November has come.

It's hard to believe, but October has come and gone already (and with it, Halloween and a whole month's worth of horror movies).  2011 is quickly coming to a close.  The whole year has been an interesting mix of ups and downs.  There has been little progress in terms of writing, sadly, but I am finding the motivation to work on my projects.

In fact, I plan on taking a little exercise in motivation quite soon.  I discovered that next month is National Novel Writing Month, so I decided to accept the challenge of writing a new novel from scratch and reach 50000 words by November 31st.  I've already got a cool new idea in mind, with a notebook's worth of designs and ideas.  It'll be a spacey sci-fi novel, and it's current working title is "Exodus."  When November 1st hits, I plan on starting it off!

To facilitate this, I will be spending the next week on holiday.  Nothing like a relaxing laid-back excursion to the highlands to do some writing.

When the NaNoWriMo thing starts, I'll be sure to start posting excepts and a word count.  Stay tuned for more!

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All work and just a little play makes me tired.

The last couple of weeks have been rather exhausting. I’ve concluded that it’s a universal law, if not an outright curse or vex, that every time key personnel go on leave and an office is left to run on minimal manpower, all of the work just floods in, suddenly, and with unreasonable quantity. It’s generally felt like one thing after another, with lots of unusual demands from lots of unusual customers. Managing this without the aid of a supervisor has been a challenge on both the body and the nerves.

As far as writing goes, I’ve made some progress in various projects, then stopped. I’ve been too tired lately to keep up the pace. But chances are good that the next few weeks will be more laid-back, and I can find the energy again.

I have been focusing on updating my digital music collection. After reinstalling Windows on my computer, I’ve reconfigured the Windows Media Player to rip my CDs at 320 kbs, so I can enjoy my favorite songs in higher quality. It is pretty refreshing hearing familiar songs with clearer and crisper instruments and vocals. It’s also been a good chance to standardize, reorganize, and update old files. Of course, I’m also always exploring new albums.

But after a hard day’s work, I’d rather engage in an entertaining video game or a decent movie. In fact, I will probably be posting more reviews soon, so stay tuned!

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"A weak man knows the value of strength."

“Captain America: The First Avenger.”

With the imminent “Avengers” movie coming next year, only one hero’s origin story remains untold…until now. Falling in line with “Thor,” “Iron Man,” and “The Incredible Hulk,” “Captain America” showcases the rise of Steve Rogers as the title character. Unlike the other films, which take place in modern times, this one goes way back to WWII, showing the Captain kicking Nazi butt! With a lot of “Wolfenstein” style occult mystique and a slight “Indiana Jones” sense of adventure, this movie has a number of solid action sequences, and plenty of imaginative special effects and setpieces. With its references to various characters and concepts of other Mavel movies, it fits into the franchise really well. It might take some stretch of the imagination to believe that Nazis could be this futuristic, but for a superhero movie, it’s all good fun.

The story in this case is pretty solid. The main character shows strong development, and for most of the movie, you really root for him. There’s nothing more thrilling than watching the underdog getting the upper hand. As it goes on, much of the character drama and story development gets pushed aside by the action, but it still works. By the end, voila, we have the lead-in for the “Avengers” film.

If there’s any complaint for this film, it’s that there could have been more. Whether it needs a stronger action setpiece or a more invoking sense of drama, I’m not sure, but something seems missing, and nothing really makes this film stand over any of the other superhero films that have come out so far.

The film is competently made, with decent (but never exceptional) photography. Editing is good for the most part, but I am not a fan of the montage in the middle of the film that makes the entire war campaign whiz by. A couple of action scenes seemed a little sloppily-edited, but it’s hardly noticeable. Acting is swell; Chris Evans is surprisingly strong as the main character, and I enjoyed Hayley Atwell, Sebastian Stan, Tommy Lee Jones, Stanley Tucci, and Hugo Weaving in their roles. Writing seems pretty good. Production value is high, featuring lots of good (if not overly-slick) sets, props, costumes and special effects. Music is appropriately upbeat and adventurous.

In the end, I’d say the film met my expectations, but never fully exceeded them. But it, along with an all-too-short sneak preview after the credits, provide the necessary bridge to the “Avengers” film.

Recommended.

