara.  She spends the episode just kind of being there for people.  She wasn't very close to Joyce, but her friends were.  She just kind of looks lost throughout the episode, as if she wants to help but can't.  She does what so many do and offers to share Buffy's pain through her own.  Tara was only 17 when her mother died, and she shares that with Buffy.  It's hard to help someone going through something like that, and Tara even admits she still couldn't know what Buffy is going through.  Regardless, people try to make you feel better by letting you know they're been there.  At least it lets you know that they have survived; it will get better.

Dawn, Buffy's younger sister***, seems almost forgotten by the others in this story.  Buffy mentions that Dawn almost seems as if she didn't believe her when she told her their mom had died.  Denial is a real part of grieving, and we see Dawn sneak away to the morgue in an attempt to see Joyce's body.  The episode actually cuts to black as Dawn is reaching out to touch her.****  When they say seeing is believing, they mean it.  

Throughout it all, Buffy seems numb.  I can only imagine that a shock like that would incapacitate you.  I am lucky to have never had a loss like that, but I can only expect that my reaction would be similar, if not worse.  There are some things that hurt to think about, and I couldn't imagine losing my mom.  They say our brains will seek to protect us when it comes to things we cannot process; I hope to not find out for a very long time.

While most people would consider her the least important of the gang, Anya is actually the character I identify with in The Body.  While each actor does an amazing job of conveying such sadness, it is Emma Caulfield who really brings it home.  She has spent a great deal of her life as a demon, and she just doesn't understand what's going on.  She asks if she should constantly change her clothes, like Willow.  She wonders why Joyce can't just get back in her body.  Ultimately, she wants to know what she's supposed to do, and I think that's what everyone wonders.  When someone you love loses someone, you just want to help them, but you don't always know how.  You try to take cues from those around you, but they're secretly just as lost as you are

Joss Whedon is a talented man.  He created a show that inspired laughs as often as it did tears.  He really shows the depth of emotion he and his actors were capable of when he wrote The Body.  While it isn't an episode I can watch over and over again, it really helps you see just how confusing death can be.  It isn't something to be used to manipulate your emotions in this episode.  It is something that just confuses everyone.*****

*Buffy has died twice!

**She was the big bad this season.

***Whether her existence annoys you or not, she acts as Buffy's little sister in this episode.  Key or not, pain is pain.

****Darkest. Time.  Line.

*****Speaking of confused, I was somewhat surprised when I popped back on to write this.  Some nights, when I'm not up for writing, I'll toss up a placeholder title.  Sometimes, there are three or four views before I actually get my thoughts all written down.  When I pulled this up to edit it, it had 29 views.  I can only assume people were googling "Buffy the Vampire Slayer body" in an attempt to find sexy pis of Sarah Michelle Gellar.  Boy are they going to be disappointed when they find my wall of text.  Muahahahaha.

Looper

There are movies that you just hate.  There are movies that you just love.  Sometimes, there are movies that you know are good, but you're unlikely to sit and watch them over and over again.  You feel that it's a good thing you saw that movie, but it takes something out of you to watch it.  Looper is a bit like that.  It's a great movie, but it walks a bit too close to the darkest time line* to allow constant viewings.

Looper was set up for success from the moment Rian Johnson, the director, grabbed Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Bruce Willis for this time travel drama.  When you have Emily Blunt and Jeff Daniels further beefing up the cast, you're set on that front.  Each and every one of them does an good job with their parts.  In particular, Joseph Gordon-Levitt is just plain amazing.

As you probably realize, Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Bruce Willis don't look particularly alike, but they're the same person in Looper.  A combination of amazing acting and incredible make-up blurs that line and makes it believable that they're both Joe.  JGL has adopted some of Willis' verbal characteristics, as well as some of the non-verbal ones.  You buy him as a young Bruce Willis because he sells it.  The make-up is just adds to the illusion.

It's nice to see that such amazing acting and visual effects work is only a part of what is great about Looper.  The story itself is remarkable and well done.  Time travel can be a bit messy, and when it's not handled properly, it becomes a train wreck.  Looper chooses to lay out the basics but not actually explain how the time travel works, and that's okay.  We don't need the science of it because that's now what the movie is about.  The cause and effect of messing with the time line is shown and used smartly.  You see the little ripples because there is a great attention to detail.  Looper is a smart film.

Rian Johnson, as proven by Brick, is a good director.  For those of you who haven't seen the film, you should.  I reviewed it a while ago because it was awesome.  With Looper, Johnson continues to show that he is a talented director and story teller.  As Looper takes place in the near future, Johnson was tasked with showing us that world and how it differs from ours, and he rises to the challenge superbly.  He manages to convey the world of the future without dumbing it down.  While there is a bit of voice over here and there, it is minimal and fits.  Most information is conveyed through the film itself.  We see what Joe's life is like, but it feels organic.  It feels realistic.

Science fiction films have the potential to be great but must tread carefully, lest they become silly.  Looper strolls along just fine with no missteps, and that's saying something.  From the acting to the story, Looper is worth your time and money.  The story went places I didn't expect, but afterwards, it felt like that was where it always had to go.  While I don't plan on watching it over and over again, I'm glad I saw Looper.  I suggest you see it too.

*For those of you that watch Community, this should kind of make sense.  Mark and I have adopted the phrase to refer to anything that is dark.

JCP Mail Order

I don't like buying most clothes or shoes online.  I find that verifying fit is very important, and many items bought online can't be returned in an actual store.  It just so happens that JC Penney has found a way around those problems.  Of course, if they have actual stores, why even buy online or via catalog?  I'm so glad you asked.

I am not a big fan of the shoe department at JC Penney.  They have half sizes up until size ten.  They do not carry ten and a half; it jumps right to eleven.  Often, they don't even have size eleven in stock.  As someone with big feet, it can be difficult to find shoes that fit.  While I wear a larger shoe size, my feet are on the narrow side.

We were on a mission the other day to find pirate boots for my costume.*  Luckily, boots with buckles and straps on them are in style right now.  After visiting multiple retailers, we ended up in JC Penney.  Even though I have trouble finding the right size, Mark and I chose a couple of boots to try on.  As expected, they didn't have size ten and a half.  The young lady brought me a ten in one boot and an eleven in the other.  I didn't care for the fit of the ten but liked the eleven.

As is par for the course, the size eleven boots were in brown; I needed black.  The young lady, in an attempt to find a solution for me, suggested I order the boots in black.  Brilliant!  She placed the order right there, I paid, and we were all set.  Because the total order exceeded $50, shipping was free.  Shipping to the store is always free, while you often have to pay to have items shipped to your home.  I had my boots shipped home due to the free shipping offer on items over $50.

Now, the shopping and what not happened about a week ago.  Upon arrival home today, my boots were waiting.**  I was amused by the way they were shipped, as the box was much larger than it needed to be.***  I'm happy to report that my pirate boots were in good shape.  I have tried them on with my costume, and I am very happy with the results.

So, let's review why the JC Penney mail order is so great:

1. You can try items on in store and order different colors if they're not available in store.
2. You can have your items shipped for free to the store.
3. If your total exceeds $50, you can have the items shipped to your home at no cost.
4. Should you find yourself unhappy with your product, you can return it at your nearest JCP.

If you have to order something that could be hard to properly size, try ordering from JC Penney.  They have a good return policy, and you probably won't have to pay for shipping.  When you factor in their lower prices, it's a pretty good deal.  The boots at the other stores I visited were easily twenty to thirty dollars more expensive than the boots I ended up ordering, which weren't even on sale.  I like JC Penney, and you should too!

*We're going to the Disney Halloween party at the end of October.  I finally agreed to dress as pirates.  Mark is psyched.

**Actually, the mailman had left them at the wrong condo, but Mark grabbed them for me.  Apparently, it's hard to read numbers.

***There's a joke to be made there, but this is a classy review.

First Federal Chip Clips

Sometimes, it is in the most unlikely places that you find quality goods.  I like chip clips.  I'm not obsessed or anything, but they're actually quite useful.  I have one I got years ago that is Kellogg's themed.*  Recently, I decided I needed more chip clips and bought a set of eight or so at Bed, Bath, and Beyond.  That was a mistake.  They were terrible.

Luckily, I have two amazing chip clips from First Federal.  See, I won some a drawing and got a few First Federal themed items.  My favorite loot are a red chip clip and a purple chip clip, both with the First Federal logo.

Now, I know you're wondering how they can be so amazing as to warrant their own review.  It wasn't until I bought some terrible clips that I realized how great these ones were.  Let me count the ways!

1. They have incredibly strong magnets.  If I stick them on the fridge, they don't go flying if I open the door quickly.  The other ones I got slowly slide down the fridge door.  Pathetic.
2. They are strong.  I can clip the most unruly chip bag closed with these clips.  They don't get sheepish and slide off.  They keep my chips fresh and free of vermin.
3. They're heavy.  I feel like I could cause some decent damage to an intruder if I had to.

If you're looking for good chip clips, don't buy some set of six at a random home goods store.  Get some for free from your local bank.  I'll be they're much better.

