Month: September 2013 (Page 8 of 11)

Blu Tuesday: Star Trek Into Darkness, Parade’s End and More

September 10, 2013 /

Every Tuesday, I review the newest Blu-ray releases and let you know whether they’re worth buying, renting or skipping, along with a breakdown of the included extras. If you see something you like, click on the cover art to purchase the Blu-ray from Amazon, and be sure to share each week’s column on Facebook and Twitter with your friends.

“Star Trek Into Darkness”

WHAT: When Starfleet is attacked by a dangerous terrorist known as John Harrison (Benedict Cumberbatch), Captain Kirk (Chris Pine) and the crew of the U.S.S. Enterprise embark on a mission to track down the one-man killing machine and bring him to justice, only to discover that the situation is a lot more complicated than originally believed.

WHY: I don’t typically revisit many films so soon after their theatrical release unless I really enjoyed them, but in the case of J.J. Abrams’ “Star Trek Into Darkness,” I wanted to give it another chance after my first screening was spoiled by a terrible 3D projection. And I’m glad that I did, because although some of my issues with the movie still exist (like the “Wrath of Khan” copycatting and blasé wastefulness of its supporting cast), there are quite a few things to love about it. For starters, Cumberbatch absolutely kills it as Khan, bringing a level of strength and ruthlessness to the character that was never apparent in the Ricardo Montalban version. Simon Pegg also gets more to do this time around (albeit at the expense of co-stars like Karl Urban, John Cho and Anton Yelchin), and there’s a really good balance of action, drama and comedy throughout. It’s actually a bit puzzling why the sequel received so much flak from fans, because while it definitely has some problems, the film is just as much fun as its predecessor.

EXTRAS: In all their infinite wisdom, Paramount decided to make several extras (including a director commentary) exclusive to various retail chains, making it impossible for fans to dig into all the goodies unless they buy multiple versions of the film. The Blu-ray does come with seven short production featurettes, but it doesn’t make the studio’s actions sting any less.

FINAL VERDICT: RENT

“Parade’s End”

WHAT: Set over a ten-year period that intersects World War I, nobleman Christopher Tietjens (Benedict Cumberbatch) is stuck in a loveless marriage with manipulative socialite Sylvia (Rebecca Hall). After being publicly embarrassed by his wife, Christopher finds comfort in a young suffragette named Valentine Wannop (Adelaide Clemens), but refuses to give into their mutual passion as he clings onto values of a bygone era.

WHY: “Parade’s End” had several things working in its favor – most notably HBO, which has produced some of the best miniseries of the past decade, and an incredible ensemble cast – but that doesn’t make this five-part miniseries (based on a quartet of novels by Ford Madox Ford) any easier to watch. In fact, although a lot of material has clearly been lost in the translation between book and screen – not surprising when you consider that writer Tom Stoppard has attempted to squeeze four novels’ worth of story into five hours of television – I couldn’t even make it past Part Two due to extreme boredom and, in some cases, utter confusion over the vague subplots and time jumps. If you like your period pieces overly stuffy and melodramatic, then “Parade’s End” might be just for you, but despite some solid performances from its cast (especially Cumberbatch, Hall and Clemens), they’re unable to make their dull characters, and by extension Stoppard’s script, even the least bit interesting.

EXTRAS: The only bonus material on the disc is an interview with writer Tom Stoppard from his visit to KCRW’s “The Treatment” hosted by Elvis Mitchell.

FINAL VERDICT: SKIP

“La Cage aux Folles”

WHAT: Gay club owner Renato (Ugo Tognazzi) and his drag queen lover Albin (Michel Serrault) agree to hide their sexual identities for the sake of Renato’s grown-up son (Remi Laurent) when his new fiancée’s ultraconservative parents drive down to St. Tropez for a dinner meeting before they’ll agree to the marriage.

WHY: Though the movie was decades ahead of its time with its social message and treatment of LGBT characters, “La Cage aux Folles” is one of those rare films where the Hollywood remake is actually better than the original. That’s not to say that Edouard Molinaro’s movie – based on the stage play by Jean Poiret – isn’t any good, but Mike Nichols’ American version is even better, thanks in large part to the hilarious performances by stars Robin Williams and Nathan Lane. There are still some laughs in “La Cage aux Folles” (namely from Michel Galabru’s prudish government official), but a lot of the humor is pretty mild compared to the sheer outrageousness of the 1996 film, especially for those already familiar with the story. Of course, “The Birdcage” wouldn’t have been possible without Molinaro’s Franco-Italian comedy, and between its forward-thinking story and entertaining performances, fans of Nichols’ rendition (or the Harvey Fierstein Broadway musical) should probably see it at least once.