4/5 (entertainment: 4/5, story: 4/5, film: 4/5)

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"What is the Matrix?"

"The Matrix"

There's a certain mystique to computer hacking, which is either reflected or caused by this film, showcasing hackers as a group of unruly punks in grungy places fighting the powers that be. There's also a certain coolness to cyberpunk stories (which have never really been translated to film that much, sadly enough), underscoring the symbiotic relationship between man and machine. If you've ever read (much less understand) William Gibson's novel "The Neuromancer," or seen the anime film "Ghost in the Shell," you'll see strong themes regarding the dangers and benefits of such a relationship.

Put these elements together, and you'll get the foundations for this film. It starts off as a thriller, with occasional surreal moments that help keep a sense of mystery. In the second act, the movie spends its time explaining its premise, and laying down the rules for the environments the movie introduces (there is a dense universe to this film, on the same level as "The Terminator"). Then, in the final act, we are treated to a massive helping of glorious action sequences. There are plenty of solid thrills throughout the film's middle, which keep the pacing tight and even. But toward the end, we get some of the coolest fight scenes ever filmed, one of the coolest gunfights ever filmed, and some of the most original and imaginative special effects ever developed. The action alone makes this film a must-see.

But it's also the story that counts. It is as deep as it is original (well, original for a film anyway). The characters show decent depth, and by the end of the movie you really come to enjoy them. The story has a solid structure and it is well-developed. Just about every moment of it explores the main premise and all of its philosophical implications; hardly a moment passes that won't make you wonder about the nature of reality, and the nature of the human mind. There are many nuances in the characters, story, writing, and even shot composition that underscore all the movie's themes. On every viewing, the movie presents something new to discover and contemplate.

The film also shows apt quality. Its photography and editing are top-notch and highly distinctive. Acting is swell all around; this is probably Keanu Reeve's best performance in his career; Lawrence Fishburne, Carrie-Ann Moss, Joe Pantiliano, and Hugo Weaving all inhabit their characters very well. Writing is exceptionally strong. Production value is strong and highly detailed; some sets look a little fake and some of the special effects show their age, but they are decent overall. Most sets, props, and costumes are cool. Music is very cool too.

Highly recommended!

5/5 (entertainment: 5/5, story: 5/5, film: 5/5)
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"The Matrix Reloaded"

Operating in the mythos and universe that the first film laid out, this sequel ramps up the action and special effects to an epic degree. Some of its highlights include a massive 1-vs-100 man fight and a fantastic 20-minute highway chase (which is still my favorite car chase scene of them all). There are loads of other fights, pursuits, and encounters scattered throughout. There's some drag just in the first hour or so, and some parts become so outlandish or campy that they won't sit well with some viewers (chief among them being the underground rave, which never really bothered me, but it is a little frivolous).

Despite these embellishments, the storytelling still doesn't really suffer much. If anything, it's become much more complicated, as the mythos is expanded, new characters and concepts are introduced, and more philosophy is explored. One integral scene toward the end is intended to place the entire saga in its proper context, but it is encumbered by one too many big words in too short a time. All of this makes the initial viewing rather confusing. It's even more stressed with a big cast of minor characters, whose importance are revealed more in the "Animatrix" and the "Enter the Matrix" video game. But if you stick with it, give it some thought, and pay close attention, it is rather sublime. Characters are as strong as they were in the first film, and there is a whole world of great new ideas that are brought up.

The film is quite slick, with quality photography and editing. Acting is as strong as the first film, with the talents of Keanu Reeves (at his most monotone), Lawrence Fishburne, Carrie-Ann Moss, Hugo Weaving, Harold Perrineau, Jada Pinkett Smith, and Monica Bellucci thoroughly dispensed here. Writing is quite strong. Production value is high, featuring plenty of quality sets, props, costumes, and elaborate special effects. Music is pretty good.

If you've enjoyed the "Matrix" at all, or if you are a die-hard fan, then this film is recommended. But for casual viewers, I can only recommend it as a rental, if you are at all interested.

