Speed doesn't kill, stopping abruptly does.

The name is Carson. I am just a guy going about his life trying to make the most of it. I am learning who I am and I will never stop. What I have found so far is that I am a petrol head, I am a sports nut, part of the Mau5horde an EDM lover, and a Hokie. What I knew is that I will always be a California kid, no matter where I live. I may rhyme sometimes, but I will tell you this, I am not a rapper. Go on an ask me something, I will be sure to give you an answer. Enjoy this small slice of what is me. WAU_tab('fdl3khgkl50h', 'bottom-center')

[speedthroughcorners]

Krayt Cup 3 - After Action Report (Part 2/2)

Round 2 was, I believe against Hornet Squadron. I took the sacrifice again and got paired up against the same exact list, QD/3Boats. I didn’t have much hope, but I had to figure out a way to beat it. My initial setup was exactly what I needed, 5 obstacles on my side of the board, all rocks. I had my huge wall of big rocks and Cluster Mines as well as 2 rocks cornered near me. I set up with Sol and Nym in opposite corners, while he had his Boats spread out, but all on Sol’s side, while QD was on Nym’s side of the board. We came out the gates blazing, with 1 straights all around. I figured he was going to continue this until he figured out how to approach, so I took the opportunity to close off Sol’s side with a Cluster Mine, leaving only a slight gap for a ship to fit in along the board edge. After a whole lot of TLT’s for me, 1 Harpoon onto a gunboat, 2 more Clusters on the board(5 total down now) and maybe 2 shots for him, I had all the boats fairly low while QD was full health. Eventually, we got to a point late in the game where my Scurrgs were together and all 4 ships of his were separated, with one Gunboat slowly making his way around back avoiding Clusters, one Gunboat way back at his setup area, the other Gunboat opposite the field from me, and Quickdraw at a point were he either moved down a narrow lane of Clusters towards me or turned away but still took a single Cluster token and a couple fully modded TLTs. At this point, he had not gotten a Harpoon off, I had 3 Harpoons left and 1 Cluster Mine on Sol. He flew QD into my Cluster Lane, avoiding the mines but allowing me to get a Trick Shot TLT from Nym and fully modded Harpoon from Sol. QD shot first and put 2 damage on Nym. Nym TLTed back, knocking off 1 shields, allowing QD to use his ability, which ended up doing 1 damage. I have PainBot on Nym, so I used it to great effect and took another shield off QD with no damage done to myself. Sols Harpoon took QD down to 1 health. The next move perfectly gave Sol the opportunity to drop a Cluster onto QD with his ability, killing him. From the I took down 2 of the Gunboats and won, 78-0. Team went 3-1

Round 3 against the Gimpy Gamer Squad. Again, I was placed on the table for them to choose a list to pair against me. I got paired against Vessery with Tractor Beam, Sienar Aggressor with TLT, and a built Quickdraw. My 1 agility ships stood no chance, so there is not much to say about this one. I lost turn 2 when Sol got Tractored onto a rock and into and into Range 1 of 2 of his ships, getting wiped off the board. I can’t remember exactly, but Nym may have gotten a few damage in, but I got wiped in a rough match-up 100-0. Team went 1-3

Round 4 was against the Whoopsie Wookie Squadron. I again was the list put down for them to choose who to pair against. The gave me the great opportunity(/s) to play the ReconSpec/Rey version of Kanan and Fenn. I had a feeling I don’t have much of a chance, but, play my game and lets see what happens. I get the setup I wanted, with the wall placed. He choose to place Kanan along the board edge, so I placed in the center with both my ships in the middle. We slow rolled at first, as I wanted to see which side of my wall he would go after. Once he committed to coming onto my side, I moved my ships opposite of his and closed off the opposite entrance with Clusters(leaving a small gap a small base ship could traverse), giving him 1 clear way in, with the other options meaning a lot of Clusters would go off. He had to K-turn Kanan, which he did. I eventually got to a place where I got 2 range 3 Harpoons off onto the Ghost, doing 7 total damage. At this point, Fenn was separated from Kanan, and I had a really good opportunity with both ships. I turned Nym through friendly mines after Fenn and Sol towards Kanan, but at range 1 in his side arc after a barrel roll. Fenn took 2 damage from TLT and Kanan took 3 damage from Sol. Next round, Sol got another range 1 side arc shot onto Kanan, who undocked the Ezra in the Phantom with 6 health left on the Ghost, while Nym circled back with no shots, but a Harpoon incoming on Ezra. At this point, Sol had a couple shields, while Nym was down to 2 hull. Nym got his Harpoons off onto Ezra and 1 shot him off while Sol finished off Fenn with a TLT. So it was a 6 health Sol with 1 Harpoon left against a 6 health Kanan. I started to run fast back to my bomb covered side of the board, with left him chasing me for about 15 minutes. I eventually traversed my bombs but got cornered after he went through the bombs, only taking 1 damage off though. The first important round was I got off a 4 dice Harpoon at range 3 while he only got off a TLT. I brought him down to 1 health, while Sol had 4. After a turn of bumping head on, the most important thing for me here was to not be at Range 1 of his primary, this was the only way I lose. So I 4 straight away and PS kill him with a TLT. I win 100-53 with easily the best I have ever flown this list and the best I flew it on this day. Team also did well, pulling out a 4-0

