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Jesters_folly (230 KP) rated TRON (1982) in Movies
Nov 17, 2020
Before Player One, before Ralph and Neo and even before the Lawnmower Man there was Tron. Tron covers a lot of ground, some of which was quite advanced for a film from 1983, we have hackers, corporate espionage, teleportation experiments, A.I. and what we would now call Cyberspace.
Basically Ed Dillinger is the boss of an evil corporation, Encom, (yes IT corporations were evil as far back as the 1980s) who got to where he was by stealing the programs of five arcade games from Flynn. Ed is being blackmailed by the 'Master Control Program' or 'MCP' for short, a rouge A.I. that believes it can rule the world better than humans.
Alan works at Encom and is trying to create a Data monitoring program called Tron. Alan is also dating Flynn's ex, Lora who also works at Encom, in a department that is developing a way of digitising mater and transporting it down a laser beam to a new destination. The three team up to help Flynn find the proof of the theft but the MCP digitises Flynn who finds himself used as a gladiator in the program. When Flynn meets the Tron program they team up to bring the MCP down.
First off the whole thing could have been stopped if Encom had proper health and safety, the computer that Flynn was using was the same one that operated the digitising laser and the laser was set up right behind the screen with barriers or other safety measures.
Ok in all seriousness the concepts in Tron were quite advanced, baring in mind that this was out in 1983, a time when home P.C.s were just beginning to become popular and the internet wasn't really around (there were networked computers but really only in offices) Tron brought us a concept of Cyberspace (although it wasn't called that in the film), a world where the computer programs live and the games are real. Not only that but everything is linked together, there weren't any networked games back then any you had to go to an arcade to play most of the games that existed.
By todays standards the Cyberspace world wouldn't feel right. It is a lineal landscape with fractural crystals coloured in greys, red and blues, a far cry from Wreck-it Ralph's advert filled, brightly coloured internet. Again this is due to when it was made, no internet, no advertising and, of course the computers of the time had slightly less memory than the ones today, with the ZX81 being released that year with a massive 16 or 48 Kb of memory, yes kiddies that's Kilo-bites, not even one meg so the games that were available were quite basic (compared to what we have today) an, of course, outside of an arcade those games would have been stored on floppy disk or cassette tape.
The action in Tron is muted, mainly kept to bike crashes and people throwing Frisbees at each other but this is because Tron is; 1) a kids film and 2) a Disney film. The muted action doesn't take away from the film though, it's still an enjoyable adventure film whose influence can be seen even now with films like Wreck-it Ralph.
For a film that is mostly early 80's CGI (or even just early CGI) Tron hasn't aged too badly and the story could easily have been written now, especially with the recent advent of LitRGP books and 'Isekai' anime such as 'Sword Art Online'.
Basically Ed Dillinger is the boss of an evil corporation, Encom, (yes IT corporations were evil as far back as the 1980s) who got to where he was by stealing the programs of five arcade games from Flynn. Ed is being blackmailed by the 'Master Control Program' or 'MCP' for short, a rouge A.I. that believes it can rule the world better than humans.
Alan works at Encom and is trying to create a Data monitoring program called Tron. Alan is also dating Flynn's ex, Lora who also works at Encom, in a department that is developing a way of digitising mater and transporting it down a laser beam to a new destination. The three team up to help Flynn find the proof of the theft but the MCP digitises Flynn who finds himself used as a gladiator in the program. When Flynn meets the Tron program they team up to bring the MCP down.
First off the whole thing could have been stopped if Encom had proper health and safety, the computer that Flynn was using was the same one that operated the digitising laser and the laser was set up right behind the screen with barriers or other safety measures.
Ok in all seriousness the concepts in Tron were quite advanced, baring in mind that this was out in 1983, a time when home P.C.s were just beginning to become popular and the internet wasn't really around (there were networked computers but really only in offices) Tron brought us a concept of Cyberspace (although it wasn't called that in the film), a world where the computer programs live and the games are real. Not only that but everything is linked together, there weren't any networked games back then any you had to go to an arcade to play most of the games that existed.
By todays standards the Cyberspace world wouldn't feel right. It is a lineal landscape with fractural crystals coloured in greys, red and blues, a far cry from Wreck-it Ralph's advert filled, brightly coloured internet. Again this is due to when it was made, no internet, no advertising and, of course the computers of the time had slightly less memory than the ones today, with the ZX81 being released that year with a massive 16 or 48 Kb of memory, yes kiddies that's Kilo-bites, not even one meg so the games that were available were quite basic (compared to what we have today) an, of course, outside of an arcade those games would have been stored on floppy disk or cassette tape.
