Tag: Movies

Writing Prompts #19: What is one thing you are a complete snob about?

Posted on by anele25

Today I was digging through my book of writing prompts and stumbled onto is there anything you are a snob about? I look at things that folks are picky about and some of them are puzzling to me. There are folks who are picky about wait times at restaurants while there are others who wish that having a certain amount of time in between classes in school would be a little more spread out. For myself, I automatically thought about salsa stations and the delicious flavor they add to a taco. My girlfriend and I are big taco fans and we find some taco trucks throughout the area and sometimes some taquerias. There is one nearby where we have gone and the salsa has made our asada, chicken, al pastor, or buche tacos taste better. The salsa also makes you spice your flavor up and it makes you look forward towards tasting the next bite. When we have had our tacos I usually go for the green salsa which has some form of tomatillo with jalapeno peppers. The reason I am a snob about this is because it makes the experience of eating the taco exhilarating and thrilling. I would almost say that the salsa experience is taking a risk because you do not know how spicy or non-spicy the salsa may be. I would compare this to going to a ramen location and when they ask you about the spicy level on your ramen. I am not the best when it comes to eating spicy food but when you use the right amount of salsa on a taco it brings the tenderness and the juiciness out of the meat.

 

It gives credence to how a taco and each bite brings about the seasoning in the meat as well. I also have a weird habit when I go to a taco place that I get one of each meat so that each meat that I eat is not over saturated on my plate. Going back to a few years, I was not the biggest taco fan because I would regularly get tacos from a taqueria but once I was introduced to taco trucks, I started to see how much better the taco truck was compared to a regular taco at a restaurant. Now that my perspective has changed, I have gone around to some other food trucks with my girlfriend IB and we see the different meats and how much of a difference a salsa station does make. As I alluded to earlier, this can be at other locations as well as to how spicy folks may want their chicken wings, their curry, or even their Thai dish. That is what is fascinating about food, it can be made on spice level or it can be broken down a notch because of the spice level (credit to IB on this one for pointing this out). Which brings me to one more topic about food that I am a snob about.

 

The next thing I am a snob about is having my milkshakes and my fruit smoothies down to a point. I remember a while ago I went to a local Jamba Juice and some of the fruit at the bottom of the cup was not crushed down the whole way. I found this discouraging because I would want the fruit crushed down to enjoy the fruit a little more. I also feel when it does not get crushed down that it makes the smoothie feel a little bit harder and makes it more difficult to sip through a straw. Another example I can think of lately was when myself and my girlfriend went to a local McDonald’s as well and her mocha chocolate beans were not mixed in very well and if that were me, I would not be satisfied with the service either. The main reason I am a snob about this in particular is because if I can make something like this in my own time, I expect something like a smoothie or a milkshake to be made in the same manner. I know people may say this is overdoing it but the flavor and ingredients matter in this case. Lastly, I want to point out something that I am snob about that may surprise some people.

 

When I was younger, my brother would take us out to movies that were thrillers/mystery/scary movies. I would sometimes be thrilled about going to these movies but for some weird reason as I got older, I started resisting going to these movies. I think the reason I started resisting these movies was because I realized how dumbed down and illogical the movies may be. I also saw that the movie uses these scary moments (which for the most part are scary and are very good tactics at getting me scared). As I saw these movies and seeing them growing up, I think at some point in my 20’s is when I pulled away from watching these movies. I saw how unrealistic as well these movies had become. For example, when a couple of friends would split up and they would end up going the wrong way or they end up going somewhere only to be thwarted by the villain. These plot points seemed very far-fetched to me and I found myself liking comedy and action movies more. The action and comedy I know can be over the top as well but at least I can get into these movies and see the logic that is brought into these movies. I told my friends and family a while back that I wouldn’t pay for horror movies because there drawing is just monsters and myths. Yes, we may think of them in real life and what they may bring but in the long run but to see them on a Hollywood screen brings about too much for myself.

 

Now, everyone knows a little more about what I am snobby about. When it comes to food, I do the best I can with it but adding a certain spicy level or knowing what comes along with the shakes as well. I’m also picky and snobby when it comes to horror movies when they come out because of the amount of over the top effects and detail it brings to other world elements.

