Deep Space Turtle Space world

The revised version, 1.2, offers hint boxes that the original version did not.  This comes as a blessing because I know many people, including me, were stuck in various places and lost direction.  This along with some frustrating parkour was enough for me to rage quit the first time.  For example, there are some parkour bits in the B.E.D. room where you have to run and jump over a one or two block area.  This can get really tricky especially if the run key is double tapping the “W” key.  Notch, the creator of the game, needs to rebind that to the “ctrl” key!  I fell in the B.E.D. room and took at least 25 tries trying to get back up.

There were a couple times when the hints offered no help and I had no idea where to go next.  My advice to you if you’re in that predicament is to try to see what’s different on the map, like a door opening or something popping up from the ground.  Also, have a paper and pen handy to write down some of the passcodes you will need.

One big flaw in the map was after the piston jumping puzzle.  I don’t remember a B.E.D. unit after that part to reset your spawn, so if you die, you will end up before the piston jumping puzzle – which is quite hard – and you will nearly punch your computer to death if you find yourself back at the start, having to do the piston jumping puzzle all over again.  Luckily, I cheated a bit (*cowers in the dark*) and took a couple beds along with me to reset my spawn while doing the piston jumping puzzle.

But other than the frustrating parkour, the map is epic in it’s landscapes and architectural design.  The custom texture pack was beautifully done, even if it was 16×16, rather than a more popular HD 32×32 or 64×64 size.  Even if you play the vanilla version of the map, you will be awed and sort of mind boggled by bright green lava and pink water.  The buildings are also richly detailed and every room is filled with furniture, even rooms that you can’t walk into.  I found myself peeking into every door just to look at the clever decor.

The highlight for me came in the end.  This is a spoiler so don’t read this paragraph any further!  I didn’t notice it at first when I wrote the 12-digit code down for the portal, but it turned out to be the jump coordinates to Earth in the show Battlestar Galactica.  Being a huge BSG fan, I was so happy!   While playing the vanilla version, I punched in the code and noticed halfway through that the tune sounded very familiar.  Then I was like, “Oh wait, is this the Cylon song?  Aw, hell yeah!” and I grinned while reminiscing about one of my top favorite shows of all time.  Whoever came up with that idea, I salute you, sir!

The map ended with very nifty credits and I was left feeling satisfied and suddenly forgot about my earlier rages.  I also want to brag about completing the maze puzzle without cheating.  That was quite rewarding for me.   I can’t wait until Part 2 comes out.  Happy space adventures in MineCraft! What are you waiting for?  Download it and enjoy!  Or rage quit?

It moves its mouth and eyes and talks to you.

If you would like to play this map, you will need to own the game, MineCraft, which you can purchase here.   The Deep Space Turtle Chase map is completely free to download, courtesy of the awesome Voxel Box and Captain Sparklez.

If you wish to play the unmodded version (the vanilla) it’s easy to install.  First, click on your windows button and type in “%appdata%” in the search bar.  Select your “roaming” folder.  In it you will find the “.minecraft” folder.  Then, paste the DSTC map folder into the “saves” folder.  DO NOT unzip the DSTC texture pack.  Just place the unzipped file into the “texturepacks” folder in your “.minecraft” folder.  Launch MineCraft and be sure to select said texture pack before loading up the map.

After watching this awesome game (props to Huk, by the way) I wondered if there were any other videos which involved a Mothership in StarCraft 2 gameplay.  So I searched for it on YouTube and up popped a video, not of StarCraft gameplay, but of a StarCraft-themed cocktail.  A man in Denmark named Mike, who works at the Srollbar, concocts these video game-themed cocktails, and one of them happened to be based on a StarCraft Mothership.  I am getting thirsty!

My favorite is called the Sarah Kerrigan, which can be corrupted by a shot called the Overmind.  How creative!  Then there’s the disgusting Zerg Rush, which Mike dubs as a “f-ing nasty shot.”   He currently has 8 StarCraft-themed drinks which include: Creep, Immortal, Spirit of Tassadar, Stimpack, and the aforementioned Mothership, Sarah Kerrigan, Overmind and Zerg Rush.  He also has a few drinks based on four other video games: Mario Bros., Final Fantasy, Chrono Trigger and Portal.  You can find them all on his YouTube channel apocalypsekoa.

