Things are still pretty vague regarding Microsoft and a new Xbox system. With the announcement in June, there is hope for it to be out soon. Some sites are saying 2020. Whether this helps improve the company over the Xbox One debacle back in 2013 will be left to be determined if they play their cards right.
I see this as being similar to what happened in 2005. The original Xbox was a decent seller, but was never going to top what the PlayStation 2 had. Microsoft got out of the gates early for new generations consoles with the 360 that November. For most of the run of it, it held a very sizable lead in terms of games, and getting the hot new material for major third party releases. That being said, Sony had the better run late into it with its marketing, system costs and exclusive games for the PlayStation 3.
This could be the potential for Microsoft to spring themselves back up to the top. If that's their intention, they have to be a lot smarter compared to five years ago. That would mean no always online nonsense. No paying for a second hand copy if someone already used the disc. Beefing up their exclusives beyond Halo. Small things that can help build a momentum and swing things their way. I'm going to say this. They better be ready for 2020.
Microsoft better hope that people still have faith in them to deliver. If not, they can go back to what were prior to 1999 when they started helping Sega with the Dreamcast. Computers have always been their thing, and they can always work on making Windows better.
Tuesday, July 31, 2018
Friday, July 27, 2018
Wednesday, July 25, 2018
ROMs V. Nintendo
While Nintendo may have a lot of success, they are also run by complete morons. For any time they move forward a step, they move two steps back. I blame it on their Japan division and not understand stuff beyond the 80s and 90s. I'm curious yet baffled at the decision to sue a couple websites for infringement of ROMs of their games.
They are looking for millions of dollars in damages. Really, they are the only one that has issues with fan made stuff and ROMs and all that stuff. It's not a surprise that there's a lot of people who pirate or use emulation or create their own little project. I'm not the hugest supporter of emulation, but I'll use it. If this has something to do with a Virtual Console or eShop thing that they are doing for the Switch, I can see what they are doing... somewhat.
In that sense, it is justified. But for what? Just so they can milk Mario 3 and Zelda: Link to the Past for the tenth time? It's not a surprise that Virtual Console hasn't been the same since the Wii U launch in 2012. There hasn't been much effort, even with promises of stuff like Game Boy Advance and potentially GameCube titles. In the last seven years, Sega has only done a few handfuls of Game Gear games for 3DS, and they stopped after 2013. They didn't even bother with the Wii U. Not to mention that these titles can be found at used game stores, pawn shops, yard sales. Is it really going to hurt Nintendo? Absolutely not.
The efforts Nintendo has done since the 3DS has been poor. Their GBA selection is piss poor. The NES and SNES are getting the same titles over and over. No Nintendo 64 efforts. They went through original Game Boy games very quickly. Even with the cheap costs depending on the system of choice, they still leave it tied to the particular system and not the account. If the Japan offices weren't so narrow minded about how the world is, they would not have all these mistakes they have made since 1996. For now the Switch is still selling really well, but it could fade away or the next console could be a disaster.
And it's not like Nintendo can keep doing this suing thing, either. You can't shut down every website just because they have GBA games or anything going back to their NES days. If only they just put more effort into the Virtual Console or whatever their new Switch thing is like they did when it was a new concept. And it has to be more than just the same NES and SNES games. Actually dig deep into their catalog. It's a waste of time to go after ROMs, even if they are within their rights. Tons of stuff get replicated every day. Anything can be found on the Internet.
They are looking for millions of dollars in damages. Really, they are the only one that has issues with fan made stuff and ROMs and all that stuff. It's not a surprise that there's a lot of people who pirate or use emulation or create their own little project. I'm not the hugest supporter of emulation, but I'll use it. If this has something to do with a Virtual Console or eShop thing that they are doing for the Switch, I can see what they are doing... somewhat.
In that sense, it is justified. But for what? Just so they can milk Mario 3 and Zelda: Link to the Past for the tenth time? It's not a surprise that Virtual Console hasn't been the same since the Wii U launch in 2012. There hasn't been much effort, even with promises of stuff like Game Boy Advance and potentially GameCube titles. In the last seven years, Sega has only done a few handfuls of Game Gear games for 3DS, and they stopped after 2013. They didn't even bother with the Wii U. Not to mention that these titles can be found at used game stores, pawn shops, yard sales. Is it really going to hurt Nintendo? Absolutely not.
The efforts Nintendo has done since the 3DS has been poor. Their GBA selection is piss poor. The NES and SNES are getting the same titles over and over. No Nintendo 64 efforts. They went through original Game Boy games very quickly. Even with the cheap costs depending on the system of choice, they still leave it tied to the particular system and not the account. If the Japan offices weren't so narrow minded about how the world is, they would not have all these mistakes they have made since 1996. For now the Switch is still selling really well, but it could fade away or the next console could be a disaster.
