An "Up"-lifting Experience

I went out an finally got a chance to check out the new animated feature film "UP" I have been hearing people giving it great reviews and decided I had to check it out for myself. I was not disappointed. This film was very enjoyable. The film begins extraordinarily heavily for a supposedly lighthearted childrens film. It does an amazing job, however of developing the main protagonist Carl Fredricksen. The story is charming and clever. There is great humor that is enjoyable to all ages and the movie itself is pretty to look at. I enjoyed the visual effects and the overall style of the film and characters within it. The animation itself was very nice as well. It seems that with each 3D film that comes out the characters get more and more lifelike with thair actions and overall animation. I would definately recommend this endearing film to anyone who has not already seen it.

Star Trek

For anyone who hasn't already seen this film: "YOU NEED TO GET OUT THERE AND SEE IT!!!"

This film is stunning! The story is thoroughly gripping from the first five minutes until the credits roll. The writers of this film did an amazing job. Not only are the character's and their dialogue true to the essence of the original characters, but the chain of events are believable and cohesive. All I can say is- time travel via wormholes is a very difficult concept to pull off especially because you are dealing with alternate realities. The fact that these writers do it AND it's completely believable is simply amazing!

The cast was also perfect. Chris Pine captured the brilliant playboy Jim Kirk wonderfully. He was not a typical Hollywood heartthrob thrown up there simply to drive the girls crazy- his character was deep and complex. You really get a feel for why he is such a rebel and what makes him so brilliant! Zachary Quinto also did a thoroughly amazing job playing the character of Spock. For a character that always seemed more and less than human, he actually brought out that human side that is so elusive in the Spock we all know and love. It is impossible not to like him even though he is quite a punk- but hey- that is the beauty of the Spock & Kirk relationship. The other characters I was thoroughly pleased to see appear were Sottie, played by Simon Pegg, & Dr.McCoy, played by Carl Urban. I love these two actors and they brought lots of subtle and well-timed comic relief to an otherwise intense film. This blockbuster is endowed with an amazing all star cast that just nailed the film right! It is definately one for the collection and worth spending the money to go see it in the theatres in spite of the daunting economy.

A job well done! Cheers!!!

X-Men Origins: Wolverine

I went to go see the new Wolverine movie the other day. I was so excited because this character is so iconic. I grew up with three brothers who were all huge X-men fans so, naturally, I became one too. The whole wolverine story was a very interesting story for me growing up. I felt,after seeing this film, that they did great justice to Wolverine and Sabertooth. They cast them well and alot of background information regarding them was divulged in this film. For that I was immensely pleased. But, I had some major issues with the quality of their visual effects. For example, there was a major discrepency with the wolverine claws matching the actual film footage. The lighting on them as well as their textures were too clean and did not look right when they composited them into the scene. The other major problem I noticed was, like X-Men 3, they tried to put in too many important/iconic characters into too little time allowed in the film. They also completely ruined the Deadpool character... I was very surprised and deeply saddened to see how they messed his character up so bad. He ws a big icon for many people and I can see how they were upset by and disappointed by his depiction in this film. Overall Id probably give it maybe three stars... It was a very entertaining film. It just seriously lacked in the script, storyline, and continuity/believability departments.

Random Fact: Origin of the Easter Bunny

Random knowledge, I have found, is definitely one of the more fun kinds to have. So, without further ado- here is a random fact on the origin of the Easter Bunny:

Like the origin of Easter, the origin of the Easter Bunny has roots that go back to pre-Christian, Anglo-Saxon history. The holiday was originally a pagan celebration that worshipped the goddess Eastre. She was the goddess of fertility and springtime and her earthly symbol was the rabbit.
Thus the pre-Christian Anglo-Saxons worshipped the rabbit believing it to be Eastre's earthly incarnation.
When the Anglo-Saxons were converted to Christianity, the pagan holiday, which occurred around the same time as the Christian memorial of Jesus' resurrection from the dead, was combined with the Christian celebration and given the name Easter.
Originally, there were some very pagan practices that went along with the Easter celebration. Today, Easter is often commercialized, with all the focus on eggs, the Easter bunny, etc.

Featured Artist: Danny Roberts

The Art Institute just recently held a gallery showcasing many pieces by a very talented local artist named Danny Roberts. I have been very impressed with his talent for capturing what cannot be said, but felt, from the fateful first- friday I stumbled into his studio. I walked in and was immediately floored. I looked at his paintings in awe of the complex emotions, ideologies, and social roles being portrayed in them. I was very impressed with how beautifully he rendered out such themes as inner demons and the intense internal battles they cause.

All of his pieces display a great eye for vibrant colors as well as the understanding of light and shadow as it realistically reacts on the form. His use of fabrics also creates a visually appealing motif that I had not previously seen used as he does in his paintings. He uses scarves and loose fabric to represent such things as thought, blood, and even sensuality. I am definitely a fan of Danny and consider him to be an inspiration to me. I love to just sit and look at his work and analyze his amazing draftsmanship.

Thank you Danny,

for sharing your talent with us.