As far for my other ramblings, I was lucky enough to participate in the Beta for a few weeks before this highly anticipated game was released.  I mean, it took 12 years and 100 million dollars to make, so you know everyone had a nerdgasm when it finally came out.  I played a lot of multiplayer games on Battle.net with the original game, but most of them were co-op games against the AI.  Honestly, I never really knew what ladder games were back then.

Playing the Beta, I literally got my butt kicked playing ladder games and was so disappointed in myself.  I was a loser…lol.  But practice makes perfect, well, I’m far from perfect but I know my gameplay has improved.  When the beta was first out, I placed in the Bronze league, and when the beta went down and came back again, I placed in the Silver league.  Now that the real game has come out, I’m afraid to play my five 1v1 placement games.  I know I should be in the Gold level, because I know my gameplay has improved dramatically, but what if I clam up and screw up my five placement games?!  I think I just need to have more confidence in myself.  I get nervous playing ladder games – it’s like I’m back in Speech class all over again.  Haha….

The achievements I have on my belt are Insane Blitz – win a 1v1 custom game against Insane AI in under 5 minutes, Insane AI Romp: 10 – win 10 1v1 custom games against Insane AI (and you know how hard the Insane comp is), Terran and Protoss Macro Master – have 9 units simultaneously building, a FFA achievement against 7 Very Hard AI’s (the exact name escapes me), as well as many other achievements, including the many in the Liberty Campaign.  I also have 5 gold medals in the challenges.  These are more impressive than the achievements of some other people I know, but they won’t admit that I’m a better player than them, just because I’m a female.  Come on, does a penis allow guys to hotkey units and buildings faster than a girl?  Lol!  I think not, but that would be a cool party trick.

What I absolutely hate with multiplayer is when you play with immature or ungrateful people.  Take for instance, I played a 3v3 league game as part of my placement.  I had won my previous three 3v3 co-op games playing as Terran, even though my forte is Protoss, and I felt good going into this game.  One of my allies did not defend his base well, in fact, I don’t even think he walled off, and while my marines sat prettily in my bunker while my seige tank was on its way out, he called for help and said “please.”  I didn’t have to help him for his poor defense  but I sent all my marines to help him since my other ally wasn’t helping him out.  My marines died and so my base was vulnerable, but I knew that may have happened before sending my marines out, but I was feeling “nice” that day.  So then I get rushed with probably one marine in a bunker and they break through my wall while my seige tank comes out.  If my marines were still there, I would have been able to hold them off until my tank seiged.  Then, the a-hole who I just helped out criticizes me for “not having any units” and that I’m “the worst Terran player he’s ever seen.”  OMG, ungrateful a-hole.   First of all, I helped him out then he slaps me in the face and secondly, he practically has a pylon left, which made him crazily think he was a better player than me.  I should have just left him alone and kept my units to myself.  I hate when people start talking smack to you if a game doesn’t go right.  Immaturity kills multiplay!!!  It gets me so mad.

On the other hand, there are a lot of nice and friendly allies out there, but the ones who talk shit really ruin the game.  Grow up!  Then there are those other kids who harass you for slowing the game down due to lag.  Hey, some people don’t have the best computers, you know!

Well, enough rambling.  I’m off to play some more SC2.  I’ll link some cool StarCraft commentators on the bottom, if you haven’t come across them yet.  I’ve only ran into them while playing the beta but I’m glad I found them.

One piece of advice I can give you to improve your gameplay is to simply HOTKEY YOUR BUILDINGS AND UNITS!  You’ll become a macro master.

