Biggs' Zone

A Geek's Cogitations, Conjectures and other Cortical Experiences

Movie Review: Saving Mr. Banks

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On July 28, 2020

In Movies, Reviews

Saving Mr. BanksSaving Mr. Banks IMDB Link

Directed By: John Lee Hancock
Starring:  Tom Hanks, Emma Thompson
Release Year: 2013

My Rating: [rating=5]

I realize this movie is 7 years old but nobody is really going to the theater right now so I might as well review something new I’ve watched. Perhaps others on the fence about this movie will finally reach their decision about whether or not to watch it.

Tom Hanks must be one of those actors that can be made to look like anybody. It’s an uncanny transformation to be able to go from Fred Rogers to Walt Disney. Personally I think his portrayal as Fred Rogers is nearly spot on, while he mostly just nailed the look and mannerisms of Walt Disney. He never actually sounds like Disney, however, that is not a deterrent in this film.

Brief Synopsis and Biggs’ Review

This movie is based on true events about the adaptation of Mary Poppins to film. Walt Disney has been pursuing the rights to produce Mary Poppins for 20 years but the author, P. L. Travers, refuses to give them up. Finally, in 1961, she agrees to travel to Los Angeles to oversee the adaptation of the film. However, she is not very forthcoming and really pushes Walt Disney to his wits end.

Maybe its my love for Mary Poppins but I really enjoyed this movie. Based on some of the reading I’ve done, the events in this movie, for the most part, are historically accurate. They took a few poetic liberties, but since they had the actual tapes of her and one of the Sherman brothers, you know they couldn’t bend the truth too much. I love how they incorporated some of the real life Disney culture into the film, such as the “man is in the forest” phrase animators would say when they heard Disney approaching.

There isn’t a lot of humor in this, it’s pretty much your typical heart-strings drama however it gave me an immense amount of nostalgia. I doubt the real P.L. Travers would ever approve of this film but it’s really interesting to see the story of this beloved Disney classic was, almost, never made.

I definitely recommend this movie, especially if you are a Disney fan and/or love Mary Poppins.

film_reel“The screen is a magic medium. It has such power that it can retain interest as it conveys emotions and moods that no other art form can hope to tackle.”
– Stanley Kubrick

 

SWTOR: Return of the Sith Juggernaut

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On July 23, 2020

In Gaming, MMORPG, Star Wars, SWTOR

Return of the Sith JuggernautI’m a little over a month into my World of Warcraft hiatus. While I do miss logging into my Paladin and hanging with my raid team, I’ve been busy tanking it up with my Sith Juggernaut in Star Wars: The Old Republic. I was fortunate to get into the beta of this game way back in 2011 and I loved it. As I mentioned before, two subscriptions is not economical to maintain a mmo/real-life balance, so I kept the one that more of my friends were playing. The game has changed a lot the past nine years so I thought I’d share some of my thoughts on these changes in this post I’m calling “Return of the Sith Juggernaut”.

F2P, Game Time and the Cartel Market

It’s probably been about 6 years since I’ve played SWTOR and wrote a gameplay post. When my WoW hiatus started I didn’t buy any game time right away. I played the Free-2-Play version for a few weeks first and, only recently, bought some game time. I, honestly, didn’t feel as stymied about the F2P restrictions as I felt in the past. Granted I do have a “preferred” status which means I do receive additional liberties (such as a 1 million credit cap as opposed to the 350k credit cap). It may have helped that I was away from the game long enough that I accrued over 9,000 Cartel Coins.

I love the Cartel Market system. I’ve only spent about 4k of my Cartel Coins so far, mostly on species and gameplay unlocks. I think one of the mechanics I really like is the daily “Flash sales”. Every day an item from the Cartel Market is on sale for 50% off (or more) and only for about 14 hours. If you are patient enough you can wait for some really cool mounts or costumes to come down in price. The minor drawback is that it only unlocks for the character you bought it on, however you can unlock it account-wide for a few more Cartel Coins.

Speaking of costumes, the outfit designer feature is really cool. It’s similar to the Warcraft transmog system except the costume remains even after you replace a piece of gear. In some ways I like that better than transmog except you can’t overwrite your weapons.

