Movie and Game Review: Ratchet & Clank Reimagined

Movies
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RatchetandclanklogoMy son was four in 2002 when Insomniac released the first “Ratchet and Clank” game on the PlayStation 2. He wasn’t truly able to play, but he watched me avidly and was upset if he discovered that I’d played without him. With the release of following games, they became our favorite series. We’d play through the games together, sharing our discoveries, and comparing notes. He’s 17 now (and I’m old). Will the modern reimagining of that first game and the companion feature film hold up to our idealized memories?

 

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Movie Review: The Lobster

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IMDB, The Lobster“The Lobster” on IMDB

Drama/Comedy/Romance, 118 Minutes, 2015

Remember the pain of the last time you were dumped? That feeling of betrayal and loss? How you’d mope around the house until the police came to take you to The Hotel where, if you didn’t find a suitable mate in 45 days, you’d be turned into the animal of your choice and let loose in the woods?

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DP_SharePoint Update

JavaScript, SharePoint
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SharePoint LogoI’ve (finally) incorporated a substantial number of improvements and new features into my JavaScript library, DP_SharePoint, designed to make working with client-side SharePoint development easier. It provides:

  • Methods to acquire JavaScript handlers to SharePoint form controls and fields. This makes it much simpler to interrogate or add event handlers to SharePoint forms.
  • Simple methods to add or remove events from SharePoint form elements.
  • Simple methods to hide and show elements of SharePoint forms.
  • Methods to simplify the calling and use of SharePoint web services and ready the data returned from them for use.

It still beta – and likely will be for… ever – but I’m using it in heavily trafficked production development without problems. Except some in-depth posts about specific features over the next few months.

Comments, criticisms or suggestions are always welcome!

Movie Review: The Visit

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IMDB, The Visit“The Visit” on IMDB

Thriller/Horror, 94 Minutes, 2015

As unlikely as it may seem, somebody gave M. Night Shyamalan [IMDB] money to make another movie. His last offering, 2013’s After Earth [My Review] is a truly pathetic sci-fi film. Prior to that, he proved his inability to do fantasy with The Last Airbender [IMDB]. What’s a Shyamalan to do?

Scuttle back to thrillers as quickly as possible, apparently.

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Movie Review: Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice

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IMDB, Batman v Superman“Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice” on IMDB

Action/Adventure, 151 Minutes, 2016

DC Comics has, sadly, doubled down on their loud, dark reimagining of their flagship heroes. While I truly enjoyed 2013’s “Man of Steel” [My Review], it was the soulful examination of a young Clark Kent that sold me. The brash deluge of destruction porn that ended the movie only worked as a counterpoint to that.

Soulful character development or special effects: guess which one they tossed for sequel?

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Movie Review: The Boy

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IMDB, The Boy“The Boy” on IMDB

Thriller/Horror, 104 Minutes, 2015

Motels are creepy. Alfred Hitchcock knew that in 1960 when he set his classic thriller Psycho [IMDB] in one. By their very nature they’re nowhere. After all, if you were somewhere, there would be a hotel, right? Motels are where people end up when they can’t get where they’re going. Motels are awkward, uncomfortable, and far from people or the hope of help.

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Sometimes Life Gets in the Way

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It’s been a little quiet here lately. Spring mean free time is consumed with unwrapping from Winter and some major initiatives have made work more interesting. And then there were a few unexpected challenges:

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That’s what used to be the wife’s minivan on the right. Nobody was hurt – thank you safety science and your side-curtain airbags! – but the resulting mess of paperwork, calls, bills and general red tape has consumed a lot of time.

Thanks to my family who came through for us and have made things much easier. Not the least of which, my brother’s family fixed us up with a replacement car until we can sort everything out.

Expect the normal nonsense here to return soon.

Movie Review: Riki-Oh: The Story of Ricky

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IMDB, The Story of Ricky“Riki-Oh: The Story of Ricky” on IMDB

Action / Horror / Comedy / , 91 Minutes, 1991

25 years ago a team of professional filmmakers came together. Actors, directors, cameramen, special effects and sound crews, set dressers and many others. They had a vision.  A vision they were willing to sacrifice for. That dream became a mission. A mission they were willing to suffer for. This movie, the result of their sweat, blood and sanity, is the result of that mission.

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