IMG_3256
Some of the Best Tacos in San Jose California

NXT Takeover: Wargames II…

Posted on by anele25

It’s the day before Thanksgiving and one of the things I am thankful for is great wrestling. This past week I have had the opportunity to watch some of the NXT product and it gets me excited to watch wrestling. This year I have also attended two of New Japan’s show, one in Los Angeles and the other in San Francisco. Both shows also reignited something inside me to love wrestling on a different level. The wrestling I grew up with not only gave me characters, funny storylines, and action but they also gave me nostalgia. This product that I am watching now gives me a glimpse into how wrestling is now with storylines that build up to a crescendo with a payoff. The one thing that both the NXT and the New Japan product does is show me how much of a good feeling it gives you to see action in its purist form. The particular show I want to touch on is NXT Takeover: Wargames II. The particular show took place in Los Angeles at the Staples Center. I’ll have a few pictures down below to highlight some of the characters that I will be talking about.

The four matches on the card (well besides the surprise at the beginning of Matt Riddle vs Kassius Ohno which went 6 seconds) were as follows: Undisputed Era (Bobby Fish, Adam Cole, Roderick Strong, and Kyle O’ Reilly) vs Rowe and Hanson (War Raiders) Ricochet and Pete Dunne in the classic War Games match. The match itself takes places inside a steel cage that surrounds two wrestling rings. The team with the man advantage (example would be there could be a 2 on 1 advantage or a 3 on 2 advantage) was the Undisputed Era who were the bad guys in the match in this dual until both teams were in the ring with the rules being that if anyone from either team left the steel cage that team would forfeit the match for their team. The only way to win the match would be to submit someone from the opposing team or pin them otherwise. I really liked the match with a devastation of moves from both sides with backbreakers, suplexes, backflips, and use of weapons. The match itself went 47 minutes with some of the highlights including a 650 splash from the top of the cage of sorts from Richochet onto 7 of the competitors in the match. I also enjoyed some of the aspects of the match with using the ‘smaller’ guys in Undisputed to be thrown around by the War Raiders from one ring to the other. I also enjoyed how O’Reilly and Strong worked together in the match to take down Ricochet and the War Raiders with some chops kicks, suplexes, and some backbreakers. This was the 2nd time that the WWE version did their version of the original NWA invention back in the 1980’s. The story was built in and it didn’t have to have too much complication to it. Something I did not mention before hand was that both teams started at one point or another had their team members inside these small cages so that they would not leave before it was there turn to enter the ring (a new member would enter every 3 minutes). One of the other highlights (related to the previous sentence) was waiting for Dunne from the War Raiders and Richochet team was held inside the cell before he would come out and he was locked inside by Bobby Fish of the Undisputed Era. Eventually, some refs came down to free Dunne from the cage with some boltcutters. Honestly, it delivered but probably my only gripe was that it went 12-13 minutes too long and it could have gone a little less time had it not been with the story being played that Dunne was locked inside the cage. The finishing sequence saw Dunne hit his finisher the Bitter End and afterwards Richochet hit Adam Cole with a splash from the top. I would watch this again for my own entertainment.

The second match that went on was Johnny Gargano vs Aleister Black. This to me was tied with the other match that I wanted to review which was Velveteen Dream vs Tomasso Ciampa both matches delivered in their own unique way. I felt the story in the Gargano/Black match was that Gargano had laid out Black a few months before and Black was now out for revenge. The reason he had attacked him was because for most of the year Gargano and Tomasso Ciampa had been fighting over the NXT Championship. Well, Black was inserted into their match at the previous NXT Takeover in New York and now Gargano felt that was rather unfair. He himself saw it as a heroic act but in reality it was selfish of him to do so. Now we were here and boy was it ever a classic. The one thing that may get overlooked in the match is how psychology plays into the match. Both wrestlers had a knack in the match to ask the other wrestler to come at them with their best shot until they realized that they were just messing with them and wanted to just play with their emotions.  They hit their signature dives, suplexes, and slams but what impressed me the most is how well the two gelled in the ring together. I enjoyed how Black kept up with Gargano’s cheap shots by coming back with a fiery comeback one after another. The match from what I can recollect was the first time that they had wrestled each other. We saw how well also Gargano has officially become “Johnny Takeover” by now participating in his 11th Takeover which is now an official record. The match itself did wonders for both because we saw the evil diabolical Gargano got what was coming to him after Black hit the Black Mass. Defintely a classic that I would watch again and who cares if they didn’t sell in the match.