Flashpoints and Expansions

I didn’t activate a recurring subscription, instead I purchased their non-recurring 60 days of game time. I really like this idea of only one time purchases of game time without having to buy a game time card. In fact, not only does it grant you a one time purchase of game time, it also fully upgrades to the current expansion. Prior to my initial exit from the game, Rise of the Hutt Cartel was the current expansion. Therefore I didn’t have any of the content after that expansion unlocked. Now I can reach max level of Onslaught without a recurring subscription or expansion purchase.

Flashpoints (which is the SWTOR version of 5-man dungeons) have a new mechanic that I really like. Story Mode. This means you can complete a flashpoint solo, or with a smaller group. The mobs health and damage is reduced and you also receive an additional companion droid to help with the fights. I love this. It always kind of bothered me, in World of Warcraft, that the main story arcs always ended with a dungeon quest. There are even some professions that require a dungeon visit. I usually end up waiting for months to finally finish these quests because I feel blocked by the dungeon.

I get that Blizzard is trying to foster a community environment and these quests are designed to be completed with a group. However, I don’t always feel like hunting for a group of folks or waiting on the Looking-for-Group tool. I just want to complete my quest (and thus the story). SWTOR Story Mode let’s me do that. Blizzard needs to do this.

varactyl

On a final note, playing the game again reminds me how amazing the voice acting and writing is, especially of class companions. I also love the fact that they incorporated music and creatures (ex: the varactyls) from the prequels. I really do love this game.

If you’re interested in playing this game visit the website: www.swtor.com.

/MTFBWY

“ I’ll do it, on one condition – if I die, you have to build a statue in my honor. An Expensive one. ”

Book Review: Spark of the Resistance

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On July 10, 2020

In Book Review, Science Fiction

Book Review: Spark of the ResistanceSpark of the Resistance by Justina Ireland
My rating: [rating=4]

I’m going to take this opportunity to speak on the Young Adult genre before I dive into this review. Granted, this book is actually classified as “Children’s Middle Grade” but I’m going to juxtapose the Young Adult genre to make my point. I am hardly a “young adult”; in fact I probably haven’t been one in 15 (or more) years. Regardless, I won’t turn down a good Young Adult novel, I’ve read quite a few. The genre doesn’t necessarily define the audience.

That being said, this is the first time I’ve read a “Middle Grade” children’s book for myself. Obviously its not a typical genre for me. There are four books in the Journey to Rise of Skywalker series (which includes the novelization of Rise of Skywalker). I really enjoy the new characters from the sequel trilogy and so very I’m eager to read more about them.

Biggs’ Synopsis and Review

This book takes place just a few months after the events of The Last Jedi. Rey, Poe, Rose and BB-8 are returning from a mission on behalf of General Organa. They unexpectedly receive a mysterious distress call, for the Resistance, from Minfar. Leary of a trap the heroes venture to Minfar where they befriend the Zixon and stumble onto a First Order plot.

This book is a mere 224 pages and probably about a 14pt font (perhaps these are characteristics of the “Middle Grade” genre). I really enjoyed the book and I’m very happy that I read it. Of course now I am committed to reading the other books in the series. Granted I’m not terribly upset by that, I had always planned on reading the Rise of Skywalker novelization anyway (I’ve read the novelization of all the other Skywalker movies). In fact I’ve already started a second book in the series. This book is not terribly vulgar or violent and the Zixon are your Ewok-like anthropomorphized creatures; because … Disney. Don’t get me wrong, I didn’t hate the characters, just seemed like typical a Disney story mechanic.

It’s a quick, fun read and if you’re interested about the events that lead up to the ninth Skywalker film, I’d recommend reading this one. I mean, we’re all in quarantine anyway. If you’re alone and the weather is nice, you could hop out to the patio or balcony and easily read it in a day.

/MTFBWY

diablo3-reading“The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go.”
– Dr. Seuss

 

Biggs’ Top 5 80’s Comedy Movies

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On July 5, 2020

In Biggs Top 5, Movies

Top 5 80's Comedy Movies

For July we are back to movies. My top 5 80’s Comedy Movies. The movies from the 80’s are probably some of my favorite movies, and it’s really all thanks to John Hughes. So many of them withstand the test of time. Plus its so much fun to reminisce about a simpler time. There are so many great comedies from the 80’s, which made this list difficult to whittle down to merely 5. I had to go with which movies I find myself quoting often or seeking out a giphy or being able to still recite a specific scene from the movie. So here they are, in no particular order (BTW, John Hughes wrote and/or directed 3 of them).