STARCRAFT LINKS

• Day [9]‘s Live Stream – My fave.  Love ya Day[9]!  The best analyses and funky beats.
• Day[9]‘s YouTube
• Day[9]‘s Twitter
• Day[9]Fan
• HDStarCraft’s Ustream – Great voice!
• HDStarCraft’s YouTube
• StarCraft Arena
• iCCupTV’s Ustream
• GLHF’s Ustream – Love TheGunRun’s distinct voice.  He kinda sounds like my cousin in a way.  Hmm….
• Total Biscuit/Halibut’s YouTube
• TB’s Live Stream (Total Biscuit) -  Love his sarcastic humor.  I always bust out laughing while listening to him.
• Team Liquid
• StarCraft Wiki
• StarCraft 2-themed cocktail pictures – Mmmmm

FYI – I’m not really into Husky, but don’t tell him…lol.  Shhhh.

Filed under: Video Games Tagged: Mothership Rush, Scrollbar, StarCraft, StarCraft 2 ]]> http://showznbookz.wordpress.com/2010/08/17/starcraft-2-cocktails-and-other-ramblings/feed/ 1 showznbookz http://showznbookz.wordpress.com/2010/06/25/remembering-mj-and-never-forgetting/ http://showznbookz.wordpress.com/2010/06/25/remembering-mj-and-never-forgetting/#comments Sat, 26 Jun 2010 05:42:25 +0000 showznbookz http://showznbookz.wordpress.com/?p=1128 ]]> It’s the one year anniversary of the death of the King of Pop, and so this post is dedicated to him.

I remember how sad I was the days following his death.  A terrible heatwave occurred in my city, and because the air conditioning was broken, the stale, warm air kept me up.  I’d open my window until 2 in the morning in hopes that the cool air would soothe me.  I’d look at the stars and think he was moonwalking in that sea of pinpoint lights, and I’d wonder if someone else out there was doing the same thing – looking at the same sky and thinking of Micheal, and how tragic his death was.

I remember watching almost every video of him there was on YouTube, well, not every, but it seemed like that much.  I even discovered songs I never even heard of before.

But even though he’s gone, I know he’ll always live forever.  Rest easy, MJ.

Filed under: Music Tagged: Michael Jackson ]]> http://showznbookz.wordpress.com/2010/06/25/remembering-mj-and-never-forgetting/feed/ 0 showznbookz http://showznbookz.wordpress.com/2010/04/24/ot-project-chicken-curry/ http://showznbookz.wordpress.com/2010/04/24/ot-project-chicken-curry/#comments Sun, 25 Apr 2010 04:00:47 +0000 showznbookz http://showznbookz.wordpress.com/?p=1114 ]]> I’m scared of raw meat.  I don’t know what to do with it.  I’m a novice cook, and the only time I’ve handled raw meat is when I used to sandwich deboned chicken thighs between the plates of my George Foreman Grill in college.  Oh, the days.  But after watching this Chicken Curry being made – because I promised a friend that I would get the recipe after being asked for it – I feel confident that I can make this myself.  Though, I admit, I haven’t tried it…yet.  But practice makes perfect, right?  Julia Child didn’t even know how to cook before she became an icon.

The following recipe will be an OT, off topic, post for this blog.  I apologize for some of the non-specific measurements, because the person who cooked this recipe cooks by estimation and feel.  It will give you an idea of how to make it, though, and you could always tweak it to fit your own preferences.

The final recipe ended up with skinless chicken, although you can leave the skin on if you prefer.  There are many different ways to cook chicken curry, some even include coconut milk, but this is the specific recipe for the dish in the picture.

HOW TO MAKE CHICKEN CURRY

What You Will Need:

• A big pot, like really big, but not too big
• Family pack (~12 pcs.) of chicken thighs or drumsticks; you can also mix it up with half a pack of the thighs and drumsticks
• Ginger- About a palmful of diced pieces
• Onion- 1/2 to 1 large yellow onion, quartered then cut into smaller square-like pieces
• Carrots- about 6 small or 4 large sliced carrots
• Peas- about 1 cup or less if you don’t want too much (I love peas, that’s why); we used thawed frozen peas
• Potatoes- 4 large or 6 medium diced potatoes
• Chicken base- 2 Tablespoons; we used Better Than Bullion chicken base from Costco, which is like a paste and is better than the powder kind; if you’re using a low sodium bullion, then add salt to taste
• Curry powder- 1-2 Tablespoons depending on how spicy you like it; we used S&B from an Asian store
• McCormack Parsley Patch (or you favorite seasoner, but this one is good)- This particular brand contains garlic, oregano, rosemary, basil, red pepper, onion peel, onion, parsley, paprika and celery
• Salt and pepper- add to desired taste
• Water
• Celery (optional)- about 2-3 sliced stalks
• Corn starch (to thicken the soup)- we used about 3 large serving spoons until the desired consistency was reached
• NOTE: All measurements are an estimation

