In which in space, no one can hear your crappy movie

So this weekend I went to see "Apollo 18". My movie buddy was far more excited about this movie than me. If you're not familiar, "Apollo 18" is one of those "found footage" type movies. It explores the idea that maybe Apollo 17 wasn't the last lunar mission NASA had. The problem is, nothing about this movie worked and here's why.

In the past, most "found footage" movies tend to use a cast of unknowns so that the feel of the movie is a little more suspenseful. It helps with the marketing before the movie if all the viral clips are of people no one's really ever seen. That's why it worked so well with "The Blair Witch Project" because it was a cast of unknowns and as screen faded to black, you were left wondering if maybe, just maybe, this really happened. Which was helped by the directors and crew keeping the actors under wrap just long enough for the conspiracy of this movie to build. Now while I know this is a movie of pure fiction, it's always entertaining to somewhat let yourself escape in the mystery of the movie. Problem is, not 4 minutes until the movie, I recognize one of the actors, Ryan Robbins, from the Syfy Channel show "Sanctuary." Illusion crushed. But that's besides the point of what made "Apollo 18" a poor movie.

After the three main characters get in orbit and two branch off to the moon, we are introduced to our aliens. This is where the movie fails. They aren't scary, they aren't intimidating, we only get a few decent glimpses of them and even then, they don't move the audience to be afraid of them. While they do attack one of the astronauts in a rather disgusting fashion, I was never on the edge of my seat. The story moves too quickly, you don't feel emotionally attached to any of the characters as the aliens terrorize them and brings them to their obvious doom. As the screen fades to black at the end, it's more a feeling of "Sucks for them" or "Oh well."

The movie, all 86 minutes of it, just simply lacks any sort of creative imagination when it comes to pulling in the audience enough. While not one of my favorites, another "found footage" movie, "Paranormal Activity" drew audiences in and had legitimate jump scares. The only legitimate jump scare of "Apollo 18" happens early in the movie, way before they encounter the aliens and when the writers try to use the same scare post alien encounter, it simply doesn't work.

And of course the movie tries to draw you into the whole conspiracy behind the found footage but yet again fails at that. After giving the audience the "post mission history" it delays the credits by putting up the website that held all the movie's viral marketing prior to release, then has the credits role for over 5 minutes. This is where "Paranormal Activity" succeeded with it's "found footage" angle because they didn't have credits. They threw up the little epilogue and faded to black, nothing more, nothing less. You can not market a film as "found footage" and then spend over 5 minutes listing off the cast and crew, again, the facade is broken.

So while "Apollo 18" tried really hard to be as scary as it's predecessors, it fails on every level. It's too short, not scary, and breaks the facade too soon and leaves you unable to connect or feel sympathetic towards the characters who are being terrorized by the outside force. Sorry "Apollo 18" but you are barely getting a 5 out of 10 on this one.

In which work gets geeky, if only for a moment

Well, I can officially check "Waiting on the captain of the Enterprise" off my work bucket list.

I work at a convenience store and every now and then I get a really interesting customer. Once you get past the druggies and weirdos, sometimes you get a good interesting customer.

Had that one yesterday. Literally had a guy come in dressed as Captain Kirk...getting gas for his silver car...which said "NCC-1701 Enterprise" on the back of it.

I do believe that is an epic win.

If only work could be that awesome everyday....sadly, bills need to be paid and I've gotta deal with this until I find that mythical "purpose in life." Until then, I'll just enjoy the little things.

In which the Doctor and River have a very awkward first date

I do find it funny that when the title was revealed for the latest episode of Doctor Who all those months back, people freaked. I mean, "Let's Kill Hitler" will do that.

Needless to say, I was pleasantly surprised when this episode had little to nothing to do with Hitler. Really it was about family and awkward first dates.

So let's start at the beginning. I loved that Rory and Amy get the Doctor's attention via crop circle. Kinda brilliant. Not 5 minutes into the episode and I realize yet again why I love this little trio. Yeah, maybe I'm in the minority, but I love Rory and Amy as the Companions. The Doctor has a nice chemistry with them both and you can tell that all three of them would give their lives for the other and they have at one point or another really.

