Geektastic Thursday -- Jurassic Park

I try not to mention this because I like to maintain the illusion of real time here, but I write a lot of my blog posts the night before they go live.  I bring this up because it is essential that you keep this in mind when I tell you about the movie I saw last night (tonight) -- Jurassic Park 3D.

I don't remember when I actually saw this movie for the first time.  I was four when it was released in theaters, so I do not have the vivid memory of seeing it in theaters.  But I grew up loving the movie and sharing every child's fear and admiration for velociraptors.  When I was in high school I had a period of obsession with Michael Crichton novels, reading them all, which made me love the film even more.  But no amount of childhood obsession could prepare me for the experience of watching it in IMAX 3D.  I know, I sound like an advertisement, but it really was that intense.  It has been an hour since our show let out and I am still trying to get my vision to settle and my body to relax.  Part of that has to do with my physical experience with IMAX.  I am prone to vertigo and my eyes like to fight with the 3D glasses.  But a lot of that has to do with the film itself.  I had forgotten how tight a frame Spielberg uses in many of the shots.  And even though it was not filmed for 3D and the conversion did not take well in some spots, the whole film really is in your face.  It makes for much more startling reveals and the audience actually screamed at some points, even though they knew that the velociraptor was going to jump out of those cables.

And lets talk about the sound!  I worked at the IMAX, so I know how much they turn the volume down from the system's capabilities and yet it is still almost overwhelmingly loud.  At one point I was fighting with a little bit of motion sickness (not that uncommon for such a large screen) and then the t-rex came on the screen.  If it was not for the fact that I would have been mocked at work for the rest of time, I would have walked out.  Again, not a fault of the film or the conversion.  The original film is just so well made for what it is that the added volume, size, and dimension take it from fun adventure movie to just below horror film in the level of suspense.  There have been a lot of people talking about taking their children because it is a dinosaur movie that is so beloved by so many.  However, on the basis of sound alone, I would not recommend taking any child under at least five.  It is that wonderfully intense.

Oh, and that sock I was going to work on?  Didn't happen.  I put it down to keep from stabbing myself so often that I only knit one stripe.

It was totally worth the money.  I love this movie and the conversion just elevated the experience.  My husband had never seen it, so it was a lot of fun to watch him out of the corner of my eye, while trying to keep my anticipation under wraps so that he would not know what was coming.  An excellent choice for a date night.

Geektastic Thursday -- GI Joe: Retaliation

One of the advantages of working at a facility with an IMAX theater is that I get a discount on tickets.  So anytime a movie comes that I think Chris and I might enjoy I give him the option to go.  And then we go about half the time.  But then there are those films that I start talking about as soon as we confirm the contract and drag Chris despite his skepticism because I only get the discount on two tickets (I know, it's a weird loophole).  GI Joe: Retaliation?  One of those movies.  Chris and I were dating when the first GI Joe film came out.  It was the day before we each started different graduate schools and so we decided to check out the movies.  He hated it.  More than when I drug him to see Transformers 2 at midnight.  Just convincing him to go to the theater last night involved bribes including lots of popcorn and gummy bears.  So there we were --  Chris expecting to hate the movie, me hoping to get some knitting accomplished.  And we actually both enjoyed it.

Let me say, this is not a deep, meaningful film.  If you are looking for that you probably should not watch a movie based off a toy line.  But if you want a film that is visually stunning, full of action, has a lot of heart, and is just this side of campy, this is one you should check out.  I liked the last GI Joe, but I have never successfully rewatched it.  This one I may actually try to see in the theater a second time.  The visuals were great, both of the hot men and their fight sequences.  Most of the impressive vistas were previewed in the trailers, but that does not diminish their effect.  I've seen many films in IMAX in my two years there and the best I can compare it to visually is Mission Impossible: 4.  And that wasn't even in 3D.  I especially loved how the cinematography in the cities focused on smoke and pollution, symbolizing the rotting within.