*For obvious reasons.

Bath & Body Works Candles - Coco Lobo

I included the scent in the review title, but I guess that's not the important thing.  What we're actually going to be talking about are the candles themselves.  Since scent is such a personal preference, I won't presume to tell you which scents are best.  I do like Coco Lobo, but that's irrelevant.

When I was younger, Yankee candles were the cream of the crop.  If you were fancy and had a distinguished nose, you were paying the inflated prices for Yankee candles.  Since then, there are additional brands that offer great scented candles.*  I tend to buy a lot of my candles at Bath & Body Works nowadays.

Bath & Body Works carries Statkin & Co. candles, and they are so often on sale that you never have to pay full price for them.  There are a multitude of scents in a variety of sizes.  Want to try a scent and make sure you like it?  You can buy the little sampler size candles.  Want a candle that's going to put out a strong scent and burn for a while?  Check out the three wick candles that burn for about thirty hours.

In the past, I never really burned a candle all the way to the bottom.  I would get to the point where it would be in the last quarter of its life and just throw it out.  I actually burn through my candles from Bath & Body Works.**  I can have the entire condo smelling nice with two of the three wick candles.***

The other great perk when you buy candles at Bath & Body Works, aside from the almost constant sales, is the coupons.  You can usually get a coupon to save even more money off of your purchase.  You can join their email list, or you can use the coupons they hand out with every purchase.  I even get coupons in the mail.

Perhaps the best part is that when you find a scent you like, they probably have it in items other than candles.  They have the scent discs for in your car, closet, or wherever you choose.  Some scents are available in the hand soaps and sanitizers.  The only downside is when your seasonal scent goes away.  That's rough, but they're always coming out with something new.

When it comes to candles, I shop at Bath & Body Works.  I visit Yankee Candle on occasion  but they never impress me as much.  I haven't found a scent I love yet, but when I do, I'll let you know how they hold up.

*I don't know if you've tried those Wood Wick candles or not, but they are really neat.  It's totally a gimmick, but it works on me.

**When I say "my" candles, I really mean "our" candles.  Mark is really into the candle picking process.  I think he likes Bath & Body Works more than I do.

***This comes in handy when Mr. Kitty drops the kittens off in the litter box.

WoW - Panda Starting Area

Here we are again.  Blizzard has thrown another expansion for World Of Warcraft our way.  I'm no genius, but I'm wise enough to not try and review the entire product in one go.  What I will talk about today is the Panderan starting area.  We're gonna handle this all list style.

• It's beautiful.  When you start playing as a Panderan, the opening area is quite pretty.  While this isn't unusual for WoW, each expansion manages to make it look smoother somehow.  
• It's influenced by other works but is its own animal.  I watched some people in general arguing the other day about the influence of Kung Fu Panda on the area and story.  One person said the influence was obvious while the other claimed that there was no influence because Panderan existed before Kung Fu Panda.  It seems to me that maybe they took some visual cues from Kung Fu Panda, but Kung Fu Panda took inspiration from other places.  There is nothing wrong with taking inspiration from other works as long as you synthesize it into something of your own design.  Regardless of what inspired the game-makers, Blizzard has created something of beauty that is their own.
• The quest system has seen little change for this expansion.  The quests in the starting area are pretty similar to other quests through out WoW.  This isn't a complaint, as the questing system is tweaked regularly to make it more interesting and to keep our interest.
• The lore is supported, explained, and expanded upon.  Through the starting area, you get a good idea of who the Panderan are, as well as who they are.  Most of the information seems pretty surface level, but there are nice touches that illustrate what the Panderan are capable of.  I would have enjoyed a bit more depth, but the starting area does a decent job of introducing us to the Panderan.

The Panderan starting area is a well crafted group of quests and characters.  It's fun to play though, but it doesn't last very long.  As none of the starting areas are particularly lengthy anymore, I can't fault them for that.  I would like to see greater depth of information, but I'm pretty happy with the Panderan area overall.

The Fall of Theramore - Scenario

I have not played my World of Warcraft main in months.  It has been a very long time, but I dusted her off because Mark really wanted to do the Fall of Theramore scenario before it instated its level 90 requirement. Because there was an item level requirement, Mark had to run quite a few instances.  I, on the other hand, was already geared enough to go.  I spent a bit more time with the Cata expansion than Mark.

My shabby playing aside, the scenario went quite smoothly.  Unlike traditional instances, you only run through with three people rather than the traditional five.  On top of that, it did not ask about party roles.  We were a mage, a rogue, and a druid.*  We had no tank, but that didn't seem to matter.  Frrankly, heals weren't even important.

My main impression from the run was wondering why we wanted to destroy Theramore.  Last I knew, there was a peace of sorts.  Now, we're just blowing up the Alliance.  What did i miss?  Granted, the holes in my lore knowledge are my own fault for leaving WoW.  Still, it confused me.

Perhaps there is a lot of information given out in the scenario itself.  Since we were playing with a random mage lady who was familiar with the scenario, she ran off to complete goals.  As such, we followed.  It didn't seem right to meander around, taking it in, when the mage was out there getting into fights.

I think the ideal way to experience the Fall of Theramore is as a level 90 who is up to date on the lore.  The experience itself is a bit boring, but you lose a lot when you don't really know what's going on.  The idea of the scenarios is intriguing, as long as it isn't to replace traditional instances.  It seems we get less and less with each expansion.  I'm hoping the scenarios are not a substitute for quality instances.  From what I've heard, we should be fine.  Of course, I haven't researched it much.  I'm just going to trust that Blizzard knows what they're doing.  While their track record is not spotless, it's pretty good.

*I miss being able to call myself a tree, as opposed to a healing spec druid.

Texas Roadhouse Grill

A couple of months ago, Mark and I started restricting how many times we went out to eat.  We did pretty well until we returned from the trip to see his sister married.  Since then, we haven't been as strict.  Tomorrow sees our no dining out at restaurants policy reinstated.  As a last hurrah, we decided to visit the Texas Roadhouse Grill located by the mall in Myrtle Beach.*

Luckily, they weren't very busy upon our arrival.  We almost sat at the bar for half price appetizers, but you actually had to sit AT the bar.  There were no bar booths or tables.  That sent us right back to the hostess stand to request a booth.  The young lady that sat us turned out to also be our waitress.**  She grabbed drink orders from us and immediately went to fill them.

Upon her return, we ordered cheese fries as an appetizer, with a side of chili.  She was kind enough to give us another moment to peruse the menu and went to put in our appetizer order.  Mark figured out what he wanted and then wandered away to the restroom.***  She came by to top off Mark's iced tea and ended up taking our orders, as well.

While waiting for both Mark and food, I looked around the restaurant.  The place is pretty spacious and even has an upstairs.  The taxidermy animals sprinkled throughout kinda creep me out, but to each his own.  It was relatively quiet tonight, but there were some TVs playing football for anyone that cared to watch.

Before Mark made it back, the server brought out a fat loaf of bread with some cinnamon butter.  I waited for Mark for a while before I finally caved and had a piece.  He returned before I finished it and helped himself to some as well.  The bread was warm and pretty standard.  Mark really liked it but didn't care for the butter.  I liked the butter and just thought the bread was okay.  The bread had a good texture though, nice and soft.

While still working on the bread, our cheese fries arrived, and they were glorious!  Some cheese fries end up with the fry component being soggy and greasy.  These fries were holding their form and tasted great.  The cheese and bacon complemented them nicely, as did the ranch dressing.  Mark was the only one to try the chili, and he liked it.  He said it tasted as if they added beer to it.  My only complaint was that the side of chili was an additional two dollars.  It was plainly stated in the menu; I just thought it was a bit steep when the fries were already $6.99.

As we attacked the fries, my salad showed up too.  It was just a plain house salad, no different than any other.  It was pretty unremarkable but got the job done.

I was already feeling full when dinner arrived.  I had chicken tenders with corn on the cob.  Mark opted for pulled pork and chicken with beans and corn on the cob.  Both of us loved the corn on the cob.  Sometimes, it ends up soft and gummy at restaurants, but Texas Roadhouse Grill did a good job with it.  It was firm and tasty.  The beans were also surprisingly good.  Both of us agreed that the pulled pork was good.  It was tender and flavorful, even without the barbecue sauce.  Mark's chicken was a bit dry but still edible.  My chicken tenders had a nice light breading, which I prefer, but they were a bit bland.****

All in all, we had a great experience at Texas Roadhouse Grill.  The server was great, never letting my drinks run dry, and the food was pretty good.  The entrees were comparably priced, but the appetizer got a bit expensive with the chili.  When we start dining out again, we'll probably swing by Texas Roadhouse Grill; I suggest you do the same.

*This is not to be confused with Texas Roadhouse.  They are two different establishments.

**On a side note, I have never been called "mam" so many times in my life.  She was super polite.

***I'm pretty sure he was gone so long because they had an old school Frogger machine.

****They will turn into buffalo chicken dip tomorrow.

Dayoftheshirt.com

We met the most amazing young lady when we were down at Disney.  She was one of those CMs that will stop and ask you to take a survey.  Her name was Jenn.*  She was a redditor who liked Sherlock.  Mark and I want to be her friends.