And it's not like Nintendo can keep doing this suing thing, either. You can't shut down every website just because they have GBA games or anything going back to their NES days. If only they just put more effort into the Virtual Console or whatever their new Switch thing is like they did when it was a new concept. And it has to be more than just the same NES and SNES games. Actually dig deep into their catalog. It's a waste of time to go after ROMs, even if they are within their rights. Tons of stuff get replicated every day. Anything can be found on the Internet.
Tuesday, July 24, 2018
Medal of Honor Frontline (PS3) Review
One series I grew to love when it debuted was the Medal of Honor games. A favorite and one of my first PlayStation 2 titles was Frontline. It did everything right and expanded on what a World War II and first person shooter game should be. This was a surprise to see it remastered for just the PlayStation 3 as a bonus for the 2010 Medal of Honor release. Nothing changed with the gameplay, but it was more of a cosmetic change with the graphics. It's still a fun game.
Frontline had you returning as Jimmy Patterson in missions that took place before and in between missions in the first game. There are six missions combined for 19 levels. Each mission has about three or four. Following tradition, you are doing objectives to beat the level and stop the Nazi war machine. It takes you to a few places in Europe like D-Day in France, and some unique locale in Holland. Unlike other games in the series at the time, it followed with one huge mission broken into several.
The only thing EA changed was its graphics. As far as areas and backgrounds go, it is a bit of an improvement. That being said, the characters and enemies have a mix of both PS2 and PS3 quality. Not bad, but could be worse. Audio was not changed at all. It's still the same music, sound effects and voices. And it sill delivers on what it did in 2002 by creating a great war environment that lets you soak in that era of action and heartbreak.
Combat is really realistic but still plays like a video game. Various weaponry from the series come in the forms of M1 Garands and STG 44's just to name a few. They function quite well and provide enough firepower for Patterson. You have to be a little bit careful as ammo may not always be available for one particular weapon in a level. Health is still the same. Instant kills come from grenades and bazookas. The same ways of healing are back
Enemies are a bit more ferocious compared to the PS1 counterparts. They will put up a fight and will use various strategies to take you down. Controlling Patterson is a breeze and the game offers a decent amount of schemes for your liking. Level designs are smart and know how to convey a battle with allies and being on your own. It doesn't stray from what the original intentions were with the series at that time. Do well and you earn a star. Get a gold in every level of a mission to earn a medal.
There are a few difficulty modes with the hard one being brutal. It's pretty fair without being cheap. Options include cheats, changing audio and subtitles, and a password section. You can watch stuff in a gallery once you beat missions or view performances and medals in the records section. Saving is a breeze with autosaving, but saving manually is an option.
I only have a few complaints. With this version, the audio can skip sometimes or not load up after pausing, but that was rare. Videos after beating the last level of a mission were not synced. My only other complaint is something that I never liked on the original version and that was the dying aspect. Getting killed meant restarting the level from the beginning. A number of them take a good half hour to do and without means of saving can be frustrating sometimes.
Frontline is not something I would really recommend, but it is an alternative to other World War II games. I would give it at least a playthrough. This is still a nice game to have and it still plays well.
Score: 7.5 out of 10
Frontline had you returning as Jimmy Patterson in missions that took place before and in between missions in the first game. There are six missions combined for 19 levels. Each mission has about three or four. Following tradition, you are doing objectives to beat the level and stop the Nazi war machine. It takes you to a few places in Europe like D-Day in France, and some unique locale in Holland. Unlike other games in the series at the time, it followed with one huge mission broken into several.
The only thing EA changed was its graphics. As far as areas and backgrounds go, it is a bit of an improvement. That being said, the characters and enemies have a mix of both PS2 and PS3 quality. Not bad, but could be worse. Audio was not changed at all. It's still the same music, sound effects and voices. And it sill delivers on what it did in 2002 by creating a great war environment that lets you soak in that era of action and heartbreak.
Combat is really realistic but still plays like a video game. Various weaponry from the series come in the forms of M1 Garands and STG 44's just to name a few. They function quite well and provide enough firepower for Patterson. You have to be a little bit careful as ammo may not always be available for one particular weapon in a level. Health is still the same. Instant kills come from grenades and bazookas. The same ways of healing are back
Enemies are a bit more ferocious compared to the PS1 counterparts. They will put up a fight and will use various strategies to take you down. Controlling Patterson is a breeze and the game offers a decent amount of schemes for your liking. Level designs are smart and know how to convey a battle with allies and being on your own. It doesn't stray from what the original intentions were with the series at that time. Do well and you earn a star. Get a gold in every level of a mission to earn a medal.
There are a few difficulty modes with the hard one being brutal. It's pretty fair without being cheap. Options include cheats, changing audio and subtitles, and a password section. You can watch stuff in a gallery once you beat missions or view performances and medals in the records section. Saving is a breeze with autosaving, but saving manually is an option.