The action in Tron is muted, mainly kept to bike crashes and people throwing Frisbees at each other but this is because Tron is; 1) a kids film and 2) a Disney film. The muted action doesn't take away from the film though, it's still an enjoyable adventure film whose influence can be seen even now with films like Wreck-it Ralph.
For a film that is mostly early 80's CGI (or even just early CGI) Tron hasn't aged too badly and the story could easily have been written now, especially with the recent advent of LitRGP books and 'Isekai' anime such as 'Sword Art Online'.
Rick Astley recommended Greatest Hits by Al Green in Music (curated)
Purple Phoenix Games (2266 KP) rated Pretense in Tabletop Games
Sep 24, 2019
Have you ever invented something that already exists? I have. I invented the mechanism that is used in fast food joints where you can fill up the cups with just enough ice and pop (yes, it’s POP) per size of cup. So it only fills up enough ice and pop to fill a Small cup, for example. I invented that!! Until I saw that it was in use a year later after not doing anything about it. In any case, Pretense is a game that I should have invented. It’s one of those ideas where you think to yourself, “Well gall-darnit, why didn’t I think of that??”
This is a Button Shy game so you know it will be compact and fit into one of those nylon wallet things. Mine, however, was Kickstarted and came in and still resides in a clear plastic bag. No wallet. Oh well. It’s a small set of cards that you deal out to attendees of your game night when they arrive. Each player then reads their role cards to themselves and the game is on.
A game of Pretense is a meta-game that lasts the entire game night (or longer if you are hard core). When you have your role card you are trying to get someone to satisfy your role’s requirement so that you may catch them, announce your role, and then take their role card to assume their requirements. The “winner” is the person at the end of the game with the most amount of won role cards.
As you can see from the Klutz card above, if someone mentions that you suck at keeping your rolled dice on the table, you can announce that you are the Klutz, take their role card and continue playing as someone else. Well gall-darnit, why didn’t I think of that? It’s genius!
And it IS genius. It is a simple and sleek design that keeps everyone on their toes for the entire evening, trying to catch each other saying or doing something outrageous or quite normal – just to slap it in their faces and flaunt their gaming supremacy.
Components. Again, I have the Kickstarter Button Shy version of Pretense and it’s some cards in a basic clear plastic bag… well, sleeve. The cards are fine quality, and the art on them is quite good. They all have the same portraiture but with different subjects, and a nameplate above the game details. No issues on components or art here.
Pretense is a game that I can pull out with minimal (or no) explanation and have people plotting and sneaking all night long. I believe the boxed AEG version also provides role token (a la Werewolf) so everyone knows which roles are in play, but that’s no fun. It’s catching people when they aren’t thinking about what they’re doing that really makes this one shine. It will never make my Top 100 list, but I will also never let it go. I do love it and it has led to many hilarious accusations and subterfuge, so it will be mine for all time. As this game is difficult to really rate (due to it being more of an activity and not so much a game), I have left off any numeric values. This is a good time and you should defo try it out.
This is a Button Shy game so you know it will be compact and fit into one of those nylon wallet things. Mine, however, was Kickstarted and came in and still resides in a clear plastic bag. No wallet. Oh well. It’s a small set of cards that you deal out to attendees of your game night when they arrive. Each player then reads their role cards to themselves and the game is on.
A game of Pretense is a meta-game that lasts the entire game night (or longer if you are hard core). When you have your role card you are trying to get someone to satisfy your role’s requirement so that you may catch them, announce your role, and then take their role card to assume their requirements. The “winner” is the person at the end of the game with the most amount of won role cards.
As you can see from the Klutz card above, if someone mentions that you suck at keeping your rolled dice on the table, you can announce that you are the Klutz, take their role card and continue playing as someone else. Well gall-darnit, why didn’t I think of that? It’s genius!
And it IS genius. It is a simple and sleek design that keeps everyone on their toes for the entire evening, trying to catch each other saying or doing something outrageous or quite normal – just to slap it in their faces and flaunt their gaming supremacy.