4.5/5 (entertainment: 4.5/5, story: 4/5, film: 4.5/5) 
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"The Matrix Revolutions"

In most film trilogies, the third film is the grand finale, and the "Matrix" saga ends with a hell of a bang. After some brief pursuits and fights that wrap up a few loose ends from the last film, this movie goes all-out with a massive battle between men and machines; the Battle of Zion is easily one of my favorite battle scenes among sci-fi films. And then it goes on to show off the final duel between Neo and Agent Smith; this lengthy fight goes literally all over the place, with style and power that elevates it to being one of the best fights of all time.

This movie does get a bad rap for its story; the first half-hour is a bit of a frivolous subplot, and the film's conclusion is quite anticlimactic. Even more frustrating for some is that there's not as much philosophical depth as the last two films. But I've always been pleased with this story; it's linear and easy to follow, it still has quality characterization, and even though the philosophy may be gone, I believe there's a strong theological theme that emerges, thanks to the nature of the main character and his final solution. It may not make good enough sense for some, but for me, it's a sublime ending.

Like its predecessors, this movie has quality photography and editing. Acting is good all around, with the same cast as the last film. Writing is still quite good. Production value is high, with plenty of good sets, props, costumes, and excellent special effects. Music is alright.

Recommended as a rental.

4.5/5 (entertainment: 5/5, story: 4/5, film: 4.5/5) 
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"The Animatrix"

As part of the hype generated by the "Matrix Reloaded," this series of anime shorts was developed and distributed to provide more insight to the worlds in the Matrix saga (and possibly to wrangle up some more fans). With the efforts of Yoshiaki Kawajiri, Shinichiro Watanabe, Peter Chung, and other Japanese directors, it's a varied collection that offers multiple insights and a variety of styles and quality. This collection is like a sampler plate for anime (incidentally, it was the first anime I really watched and got into, and it inspired me to check out the real thing).

"The Final Flight of the Osiris" is the first of the lot, and of all computer-animated films I know of, this one still shows superior quality. Characters look incredibly life-like at times; by modern standards, it resembles a video game clip more than anything, but considering that there aren't a whole lot of CGI movies with human characters, this film is quite impressive. It's a short, action-packed, and fairly invoking. Above all, it helps bridge the gap between the first two Matrix movies.

"The Second Renaissance" Parts I and II serve as the Matrix prequel, chronicling the war between man and machine. It's extremely bleak and quite violent. With its portrayal of nuclear devastation, environmental warfare, and the eventual enslavement of the human race, these two episodes really get to me. The animation is quite smooth and slick, with lots of memorable imagery. It is fast-paced, almost erratically so, but the biblical-style narrative keeps it entrancing. In a proper Matrix marathon, I place these before the three main movies, and it is worthwhile seeing for all Matrix fans.

"Kid's Story" doesn't have the same momentum as the last few episodes, but it is a nice little story that shows how the Kid character comes into being in the Matrix sequels. Its slower pacing and sketchy graphics don't really appeal to me, but it is another requisite bridge between the first and second movies.

"Program" has always been my favorite of the lot, featuring fantastic visuals and fast-paced action. The duel between two lovers is quite intense, and their actions really underscore the philosophical issue of whether or not it's better to live a lie or suffer the truth. The animation quality here is strong and the character designs are excellent.

"World Record" is one of my least favorites in this collection. It does have a really funky style and quality, with interesting visuals. It is a pretty good story, but it is lacking in action.

"Beyond" strikes me more as a Miyazaki-style story, with its emphasis on child-like whimsy and wonder. It has a cast of likable kids, some wonderful visuals, and it is a cute little story overall. Once again, it doesn't offer much action, but it isn't totally dull either.

"A Detective's Story" is my least favorite of the lot. It does have some nice film-noir style visuals and characters. I'm just disappointed in the story, which is a little too short to serve as an effective mystery, and by its conclusion it doesn't really resonate.

"Matriculated" is something very weird and trippy, almost dream-like at spots. It's a solid and original story with a profound conclusion and some interesting implications. Its visuals are fantastic, and it's the one other story here that I consider most worthwhile.

All of these stories show quality animation style and quality; some of the digitally-animated backgrounds may show some anomalies, but it holds up for the most part. Voice-acting can be a little cheesy, but is still decent. Production designs are strong, with plenty of cool settings, vehicles, weapons, robots, and objects that correlate to the Matrix movies well. The feature also has one of the coolest soundtracks.

