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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'.
Sarah (7800 KP) rated Ma Rainey's Black Bottom (2020) in Movies
Jan 30, 2021
Boseman is amazing
Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom is the latest adaptation of the works of August Wilson brought to us by producer Denzel Washington, following on from the 2016 adaptation of Fences that earned Viola Davis a Best Supporting Actress Oscar. Here Washington hands over the directing reins to Tony award winner George C. Wolfe, while Viola Davis returns as the titular Ma Rainey.
Set in 1920s Chicago, the film follows a tense and fractious recording session with Ma Rainey and her backing band, old hands Toledo (Glynn Turman), Cutler (Colman Domingo) and Slow Drag (Michael Potts) alongside ambitious young horn player Levee (Chadwick Boseman). Tensions rise between Ma, Levee and the recording studio management (Jeremy Shamos as Irvin and Jonny Coyne as Sturdyvant) as each attempts to control the recording session and play songs that fit best with their own motives. Contributing to the frictions are Levee’s flirtation with Ma’s girlfriend Dussie Mae (Taylour Paige) and her Ma’s stuttering nephew Sylvester (Dusan Brown) as he attempts to introduce Ma’s signature song, Black Bottom.
Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom undoubtedly looks and sounds good. The cinematography and costumes are perfect and entirely in keeping with the 20s Chicago setting. And the blues music is captivating and beautifully made. To be quite honest I would’ve been quite happy to watch and listen to an entire film solely following the band and their music. However whilst it does look and sound good, it is so obviously a film adapted from a stage play and I’m afraid this isn’t a good thing. There’s a limited number of sets and virtually the entirety of the 90 minute run time is set within two rooms in the recording studio, which makes such a short film feel ridiculously drawn out. This isn’t helped by the huge reliance on very long scripted dialogue and conversational scenes. I can’t deny that the writing is good and is helped by strong performances from everyone involved, but there’s just too much dialogue. This might work on the stage, but on screen it doesn’t quite translate. There’s that much dialogue that the majority of scenes become too heavy and bogged down and sadly almost entirely forgettable. For me a film needs to balance dialogue with actual events and actions, and I’m afraid aside from the final act, nothing much happens here.
Fortunately this is at least boosted by some stellar performances. Viola Davis is brilliant as the spirited Ma Rainey, even if Ma herself as a character is rather unlikeable with some questionable motives for her actions and manners. The star however is the late Chadwick Boseman. While it’s very off putting to see how obviously thin and ill he was filming this, his performance is outstanding. He brings life and fun and heart to every scene he’s in and gives this film a massive boost. Even the drawn out dialogue heavy scenes become enthralling when he’s talking and the emotions on show are spectacular. Despite Viola Davis being the star as Ma, it’s Boseman that carried this film entirely on his shoulders. If he doesn’t win a posthumous Oscar for this, it’d be criminal.
Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom is a shining example of stellar performances, most notably Chadwick Boseman. It’s just a shame that the rest of the film doesn’t quite meet the high standards set by its stars.
Set in 1920s Chicago, the film follows a tense and fractious recording session with Ma Rainey and her backing band, old hands Toledo (Glynn Turman), Cutler (Colman Domingo) and Slow Drag (Michael Potts) alongside ambitious young horn player Levee (Chadwick Boseman). Tensions rise between Ma, Levee and the recording studio management (Jeremy Shamos as Irvin and Jonny Coyne as Sturdyvant) as each attempts to control the recording session and play songs that fit best with their own motives. Contributing to the frictions are Levee’s flirtation with Ma’s girlfriend Dussie Mae (Taylour Paige) and her Ma’s stuttering nephew Sylvester (Dusan Brown) as he attempts to introduce Ma’s signature song, Black Bottom.
Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom undoubtedly looks and sounds good. The cinematography and costumes are perfect and entirely in keeping with the 20s Chicago setting. And the blues music is captivating and beautifully made. To be quite honest I would’ve been quite happy to watch and listen to an entire film solely following the band and their music. However whilst it does look and sound good, it is so obviously a film adapted from a stage play and I’m afraid this isn’t a good thing. There’s a limited number of sets and virtually the entirety of the 90 minute run time is set within two rooms in the recording studio, which makes such a short film feel ridiculously drawn out. This isn’t helped by the huge reliance on very long scripted dialogue and conversational scenes. I can’t deny that the writing is good and is helped by strong performances from everyone involved, but there’s just too much dialogue. This might work on the stage, but on screen it doesn’t quite translate. There’s that much dialogue that the majority of scenes become too heavy and bogged down and sadly almost entirely forgettable. For me a film needs to balance dialogue with actual events and actions, and I’m afraid aside from the final act, nothing much happens here.
Fortunately this is at least boosted by some stellar performances. Viola Davis is brilliant as the spirited Ma Rainey, even if Ma herself as a character is rather unlikeable with some questionable motives for her actions and manners. The star however is the late Chadwick Boseman. While it’s very off putting to see how obviously thin and ill he was filming this, his performance is outstanding. He brings life and fun and heart to every scene he’s in and gives this film a massive boost. Even the drawn out dialogue heavy scenes become enthralling when he’s talking and the emotions on show are spectacular. Despite Viola Davis being the star as Ma, it’s Boseman that carried this film entirely on his shoulders. If he doesn’t win a posthumous Oscar for this, it’d be criminal.
Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom is a shining example of stellar performances, most notably Chadwick Boseman. It’s just a shame that the rest of the film doesn’t quite meet the high standards set by its stars.