Directions:

1. Season the chicken with McCormack Parsley Patch, or your favorite seasoning, until covered sufficiently (see, I told you about the unspecific measurements).  The cook was adamant about rinsing the chicken first under a running tap, but you don’t have to.
2. Add the chicken to the pot along with the diced ginger and cook covered on medium high for about 15 minutes.  However, after about 7 minutes, remove the skin from the chicken.  We prefer to eat the final dish without the skin but leaving it on for a few minutes will add flavor to the dish.  Stir the chicken around occasionally.
3. You will notice water from the chicken will accumulate in the pot.  Continue to cook on med high or high heat, uncovered, for about 40 minutes, until the water evaporates.  Stir occasionally.  After a certain amount of time, the water will evaporate and the oils in the chicken will draw out.  You will notice the oiliness on the bottom of the pan as opposed to the water.  Also, cut open a piece of chicken to ensure that it is no longer pink and cooked down to the bone.
4. While the chicken is cooking, prepare your vegetables: onions, potatoes, carrots, celery (optional) and peas.
5. After the oil seeps out of the chicken, add the onion and cook until they are wilted or translucent.
6. Add water to the pot until the level covers the top of the chicken.  Cook on high until it reaches a boil, then lower the temperature to medium.
7. Add the curry powder and chicken base to the mixture.  Stir well.
8. Then add the potatoes and carrots (and celery if you’re using it).  When the potatoes are done, add the peas.  Stir.
9. To thicken the soup into a thin, gel-like consistency as in the picture, fill a small bowl with some water and dissolve the cornstarch into it.  Add the cornstarch to the stew while stirring to ensure the curry will not get lumpy.  You can also lower the temperature to low-medium.  This is the trial and error stage.  After a couple of minutes, if the stew is too watery, repeat this step until the stew has thickened properly.  If two large spoons of cornstarch did not work, try another half or full spoon.
10. Taste the soup and add salt and pepper to adjust the seasoning.  You may even add more curry if it’s not spicy enough.
11. Voila!  It’s dinner time.  Bust out with your favorite rolls or bread to sop up the soup and wipe your plate clean.  Enjoy!

Estimated cooking time: About an hour and forty minutes.

You can also debone the meat after it is done cooking, so that the stew is easier to eat.  I know when I’m hungry, I just like to dig in and grub without worrying about any bones.  Plus, it makes it easier for children to eat.  Once again, enjoy!  And if you try it, I really hope it works out for you.

Filed under: Uncategorized Tagged: chicken, cooking, curry, dinner, meal, recipe, soup, stew ]]> http://showznbookz.wordpress.com/2010/04/24/ot-project-chicken-curry/feed/ 0 showznbookz 001watermark http://showznbookz.wordpress.com/2010/04/24/foreign-flick-friday-children-of-heaven/ http://showznbookz.wordpress.com/2010/04/24/foreign-flick-friday-children-of-heaven/#comments Sat, 24 Apr 2010 23:30:51 +0000 showznbookz http://showznbookz.wordpress.com/?p=1109 ]]> I know, it’s not Friday.  I’m a day late.  But I just now came up with the idea of a “Foreign Flick Friday” post, because I rent quite few movies with subtitles, and many are often overlooked by movie buffs, especially the ones who don’t like to read while watching a movie.  Give it a try, people, because you are missing out on some great movies.

