Two Riders Were Approaching: Sci-Fi Post #1

Godsdamnit this post is long bloody overdue!  Newly inspired by Comicon weekend, I decided to finish this post, POST-HASTE!!  I might add some more movies a little later but here are some great godsdamn sci-fi flicks that have immediately zipped into this mind's eye!

• The Quiet Earth (1984):  This is a really well-done, slow-paced, old-school apocalypse-type movie.  Everyone dies and the only survivors are those who were at the brink of death at a certain point in time.  Now I am certainly no scientist-matitian and the techno-jargon they use are pretty awful but still, if you suspend belief for those moments, it is a pretty great movie!
• Solaris (1972):  I really like this movie.  It is about an astronaut whose wife has passed away but when he goes off to space, she somehow reappears to him again, corporeal form and all!  Very artsy and slow-paced.  This is a foreign film so if you are no fan of subtitles, watch the shorter, english version instead because they are both pretty good!
• Solaris (2002): So George Clooney stars in this version of the 1972 movie of the same title.  When I first saw that Clooney was in it, I was worried that hollywood may have bastardized the story but I was pleasantly surprised!  It is shorter and more to the point; the poetry/ artsy aspect of the older version is definitely missing but they definitely captured the storyline and character relationships very well.
• The Man From Earth (2007):  I was pretty crazy about this movie when I first saw it.  Not only does it have TONY FREAKIN' TODD, it is one of the few movies I have ever seen with incredibly strong and powerful dialogue.  I do not want to overhype it because I do not want you to focus on its flaws.  I just want to stress that the entire movie basically takes place in one location and for the duration of the movie, you are simply hearing a bunch of people talk to one another.  There is no clever animation, no nudity, no violence, just dialogue.  It is a bloody symposium, like, REALLY old school!
• Pi (1998): This is a Darren Aronofsky movie so you know it is going to be pretty damn good.  It is filmed in black and white, and it has a great soundtrack too!  The lead character is a mathematician named Max and well, he is trying to decipher codes within number systems that lead to god.  Pretty interesting movie!
• Another Earth (2011): Alright, this movie has its flaws but I like that when I think back on it, all I can remember is a really solid storyline.  (Actually, this storyline is a bit of a rip off from an older movie that I have not seen yet.  I cannot remember the name but I will get back to this tangent.. eventually!)  Anyway, this movie is about two identical earths in the universe where everything that happens on one earth simultaneously happens on the other until one day, some sort of dimentional shift or something happens that reveals these two earths to one another.  At that moment, things that happen within one earth no longer mirrors those that take place within the other earth.  So on earth A, for instance, Alice A gets into an accident but on earth B, Alice B does not get into that accident, etc. so we follow the reprecussions of the planetary reveal!  The lead actress is pretty talented, I believe she also co-wrote the movie.  Tom Cruise's cousin is in it too.
• Blade Runner (1982):  Ah, Sci-Fi gold!  What does it mean to be human?  What if we created a cyborg with free will and a capacity to have abstract thoughts/ ideas, and to feel emotions like love and sadness?  What if we also inputted memories and told it it was human so that it truly believes itself to be human?  Sci-Fi gold, that's what!  Edward James Almos has a small but very memorable part in this movie!  Also starring Harrison Ford, Rutger Hauer, and Darryl Hannah!  Seriously, stop reading and go watch this!!
• Children Of Men (2006): I love this movie.  What a perfect sci-fi scenario; remove man's ability to procreate and multiply!  Earth and evolution resulting in the self-culling of humanity!  There is also a pretty cool chase-scene filmed in one long action-packed shot!  Clive Owen, Julianne Moore, and Michael Caine star in this really great sci-fi flick.
• The Fifth Element (1997):  Ok so this is sexy hollywood sci-fi chic!  Lots of famous faces, lots of colourful outfits, lots of fun aliens, lots of action, lots of supermodels, etc. 
• Brainstorm (1983):  Awesome old school Christopher Walken movie!  Excellent concept/ storyline.  What if we could invent a device that would allow us to experience another person's human experience so completely?  Not just the images, the sounds, the smells, but the contexts, the bodily reactions, etc.  Really beautiful movie.  What if indeed.  --Oh, sorry, Sci-fi gold, that's what!!
• The Matrix (1999):  Chances are you have probably seen this movie.  If you have not, it is a pretty fun movie about the philosophical 'brain in a vat' concept (a.k.a. Wittgenstein's "Beetle In A Box", Descartes' "Meditations", etc.).  It is a bit of a twist from Brainstorm (1983) in that it does not assume that we necessarily share a world with others in the first place.  Rather, it is possible that all of our experiences are induced while we are trapped within a dream-like state.  In a sense, it is asking a skewed version of the question that Blade Runner (1982) asks of us.  What makes US human?  What if OUR experiences are fabricated?  
• Contact (1997):  Another excellent movie.  This is moving into extraterrestrial territory and really, what a wonderful territory for movie land!  Starring Jodi Foster, this is a really beautifully made movie about what our first contact of extraterrestrial life might be like (i.e. Earth's "Post-Detection Protocols").