If you see this person, heap praise upon her.

She is very awesome.

Her name is Jenn.

Perhaps the best thing about our meeting with Jen, aside from her participating in our picture adventure and being super awesome, was the gift she gave us...the gift of awesome tee shirts.  You see, while we were chatting about all sorts of nerdery, she made mention of teefury.com and dayoftheshirt.com.  I now keep the latter site up on my computer at all times.

Apparently, there is this thing on the internet where a specially designed t-shirt will be made available, often for only twenty four hours.  Dayofthteshirt.com allows you to see the most popular daily tee shirt sites in one handy, dandy website.  It's easy to browse and links directly to the site you buy off of.

Aside from the fact that they save me the hassle of visiting mutliple websites to check out their shirts, they have more websites than I knew about represented.  In case you're wondering what kind of shirts we're talking about, let me list off my favorite shirts from today:

• Powerpuff girls as DC superheroes
• Gears of War Dom - Remember the Fallen
• Xenomorph close-up
• Kiki's Delivery Service Logo
• Breaking Bad - I am the danger.
• I survived Indiana Jones Mine Ride of Doom
• The Mario Bros. done up as Walt & Jesse from Breaking Bad

Now, those are just some of the shirts on the site today.  They're done by different artists and often focus on pop culture.  I love it!  I've seen Game of Thrones and Dr.  Who shirts on there as well.

Let's talk cost.  If I walk into Hot Topic and buy a mass produced t-shirts, it costs almost $30.**  The shirts on these sites cost between $10 and $15.  On some sites, the shirts stay up for three days or so.  Some of the linked sites also offer the shirt design on other items.  

I brought a lot of really good memories away from Disney weekend, but this is by far the neatest souvenier I picked up.  I actually ordered my first shirt today.  I think it was around $15 with the shipping and handling.  It was a good deal for a shirt I probably won't see a lot of other people wearing.***  Go check out the site; if nothing else, you can see neat designs.

*And his name was Robert Paulson.

**I know because I really wanted the Dr. Hooves shirt they have.

***I know that's not important, but let me have this.

Basilisk

I have done one or two anime reviews in the past.  Most people are already decided about anime as a whole.  You are either a somewhat weird individual who enjoys anime or someone the derides it.  Of course, there are people who don't care either way.  I used to hate anime in all forms.  When I was eleven or so, I saw Vampire Hunter D on Sci-Fi*.  It wasn't my parents'fault, as this happened when my brother was having open heart surgery, and we were staying with my grandfather.  He didn't care much what we were doing.  While I don't have a problem with younger kids watching more adult material, as long as they can handle it, I probably shouldn't have watched that particular anime at that age.  I thought it was weird and kinda neat.

Fast forward three or four years, and you would have seen me saying negative things about anime, even though I didn't watch it.  I didn't start to like it until Toonami was on after school.  I recall watching Sailor Moon and Dragonball Z on Cartoon Network.  I eventually watched Ninja Scroll while visiting some friends.

A few years later saw me with Mark.  He continued to introduce me to different forms of anime.  I saw both Cowboy Bebop and Record of Lodoss War.**  We watched Ranma 1/2, which is a bit weirder.  From there, we checked out shows like Naruto and Inuyasha.

By this point, Ryan, my brother, had begun showing me different shows he had discovered.  Both Berserk and Neon Genesis Evangelion were shows he suggested to me.  I've been trying to find Evangelion in a store so I can re-watch it with Mark.  He has only seen a couple of episodes.

Lately, I've been in an anime mood.  Sometimes, I just get the urge to watch something from that particular art form.  As I have already stated, I've been looking for the Evangelion box set.  I haven't had any luck and was wandering through Netflix when I saw that Basilisk was on there.  We actually own the entire box set*** and have watched it in its entirety.  Because I'm too lazy to actually dig it out and put it in the DVD player, I decided to start re-watching it on Netflix.

Basilisk falls under the serious magical ninja anime category. The tone is more serious and often dark while still ridiculous and fantastic.  The show uses a political agenda to set up a multitude of ninja battles.  Each character has their own magical**** edge, making each encounter interesting.  Many of techniques used by the ninja are pretty standard to anime ninjas.  Because they are pretty well done, it doesn't come across as annoying.  Rather, it seems like an homage to earlier shows.  It's a happy reminder of other great anime; it makes me want to watch Ninja Scroll again.

Don't mistake my admiration for how some abilities are handled as blanket approval.  Some of the characters have incredibly silly powers.  The entire show is unbelievable, but that's part of the fun.

Part of what grounds the show, making it watchable, is the excellent voice acting.  Much of the dialogue is so well delivered that it makes it easy to buy into what's going on.  Star crossed lovers are a good sell, and  ancient and unyielding hatred is also a traditionally strong motivation for characters.  At the same time, that kind of overwhelming and simplistic drive can make for one dimensional characters.  Basilisk offers interesting battles but no real room for growth for most characters.

The animation is solid and sometimes beautiful.  Of course, that's when you ignore the less attractive characters.  Some of them are downright creepy.  The character design is a testament to the devotion of the artists.  Many anime series tend to make all the characters look similar, while Basilisk is populated by characters that look like individuals.  While there may be some similarities, they are not so overwhelming that you can't tell the characters apart.

I enjoy Basilisk.  There are certain things I don't love, but it's a quality show.  I wouldn't introduce someone to anime with this show, but once someone is accustomed to the style, I would show them this.  It's a pretty basic story, but there are ninjas!

*That's what it was called back then, not Syfy.  I don't care for that name.

**To this day, I still have not seen the end of that series.  We ended up making out instead.  It was time well spent.  It may have something to do with why anime sometimes makes me happy.  Who knows...it's all weird.

***The box is a really cool wooden one.  The front slides open!  When it comes to cool boxes, anime usually wins.

****Maybe magic is the wrong term.  Simply put, everyone has superpowers.

Modern Family

Today, so many television shows are dumbed down.  Jokes are over-simplified and often attached to canned laughter.  The audience is frequently treated as if they are no more intelligent than the average five year old.* When you find a show that treats you as a thinking adult, it creates a happy moment.  You savor that discovery.  Shows like Game of Thrones, Breaking Bad, and Mad Men expect more of their audience.  While those are dramas, there are comedies out there for people who want to be treated intelligently.  While it wasn't what I was expecting, I was pleasantly surprised to find that Modern Family expects more of its audience than many other shows.

With any sitcom type show, a great deal of the success is tied into the jokes.  Is the show funny?  Do you want to keep watching?  Do they reuse the same joke over and over again?  Does it get old?  Luckily, Modern Family practices a much drier and subdued sense of humor than your average television show.  A great deal of the laughs come from mild character reactions.  On occasion, the same joke may be used but never in a stale manner.  Throughout the season, you see the one family constantly tripping on a particular stair.  It doesn't happen so much that it gets old, but it is a familiar quirk of the house that pops up at odd times, garnering a smile.  Some jokes are subtle enough that it takes me or Mark a few seconds to catch up.

With this type of humor, it's important to cast actors that can handle the material.  I don't think their is a single actor on the show that I don't like.  They're all quite talented and portray their characters well.  While some of them are recognizable, the one that I was the most familiar with was Phil Dunphy, who is played by Ty Burrell.**  He just so happened to be in the remake of Dawn of the Dead, which I am fond of.  In it, he plays a sleazy prick.  He does such a good job of it that I kind of despised him.  When I saw him in the Edward Norton Hulk movie, I started to realize he wasn't just a sleaze.  Fast forward to me watching Modern Family, and color me shocked.  He is the nicest, sweetest guy.***  What's amazing is that the show is full of quality actors who are blessed with quality material.

While it is easier to find humor in things that mirror our own life, don't assume that you can't enjoy Modern Family just because your family is a bit on the normal side.  I grew up in a home with a mom and dad who are still married, and I have two younger brothers.  I don't have any in-laws as exciting as those in the show, but it's still easy to find the humor.  I'm sure there are some people who won't watch the show because of the family structures, but that would be silly.  The humor isn't in the types of family; the humor is family in general.

A great deal of the humor is successful because the characters are not one dimensional.  Each character has positive characteristics while simultaneously carrying flaws.  You can see yourself and your relatives in them. That's what makes it great.  While some of the background type characters are a bit out there, the main characters are pretty grounded.  Yes, they all have lots of money and fancy houses, unlike most of us, but the setting is less important than the characters.

If you haven't watched Modern Family yet, you should definitely check it out.  I just caught the episode where they go to Disneyland, and it was so sweet and tender, yet funny.  I'm not gonna lie; I may have teared up a bit.  It's wonderful to watch a show that can make you laugh.  It's even better when that same show can pull other emotions from you without resorting to cheap tricks.  Bravo, Modern Family.  Bravo!

*I am not disparaging five year-old kids.  Some of them are quite smart.

