Every day a little bit better. Pain isn’t really an issue, it feels irritated from time to time. That itchy feeling sometimes. Still pretty sensitive to light so I wear the sunglasses all the time. Down to 4 drops a day from 10 after seeing the Dr. on Thursday so that’s a great relief. Much easier to manage and the tearing is less (although it’s still really annoying. The blurriness is still a problem, but again a little bit better every day. That’ll probably be fine when the sensitivity to light subsides. That could be a while, but it’s definitely healing.
Cornea Transplant: Week 1
Just about a week into this. It sucks. The procedure itself was really easy. Got to the hospital at 6am, procedure started around 7:15 and I was on the way home at 9:30. They got it down to a science, a well oild machine even! Knocked out for the numbing shots and drops. I think I remember most of the actual surgery. Had no idea I was knocked out at all which is a really strange feeling. Pain started around 4:30 when the shots and stuff wore off.
The pain is the easy part, it’s just a stinging sensation. Feels like I had sand in my eye or something. Tylenol kept the worst of it at bay and as of Sunday, the pain is almost all gone. What sucks is the CONSTANT tears. Like my brain is convinced there is something in there that can we washed out and it just does it all waking hours. The drops don’t help that. And the drops! Nine to ten a day! It’s more annoying than anything. Having your day chopped up based on a 2 to 4 hour eye drop regement gets old really fast. Super sensitivity to light and Ultra Blur makes it very hard to keep my left eye open for very long. It’s a really mentally tiring day.
Haven’t driven in a week, I hope to get back by Friday. Technically I could, but I’m not comfortable with it yet. Been having really weird dreams all week too, seen a lot of high school people for some reason, one serial killer nightmare and last night I had a Batman movie dream. Turns out my mind is a fantastic director even if each scene makes less sense than the last one. Wake up a lot too, wearing a guard over they eye will never be comfortable. Interestingly, I’ve been linking dreams a lot whenever I wake up and fall asleep again.
This recovery looks to be a long one, a week in and I just want to be able to keep my eye open for more than 10 seconds at a time. To read and play videogames! Really want to see The Dark Knight Rises, my ultimate prize just waiting there.
Time for some eye drops.
That’s a tidal wave
This week has finally arrived. In order, I have cornea transplant surgery tomorrow morning on my left eye. Then, on Friday, The Dark Knight Rises is released to the world. Oh yeah, that’ s my last day at work. Eight years and I’m out, massive downsizing for the company. It’s been months since I’ve been counting down to this week and it’s a surreal experience. Excitement, anxiety…fear? Fear.
I’m probably making the surgery out to me much worse than it will be in my head, but I really don’t want to do it. Not looking forward to it, but that’s how these things go. My vision is such crap though that I can’t ignore. I have the insurance so let’s pull the trigger. If all goes well this will just be a blip on the radar.
Batman, not sure when I’m going to see that. Probably next week. IMAX it up, I’ll probably end up seeing it twice if it’s as good as I hope it is.
I keep thinking being unemployed is going to be like a vacation. I don’t think I ever took off more than week in 8 years. 10 days in a row, tops. Maybe I did that once, I was always trying to save days off. Working Saturday for all of those years.
I have a few movies to write about, watch quite a few in the passed 2 days. I’ll probably get to that on Thursday, do at least one. Now that I won’t be typing for someone else all day I’ll feel up to writing more on my own.
Lots of good Summer TV too, Breaking Bad is finally back and it’s a super strong start to season five. I’ll write some more on that too. Early night tonight, gotta be at the hospital at 6am. I hate mornings.
Brave the Review
Brave is a beautiful story from a beautiful company. Pixar has quite the track record in animated films and I’m happy to see Brave continue the tradition. Family values are the center piece of this one which is always a solid foundation to build on. Mix in some fairytale mythos and you’ve got a movie that will be remembered fondly for generations.