  Round 5, our final round, against team First Place. We were in contention for a top spot, but needed to play very well. Little did we know what was in store for us. I got paired up against Palp/QD/Inquisitor, another rough match-up for my TLT’s and low agility, lower pilot skill. I forget the name of who I played against, but he was one of the best players I have faced and new how to fly Palp Aces. I can basically sum it up to these few statements. We played very conservative for a long time, him getting range 3 shots with the Inquisitor onto Nym and Nym not touching the Inquisitor back. He never crossed my wall of bombs and I never crossed except to place some more to block another section with Nym. This was were it was lost because he got a Range 3 shot on Nym with the shuttle and the Inquisitor, bringing Nym to 2 hull. Eventually, he killed Nym, with about 15 minutes left, while I got the Inquisitor down to 1 hull with TLT’s. I could do nothing with Sol to win, so it was a win for him, 0-53. Sol had full health at the end, Quickdraw never shot, the shuttle got 1 shot, Sol got 2 shots with no damage done, and Nym died to the Inquisitor alone. I could never get a Harpoon off because of his flying. I also forgot to PainBot the Inquisitor all but 1 time, so I probably would have killed him. I played poorly against a very good player and took the loss because of it. Team went 0-4.

 Overall, playing this list was a blast, even with some tough match-ups. I learned how to fly and not to fly it and to most importantly remember my triggers. 2-3 on the day but a fun 2-3 at that. I think the 2 wins I got were some of my best flying. It probably would do better in a normal tournament were I can get a bit better match-ups, but thats the way it goes. I typically fly Jank Rebels, but Jank Scum is great fun. What a great day of X-Wing and thanks to the guys I played against for some fun matchups.

 I have some objective videos to post from the day after Objective tournament that will be up on YouTube soon as well.

[speedthroughcorners]

Krayt Cup 3 - After Action Report (Part 1/2)

I am going to separate this into a couple parts because of the length, so here is Part 1:

I’ll first start off this by saying a big shout-out to Chris Allen and the rest of the Krayts that put on this most prestigious of tournaments. It was an absolute blast to play in and meeting X-Wing players from around the country was pretty cool. Everything about the tournament seemed to flow smoothly and was well organized. Also, the prize support was amazing, with my favorites being the “Blackout” alternate card and the Asajj Ventress alternate card, both absolutely hilarious.

Moving on to the battle report. As was the format for the tournament, this was a team event, with one player flying each faction and a fourth running an objective list. I was given the opportunity to run Scum & Villainy, so after a little to no thought, I went with my normal style and ran some Scum Jank. I ended up running Captain Nym and Sol Sixxa in Scurrg Bombers, basing my list around 6 sets of Cluster Mines in total and Minefield Mapper, taking advantage of Nym’s other, lesser-used ability. Our Rebel player, Adam James, played what he affectionately referred to as N.P.E. Norra and PS8 Poe both with regeneration, and StrEzra. The Empire was represented by Joe Walker and his “KyRho Ren” list, Kylo Ren with the standard Advanced Sensors build and two LRS Rho Gunboats with Harpoons. Brock Clayton, our objective player, was running the rarely seen in standard format Lieutenant Doormat(Doormitz) with 3 Nu Gunboats. (Full lists will be linked to at the end of the article)

My list strategy was built around the idea of “Build The Wall.” Nym’s other, lesser-known ability is that when an enemy ship measures an attack through a friendly bomb, you add one evade result to your roll. This works both for himself and other ships in your lists, so Sol would get it as well. Minefield Mapper would allow me to place 2 of the Cluster Mines before the start, and with proper rock placement by me, I can cover a majority of the map with a Cluster Mine and obstacle wall. This ability paired with Trick Shot EPT’s on both, gave me support in both offensive and defensive situations when I stayed behind the wall. My ships are still very easy to blow up, with their 1 agility, so I needed to play the wall, dodging arcs and staying away from munitions, allowing my TLT’s to slowly melt ships.

Per the rules of the tournament, team captains for each would pair lists against each other, with the objective players getting paired by default. Our strategy for pairing was pretty much used for each match-up, my Scum Jank was basically used as bait, hoping they would give me their strongest list allowing our other players to get better matchups. My list is rarely flown, with mechanics that are pretty unknown, so we hoped other teams would not know what to do with it and put a strong list up against it, simply making me the sacrifice for our team.