I only have a few complaints. With this version, the audio can skip sometimes or not load up after pausing, but that was rare. Videos after beating the last level of a mission were not synced. My only other complaint is something that I never liked on the original version and that was the dying aspect. Getting killed meant restarting the level from the beginning. A number of them take a good half hour to do and without means of saving can be frustrating sometimes.
Frontline is not something I would really recommend, but it is an alternative to other World War II games. I would give it at least a playthrough. This is still a nice game to have and it still plays well.
Score: 7.5 out of 10
Monday, July 23, 2018
Understanding Network Affiliates
Some people might think a local channel can do whatever they want. They are wrong. What they don't understand is that they can't do things on a whim or impulse. Otherwise, it could hurt their chances as a channel and the network that they are affiliated with. What exactly do people not understand?
For one thing, a budget. These affiliates have to figure out what shows to air and what can get them ratings. They have to be careful because not everything is a guaranteed hit for them. There is expectations and potentially if that show were to have low numbers, it could disappear after a season in syndication. Not every affiliate is the same. What does that mean? It means that different tastes are seen throughout a country in this world. What you might have on TV at home might be different in another county or area code.
Local affiliates act on their own. There might be some control by the network that has them, but they have to figure everything by themselves. Whatever mistakes they make is on them. They have control on what they air and whatever else appears on their channel.
As far as show selections go, it's the same thing with the budgeting. However, some shows from 20 years ago can still be on a local affiliate. For one channel where I live, Seinfeld was on it until at least 2011. They also look for the hot new stuff that enters syndication and hope it catches on. Otherwise, you're stuck with that program until the next season where you hope other new shows readied for syndication can do much better. To be honest, it's slim pickings with mainly CBS shows. Maybe the occasional Fox or ABC show, but that's it. However, they can't just instantly go for the show that is very expensive to get.
I'll discuss a theory I have regarding The Simpsons. Until 2014, it was only on local affiliates for syndication. People whined that the older episodes from the 90s weren't airing. For one thing, it is a very expensive show to procure. And two, it has gotten so big in episode numbers that my theory is there is packages of specific seasons that they can air.
Anyway, tangent aside, local affiliates can't just do stuff in a flash. They have to be very careful with what they do. At the end of the day, they are fighting for ratings and survival is the name of the game. People need to understand that to be profitable, they have to do things that even if they disagree with, will keep a network happy and make them last a long time on the air.
For one thing, a budget. These affiliates have to figure out what shows to air and what can get them ratings. They have to be careful because not everything is a guaranteed hit for them. There is expectations and potentially if that show were to have low numbers, it could disappear after a season in syndication. Not every affiliate is the same. What does that mean? It means that different tastes are seen throughout a country in this world. What you might have on TV at home might be different in another county or area code.
Local affiliates act on their own. There might be some control by the network that has them, but they have to figure everything by themselves. Whatever mistakes they make is on them. They have control on what they air and whatever else appears on their channel.
As far as show selections go, it's the same thing with the budgeting. However, some shows from 20 years ago can still be on a local affiliate. For one channel where I live, Seinfeld was on it until at least 2011. They also look for the hot new stuff that enters syndication and hope it catches on. Otherwise, you're stuck with that program until the next season where you hope other new shows readied for syndication can do much better. To be honest, it's slim pickings with mainly CBS shows. Maybe the occasional Fox or ABC show, but that's it. However, they can't just instantly go for the show that is very expensive to get.
I'll discuss a theory I have regarding The Simpsons. Until 2014, it was only on local affiliates for syndication. People whined that the older episodes from the 90s weren't airing. For one thing, it is a very expensive show to procure. And two, it has gotten so big in episode numbers that my theory is there is packages of specific seasons that they can air.
Anyway, tangent aside, local affiliates can't just do stuff in a flash. They have to be very careful with what they do. At the end of the day, they are fighting for ratings and survival is the name of the game. People need to understand that to be profitable, they have to do things that even if they disagree with, will keep a network happy and make them last a long time on the air.
Friday, July 20, 2018
Thursday, July 19, 2018
Content ID: A YouTuber's Frustration
This is sort of a follow up to last year's blog I made about music copyright. (https://sullivanentertainment.blogspot.com/2017/06/music-claims-youtubers-worst-nightmare.html) Like that, content ID's are a common thing for YouTubers. It doesn't matter if the person is huge or struggling to get to a couple hundred subscribers, it gets frustrating.
What does it mean exactly? Well, it means a company knows that their content is on their, typically music, and don't go deleting the video you made. At least for me. As of now, it's mainly videos of Super Mario Bros. for the NES. The strange thing is a number of these are getting ID'd from Nintendo themselves for using audio from Super Mario Odyssey. That's frustrating because I did the videos in early 2015 and Odyssey came out this past October. Why go after stuff that was made before this game came out? It makes no sense and personally, it gives me more of a reason not to do games that Nintendo has done that is on their list of games that they have listed on their site.