The next match I wanted to talk about was Tomasso Ciampa vs Velveteen Dream and my gosh this match was just as awesome as the previous match. I enjoyed how the veteran Ciampa kept giving Dream everything he could in the match. Both men were trying to outdo each other by taunting each other with their poses and what not. Dream kept coming back and the crowd was right behind him every step of the way. He in fact used a figure four leg lock reminiscent of the Ric Flair and Bret Hart days of using a figure four leg lock. He even used a Hulk Hogan Leg Drop that got me jumping me out of my seat. The match itself ended because we saw how overanxious Dream got because he was so close to winning the match itself with his elbow drop and his finish. He worked so that his charisma could shine right through. I remember when the show Tough Enough was still airing and he got cut from the show and somehow I felt that he would become a superstar. Lo and Behold here he was in a prominent spot on one of the biggest shows of the year. I enjoyed how once Dream hit his finish and then his elbow off the top rope that he had it down to a second and he could have won. Once Dream missed his elbow drop again Ciampa got up and his finish the Fairytale Ending. What a Match!

The last match I want to review is Kairi Sane vs Shayna Baszler for the NXT Women’s championship match which delivered again with some hard hitting moves and on both sides there was interference from Baszler’s side and also Sane’s side as well. The match was 2 out of 3 falls. The 1st fall was won by Baszler and the 2nd by Sane and then lastly by Baszler.  I liked how they kept putting on holds so that the other would not escape. These two whenever they wrestle we know something crazy is going to happen and this was no different. Sane I thought would end up winning but in fact I was wrong because she got help at the end from Io Shirai and Dakota Kai and Baszler was assisted by her friends Jessica M Duke and Marina Shafir which helped the match because the two had had 4 matches previously and we had already seen several matches between them before hand. The match itself was impressive for what it was and this match itself was the opener for the card.

For everything that happened during the card itself, the Takeovers deliver and give you a special feeling whenever they come on because they are built up so well for the audience that is watching. I would recommend this for anyone that is looking for something to watch this weekend. Have a safe and happy thanksgiving everyone take care of your loved ones and give them a tight hug on this very special day that is coming up. Just in general, remember that those few precious hours you have together are good enough just to laugh and take everything in little by little life is too short (p.s. I posted a few pictures below of the Takeover event)

Image result for kairi sane vs shayna baszler nxt takeover wargames

Image result for shayna baszler vs kairi sane takeover

Image result for nxt takeover wargames

Image result for nxt takeover wargames

Image result for nxt takeover wargames

Image result for nxt takeover wargames

Image result for nxt takeover wargames

Searching…

Posted on by anele25
Image result for searching
Searching and how it’s filmed

A few days I had the opportunity to go and view the film Searching starring John Cho and Debra Messing. I saw the trailer a few months back and as soon as I saw it I felt that the film would be an instant classic. I’ve seen films that hook you and this one got me from the beginning. I am not going to do a scene by scene analysis but rather what some of the implications of the film could be. The basic story of the film is that the main character, David Kim, played by John Cho goes on a search for his missing daughter. He starts putting together the pieces of the puzzle together by looking at where she was, who were friends were, and how she spent the majority of her time. The character of Margot, played Michelle La, we see has more behind her than just a computer screen. I want to start with what was an important part of the story and that was the death of Margot’s mother, Pam. She ended up dying of Lymphoma and the process thereafter of her death had a strong impact of the story. For one, we start to see the unraveling of Margot’s character as she starts to exude strange behavior such as not attending her piano lessons and rather chatting with a boy that needs money on a vlog that she has. We also start to see where Margot would go which is actually a lake that is nearby here named Barbosa Lake. One last point that is not emphasized enough is how she starts to lie to her dad about where she is at night time which is another part of the film. This part where she lies becomes an important part of the story just because from there is where everything unravels. We find out that Margot was originally going to a study group but that it would go till late. It turns out that she was covering for the boy that she was talking to through the video chat. She wanted to give him money so that he could treat his mother who was going through cancer. I found this whole story fascinating because it just shows how much our social media can be hiding some facts that may not be known. The film also shows how much we can rely on total strangers that we are communicating with through an internet portal can have our total trust. I myself went social media less for a few years before turning to Instagram. I like Instagram because it’s a photo with a quick description and you can follow as many people as you’d like in that whole process. A tiny detail that is seen in the film is when many of Margot’s friends say that they never really saw her interact with anyone.