Round 1 was against Team Porg, a great group of players from Alabama. They had QD/3Nu’s, Boba/2 Kimos, and Jess Pava/2Bombers. As was expected, I got thrown down first by our team captain, and to my worst fears, I got paired up against QD/3Nu’s. This was by far the worst match-up for me, as the Nu’s can typically stay on their side of my wall of mines and launch Harpoons against my 1 agility ships and then circle back, reload, and do it again. The setup phase was the start of the downfall, he placed obstacles disrupting the setup of my wall, setting up Debris Clouds along it, which is nowhere near as good as having rocks. I ended up having a “V” shape of rocks and Clusters, with the bottom of the “V” pointing to my side of the board. I set up very close to the middle with both ships, wanting to slowly initiate, hoping to see if he would choose a side, with his squad slightly set up to my left. After a little slow playing from both sides, all 4 ships for his side started heading towards the middle of the V from one side, with all the target locks on Sol Sixxa, who was the closest ship to them at this point, while both my ships had target locks on the closest gunboat, which I was hoping to take off the board before it got to shoot. The first turn we were going to engage in, he flew into the “V,” but had his ships perfectly placed so they could get out. I turned Sol in to get an obstructed shot on the target locked boat so I could take advantage of Trick Shot to get a 5 dice Harpoon. I went to move Nym and, as happens with the FFG dial covers, my dial spun accidentally, away from the maneuver that would give me another Trick Shot Harpoon with full modification into me landing on a rock. At this point, I knew the game was over.Sol got a harpoon off and 4 damage into a boat Sol took 2 shields off from a QD shot, 2 shields from the first Harpoon, and 3 crits from the second Harpoon, setting off the condition. The 2 crits that went through were a Major Explosion and Double Damage, which I then rolled a hit on the M.E. roll, ending the game for Sol in 1 round. I eventually took the one boat down with TLTs from Nym, but lost 100-22. The team went 2-2.

Read Part 2 HERE

Imperial List (Joe Walker) 1-4 Record

Rebel List (Adam James) 3-2 Record

Scum List (Carson Wittwer) 2-3 Record

Objective List (Brock Clayton) 4-1 Record

[speedthroughcorners]

Multi-Movie Review: "Coco," "Roman J Israel, Esq.," "Daddy's Home 2," and "Bad Mom's Christmas"

I have seen a bunch of movies lately, but I haven't done many reviews, so I am going to drop them all in this post. 

Coco

Pixar delivers great movies so often that when they don't, it is a shock. "Coco" is not one of those bad movies, but may actually be one of Pixar's best. The story of Miguel, a young boy trying to find his passion while going against his families wishes, takes us on a journey on Dia de los Muertos to the Land of the Dead. Miguel travels through the stunning and colorful home of those who have passed, along the way proving his talents and learning the real story of his family. The animation in "Coco" is marvelous and once again shows the quality of Pixar studios. From the fingers picking the strings of a guitar to the streets of the Land of the dead, each and every scene is beautiful.

6.9/7 Wittys

Roman J Israel, Esq

I am going to keep things simple in this one, unlike this film. Denzel Washington delivers a captivating performance in the title role that does not get supported by the film he stars in. This film tries to be in multiple different genres of film yet never seems to go into any of them. The story is surprisingly unfocused and jumps around to different story arcs at times and then at other times takes to long. Its a shame, because this could have been a remarkable movie.

4.0/7 Wittys

Daddy's Home 2

This is one of those formula comedies that is just a cash grab. The laugh lines are pretty pathetic for most of the movie even with a pretty awesome cast. Only worth going seeing if you have a Moviepass, nothing to do, and you have seen all the other movies.

1.4/7 Wittys

Bad Mom's Christmas

I could just copy and paste the review from "Daddy's Home 2" and taken out the bit about the cast and added in that this one was worse than the original and that would sum up this film. Not worth seeing.

0.9/7 Wittys

[speedthroughcorners]

Fight For Net Neutrality

I don't usually post anything remotely to do with politics or the ideas that come from them. I try to stick to entertainment and hobbies, posting to my little corners of the internet where the few people that read what I write can enjoy it and hear my thoughts. Yet the FCC wants to change that. FCC chairman Ajit Pai is trying to introduce rules that would destroy legislation keeping the internet neutral, allowing us all to access the internet freely, well mostly. Our ability to visit the sites we want and stream the video we enjoy will be taken away if we don't stand up and fight the FCC. The videos below will help to learn a little bit more about net neutrality. There are so many resources out there to get information from and to find ways to fight. So join the fight any way you can, whether it be sharing a link to an article or calling your local congressman's office, anything helps. Check the links below for more information and ways to get involved.