EXTRAS: Like most Criterion releases, they haven’t skimped on bonus material, including new interviews with director Edouard Molinaro and author Laurence Senelick (“The Changing Room: Sex, Drag and Theatre”), behind the scenes archival footage, and a booklet featuring an interview with critic David Ehrenstein.

FINAL VERDICT: RENT

Entertainment, Movies

How Not to Dress Up Like “The Big Bang Theory” Boys This Fall

September 10, 2013 /

The gang of geeks paired with the hottie Penny has been a recipe for sweet success on television. “The Big Bang Theory” will move into its 7th season pretty soon, and there has been a great reaction to the spoilers released so far.

Sheldon’s unique sense of humor, Leonard’s social awkwardness and just the sheer hilarity of the situations Howard and Raj get themselves in are great to watch.

The boys may have a great sense of humor, but not many would like to emulate them when it comes to style.
If you’ve been prepping up the wardrobe to prepare for the upcoming season, then this post will guide you on how NOT to dress up like the Big Bang Theory boss.

Sheldon

Sheldon’s style is all about layered clothes. He starts off with an undershirt with a round neck and full sleeves. He usually prefers statement tees over a standard under shirt.

The tees have the typical Bazinga! exclamation sign over them, Star Wars inscriptions, rock, paper, scissors or something scientific printed over them (it’s becoming too mainstream).

If you want to avoid dressing up like Sheldon, then go for simple tees with no scientific garb printed over them. A snazzy gingham shirt is also a great option as it can come in handy on multiple occasions. You can wear such shirts to a wedding, homecoming, business dinner etc. and look as dapper as possible–without coming across like an even more sociopathic version of Niles from the show “Frasier.”

Howard

Howard’s style is from the 70s. His poofed up hair tucked behind one hair, and shirt tucked into the pants (a bit too small) is reminiscent of a fabulous era that is long gone.

Howard wears checkered shirts in bright colors. He also buttons up the shirts and doesn’t roll up the sleeves.

So if you want to avoid looking like Howard then wear formal shirts, with no checkered prints. Try to make your look casual, and roll the sleeves as far as they can go. The next thing Howard is known for are bright pants and a shiny new belt. Avoid shimmering belts and wear simple black colored pants.

Leonard

Leonard typically sports army jackets, dull printed t-shirts underneath and a baggy pair of jeans. Also, he mostly wears oversized clothes. Thick rimmed glasses are another classic Leonard trademark.

Avoid emulating his style as oversized clothing can make you look like a fashion disaster. As for the glasses, they aren’t necessary, but you can go with lens of a rimless frame. Brightness is the key to your wardrobe when it comes to avoiding Leonard like looks.

Raj

Unlike the traditional Indian, young Raj likes to show off with tacky and nerdy outfits. His sense of style is largely made up of sleeveless plaid sweaters and a simple full sleeved shirt underneath. In some cases, he also wears front open sweaters, with plain shirts underneath.
To avoid Raj’s old-age style, you can consider high neck and polo neck sweaters. Make sure that the sweaters are in solid colors like gray, brown, black and blue.

The style ideas will help you avoid looking like the fashion outdated Big Bang Theory doppelgangers and let you do something different this season.

How do you plan to dress up this fall?

Lifestyle, Television

Smoking in the Dorm Room – An eCig Primer

September 10, 2013 /

Any college student can tell you how much of a pain in the ass it is to go out for a smoke if you live on campus. You have to lock up your room, make your way outside, have your smoke, swipe your card to get back in, and unlock the door. That’s a ton of work just to smoke, don’t you think? It gets old, fast.

There’s no way that you can smoke when you’re in the dorm room because the fire detector is set on maximum sensitivity mode (or something) – hell, how many times have you had to endure that obnoxious fire alarm because someone burnt their ramen? You’ve gotta be mindful of that.

It’s time to get switch it up. You really need to consider using electronic cigarettes.

