JJ's World Views

Tag: Review

  • Review of the Original V Miniseries/ Final Battle

    Review of the Original V Miniseries/ Final Battle

    V Mini Series 1

    I love this show ever since I was a kid.  This is the only Sci Fi show my mom every really liked.  This show takes a look at the Nazis through the lens of Science fiction.  The show Stars Marc Singer: Beastmaster, Robert Englund in a role you normally would not see him in (a good sweet doof), and the one man I really would love to see at a convention Michael Ironside. These are probably the most recognizable people in the series. They revamped the series in 2009 it lasted 2 seasons.  This remake had cameos from 2 of the original actors of the series Marc Singer and Jane Badler.  I thought it was decent, I just would have rather had them use the same premise as the original.  This is a 5 part Miniseries that had a 1 season series that came after it.

    The story is about a journalist who ends up in the middle of a worldwide revolution against a small fleet of ships from a planet near the star Sirius.  The aliens look human enough though they are light sensitive and have reverberating vocal cords.  They claim to be here to help us with the environment, and medicine.  The only problem is there is a conspiracy against them from the scientific community, or at least that is what they say.  Sound like anyone in our current administration.  The symbol on their flags and uniforms are almost a swastika, except for there are 2 right angles missing.  I did not know this growing up until high school.

    The revolution is made up of scientists, journalist, an excop and criminal.  If you look closely in the fourth part of the miniseries, you will see something growing in the background of the first 15 minutes that you would not expect in an 80’s TV show.  I did not realize this till I was in my 30’s.  Mike Donovan (Marc Singer) Find out what the aliens really look like under a false human skin.  They are reptilian and are not actually here to help us, they are here to steal our water and use us as food.

    The effects are dated in the show but what do you expect for an 80’s Mini Series.  The story is solid and compelling for a 10 hour binge.  The characters develop fairly well.  We get to see the birth of and alien human hybrid, in fact 2 of them the second one was much cuter that the first one I think.  The relation between the Nazis and the Visitors is very pronounced.  All together if you like Sci Fi or even if you don’t this is a good watch for everyone.

    I give it a 4.5 stars out of 5 once you take into account the time it was made.  I do recommend that if you like it try the remake.  I thought it was pretty good,  I did not have huge expectations for it and it surprised me.

    This is my first review I figured I would do a series I loved as a child.  Tell me what you think and what I can work on for the future in the comment section below.

  • My thoughts on The Invisible Thread

    Book PicSo, I went up to the school I will be going to in a week and a half to pick up my first semesters books.  I am taking 4 classes and got 5 books,4 text books and 1 short autobiographical novel” The Invisible Thread”.  I asked the guy at the book counter “What class was this book for?”  He said “English comp.”  I thanked the guy and paid for the books and went on my merry way home.

    Well I got home and do what I do every time I bring things home and start to skim through the books.  I zipped through the Math book, took a deeper look at the Chemistry book (damn I can’t wait.); Then I looked over and saw the smallest book there “The Invisible Thread”.  I picked it up and was like” I wonder what this is going to be like”.  So, I figure I am not the fastest reader my eye sometimes jump over words and I must read a sentence or a whole paragraph; because it screwed up my rhythm.  So, I decided I should probably get a head start and read some of it.  figuring that I would read a chapter or 2 a day. I started reading the book and before I knew it I was 3 chapters in.

    This is a great book.  It is a true story about a sales rep. from USA Today (Laurie) who meets an 11-year-old boy (Maurice)while he was panhandling on the street of Manhattan.  The setting was the late 80’s during the crack outbreak.   Laurie was just walking out of her building to run some errands and walked right past Maurice even after he asked her for change on the street.   She stopped and turned around and took him to McDonald’s for lunch and that was the beginning of a beautiful friendship that has stood for over 25 years.