Obviously, with so many movies to choose from, there are definitely some honorable mentions. I almost feel guilty leaving Caddyshack off the top 5 because it’s freaking Caddyshack. I’m sure Rodney Dangerfield is turning over in his grave. Crocodile Dundee is another one of those movies that, to this day, I would watch if TNT or TBS happened to be playing it. Hands down my favorite Paul Hogan movie, which isn’t terribly difficult since Paul Hogan didn’t make a lot of movies. So many good movies from the 80’s; I probably could have made a top 10 for my favorite 80’s movies. What are your favorite 80’s comedies?

(See last month’s Top 5)

I Have Spoken!

RTotD: If I Had A Million Dollars

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On June 30, 2020

In Random Cogitations

If I Had A Million DollarsActually this is more about if I won the lottery, I just felt the song by the Barenaked Ladies seemed fitting for this random thought. The age old question: What would you do if you won the lottery? They say money changes people and while that may be true for most I do know wealthy people, personally, that are still pretty down to earth.

So I want to start out by saying that, first and foremost, if I won the jackpot I wouldn’t let it change me. In fact I’d want to remain as anonymous as possible. I’d hire a lawyer or proxy to accept the winning on my behalf. I’d even try to maintain my anonymity from family and friends. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t mean that greedily. I don’t want them to treat me any different and obscurity is the best way to maintain that dynamic.

What Would I Do With The Money

I’d keep working and hope that I can work without becoming too cavalier. I imagine that when you have no fear of losing your job you tend to become lazy. Besides, I’d need something to do during the day or I’d go nuts. I wouldn’t move either. I’d stay in my current home for a couple more years and I’d keep my car until I actually needed to buy a new vehicle. In the meantime I’d make a few investments and some charitable donations (of my choosing). I’d also put together a couple of trust funds for my future generations.

The hardest thing, I imagine, is trying not to be too ostentatious. I’d still buy reliable vehicles, not something luxury just because I can afford it. I’d still only buy a new technology when it was necessary instead of always buying the latest model. I’d still keep my purchases simple and economical (no “dijon ketchup”). See I think the more money you have the more frugal you should be. After all a fool and his money are soon parted. Honestly, what will probably suffer the most is my DIY skills. Instead of attempting to remodel a room myself, I’d hire a professional to do it for me.

/cheers

The things that go through my mind when I’m alone with nothing but my thoughts for entertainment is dangerous. Some might even say eccentric. Consider this your warning about today’s Random Thought of the Day

 

Book Review: The Swarm

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On June 25, 2020

In Book Review, Fantasy

Book Review The Swarm (The Second Formic War, #1)The Swarm by Orson Scott Card
My rating: [rating=5]
(Click here to view on Goodreads)

Ask anyone that knows my taste in books and they will tell you that I love the Ender’s Game Series. It even made my Top 5 Books list. So when I heard about these series of books that are essentially prequels to Ender’s Game, I was immediately interested. Honestly I wasn’t even aware there were books about the first Formic War until I began reading this book. Now I guess my list has grown bigger (since there are still books in the “Enderverse” that I haven’t read yet).

The Swarm is the first book of three in the new Second Formic War series. The third book has not been published, yet. This series follows Mazer, Victor Delgado and Bingwen as they face off against the Formics again, after the tragic events of the First Formic War. This book focuses on the International Fleet’s struggle to gain a tactical advantage over the Hive Queen and her swarm. When a Formic ship is discovered on an asteroid in the Kuiper Belt Bingwen, Victor and Mazer race to gather as much intel as they can to assist the IF and save the human race.

Biggs’ Review

I didn’t do any research about this book before reading it. We found it on sale and decided to buy it because I love the Ender books and my wife had heard good things about it. The rumors are true. I enjoyed this book just as much as I enjoyed his other books. While I haven’t read the First Formic War series, this book begins setting up much of what we see in Ender’s Game. I’m excited to read The Hive to see what other “origin stories” are ahead. Unfortunately I don’t own a copy … yet.

If you’re an Orson Scott Card fan and/or an Ender’s Game fan then this series seems right for you.

View all my reviews

diablo3-reading“The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go.”
– Dr. Seuss

 

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