 

Her classmates classify her as a loner that never socially interacted with many students. However, we get to a point in the film where one of the classmates (who earlier had said they weren’t really friends), starts to say that they wish they would just find her already. This scene made me realize how much true friends come out and stick out with you till the end and not just when it is convenient for them. As soon as she launches this heart felt crying, I felt the response felt forced and there were almost a million likes for the response itself. There are two instances in the film where we start to see more suspects that point to more and more that they may be the suspects themselves. We see most of the film through a computer screen and we see how David starts the search for his daughter and any help that he can get is much appreciated. But, we also see the backlash from some of the folks that are following the story because we see his support as sort of indicative of how he may be guilty as well. David’s brother, Peter, is also implied as a suspect with Peter providing weed to Margot to get through some of the stress with her mother dying and what not.   Anyway, it turns out that one of the twists of the film is that the detective that is assigned to the case, played by Debra Messing, Rosemary Vick was the one whose son was talking to Margot the whole time. You see how she manipulates the crimes and you can tell somewhat from the beginning that something is up with her because when David starts to get somewhere she is standing in his way. There were two instances where this happened. The first one was when they discover Margot’s car was discovered by Barbosa Lake and they say she has been declared missing. We also see this in another instance when Vick manipulates a murder confession by a man who has just gotten out of prison.

At the end of the film, it is revealed that Vick was responsible for what was responsible throughout most of the film. There is a little hint dropped towards the beginning of the film where her son was mischievous and was a troublemaker but I dismissed it immediately. The twist goes to further reveal that her son Robert, was feeling guilty of the money he had been given and he shoved Margot into the lake that was mentioned earlier. Overall, we start to see to the little intricacies of what the impact of technology is these days. We can go through death and we may not know the impact it has on our children even though it may seem as if they are okay. There is an instance in the film when Margot goes to show the boy in the film pictures of her mom and you start to see that maybe she hasn’t gotten over her death. I also liked the film because you see the characters grow from being central plot points to the story itself rather than the story dictating how the characters motives are seen in the film. John Cho and Debra do an excellent job in having us believe as an audience how real the movie felt. For anyone looking for a movie, to watch definitely a good recommendation.

What happened when… Jose went to Tampa Bay Florida

Posted on by anele25

About two weeks, I wrote that I wanted to cover my trip to Tampa Bay in long form. The story as to why I went is simple. I had two weeks off from work and I’m also a huge fan of the hockey team the Tampa Bay Lightning. The goal was to catch two games from the Lightning on a Tuesday and Thursday. Last year around this time, I started planning out the trip and lo and behold, this is what happened when I went to Tampa Bay Florida.

 

The day of the trip is usually the most anticipated because you have to everything in order. First, you have that damn itinerary ready just in case you forget which airline you’re flying and which terminal you’re going to. Second, you have to have all your necessary items that you’re going to carry with you. The day of the trip I had everything ready. The night of December 19th 2016 I left wheels up for Tampa. I remember the majority of the flight I slept because it was a red eye and I was listening to the now highly acclaimed Something to Wrestle with… Bruce Prichard. We landed early that morning and I also had a connecting flight from Atlanta. The connecting flight, (known little to my knowledge) was on final boarding and I now rushed over. I just missed the flight and I felt rather devastated. I had never been in this situation and I was lost as to what I should do. I asked around and someone pointed me to services from Delta. I was gladly handed a new boarding pass and there I was on my way to Tampa Bay. I landed about 1 hour later than my original time. Once again, when I’m in a new city I try to look for new things to do and see. I’ve found that planning out a trip detail by detail beforehand can end up backfiring on you. Built on spontaneity, a trip can have so much more adventures and elusive stories.

 

Nevertheless, I went over to my rental counter for my car and asked which kind of car I had reserved. Knowing me, I said yes to upgrade a sports car. I ended up driving a Ford Mustang and that thing at first was hard to navigate. I grabbed my car and eventually went exploring around the city. The first thing I did was grab some food and I went shopping for some groceries as well to have for the next few days. I did that and also explored a little around the city. The city had some nice harbors and the beaches were wonderful to look at from afar (more about this in a bit). I ended up checking in later that day to my hotel. Whenever, I go to hotels I make sure that they are a Days Inn because usually they are pretty reliable. After some relaxation, I ended up making my way towards my first game of the trip. The first game was against the Detroit Red Wings and the atmosphere from Amalie Arena was quite interesting. I had heard that perhaps Tampa wasn’t a hockey town but it was quite a fun experience. I saw the passion in the fans and the amazing amount of support for the team was awesome. I went by myself on this trip and I was practically up on the top of the rafters. I was able to observe the game more closely and able to appreciate how shifts are happening and how the defensemen are able to guide the game for their team.  I had some Red Wings fans seated next to me and even there I said that hockey has the ability to bring fans from anywhere. This makes Hockey one of the premier sports for me because of the excitement, competiveness, and grit in the players. I had fun at my first hockey game in Tampa and we ended up winning 4-1 after some crazy plays happened involving the goalies going down for both teams. Afterwards, I came with the idea in my to head down to Miami. The Miami idea came about from the fact that I wouldn’t know when I would come back. I woke up the next day at 7AM ready to head out by 8AM. Once I headed out, I had little idea about the famous tolls in Florida.