BattleForTheNet.com                                                                  NYTimes article on net neutrality

Electronic Frontier Foundation                                                                   FightForTheFuture.org

[speedthroughcorners]

A True Wonder - "Wonder" Review

There are always movies that come out around the holidays that aren't about any holiday, but perfectly capture what this time of year means. "Wonder" is certainly that type of film. 

Based on the New York Time's Bestseller, "Wonder" tells the story of August "Augie" Pullman, a young boy who has grown up with facial differences. This has prevented him from the "normal" upbringing most kids have had, with his mother homeschooling him through 4th grade. This is until his parents, wonderfully played by Julia Roberts and Owen Wilson, decide fifth grade will be his first time in school. The film goes through the stages of Auggie's family, classmates, and the rest of the community finding their compassion and acceptance of someone that is a little different. In the end, Auggie proves through his journey that when there is no blending in when you are born to stand out.

The acting in this film is spot on. Although there are a few stars in the movie, the ones who end up giving the best performances are the unknowns. Jacob Tremblay, Izabela Vidovic, and the rest of the children of the movie play their roles perfectly. They really tell a wonderful story.

Yet, what makes "Wonder" a fantastic film, is that it tugs at the heartstrings in a perfect kind of way.  Although it presents itself as the story of a kid with a facial disorder as how he fits in the world, it actually ends up being whatever you or I choose to see in it. There are so many themes to the film that each and every moviegoer may take something different from it. That is why "Wonder" is an absolute wonder.

So for my mom who asked if she should go see this and how good of a movie this is, go see it. 

6.7/7 Wittys

[speedthroughcorners]

The Comics, The Characters, and The Fans Deserve Better - "Justice League" Review

It seems like a guarantee from the DC film universe now, with the exception of "Wonder Woman," that we go to the theatre expecting a quality superhero movie and end up leaving thoroughly disappointed. "Justice League" follows this trend exactly. 

It seemed that after "Wonder Woman" came out and finally provided a great film from the DC universe that things might be changing, but alas, they didn't. The characters are there but it seems that it is the presentation and storytelling that destroy this film. Gal Gadot once again is fantastic as Wonder Woman, as she and the camera just play so well together. Ben Affleck produces a quality Batman, even though many seem to think otherwise. I definitely do not think he is a top tier Batman compared to some of the others who have played him, but he does enough to satisfy. Ezra Miller fills the role as both The Flash and the comic relief, performing admirably but succumbing to a lack of character development. Jason Momoa is a perfect Aquaman and fills the role of the member too cool to work with other heroes. My favorite character of the bunch, Cyborg, played by Ray Fischer, gets a larger role than I expected, but as with the others, falls flat because of the poor character development.

Yet with all the disappoint that came with the development of these characters, I personally think they were the best part of the movie. This may not be saying much as some of the other aspects were so bad, but each actor's portrayal of the characters and the interactions between them were some of the best parts of the movie.

Yet, what brings this film down so hard, like being tied to concrete blocks in a pool, is the production and storyline. For the massive budget this film was created with, the CGI is horrible. Even for a film with a quarter of the budget, the CGI would still be considered bad. There are certain scenes in the movie that you can't help but laugh at for how bad it is. This, combined with that is almost a direct copy of the first "Avengers" creates such a poorly executed background for characters so well known a loved. 

So, "Justice League" just follows alongside most of the other DC universe films and disappoints the comics, the characters, and the fans. When are they going to change?  

3.4/7 Wittys

[speedthroughcorners]

Murdering a Classic? - "Murder on the Orient Express" Review

Agatha Christie's classic "Murder on the Orient Express" has been tackled on film multiple times before, some highly regarded, some not. So in order to set his film apart, Kenneth Branagh needed to make a film worthy of the story it is adapted from. Yet, as the almost 2 hours of run time on this particular movie passed, it settled in between all the others, with nothing showing to separate itself from the pack.

Starring Branagh as the lead role, Hercule Poirot, the world's greatest detective, an admission he provides, "Murder on the Orient Express" takes us through the classic murder-mystery tale. Starting with Poirot solving a particularly pestering case at the Wailing Wall in Jerusalem, we work our way onto the luxurious Orient Express train, traveling from Istanbul to Paris. Detective Poirot's skills are put to the test as their is a murder aboard the train. After an avalanche in the mountains halts the trains progress, Poirot must solve this mystery before the train sets off again, prevent the murderer from escaping. 

As Christie's novels never seemed to put much into character development and that continues with Branagh's film adaptation. It is a shame to, because the all-star cast that has been assembled could have been put to such great use. Penelope Cruz, Willem Dafoe, Judi Dench, Johnny Depp, Michelle Pfieffer, Daisy Ridley, and more, used what little screen time they had to try to help the film along, delivering admirable performances, but ultimately lacking in screen time. Branagh basically had a single camera in front of his own face the whole time, but maybe that is in the same line of thinking if Poirot had made the film himself.