Oh, and one more thing.  Don’t ever watch a foreign flick in dubbed English, because it never captures the true meaning of the film.  They will often change the meaning of the original words just to better match the movement of the actor’s mouths.   I’d rather listen to the actor’s real voice and read the subtitles – a far better experience than cheating.

The most recent foreign film I’ve seen is called Children of Heaven, which is the sweetest brother-sister movie you will ever see!  And to think, it was about a pair of shoes.  Doesn’t sound interesting, you say?  Not so.  Ali goes out to get his little sister’s, Zahra, shoes repaired, only to lose them on the way home.  He dares not tell his father because he is sure he will be beaten, and he knows that his modest family cannot afford to buy new shoes to replace them.  Zahra needs her shoes to go to school.  What to do?

This movie is sweet, but not overly syrupy, and it will make you want to call up your sibling to talk about childhood memories, especially the times when you hid something from your parents to avoid getting in trouble.  It was also heartwarming and heart-wrenching, at times.  The little boy who played Ali can cry in an instant!

I liked the way it ended, which may seem a little premature, to some, but not ambiguous.  I understood what the next scene was going to be, but it didn’t really have to be played out on screen.

You have to see what these little kids had to go through just to have some shoes to go to school with.  Which reminds me of the shoes I have in boxes on the top shelf in my closet – some of them never worn or gently used.  I need to bust out with them and put them to use!

4.5 out of 5 stars

If you saw last night’s episode of 24, then you already know that Renee Walker bit the dust, and I’m not surprised.  If you’re a true fan of 24, you know that they will kill off any main character, especially a favorite one.  How can I forget the saddest death of Edgar Stiles, while his friend Chloe and others at CTU, watched him go down in agony.  I admit, I cried waterfalls.  Then there were others: Michelle Dessler, the formidable Bill Buchanan, Jack’s right-hand man Curtis Manning, Tony Alameida (well, sort of), and of course, everyone’s favorite president David Palmer.  There were even a couple other characters – Lynn McGill and George Mason – whom you were meant to hate, but felt sorry for when they gave up their lives to redeem themselves in the end.

But when Renee was sniped, I knew for sure that her character was going to be killed off.  I’ve read comments about her death and most of them are of anger.  People, what are you complaining about?  A true fan knows anyone is likely to die in 24, even Jack himself.  But most importantly, Renee was never Jack’s true love.  The only woman who could calm his soul and bring out his sweetest and gentlest side was Audrey Raines, who I hope is making a comeback this final season, as Charles Logan has.  Renee wanted death this season; she looked at it right in the eyes and welcomed it, and death came for her.  Just because she and Jack finally rolled around in bed didn’t mean a blissful happy ending was going to happen.  I’m actually happy that Renee is gone, because the door is wide open for Audrey to return.  Renee was a temporary replacement.

As a side note, I thought it was ridiculous how the sniper guy stood at the edge of the balcony with his big rifle, in plain view of the many people on the street.  Snipers are meant to hide and not expose themselves, but I guess Renee was an important target.

On another note, I’m happy to see vile Charles Logan again just to add more tension to the show.  He’s one of those guys you love to hate.   I’d also love to see Martha make a comeback.  And how special was it that Chloe finally got her props and became head honcho of CTU.  You’ve come a long way, baby!

Lastly, one thing comes to mind.  Where is the ginger-haired agent Aaron Pierce?  He’s been on the show since Season One and I don’t remember seeing him this season.  Where is he?!  Hopefully he will be involved in the climax of the season, where Jack will ultimately die, or live on.

I feel Jack will have to go rogue again, with a lost identity, walking off in the distance, like the cowboy he is.  Will that be the finality of a legacy?  Will it end with another silent ticking clock?  And oh, how will I miss that ticking clock.

*UPDATE*:  After watching this weeks episode, 9:00 AM to 10:00 AM, I just knew Jack was going to go rogue again.  He always does!  I don’t think Chloe is going to shoot him down though.  We’ll see…

But first of all, I just wanted to mention how many times they had to play that clip of Juliet, the bomb, the rock, and the “Come on, you son-of-a-b” line during the recap and premiere – like four times?!