The reason why I'm doing this one is because of a guy I'm subscribed to. His channel is Gaming History Source, and it's one I've followed for a long time. He does videos of different versions of the same game. For example, numbers of arcade games and ones that started off on the PC. A video he did recently talked about possibly quitting because of BMG Entertainment going after a Bubble Bobble video and a Tetris video. It's sad because people like him do provide a different outlet of videos covering more than just Nintendo stuff. His ability to find all these ports of games is amazing in itself and to have most or all in one video is nice. It's the case, which is like last year's blog, of it being music and companies trying to go after people even though the company does not own the music to it.
Out of all the stuff, Tetris? It makes no sense. And it's not just him that I'm subscribed to that is having this issue. Another one with issues is this channel mikelat. His problem was stuff from certain games like Star Wars, which is a given. A couple other games that have given him the content ID. Cubex55 (World of Longplays, long plays) leaves their videos they way they are and they take any content ID with a huge grain of salt. And really, you can't fight YouTube because YouTube is fucking useless. Again, it's the whole scenario from 10 years ago dealing with Viacom, and other music companies that are owned by Sony, Warner, Universal.
I wish there was an alternative site to go to, but there isn't. There's Dailymotion and Vimeo, but they don't even come close to an inch of what YouTube gets in views and money. Bullying users is not the solution. Someone has to put these companies who claim stuff they don't own responsible. Otherwise, it's going to lead to people quitting and not providing something unique to their channel.
What does it mean exactly? Well, it means a company knows that their content is on their, typically music, and don't go deleting the video you made. At least for me. As of now, it's mainly videos of Super Mario Bros. for the NES. The strange thing is a number of these are getting ID'd from Nintendo themselves for using audio from Super Mario Odyssey. That's frustrating because I did the videos in early 2015 and Odyssey came out this past October. Why go after stuff that was made before this game came out? It makes no sense and personally, it gives me more of a reason not to do games that Nintendo has done that is on their list of games that they have listed on their site.
The reason why I'm doing this one is because of a guy I'm subscribed to. His channel is Gaming History Source, and it's one I've followed for a long time. He does videos of different versions of the same game. For example, numbers of arcade games and ones that started off on the PC. A video he did recently talked about possibly quitting because of BMG Entertainment going after a Bubble Bobble video and a Tetris video. It's sad because people like him do provide a different outlet of videos covering more than just Nintendo stuff. His ability to find all these ports of games is amazing in itself and to have most or all in one video is nice. It's the case, which is like last year's blog, of it being music and companies trying to go after people even though the company does not own the music to it.
Out of all the stuff, Tetris? It makes no sense. And it's not just him that I'm subscribed to that is having this issue. Another one with issues is this channel mikelat. His problem was stuff from certain games like Star Wars, which is a given. A couple other games that have given him the content ID. Cubex55 (World of Longplays, long plays) leaves their videos they way they are and they take any content ID with a huge grain of salt. And really, you can't fight YouTube because YouTube is fucking useless. Again, it's the whole scenario from 10 years ago dealing with Viacom, and other music companies that are owned by Sony, Warner, Universal.
I wish there was an alternative site to go to, but there isn't. There's Dailymotion and Vimeo, but they don't even come close to an inch of what YouTube gets in views and money. Bullying users is not the solution. Someone has to put these companies who claim stuff they don't own responsible. Otherwise, it's going to lead to people quitting and not providing something unique to their channel.
Tuesday, July 17, 2018
King Oddball (PS4) Review
I've played my share of Internet based games, whether they were flash games or Internet type games on consoles. King Oddball is no different from the latter. In ways, it reminds me of Crush the Castle, only with a weird premise. There's a good idea in this, but it's physics and one or two other things keep this from being something you will keep playing after you finish it.
You're a round ball king who throws rocks at tanks, helicopters, and people. That's it. You are hell bent on destroying the world with over 100 levels of destruction. Some of them are basic and easy. Other times, you need to strategize, especially getting into the later half of the game. Three rocks is all you are given, but you can get extras by hitting three enemies with one rock or hitting yourself A few challenge modes are seen throughout the game. One example is a grenade one where it's destroying enemies with only grenades.
The game is no different than Internet games with the graphics. It's not a bad thing because it is simple. It looks nice and distinctive. Not a lot of animations but that's a given. There isn't much with music, but it's basic and gets the job done. Sound effects comes down to mostly explosions and stuff like walls getting hit.
If I were to put a complaint, it's the physics. My biggest knock is that even when you know what to do, it may not always do what you hope happens. Having only three rocks every time to begin a level is a bummer, especially considering how Crush the Castle did it better with giving rocks. King Oddball isn't something I would put on a recommendation list, but if you're bored and find it for cheap on PSN, give it a shot.
Score: 6 out of 10
You're a round ball king who throws rocks at tanks, helicopters, and people. That's it. You are hell bent on destroying the world with over 100 levels of destruction. Some of them are basic and easy. Other times, you need to strategize, especially getting into the later half of the game. Three rocks is all you are given, but you can get extras by hitting three enemies with one rock or hitting yourself A few challenge modes are seen throughout the game. One example is a grenade one where it's destroying enemies with only grenades.