**I'm sure most people are more familiar with Ed O'Neill who was on Married with Children.  I don't really remember watching that show.  I know who the characters were, but he was not typecast in my mind.

***I guess that's why they call it acting.

Pirates Voyage - Customer Service & Gift Shop

Now, I know you're sitting there thinking that I already reviewed Pirates Voyage*, and you would be right.  I reviewed the dinner show.  At the time, however, the focus was pretty much just on the show and the food.  Today, I had the privilege of experiencing both their customer service and their gift shop.

I suppose I should explain why we were at the Pirates Voyage gift shop.  Those of you who read the review will recall that we actually saw the show last February with our good friends, Rick & Tara.**  The important detail about our trip was that we dressed as pirates.  Our costumes were good enough that people assumed we worked there.***  All four of our costumes were quite good.

Here, in the present day, Mark and I are in the process of tweaking our costumes.  It just so happens that we will be attending the Disney Halloween party when we visit there with my parents in October.  Because my mother, who is my own personal seamstress, is quite busy, I don't feel right asking her to sew costumes for us.  When you factor in that Mark loves dressing up as a pirate,**** it only made sense for us to resurrect the pirate costumes.

After a lovely dinner, we decided to just swing by Pirates Voyage and see if they would let us look around the shop.  We were worried they would not if we were paying to see the show.  This is a valid concern, as the gift shop is right by where you enter the show.  Less honest people could attempt to sneak in.

Mark pulled up front, and I went in to see if we could visit the gift shop.  I explained to the nice girl, who was reading a book and playing on her phone, that we had been there months ago and were now looking for costume accessories.  She said they don't usually allow people to visit the gift shop when they're not seeing the show.  Going above and beyond, she called her manager to see what could be done.  While explaining the situation to management, the girl referred to us as people that like to dress up as pirates.  It was kinda funny, at least to me.

Luckily, the manager sent someone out to escort us to the shop.  I gave Mark the good news, and he went to park the car.  By the time he returned, the two pirate employees and I were having a fine chat.  We were called scalawags multiple times.****  As he led us to the shop, we discussed pirate swords and what they had in stock.

When we reached the gift shop, he told us to loot and plunder.  It was a nice touch and very cute.  There is quite a bit of stuff in the store.  We had a variety of swords to choose from and even more hats.  In the end, we bought a sword, a hat, and a pirate pistol.

When we checked out, the lady manning the register kept up the pleasant encounters.  She talked to us about what we were buying and made good small talk.  They even let us both use the restrooms.******  I ended up speaking to yet another employee who was friendly and happy.

I know I did a review of Halloween supply stores the other day, but if you're looking for pirate accessories, Pirates Voyage has a surprisingly good selection, and the prices were comparable to the other shops.  It didn't succeed in making me want to watch the show again, but it did make me want to go back to Disney World.  Once again, Pirates Voyage succeeds in impressing me.

Arr.

*In case you're wondering, I went to the website to see whether or not they used an apostrophe.

**They go together so well that you must join them with the ampersand; the word "and" just isn't good enough.

***This could also be because people don't expect childless adults to dress up as pirates.

****He used to dress up as the Pasta Pirate to entertain kids when we worked at Fazoli's in college.  You should ask him about it sometime.

*****Which is awesome, by the way.

******I had to pee, as did Mark.  We had just had dinner; don't judge me.

World of Warcraft - The Character Creation Process

Originally, I intended to review World of Warcraft as a whole.  Unfortunately, that's a bit difficult.  The game is so large and has so many facets that I would have to get back into it and play for hours upon hours to do a fair review of the entire World of Warcraft experience.  Instead, I'm going to focus on the character creation.

As is so often the case, I owe you a bit of background before I start spewing forth my opinions.  I was pretty hard into Wow a few years ago.  With a group of friends, mostly met online, I ran a raiding guild.  My husband started out as the primary raid leader.  As time went on, we increased our officer core, and they took on more and more of the load.  Frankly, we played enough that it was like having a second job.  At first, we loved it.  As time went on, the shine wore off.  Eventually, we stopped playing.  Every once in a while, we would log in again, say hello to old friends, then wander away.

When they offered Diablo III for free when you signed up for a year of Wow, we both went ahead and did so.  It wasn't really worth it for me, as I have only logged onto Wow a few times and played a total of twenty minutes in Diablo III.  It seems we may start getting more use out of our accounts, though, as I  have a new laptop, and Mark is the proud owner of a new desktop.*

Together, we got on our new computers and logged into Wow.**  When you create a new character in Wow, you have a series of decisions to make.  First you choose which faction: Horde or Alliance.  I've played both, but my first toon was an ally.  She's Horde now, due to a server and faction change, but I look fondly upon my time in the Alliance.

For our new characters, we decided to roll Alliance.  There are descriptions throughout the creation process to aid you in your choices.  This is a good thing, as your next choice is race.  I'm not going to list them all here because I'm lazy.  Most of you already know the races, and if you don't, the creation screens will brief you on them.  We had decided to play space goats, better known as Draenei.

Once you've chosen your race, you can choose gender, which is pretty self explanatory.  Now, it's time to choose your class.  Once again, I'm not going to list them all.***  You can easily discover the basics of each class, such as their approach to battle.  I remember reading them all when I first started.  Now, the descriptions may have changed, but at the time, they did a good job of preparing me.

I realize you're on the edge of your seat, wondering if you get to tweak the appearance of your character.  Let me assure you that you do!  The cosmetic changes you can make are pretty basic and not too varied, but you do have some freedom.  It would be nice to someday have customization as varied as Mass Effect or Skyrim, but it may not be feasible with this type of game.  Not being able to grasp the vast amounts of information flowing around stifles my ability to understand if this is something that could change.  If I had never seen greater customization, I would have been content.  That being said, I'm still pretty happy.

The most difficult part of character creation, for some people, is choosing a name.  When Mark and I specifically sit down and create characters together, we like the names to somehow be related.  They end up reflecting something we find interesting at the time.  It took us over an hour to come up with two names that we both liked that weren't taken that related to My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic.  Over. An. Hour.  That's pretty sad, but it was also very fun.  We jumped around as to what we wanted them to reflect, but in the end Starpony and Twinkleshine won out.

World of Warcraft does a lot of things right.  Character creation is definitely one of those things.  They've made it easy for someone who has not played a lot of these types of games to make a character and join in the fun.  Everything is simply explained and pretty intuitive.  If you haven't played WoW yet, you may want to try it.  It's a neat experience, and the initial outlay can be pretty cheap now.

*He's been without one for a year.  After a gentle nudge, I convinced him that he should get one.

**Of course, it wasn't that easy.  Mark had to install it on both of our computers, get it all up to date, and set up any add-ons we needed.  I refused to take part in that process.

***Google is your friend.

Etsy

Do you ever take for granted that everyone knows about something?  When I get caught up in my own little world, it surprises me that some people don't know what I'm talking about when I refer to WoW.*  I referenced Doctor Who the other day and was a bit surprised when the person I was talking to had never heard of it.  Things that we encounter regularly just become part of our normal environment, to the point that we forget that others may not be familiar with it.  I was at work not too long ago when someone didn't know what Etsy was.  So, let's talk about Etsy.

For the uninitiated, Etsy is a site that features both antique and hand-made items for sale.  You can be a vendor, or you can be a buyer.  Do whatever floats your boat.  What's really neat about Etsy is that you can find items for the oddest things.  I could go buy Tardis earrings if I want.**  Like Supernatural?  They've got shirts and jackets with different sigils and what not.  Are you more into antiques?  They still have you covered.  When we bought our bestest buds they're wedding gift, the trunk came from an antique seller on Etsy.  You have the ability to contact the sellers with questions and comments.

The site itself is pretty user friendly.  If you find something you like, you can actually visit the person's "shop" to see all of their items.  For our medieval costumes a couple years ago, we bought a bag from someone on Etsy.  We perused her entire shop, just in case there was something else we could have used.

Now, I have bought stuff from Etsy, but I have never taken on the role of seller.  As far as I know, it's pretty user friendly.  I know my mother has sold some of her patterns on Etsy, and I don't recall her complaining about it.

If you haven't wandered over to Etsy.com, you really should.  Even if you don't order anything, it's fun to look around.  Go search for some obscure show, and I'll bet you find some fan made items for sale.

*In case you're one of those people, I mean World of Warcraft.

**It's a Doctor Who thing.

Anita Blake: Vampire Hunter & Slut?

I was originally going to write this review solely about the most recent Anita Blake novel I had read.  However, I found myself wanting to re-read the entire series.  Therefore, I am earmarking this series for review.  The problem with that is that reading this book and reviewing it followed by reviews of earlier books later would be confusing.  I don't want people thinking I'm jumping through time!  So, when I have re-read all of the books, I'll do an all encompassing review.  Until then, I'll take plenty of notes.

UPDATE!

So, it turns out I was wrong.  I am incapable of re-reading the entire series before writing this review.  As I'm reading the early books again, I am constantly having random outbursts.  For this review, I am going to start at the beginning though.