Components. Again, I have the Kickstarter Button Shy version of Pretense and it’s some cards in a basic clear plastic bag… well, sleeve. The cards are fine quality, and the art on them is quite good. They all have the same portraiture but with different subjects, and a nameplate above the game details. No issues on components or art here.
Pretense is a game that I can pull out with minimal (or no) explanation and have people plotting and sneaking all night long. I believe the boxed AEG version also provides role token (a la Werewolf) so everyone knows which roles are in play, but that’s no fun. It’s catching people when they aren’t thinking about what they’re doing that really makes this one shine. It will never make my Top 100 list, but I will also never let it go. I do love it and it has led to many hilarious accusations and subterfuge, so it will be mine for all time. As this game is difficult to really rate (due to it being more of an activity and not so much a game), I have left off any numeric values. This is a good time and you should defo try it out.
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Gareth von Kallenbach (980 KP) rated Hot Tub Time Machine 2 (2015) in Movies
Jun 19, 2019
When “Hot Tub Time Machine” came out almost five years ago, it took a whacky concept of four friends whisked back in time during a getaway to the 80s giving them a chance to fix aspects of their lives they wished they had done differently.
The outrageous and bawdy humor as well as strong performances from John Cusack and Crispin Glover made the film a cult hit that earned over $64 million worldwide and did well on DVD sales as well.
Naturally a sequel was planned and when I first heard it was looking to be a direct to DVD sequel sans Cusack, I had an idea that the film may be little more than an effort to cash in on the success of the first film without offering much to the continued story of the characters.
I was encouraged by the early trailers for the sequel and as such went into the screener with better expectations than I had originally had when I first heard of the projects.
The film explains that “John Cusack’s character is off on adventure of self-discovery as the friends have all become wealthy and famous after the events of the first film. Lou (Rob Corddry) has milked Motley Crue and his knowledge of pending tech to establish himself as a major player, Nick (Craig Robinson) has cashed in on a recording career by covering famous songs from his day before they were ever released and Jacob (Clark Duke) is stuck playing Butler to his father Lou.
Lou has become an example of an ego run wild and during one of his lavish parties; he is shot and left near death. In a move of desperation, Nick and Jacob whisk Lou into the Hot Tub and attempt to go back in time to stop the shooting.
Things do not go as planned as the trio end up 15 years into the future and must find a way to put things right and get home.
One would think that this premise would be able to produce some funny moments, but sadly the film is painfully slow and plodding and most shocking of all, very, very unfunny. The film tries to get some crude laughs from a gameshow of the future and a homicidal Smart Car but the film just wanders from situation to situation looking for laughs and does not setup or execute them properly.
There is a montage scene at the end of the film which sadly is the best part and shows what could have been a much better sequel with the group going through time taking the place of famous individuals and interacting with them.
As it stands, “Hot Tub Time Machine 2”, is a trip you do not want to make.
http://sknr.net/2015/02/20/hot-tub-time-machine-2/
The outrageous and bawdy humor as well as strong performances from John Cusack and Crispin Glover made the film a cult hit that earned over $64 million worldwide and did well on DVD sales as well.
Naturally a sequel was planned and when I first heard it was looking to be a direct to DVD sequel sans Cusack, I had an idea that the film may be little more than an effort to cash in on the success of the first film without offering much to the continued story of the characters.
I was encouraged by the early trailers for the sequel and as such went into the screener with better expectations than I had originally had when I first heard of the projects.
The film explains that “John Cusack’s character is off on adventure of self-discovery as the friends have all become wealthy and famous after the events of the first film. Lou (Rob Corddry) has milked Motley Crue and his knowledge of pending tech to establish himself as a major player, Nick (Craig Robinson) has cashed in on a recording career by covering famous songs from his day before they were ever released and Jacob (Clark Duke) is stuck playing Butler to his father Lou.
Lou has become an example of an ego run wild and during one of his lavish parties; he is shot and left near death. In a move of desperation, Nick and Jacob whisk Lou into the Hot Tub and attempt to go back in time to stop the shooting.
Things do not go as planned as the trio end up 15 years into the future and must find a way to put things right and get home.
One would think that this premise would be able to produce some funny moments, but sadly the film is painfully slow and plodding and most shocking of all, very, very unfunny. The film tries to get some crude laughs from a gameshow of the future and a homicidal Smart Car but the film just wanders from situation to situation looking for laughs and does not setup or execute them properly.
There is a montage scene at the end of the film which sadly is the best part and shows what could have been a much better sequel with the group going through time taking the place of famous individuals and interacting with them.