For me the best part of the movie was the acting.  Not necessarily the quality of the acting, but the way that the actors clearly did not take themselves too seriously.  The interplay of Channing Tatum and The Rock was completely believable and the overdramatized dialogue of the ninjas was sparing enough not to pull you out of the experience to realize just how ridiculous the premise of a movie about a man covered in nanobots impersonating the president.  I did call a specific plot point based on the trailer, but it actually did not diminish the experience for me.

Overall, if you are suffering from cold-induced cabin fever and are looking for a good popcorn flick, check this one out.  It is particularly good for knitting because a lot of the action actually takes place in daylight, unlike a lot of films these days.

I had one row of my Drizzle on the needles when I got to the theater and knit two inches by the time we were done.  Considering I spent a lot of time staring at the screen with my knitting in my lap, I think that was pretty good progress.

Geektastic Thursday: Veronica Mars

Seriously, you guys, how could you possibly think I would have anything more important to geek out about this week?

In case you missed it last night, here's the stitch.  Rob Thomas, creator of Veronica Mars, and Kristen Bell have found a way to finally -- finally! -- make the Veronica Mars movie.  Yesterday they launched a Kickstarter campaign with the goal of raising $2 million within a month.  With that amount they can convince Warner Bros that there is enough of a demand for a continuation of the Veronica Mars series and get permission to film and produce a movie followup to the television series.  Well last night, within something like eleven hours, it was funded.  And the donations keep rolling in.

Veronica Mars hit airwaves when I was a junior in high school.  We had rabbit ears at our house (the kind you dance around with and add tin foil to), and The WB was one of those channels that was really touch and go on our television, so it was not until I was in college that I really got a chance to watch the show.  By that time the series had been cancelled after its third season, leaving viewers with a disappointing cliff hanger.  But, five years later, the show is still as good as it was on first airing and the fans are still rabid for more.

All you really need to do is watch the Kickstarter video and you will completely understand the kind of show Veronica Mars was.  Murder, intrigue, and plenty of snarky, witty teenagers.  If you like tv shows like Buffy, Gilmore Girls, or The OC, you should definitely give it a try.  The WB.com rotates out seasons available for viewing online and Netflix has all three seasons for US viewers.  Or, if you live near me, you can probably borrow my dvd sets.  I am all about spreading the addiction.

Geektastic Thursday: Pretty Little Award

If you were not on the internet last night you may not have heard news -- Pretty Little Liars won the People's Choice Award for best cable drama!  Yep, that's right, I'm a fan girl and I am so glad that this show is getting the recognition it deserves.  The show returned two weeks ago with a bang that left glass in my hair and Andrea and I both yelling at the tv "No!" and "I knew it!" at the same time.  And nothing beats a show that gets us to yell at the tv all night.

I am a recent PLL devotee, as of last summer.  Soon after we moved in to our apartment Andrea sat me down in front of the tv, queued up the pilot, and thus began our obsessive rewatch.  There was no turning back.  The writing is smart -- very very smart, actually -- and the plot is the perfect balance of outrageous teenage drama and chilling paranoia.  The idea that A is always watching and always waiting to turn your every move against you is just brilliant.  It takes all of the pressure of high school and amplifies it to the point that actual high school seems to be no big deal.

My only complaint about the return of the show has been the serious lack of knitwear.  Season one was filled with so much -- Spencer's crazy sweaters, everyone's hats, Aria's crazy fashion choices -- that it seemed to reach the level of actual knitting porn (Hey, this scene has no knitting in it. WHAT? NO KNITTING? Quick, put Aria in a ridiculously chic knit belt!).  In the past two weeks we've only been treated to one knit beret.  I hope this is not a sign of things to come, because if Spencer stops making her own clothes I may cry.  The next time one of them is in the hospital they should take up knitting to pass the time rather than digging around in the morgue.

Back to the serious stuff,  I want to point out that it is about time Pretty Little Liars got some recognition from the establishment.  It really is the best show targeting a young adult market on the air today.  Glee may claim that it is addressing issues for today's youth, but Pretty Little Liars actually deals with them.  Bullying, peer pressure, broken homes, and being gay in high school.  It's all there and addressed with a realistic candor that, frankly, is very refreshing.  And it is all dealt with by characters who are growing up to be strong, independent young women.  It just can't get any better, right?