Theatre Nerd – Shen Yun

April 2, 2014 — Leave a comment

shenyun

For years, I have wanted to see Shen Yun. The dance troupe travels constantly and always performs in the LA area during the beginning of the year.

I am a fan of Classical Chinese music and dance. The dancers always seem so otherworldly with their grace and movements which are so unlike Euro- American ones that I am accustomed to.

Last Saturday, I splurged and purchased an orchestra seat and sat down waiting to be captivated for two hours. Let me tell you, I was EXTREMELY disappointed in the production.

I’m a traditional kind of nerd and if I going to see a dance performance, I like the performers to just dance. The dance itself should speak for itself.

Image how surprised I was, when the narrators step onto the stage after the first performance. The show was entitled Heaven and Earth and it examined life in China over the last five thousand years. So, having narrators set up each scene really disrupt the flow of the evening. In addition to the dancers, the audience had the opportunity to listen to opera singers. I didn’t realize until the performers came out to take there bows that there were two different singers. Ooopsie

China is an ethnically diverse and the show include many folk dances from the Qiang, Mongolian, Hmong and other dances from across the region.

All I can say is do your research before you purchase tickets to me. I generally say “oh this looks good lets check it out.” With the philosophy I’ve seen a lot of great shows with the occasion clunker in there. Shen Yun was definitely a clunker.

Quick Movie Trailer Review – Edge of Tomorrow

March 28, 2014 — Leave a comment

Synopis

A soldier fighting in a war with aliens finds himself caught in a time loop of his last day in the battle, though he becomes better skilled along the way. [via IMDB]

The ’10s have been a banter decade for Sci Fi/Fantasy films. The genre has really come into its own and is firmly apart of the mainstream now. Here is my dilemma. Inexpiably, Tom Cruise stars in a number of these movies. I am constantly faced with the decision to skip a worthwhile movie because it stars someone that I can’t stand. Tom Cruise has one emotion and he seems to play the same charcater in everyone move. In this instance, a strong story, great actors (Emily Blunt, Bill Paxton), and a lot of action is edging me towards seeing it.

Release date: June 6, 2014

Top 10 Women of Sci Fi – part 7

March 26, 2014 — 1 Comment

Now for the grand dame herself – Lt. Uhurauhura

Lt. Uhura is my first fan girl crush. Seeing her on Star Trek as a little girl, I was mesmerized by her glamour. Being swept up by the adventures of the Enterprise crew, I too wanted a fabulous life in space with flawless eyeliner and mini-skirts.

As an adult, I gained a deeper appreciation of the character. Knowing that Gene Roddenberry wanted the Uhura to have a larger role in away missions as a communication officer. We got to more fully fleshed out
character in Star Trek:TAS and the movies.

Mission Log Podcast conducted a fascinating interview with Ms. Nichols here

Super fans at PaleyFest

March 23, 2014 — 1 Comment

Day One

This year marked the first time that I’ve attended PaleyFest. It’s an annual festival bringing together the creators and stars of current and past tv shows and to interact with their community of fans.

My first panel was the breakout hit of the 2013/2014 season – Sleepy Hollow. The main cast: Nicole Behaire, Tom Mison, Orlando Jones, John Cho, Robert Orci, Alex Kurtzman, Len Wiseman, Heather Kadin. The panel was moderated by Sandra Gonzalez.

The producers were tight lipped and didn’t give away to many hints for the upcoming season. The only tidbits dropped were that the we be a new boss in charge of the station. Frank Irving will be facing trials and tribulations and the Horseman of War will be getting his own henchman!

The highlight of the panel was the sparkling chemistry between the cast. Nicole Beharie was the first person attached to the show and the producers included chemistry test in the when casting the remaining actors. The cast director deserves special addition because this cast really sells this ridiculous show.

Paraphrase(s) [ I didn’t take notes so it’s not an exact quote]

Tom Mison “I had to google “shipping” and “IchAbbie”

Waiting for the second season with baited breathe.

Day Two

The producers were really shocked by the fans reaction to the relationship to Crane and Katrina. Which is understanding Tom Mison and Nicole Beharie have sizzling chemistry and to put it kindly Tom Mison and Kara Winter do not. I don’t want Crane and Abbie to have a relationship but I want Katrina out of the way. The Horseman of Death can keep her.

Today was the Agents of Shield panel. Because of usual lateness and the horrible LA traffic, I was 20 minutes late. To my pleasant surprise, the powers that be were screening the next episode of the show. Of course, the audience was going nuts. I won’t provide any spoilers but I’m looking forward to seeing it in its entirety.

After the screening, the brainy and radiant Felicia Day sat down to moderate the panel: Clark Gregg, Ming-Na Wen, Chloe Bennett, Elizabeth Henstridge, Brett Dalton, Iain De Caestecker, Maurissa Tancharoen, Jed Whedon, Jeffrey Bell, Jeph Loeb.

The highlight of the day was when Clark Gregg jumped off the stage to hug a fan. Here. It’s really heart warming to see an actor really show appreciate for their fans.

The lowlight of the night, during the brief Q&A session. The lucky few who got to ask questions kept asking the same ones over and over.