Where I lived growing up was in the middle of nowhere.  We weren't in the city limits, so we didn't get a library card for free.  My grandmother, who didn't really use hers, let us use it.  We would go to the library, and mom would let me pick out as many books as I wanted.  After moving on from books more appropriate to my age, I started combing the Sci Fi/Fantasty paperback shelves for interesting reads.  I know you're not supposed to judge a book by its over, but that's what I did.  I never really found the books with humanoid animals on them interesting.*

One day, while sitting on the floor, perusing the lower shelves, I found a book called the Lunatic Cafe.  It was about a woman by the name of Anita Blake.  She was a vampire executioner who also raises the dead for a living.  It takes place in a world where vampires and werewolves are well known.  At that time, it was the first book I had found like that.  Now, that's a pretty standard idea for a book.  For me, a good sixteen years ago or so, that was new.  I had read the original Dracula.  I had read quite a few Anne Rice novels.  This was new to me, and it was really interesting.

I'm a pretty boring person, and I was an incredibly dull high school kid.  I didn't dink, didn't smoke, didn't do drugs.  I didn't date all that much.  I guess you could say I was straight-laced.  Anita Blake, the main character in the new books I found, was also pretty clean, so to speak.  She didn't do any of those things.  She was a bad ass who did what she thought was right.  As you can imagine, that appealed to me.

Anita Blake, when I was getting to know her, was a good person.  She sometimes had to make hard decisions and things didn't always work out, but she did what she had to in order to protect others.  There is a book where she ends up torturing someone.  It's not a drawn out scene.  It's not overly horrible, but it's not glorifying torture either.  I'm not talking torture like they do in torture porn movies, either.  What is important to realize, even though I didn't like what she did, I understood why.  It made sense and was an organic change for the character.  Furthermore, she didn't start torturing everyone after she had one experience.  She recognized it as a necessary evil, something she never wanted to do again.

The early books are littered with interesting characters that don't really have much to do with the main story-lines.  They are people that just add detail to the books, her neighbors, co-workers, and the like.  Re-reading the early books just reminds me of the little touches that made Anita who she was.  I had completely forgotten that she collected penguins.  She had characteristics and quirks in the beginning.

Now, Anita Blake is a whore.  I know that sounds harsh, but that's what she has become.  Mark and I had a running joke that you could open any random page in the more recent books and find a sex scene.  We were right more often than I like.

One of the biggest problems with this change of character is that it's not organic; it doesn't really make sense.  Anita is afflicted by the "ardeur".  It essentially makes her a succubus; she has to have sex and "feed" off of it to survive.  Yeah, go ahead and re-read that.  That's really what has happened to this once interesting character.

Because of this change, there is less time spent interacting with bit characters, less time fighting evil.  There is a whole lot more time spent having sex with most of the men in the series.  When they run out, more are written in.  She has sex with people she doesn't even know.  In the most recent book I read, they actually allowed her to be possessed so she could take part in an orgy with no real repercussions   Oh wait, there is one.  She apparently slept with a sixteen year old.  Instead of the books being about some new evil she has to defeat, there is an equal amount of time spent on who she is sleeping with.  It's just plain sad to see such an amazing character reduced to smut.**

In the most recent book that I read, there was no sex until page 378.***  I was amazed.  I actually thought I was going to get through a whole book with no gratuitous and meaningless sex scenes.  It turns out that I was wrong.  Heck, she beats the bad guy using sex.  As I try to keep my reviews more on the PG side, I'm not going to explain how.  Let's just say it's just not right.  Anita started out as a strong character, and she has devolved into a character that has sex with everyone.  She went from being strong to being slutty.  I don't care how you justify it, it doesn't make sense for the character; it changes one of her core values and adds nothing to the story.  It actually detracts from what used to be a rich environment.

If you haven't read the Anita Blake books, I would strongly caution you against doing so.  I grew attached to that character and felt betrayed when she stopped being who she was.  It may be silly to feel betrayed, as that obviously wasn't the author's intent, but that's how it was.  Now, it just makes me angry.  I honestly don't know if I'll read any more of the books.  I only picked up the most recent one I read because it was a hardback book on clearance for $5.

*Sorry, furries.

**Just so you know, I have no problem with smut.  You want to write dirty books, knock yourself out.  I've read the Merry Gentry series which features some weird sex, but I don't really have a problem with that.  If it seems hypocritical  let me explain why.  Anita Blake started out as a sexless story.  Yeah, there was tension and strippers and what not, but she was pure.  She wasn't banging everyone.  That series didn't start out that way and shouldn't have gone that way.  I'm not saying no nookie for her, but the way it has been handled doesn't fit with how the series started out.

***I think that was the page number.  I remember because I was so shocked.

Imaginations Vs. Spirit: A Halloween Showdown

Do you have your Halloween costume yet?  Have you begun thinking about what you want to be?  Well, I have good news for you.  At this point in the year, you have two convenient choices for all of your Halloween needs.  You can visit Imaginations and/or Spirit.  This year, they're essentially right next to each other.  Want to know how they measure up?

Location
Since Imaginations and Spirit are right next to each other, neither one has the edge, as far as location goes.  Perhaps Imaginations gets a bit of an edge in this category, since this is their permanent location.  Their store also seems a bit larger.
Winner : Imaginations

Costumes
If you have been in a store that specializes in selling Halloween goods, it was probably a Spirit store.  Therefore, you pretty much know what to expect.  The costumes are mass produced of mid-level quality.  There is a pretty good selection, with new costumes each year.  Obviously, they are reflecting the current events by having a selection of political masks.
Imaginations also has a nice selection of costumes, but they also have quality costumes that are for rent or purchase.  While they also have the lower quality options, you can choose to procure a higher quality costume for a higher price.  They also offer individual pieces.  If you need a billowy pirate shirt but you already have britches and kick-ass boots, that's fine.  You can pay $30 for an awesome pirate shirt that feels like a real shirt, not some shiny nylon one.
Winner : Imaginations

Accessories
Both stores have an excellent supply of accessories for your costume needs.  In the past, we've had better luck finding interesting pieces at Spirit.  This year, however, Imaginations had a better selection of goods for the costumers we are tweaking this year.  They had so many pirate hats that it wasn't even funny.  Maybe closer to Halloween, Spirit will end up trumping Imaginations, but right now, Imaginations is looking pretty good.
Winner : Imaginations

Hours
Since I am only considering their utility for Halloween, I have to disregard the fact that Imaginations is open year round.  They get bonus points for it, but in this instance, we are only concerned with who has the best hours now.  Spirit is far and away providing more shopping hours for their customers.  They were open an extra two hours this evening over Imaginations.
Winner: Spirit

Decorations
Do you decorate your yard for Halloween?  Are you covering your house with creepy ornaments?  Is your sidewalk lined with horror?  If not, you can find everything you would need at Spirit.  Imaginations focuses on costumers, hence doesn't really have too many decorations.  The selection at Spirit, while creepy, is vast. They have most of the items that are animated set up so that you can see what they do.  In particular, the jumping spiders are creepy.  If we weren't warned about them, I'm pretty sure Mark would have shrieked like a 14 year old girl.
Winner : Spirit

If you're putting together a costume for Halloween, your best bet is to visit both stores.  There's no law saying you can't, but if you want to minimize your shopping time, I would just go to Imaginations.  Their costume selection just can't be beat.  You can pretty much put together everything you need in one stop: hats, shoes, accessories, costumes, etc.

Resident Evil: Retribution

DISCLAIMER - This review is incredibly spoiler heavy.  It deals with the plot of the most recent Resident Evil film.*  I will reference multiple scenes from the film, as well as the ending.  If you don't want the film ruined for you, do not read this review until you have seen the movie.  For those of you who will be holding off on reading this until you see the movie, I will tell you that it is on par with the other Resident Evil sequels.

This is your last chance to leave the page before I delve into the content of the movie.  Consider yourself warned.

A letter to Paul W. S. Anderson:

Dear Mr. Anderson,

I feel we need to talk, primarily about your latest entry in the Resident Evil franchise.  Before we get into the meat of this one sided discussion, I do need to give you the respect due your position.  You are a talented and creative person.  You get to write and direct movies, and while you may not be on par with someone like Christopher Nolan, you do a far superior job than someone such as myself.  The fact that you have a name in the business is to be applauded.  The fact that you keep making these movies shows that you have some affinity and affection for the subject matter and the characters you have created.

With all that being said, you have done yourself a great disservice with your latest entry.  While there were certain moments or images that were good, the not so good far outweighed those moments.  The film doesn't quite reach the level of awesomely bad that I frequently enjoy.  Instead, it's both awesome and bad, a wholly different monster.

Let's get the biggest problem out in the open first.  You resorted to startling the audience with loud noises.  The first twenty minutes or so of the film is full of loud and jarring noises.  That is the work of a hack.  The part of me that loves the idea of a Resident Evil movie likes to believe you were creating a commentary on the evolution of the zombie film.  The cynic in me doesn't believe that for a second.  While the entire film feels like a bunch of min-horror movies, I don't think that was intentional, which means the early segments with the jump out type scares weren't meant to be anything more than a way to get a reaction from the audience.  I expected better from you.