 Definitely more to come!!!

I Repent Tomorrow: Emo Flicks

I have decided to do an Emo Flicks post to ensure that I lower your expectations so that when the Sci-Fi post does come out, you will be absolutely blown away!  Just a quick warning, the following movies are SO depressing, they will bring you doooown man, reeeeaaalll doooownnnn:

• Suicide Room (2011):  Suicide Room (2011) is a foreign film that touches on what is unfortunately all too common these days; cyber-bullying and teen suicides.  Granted, some parts of the movie are pretty over the top, particularly relating to the internet chatroom sequences but if you are able to suspend belief a bit, the actors really do an incredibly good job.
• Excision (2012):  This is a really weird, lurid, ghastly, gross movie.  Normally, I like movies that are a bit "off-beat" but I felt like this movie just kept pushing the envelope for the sake of it, completely compromising the storyline.  What is the storyline?  This movie is about a teenager who suffers from some fairly serious mental health issues but people around her simply classify her as weird/ quirky/ defiant or troubled teen/ etc.  Another issue I had with the movie is that I felt the lead actor had a tendency of really overplaying some of her parts.  Her character, Pauline, is a very erratic and awkward individual who does and says a lot of outrageous things; so when the actor overplays her role (e.g. slouching too awkwardly or making weird facial expressions) it was very unnecessary and distracting.  Still, there are a few scenes in this movie that are really quite good so if you can muster through it, it is not that bad.
• I've Loved You So Long (2008):  This is a pretty good movie.  It is French movie so if you do not mind subtitles, what are you waiting for?  Go watch it!  The movie begins with the lead character coming out of prison.  We learn that she was incarcerated for murdering a child.  As the movie progresses, we watch her interact in a claustrophobic society with a nice assortment of characters; the depressed parole officer, the eager-to-please younger sister, etc.  There's a whole lot of symbolism at work here, and even though this movie is depressing, there are a lot of cathartic moments too so it strikes a nice balance.
• Peppermint Candy (1999):  Another foreign film, this movie begins with our lead, Yong-Ho, committing suicide.  As the movie unravels, we are taken through crucial moments in Yong-Ho's life that help us understand why he has decided to take his own life.  There is a pretty heavy message in this movie and I am not exactly sure how to articulate it.  I think it is asking the viewer to have the courage to live the life you want to live because it is far too easy to live a life that is burdensome and devoid of meaning.  But it might also have a more nihilistic message, confessing instead that there are far too many random factors and you can never truly be in control of your life.  Chang-dong Lee is the director of this movie, and if you know anything about him, he is a master of making REALLY depressing movies.
• Secret Sunshine (2007):  Another Chang-dong Lee movie makes the cut!  If you did not get your emo on after watching Peppermint Candy (1999), you will after watching Secret Sunshine (2007)!  Honestly, this is probably the most depressing movie I have ever seen!  Shin-ae is the lead character whose life is literally a series of one horrendous event after another.  Every time this poor woman finds the strength to push forward and try to overcome her pains; life sends her a mean left hook and knocks her down again.  It is a good movie but I would not recommend it to someone who is in a good mood and wishes to remain that way!
  
• American Beauty (1999):  I am willing to bet that you have seen this movie because it was pretty huge when it came out.  Like Peppermint Candy (1999), the lead character dies at the beginning and the rest of the movie covers his life upto this point.  Lots of big names in this movie including Kevin Spacey, Thora Birch, Annette Benning, Scott Bakula, and Mena Suvari, to name a few.  Really nice movie that centres around Lester Burnham's dysfunctional family:  Dad going through a mid-life crisis, mom trying to manage dad's crisis in her own weird way, daughter tackling teen angst and feelings of isolation and depression, etc.  It is a bit of a cookie-cutter emo movie.
  