• They’re better for you since you’re not inhaling smoke and other toxins since it’s vapor
• They’ve got different flavors so you’re not stuck smoking 305’s because you’re broke
• They’re really inexpensive compared to buying a pack especially when you use e-liquid
• They’re not going to force you to evacuate because you wanted a drag in your room

Let’s say you’re good on the idea and you want to check into eCigs. A good place to start, especially if you’re low on funds at the moment, would be one of the free starter kits by Victory Electronic Cigarettes.

So here’s the deal: the kit is basic in the sense that it’ll get you started with eCigs on mid-level. You may have tried one of the Blu’s or NJoy’s that you find at 7-11 sometime or another but those are disposable which means that once they’re done they’re worthless.

The kit that Victory is giving away comes with a rechargeable battery (along with the chargers that go with it), various flavored cartridges (like tobacco, menthol, blueberry, etc), and a cool case for it so you can be all gangster style.

If you’ve never used one of the better (we’re talking mid-level at this point) electronic cigarettes than you’re going to be blown away because it takes those disposable ones and dumps them to the curb.

The fact that you get to change out the cartridges and recharge the battery means that you’re always getting a nice vape – you’re going to feel it when you take a drag. You’re also not forced to stick to one flavor which may suck depending on the brand when you picked up a disposable that one time. You can think of the different cartridges like a sampler pack of the flavors which is a nice touch if you’re unsure what type you like.

Okay and here’s the best part, so we can come full circle: you can smoke ‘em in your dorm.

You’re inhaling vapor, still getting the nicotine, but without the smoke and the nastiness that comes along with process tobacco. The vapor isn’t going to set off the fire alarm and even if you’re paranoid you could always open a window – it’s basically like water vapor.

So, no more being forced to run down to have a smoke – you can keep concentrated on doing your homework (or getting ready to party) – and you’ll save a good amount of coin.

That’s playing the game when it comes to college dorm life.

Lifestyle

App of the Week: 868-HACK

September 8, 2013 /

Developer: Michael Brough

Compatible with: iPhone,  iPod Touch, iPad

Requires: iOS 5.0

Price: $5.99

Available: here

“868-Hack” is not a game for everyone. Admittedly that’s an unusual way to start off this column, but in a game as bizarre and challenging as “868-Hack,” it also happens to be the one definitive truth.

A rouge-like game (meaning an RPG with permanent death and randomized levels) the basic concept of “868-Hack” is not immediately easy to understand, but essentially it sees you navigate a smiley face avatar of your hacker through a 6×6 computer grid. Along the way you hack grids for currency and data to gain new abilities and increase your score and move on to more and more challenging grids. Impeding your progress are computer virus enemies that are often triggered en mass by hacking the most valuable grids, and have to be dealt with by swiping attacks at them when they are lined up with you. Just be sure to stay on top of them, as three hits and the game is done.

In a way the design is reminiscent of free game staple “Minesweeper” in that you must constantly plan for and around the most dangerous areas, and think several moves ahead (as well as take leaps of faith) to even stand a chance of progressing.  This is made all the more challenging by a turn based system that forces you to not only account for your moves well in advance, but those of your enemies as well, as you must constantly juggle between attacking and evasion, along with snagging valuable resources.

screen568x568

Inevitably there will be a point where you cannot make the right decision that keeps you alive and, since this is a rogue-like, that means you start all over and lose your progress. Games of this nature are supposed to be difficult, but considering how quickly things can go bad here even if you’re playing the game right, this has to be one of the more challenging experiences available in gaming. That, along with the fact that such a merciless experience is rarely available on the mobile platform, leads to the whole “not for everyone” catch.

But damn, is this a great game. It challenges you at every step to be better than you were before, and if you’re the type of person who welcomes an intellectual test, and laughs at the idea of inevitable death, you’ll find an experience that may constantly beat you down, but shows you successes sweeter than any other to keep you as hooked as you’ll ever be to a game of any type on any platform.

It’s that element that justifies the higher than usual asking price for “868-Hack” and turns it into a game that is not only atop the list of mobile games of the year, but actually puts it somewhere in the conversation of best games of the year on any system. No it isn’t for everyone, but sometimes you have to stand back and look at something as a whole and appreciate it just for its brilliant design. Do that, and you’ll be left looking at an unforgiving and intelligent app of the week.