 

As I went about on I-75, I had no cash and I saw the signs for the tolls. The drive itself was rather relaxing because I saw the swamps, could feel the humidity in the air, and was surprised that it was not raining as much as I thought. As I was going along paying my tolls, I wondered about what I would do on the way to Miami. I told myself I would probably catch a movie because the drive was quite long (about 4 hours to be exact). I ended up seeing Assassins Creed and the movie was great because I was curious as to how they would adapt a video game into a movie. The movies (if you have not seen it) had to do with Michael Fassbender’s retrieving the Apple of Eden which is being researched by a scientist because he wants to see wars and what not continue into the 21st century. It was panned by critics but I rather enjoyed it because it took the idea that revolutionaries can be created by going up against the system. After that was over, I decided to sit in traffic for a bit to head to Miami beach. Previously, I had been in South Miami but the trip to Miami Beach was worth it. I stopped by Miami Beach for a few hours and just sat on the beach taking in the time and effort I had put into making the trip happen. Everything that happened and everything that was to happen in the next few months had not come into my head. I think that’s what we forget sometimes is that we have to breath everything in. The ocean air and the sound of the ocean are enough to send me into a frenzy because that’s where I become one with the Earth. I sat on the beach for close to 20 minutes and afterwards headed back to where I was parked. Little did I know, it started raining and I said what the heck I’ll walk around in the rain. I just stopped by and saw all the little shops that were around. These shops give me the idea that someone will shill out enough money for a Miami Beach towel or a Miami Beach surfboard. The destination cities do a remarkable job at marketing these products and you can say they do well deserve it.

 

Afterwards, I headed back to Tampa around 6:30 in the evening. I found this drive to be much more adventurous than the first one. When I was driving back, I drove with the top down for a part of the drive. I just let the breeze blow through what hair I had left. I remember from some of the drive I had a semi-truck in front of me and I could feel the breeze getting colder. I wanted to drive with the top up again but the breeze was just too tempting to resist. I also remember when I was driving earlier in the drive that I was just zooming in and out of the lanes just trying to stay awake from all the driving that was happening. Once I got close to Tampa, I got a little bit more relaxed because I had done my driving and was ready for the next day’s adventure. The next day, I asked myself what else I could do? On this day, I decided to head up to St. Pete beach. Of course, the drive once again was wonderful and once I arrived I just laid on the beach for a few hours reading a book called ‘The Arm’. The book deals with Tommy John Surgery and what pitchers go through during the process. One pitcher in particular I remember they talked about in the book was Jon Lester. Lester himself talked about the mechanics of having to recover from Tommy John and what kinds of recovery that pitchers have to go through. I also found Todd Coffey’s comeback from Tommy John to be one of the most compelling pieces because of how he tried to come back and got hurt right away when he threw and he felt pain up his elbow. The author himself details how much money and how much stock into how these pitchers are developed from a young age into sensations at 19-20 and it all depends whether or not they can throw a 90 mile per hour fastball. I also found it fascinating while reading this that pitchers go out there every 5th day and are depended on for a 1 win or one quality start. It kind of reminds me of when a horse may just be gearing up for some races but he comes back on that day to run and he wins the big one.  If you’re not familiar with a quality start it’s usually 6 innings pitched, 3 earned runs, and maybe 5 or 6 strikeouts. I remember in particular on how kids in high school or in high school are scouted at a young age and eventually they are drafted into an organization. The development from these pitchers is worth looking into and I would be interested to see if another book such as this one dealing with maybe infielders or outfielders. The position players I feel can have just as a compelling story with pitchers because they understand what it takes to succeed. What I mean by this is that they have to have a good arm to throw out a runner or maybe even be willing to hit for power.