Princess Merida is a very strong willed and determined young woman. When thrust into the tradition of betrothal, Merida rebels and mistakenly unleashes a curse that threatens to ruin everything she knows and cares for. It’s a simple tale with a neat little twist filled with endearing characters that you can’t help but root for.
As with every release, Pixar updates their visual game with some of the best animation in the world. The landscapes are just stunning, the character designs are unique and charming and all the special effects make for a truly believable world. I was surprised at how much slap stick humor was in this one, but I didn’t think it distracted from anything. The voice cast goes a long way too, some great performances throughout (Kelly Macdonald in particular, I’m a big fan of hers).
The Pixar name sets a certain bar of expectation and I think Brave fits into the family very well. With the two Cars movies giving me the only sense of “ho-hum” from this studio I am happy to see this return to form. It’s a really well made story for kids and adults, with a real vibe of love and care pushing it forward. There’s a fun lead in, a dramatic turn and then a courageous mad dash at the end. Now while it’s not my favorite Pixar movie, Brave is better than most movies released today.
Prometheus the Review
30 years after making his last science fiction movie, Ridley Scott returns to the genre with ! A prequel to Alien, the hype behind this movie was at an all time high just before it’s release. A tall hill to climb for any filmmaker, most seem pretty disappointed.
I liked it. It’s definably not as good as I (and everyone) hoped, but after watching and reading about online, it’s clear that a lot was cut out. The first 2/3 are very strong it’s the last act where a lot of the logic of the story swerves around and the guess work seems to take hold. With the heritage of the Alien franchise (the original and the first sequel are cinema classics) at it’s genesis in this movie, it didn’t answer a whole lot and that bugs a lot of people. The set up is great and easy to understand. In the not too distant future, archeologists find some evidence of a civilization that points them to explore the stars in search of answers. It might even be an invitation. Hop on board the Prometheus along with the crew, it’s going to be a promising trip! Cue the horror show! That’s all great. The buildup to the panic is great too. It’s interesting, engadging and you’re always wondering what is just around the corner.
The pacing of the movie seems a little off. You find yourself watching on uneasy footing but the set up and follow through don’t work well enough in the end so instead of an lasting adrenalin rush, you’re left feeling way more confused than you ever should be. There’s really weird character behavior too. The part that really bugged me was after an emergency procedure, Shaw doesn’t even try to tell anyone about what happened to her. The set up from a crew mate, and the seriousproblem that is developing at an alarming rate. All stuff you’d be screaming at to anyone you saw. She’s practically crawling down hallways, sweating like a maniac for the rest of the movie and no one bats an eye at her.
This all sounds really negative, but I did enjoy the movie. It just had surprising problems. On a technical level, Prometheus is a masterpiece. It’s one of the best looking movies ever made, the visuals of direction and production design coupled with the best special effects in the business is a site to behold. Quality acting too, even if some actors (Idris Elba) are underused (Michael Fastbender is absolute tops and I liked Noomi Rapace a lot).
Each movie in the Alien franchise is very different, Prometheus continues (or starts it, if you take the story timeline into account) that linage. I think this movie will ultimately be remembered fondly. I’m looking forward to seeing it again to see the stuff I missed, there’s a lot to take in and digest. The home release should be packed with extras.
Fright Night the Review
If you are looking for a fun vampire movie, might I suggest Fright Night. This remake of the 1985 movie of the same name sees Colin Ferrell as Jerry. He’s the Fright in Night. A vampire of extreme methods and a zest for being a vampire. He moves in next to Charley (the always awesome Anton Yelchin) and it takes the disappearance of a friend that tips off Charley that Jerry isn’t human.
It’s a movie that doesn’t take it’s time to get to the point. It throws the Twilight style of vampire far behind and goes for the pure monster angle. Real refreshing to see, the cast is all great and it’s really well paced. It’s a good looking movie too. I only have 2 complaints.
