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Toca Life: Vacation

Education and Entertainment

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Make every day a vacation adventure! Feel the excitement of going through the airport to catch your...

CJ (8 KP) rated 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) in Movies

Aug 26, 2018

2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)

1968 | Classics, Sci-Fi

8.0

(47 Ratings)

Movie Rating Watch

Long scenes of drifting through space. Amazing on an IMAX screen. (0 more)

Plot sometimes seems like an afterthought (see above long images of drifting through space.) This is not a neat ending. You will most likely be confused. (0 more)

Visit space at your local IMAX

This review is specifically about the IMAX re-release in 2018.

Never having seen this film before, I was psyched to hear it was coming to IMAX. Raised in museums, I have a strong predisposition to watch movies set in space or in the ocean on IMAX screens. In that respect, this movie does not disappoint. If your idea of a great time is watching space craft drift through space to classical music on a screen so big you feel like you’re there, you will LOVE this movie. The cinematography is stunning, and I found myself enjoying shifting back and forth between space and 1960’s set design. 2001 is, if nothing else, a feast on for the eyes.
This movie has a reputation for being confusing, and it does earn it. This is particularly true of the last half our or so.
Because this was originally made for Cinerama (a style that was projected onto a heavily curved screen using 3 synchronized projectors) a few scenes looked a little squished or bent in places. It’s barely noticable, and probably unavoidable in translating from the curved to flat screen. Still, this was remarkably well done.
Still, regardless what you think of the story and meaning of this film, you will be doing yourself a favor to see it in IMAX before it leaves!

Kudos

Tim McGuire (301 KP) rated Grabbers (2012) in Movies

Mar 3, 2020

Grabbers (2012)

2012 | Comedy, Horror, Sci-Fi

6.6

(7 Ratings)

Movie Rating

Fun Creature Feature

388. Grabbers. Aliens attack Ireland, must be for the women. One night off the coast of Ireland a piece of a meteor comes crashing down into the ocean, and with it, a multi-legged mouth essentially that seems to just eat anything alive that gets in the way, and its making its way to land. Story centers on a small fishing town that's about to be invaded, and the two police taking care of it. As with many stories of small Irish towns, most of the population are drunk, racists, oh wait, it's made by the Irish, so it's ok then. The two officers, O'Shea, an alcoholic, suffering from the past, and Lisa, who is there only temporarily and takes her job seriously... of course. They clash, they flirt, O'Shea gets jealous when investigating the creatures they visit a scientist dude that isn't shy about flirting with Lisa. So after a few attacks, randomly around, they come to the conclusion that they won't attack you if you're intoxicated, tho there is no evidence of this at all, except that the town's biggest drunk has survived, hmm. So the plan is to round up the town folk in the bar, get drunk, and wait for reinforcements. It was an amusing movie, definitely fits into the 'B-Movie' variety. Like I said though, the alcohol thing, only seems to work when the story needed it too, plenty of tipsy people were getting turned into snacks, then again it's not really a movie you have to think all that much about, my bad. Enjoy. Filmbufftim on FB

Kudos

Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2204 KP) rated Murky Waters in Books

Mar 14, 2020

Murky Waters

Diane Vallere | 2019 | Mystery

10.0

(1 Ratings)

Book Rating

Kyra is the youngest of the three mermaid sisters we are learning about in Diane Vallere’s Mermaid Mystery novellas. She has been coddled and babied her entire life. Known for her beauty and her singing voice, she plays into both of those roles, flirting with every merman who shows interest. On her way to music lessons one morning, she finds the Nautilus Vault opened and several squid tied up near the entrance. She frees them, but she can tell someone has been inside the vault. Can she figure out who is responsible?

In many ways, this novella feels like a coming of age tale since Kyra really grows as the story progresses. No, she doesn’t start out as shallow as she may at first appear. I really enjoyed getting to know her and watching the growth happen over the course of the story. Now, this isn’t to say that we don’t get a mystery as well with plenty to keep us engaged. The growth comes directly from the events of the story, and it all feels very natural. There isn’t quite as much background on mermaid culture as there was in the first story, but we do get enough that if you jumped in with this story you wouldn’t be lost. The other characters are interesting, and we see some other sides of them than we did in the first novella. More than anything, I had fun imaging I lived in the ocean as well.

NOTE: This story, along with the stories of Kyra’s sisters, are included in the Mermaid Mysteries anthology. Buy them individually or as a set, but there is no need to buy both.