 

Anyway back to Florida. After I finished reading a good chunk of this book, I headed to look for some pizza and chicken. I settled on something and headed once more over to the hotel. I waited for a bit until the next game was to start. I headed out a bit early to check out the awesome downtown and see the arena and see a bit more. Once I was finished with that, I headed to the game ready for another showdown. This time we were playing the St. Louis Blues. This game I felt was a bigger challenge than the first one. The team of the Blues was much more talented and I was ready to see this one go down. After going down two goals, I said to myself ok we gotta find a way to come back. I also said once again I did not come all this way to see my boys lose. I had also that night bought a Lightning jacket which I really enjoy wearing these days as well.  After that, we never looked back and ended scoring up 5 unanswered goals (something about me and 5 unanswered goals really goes a long way). After the game was over, there is no doubt I felt there was definitely a sense that I would be back. I was planning to go back this year for my Christmas break but at this juncture it doesn’t look like it is going to happen because I have some surgery going on. I’m telling myself at this point that life is extensive and I do want to go back soon enough. I got back on the plan one day later and I sat there watching Jason Bourne and Dogs of War. I told myself there, ‘Life is Good’. I landed just in time for Christmas Day and had a very nice and relaxing rest of my break.

 

Now that I’ve written about my experience about traveling, I want to go back to something I haven’t written about in a while and that is wrestling. Recently, I listened to the Bret Hart 96/97 podcast with Bruce Prichard of Something to wrestle with fame. I am going to go ahead and write down some of my thoughts on one of my heroes and what he meant to me during that time almost 20 years ago. I’ll also take some snippets from the podcast and what I remember during that time. Hasta luego! (A little thing to remember this trip down below). IMG_2793

The Foreigner and Baby Driver a tale of two Films

Posted on by anele25

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

One of the few topics I have not had the chance to write about is my love for movies. I’ve in particular been watching Jackie Chan movies since I was younger and he delivers in his films about action. I recently went to watch The Foreigner on Thursday evening with a friend of mine. The film was unexpectedly one of those films that combined family, loyalty, and action all into one. The premise of the film is that Jackie Chan’s character, Quan, is a retired veteran from the Vietnam special forces. His daughter is killed in a bombing by terrorists. Early on, the film touches on family and how much of an importance it is. We learn as the film goes on that Quan’s daughters were murdered by a group of bandits. His wife died while giving birth to his daughter who is eventually murdered in the process of the bombing. We are also introduced to the film’s lead antagonist, Liam, who is one of the politicians linked to the IRA and the former terrorist organization. Quan early on is very distraught by what has happened and he knows he has to go out to find who has done this evil deed. We get scenes of Quan going to authorities and asking who may have done the terrible deed of killing his daughter. The film’s early scenes deal with Quan investigating on his own (including one scene where we see Liam on TV and Quan researching who he is) and eventually we get Quan and Liam coming face to face for the first time. Once again, as we get into the film’s core we learn that Liam is deeply loyal to his maternal family. We also meet Liam’s wife, Mary, and we get the feeling that there is some tension between them because Mary never really forgave Liam for letting her brother die a few years ago in a terrorist bombing as well. This comes into play later on when we learn about Mary and how much that may play a role in their relationship. Quan, after having met Liam is intent on getting the names of the terrorists who killed his daughter.

 

He calls Liam after having set off a bomb and we get an intense scene where Quan demands answers. What really kicks the film into gear is the action scenes between Quan, Liam’s henchmen, and Quan’s ventures into the forest. You may be asking yourself, why is Quan just hanging out in the forest? Well, Liam gets smart and he heads to the farm. Little do we know, Quan is always ahead of the competition and he starts setting traps at Liam’s farm inside and out. There are some pretty unique traps such as leaving bombs inside the horse stall and leaving some traps outside the farm when the henchmen fall on spikes. Quan is eventually wounded and we get a little more into the backstory of Liam and his family. We eventually learn that one of Liam’s comrades, McGrath, knows who ordered the bombings and we get the big reveal that is was Mary, Liam’s wife. Liam is also seen in the film fooling around with Maggie who was (assuming by the connection) hired by Mary to also investigate into how Liam functioned and possibly frame him in the process. McGrath is eventually executed by Liam and we get more scenes where it gets deeper into actually set off the bombing. We are also introduced early onto Liam’s nephew Sean. He plays a critical role in the film because we also see him hunt down Quan when no one else is successful in hunting him down. After Quan gets his comeback against Sean (in an excellent scene where we see Quan practically only use his hands to take down Sean), Sean lets it out that it was a gentleman named Patrick O’Reilly who set the bomb that killed his daughter.