Warning!  Spoilers ahead!  Do not read on until you’ve seen the premiere.

The sixth and final season is going to be filled with the answers of all the questions, but already, more questions have been raised.  Where was Shannon and why did Jack recognize Desmond on the plane, not to mention why was Desmond even on the plane?  We finally met other Others at the Temple who have been hiding for five seasons.  Where’d they come from?  Why was the island underwater in the alternate reality of “If Oceanic 815 never crashed?”  Why did Juliet say the bomb worked?  What happened to Christian’s body?

On the other hand, one of the answers we got was that “Esau”, or the Man in Black, is the Smoke Monster, but we still have to find out why he couldn’t kill Jacob himself.  I just loved when Richard dragged Ben by the arm to show him Locke’s smiling body on the beach, and the surprised look on his face.

I came across an interesting Harry Potter Horcrux theory of Jacob while reading various opinions online.  Jacob embedded a part of his soul into each of the people that he has touched in the past, and these people will have to come together to resurrect Jacob, the good, in order to fight off “Esau”, the evil – a battle for the island.  This would be interesting, but a total rip off of J. K. Rowling.

I also found another article about the premiere and how the story now flashes sideways instead of forward or backward.   You can read it here.

And lastly, about Juliet.  I’ve never liked her when she was introduced to us in Season Three – the worst of them all.  Sawyer (James) can be a real jerk but when Juliet and Sawyer are together, they’re one of the sweetest couples.  I’m not sad that she died but I feel sorry for Sawyer because he loved her so much, maybe even more than Kate, and somehow I think their relationship was more than just for convenience, since they both were stuck in the 70′s together for those three years.  Juliet calmed his soul the way Kate never fully could.  But she’s gone…for now, at least.  People might start coming back from the dead, like Sayid!

Related Lost posts from ShowzNBookz

But back to 24 and its explosive première.   I wasn’t too fond of last season when it was set in Washington, D.C., and although 24 is set in New York this season, it has regained the feel of all the Los Angeles seasons and will be up to par with them – except for Season 3, the worst of them all.

The CTU office has never looked spiffier and sleeker, and of course, CTU is not CTU without Chloe O’Brien.  There’s a new director named Hastings, the guy from Waiting to Exhale who wore a leather vest in the hot desert.  You know, Mykelti Williamson – Bubba Gump Shrimp!  He asked Jack Bauer, “Can you get him here, Jack?”  Pshaw.  You know it!  Jack Bauer has the ability to overcome any obstacle, especially when he always wears his Messenger Bag of Miracles.  Have you noticed?

I loved one of the starting scenes when Jack was poked in the face with a stuffed polar bear by his adorable granddaughter, because we fans know that the sweet and gentle side of Jack Bauer is displayed sparingly.  He’ll be bashing heads and cracking skulls in no time, not to mention axing people right in their chest.  I have a feeling that instead of Kim Bauer always being kidnapped to coerce Jack into doing something, that his granddaughter will now be the victim.   I’m still waiting for Audrey Raines to return as Jack’s true love interest, but I now see her on Grey’s Anatomy, so I guess that’s not happening this season.

Percy (Doug Hutchison), from The Green Mile, joins the cast as one of the villains and Freddie Prinze, Jr. also joins, as a hero.

I heard rumors about 24 continuing on without Kiefer Sutherland, and if that were to happen, it would be absolutely ridonkulous.   There is no 24 without Kiefer as Jack Bauer.  The series would have to end or its legacy would be ruined.

UPDATE:  I guess Leoben from BSG just could not be without Starbuck because they are both on 24.  I knew it looked like him, but he does his Russian accent so well that I wasn’t absolutely sure.  They have yet to be in a scene together, though.

The Hurt Locker, directed by Kathryn Bigelow, doesn’t really have a plot, but we follow an EOD – Explosive Ordnance Disposal – squad throughout their tour of duty.  The three main characters are played by little-known but great actors – I just had to Google them after the movie to find out what other films they have been in because they were amazing in their roles.   Jeremy Renner plays the wild team leader who disarms the bombs, Anthony Mackie is the guy who plays by the rules and wants to protect his team, and Brian Geraghty plays the naïve kid.  There’s also three cameos played by well-known actors that you should look out for.