• Donnie Darko (2001):  Another cookie-cutter emo movie, Donnie Darko (2001) could also easily be in the Sci-Fi post because it deals with themes such as wormholes/ time travel, etc.  This is a really great teen-angst movie.  Again, it also has some pretty big names including Jake Gyllenhaal, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Drew Barrymore, Noal Wyle and Patrick Swayze.  The best part of this movie for me was the soundtrack, it really carries the movie and is a strong part of the movie.  I guess at its heart, Donnie Darko (2001) is a love story where the lead character has severe psychosis, and suffers from hallucinations involving a man in a bunny costume that encourages him to property destruct.  Nice movie.
  
• Another Happy Day (2011):  I really do not understand how this movie is rated so poorly on IMDB.  It makes me genuinely irritated that a garbage movie like Garden State (2004) could get a 7.6 score and this movie gets a pitiful score of 5.4!!!  Garden State (2004) was pure shit.  Please, do not watch it, it is hipster-garbage, awful-awful, shallow, hollow, devoid of any talent, poorly-acted, awful-dialogue'd piece of garbage.  God, I really cannot stand that movie.  It is hollywood trying to be off-beat and cute, it is like Juno (2007) but much, much worse.  Another Happy Day (2011) is a much richer and better executed movie.  We follow the lives of a colourful dysfunctional family.  If you like weird unconventional movies like Happiness (1998), you will definitely like this movie.  There are some very beautiful scenes in this movie that can really hit home for me personally.
• Naked (1993):  If I was feeling emo, this is the kind of movie I would like to watch.  The main character is Johnny (a.k.a. Professor Lupin from the Harry Potter series!) who is a transient that travels from one place to another, forging meaningful but fleeting relationships, impacting the lives of others in a huge way but with aimless intent.  Really nice movie.
• Melancholia (2011):  Kirsten Dunst does a really good job in this movie.  Even though there is a major end-of-the-world theme, it somehow manages not to overshadow the characters' individual storylines which is really nice. This movie deals heavily with mental health, in particular, Dunst's character, Justine suffers from severe depression.
• The Virgin Suicides (1999):  Another Kirsten Dunst movie makes the list!  This is of the cookie-cutter emo variety for sure.  It was directed by Sofia Coppola and like Donnie Darko (2001), the soundtrack has a pretty prominent part.  The movie tells a story about the lives of 5 sisters and well, as the title suggests, it touches on the topic of suicide among other things.  It is a really well-made, well-acted and memorable film.

How are you doing, you okay?  Do not worry, the Sci Fi post will trip you out!

Flicks w/ Poor Executions

So how many times have you watched a movie and thought, "wow, this could be so amazing if they only did X or Y"?  Here is a list of movies I thought had so much incredible potential but they just did not deliver:

• War of the Dead (2011):  At one point in time, this was the most expensive movie ever made in Lithuania, and folks, it is, a zombie flick!  Set in World War II and wrought with whimsical historical inaccuracies, this movie has so much potential to be a decent zombie flick but something just did not add up.  I do not think it is the bad acting, poor SFX or set design; many a decent zombie movie have prevailed despite these shortfalls.  There is something just really off with this movie.  I am going to chalk it up to poor dialogue and the lack of a coherent storyline -- maybe even lack of proper character development.  If you like zombie movies and you have seen all the ones I recommended but want more, I would not completely discount this one.  Although, that being said, this is one of those movies you rip apart while you are watching it but find yourself slip in and out of it's world every now and then.
• Ferocious Planet (2011):  If you are a fan of monster flicks, you might not actually hate this movie.  So much about it is dead on; the monsters are great, the dimensional shift idea is amazing, even the monsters look awesome.  Lots of great ideas peppered with lots of fun monster-chase scenes (e.g. stealing the monster's egg scene, yikes!).  Not sure why but something held this movie back, way back.  It could be the poor acting or stereotypical exchange of dialogue between stereotypical characters.  Whatever it was, this movie definitely had the potential to be an incredible monster flick.
• Perfect Sense (2011):  Not sure why all the movies I have listed so far are from the same year?  Anyway, again, this movie has a pretty neat idea/ storyline:  Humans become infected with this disease that attacks our senses rendering us to lose one sense at a time.  I enjoyed the filmmaker's take on how human beings might adapt and find ways to cope with these losses.  For instance, when people in the movie begin to lose their senses of smell and taste, the chefs start preparing meals that appeal more to the tactile abilities.  Still, something was just stupid about how this movie was made.  It felt like they were trying really hard to force the romantic storyline to the forefront of this very powerful apocalyptic drama, to the point where the entire strength of the movie was compromised.  It was like letting the air out of a balloon; they built something strong and then just allowed it to fizzle out.
• Primer (2004):  This movie is a massive pain in the ass.  It is so slow paced and painful to watch but what a great storyline underneath.  Spoiler Alert!  This movie is about some friends who get together and accidentally build a time machine.  The nice thing about this movie is that they really, really, REALLY construct a realistic scenario for time-travel. Actually, that is the greatest strength of this movie.  Any movie about time-travel you come across will always bypass that aspect of realism and take you straight to the realm of sci-fi/ fantasy.  This movie does not wuss out like that.  Still, there is something to be said about a movie being "too real" that it bores you to death.  The first 45mins or so of this movie is so boring and slow.  The payoff only comes to those who wait till the end but to be sure, the road to the end is a struggle.
• The Prometheus Project (2010):   I guess this is kind of a zombie flick?  Scientists develop a serum that reanimates the dead and infuses them with superhuman powers.. but then they go crazy and start killing folks.  Definitely a B-rated movie in terms of production values, and the acting was not that great either.  Although, I like that they tried to provide a back story on how the zombie was created.  Even though it is a pretty cheesey movie, the chase scenes are pretty good so you still get the desired effect.
• The Perfect Host (2010):  It is very frustrating to see a movie with so much potential bomb so hard.  David Hyde Pierce is the lead actor, he plays a deranged serial killer who throws these elaborate parties for imaginary guests.  Oh, there is a bit of a reveal near the end which is a nice cherry on the top but still, something is holding this movie back.  I think it is either the choice of actors, the dialogue, or the acting.  I am not sure David Hyde Pierce was right for the part, I found that he really over-acted many of the scenes, it felt awkward and silly.