 

Eventually, we also see Maggie (the woman who was fooling around with Liam), sleep with a reporter to plant a bomb inside his laptop so that it can go off inside a plane. We also see her in a previous scene where she sets off a bomb inside a London bus. The film at this point has pretty much wrapped up its main storylines and all that is left is for Quan to go and get his proper revenge. We see him do something rather unique. Quan arrive to where Patrick O’Reilly and Maggie holed up inside their apartment. We also see the authorities trying to get a shot of the group of terrorists. Anyway, back to Quan and his plan. We see him gather up his ‘tools’ and disguise himself as a gas repair man. He is escorted inside the house by the manager of the property and we quickly get an intense scene where we see Quan knock someone out with a TV. Quan eventually takes them all out except Maggie. Maggie is eventually questioned about the attacks and she also confesses that the bomb that is about to go about go off is on the hands of the reporter named Ian Hood. Maggie in this process is killed by the authorities. We see Hood at the airport and he is quietly doing his work on his laptop. Little does he know, the laptop is packed with a bomb. We get a scene where a bomb expert runs as far as he can and he throws the bomb inside a corridor without harming anybody. Quan after all the craziness occurs, leaves with his head held up high and ready for one last task. We get one scene where Sean goes and hands Mary with her death. Quan also comforts Liam one last time and he figures out that Liam is connected to Maggie. Quan, having gotten his justice, is at peace and can return to his normal restaurant life. We get some peace at the end knowing that Quan got his vengeance settled.

 

So there you go, a film I would recommend going out of your way to see. The film’s strengths are that it is logical and there some twists which make sense. The performances by Chan and Brosman deliver as they are two of the actors who can still knock it out of the ballpark. The film’s weaknesses are that the plot about Quan’s past could have been done a little better and we could have gotten a little more emphasis on the subplot of trying to find the terrorists. A sold film. 7/10.

 

Another film I saw recently was Baby Driver. This movie, I must say, is my favorite of 2017. The film’s premise is simple, easy to follow, and understandable from the main character’s perspective. The film deals with Baby, a 20 something year old who from what we know has tinnitus. This is dealt with by him having to wear ear buds constantly so that the ringing in his ears will not be constant.

 

Baby is forced by Doc, a heist man, with a lot of power, to work as a wheel man with different crews to do jobs to rob banks. Doc, we learn, was robbed by Baby early on and Doc tells Baby that he owes him. Once he finishes his debt, they will be even. The first two crews that Baby works with consists of Buddy, Darling, JD, Eddie, Griif, and Bats. What we gather from Baby is that he does these jobs because of the thrill that he gets from driving, the scenes in the film that sold me on how great is are the driving scenes where Baby’s inner character is shown. We can see that his motives are that so he can earn a living but we also see his decisiveness and his music keeps him going. We also get a look into Baby’s real life.

 

We see him communicating with his foster parent, Joe. Joe is deaf so he must communicate with him via sign language. At first, I was confused as to how they were speaking but it made sense after the first exchange. Joe is not aware that Baby leads this kind of life but eventually he catches on. Baby, once he has paid off his debt, starts to notice a girl around town. Her name is Debora and he falls for her when he visits her at the local diner where she is employed. This is where the film starts to get interesting. Baby, knowing that his debt is paid off and he has plenty of money, asks Debora out on a date at the finest local restaurant. What we don’t know is that Doc wants Baby to do one last job.

 