What stands out most among the film, lifting it into a decent one, is how impressive the movie looks. The costumes of all the characters are fantastic, putting you into the era of the story. The train is beautifully crafted, giving it the truest sense of luxury that the Orient Express deserves. These features, alongside the fantastic cinematography of the film help give the film some legs to stand on. It would have helped to pull away from Poirot's face a bit more, because the times it did were some of the most visually appealing of the film.

So, the question is, should you see this version of Christie's classic tale? Probably. The film is entertaining and provides a story in an almost forgotten genre of film-making, the murder-mystery, that needs more content. It doesn't live up to the expectations you get from seeing the cast list, but is still worth a couple hours of time.

4.1/7 Wittys

[speedthroughcorners]

A Pleasant and Much Needed Change - "Thor: Ragnarok" Review

Superhero movies are everywhere and have been for the last few years with the rise of the Marvel Universe. As such, they have taken on a pretty standard experience and became fairly dull. That change with "Guardians of The Galaxy" and continued on with titles like "Deadpool" and "Spider-Man: Homecoming." Movies that are perfectly adequate as action films, but have a little comedy inspiration sprinkled about have garnered the most praise. This formula was perfectly adapted to the Thor franchise to invigorate a series that could have faded to the back of the Marvel lineup. 

"Thor: Ragnarok" provides the much needed action you need when seeing a superhero movie, while perfectly delivering comedy in just the right fashion. Picking up after the events of "Avengers: Age of Ultron" and "Thor: The Dark World," we quickly get through the events of Loki's hold on the throne of Asgard under disguise as Odin, by Thor revealing Loki in front of the people. As the story moves on, with a fantastic cameo from another Marvel hero, we move to the true story, Hella(Cate Blanchett), Goddess of Death and Odin's first born, returning to conquer Asgard. 

After being cast off to a random planet in the Universe, Thor and Loki find themselves entangled with the Grandmaster(Jeff Goldblum), the man who oversees a gladiator contest that is the obsession of the planet. It comes to light that Hulk, last seen flying off to nowhere in particular inside a Quinjet at the end of "Avengers: Age of Ultron," is the champion of the gladiator arena. After losing his hammer Mjolnir towards the beginning of the film, Thor must find his way back to Asgard to protect his home and expel Hella. As with so many Marvel films, Thor creates a team to help him, including Loki, Hulk, and a ex-Valkyrie(Tessa Thompson) turned drunk and procurer of champions for the Grandmaster.

On his fight to save Asgard, Thor learns of the true meaning of old prophecies, understanding what he is truly meant to do. He does all this while finding that it is not the hammer that makes him Thor: God of Thunder.

At just over 2-hours long, "Thor: Ragnarok" is an entertaining superhero movie with enough silliness to keep you laughing. This film provides a great turn for the Thor franchise, keeping it inline with the quality of the rest of the Marvel universe.

6.5/7 Wittys

[speedthroughcorners]

The Story of Oft-Untold Heroes - "Only The Brave" Review

Films about stories that I remember seeing on the news or reading in the paper seem to grab my attention the most. They seem to allow me to relive an event that I watched from behind a screen far away, giving me the opportunity to see the full scope of the event, albeit with a bit of Hollywood drama sometimes added. "Only The Brave" is one of those films. 

I clearly remember reading about the devastating fire that took the lives of 19 brave souls of the Granite Mountain Hotshots crew. Wildfires are a constant out West, bringing devastation to vast swathes of land, destroying everything in its path. The seem to continually flare up and then put out, without the story of how ever getting told, unless under terrible circumstances. So the story of the Granite Mountain Hotshots, a once underfunded and under-respected group of front line firefighters, deserved a film that portrayed them suitably. "Only The Brave" delivers. 

"Only The Brave" is centered around the company's sage and buttoned-up superintendent Eric Marsh(Josh Brolin), a man who hides a trouble past by his fierce devotion to his crew. The newest member, Brendan McDonough(Miles Teller), nicknamed Donut by his fellow crew members, is a ex-drug user and longtime slacker, who, with the recent birth of his daughter, gets a new grip on life, finding purpose in the harsh work of the Hotshots. 

The film focuses mostly on the teams work towards gaining "Type 1" hotshot crew status, the ranking needed to fight on the front lines of the fires. We also see Marsh confronting longtime unresolved issues with his wife, Amanda(Jennifer Connelly), and McDonough regain control of his life and earning the respect of his fellow team members. Along the way, we see the work that a team of this caliber goes through protecting land and people from the devastating reach of a wildfire. 

