Best Movies of 2015

broderic on January 1, 2016

Here’s the year end list of the best movies I saw live in the theatre for 2015. “Best” means I gave it greater than or equal to 4 stars (4 or 5).

4 stars. Star Wars: The Force Awakens — I can’t wait to find out what happens to Rey. I hope she becomes a real good character if they write her correctly.
4 stars. Perfect Blue — An old anime, but seen for the first time, Satoshi Kon’s first film makes me miss him more.
5 stars. Mad Max: Fury Road — AWESOME!
4 stars. While We’re Young — Kylo Ren is emo.
4 stars. Selma — Should’ve won best picture last year.

These were the films I loved after walking out of the movie theatre. That’s not a lot considering I think I saw at least 20. There are a few I wish I loved more, but they didn’t make the grade. Maybe sometime later they will, but for now these will suffice.

What were your favorites from last year?

Your Name Is Hope

broderic on December 31, 2015

Good bye, 2015! Hello, 2016!

If you celebrate tonight, this video should help. It’s Nogizaka46’s first showing at the Kouhaku Uta Gessen in Japan and it’s a very big deal. They spent all their focus to achieving this goal. Four years, 50+ members, 10+ graduated members, scandals, heartbreaks, fun, hardship: it’s represented by these two and half minutes. Congratulations, girls! Ganabarre! I hope the next year is as accomplished as this past one.

They did their 5th single, Kimi no wa Kibou (Your name is hope). At least Nagashima got in the senbatsu to sing. And all members are there. ALL! I love these girls…

Star Wars: The Force Awakens

broderic on December 30, 2015

I didn’t think that I would be writing a review of a new Star Wars movie in 2015. I thought we were done with it, but here we are at Episode VII, Star Wars: The Force Awakens.

This one finds us 30 years after the final battle of Return of the Jedi. The New Republic is moving along slowly, but is faced with an evil adversary in the First Order. There’s a Resistance to the First Order lead by General Solo-Organa. Luke is doing his best Yoda impression. Han and Chewie are bootleggers. There’s new characters: Fin, an ex-Stormtrooper: Rey, an orphan stranded on a desert planet: Poe Dameron, the Wedge Antilles character. And we have the dark robot: Kylo Ren of the Sith Knights of Ren. Ni! Ni! Ni!

What is the Resistance resisting? Who is Rey’s parents? Why is Kylo Ren so emo? All this will be answered in the upcoming films, but this one lays them out for it.

I loved the part when Rey reaches for the light saber, grabs it, and becomes badass. She’s going to be a great character if they do her story arc right.

They killed of Han Solo (SPOILER ALERT!!), but I liked that.

Luke is yoda-ing. The Jedi Knights are incompetent. They may well be the Knights Who Say Ni. They can’t even figure out who the Sith are.

Kylo Ren will be saved — by his sister.

If this cycle of the trilogy ends up better than the prequels, we’ll be happy.

If you would have to watch another entry of a beloved sci-fi epic, I would recommend Mad Max. But Star Wars isn’t bad either. Watch it. Preferably more than once!

4 of 5 stars.

Frosty

broderic on December 25, 2015

Xmas stuff

It’s 70 degrees. This is frosty. He won’t be around any time soon.

Happy Holidays!

Last Christmas

broderic on December 24, 2015

BrowserMetrics wishes you and your family a very Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

Krampus

broderic on December 23, 2015

I saw a better representation of the Krampus on an episode of Tales from the Darkside. That episode was scarier and made the Krampus more evil. Throwing wicked, dark elves, fighting snowmen, and monster ginger bread men does not make for a scare. Unfortunately, it didn’t make for a laugh as well.

Krampus wants to be this millennium’s Gremlins — a comedy frightfest. It had a simple premise — be good and believe in Santa or else his sinister cousin, the Krampus will come and bring you to hell. The Krampus is what happens to kids when they shout, cry, pout at Christmas time.

It happens quickly. The Krampus starts coming because the main kid begins to disbelieve in the spirit of Christmas. His parents ignore him. He gets teased for believing in Santa in school. His cousins are white trash hicks who also torment him. This makes for an awful Christmas Eve in which he renounces his belief in Christmas. So enters the Krampus who quickly dispatches the kids family. He fights him off. Then it ends on a terrible note ruining much of the movie.

Maybe in a few years as this gets heavy rotation around Christmas time on Chiller will this make you like it. At the moment, wait for it in a few years.

Bah, humbug!

2 of 5 stars.

Link of the Day [12.20.15]

broderic on December 20, 2015

I was lamenting earlier today because I was unable to catch Nogizaka46’s Xmas Live concert. Of course living in the US would make this hard, but their concert was being live streamed in Japan and there are ways to catch it. Luckily, I checked out my favorite bootleg AKB48 video sight and there it is. Now I am watching and I am happy for the day.

http://48videodouga.blog.fc2.com/blog-entry-3144.html

Nagashima

broderic on December 18, 2015

Nagashima Seira announced yesterday that she plans to graduate from Nogizak46. There have been plenty of idol graduations during the short period that I have been an idol otaku, but this is one which has saddened me.

Nagashima is my third favorite of the group and the top Under Girl member. I didn’t really pay attention to her until this second video. That laugh and the enjoyment of the roller coaster was what made me her oshi. I was smitten. She’s the group’s leading mood maker in my opinion. I’ll miss that laughter. I’ll cherish her final days with the group.