Movies

The Martian Part III

So, I’m excited about this Martian movie and it got me thinking, who do I know that might like the book. So I turn around and ask my cubical neighbor and fellow Clone Club member, “Are you a book reader?”

He: Not really, I do listen to audio books when I commute though.
Me: So what kind of books?
He: It varies…
Me: Autobiographies? Mysteries? Non-Fiction? Hard Science Fiction?
He: Well right now I’m listening to sort of a survival story. It is about a guy left behind on Mars…
Me: Unbelievable. That is exactly where I was going…Where are you in the book?

I’ve got a couple more ideas on who to try next week.

The Martian Part II

Got two pieces of news about the thing that might actually drag me into a physical movie theater for the first time since 2012. They have moved up the release date for The Martian from November 25th to October 2nd. And the trailer dropped.

httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ue4PCI0NamI

Now I’m still psyched to see this thing, but I’m not real happy about the marketing. The teaser viral thingie from the other day was perfect, but the trailer and then the poster kind of spoil a plot point that held a lot of suspense for the book reader.

I’m sure there was a different way to do the trailer so that the whole will he or won’t he be rescued in time could have been left a little more open. I fully understand why they’re going this way, ‘Muricans love a happy ending, plus my way would have little time to show all those other actors faces. And just maybe it is me, it doesn’t show him actually being saved.

Anyway, we knew how Apollo 13 turned out and it still made a heck of a movie.

Started up, went down, back up, still up.
Miata Top Transitions since 10/24/08: 1511

The Martian

Ask anyone who has had a favorite book turned into a TV show or movie if it was as good as the book (don’t get me started on Jack Reacher) and if more than one of your first million friends says yes I’ll be shocked.

The best scifi book I’ve read since I was a wide-eyed 12 year old is being turned into a movie. So I clearly had low expectations, until now. Here is the trailer:

If you like hard science fiction and tales of survival garnished with humor, go read the book, its only six bucks for the Kindle – The Martian by Andy Weir, so now that you too can be impatiently waiting for November 25th.

Started up, went down, went up, still up.
Miata Top Transitions since 10/24/08: 1503

8-1/2 Months From Now

That is the next time I set foot in an actual movie theater and it will be to see this:

httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ngElkyQ6Rhs

Before you ask, I don’t remember for sure when the last time was.

Gangster Squad

Doesn’t look like my kind of movie, but after seeing the trailer I can’t be the only one who thinks they are trying to channel Jessica Rabbit through Emma Stone.

Tetralogy

For Christmas in 2007 I asked for the Bourne Trilogy as one of my gifts. Almost every year since it has been a holiday tradition here on Boardman Road, Dunbarton Oaks, Aiken to watch the three movies. This year was no exception, but with one exception.

The Bourne Legacy came out on DVD on December 11th so we watched the “4th movie” of the trilogy. I’m pretty sure that next year we will stop at #3 The Bourne Ultimatum. I don’t know what to think, it wasn’t a bad movie, I don’t regret the 2 hours spent watching it, but it wasn’t very good either and being a BIG fan of the first three movies certainly didn’t help. The ending was very abrupt, almost like they are expecting to make another movie with these two characters on the run, but judging by the money figures on IMDB that’s just not going to happen.

May The Odds Be Ever In Your Favor

Donna, I and 20 of our closest strangers saw The Hunger Games this morning. Went for a bike ride to DD for breakfast and when we got home there was enough time to shower, change and drive to Augusta to catch the 10:30 showing in some stadium seating.

Neither one of us has read any of the books, we both had a sketchy idea of the plot from media immersion, but the real reason we went to see it was that it was filmed mostly in our favorite part of the country, western North Carolina. Not a bad little movie. I enjoyed it more than Donna, but neither of us will be waiting with breathless anticipation for the second installment.

After doing all the prep work the last couple weeks, re-watching Iron Man 2, watching Thor, watching Captain America, and seeing the trailer in the theater today, I can now say, “I think I’ll be waiting for the DVD of The Avengers.” I almost hate to admit it, but I buy a dystopian future where teenagers battle to the death on television before I swallow the premise of an Asgardian villain attacking Earth and to the rescue come this group of “superheroes.”

The next movie I see in a movie theater will be sometime after June 8th:

httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5UEv03g51kU&start=8

If baseball success and fan satisfaction were measured in innings played, this weekend’s three game set with Baltimore Orioles, totaling 39 innings (more than 4 complete games worth) would mean great things. Unfortunately they don’t, winning does.

The odds certainly are not in the favor of the Red Sox.

A little less than a month into the 2012 season the FRS are 11 and 16 leaving them in last place, 7-1/2 games out of the division lead. After today’s loss they are on pace for a 66 win, 96 loss season. Maybe if they try a little less harder they can get an even 100 losses to honor this 100th year anniversary of Fenway Park.