    This book makes you take a long hard look at the things we take for granted from knowing how to blow your nose to riding a bike.  She takes us through both her childhood and his.  We find out how different they are from one another but more importantly their similarities.  This book made me realize a lot about myself and that is why I started this blog and made this my first official post.

    Please read this book you won’t be sorry you did.

    importantly their similarities.  This book made me realize a lot about my self and that is why I started this blog and made this my first official post.

    Please read this book you won’t be sorry you did.

     

  • My thoughts on “An Evening with Malala Yousafzai”

    For those who know me they know that it was here story that inspired me to get the mental help I needed for my Clinical Depression, head back to school to become a teacher and hopefully join the Peace Corp.  So when I heard she was going to be speaking here in Minnesota I was absolutely  thrilled at the chance to see her speak.  I bought my ticket early in June and the had already sold out the cheap seats, that kind of sucked.  That’s ok I figured if I am going to an event like this I want to get close to the front anyways.  I ended up 8 rows back on the left side of the stage, damn close,  that rocked.  The weeks went by and I couldn’t wait.  I had my nephews over the 2 nights prior and was so excited about the upcoming event that I wanted to share her documentary with them, in order for them to understand why this was so exciting for me.  Joey my 14 year old nephew got bored and played his video game.  Mason age 10 watched it with me and was asking questions about her, he really wanted to try and understand, and I did my best to explain things to him about what she went though.  He is such a cute and loving kid.

    Then on July 26th I headed to the Target Center here in Minneapolis to see “An Evening with Malala Yousafzai”.I ended up fighting through traffic, it was busy as hell for a Tuesday going in then I realized that the Twins were playing right next door at Target Field.  Yes, we are the home of target here in Minnesota.   I still made it there with a half hour to spare, which was nice.  As I walk into the arena I see a stage to nice comfy chairs and a little end table.  The back was lit with a blue bubble like lighting.

    IMAG0080[1]
    Image from my seat before the Anyone came out to speak.
    This was the first time I had gone to a speaking engagement.  Let alone go there by myself.  I expected the auditorium to most likely be packed with women of all ages.  The thing that surprised me was how many men were there, it was about a forth of the audience, all different age groups. It looked like a full house.

    Then the interviewer, , came out to give the introduction to Malala.  She talked about her background, which most people who were their most likely know I would assume.

    Next Malala comes out to a standing ovation, I am not a clapper but damn my hands hurt after I sat down and wiped the tears from my eyes.  Yes I am a cryer folks when I am happy,sad, or inspired, But I digress.  After the ovation calmed down she spoke about her thoughts on Minnesota  and what she has experienced while she was her, all the while cracking jokes about how “NICE” we are here in Minnesota.  She talked about the young Somali women she met and what they discussed like how comfortable they feel here and how welcoming we have been to them in Minnesota.

    Malala with Somali women
    This image is from Everything Somali

    The interview begins between Allie Shaw and Malala.  They tackled some of the differences she sees between Pakistan and her current home of England and here in the US.  Malala talked about her experience’s  over the past few years and what she had learned.  Malala knew very little about any other religion except for Islam.  She  had some words to say about religion in politics and compared it, I felt, to the money in politics problems we have here in the states.  It seemed to me she that she felt neither should have a role in politics.  This did not surprise me to much at least the religion, hell she has seen what happens when you mix religion and politics up close and personal.  This is something here in the US are battling ourselves, just not as severe YET.

    The one thing she liked to joke about was her little brothers and they pick on each other.  I remember from the documentary “He Named Me Malala” how lovingly they joked with one another, it was refreshing to see.  She also admitted that she didn’t know that WWE was fake till she was 17.  This took me by off guard at the time but, now that I that I think about it, it really should not have though she has 2 little brothers who probably love wrestling entertainment.  Hell, I like the stuff from time to time when they have decent stories and talent.

    So yes, I was not disappointed with this event at all.  If you get a chance to see Malala Yousefzai you should definitely do so.  Of course this is coming from someone who is a bit of a fan boy.