I highly recommend at least the first three stories to Matrix fans; the feature as a whole I'd recommend as a rental to anybody who's interested. But if you're getting this as part of the Ultimate Collection DVD or Blu-Ray package, why not check it out?

5/5 (entertainment: 4.5/5, stories: 5/5, films: 4.5/5)

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It (finally) ended!

I must first apologize for not posting this sooner.  Half a month has passed since I saw this, but I've been too busy to properly edit and post this review.  By now, the hype has undoubtedly died.  But anyway...

"Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part II"

Ever since Harry Potter’s introduction some ten years ago, I’ve always been eager to see how this finale would turn out (I am a big sucker for grand finales). After ten or so somber minutes of recapping the last film, this last hurrah starts off strong as the characters infiltrate a magical vault, before moving along to the ultimate Battle of Hogwarts. As far as finales go, I wouldn’t dare rank the Hogwarts battle over my other favorite scenes. Even though it takes up over twenty minutes of screen time, something about the final battle didn’t really strike me as exceptional; I suspect it’s because the actual fighting is subdued to the background, with no real sense of progression, variety, or true peril. But after some sporadic bursts of fighting and mystery, the film finally gets into the final duel between Potter and Voldemort, which is pretty damn cool. There are also a number of other epic moments in the film that’ll keep it lively, and will enthrall most diehard fans. I felt there could have been a bigger punch, and there are just a few scenes that drag, but what we get is satisfying.

The story is ultimately tied together quite well, combing up all the elements, characters, and events of the last several films for some final revelations and a decent conclusion. Some scenes may not make sense to casual fans or those who are unfamiliar with the books. The characters are as strong as ever, and with an overt theme of duality, I have found most of it very intriguing.

The film shows fine photography and editing. Some scenes look made for 3D, but are never overly-gimmicky. Acting is as strong as ever, save for maybe one or two cheesy moments, but I was quite impressed with Emma Watson’s mad ability to mirror Helen Bonham Carter so well! I have no complaints about the writing. Production value looks strong, with plenty of solid sets, props, costumes, and wonderful special effects. Music is pretty decent (and often echoes John Williams’ original theme from the first couple of films).

Recommended, especially for fans of the series.

4/5 (entertainment: 4/5, story: 4.5/5, film: 4/5)

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Giant f***ing robots are coming!

"Transformers" 1986

Having never fully understood the original cartoons as a kid, this is probably the most dabbling I’ve done in the classic “Transformers” lore. Even to a noob like me, this film is pretty darn special. With an epic planet-sized transformer eating planets, a major Autobot-vs-Decepticon battle on Earth, an adventure across other planets, and a handful of significant character moments, I can easily see how this film could provide the ultimate experience for an 80s “Transformers” fan. It’s about as significant as comparing the “Star Trek” movies to the original series.

The story for this is pretty darn grand. For a casual viewer like myself, it takes on pretty silly proportions, especially with the inclusion of the Dinobots, some bizarre tribal robots who like to kill other robots for no reason, a trash planet filled with samurai-style robots who shout TV slogans, and God-knows-what-else. I could also criticize the movie for having only a few moments worth of human-based drama. And of course, the film deals so heavily with the established mythos of the cartoon series that it may alienate the uninitiated. Regardless, the story does have its bright moments, and is a good excuse to have a bunch of robots zapping each other.

The animation quality for this is fairly strong. It does show its limitations in regards to movements and designs, but the drawings are quite detailed and show phenomenal shadows, textures, and coloring. Voice-acting can be pretty dated and cheesy, but it does feature a surprisingly strong cast, with the likes of Robert Stack, Leonard Nimoy, Orson Welles, and Eric Idle in the mix. Writing is simple and straightforward. Music is very retro, for better or for worse.

Recommended for fans of the classic canon.

4/5 (entertainment: 4/5, story: 3.5/5, film: 3.5/5)

If you can find it, there is a region-free Blu-Ray available from the UK.  Aside from a number of specks and scratches, and some blurry/fuzzy scenes, it looks phenomenal, with excellent sharpness, clarity, and colors. Sound quality is pretty weak with the dialogue and sound effects, but okay with the music (I’m sure the soundtrack is limited at the source anyway).