Though the story provided the opportunity to show the heroism of these men, it must be portrayed to the audience by the actors playing the roles, and "Only The Brave" does it admirably. Josh Brolin is casted beautifully, because as a volunteer firefighter in Arizona before acting, he has a deeper connection to the role he is playing. Miles Teller gives us a deep understanding of what McDonough went through in those times. Jeff Bridges shines as fire chief in a role he has perfected throughout his years. In a film like this, it often is the casting that makes the movie, and this one was spot on.

"Only The Brave" provides a solid depiction of the story of the Granite Mountain Hotshots, lead by the strong casting and acting, offering a heavy dose of heroism that is well suited to the men it characterizes.

6.4/7 Wittys

[speedthroughcorners]

MoviePass - The Ins and Outs

I have had my MoviePass for almost two months at this point and I thought it would be a good time to share my experience so far with the subscription. 

To first sum up what MoviePass provides, you get unlimited movies per month, at what is told to be 91% of theatres nationwide(all 10 or so in my area work with it), for a monthly fee of $9.95, with some small restrictions. I will get into a little more detail of how it works below.

Starting at the beginning is a little tough since getting my MoviePass was rough and took a while. I can't blame MoviePass much for the problems because, when I signed up was the day that they dropped the prices to the $9.95 per month and led to an overwhelming amount of people signing up as well. It took me all day to fill out the application and for everything to be accepted because of the overload on the servers, but eventually it got through. I guess my only issue is that one could sign up online through the website instead of only being available through the app. Once I did get signed up, and again because of the massive amount of people that did as well, it took about 2 weeks to get my MoviePass MasterCard.

Here is the way that MoviePass works to get your movie ticket. First thing is, you have to be within about 100 yards of the movie theatre you are going to attend to get the ticket. Once within that rough 100 yards, you go into the open up the MoviePass app. You scroll to select your theatre and then find the movie you want to see. Once you have found the movie, you select the time that you would like to see the movie at. From there it takes you to the check-in screen, and upon pressing the check-in button, you have been given the funds to purchase the ticket. Once that is done, you go to purchase the ticket like normal, at either the in-person ticketer or the self-purchase, and voila, you have your ticket. I have so far, in the 14 movies I have seen, had zero issues with the MoviePass side of the transaction. I did have issues at one local theatre were, early on they were not accepting it, but this has since been resolved. I have used it at a common Regal Cinemas theatre multiple times, a smaller company, Frank Theatres, a couple times, and two independent theatres with zero issues. The simple understanding of the way it works is that once you check in, you purchase the tickets with your MasterCard like if it were any other credit card. Overall, it is a simple process that is easy to understand. 

 There are some restrictions to the card, but I have not had any troubles with them. You can only see one movie per day, but this resets at midnight each day. Technically, you could see a movie at 10:00 pm, that gets out at 12:00 am, purchase another ticket, and then see another movie right after. You are only allowed to see standard 2D movies, meaning no special upgraded theatres or 3D movies. I have no issue with this because I kind of prefer 2D for most movies anyway. When you check in to a theatre, you have 30 minutes to purchase the ticket you selected and after that 30 minutes, it resets. I think the one that some people find annoying is having to be within 100 yards of the theatre to purchase the ticket. I assume this is done to protect against people buying tickets for others and in a way, sharing the MoviePass against the terms of use. Also, you are restricted to only purchasing tickets for a movie the same day that movie is playing. This one, I understand why the would do it, but makes it tough for movies that sell out during the presale. I foresee a problem for me for the upcoming Star Wars: The Last Jedi.

Although there have been what I believe to be small problems with MoviePass, the benefits massively outweigh them. At only $9.95 a month, and with a theatre average ticket price of about $11-12, seeing only one movie per month with the MoviePass provides a more cost-effective solution than normally purchasing tickets, nevertheless seeing multiple movies. The other huge benefit I have found is the rewards programs of the theatre. I am raking in the points with Regal Crown Club and this gives me the ability to get swag and snacks at an almost free price!

With all this said, I can't recommend MoviePass enough. I think the app needs a good bit of work to get some bugs out, but overall the value is huge. 

7/7 Wittys!

Feel free to ask me questions about MoviePass or if you have concerns, let me know and I can help you with them and do my best to answer!

[speedthroughcorners]

Double Feature Weekend - "The Foreigner" and "Columbus"

It was a weird week, so I wanted to see a couple movies this weekend. I knew that "The Foreigner" was going to be one, but I wasn't sure about the other.