The game is no different than Internet games with the graphics. It's not a bad thing because it is simple. It looks nice and distinctive. Not a lot of animations but that's a given. There isn't much with music, but it's basic and gets the job done. Sound effects comes down to mostly explosions and stuff like walls getting hit.
If I were to put a complaint, it's the physics. My biggest knock is that even when you know what to do, it may not always do what you hope happens. Having only three rocks every time to begin a level is a bummer, especially considering how Crush the Castle did it better with giving rocks. King Oddball isn't something I would put on a recommendation list, but if you're bored and find it for cheap on PSN, give it a shot.
Score: 6 out of 10
Friday, July 13, 2018
Thursday, July 12, 2018
Toys R Us Killed Itself
At the end of this June, Toys R Us closed all their stores in the United States. This was following bankruptcy news in the fall and hope that the holiday season could have helped them. Alas it didn't. But to play the blame game is dumb. Some people like to blame millennials. That's not event true. What killed Toys R Us was itself.
Some companies spend money that they don't have or can't recuperate the money they had just spent. One example was Ames, which after buying a company in 1998, shut down because of going bankrupt a second time and being finished in 2002. That's what Toys R Us' situation was. Not to mention competition. Now these days, you have Target, Wal-Mart, and a few other stores that can sell toys, but also more than just that with food, clothing, you get the picture.
The failure to adapt to the modern day era of Internet is also something that bit Toys R Us. It's inability during the infancy of it rubbed people the wrong way (https://www.nytimes.com/1999/12/23/business/toys-r-us-falls-behind-on-shipping.html) Even struggles with Amazon which culminated in a lawsuit which they won still hurt them.(http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/tech/news/2009-06-12-amazon-toys_N.htm) While they may have recovered and got better at doing online, there was still a bit of hurt from some of these moments during the late 90s and early 2000s.
Unfortunately, it was a specialty store. Although it was a place you could have kids come to and check out the cool stuff, it was also a place that you had to make your way to. And that's why it's part of the casualties of all these stores that have shut down in the last 20 or so years. People want all their stuff in one place and I would, too. There's also the ones who will take the Internet route, which is very easy to do in 2018 compared to the mid to late 90s. Before you blame it on a generation of people, take a look at what killed Toys R Us before saying millennials caused them to go bankrupt.
Some companies spend money that they don't have or can't recuperate the money they had just spent. One example was Ames, which after buying a company in 1998, shut down because of going bankrupt a second time and being finished in 2002. That's what Toys R Us' situation was. Not to mention competition. Now these days, you have Target, Wal-Mart, and a few other stores that can sell toys, but also more than just that with food, clothing, you get the picture.
The failure to adapt to the modern day era of Internet is also something that bit Toys R Us. It's inability during the infancy of it rubbed people the wrong way (https://www.nytimes.com/1999/12/23/business/toys-r-us-falls-behind-on-shipping.html) Even struggles with Amazon which culminated in a lawsuit which they won still hurt them.(http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/tech/news/2009-06-12-amazon-toys_N.htm) While they may have recovered and got better at doing online, there was still a bit of hurt from some of these moments during the late 90s and early 2000s.
Unfortunately, it was a specialty store. Although it was a place you could have kids come to and check out the cool stuff, it was also a place that you had to make your way to. And that's why it's part of the casualties of all these stores that have shut down in the last 20 or so years. People want all their stuff in one place and I would, too. There's also the ones who will take the Internet route, which is very easy to do in 2018 compared to the mid to late 90s. Before you blame it on a generation of people, take a look at what killed Toys R Us before saying millennials caused them to go bankrupt.
Tuesday, July 10, 2018
Won't You Be My Neighbor? Review
Before I get into this review, this movie might not be in your theater. Despite coming out nationwide last week, it didn't come to my theater until this past weekend, so grin and bear it if it hasn't and you want to see it. There will be some spoilers, so caution is needed here.
One of Sundance's notable films this year has been Morgan Neville's Won't You Be My Neighbor?, a look at Fred Rogers and his television show, Mister Rogers' Neighborhood. It takes a look at life before, during and just after its 33 year run from 1968 until 2001. You wouldn't think of this as being anywhere good, but it's a great documentary and captures the intentions of what Rogers had.
A lot of these interviews come from members of the Rogers family, people that played characters on the show, crew members, people involved in public television. It's amazing how many people they found to do this, especially for ones that are really old. They look at Rogers as a big pioneer and he was. He was a guy that thought being genuine to children was a lot more rewarding than just doing slapstick comedy like other kids shows back then.
One thing also is that Rogers tackled big important issues in his own way that could be related to actual incidents. When the show debuted in 1968, Vietnam was all you heard on the news. PBS over a year away from becoming a thing. The fact that they also immediately tackled assassination following the killing of Robert Kennedy says a lot. He was able to convey that sense of vulnerability that children might not understand and help them learn something very valuable that you will know in the end.