I appreciated your attempt to create an interesting opening for the film.  You came up with an idea and executed it quite beautifully.  The reverse opening scene, moving ever so slowly, was neat to watch.  Unfortunately, it didn't bring anything to the film or enrich the story.  If making awesome looking scenes was all you needed to create a quality film, you would be at the top.  I, however, require a bit more.  I'm not saying I was expecting Shakespeare.  If the film had been awesomely bad, I would have embraced it.  For example, I love Doom and the original Resident Evil; I bear no ill will towards video game movies.

Perhaps the problem was that you went too far but not far enough.  You included Barry, which I applaud, but if you're going to do that, why did we not get a line about a Jill sandwich?  If you're going to include a rather lame character, take it all the way.  You did a good job capturing the look of the characters, but they didn't necessarily feel like the characters.

Now, part of the reason I like the original Resident Evil movie is because it took familiar ideas and used brand new characters to explore them.  We saw the birth of the monster, so to speak, and we learned about it at the same time as the characters on screen.  With that decision came the opportunity to draw the audience in.  As the movies go on, more and more video game characters are showing up, and that's not a bad thing.  However, you have to balance it properly to make it work.

You created some excellent characters in Alice and Rain.  You cast two fun actresses to play them.**  Even though Rain died in the first movie, you found a way to bring her back!  Unfortunately, you didn't let us keep her!  You had the opportunity to do something interesting with the character but let her just be a stooge for the Red Queen.  You had a great opportunity to have her interact with the nice clone or even see her dead and come to the realization that something wasn't quite right.  She could have been so much better.  Of course, I just wanted you to do that so she could be in the next movie, if there is one.

Speaking of the Red Queen, was it really necessary to change up the model?  You obviously have no aversion to CG, so you could have kept the same look for the Red Queen.  I know this is a small complaint, and I know the original girl would have aged by now, making her unusable.  Even so, I would rather you had tried to use what you already had.

Additionally, regarding the CG, it just wasn't that good.  Did the images ape the video games? Sure, but they didn't look that good.  I appreciated your practical effects and make-up, but that success simply highlighted how much the CG was lacking.

I think we can both agree that the original Resident Evil film wasn't particularly original, but it was its own work.  Maybe it was inspired by other films, but I don't recall other movies coming to mind while I watched it.  With your most recent work, I spent a great deal of time being struck by the similarities to other works.  If that was intentional, it worked.  Bravo.  Somehow, I don't think you meant for it to be so overt.

During one of the earlier sequences, when we see the suburban Alice and how she handles the zombie outbreak, it felt just like the remake of Dawn of the Dead.  Specifically, the scene where she is outside the house and kind of looking around felt just like the scene with Sarah Polley's character.  While my mind may have made them more similar than they were, it even felt as if the camera movements were similar.  That was subtle enough that I may not have brought it up if it weren't for a few other familiar moments.

Aliens is one of my favorite movies.  I can watch it over and over again, so when you decide to essentially lift a chunk of your third act from it, I noticed.  I imagine a lot of other people did as well.  The main character, who has become attached to a young child, is forced to follow after the big bad in an attempt to save the child.  There are blinking lights and an industrial type back drop.  She finds the child constrained by the monster but still alive.  In both cases, the monster is vanquished and the girl is reunited with her surrogate mother.  Yeah, you were a bit obvious with that.  I love Milla Jovovich, but she is no Sigourney Weaver.  They are two very different actresses.  I adore them both, but there was something missing that made the scenes in your film lack warmth and weight.

Milla Jovovich is a perfect Alice, and I couldn't imagine anyone else in the role.  Michelle Rodriguez is just an all around bad ass and a pleasure to watch.  Kevin Durand does a lot with very little.  While you have some talented and fun actors, a large amount of the acting is wooden or just plain bad.  I don't understand how you covered up all of the teeth marks on the scenery.  Now, I  may have misunderstood your goal.  It certainly evokes the video games to have some less than stellar delivery, but is that really how you meant for your film to feel?  If you're going to channel the video game, shouldn't you only pick the good parts?

I must say that Jill looked awesome.  I didn't like Sienna Guillory in the second film, but that may have been what she was given to work with that I took issue with.  In this film, however, she nailed the character as she appeared in Resident Evil 5.  My only problem with that arose during the fight at the end of the film.  You had a lot of good stuff going on there.  The two fights going on were both well done.  I adored the snowy setting and the 3D effect with the snow.  What bothered me was based more on video game knowledge than anything else.  Everyone knows that when you're fighting the boss, the blinking red spot is usually his weak spot.  Why don't movie characters know this??  Alice eventually came to the realization, but it took her way too long.  I understand your need to create a solid fight scene, but I had trouble respecting Alice after she was so slow to catch on.

By the way, have you seen Angel?  It's a pretty good show, with a solid ending.  If you haven't seen it, you may want to return to this paragraph some other time.  Anyway, in the end, Hell essentially opens up, releasing untold hordes of evil and at least one dragon.  Joss Whedon, in his infinite wisdom***, opted not to show us any of that.  We see the characters decide who is taking on what, then it ends.  It's amazing.  If, however, he had shown us, I imagine it would have looked a lot like your closing image.

You have proven yourself capable of creating scenes and images that are just plain cool.  The only problem is deciding when enough is enough, when you should and should not utilize it.  The initial scenes of Rain underwater with the zombies are very beautiful, yet disturbing and scary, if you think about it.  When you pulled back and showed the giant pyramid of zombies closing in on her, it took me out of the moment.  It was just too much.****

I guess what I want you to know is that I enjoyed your film. There was quite a bit of incredulous laughter, but if you make another one, I'll go see it.  I hope you fix some of the things I didn't care for, but I would rather you keep making these films than not.  You have some fun talent involved, and you excel at creating neat images.  Just stay away from the loud noises and maybe try to have a plot next time.  Much like the final Lord of the Rings movie, I felt that this film could have ended three different times.  You should bring in a good editor.

Keep up the good work.  Regardless of my criticisms, your movies are usually pretty fun.  You create something from nothing while I just sit here telling you what I like about it and what I don't.  I admire your ability and fortitude.

Sincerely,

H. L. K.

*That is, if you can claim the movie has a plot.

**Seriously, they need some off the wall series where they play catty bad asses or some such.

***Well, it may have also had something to do with budget.

****Mark and I disagree on this point.  He loved that image.

Project Runway

We arrived home from Florida late on Monday.  That being said, I should have unpacked by now.  I blame buying groceries, working, and writing on here for my laziness.  Unfortuantely, that isn't what stopped me today.  Instead of unpacking, I found multiple episodes of Project Runway playing on Lifetime.*  It has soaked up all of my evening.

Project Runway has a lot going for it.  You have Tim Gunn, who is an amazing individual**, as well as Heidi Klum, who I find more and more likable as I watch the show.  The judges are appropriately acidic and genuine, as needed.  They have a great contrast among the four regulars.

The people they choose to be on the show are incredibly eclectic.  There are usually some stereotypes, but it doesn't appear to be too intentional.  The people are largely organic in their actions, reactions, and emotions.  There is always some drama, especially in episodes that force them into group challenges.

Each episode is structured pretty much the same.  They open with the introduction of a new challenge, followed by time to sketch their ideas.  After that, they visit Mood, where they buy the materials needed for their creations.  Time is then allotted for them to work, to create.  Tim Gunn will then show up and help them along.  He is just plain fun to watch.  He just likened someone's piece as an homage to the menstrual cycle.  How can you not love that??  The best part is that he does not mean it in a harsh way.  He is seriously trying to help them.

After their pep talks, they finish their garments and put them on the models.  Each piece sees the runway.  Afterwards, the judges critique everyone, choosing a winner and loser for the episode.  The format isn't particularly inspired, but it works.  Project Runway is a perfect blend of cliche and innovation.  I don't sew***, but it makes me want to.  I want to go wander around Mood and then create something.  I know it wouldn't look anywhere near as amazing as what they do on the show, but what they do can be inspiring.  You see them create an entire outfit in as little as a day.

Looking to kill some time?  Watch Project Runway.  It's peppered with interesting people making neat clothes.  I don't always understand why some of them are fashionable, but I don't have to.  I can just disagree with them.  They don't mind.

*There is a lot of junk on Lifetime.  As far as I can recall, Project Runway is the only show I watch on the channel.

**Which many of you already know.  WWTGD?

***Yet.

Hugo - Old Tyme Religion

While I am occasionally attracted to the terrible dance type song, I am more of a classic rock kind of girl.  I grew up in a house that had some country music tendencies with a little bit of this and that thrown in.  One of the earliest albums I remember was the Bat Out of Hell Album by Meatloaf.*  I know all the words, and it has been the only album that consisted of all quality songs in my little world.  Maybe I don't care for a couple of them as much as others, but it is one of my favorite albums.  Just recently, I have finally discovered another album that joins the distinction of having all quality material.  Hugo's Old Tyme Religion is an amazing collection of music that I really like.

