Biggs' Zone

A Geek's Cogitations, Conjectures and other Cortical Experiences

Star Wars Month and the 501st

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On May 1, 2020

In Geek Canon, Star Wars

I’ve made the argument before that May should be Star Wars month. There are numerous days in May that have some kind of Star Wars relevance. Therefore most of the posts this month, if not all of them, will be Star Wars themed. There is one day this month that is a bit of an exception. May 25th is Geek Pride Day because its the anniversary of the first Star Wars movie and Towel Day.

Despite the negativity from the “so-called” fans about the sequel trilogy, I’m excited for Star Wars month. This year is particularly special because it is the 40th anniversary of The Empire Strikes Back (most common fan favorite). Today, as it turns out, is the first of the Star Wars themed days in May, the 501st day.

What Is The 501st?

Click to Enlarge ImageThe 501st Legion is a stormtrooper squad, often seen in The Clone Wars, but canonically known as “Vader’s Fist”. Outside the Star Wars Universe, the 501st is a real life organization. Fans all over the globe are apart of this group of people with a passion for Star Wars. Their mission is to help facilitate the love for the franchise through elaborate and, often times, extremely accurate and life-like costumes. In fact the stormtrooper costumes were so accurate several members of the 501st were brought in to be extras in the final two episodes of season one of The Mandalorian. The actors in the show were also impressed with the quality of craftsmanship.

I wish I had the fabrication talent these folks have for making Star Wars costumes.

In addition to all the other celebratory days, the 21st marks the 40th anniversary of the release of The Empire Strikes Back. As is my usual plan, I will be doing the first ever 11 movie re-watch during the month of May. I may also try to finish watching Rebels and Star Wars Resistance. If I finish all of that in a timely manner, I will be re-watching the first season of The Mandalorian.

It has been a challenging and tumultuous start to this year, so I’m looking forward to making this May fun and exciting. I’m going to try hard to show my Star Wars pride!

How will you spend your Star Wars month?

/MTFBWY

The Force. It calls to you. Just let it in.

 

Trolls World Tour Review

Movie Review: Trolls World Tour

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On April 30, 2020

In Movies, Reviews

Trolls World Tour ReviewTrolls World Tour

Directed By: Walt Dohrn
Starring:  Anna Kendrick, Justin Timberlake

My Rating: [rating=3]

This is one of the first films to go straight to a streaming release instead of theaters due to the coronavirus pandemic. Coincidentally the movie studio made quite a bit of money. The films digital success was even discussed on the morning news. The numbers indicate that the movie studio probably made more money because of the digital release than they might have from a theatrical release. I doubt that dooms theaters … at least I hope not.

Be that as it may, the film itself was just OK. Most of the original cast reprise their roles, except Jeffrey Tambor as King Peppy. We rented it for my daughter’s birthday because she really likes Trolls. There are points in the film where you wonder if it was made while under the influence of illicit substances. Perhaps the same kind used when making the “Charlie, the Unicorn” videos. (At least the Charlie videos were funny).

It ends in the same old “love conquers all” sappy crap however I feel like the movie uses music as a metaphor. Everyone likes different kinds of music and no one particular genre of music should be eliminated. The movie makes the point that we should all respect each other no matter which music we listen to. Granted I don’t know if the metaphor is intentional but considering all the divisiveness in the world today, I think the same rule applies.

I watched it for my daughter, but I’m not in a hurry to see it again.

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

 

Bad Idea Birthday Run Amid Covid

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On April 25, 2020

In Fitness

I’m a month overdue talking about my annual “Bad Idea Birthday Challenge”. Granted March and April have been a bit complicated and unorthodox. This year is a birthday milestone too. The big 4-0. Last year the challenge was to convert my age to kilometers, divide by 10 and complete that distance in miles. If I were to repeat that challenge, that means running 6.4 miles and that is not very challenging this year. So I need to come up with something new. The unprecedented living conditions of our current situation also creates complication. So what can I do for my bad idea birthday run amid covid?

40 Miles?? I Don’t Think So!

I’m not crazy enough (yet) to stop dividing by 10. Running 40 miles seems frightening, even if I divide the distance up over a couple of days. The pandemic has postponed (for now) the Flying Pig events until mid-October. The plan for the pig, this year, was to complete a 15k (i.e. run the 10k followed by the 5k). I thought about making the 15k my birthday challenge; however by October I will be half way to 41.

Each week I’m beginning to push myself a little bit more. I’m inching (literally and figuratively) toward 5 miles a day, and 8 miles on my “push day”. Therefore I’m leaning toward completing a half marathon, over the course of two days, as my 40th birthday challenge.

If I’m successful it might be the mental leverage I need to convince myself that in 2021 I will reach the apex of my running workouts. It might mean that the Bad Idea Birthday Challenge for 2021 will be the Flying Pig Half Marathon.

minions_icon

I could accomplish so much more if I only had minions!

 

Covid Containment – Day 40(ish)

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On April 24, 2020

In General Cogitation

The days and weeks blend together so much it’s difficult to remember specifically when this all began. The impact can still be felt as the lack of personal space continues to exacerbate tempers. I’m all about more family time but, even as adults, we need a little bit of time apart. Coincidentally that was the benefit going to work provides. There seems to be a glimmer of light indicating the end of the tunnel; however I’m trying not to get my hopes up.

“Control. You Must Learn Control.”