Then there is the testimony Rogers gave to the Senate in 1969 in regards to PBS getting 20 million dollars for funding. Long story short, he was the face of the network, not Sesame Street. And looking at what he was doing, he didn't change a thing and that's why he is one of most beloved figures for public and educational television. Of course, they go into him being the subject of parody like Saturday Night Live, Johnny Carson, and In Living Color. I wonder how much it really bothered him, because he really is an easy target to do for comedy. That didn't stop him from doing he did.
I'm not going to go too much farther into it, but the legacy he left behind should be one that needs to be cherished. They do show certain stuff late in his life of the wrong messages he may have sent and that he ruined kids. That seems to be nothing but hogwash. They also talk briefly about what would Rogers think about today's world. In this age of Trump's mouth, liberals, and everything inbetween the social media landscape, I think it would have been hard for him to show his message. I don't think he would have given up as some of the people interviewed said as well.
There is still some good to be had and I think we can learn a thing or two from Mister Rogers. This is a great documentary. Try and see it in the theater if it has come to your town. It shows us the efforts of his use of television and how it paid off to be a beloved figure and a big alternative to other programs.
Score: 8.5 out of 10
One of Sundance's notable films this year has been Morgan Neville's Won't You Be My Neighbor?, a look at Fred Rogers and his television show, Mister Rogers' Neighborhood. It takes a look at life before, during and just after its 33 year run from 1968 until 2001. You wouldn't think of this as being anywhere good, but it's a great documentary and captures the intentions of what Rogers had.
A lot of these interviews come from members of the Rogers family, people that played characters on the show, crew members, people involved in public television. It's amazing how many people they found to do this, especially for ones that are really old. They look at Rogers as a big pioneer and he was. He was a guy that thought being genuine to children was a lot more rewarding than just doing slapstick comedy like other kids shows back then.
One thing also is that Rogers tackled big important issues in his own way that could be related to actual incidents. When the show debuted in 1968, Vietnam was all you heard on the news. PBS over a year away from becoming a thing. The fact that they also immediately tackled assassination following the killing of Robert Kennedy says a lot. He was able to convey that sense of vulnerability that children might not understand and help them learn something very valuable that you will know in the end.
Then there is the testimony Rogers gave to the Senate in 1969 in regards to PBS getting 20 million dollars for funding. Long story short, he was the face of the network, not Sesame Street. And looking at what he was doing, he didn't change a thing and that's why he is one of most beloved figures for public and educational television. Of course, they go into him being the subject of parody like Saturday Night Live, Johnny Carson, and In Living Color. I wonder how much it really bothered him, because he really is an easy target to do for comedy. That didn't stop him from doing he did.
I'm not going to go too much farther into it, but the legacy he left behind should be one that needs to be cherished. They do show certain stuff late in his life of the wrong messages he may have sent and that he ruined kids. That seems to be nothing but hogwash. They also talk briefly about what would Rogers think about today's world. In this age of Trump's mouth, liberals, and everything inbetween the social media landscape, I think it would have been hard for him to show his message. I don't think he would have given up as some of the people interviewed said as well.
There is still some good to be had and I think we can learn a thing or two from Mister Rogers. This is a great documentary. Try and see it in the theater if it has come to your town. It shows us the efforts of his use of television and how it paid off to be a beloved figure and a big alternative to other programs.
Score: 8.5 out of 10
Uncle Drew Review
It's been over a week since Uncle Drew came out and with it still somewhat in my mind from seeing it last week, here is my take on it. Before this, it was a series of commercials for Pepsi who did produce this film with Kyrie Irving being the spokesman portraying the 75 year old character. I didn't see an ad for this until around its debut in theaters. I'll tell you this. Your expectations will be either exceeding or disappointing you.
The premise is this guy putting a team together to compete in a street basketball tournament in hopes of winning 100 thousand dollars. In the midst of this, he loses his team to a high school rival played by Nick Kroll and is kicked out of his house by his girlfriend. Desperation comes in as he searches for anybody that can play for him and one day he sees Uncle Drew and sees the talent. Ultimately, it becomes a search for his former teammates from way back in the 60s and to show the new generation a thing or two about how to play basketball.
You wouldn't think it would be truly funny, but it is. Especially with them casting Shaquille O'Neal, Chris Webber, Reggie Miller, Nate Robinson, Lisa Leslie, and of course Irving. It's a weird group to consider, but they show themselves that they can be hilarious but also show the skills that they have had for a long time, even after retiring from pro basketball. Some expense comes at some of the nods of their careers, and it's subtle.
It gets its plot across at a good pace and doesn't come off as a rushed product compared to some of these projects involving sports stars. A little slow in the middle of the film, but the basketball scenes come off authentic despite these athletes in tons of makeup and made to look 75. Overall, it's a good film that you wouldn't think would be good, but it is. Hilarious all around, try and find it before it leaves theaters.