I don't claim to have great taste in music, and how I discover music isn't very interesting or special.  If they use it in a movie, a television show, or a commercial, I'm probably going to hear it.  That's where I find most music, although I do sometimes here stuff I am not familiar with on Rock 107.

I discovered Hugo when I went to see a movie.  Mark and I headed out to the theater to see a little movie called Fright Night.  It was a remake, and it was awesome.**  Over the end credits, they play "99 Problems" which I had only known as a song by Jay-Z.  I  hadn't really listened to the Jay-Z version, but I was marginally aware of its existence.  I was immediately interested in this bluesy rock sounding music.  My interest is always piqued when someone takes a piece of music and inherently changes it.***  Hugo gave me something new.

I liked the music so much that I looked Hugo up on iTunes.  Usually, I just buy the one song I'm interested in.  You no longer have to buy entire albums with the introduction of digital music, and that's a wonderful thing.  Because I was so impressed with that one song, I decided to listen to the minute samples they had of the other songs on the album.  A few of them sounded pretty good, so I did the math and decided to buy the entire album.

As time has gone on, I keep discovering that I like more and more of the songs.  At first, there were maybe three or four that I really enjoyed and kept in my playlists.  Sometimes, you set it to shuffle through all your songs, and when I did, I would randomly hear another of the songs from the album and grow to like it as well.

On our recent trip to Florida, I managed to finally hear the last few songs off of that Hugo album that I had thus far avoided, and I realized that I like each and ever song on the album.  Each one.  That's frankly amazing.  In a day and age where we don't have to like the filler songs, it feels like there is no filler on Hugo's Old Tyme Religion.

If you want to see what Hugo is all about, just visit youtube and search for his version of 99 Problems.  It gives you a real feel for his sound.  From that one song, I have grown to love an entire album.  It's so great that I'm pretty sure my first child will be conceived while it's playing.  I'm pretty sure it has also allowed Hugo to sire as many children as he wants with the young ladies.****

*No, not the food.  Those jokes will not be tolerated.  Feel free to click the little "x" up in the corner.

**Seriously, you should have read my review.  I'm not even gonna link it.  :P

***I love the version of Dancing With Myself that they did on Glee.  They took a song and made it their own, but it worked.

****I can't imagine that man's bed is ever empty.

Disney Mail

Yes, I'm subjecting you to another Disney-centric review.  This time, I want to talk about mail from Disney.  Sometimes, it's awesome.  Sometimes, they disappoint me.

Did you know that if you book online, Disney no longer sends you a mailed confirmation?  That makes me sad, as I always enjoyed getting my Mickey mail.  Of course, there is an easy fix.  Just book via phone.

Other times, Disney will send you a letter just thanking you for your visit. I find this sweet, even though I know they're just manipulating my feelings to get me to come back.*

Perhaps the most annoying Disney-related mail incident is when they don't know who lives where.  I have gotten mail for my mother from Disney at my address.  She lives in Pennsylvania; I live in South Carolina.  The reverse has also happened, with her getting my Disney mail.

I love Disney,and I get so excited when I get mail from them.  Of course, that's why I would love for them to get  it a bit more together when they send out the mail.

*It works.

Technology on Vacation

I spend a decent amount of time wandering through random online forums revolving around Disney vacations.  Usually, I'm most active on them when I'm planning a trip or need a fix, but I will peruse the posts pretty regularly regardless.  One of the things I remember seeing a lot was people complaining about people who were on their cell phones.  Now, this was mostly before cell phones became so useful, but it was an oft heard criticism.  As a matter of fact, I was just reading a post about taking a lap top on vacation, and one poster commented that it was a silly item to bring along.  While bringing a lot of gadgets on vacation may not work for some people, it's on our packing list.

Our recent trip to Florida for Mark's sister's wedding included the following:

• Smart phones (2)
• Our phones are our cameras.  While we own both a camcorder and digital camera, the iPhone is so much easier to pull out.  We can also instantly share any amazing pictures we take.  I did an entire series of "See You Soon" photos for my parents since they'll be in Disney at the end of October, and I'll be seeing them.  It was really fun to send those pictures right off to them.  
• Our phones keep us connected to those who we are missing while we're gone.  Disney has always been a place I associate with my family.  We have taken so many trips there, and I have been party to life changing events there.  When I'm there, I like to message them, let them know what I'm doing.  It's fun for me, and I like to think it is kind of interesting for them.  I sat on the balcony of my hotel and talked to my mom one afternoon.  It was wonderful.  Do you know how much that would have cost if I had called from the in room phone?  I don't even want to think about it.
• Our phones are a constant source of entertainment.  Mark's off in the restroom?  No problem.  I can browse reddit on my phone.  I'm powdering my nose and Mark is stuck waiting at the table?  He can also browse reddit.  Nowadays, phones have games and mobile browsers.  You never have to be bored again.  During the drive, all of our music can be accessed via our phones, and we can listen to as many podcasts as we want.  
• Our phones are valuable touring tools.  If you have ever vacationed at Disney, you know there are multiple types of people.  Some people go commando, always riding something or seeing some show.  There are those that plan every minute of every day, and there are those that just wing it.  Mark and I are more the wander around and have fun but don't miss anything kind.  It is amazing to have an app on my phone that lists the wait times.  Instead of walking across the park, I can pull out my phone and check the wait for Splash Mountain.  I can see what time the Fastpasses are being distributed for at Soarin' in Epcot.  It's a time saver.
• Our phones have a note app.  I can tell you how long I waited for pretty much everything for those couple of days in September.  I know where we ate and what we had.  My note app is great.  When I know I'm going to review something, I pull out my phone and take notes.  I don't always do that, but it's incredibly useful if I need to.
• Laptops (2)
• Our laptops can hold a lot of pictures.  If you take tons of pictures, having a laptop is great.  You can go back to the room at the end of the day and download all of your pictures.  Maybe you don't need to because your memory card holds a lot, but what if you lose the camera?  Putting your pictures on the computer frees up camera space and assures that you'll have those pictures.
• Our laptops allow us to keep up with things.  Really, having my laptop means I can keep up with my daily reviews.  Even if they don't get posted in their entirety, I can work on them and take notes.  I'm hoping to put my laptop to better use on my next trip.  I was a bit too busy on this last one.
• Our laptops open up a whole new world of entertainment.  For some reason, Disney does not provide Cartoon Network in the hotel.  This makes me sad.  Regular television isn't always good.  Luckily, we can pull the laptop out and watch something else as we drift off to sleep.  Honestly, we were so tired we didn't need to, but it was nice to know the option was there.
• Nintendo 3DS (1)
• Since the first time we have gone on vacation together, Mark has gotten a new game for whatever handheld system he was using.  Before our first trip together, I actually hid his Gameboy.*  For this trip, I got him a Nintendo 3DS.**  There is a really neat feature called StreetPass that alerts you if anyone else comes near you with a 3DS.  When that happens, it will cue a little cut scene where you "meet" this person.  You find out their name, where they're from, and a special message from them.***  It was actually really neat.  Mark ended up with a whole bunch of them.  After you "meet" the person, they're little avatar hangs out in your plaza. It sounds kind of lame, but it was actually really fun.  When we would wait for a bus, Mark would pull his DS out and see who all he had "met".  I imagine it would be really fun if you're just a kid.  I wish they had those when I was little.  Standing in line is no fun, and anything that improves that wait shouldn't be frowned upon.
• Digital Camera (1)
• I'll be honest.  I didn't use it on this trip.  I think my camera in my iPhone is better.  Either way, it still comes along, in case I want it.
• Kodak Play Sport Camera
• This thing is awesome.  You can record with it underwater!  Like my digital camera, it ended up staying in the room.  It's not that I don't love it; it's just that I didn't have anything fun to film. When it is just Mark and I, we don't really film anything.

I don't know if we had any other techie stuff with us, but I think we had a pretty good showing.  Technology has its place, and as long as you don't over-do it, you shouldn't be afraid to use it to enhance your vacation.  Take along a lap top.  Pull out your smartphone.  Let your kid bring his DS to the park.  It's not going to hurt anything, and it might make him a bit less antsy.  I know it makes my 34 year old big kid happy.

*Don't judge me; it was a long drive.  If he had really pressed for it, I would have told him where it was.

             
**It's bigger than the other DS and is in 3D.  I know 3D is a gimmick, but there were games he wanted that were only available for it.  I won't tell you what they were, as they're pretty nerdy.

***You set it up, so if you don't want someone knowing your real name, you can use a nickname.  It doesn't give out your whole name either.

Annual Pass Upgrade Process

Let's say you're planning a trip to Walt Disney World.  Once you get there, you are so in love with the place that you decide you want to by an annual pass.  Well, I have good news.  You can actually put the cost of your current ticket towards the total owed on an annual pass!

Mark and I had our weekend at Disney, and we also have an upcoming trip at the end of October.  Well, it was cheaper to buy a five day, park hopping ticket with no expiration date than to buy a two day ticket for the weekend and a three day ticket for the October trip.

