Gods of Egypt (2016)

Now that I returned from a softball tryout and can settle into starting my vacation, I decided to finish one last film before loading my bags. After some thought about what I had left to write about, I decided on the 2016 fantasy Gods of Egypt.

Plot/ Mortal hero Bek teams with the god Horus in an alliance against Set, the merciless god of darkness, who has usurped Egypt's throne, plunging the once peaceful and prosperous empire into chaos and conflict.

This movie is definitely not my normal selection and was one that I had stayed away from for some time. Now, after watching it, I wish I had not. There was actually a lot to like inside this fantasy epic, and as a fan of ancient Egypt, it was fun to sit through. Yes, it was unbelievable and some of it was a bit out there, but that is perfectly fine within the confines of a fantasy. Overall, it featured an interesting storyline, some solid scripting and characterizations, and enough plot twists to keep it moving. Yes, the CGI was rough and some of the performances were uneven, but that did not detract from the movie in any way. In the end, this was a film that was much better than I expected and a movie that made for a fun evening. If you enjoy fantasy flicks, give it a shot.

AVP: Alien vs. Predator (2004)

After having an enjoyable birthday dinner last night, I decided to bypass the blog (and twitter) for most of the day today. But, that could only last for so long, and I decided that it was time to enjoy some type of sci-fi/horror flick for the evening. After some debate, I decided to breakdown and watch the 2004 entry AVP: Alien vs. Predator to see two of my favorite characters in action.

Plot/ During an archaeological expedition on Bouvetøya Island in Antarctica, a team of archaeologists and other scientists find themselves caught up in a battle between the two legends. Soon, the team realizes that only one species can win.

I have stayed away from this movie for some time because I had a feeling that I would be disappointed by the results. While I was not very disappointed, I was not overwhelmed either. In fact, while there were some positive aspects, I could not help but think that this could have been better if it would have pushed past the PG-13 threshold into an R category. I did enjoy the storyline, some of the visuals, and the cinematography and pacing, and felt it was really well done. Unfortunately, scripting was an issue where the characters felt flat and much of the dialog was beyond forgettable. In the end, this was not a terrible movie, it just did not move me as much as I expected. If you have not seen it and are a fan of the two franchises, give it a shot. However, unless you are looking for a flick to introduce a younger generation to these classic creatures, stay away.

Stargate (1994)

Over the past few days, I have been part of some interesting conversations on Nibiru and hollow earth. While both subjects are fascinating, they are no more fascinating than our own ancient histories, where cultures such as the Egyptians and Mayans create intricate artifacts that have stood the test of time. How did they accomplish that? Who really knows, but Stargate (1994) does venture into one possibility.

Plot/ An interstellar teleportation device, found in Egypt, leads to a planet with humans resembling ancient Egyptians who worship the god Ra.

Stargate is such an amazing story and does provide a science fiction explanation to some of the real life mysteries that haunt our ancient past. While there is an interesting and layered plot, some solid performances and the cinematography and score blend together in a seamless fashion, it is the historic detains of the story that draw me in every time. As a researcher, the potential questions (and answers) it brings to life makes it a must see, Plus, the action and atmosphere are not bad either. Sure, if you are closed minded, it may not appeal to you as it does to me because you must suspend reality to accept the possibilities, but that is part of the realm of science fiction that makes the genre amazing. In the end, this movie may not be for everyone, but if you are open minded and love plot driven science fiction this one is for you. Give it a shot!

Devil's Bible (2008)

I have watched my share of crazy movies over the past few weeks, and decided that it was time to take a break from the different fictional worlds that I usually live in. Instead, I decided to venture into some documentaries for the week. First up for review is the 2008 entry, Devil’s Bible.

Plot/ At 165 pounds, and allegedly made from the skins of 160 donkeys, the Codex Gigas is the world's largest and most mysterious medieval manuscript. Filled with satanic images and demonic spells, according to legend, the cursed text sprang from a doomed monk's pact with the Devil. Now, Nat Geo follows a team of scientists as they embark on an unprecedented quest to unravel the secrets behind the book's darkened pages. Using ultra-violet fluorescence imaging, handwriting analysis, and a re-creation of the text, forensic document experts attempt to uncover the cryptic truth behind this ancient Devil's Bible.