Score: 7 out of 10
The premise is this guy putting a team together to compete in a street basketball tournament in hopes of winning 100 thousand dollars. In the midst of this, he loses his team to a high school rival played by Nick Kroll and is kicked out of his house by his girlfriend. Desperation comes in as he searches for anybody that can play for him and one day he sees Uncle Drew and sees the talent. Ultimately, it becomes a search for his former teammates from way back in the 60s and to show the new generation a thing or two about how to play basketball.
You wouldn't think it would be truly funny, but it is. Especially with them casting Shaquille O'Neal, Chris Webber, Reggie Miller, Nate Robinson, Lisa Leslie, and of course Irving. It's a weird group to consider, but they show themselves that they can be hilarious but also show the skills that they have had for a long time, even after retiring from pro basketball. Some expense comes at some of the nods of their careers, and it's subtle.
It gets its plot across at a good pace and doesn't come off as a rushed product compared to some of these projects involving sports stars. A little slow in the middle of the film, but the basketball scenes come off authentic despite these athletes in tons of makeup and made to look 75. Overall, it's a good film that you wouldn't think would be good, but it is. Hilarious all around, try and find it before it leaves theaters.
Score: 7 out of 10
Sunday, July 8, 2018
Limping Worker
Like most people, I work a menial job. It's at a chicken restaurant where it gets very hectic around this time, especially as we get baseball teams. Not to mention dealing with barbecues almost every day. A number of these workers I see about almost all the time work very long hours and unfortunately can't really take a day off. One example was a guy who makes salads and he told me one time he had the flu but went in anyway because they expect him to be in, sickness or not.
For the sake of this, I'm not naming the restaurant I work in, but some might know what place I'm referring to if anyone local I know knows. We had a power outage not too long ago and we were working to get everything to stay cold or get sold immediately. Our lead server, who has worked a very long time, was limping. I don't know if she had an issue on the Fourth of July or something, but it was very noticeable. Noticeable to the point where the owner told her to take the rest of the day off. She was upset about being told that and cried. She did leave, but that was really hard for her to hear that.
I don't blame her for the crying, but servers are on their feet for 7 to 12 hours depending on when they come in. They don't get the same pay as others and rely quite a bit on tips from customers. It's prime tip season for them and once it gets into say October or November, business at this restaurant starts to slow down. To someone like her, she can't afford to miss a day. At the same time, however, she can't exactly work on just one leg, especially with the hustle and bustle of a summer day.
I believe that a number of the employees are being overworked. I know it's a case all over the country with other restaurants, but since being hired in April 2017, they moved up a prep guy to the line. Otherwise, it's been the same group of line cooks. We have at this time, a woman who is about seven to eight months pregnant and only a few other prep guys. Dishwashers, where I am, have a very limited number. Setup varies, and the only good section is the takeout section. We can only do so much without being burnt out on working a job that drains us physically, mentally, and emotionally.
Add in the fact that managers don't really believe in someone being sick (though some do try to fake being ill), and it makes some people's situation pretty bad. Unfortunately, we have to grin and bear it. That's life, and you have to be committed to working. You have to find ways to keep up on being healthy and avoid any major sickness.
For the sake of this, I'm not naming the restaurant I work in, but some might know what place I'm referring to if anyone local I know knows. We had a power outage not too long ago and we were working to get everything to stay cold or get sold immediately. Our lead server, who has worked a very long time, was limping. I don't know if she had an issue on the Fourth of July or something, but it was very noticeable. Noticeable to the point where the owner told her to take the rest of the day off. She was upset about being told that and cried. She did leave, but that was really hard for her to hear that.
I don't blame her for the crying, but servers are on their feet for 7 to 12 hours depending on when they come in. They don't get the same pay as others and rely quite a bit on tips from customers. It's prime tip season for them and once it gets into say October or November, business at this restaurant starts to slow down. To someone like her, she can't afford to miss a day. At the same time, however, she can't exactly work on just one leg, especially with the hustle and bustle of a summer day.
I believe that a number of the employees are being overworked. I know it's a case all over the country with other restaurants, but since being hired in April 2017, they moved up a prep guy to the line. Otherwise, it's been the same group of line cooks. We have at this time, a woman who is about seven to eight months pregnant and only a few other prep guys. Dishwashers, where I am, have a very limited number. Setup varies, and the only good section is the takeout section. We can only do so much without being burnt out on working a job that drains us physically, mentally, and emotionally.
Add in the fact that managers don't really believe in someone being sick (though some do try to fake being ill), and it makes some people's situation pretty bad. Unfortunately, we have to grin and bear it. That's life, and you have to be committed to working. You have to find ways to keep up on being healthy and avoid any major sickness.
Friday, July 6, 2018
Thursday, July 5, 2018
2018 NBA Shake-Ups
The Western Conference has gotten a bit more interesting and will be the headline for the 2018-19 season. It is bound to make it a lot more tougher for the decent teams to even secure a spot for the postseason.
