Old Movies vs. New Movies

     When I watch a movie from long ago, I am always struck by how bad the special effects, and sometimes the acting, was. The special effects were suppose to be amazing at the time, but compared to now, they are unimpressive. When I see a modern movie, the special effects are amazing. However, it seems too often that the movies with the great effects have sacrificed the story.

     The perfect example of this phenomenon is the Star Wars Saga. The first three that were released were loved by viewers all around the world. They were advanced for the time in both special effects and story. Looking back now, the special effects were not that good, but the story stands the test of time.

     The next three movies were released after a big delay. The difference between them and the original trilogy are obvious. By most accounts, the more recent movies had much better effects, but the story in each one was lacking compared to the first three. Even with the better visuals, most people prefer the better story.

     I think the reason for this change is that movie makers now are focusing too much on visual effects and sound effects, which are popular now. It's a shame because the movies today have the potential to be great. When they put a great story together with great special effects, they will have a hit. The problem is that the movie makers focus too much on effects. I think that the movie makers should first focus on the meaning behind the movie, and the overall story. After they got a good story, they should then add effects to emphasis the meaning.

Twenty One Pilots

     Two months ago, on September 11th, I went to my first concert ever. I saw Twenty One Pilots at the Festival Pier in Philadelphia. It was amazing. The concert was at an outdoor venue, fortunately it was a beautiful night. My only complaint was that it was hard to see. It was general admission, meaning there was no seating, and so we had to stand behind a lot of people. Still, it was a great experience.

     I first heard Twenty One Pilots a couple years ago. It was just after their third album, Vessel, was released. We bought the album and played it non-stop in the car for weeks. I was completely hooked. When their next album, Blurryface, was released, we bought it right away. Then the tickets went on sale and we were able to get them. It's an experience I will always remember.

     If you have never heard of Twenty One Pilots, I strongly suggest you do so. They are an alternative band, and the music they produce is so different that it may take time for it to grow on you. It's part pop, part rap, and a little rock. The music is very introspective and even spiritual, and not at all offensive. They are just a lot of fun.

     On June 19th, 2016 I will be going to my second concert. This time it will be at Hershey Park Stadium, another outdoor venue (Lets hope for more good weather). Of course, the concert will be Twenty One Pilots, and hopefully it will be just as fun as the first one.

     "The logo means something to me because I made it mean something to me. That's the point...It doesn't have to be artistic, but if you create something and only you know the meaning of it, that's the beginning of purpose for you...so the logo is an encouragement for people to create."
                                                             -Tyler Joseph (Singer/Keyboards) explaining the band's logo

Star Wars Returns

     Last week during the half time of the Monday night football game, viewers were able to get the first chance to see the official Star Wars trailer. Even more important, tickets went on sale for the next movie, which comes out on December 17th. There were so many people trying to purchase tickets that multiple websites crashed. Fortunately, I was able to get my tickets on Tuesday.

     I've been a big Star Wars fan for as long as I can remember. I first watched it when my dad was watching it, and I was hooked. It's hard to pick a favorite, but so far I love The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi.

     The first trilogy that came out had more of a story than the second trilogy; the second trilogy was more on special effects than the actual story. I'm sure this new movie, The Force Awakens, will have amazing effects. I just hope the story is equally as good.

     I've been looking forward to it for so long, and it'll be hard for the movie to live up to the expectations. I'm sure I'd love it, though. Only a little less than 2 months to go. I'll be sure to write my opinions on the 7th Star Wars movie after I see it.

Joe Biden: Will he or Won't he

     A while ago, I wrote about the amount of attention Donald Trump receives in the media. Lately, the vice president has been getting as much attention. The question is whether or not the current vice president will run for president this election.

     For weeks, if not months, polls have been including Joe Biden. Joe Biden has been appearing on all sorts of programs, but still remains undecided. With the first democratic debate scheduled this week, CNN has a podium ready for Vice President Biden if he decides to go to the debate. There is even a group that is in existence with the goal of urging Joe Biden to run.

     In my opinion, Joe Biden will not appear in the debate. I do think he will be watching it closely, though, and will make a decision a short time after. I think he will probably end up not running, unless the debate shows weakness in the current candidates; an opening for the vice president. Since he and his family are still dealing with the death of Beau Biden I think he might not run. Also, I don't see the passion that a candidate needs in order to win a national election.

The Blessed Glass

     A strange thing happened when the Pope was here to visit. After the Pope made his speech in Washington, Bob Brady, a representative of Pennsylvania, took the Pope's water glass. Why? Apparently he believes that because the Pope touched it it is blessed. That alone is questionable because the Pope never actually blessed it. That small fact doesn't matter to Bob Brady.

     After taking the glass of water, he took it back to his office and took a sip. Afterwards he gave a sip to his wife and several of his staff members. He then poured the remaining water in a bottle to bless his grandchildren with.

     In my opinion, what Representative Brady did was absurd. Just because the Pope drank from a glass doesn't mean the glass, or the water in it, is blessed. The Pope, no matter how important he is to religion, is just a man. Not everything he touches is blessed. Also, to drink from the glass and share it with others takes away the quality of the glass. Now instead of it being the Pope's DNA, it has the DNA from at least 4 different people. Not to mention, from a cleanliness standpoint, it's not a good idea to have multiple people drink from the same glass of water.

     This isn't the first time Representative Bob Brady took a special glass. Apparently he already has the glass that president Obama sipped from at his first inauguration. While he considers that glass special, he didn't drink from it because the water and glass were not blessed. He considers it political, not spiritual.

Last Man on Earth: A New Season Begins

   
Several months ago I wrote about my top 5 favorite TV shows, and Last Man on Earth was on the list. The reason I only put it as my number 4 was because it was only on season 1. I wasn't yet sure if it would still be good after the first season.

     On Sunday, the first episode of season 2 aired. I loved it, though it seemed too short. From the beginning Last Man on Earth was funny. Phil and Carole were back to the relationship they had before things fell apart; arguing over stupid things but overall getting along well. I liked in this episode that they were traveling a lot; driving around town in a plane and even staying in the White House. They even stayed at Carole's old childhood home. I liked that because it showed what Carole's life was like before the virus hit.

     One thing I really like, other than that it's still funny, is the Last Man on Earth is leaving us with questions each week. When will Phil's brother land back on Earth and what kind of trouble will Phil's brother cause? What happened to the others in Tuscon, and mostly, will Phil find Carole?

Colbert's Return

   
     On December 18th, 2014, the popular talk show, Colbert Report, ended it's 9 year run. Like so many, I was sad to see it end. However, Stephen Colbert's fans were excited to know he would be back on TV again as he was to take over the role of host on the Late Show.

     On September 8th, 2015, after almost a year, the wait ended when the first episode of the Late Show with Stephen Colbert aired. So, did it live up to the hype?

     We knew the Late Show would be different than the Colbert Report. It was much more publicized that Stephen Colbert would shed the "conservative" persona he portrayed. We also knew that the Late Show would be more about guest interviews than the Colbert Report was. Still, I was a little disappointed about the lack of political humor. There was some, but not as much as I was used to seeing. And I miss some of the regular pieces, such as "the word". However, in some ways it was just like the Colbert Report. He is still hilarious, and I'm glad he's back.