I know there is a lot more to add to this post but I am completely drawing a blank right now.  Maybe I am tired of feeling so disappointed?  ha ha  Also, how is it possible I have not done a Sci-Fi post yet?  ETA soon.

Oh Ya, Halloween!

I have been wanting to make something cool for my niece and nephew for halloween but I was not sure what, until last night.  I saw a few really neat patterns for treat bags on Ravelry but most of them were not free so I drafted up my own patterns (I will post them on Ravelry if you are interested)!  Now I just have to fill them up with candy and send them off to the kiddies! :)

• Treat Bag #1:

• Treat Bag #2:

• Both Bags:

Ho Ho Ho: Pt.2

Further to the 'Work-Christmas-Crafts-Palooza' post earlier, I made a few more items..

• A co-worker new to crochet will be making dishcloths for some of her Christmas presents this year.  In an effort to try to encourage her to make fun star-shaped ones (she loves stars), I made her this:

• Another co-worker who is also relatively new to crochet was asked to make snowflakes for her mother-in-law to hang on the Christmas tree this year.  Same deal as above, I made her these:

• Unfortunately, there was one snowflake that I had to frog because it was looking a bit ridiculous.  It is the pattern for a 3D flowering snowflake.  It really should have been made using thread instead of yarn.  I am sure you can probably see why:

RIP Snowflake!

• Late add, but a third co-worker mentioned to me today that her mother loves owls so I suggested the Owl Eye Mask pattern available for free on Ravelry.com and made her one:

Lazy-Eyed Owl-ie!

The In-Between Post

So yet another co-worker is leaving me and I am pretty sad about it because she is incredible and it will not be the same without her!  I started making a shawl/ afghan for her.  It is narrower than I anticipated with the initial cast-ons so I am calling it a shawl!  haha  Here are some pictures:

I am hoping to add some fuzzy white yarn as edging later

 In other news, we made some delicious jelly yesterday:

Chokeberry and Apple/ Crabapple Jelly

Finally, I am babysitting a lovely little hamster and she is the sweetest little lady ever!

Her little spaceship cage

Who's that in the spaceship?

It's the little hamster queen!

Christmas in September! Ho Ho Ho!

There has been some talk at work about the crafty folks creating some Christmas-related items and selling them for profit/ donations.  Here is my haphazard attempt:

Tiny Christmas Stocking [Ornament/ Gift Applique]

Tiny Christmas Wreath [Ornament/ Gift Applique]

Tiny Christmas Sweater [Ornament/ Gift Applique]

Tiny Poinsettia Flower [Ornament/ Gift Applique]

Tiny Winter Hat and Scarf Set

 Also, I nerded out a bit today and laid out all of my crochet hooks (yikes!):

My Crochet Hook Set