He offers him the job after he finishes his dinner. Doc once again knows that Baby is somewhat of a good look charm for him. Doc gathers his crew of Darling, Buddy, and Bats to do one last job. Doc’s idea is to rob the local post office. One thing I didn’t mention is that the film’s tension is not necessarily built on the scenes where the crew (minus Baby), robs these places but on the fact that Baby is in an uncomfortable position. We can see that and his strengths is being able to drive fast and furious (cheap plug). Anyway, Doc robbing the post office is first put into play when Doc sends Baby (along with Baby’s nephew) to check out how many employees were present, how many cameras, how many armored guards, and what kind of glass was on the location of the post office. The idea behind the robbing of the post office would be to use almost blank checks (close to 250 of them) so that each of the crew could be just a little richer. We also see Baby’s past dealt with as well because his mother used to work as a waitress where Debora is working currently. We also see that Baby’s mom was in an abusive relationship and his mom was a singer as well. Baby’s tinnitus is a result of the crash that happens with his parents passing away. Baby also records some of his conversations, one of which is quite creative where he is told he is slow. Now, what exactly does he do with these recordings? He mixes up the recordings and he makes his own mixtapes. Back to the film, we see Doc set up Bats, Darling, Buddy, and Baby with some arms dealers. Of course, the scene where we see them meet up with the arms dealers turns sideways as a result of Bats going crazy and shooting one of the arms dealers. Eventually, we see the crew of Doc taking out the dealers. Before they can return to Doc’s hiding out spot, we see Debora working and the crew heads to where she works. Because this is a movie, the scene is tense and I was one of the few that believed that something would go down. Baby jokingly says that the place wasn’t very good to eat at and Bats once again loses himself quite a bit. Debora is ironically enough the one serving the table and she tries very hard not to give away the fact that her and Baby have some sort of relationship. The scene ends with Bats walking out and almost shooting Debora but Baby stops him in his tracks. Baby hands Debora a note that says “road trip 2AM”. We see the crew heading back to Doc’s spot and we start to get the idea that Doc wants to drop the whole idea of robbing the post office. This is because now the cops will definitely be after the crew of Buddy, Darling, Baby, and Bats. We also get the scene of Baby eventually getting cold feet and going to get Debora so they can head out of town. Bats and Buddy stop Baby from going out and asking him where he is going. We get some humor here as Baby says he is going to grab some coffee. Bats finds Baby’s audio recorder and asks him to explain himself. Baby, as honest as he can, says that he likes to record conversations.

 

Bats links this to the fact that Baby may be some kind of informant. We see Baby blanking out and we next see Doc with all of Baby’s tapes. Baby is in a tough position here and eventually we have Baby declared innocent because the tapes are his mixes. The heist is the next morning and Baby once again is having his morals go through him. We see Bats kill a security guard and with the rest of the crew inside the car, he rams a rebar into Bats and kills him. We see an intense scene where Buddy, Darling, and Baby run for their lives as Darling is eventually killed. Baby and Buddy get away as we will see them square off one more time. As all this is happening, Baby goes to his house to go pick up his foster parent, Joe. Baby drops off Joe and we see Baby going to get Debora so they may flee town. Buddy is waiting for Baby and once again the scene gets intense where Buddy is willing to take out Debora because Baby is in part responsible for Darling dying. The scene gets to the point where a cop comes by and wonders where the bathroom is. Buddy takes out the cop and eventually Baby is able to take out Buddy to save Debora. Baby, knowing his only resource is Doc, goes to ask him for some help. As the Doc and the gang, some arms dealers from earlier come out and start firing at the crew. Doc eventually handles them but wait did we forget about Buddy? Buddy shows up and takes out Doc. Buddy and Baby have an intense square off where eventually Baby gets the upper hand. As the scene fades away, we get Baby hearing his mother’s voice through one of the mixtapes. Baby and Debora have gotten away and are on their way to freedom where they are stopped by the local authorities for the crimes committed by Baby. Baby is put on trial and everyone that witnessed the crimes he committed (allegedly) says he has a very good character. After 5 years of good behavior, Baby is set free. We do get a happy ending to a satisfying movie.

 

Overall, I would recommend this film based on several things. The performances by Spacey, Elgort, Hamm, and Foxx really sold it for me. You got three world renowned actors and one who got started in the Divergent series really knocking it out of the ballpark. The other things it does well is that scene had a meaning and each character had a purpose behind it. If this doesn’t win some kind of award, I would be shocked because for me that is how good it was. 10/10. That’s all people. Oh here’s a picture of my dinner with my friend from Thursday after the Foreigner

IMG_0551

 

Day #209 1/4/12: Morning at the hospital and Night at the movies…

Posted on by anele25

I can honestly say sometimes you have family members that irritate you and you have others that you are just on good terms with but you would never go out of your way to buy a gift for. My dad is sometimes the kind of guy that would do anything for anyone but if you are not perfect in one aspect you will be torn apart for months and years to come. I have to say that is one part of someone’s personality you can appreciate because at least he is honest with you and doesn’t go behind your back and say it. He has been sick on and off for years now and it is a combination of work, life circumstances, and other small issues. This morning he and I went to the hospital for a problem he has been having lately with his asthma/breathing and it was hard to sit outside waiting for him because hospitals, let’s face it, have some of the worst organizing ever. I went in and out of sleep as this was at 7 in the morning and we were there till around 8:30 in the morning where they just told him to go home and take some medicine. After that, we waited for some medication he had and then I went and bought some movie tickets to see Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol which is a very good movie that is good for an entertainment aspect.