Let's talk about "The Foreigner" first. I'll preface this by saying I am a sucker for Jackie Chan movies, so I am glad to see him back. The film by itself is well, another action movie that doesn't really have much to it. The story is a bit weird, splitting itself into two separate narratives, one that is all about Chan's character Quan and his need for revenge, and the other about the IRA and its young members wanting more after a long period of peace. Stuck in the middle of these stories is Pierce Brosnan, who does a quality characterization of an IRA leader who is confronted with the battle between old and new ideas. Chan strays away from his recently boring performances to entertain and rekindle his everyman hero that he has become famous for. In short, "The Foreigner" is a pretty standard action film, somewhat entertaining, paces well and has solid performances from Chan and Brosnan, but is otherwise not very remarkable. 

4.7/7

The second film I saw was "Columbus". It was playing at my local indie theatre and ended up being a great setting to see the film. It also allowed me to test my MoviePass at a small, indie theatre, and it worked!

There is no doubt about it, "Columbus" is a wonderful film. Directed by the single name Kogonada, it is one of the most aesthetically pleasing films I have ever seen. Set in the town of Columbus, Indiana, a small town that is a mecca for Modernist architecture, the film explores a relationship between two people from different backgrounds and conflicting emotions. Jin, played by John Cho, relocates to Columbus after his father falls ill while on a trip to speak about the architecture in the town. He meets Casey, performed by Haley Lu Richardson, a local that works at the library and has a passion for architecture. They get closer, connecting over the appeal of the landmarks of the town and the beauty of the surrounding buildings. 

The acting in this film is wonderful and brings you in to feel the emotions of the story and the bonds between the characters. Yet, with how powerful the acting, what really sets off the cinematic experience is Kogonadas use of the architecture in his shots. The stunning images blending the natural landscape and modern architecture of Columbus produces aesthetically breathtaking shots. Tranquil waterscapes and concrete lines are abundant and perfectly connected by Kogonada. It really makes you appreciate the beauty of small town Columbus.

Overall, the film is stunning, but it may not be for everyone. Kogonada's debut is incredibly impressive. 

6.8/7

[speedthroughcorners]

A Worthy Follow Up To An Icon - "Blade Runner 2049" Review

It can be hard to follow up films that prove to be icons in their genre and continue the legacy they built on, especially 35 years after the original. "Blade Runner 2049" manages to do just that under the direction of Dennis Villeneuve.

Headlined by Ryan Gosling as LAPD Officer K, a blade runner, this film continues the journey of the original, reprising some film and voices originally used, as well as that films lead actor, Harrison Ford, as Officer Rick Deckard. Officer K stumbles upon a mystery of the past, something that could change the relationship or humans and replicants, and embarks on a journey of world-changing discovery, leading to his run-in with Deckard. Jared Leto masterfully plays Niander Wallace, a visionary and genius, who has taken over the defunct Tyrell Corp, creators of the original replicants who are hunted down by the blade runners. The blade runners were told to have been shut down for years, with this dystopian world having gone through a worldwide blackout, damaging many memory drives of the past, and an incredible famine.  Wallace finds ways to stop the blackout and famine, leading him and his ego to the top. This allows him to take over for Tyrell Corp, which had gone defunct, and build his new obeying replicants, whom he calls "angels." Ana de Armas, as Joi, an AI holographic girlfriend of Officer K, and Sylvia Hoeks as Luv, Wallace right-hand and also a replicant, add to the powerful characters of this film.

Yet, what makes this film on par with what the original brought to the table, is the entire cinematic experience we are given. Roger Deakins puts together one of the most visually stunning films I have seen in a long time. The visuals of this dystopian future are as spot on as I could imagine, color in the right places and not in others. The memory-making scene is a simple yet visually dramatic production and the radioactive wasteland is perfectly captured. I can't say enough of how visually stunning of a film it is. This is all enhanced by the dramatic score created by Benjamin Wallfisch and Hans Zimmer. I don't know exactly how to describe it, but the sensations created by notes magnifies the experience in a thrilling way that perfectly hits. It is spot on in how it plays back to the original. 

I can't say enough about how much I enjoyed this film. It hits all the points you are looking for, acting, sound, visuals, and story, and further enhances the original film. What a shockingly great surprise this was. It may even be better than the original.

6.9/7 Wittys

[speedthroughcorners]

Actually An Impressive Tom Cruise Paycheck Movie - "American Made" Review

It's not often we get a film that will deliver a big paycheck to Tom Cruise's bank account and delivers a satisfying movie experience to the viewer, but "American Made" hits both. Telling the sometimes stranger-than-fiction story of Barry Seal and his escapades with the CIA and Central American drug cartels, "American Made" provides an interesting take on providing mostly true stories of a wild Cold War-era drug scandal in an almost comedic fashion. Tom Cruise gives a compelling performance of Seal and as the main focus of the story gives a unique perspective to how the CIA, or should I say "IAC," worked during the height of the Cold War conflict in Central America. 