Some of the CG effects are so bad it’s distracting. Terrible compromising, really awkward human animation, it’s easy to tell when the CG takes over. My other complaint is some weird acting by Colin Ferrell. He’s a great actor and he plays an outstanding villain here. But for some reason he decideds to really ham it up. It’s like watching vaudeville or something. The scene where he goes to Charley’s and asks him for some beer took such a weird turn I thought I was watching outtakes. At this point Jerry knows he’s been made and Charley is doing his best to stay cool and not tip his hand. So their interaction would be much different from a normal conversation, but it’s played so wrong you can’t help but laugh.
Aside from that, it’s a great rental at the very least. Easy to skip, I’d recommend you check it out for some good movie monster fun.
Crash!
Got into my first car accident yesterday. In Paramus, I had to stop behind a Honda CR-V who wanted to make a shady left hand turn (double yellow line, but there are no signs that say you can’t do it. I’m not sure if you’d get pulled over if a cop saw you…it’s a super shady turn to want to do). It was raining and a Pontiac Aztec didn’t stop in time and rear ended me.
I heard tires screech, then silence, then POW *shattered glass flying*. I first thought a grenade went of near my car, it was such a weird sound and physical sensation. I didn’t move too much, the entire car shook as the energy shot through it from back to front. My lower back feels tweaked, but I think I got pretty lucky. The other driver was fine and her car had no damage. The spare tire was shoved a couple inches into the door, so the glass is totally gone and the door is dented in all around the tire. Not sure if the spare got messed up, it probably did though. I’ll find out tomorrow. I was surprisingly calm through the whole thing, but it was such a shock, that’s what’s sticking with me. The woman was really upset, she admitted it right away that she was in the wrong.
Pain in the ass having to go through the insurance system, hopefully everything goes smoothy and I’ll have my car back into new condition. Figures, the day after I finally get the tire pressure light to completely reset. That was annoying and now this. Hey, no hospital and my car still works fine so any moaning sounds kinda silly.
Note to self
Write more. It’s good for you.
Immortals the Review
I’m a sucker for Greek and Roman mythology/time period movies and shows. It’s an intresting period that lends itself to the cinematic lens. Greek gods are always cool, I’ve been a fan with the likes of the Hercules and Xena TV shows from the 1990’s all the way to Spartacus on Starz today. Immortals, which was released late last year, fits the mold well.
Immortals is the story of Theseus versus Hyperion. King Hyperion is ravaging his was across Greece on the hunt for a legendary bow that has the power to unleash the Titans on humanity. If he succeeds then it means the end of mankind. The god Zeus favors Theseus, seeing the best of humanity in him. Over the years he’s been gently guiding Theseus, preparing him for this time when he is most needed.
The film most resembles the movie 300 with its digital backgrounds and blood. I really like the look, it’s a very grand and silky looking world, even when shown the most barren of landscapes. Henry Cavill as Theseus is really good and I love Mickey Rourke as Hyperion. He’s a great actor for a villain and unlike Iron Man 2, he’s used to great affect here. The action scenes are rather quick, but there’s good amount of them and each one is fun to watch. The score is a perfect fit as well, making for a fun movie. It runs about an hour and 45 minutes, which I thought was perfect. A well made film, even if it is a bit by the numbers. I’d put this easily above Colombiana if you are looking for an action movie to watch.
Colombiana the Review
The joys of an assassin movie! Assassins always seem to be bigger than life, a super hero or a brutal villain. It lends itself to the spy genre so you get the chance of sneaky characters, twisting plots and excellent action scenes. Often hit or miss from picture to picture, Colombiana lands right in the middle….average at best.
There’s nothing new or terribly interesting going on in Colombiana. Zoe Saldana plays the lead, Cataleya, who witnesses her parents death by the drug cartel that her father worked for. Swearing revenge, her career in death starts many years later, always with her eyes on the man that ordered her parents death. That’s it. Every plot point you are thinking of right now, happens. It’s a paint by the numbers story with the requisite action, the superfluous love interest and some goofy stuff (her attack dogs) stuck in for some flavor.