Obviously, we're starting with LeBron James heading to Los Angeles to play for the Lakers. It seemed obvious that he was getting out of Cleveland, so I don't think it's a huge shocker. Out of all the places, though, I'd figured he would have gone to the 76ers or some other Eastern Conference team. Speaking of which, a team like Boston or Toronto has a fighting chance to get into the Finals and actually beat whoever they face. The balance of power will shift tremendously.
One of the more interesting ones has to be DeMarcus Cousins going to the Golden State Warriors for only 5.3 million dollars. That's one hell of a bargain. It's something the league is deeply surprised about and it only adds to the question mark of what could possibly happen. Add in Kevin Durant's signing for another two years and the other players involved, and it's easy to say that Golden State could win another championship with their fourth in five years next June.
A guy that is in the running to be going to another team is San Antonio's Kawhi Leonard. Last year he barely played during the season and behind the scenes stuff was going on about not wanting to stay with the Spurs. There are some teams that are interested, but it's a matter of who do you get rid of. It's going to come down to a couple players, maybe even a draft pick or two. Then again, this is a huge risk to whoever does get Leonard. If he can stay healthy, he can give a good boost to wherever he goes to.
I don't think we're finished yet with trades and free agency yet. My gut tells me that there will be another player that will make huge headlines and cause a little shake up for the NBA. It's only a matter of time.
Obviously, we're starting with LeBron James heading to Los Angeles to play for the Lakers. It seemed obvious that he was getting out of Cleveland, so I don't think it's a huge shocker. Out of all the places, though, I'd figured he would have gone to the 76ers or some other Eastern Conference team. Speaking of which, a team like Boston or Toronto has a fighting chance to get into the Finals and actually beat whoever they face. The balance of power will shift tremendously.
One of the more interesting ones has to be DeMarcus Cousins going to the Golden State Warriors for only 5.3 million dollars. That's one hell of a bargain. It's something the league is deeply surprised about and it only adds to the question mark of what could possibly happen. Add in Kevin Durant's signing for another two years and the other players involved, and it's easy to say that Golden State could win another championship with their fourth in five years next June.
A guy that is in the running to be going to another team is San Antonio's Kawhi Leonard. Last year he barely played during the season and behind the scenes stuff was going on about not wanting to stay with the Spurs. There are some teams that are interested, but it's a matter of who do you get rid of. It's going to come down to a couple players, maybe even a draft pick or two. Then again, this is a huge risk to whoever does get Leonard. If he can stay healthy, he can give a good boost to wherever he goes to.
I don't think we're finished yet with trades and free agency yet. My gut tells me that there will be another player that will make huge headlines and cause a little shake up for the NBA. It's only a matter of time.
Tuesday, July 3, 2018
Tag Film Review
The premise for Tag is not a bad idea. It's idea comes from adults who have played the game for such a long time, and this is a movie take on a group that takes the game seriously for one month every year.
It's five guys who have played for 30 years the same game of tag. One of them has never been touched and considered it and he is looking to retire after getting married. With that, the other four try to find ways to tag him. However, it's not as easy as it sounds. For a comedy, it's not as bad as you think. They work around the one that has never been it as someone who is a lot smarter and has a lot of tactics to not get touched. The methods the other four do come very close, but he is one step ahead of them every time.
There isn't much substance to the plot as it is very simple. Not really any side plots outside of a part with two of the group trying to win over a woman that they dated in high school. The focus is tagging and the methods. One thing I am a bit surprised is that the women that are watching this unfold are not fazed or angry. In fact, one of them at times gets crazy about the game and wanting to see the one finally get tagged.
I don't know what else to say. It's not as bad a film as you think, though your mileage may vary. There are some monotonous moments around the mid late part, but it's consistent in being funny. This isn't one I would recommend fully, but if it is still playing in your theater, it's not a bad choice to see.
Score: 6.5 out of 10
It's five guys who have played for 30 years the same game of tag. One of them has never been touched and considered it and he is looking to retire after getting married. With that, the other four try to find ways to tag him. However, it's not as easy as it sounds. For a comedy, it's not as bad as you think. They work around the one that has never been it as someone who is a lot smarter and has a lot of tactics to not get touched. The methods the other four do come very close, but he is one step ahead of them every time.
There isn't much substance to the plot as it is very simple. Not really any side plots outside of a part with two of the group trying to win over a woman that they dated in high school. The focus is tagging and the methods. One thing I am a bit surprised is that the women that are watching this unfold are not fazed or angry. In fact, one of them at times gets crazy about the game and wanting to see the one finally get tagged.
I don't know what else to say. It's not as bad a film as you think, though your mileage may vary. There are some monotonous moments around the mid late part, but it's consistent in being funny. This isn't one I would recommend fully, but if it is still playing in your theater, it's not a bad choice to see.
Score: 6.5 out of 10
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