"American Made" pushes through at a brisk pace, but one that doesn't leave too much to wonder and provides enough downtime and uptime to not but the audience to sleep, but also to not give too much action. The story is somewhat told as a mock documentary, narrated by Barry Seal, but at times seems like a bit of an afterthought. Domhnall Gleeson does an entertaining portrayal, sometimes almost too stereotypical CIA agent, of Monty Schafer, Seal's handler with the Agency. Seal shows us that the American dream is real, but not always accomplished in the most idealistic ways. Ulterior motives abound for each party involved, CIA, cartels, rebels, and Barry, but all seemingly around the same idea, making money.

Overall, "American Made" is one of the most entertaining films of the year so far, made possible by an impressive performance of the American made Tom Cruise.

6.1/7 Wittys

[speedthroughcorners]

A Quick Visit To Long Road Racing

Yesterday, a friend of mine wanted to go down to Statesville, North Carolina, pretty much on a whim. His reasoning for driving 2+ hours down I-81 and I-77 was to buy a battery for his Miata. It is not just any battery, but a factory Mazda Panasonic. To him and I, like many other Mazda fanbois, these Panasonic batteries are like holy grails for some reason. They have long been known to last for much longer than most standard ones, I have even seen one last for 12+ years! Still, kind of weird to drive that long for a battery right?! Well, it also happened to be coming from Long Road Racing, a sort of mecca for Miata guys (And it was $25, $150 lower than retail, so that helps too).

Long Road Racing builds race cars, built using Mazda's 2017 MX-5 chassis. Long Road Racing(I'll use LRR from here on) builds these cars with the backing of Mazda, because the cars they are building are sold by Mazda, as ready to go, out of the box race cars, for people with enough money and time on their hands. What makes Mazda and LRR's partnership unique to other spec racing buy-to-race cars is that it only cost a little over $50,000 to get into racing these amazing little cars. Now, this may sound like a lot, and it is, but compared to other factory-backed race cars you can purchase, they are very cost efficient. This also takes into account what it takes to race regularly, maintenance and consumables, that come along with pushing a car to its limit. These little race cars have relatively cheap parts compared to many other high-end racing cars in the world.

LRR's shop is just as outstanding as the cars they are building. A great signifier of a well-run shop is how well kept the work areas are, and I can assure you that they are perfectly organized and extremely clean. You can probably find multiple 10mm sockets as well! They are a fully capable shop, with fabrication, body and paint, and repair bays all within their building. Although they have a paint shop, many of their cars go out without much paint because most race teams will wrap their car with their own custom vinyl to show their own style.

The process for turning a brand new MX-5 into a Cup car is fairly simple and they have the process down perfectly with the number of cars they have built. Basically, it starts with a perfectly good car from the factory that gets completely stripped down to the bare chassis, without removing the engine. They start building back up from there, adding their custom, laser cut and computer bent roll cage and then heading to the paint booth for a complete coverage of the interior. From there, they add over 250 race car specific parts, perfectly matched to the chassis after 100s of hours spent tuning by engineers and professional race car drivers. These offer improvements in handling, power, and safety, all providing one of the purest and most thrilling racing experiences available today. Cars can also come with specific add-ons dependent on what the buyer is needing.

LRR has been in the business of building race cars for 15+ years. They started off like many, building Spec Miatas out of the original NA Miata MX-5 chassis. Now, the even offer packages for your road going MX-5 to up the performance while still being able to enjoy the top down every day. Even though they specialize in MX-5s, I'm sure they will build you a competitive and reliable race car out of almost any chassis you bring them. Their builders seem professional and experienced, with the skills to build your dream car.

Check out Long Road Racing on their website for more info! If you need any parts that come off of brand new 2017 MX-5s, check them out! (Wheels+Tires, Batteries, Seats, Tops, etc)

[speedthroughcorners]

The Hitman Challenge in PUBG - Featured Video Update

I have been playing a lot of Players Unknown Battlegrounds(PUBG) recently. The game is fantastic to play, with great a great concept and enjoyable combat. PUBG is all about collecting the best weapons and accessories including armor and helmets to end up as the #1 player, and get your chicken dinner! Why I find the Hitman Challenge so fun is because it is so difficult. You play without a helmet and armor and use only one of the most difficult types of weapons, the pistol. This is played to simulate The Hitman game series within the PUBG world, a difficult task. It feels so rewarding when you finally get a kill playing like this.

Below is a highlight video from Youtuber Fugglet, doing the Hitman Challenge. I am not good enough to post a video of my play, so watch him play.

[topmiata]

💓 @optiond #TopMiata #Greece

TopMiata.com

#mazda #miata #mx5 #eunos #roadster #jdmlife #jdmculture #nbmx5 #nbmiata #mazdamiata #mazdamx5 #mazdaroadster

[stancenation]