This movie is nominated in three categories for the Golden Globes: Best Motion Picture – Drama, Best Director and Best Screenplay.   It’s also up against Inglourious Basterds, which I also loved and I can’t decide which film I want to win.  They are completely different movies with a war theme, but I can’t pick which film is better than the other – they’re equal.  It would be nice to see a woman director win the Golden Globe, though, because not many are recognized with awards.

I’m still wondering what exactly the “hurt locker” means.   I’m thinking it’s the bomb suit that they wore, but it probably has some spiritual meaning, like a place where you store your pain.

But after watching this film, I definitely appreciate the troops even more, especially those in the Army that put their lives in danger every day to disarm bombs, like the unit in The Hurt Locker.

UPDATE: Jeremy Renner is now nominated for an Oscar for Best Actor.  You see, I told ya he was amazing in this role!  I like rooting for the underdog and I’d love to see him snag that Oscar away from the other big nominees like Morgan Freeman and George Clooney.  Go Jeremy!  Go Jeremy!  It’s your birthday!  It’s your birthday!

1. My Sister’s Keeper -  Starring Cameron Diaz, Jason Patrick and Abigail Breslin.  Don’t you hate when they completely change the ending of a movie that was adapted from a very popular book?  I did a separate post on this a while ago.

I hope they don’t screw up The Lovely Bones as well because I heard a significant part was cut out.

2.  Funny People – Starring Adam Sandler, Seth Rogan, Eric Bana and Leslie Mann.  I’m getting tired of Judd Apatow movies and must Seth Rogan be in every one of them?  The 40-Year-Old Virgin is hilarious, though.

3.  Harry Potter & The Half-Blood Prince – Starring Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, Rupert Grint, Michael Gambon and Helena Bonham Carter.  Read the book!  In the book, you delved into Voldemort’s past and gained insight into his character.  So much of it is cut out from the movie that it’s a shame.  When the Half-Blood Prince was revealed, they didn’t even explain to you why he was called that.  And one of the other things that was cut out – though I can’t go into detail because I don’t want to spoil it for you – is the “tribute” at the end of the book.

THE SO-SO’S

• Night at the Museum 2 – Starring Ben Stiller, Amy Adams and Hank Azaria.  Entertaining but nothing spectacular.
• Tyson - Starring Mike Tyson.  Oprah blew up this documentary on her show.  I think it kind of glorified him at times.  But if you’re a boxing fan you should see this because it contains clips of all his memorable fights.
• Mad Men -  I waited a long time to receive the first disc of Season 1 ever since it won Emmy’s.   I don’t get it.  Definitely do not watch this if you’re trying to quit smoking.
• Bruno - Starring Sacha Baron Cohen.  Okay, I admit that I laughed at every moment and I couldn’t take my eyes off of it, but it is so offensive.  If you’re easily offended by anything, then you can’t see this.  It wasn’t as sweet as Borat and children shouldn’t see this.  But dang, was it funny!
• The Hangover -  Starring Bradley Cooper, Heather Graham, Mike Tyson and Ed Helms (Andy from The Office).  It was funny but I expected it to be better since it was so hyped-up.  I don’t want to see Andy with his shirt off ever again.