Kara Skinner (332 KP) rated Claiming Her Highway in Books
Sep 10, 2019
Contains spoilers, click to show
Genre: Historical
Words: 17,970
Average Goodreads Rating: 3.8/5 stars
My rating: 2/5 stars
Cass runs one of the greatest band of highwaymen around. Despite being a woman, she’s respected by her crew, and every night they return to camp richer than they were and she can enjoy being in the arms of her second-in-command, Will Carpenter. But that all changes when Will accepts a position in the King’s Guard. Cass knows Will wants more than what she can give him. He wants marriage and kids, as well as honest work instead of thieving. But Cass doesn’t know if she can ever give him up.
Claiming Her Highwayman is free on Smashwords.
I found myself underwhelmed by this story. When it starts, Will and Cass are already a couple, and the chemistry between them already feels forced, as well as the heist they’re about to go on. It’s like a bad first draft that hasn’t developed into something greater yet. Cass and Will feel more like paper dolls than people and unfortunately, I never get that attached to them. They just don’t have the chemistry.
It doesn’t help that my suspension of disbelief took a huge beating when Will’s offered a job with the King’s Guard, as the princess’s personal guard. He’s a highwayman! Since when do they let criminals guard princesses? Um, never. Not only that, but he’s still in contact with his old gang, and he’s not even in training to be a soldier! He just is. Apparently the standards for becoming a member of the King’s Guard is really low.
It would make a hell of a lot more sense to me if there was a scarcity of guards for some reason, like the country was at war, and that’s why they’re turning to criminals to keep up with the demand of soldiers. That would flesh out the plot, too. But nope. Apparently we’re supposed to accept that a robber can become a princess’s bodyguard easily after mugging her with his gang of bandits. Oh, and he almost becomes her husband. Because every king wants his little girl to marry a common criminal.
Despite everything wrong with the story, I like Will’s and Cass’s characters. Even though Will only exists to be Cass’s lover, he’s got some pretty charming lines in the story. His need to protect her is incredibly sexy.
Cass’s character is a little more complex. She’s strong and independent, and she knows what she wants in life. She’s the type of girl who would be bored to death in most respectable professions for a woman, instead enjoying being a bandit. But I hated her when Bryce, one of her men, attacked her in her tent. All she did to defend herself was bide her time until she could scream for help
What. The. Fuck.
She’s a damn gang leader and she doesn’t know how to defend herself against one man who gets too handsy? Please. That’s fucking ludicrous, and all of my respect for her is just gone because of that one scene. How the hell did she become a leader in the first place if she needs to scream like a damn damsel whenever she gets attacked? Not cool.
This book really didn’t do much for me. While it’s all right, it’s not that good. The characters aren’t good, and neither is the writing. I suggest you look elsewhere for your historical romance bad boy.
Words: 17,970
Average Goodreads Rating: 3.8/5 stars
My rating: 2/5 stars
Cass runs one of the greatest band of highwaymen around. Despite being a woman, she’s respected by her crew, and every night they return to camp richer than they were and she can enjoy being in the arms of her second-in-command, Will Carpenter. But that all changes when Will accepts a position in the King’s Guard. Cass knows Will wants more than what she can give him. He wants marriage and kids, as well as honest work instead of thieving. But Cass doesn’t know if she can ever give him up.
Claiming Her Highwayman is free on Smashwords.
I found myself underwhelmed by this story. When it starts, Will and Cass are already a couple, and the chemistry between them already feels forced, as well as the heist they’re about to go on. It’s like a bad first draft that hasn’t developed into something greater yet. Cass and Will feel more like paper dolls than people and unfortunately, I never get that attached to them. They just don’t have the chemistry.
It doesn’t help that my suspension of disbelief took a huge beating when Will’s offered a job with the King’s Guard, as the princess’s personal guard. He’s a highwayman! Since when do they let criminals guard princesses? Um, never. Not only that, but he’s still in contact with his old gang, and he’s not even in training to be a soldier! He just is. Apparently the standards for becoming a member of the King’s Guard is really low.
It would make a hell of a lot more sense to me if there was a scarcity of guards for some reason, like the country was at war, and that’s why they’re turning to criminals to keep up with the demand of soldiers. That would flesh out the plot, too. But nope. Apparently we’re supposed to accept that a robber can become a princess’s bodyguard easily after mugging her with his gang of bandits. Oh, and he almost becomes her husband. Because every king wants his little girl to marry a common criminal.
Despite everything wrong with the story, I like Will’s and Cass’s characters. Even though Will only exists to be Cass’s lover, he’s got some pretty charming lines in the story. His need to protect her is incredibly sexy.
Cass’s character is a little more complex. She’s strong and independent, and she knows what she wants in life. She’s the type of girl who would be bored to death in most respectable professions for a woman, instead enjoying being a bandit. But I hated her when Bryce, one of her men, attacked her in her tent. All she did to defend herself was bide her time until she could scream for help
What. The. Fuck.
She’s a damn gang leader and she doesn’t know how to defend herself against one man who gets too handsy? Please. That’s fucking ludicrous, and all of my respect for her is just gone because of that one scene. How the hell did she become a leader in the first place if she needs to scream like a damn damsel whenever she gets attacked? Not cool.
This book really didn’t do much for me. While it’s all right, it’s not that good. The characters aren’t good, and neither is the writing. I suggest you look elsewhere for your historical romance bad boy.