Since my job was going so well, we decided that we would go ahead and just upgrade to annual passes since we want to take another trip in the spring.*  I had done some research before leaving for Disney.  I knew we had fifteen days from the first use of our ticket to complete the upgrade.  I knew about how much it was going to cost, as well.  Aside from that, I was pretty sure I just had to visit customer service in one of the Disney parks.

It actually took us a total of four interactions to get our tickets upgraded.

1. When checking in at the Animal Kingdom Lodge, we inquired about just upgrading our passes there.  The CM said they could only do that at the parks, but she thinks the resorts will eventually be able to do it as well.
2. At the close of our first day, after our viewing of Illuminations, we stopped into customer service on our way our of Epcot.  First of all, the CM that helped us was amazing.  We actually spoke to her supervisor to lavish praise upon her.  Unfortunately, she couldn't upgrade us yet.  Apparently, if you have a dining plan and upgrade to an annual pass, all your meals and snacks just disappear.  The reason we were so keen to upgrade** sooner rather than later was because annual passholders get a discount on merchandise!  Ten percent!!  She did give us the little booklet that tells us about all of the discounts but suggested we wait until we had finished our snacks and meals before upgrading, just to be safe.
3. The next day, we were once again in Epcot.  We decided to just check with customer service again, as we've heard that different castmembers sometimes gives different answers.  A nice young man gave us the same answer.  He did say we could just upgrade one for now to get the discounts, while keeping the other pass as it was to hold onto our meals and snacks.  It was a good idea, but we decided just to wait.
4. That night, as we were leaving the Magic Kingdom***, we stopped into customer service one last time.  We had eaten all the meals and claimed all the snacks.  It was time to upgrade.  The actual process only took a few minutes, and the Michael, the CM, was great.  It was a fun experience.

Frankly, it was a little odd that Disney hadn't found a way to upgrade a person, yet keep their dining plan intact.  Since we were given solutions to our problem, Disney really did everything they could.  I was impressed with their staff and the actual process.  If you don't have a dining plan, you will have no problem at all!

*My husband is so full of win.

**Invest.

***It's only fitting we upgrade in that park, anyway.

Rose And Crown

Years ago, Disney introduced the Disney Dining Plan.  We discovered it when they started offering free dining with resort stays.  We already stayed solely on Disney property, but this was a new perk.  Until this point, we had only eaten at counter service restaurants.  Now, we have eaten at a great deal of Disney table service restaurants.  Until recently, I had never eaten at the Rose and Crown, which is located in the UK section of Epcot.

Before any Disney trip, I spend a great deal of time looking at food porn and menus, trying to decide where to eat.  When I discovered the Scotch egg on the menu at Rose and Crown, I showed it to Mark; this immediately prompted Mark to ask that we eat there.  I made the reservations, and we were set.  We were scheduled to check in at 6:45 for dinner.

Of course, all time before our reservation was spent riding rides and soaking up atmosphere.  We had fastpasses for Soarin', and because that took a little longer than expected, we didn't show up to check into the Rose and Crown until 7:00.  The very nice CM started looking for our reservation in the system but was having no luck.  That's when we realized our reservation was actually for 6:35, making us 25 minutes late.  Uh-oh.

While it looked pretty bleak, the CM gave us a beeper and told us he would add us to the list.  He told us he wasn't sure how long the wait would be; he warned us that it may be a good twenty five minutes or more.  We accepted that as our punishment and went to look around the shops.  It turns out the buzzers work through out the entire UK pavilion.  It makes waiting a lot less painful.  After wandering through the shops and a bathroom break, our buzzer went off.  It was maybe a ten minute wait.

Now, if you're not familiar with the Rose and Crown, it's situated on the waterway, with both interior and exterior seating.  It's a popular place to get dinner and watch Illuminations, which I had never seen.  I had not chosen our dinner time for that purpose, and I didn't expect to be seated outside.  With people specifically asking for those tables, I figured we would be inside.  We gave no seating preference, as we just wanted food.  For whatever reason, it worked out that we were seated outside, right up against the rail.  As the young lady was walking us to our table, she encouraged us to stay for Illuminations, even though it was quite a while before they started.

The temperature had cooled a bit, and there was a nice breeze off of the water.  Our server was incredibly nice and went over the menu with us, pointing out the dishes she was fond of.  We chose our drinks, and while she went to get them, we debated over what to order.  

I honestly have no idea what he is looking

at on his phone.

When she returned, we placed our order and enjoyed the view.  To dull the pain of waiting, they also provided some bread and butter.

It's the little touches that set Disney apart.

I love the newspaper look

of the paper.

Soon, our server was bringing our appetizers.  Mark had the Scotch egg, which he said was phenomenal.  I tried it, and it tasted like all of breakfast, rolled into one.  I'm glad for the experience points, but I don't think I could have eaten a whole one.  It was heavy and rich.

A Scotch egg is a hardboiled egg, surrounded

by sausage, which is then deep fried.  I'm sure it is

guilty of many deaths, but that is part

of the adventure.

Maybe to balance out Mark, I ordered the frisee and apple salad.  Traditionally, I'm not a fan of fruit on my salads, but the call of blue cheese was too strong to resist.  The key to a good salad with blue cheese crumbles is something a bit sweet to complement the flavor of the cheese.  It turns out that apples are good for that.  I had also never had craisins until this salad.  I think I leveled.

Behold my amazing salad!  It's a bunch of weird leafy lettuce

with some apples and craisins and cranberry vinaigrette.  There were also

tomatoes, candied nuts, and blue cheese crumbles!

Our entrees took quite a bit of time to show up.  It actually got dark while we were waiting.  It worked out okay though, since we had bread and appetizers.  Mark ended up ordering the Cottage Pie.  He liked it quite a bit.  I don't think I tried it.

It's ground beef, onions, and carrots covered by 

mashed potatoes and cheese.  They usually

put mushrooms in it, but Mark had 

them leave those off.

I was a bit more boring with my meal.  I opted for beef sirloin steak; it was served with blue cheese butter, my weakness.*  It came with onion rings and seasonal vegetables.  

The taters aren't pictured, as they were

super blurry.  They really existed...

I swear!

I was wanting comfort food, so I added a side of mashed potatoes on the side.  That was an excellent decision, as they were the best part of the meal.  

Around this point in time is when we started experiencing the only real problems of the night.  I am a heavy drinker.**  It had been pretty hot, and I was a bit dehydrated.  I had ordered both a soda and a water and was going through them pretty quickly.  I sat with no beverages for quite some time before we flagged her down and asked for more.  It had to have been about fifteen minutes before she brought me more to drink.  Mark had time to leave, use the restroom, and return before my drinks were refilled.

Since I was in such a good mood, it didn't ruin the night, but it did impact my ability to eat.  I ended up not even trying the onion rings because they were cold by the time I had a drink.  I ate all of the green beans and mashed potatoes though.  Even cold, they were worth eating.  I had a few bites of steak but didn't finish it.  It was okay, nothing spectacular.

Once we finished our meals, the server stopped back by and took our dessert order.  Disney has been kind enough to provide Mark with as much bread pudding as he could possible eat.  It seems like it's offered at each and every restaurant.  Rose and Crown was no exception; Mark ordered the sticky toffee pudding.  I, however, opted for the Jaffa tarts.

The server was kind enough to clear our table and take our dessert order before Illuminations began.  She warned us that she would drop off the desserts but not interrupt our viewing.  It was finally time to see the show.

Now, I've been to Disney many, many times.  Somehow, I've never seen Illuminations.  If we're in the park when they are happening, we are usually rushing out.  It's not fun to be crammed together with everyone else who is leaving via bus when they end.  Tonight, we had a front row seat for the show and decided to enjoy it.

We were not diappointed!  

Explosions!

There was fire and lasers and music and more lasers!

There's a globe!

The music is pretty good.  I didn't care for the stuff that had lyrics, but the instrumental pieces were beautiful.

Pew, pew, pew!

The show is quite long and definitely worth a watch.

Maybe I wouldn't bring children who were afraid of

fireworks to the show.

About halfway through the show, dessert showed up.  Mark's sticky toffee pudding was great; he really liked it.

Sweet but not too sweet.

My dessert was not as good.  It actually tasted like a Hostess snack cake.  I didn't hate it, but I was a bit disappointed.  I was still glad for the experience though.

If any British people are out there, I would love to know

if Jaffa cakes are some cheap snack you give your kids or if I just 

got a bad batch.

As we finished up dessert, Illuminations came to a close.  As with many Disney shows, the finale was amazing.  Somehow, they crammed in even more explosions!

The globe opened up!

If you haven't eaten at Rose and Crown, you should.  The food is good, and if you aren't adventurous, there are options for you.  That's a plus.  You can try something new or something you're used to.  While the service fell a bit short at times, it didn't ruin the evening.  Watching Illuminations from the restaurant was an incredible bonus.  In the future, that's how I will try to watch the show, if I choose to see it again.

*If I ever get pregnant, I'm going to hate not eating soft cheeses.

**I know I am repeating myself from other reviews; get over it.  I don't assume that anyone is reading all of these things.