But then things got really interesting. I suspected something was off with this Mels character because she's Amy and Rory's BFF, yet, we've never seen her before. I guess you could have played it off that it was a development of Amy's newly created present. And I really enjoyed the flashbacks. Oh little baby, Rory, you really are a hopeless romantic when it comes to Amy. I won't lie, I cracked up when Amy thought Rory was gay because she just couldn't see that he was in love with her and only her.

Then the title kicked in. Mels is about two short of a baker's dozen and wants to take the Doctor and kill Hitler. Here is where it gets interesting. In the matter of minutes, we discover that a group of miniature bounty hunters are after Hitler, that the gang unintentionally saved Hitler's life, Rory is a bad ass, oh and there's the little thing of Mels actually being the grown up regeneration of Melody Pond.

So we finally get to see how the Doctor and River Song/Melody Pond originally met. And I really like that THIS is the basis of the episode...not Hitler....but what is essentially the Doctor and River's very first "date." So we discover that, no, The Doctor couldn't find kidnapped baby Melody and we're seeing the version of her that was raised as an assassin whose only goal is to murder the Doctor. While the Doctor and Pre-River Song's interactions are great, it's just as entertaining watching Amy and Rory deal with trying to chase down their now grown daughter, who in a roundabout way, they did raise.

The miniature bounty hunters aren't that important so I'll skip over that. What is important is the continuity that is kept in this episode. Here we discover how River Song became the woman who the Doctor will eventually fall in love with. Hell, it's because of the Doctor that she gets her name...and her book of spoilers. I like that the throw away line from forever ago about the Doctor being too busy to teach River to fly the Tardis is shown to be only partially true. Yes, he was busy...busy dying that is. And I loved that it's the Doctor's determination to save Amy and Rory that basically turn River into the woman we saw in those early episode. And most importantly, we are finally given the reason why River Song in the Library episodes did not regenerate. Moffat covered all the bases with this one it would seem. He tried to neatly wrap up all those lose ends....although some were still left for me. How the hell did Amy and Rory get back to their time? Was it River and if so, where did she go? Again, who is the "good man" that River Song killed that landed her in prison. I know we're to assume it's the Doctor, but we know now how the Doctor supposedly dies...so yeah...who is it?

So, while this is probably a jumbled mess, I'll summarize it. I want to be River Song when I grow up.....the Tardis knows the Doctor so well.....Amy and Rory OTP....and that awkward moment when Amelia Pond thinks her future husband is stuck in the closet...when we all know it's Hitler...because that's where Rory put him.

Next week...CREEPYWTFARETHOSEDOLLFACEDPEOPLE?!

In which I recap my movie going experience

So since I've been gone, I've been back to my usual movie going and have had a buddy at least. My friend Caleb and I try to see a movie every other week or so and we call it "Gingers at the Movies" since we are basically the nerdy version of Siskel and Ebert.

So here's the abbreviated reviews of the movies we've seen....or that I can remember seeing.

Suckerpunch: Psycho stripper samurais that make no damn sense. It was a dream within a dream within a dream within a fanboy's wet dream inside of a...well you get my point, but dammit it was pretty! Even if I still have no idea what the fuck this movie was about.

Take Me Home Tonight: MUCH better than expected. Well played Topher Grace.

Thor: I like this movie! Gimme another! *smashes cup*

Insidious: I am now forever afraid of old women with candles...and red faced demons....mostly the old women. *shudders and cue INTENSE VIOLINS!*

X-Men First Class: X3? Wolverine? What were those movies? Because this one is so fucking awesome I have completely forgotten the atrocities that were those. Also, the bromance of Charles/Erik is EPIC and I will save you guys the embarrassment of the pick-up lines I came up with while watching....okay, I'll give you one. You don't have to be able to manipulate metal to bend me over....oh god...that was terrible..forget I ever said that. Lol

Pirate of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides: Why....just why? This was not an entertaining movie. Captain Jack was an entertaining character two movies ago. This was just a boring movie, an excuse for Disney to market on a character that got a surprising amount of fame for being a Keith Richards knock-0ff. Sorry folks, didn't like it.