Now, it’s not a bad movie. It’s well made (the direction in the first chase scene was amateur at best though), well acted and the action is serviceable. A good rainy day rental, but if you skip it, you aren’t missing anything.
Hugo the Review
Hugowas a big favorite at this years Oscar awards. Director Martin Scorsese marks his first kids and 3D theatrical release in his long, historic career.
Hugo Cabret is an orphan who lives behind the walls of a train station in 1930’s Paris. When his father tragically dies, his uncle comes to pick him up to live and work at the train station. Bringing only the clothes on his back and the automation that he and his father were working to fix, Hugo learns to keep all the clocks running in the station. The mystery of the automation and another resident of the train station collide in front of Hugo, leading him down a new path of his young life.
This was a pretty cool movie and the 3D work has been alleged to been tops, but I watched it in trusty 2D. The main stars, Asa Butterfield and Chloe Grace Moretz are two of the best child actors working today. The whole movie rides on them and they’re both stars (Chloe in particular is really fantastic, she’s starting to blow up and should have a hell of a career). My only complaint is that the movie takes way too long to really get going. It’s a slow build up to what is a real treat of a late second to third act where everything comes together and the story telling is compelling and interesting. There’s a good 10-15 minutes of meandering that could have been trimmed. I could see it boring any young viewers who would never make it to the end. That said, it’s a good movie that really shows Scorsese love and care of cinema.
Avengers the Review
It feels a bit redundant to write a review of Marvel’s Avengers at this point since the entire country turn out this weekend and loved it. So I’ll just throw on some more praise to the pile.
Easily the best Marvel movie, if not the best comic book movie made yet. The Avengers is a huge movie with 6 major superheros throwing their weight around. It’s been a long time coming, the pieces of this adventure being put in place in the last 5 Marvel movies. Now, with an external threat to Earth, only the power of the Avengers can save us!
Writer/Director/Champion of the Nerds, Joss Whedon carefully crafted and brought to life an amazing ensamble of superheros. He juggles these characters in both dialog and action so well he should get an award just for that. It could have been a disaster (see X-Men 3) but his knowledge and love for these decades old characters shines through at every turn. They’re all distinct people with their own issues despite their tremendous physical and mental capabilities.
Mark Ruffalo as Bruce Banner/Hulk is my favorite. He’s the newest cast member (he’s the third actor to take the role) and he portrays the stress of holding the Hulk within him so well, you’d swear he’s not acting. The talk between Tony Stark (the always popular Robert Downey Jr.) and Bruce Banner in the lab was a real stand out for me. Two guys on the same wave length with seemingly opposite problems are actually shown to be pretty similar. Plus, when the Hulk shows up he steals every scene. His action segments are the best and Joss gave him some of the funniest moments in the movie.
One character never completely dominates the movie though. They all get their time to shine: alone, as a pair or in a group. Everyone is used and used well, the dialog is very sharp and surprisingly funny. We finally get to see Iron Man really do his thing in action (something I thought his two movies never did enough of) as well as Hawkeye and Black Widow.
The final act is really exceptional, with so much careful planning and foresight. It’s a massive action set piece in the NYC and the clarity and pace is second to none. There is so much going on, the Avengers are constantly engaged in different places and in different groupings, but you never get lost. You watch as they take down bad guys by themselves, then quickly see a team member help them out with such beautiful power and choreography. Iron Man and Captain America work together on the street at one point while Hulk and Thor just crush together while zooming around on enemy aircraft. Assaults from all sides, all the time! Truly something to behold. I found myself smiling all the time as they worked together in these brilliant ways.
It’s about 2 hours and 20 minutes long and any complaints are really just nitpicking. It takes a bit for the movie to really get rolling and you can think of more than a few plot holes (as is the case where you are dealing with super heroes. You need to just accept some things and keep going) if you really dissect it. The good far outweighs the bad and a new bar for comic book movies has been set.