Being a fan of the occult and the dark arts, when I saw this one on Netflix, I was sucked in. Of all of the artifacts that exist in the religious world, the Codex Gigas has to be one of the most interesting. While no one will ever know the truth behind the manuscript, this documentary does a great job at providing some clues while projecting some theories on who created it. It looked at religious history, some scientific theories, and the locations that house this amazing relic. Sure, this one is not perfect, as some of it is uneven and falls flat and some of the connections drawn by the filmmakers make little sense, but that is to be expected when dealing with an ancient and mysterious item. In the end, I did find this documentary entertaining and interesting, but it definitely is not for everyone. If you enjoy documentaries about a darker path, Hail Satan and check it out, if not, stay away.

Stonehenge Apocalypse (2010)

Over the weekend, I watched items that spanned many genres. While some were cheesy low budget entries, others came from bigger budgets and were more well known. Next up for review, the

Plot/ When a group of archaeologists open a lost pyramid in Maine they trigger terraforming mechanism and start a chain of events that may very well end the world as we know it.

I went into this expecting the typical SyFy Channel entry and that is about what I found. While it does suffer from many of the flaws or their typical entries, I found this one to at least boast a somewhat original storyline and idea. Yes, there were issues with low budget sets, uneven acting, poor dialog, and the unreal CGI that is more laughable then believable. While this movie is far from perfect, it was decently entertaining and fun to watch. Yes, it is a low budget cheese, but it is one of the more interesting SyFy Channel entries in the past few years.

Prometheus (2012)

 

 

I think that I have had my feel for documentaries recently. While they are always entertaining to me, and I learn a lot, I cannot live in the realm forever. Sometimes, I just need some solid entertainment to help me pass my evenings. For my viewing pleasure tonight, I decided to take a walk into the Sci-Fi arena with the 2012 Ridley Scott entry Prometheus.

 

 

Plot/ A team of explorers discover a clue to the origins of mankind on Earth, leading them on a journey to the darkest corners of the universe. There, they must fight a terrifying battle to save the future of the human race.

 

 

I am not a huge fan of the Alien franchise, so too me, this one had no real hype for me. I will admit that t looked interesting, but it did not strike me as something to stand in line for. Ironically, what I found when I finally decided to watch this was just as interesting as I expected it would be. While the story arc was vast, there definitely felt like there were some holes, but to me, it added to the mystery. The pacing was solid, the cinematography and effects were amazing and there was a lot to like in this film. Yes, there were some characterization issues, choppy editing and the acting was uneven, but that did not ruin the film.  In the end, I found this extremely entertaining, and a movie that I liked more than many of the Alien films. If you love Science Fiction or even Ancient Aliens, you should definitely check this one out.

Ancient Mysteries: Bigfoot (1997)

 

 

Last night, I took a break from everything as I headed out for a Friday high school football game, and to see my oldest daughter rock out on her trumpet with the band. Unfortunately, the hometown football team lost, but her band did rock out. Now, being back out in the mode, I decided to jump back into a Bigfoot Documentary with the 1997 Ancient Mysteries: Bigfoot from A&E.

 

 

Plot/ Ancient Mysteries examines the history and myths surrounding the Pacific Northwest creature known as Bigfoot.

 

 

This newer reincarnation of the classic Leonard Nimoy series In Search Of, continued the ideal of taking on a subject by presenting the audio or visual evidence along with a cross-section of interviews. In this case, as with a lot of documentaries, there is quite a bit of rehashed material. In fact, this one did a great job of providing a solid historical look with a modern take and theory.  In the end, it was an entertaining documentary of the subject, but it offered very little in new evidence. Is it worth watching, absolutely, but do not expect a revelation to come out of it.