THE RECOMMENDATIONS

• Up – Voiced by Ed Asner and Christopher Plummer.  Who hasn’t cried during a Pixar movie?  I just didn’t expect that I would cry so early on during that touching and poignant montage sans dialogue.  One of Pixar’s best.  Squirrel!
• Star Trek – I was completely skeptical but this was directed by J. J. Abrams (Lost), who has admitted himself that he was never really into any Star Trek movies.  He makes any Star Trek hater into an instant Trekker (yup, they’re not called Trekkies anymore).  They also casted the perfect people for each role, like Karl Urban as Bones, the dude from Heroes as Spock, and the hilarious Simon Pegg from Hot Fuzz and Shaun of the Dead as Scotty.  When I think of Scotty, I always remember Ace Ventura’s imitation of him: “I don’t have the power!”  Haha
• Dexter: Season 3 – Jimmy Smits joins the show this season as Dexter’s compadre, carnal, and partner-in-crime.  I noticed the different feel and tone that this season has as compared with the others, which is probably due to the change in producers.  It no longer has that all Latin soundtrack and that certain special flair, but season 3 was still a good show; I just don’t think it was as good as the first and second.  I felt a little bombarded with all the new characters and why does Debra always have to rush into relationships so fast and deeply?  But Dexter has to be one of my favorite TV characters of all time.
• Angels & Demons – Starring Tom Hanks and Ewen McGregor.  I loved this riveting book and I surprisingly enjoyed the movie even if the reviews weren’t so hot.  They did change something around in the ending but it actually doesn’t bother me this time.  At least Langdon changed his hairstyle.
• Lost: Season 5 – Oh my gosh, if you haven’t watched this series yet then you must because it is one of the best TV shows ever.  The final season is coming next month so you have to catch up on them, but it’s seriously like crack – not that I would know- but it’s so addictive.  The cast is spectacular as well as the writing.  Give it a try if you’re skeptical because I was skeptical, too.  It’s so much more than Survivor.  Here’s my rundown: Season 1- After the crash; Season 2- The Hatch (I miss that Hatch!); Season 3- The Others (the worst season but stick with it); Season 4- The rescue; Season 5- The return; and the upcoming Season 6- The ANSWERS.  I cannot wait to find out what the heck is going on with that island and all those characters!
• The Cove – A must-see documentary about dolphin slaughters in Taiji, Japan that plays like a spy movie.   Read my separate post here. Don’t forget to have some tissue at hand.
• Inglourious Basterds – Starring Brad Pitt, Diane Kruger, Mike Myers (I didn’t know it was him until I saw it the second time around!) and “Ryan” from The Office.  Another great Tarantino film filled with witty dialogue.   Some scenes have a Spaghetti Western feel, especially the opening scene which reminded me of Sergio Leone’s The Good, the Bad and the Ugly except with more dialogue.  I also loved the homage to John Ford’s The Searchers.  The famous scene of a dark room with John Wayne’s silhouette in front of a lighted doorway is recreated in this film.  I noticed it because I’m a huge fan of westerns and John Ford.   But mixing the feel of a western with a war movie is just brilliant.  Tarantino = Oscar.
• District 9 – Starring a little-known actor named Sharlto Copley, who will star in the upcoming movie The A-Team.  This gem of a sci-fi film is now one of my favorites ever!  I never thought I’d care so much for two ugly aliens – oh wait, I forgot about E.T. and Alf.  I didn’t know that I’d also bust out laughing at all the “unintentional” humor.  The unknown actor who played Wikus Van De Merwe did an amazing job!  You’ll notice the obvious themes in the movie.  The only thing that bothered me was the overly shaky camera which kind of made me dizzy at first, since it’s shot like a documentary but the pace of the film is perfect.  Make sure you watch the deleted scenes with the stand-in alien dressed in a tight light blue suit.
• Extract – Starring Jason Bateman (love him!), Mila Kunis and a very hairy Ben Affleck.  A very funny movie that I kind of liked a little better than The Hangover.
• (500) Days of Summer -  Starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Zooey Deschanel.  Now I’m not a fan of Romantic Comedies – the only one I love is As Good As It Gets – but this is not your typical Romantic Comedy.  First of all, the title sounds confusing but it’s just a play on words – the girl’s name is Summer.  If you’re a member of The Lonely Hearts Club or have been jaded by relationships, this movie will keep you optimistic.  I love the quirkiness of it and the arsty scenes.  The story isn’t told in a linear fashion so pay attention to the numbers in the parentheses.  By the way, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, who you may remember as the young alien son on 3rd Rock from the Sun – doesn’t get enough props.  He’s a great actor but more people will recognize his face rather than his name.  You have to check out another one of his movies called The Lookout.

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