Q: Has the show been renewed for a second year.
A: Not yet

Q: Is there any cross over with the upcoming Captain America: Winter a Solider
A: Everyone skirted this question

There were a lot of great quotes:

Clark Gregg “Marvel doesn’t leave a lot on the table. They make the most of what fans want. They listen to that”

Ming Na “Skye is the love child of May and Thor. I want flashbacks to those scenes”

Chloe Bennett “We ship Skimmons”

Jed Whedon “The relationship of Fits and Simmons was based on the relationship between Casey Affleck and Scott Caan in Ocean’s 11.

Thoughts on a second season. Agents of Shield got off to a shaky start. The stories were basically a procedural of the week. The cast hasn’t gelled. Outside of the Melinda May, the characters weren’t interesting. Over the last five or so episodes the show has started taken a turn for the better. Having a more focused Big Bad has given the story a long and interesting arc to work with. The additions of Bill Paxton and Maximiliano Hernàndez as recurring Shield agents brought a much needed humpf to the show.

Ming Na and Elizabeth Henstridge are the strongest members of the cast and they can work with anyone. Clark Gregg is great as Coulson in the movies but the writing on the show doesn’t play to the character’s strengthen. If the show is brought make for a second season, I hope some new writers are added and some of the current ones let go.

As I’m drawn further into the Marvel Universe, I’m tempted to start reading the comics.

PaleyFest ends March 28. The events are streamed live on the Paley app.

Quick Movie Trailer Review – Jupiter Ascending

March 21, 2014 — Leave a comment

I am really looking forward to the Wachowski Siblings’ latest offering Jupiter Ascending. Whatever you think of the Wachowskis body of work, you know that they will offer something original. Originality is what I crave these days.

Synopsis

In the future, a young destitute human woman gets targeted for assassination by the Queen of the Universe, and begins her destiny to finish the Queen’s reign. (via IMDB)

Release date: July 18, 2014

Nerd thoughts…

March 11, 2014 — Leave a comment

Lately, I’ve been thinking about adding videos to my blog. I haven’t had the time or energy to write the posts that are swirling around in my nerdy brain. The opportunity to learn how to shot and edit video fell into my lap and it got me thinking. Is it time to drop the veil of anonymity and really put myself out there? One the benefits of using a non de plume is that it liberates you to express any and all thoughts. I fear that putting myself on video will lead to self censorship. A second benefit would be to apply and refine the knowledge that I’m learning in the video production institute. I have three more classes to go so we will see if and when I’m ready to take the next step.

Quick Movie Review – Non-Stop

March 10, 2014 — Leave a comment

Liam Neeson is the ultimate tough guy.

This action flick is going to get your adrenaline pumping. Liam Neeson plays Bill, an alcoholic air marshal working a 6-hour flight to London. Moments after the flight takes off, he gets a series of texts from a stranger threatening to kill a passenger every 20 minutes until an exorbitant ransom is wired. Part of the tension comes from trying to determine who the threat is and another part comes from whether or not the audience believes that Bill is in on it. Post 9/11 the passengers, pilots and flight staff are all on edge throwing more wild cards into an already intense situation. The plot isn’t the strongest, but the action is extremely entertaining. Some of the scenes from Non-Stop made our audience members wiggle, gasp and sit on the edges of their seats.

Marvel and Monsters

February 9, 2014 — Leave a comment

Marvel and Monsters

On the second to the last day, I finally went to see the Marvel and Monsters exhibit at the Japanese American National Museum. The exhibition is an overall depiction of Asians in comic books from the period of the 1930s through the 1980s. William Wu’s collection is the foundation of Marvel and Monsters. The iconic images are grouped into eight categories: the Alien, the Kamikaze, the Brute, the Lotus Blossom, the Guru, the Brain, the Temptress, and the Manipulator. Images are these arch types are seen below.

To be honest, I don’t read comic books, so I wasn’t familiar with some of the images on display but it was fascinating to see how the dynamics of the times influenced the depictions of the characters. The Alien images from the 1930 viewed from today’s perspective the images seen are truly shocking from the yellow skin, buck teeth and Pidgin English. World War 2 depicted the Japanese as fanatics following religious fervor e.g. the Kamikazes or Brutes who blindly obeys out of sense of loyalty and duty.

Some of these images are still on display in pop culture today: the Brain, the Guru and the Lotus Blossom are all too familiar images in today’s movies. See Kill Bill Volumes 1 and 2, Bullet Proof Monk, the Karate Kid for images modern images of the Guru. “The mystical wise one, whose inscrutable ways disguise the ancient, awesome truths he holds within this soul.”

In addition, the exhibit offers a rare glimpse of the importance of comic books to the inhabitants of the Japanese internment camps during the 1940s. On display are comics that created in the camps and reflect life in the camps.

For more on the Japanese internment camps, click Here.

Information on the Japanese American National Museum here

Marvel and Monsters is currently on tour.

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Quick Review – Intelligence

January 31, 2014 — 1 Comment

I have seen three of the first four episode of the new CBS show Intelligence. I want to like it, but I don’t. There is no one in the cast that I can identity with. The show revolves around Gabriel a super secret agent with a computer in his brain, Riley his babysitter/bodyguard, and his handlers in a super secret spy sector of the government. Gabriel is such an unlikeable character. With a computer chip in his brain, he can access any computer, camera, phone any wireless device imageable and like the douche he is, he abuses it constantly. I’m not sure if its the way the character is written or if its just an innate characteristic of the actor, Josh Holloway. I’ve never seen him in anything else, he just rubs me the wrong way. A great cast can make up for weak writing. But when both elements are mediocre it’s going to make for a long season.