Entertainment

First Drive: 2014 Toyota Tundra

September 7, 2013 /

The styling of the Toyota Tundra has been completely updated both inside and out for the 2014 model year which you’ll notice right away with the more muscular and chiseled front grille. Sales in the full-sized pickup truck market are booming this year and Toyota expects to grab its share of that market with the redesigned half-ton, full-size pickup truck. The 2014 Tundra will be available in 5 grades – SR, SR5, Limited, Platinum and a special 1794 Edition, which reflects a western lifestyle theme as a tribute to the ranch, founded in 1794, on which the Tundra plant is located in San Antonio. I traveled out to Knoxville, Tennessee for an up-close look at the new truck and a chance to drive it on a variety of roads.

Exterior

The redesign and the new front grille definitely enhance the look of the Tundra. It’s a great-looking truck as you can see from the photos above with the bold and powerful look that buyers expect in this segment. The Platinum version has a little less chrome and I liked that one the best, but buyers will have plenty of choices with the multiple trim levels. I liked the feature of having “TUNDRA” stamped into the sheet metal on the rear, and along with the new tail lamps the vehicle looks great from this angle. Toyota listened to customers who explained how they used the truck in rugged settings, so both the front and rear bumpers have been changed from one piece to three for lower replacement costs. Three cab styles are offered with the two-door Regular Cab, four-door Double Cab, and the super-sized four-door CrewMax. The Regular Cab and Double Cab models are offered in standard bed (78.7-inch) or long bed (97.6-inch) configurations and the CrewMax comes with a 66.7-inch bed, with all beds being 22.2-inches deep.

Interior

Many upgrades were made to the interior to make it more refined. The interior is very spacious and comfortable, and in the Limited, Platinum and 1794 editions buyers will find the luxury items you expect in higher end vehicles. I liked the leather seats and leather accents on the dash, particularly in the Platinum edition which featured perforated, diamond pleated premium leather seats, door and instrument panel inserts. The center stack screen and controls were laid out nicely and easy to use. The upgraded Entune audio system and app suite is easy to use with some nice customization features.

The rear seats in the CrewMax edition offer plenty of space for passengers and can now be folded up for additional cargo carrying capability as well.

Performance

The engine options remain the same on the new Tundra, as Toyota executives explained that drivers would not see any real-world mileage gains with a turbo V6 offered by competitors. Toyota’s most popular engine is the 5.7-liter, DOHC i-Force V8 which generates 381 horsepower at 5,600 rpm and 401 foot-pounds of peak torque at 3,600 rpm with a six-speed electronically controlled automatic transmission. Fuel efficiency on 4×2 models is 13 mpg city, 18 mpg highway and 16 mpg combined while the 4×4 achieves 13 mpg city/17 mpg highway/15 mpg combined. My test vehicles featured this engine and it performed nicely on roads that varied from winding hills at various speeds and inclines to highway driving. The Tundra was a pleasure to drive and it handled well.

Toyota also offers a 4.6-liter, DOHC i-Force V8 offers 310 horsepower at 5,600 rpm and 327 foot-pounds of peak torque at 3,400rpm that gets slightly better fuel mileage.

Buyers can also choose a 4.0-liter Dual Overhead Cam (DOHC) V6 which is standard on Tundra Regular and Double Cab models and produces 270 horsepower at 5,600 rpm and 278 foot-pounds of peak torque at 4,400 rpm. It is paired with a five-speed automatic transmission with uphill/downhill shift logic. EPA-estimated fuel economy is 16 mpg city, 20 mpg highway and 17 mpg combined.

Drivers can control the driving experience to adapt to road surfaces or driving conditions. In “normal” mode, Vehicle Stability Control (VSC), Traction Control (TRAC) and Automatic Limited-Slip Differential (Auto-LSD) all function to help enable traction and control capability. These modes can then be turned off to adjust to various conditions.

Overview

Toyota executives are stressing the “American-born” nature of the new Tundra which should play well with buyers in this segment. The redesigned Tundra was once again engineered by Toyota Technical Center in Ann Arbor and the design was created by Calty Design Research centers in Newport Beach and Ann Arbor. The Tundra is assembled in San Antonio and its V6 and V8 engines are built in Alabama while transmissions are built in North Carolina.

The large truck segment is very competitive with excellent products, but it’s also growing like crazy as the economy improves. The new Tundra will definitely catch the eye of buyers and we recommend test driving it if you’re looking for a big truck. Toyota has a well-deserved reputation for durability and reliability which is important if you’re looking for a workhorse.

Car Reviews, Cars

« Older posts Newer posts »

BULLZ-EYE INFO

© 2026 Bullz-Eye Blog

Theme by Anders Noren — Up ↑