Super 8: Well, it was good, I was entertained but let's be honest, as awesome it was, it was basically what would happen if E.T. and the Cloverfield monster had a love child who had a temper tantrum on 1970s middle America.

Green Lantern: *shakes head* Good try folks. It was shiny and pretty but where the hell did the story go? WB will be making a sequel since they're desperate for a hit series now that Harry Potter...so here's hoping the sequel's better.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows pt 2: MY EMOTIONS! Seriously. End of an era folks. I'll save you the nostalgic rant but this was a satisfying ending to a series, both book and movie, that were a large chunk of my young adult years. I will greatly miss this series. *Caleb wasn't here for this one, mainly because he's only seen the first one and I didn't want to force my fangirl tears upon him*

Captain America: Hells yeah, you're awesome. Bring on The Avengers.

Bridesmaids: Also didn't see with Caleb but honest to god I haven't laughed that hard in ages. Can I be Kristin Wiig when I grow up...because first she makes an awesome movie and gets Chris O'Dowd...and next she's making what will be an equally awesome movie and gets Darren Criss...I wanna be her when I grow up!

So that's basically the ones I can remember...I feel like I'm missing some...blame my old age. So that'll catch you up, hopefully I'll have an actual review up soon.

In which I make my less than triumphant return

Hello....

*crickets*

Anyone there....

Probably not...but I've decided out of sheer boredom to start posting here again...maybe since I'm able to go to the movies more often I can put up some more reviews and such.

Wish I'd done this earlier...coulda talked about all the comic movies I saw.

But better late than never eh?

In which Titans will Clash!

So on a whim, I entered this little contest on Moviefone. They were offering passes to early screening of the new Clash of the Titans movie that comes out Friday. Passes that, more accurately, COULD get you into the early screening. The early screenings were only in select cities...one of them being Philadelphia. I may have issues with this year here, but I gotta say that THIS is one of the perks of a big city.

Anyhoo, I saw that there were already like 20 pages of entries, so I figured even if I entered, I'd have no chance of snagging a pass but I entered either way because I REALLY wanna see this movie but I REALLY don't want to pay the 15.50 cost of seeing it in 3D which is the ONLY way the theater close to me would have it.

Well...I won. But the contest kinda fibbed. Yeah, the early screening is in Philadelphia...an outside district of Philadelphia...like I live in the main city and the showing is in the frikkin burbs! Which left me woefully sad because I would have no way to get there since it was out of Bus and Subway range.

But....I realized that the theater it's at is the same one my lone Philly friend took me to, to see Avatar in 3D IMAX....and it just so happens that she wants to see it too! And the pass is for me and a friend...so HUZZAH! I'm going!

Well, hopefully we'll get in...I get off work at 5. At which time I'm going to hop on the subway and take it all the way to the last stop where she's going to pick me up and hopefully we'll be at the theater by 6:20ish and hopefully that will be more than enough time to get there and claim our seats.

So here's hoping the scheduling works because there's no better way to spend a Monday night (well, other than watching Chuck) than to see Sam Worthington running around in Greek armor...IN 3D!

In other fangirl squeeage, I'm finally getting around to watching Nathan Fillion's show "Castle." I had been putting it off because I had no real access to the first season of episodes outside of forking over a lot of dough for them. And as much as I love Captain Tightpants, I didn't like the price tag for the episodes. I lucked out though. An online friend of mine likes the show, among others, and posts the episodes weekly. So I now have access to all of season 1 and what's aired of season 2! So, that's what I'll be doing the rest of the evening. Can't think of a better way to spend a lazy Saturday Night!

So, until next time, this is me signing off!