As it stands, “Hot Tub Time Machine 2”, is a trip you do not want to make.
http://sknr.net/2015/02/20/hot-tub-time-machine-2/
Mutant Mudds Collection
6.7
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It’s the greatest collection of muddy games under one roof! Revisit the platforming fun of the...
Leanne Crabtree (480 KP) rated Pretty Reckless (All Saints High, #1) in Books
Jan 8, 2021
This review and more can be found at my blog https://aromancereadersreviews.blogspot.com
A Romance Reader's Reviews
Got this from the Kindle Unlimited library.
This starts with the prologue at age 14, when Daria is at ballet practise with her rival for her mothers affection and attention, Via - a gifted but very feisty girl. It turns out she's that good that she's been accepted into a prestigious ballet school but in her jealousy Daria steals the letter and meets a boy outside a coffee shop a short distance away. A boy who wanted her to give him all her firsts. He gives her a bit of orange sea glass and rips up the letter she's holding when she tells him it's what she wants most in the world.
Fast forward four years and Daria and the boy, Penn, are now bitter rivals because of the events following the letter rip up. They come from rival schools. He's a football player, she's a cheerleader. He's poor, she's rich. They're opposites in a lot of ways and have reason to dislike each other but that initial connection from four years ago keeps rearing back up and they're drawn to each other time and time again.
I was a little undecided about our couple for quite a while. I did not find what they were doing hot and didn't understand it. But strangely, I got attached to them and wanted them to get together. I realised that they made the other one a better person, and in Daria's case, I think she needed it.
She came across as being such a bitch at times but internally she hated it, cowering away from what she'd just said and the damage she'd inflicted. I couldn't really believe that she'd done half the stuff in regards to her mum. It just seemed a step too far for me at times. Yeah, fair enough, her mum wasn't the most...loving or understanding at times, but still, it was harsh.
The romance did grow on me quite a lot, though, and by the 60% mark I was hooked on them. I wanted them to conquer everyone and everything that was thrown in their path. I cried like a baby for quite a while around the 70-75% mark, that's how invested I was in them.
There were a lot of secrets and lies going on in this and it was a little hard to keep track but I'm glad that in the end Penn and Daria got their HEA.
I'm interested in seeing how all the All Saints High parents got together as I loved that scene where they all banded together to get justice for Daria. Mess with one, mess with them all.
A Romance Reader's Reviews
Got this from the Kindle Unlimited library.
This starts with the prologue at age 14, when Daria is at ballet practise with her rival for her mothers affection and attention, Via - a gifted but very feisty girl. It turns out she's that good that she's been accepted into a prestigious ballet school but in her jealousy Daria steals the letter and meets a boy outside a coffee shop a short distance away. A boy who wanted her to give him all her firsts. He gives her a bit of orange sea glass and rips up the letter she's holding when she tells him it's what she wants most in the world.
Fast forward four years and Daria and the boy, Penn, are now bitter rivals because of the events following the letter rip up. They come from rival schools. He's a football player, she's a cheerleader. He's poor, she's rich. They're opposites in a lot of ways and have reason to dislike each other but that initial connection from four years ago keeps rearing back up and they're drawn to each other time and time again.
I was a little undecided about our couple for quite a while. I did not find what they were doing hot and didn't understand it. But strangely, I got attached to them and wanted them to get together. I realised that they made the other one a better person, and in Daria's case, I think she needed it.
She came across as being such a bitch at times but internally she hated it, cowering away from what she'd just said and the damage she'd inflicted. I couldn't really believe that she'd done half the stuff in regards to her mum. It just seemed a step too far for me at times. Yeah, fair enough, her mum wasn't the most...loving or understanding at times, but still, it was harsh.
The romance did grow on me quite a lot, though, and by the 60% mark I was hooked on them. I wanted them to conquer everyone and everything that was thrown in their path. I cried like a baby for quite a while around the 70-75% mark, that's how invested I was in them.
There were a lot of secrets and lies going on in this and it was a little hard to keep track but I'm glad that in the end Penn and Daria got their HEA.
I'm interested in seeing how all the All Saints High parents got together as I loved that scene where they all banded together to get justice for Daria. Mess with one, mess with them all.
Air Video HD - Now with multitasking and PiP support!
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Air Video HD is the ultimate streaming video player for all videos stored on your computer. If want...