The promise of reopening the states is encouraging, but also feels premature. It’s a very delicate balance. If you open to early you will see the virus spread again. If you wait too long, the economy, and all the people, will continue to suffer. Personally I think I’ve become less concerned about the health and safety of my family. We are adjusting well to stay safe. Now I worry about the economic impact. I have friends and family who cannot work right now. Their lives are, essentially, on hold with an uncertain future. I’m worrying about things I cannot control.

In the immortal words of Baz Luhrmann “worrying is as effective as trying to solve an algebra equation by chewing bubble gum”. I cannot, singlehandedly, fix the economy. It’s hard to read about some of my favorite places suffering under the pressure of the lockdowns. The zoo. Movie theaters. Restaurants. As crass as I come off to friends, family and co-workers, deep down I worry about all those strangers who are unemployed.

I know its been said, ad nauseam, that “we will get through this“. Despite how hyperbolic that seems, we will survive this together. Perhaps this experience is a test or an enlightenment. Perhaps this is teaching everyone that, despite our differences, we are all in this together. It doesn’t matter what you believe to help you cope. Prayer. Moxie. Hope. Personally, I’m using all of these; especially hope.

Hope is the quintessential human emotion, and the strongest one we have. When this is all over, I hope we will treat each other with more respect. I hope we will cherish those moments when we can shake hands and hug. Perhaps the divine purpose in all of this, is to bring us all closer together, without a mandatory lockdown. I hope.

Please be smart and stay safe.

/cheers

duke-nukem-sm If zombies attack the world, everyone will run and hide. Except for us gamers, of course. We’ve been waiting for this all our lives!

 

Movie Review: Onward

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On April 14, 2020

In Movies, Reviews

Movie Review of OnwardOnward

Directed By: Dan Scanlon
Starring:  Tom Holland, Chris Pratt

My Rating: [rating=4]

A side effect of these extraordinary times is the early digital release of new movies. The latest Disney film became available on Disney+ after only a month in theaters. While nothing will compare to the theater experience, it’s nice to be able to see new movies during quarantine. Keep in mind, not all movies will be free with a subscription to a streaming service. Another obvious perk to Disney+. Here is my movie review of Onward.

Brief Synopsis

Spiderman (Tom Holland) and Starlord (Chris Pratt) team up for this typical Disney “feel good” film. Ian (Holland) and Barley (Pratt) Lightfoot are eleven brothers who lost their father to illness. Upon Ian’s 16th birthday their late father prepared an extraordinary gift. He was a wizard before the world forgot about magic, and he has a spell that can bring him back for one day. Now the brothers must embark on an amazing journey to complete the spell that will “complete” their father’s gift.

Biggs’ Review

Onward is not just about the family bond, but sibling bond. As I already said, this is your typical heartwarming animated film, but it’s quite enjoyable. The most entertaining element about this film is visualizing Chris Pratt performing his lines while recording them. In fact I even went out to see if there are any YouTube videos of Chris and Tom in the recording booth (FYI, there are). At any rate, as a gamer of, primarily fantasy video games, I can easily identify with Barley. However, there is more about this film that kind of hit home.

Barley is the older but nerdy sibling; while Ian is more down to earth, but not really a popular kid in school. While Barley is comfortable embracing his nerdy personality, Ian struggles to be accepted and often feels embarrassed by his brother. I have a younger sister who may have struggled with an older brother that loved Star Wars, reading books, collecting comic books, playing video games and embracing the geek life.

So watching Ian and Barley discover that special sibling bond felt very real to me. It will pull on those heart strings. This movie is definitely worth watching, especially if you have siblings.

(Click here to read my other reviews)

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

 

I Still Respect the Trek

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On April 8, 2020

In Geek Canon, Geek Culture

April 5th is “First Contact Day”; for those of you unfamiliar with geek canon, First Contact Day is a Star Trek holiday. It’s the day Earth launches its first warp-capable rocket, in 2063. So the actual First Contact Day is still 43 years away. So now you’re probably wondering why I’m talking about Star Trek. I am an avid Star Wars fan after all. Despite my loyalty to “a galaxy far far away”, I still respect the Trek.

How Do I Respect the Trek?

I remember my dad introducing me to Star Wars but I can honestly say, I don’t know how or when I was introduced to Star Trek. If I had to wager a guess I probably stumbled upon an episode of The Original Series or The Next Generation while watching TV. It probably wasn’t until I met my good friend Nathan (around middle school) that I began to appreciate Star Trek more. He is the proverbial “Trekkie”. I hadn’t seen any of the movies in the theater until he and I met. After which I’m pretty sure I saw several movies starting with Star Trek Generations.

He and I were roommates in college where we often binged on Deep Space Nine. Ultimately DS9 became among my favorite of the Star Trek television series. The recent Picard series is now a close second. I own all the movies and I love the music, though I’m not as inclined to listen to it as often as I listen to a Star Wars soundtrack. I enjoy the action and adventure of Star Wars however its more about the science that I enjoy in Star Trek. Lightsabers are not scientifically possible however warp drive and even teleportation have more real life credence. I also happen to share a birthday with the late Leonard Nimoy (RIP).

While I will often wear a Jedi robe and wield a Force FX Lightsaber, just for fun, I still enjoy celebrating Star Trek. First Contact Day is one one example. I often try to squeeze in a few Trek movies, but I almost always watch First Contact (for obvious reasons).

#LLAP

“When I was a kid, it was a huge insult to be a geek. Now it’s a point of pride in a weird way.” – J.J. Abrams

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