Picture Quality: 4/5, Audio Quality: 3/5

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"Transformers" 2007

At the release of this film, 21 years have passed since the animated film came out. In all that time, we’ve seen two decades worth of cheesy action films, spirited adventures, imaginative sci-fi, and immense special-effects development. And with director Michael Bay fine-tuning his larger-than-life work style and sense of grandeur, it seems that cinematic fate has cumulated in the creation of this epic film. For fans of the classic cartoons or modern action junkies, the film delivers all the way; the action starts off strong and intense, and hardly lets up. Some scenes are quite awe-inspiring; the opening base attack, the highway chase, the city battle are among the best action scenes in any film. The scope and scale is impressive. The pacing is relentlessly fast. The humor is genuinely amusing and helps keep things light and fresh. It’s every bit as big, original, and entertaining as some of the best blockbusters out there, and I think one would be hard-pressed to be bored by it.

The story for this could probably be picked apart easily by the most critical viewers (it’s especially odd seeing a number of scenes turning from day to night in a matter of seconds). But if you’re able and willing to forgive the film for its faults, it is a decently-structured plot with a fine cast of characters. It’s pretty fun watching the film kick off with the relationship between a boy and his car; but heck, intergalactic robot war is pretty fun too.

The film has awesome photography; there must be thousands of gorgeous postcard-worthy shots throughout. Some scenes are a little shaky and editing is pretty darn fast; it might be a major turn-off for some folks, and I do believe it does make the actual transformers harder to see. But it is still mostly coherent, and helps keep the pacing up. Acting is…what it is. Shia LaBeouf borders on being annoying, but for his character it’s fitting. Megan Fox is a little iffy in this role, but she is a looker. I enjoy Josh Duhamel in his role; Tyrese Gibson and Zack Ward are pretty fun in their parts. I didn’t like John Turturro at first, but he grew on me. And of course, the voice-acting (including the talents of Peter Cullen and Hugo Weaving) is great. Production value is insanely high, featuring top-notch sets, props, costumes, and special effects; it’s also noteworthy for implementing a huge amount of authentic military hardware and real soldiers in action. Music is pretty darn cool too.

Recommended!

4.5/5 (entertainment: 5/5, story: 4/5, film: 4/5)

This Blu-Ray looks and sounds darn near perfect!

Picture Quality:  5/5, Audio Quality:  5/5

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"Transformers:  Revenge of the Fallen"

Customary to any sequel in a major franchise, the action must be bigger, badder, and more epic. The story has to broaden. The conflict has to be ramped up more than before. I don’t think anybody would argue that “RotF” fails in this field; the action is easily more impressive than the first film. From the incredibly massive chase scene in Shanghai to the epic finale in Egypt, the film takes us on an epic journey all over the world, blowing more s**t up, and causing unprecedented amounts of mass carnage! Entire highways are reduced to rubble, an aircraft carrier is ripped in half, the ancient pyramids are desecrated; these are incredible scenes that may never be topped (well, except for the next “Transformers” film).

This film has been panned by audiences and critics for a number of reasons though. In their efforts to make things bigger, fill up the film with shedloads of new ideas, and take the story to multiple locales, the filmmakers may have indeed neglected to make the story congeal and flow as properly as it should. Some folks claim that the film has no story, but that’s pure exaggeration; the story’s quite clear-cut to me, just too much all over the place. If they toned the story down and maintained a steadier focus, the story would have probably would have won more hearts. Not to mention the myriad of lesser nitpicks; one too many crude jokes, perceived plot holes and inconsistencies, questionable mythology, the twins, etc.

Personally, the issues regarding the story, humor, plot, characters, and everything else has never bothered me. If it wasn’t for the Internet, I might have never known this movie sucks! Suffice to say, none of this has ever hampered my enjoyment of the film, and it hasn’t affected my opinion of the plot. In my opinion, the plot works in its own inherent way. Just as a sequel should, it showcases the villains having their glory, while continuing the main character’s development. The film is admittedly overblown in a lot of ways, but I love it anyway.

Like before, the film has gorgeous picturesque photography and some very fast and hectic editing. Editing can be a little screwy, as certain shots are repeated or recycled from the first film. Altogether though, I think the action is better-framed and it’s much easier to see the robots than from the first film. Acting is about as strong or as weak as before; Shia LaBeouf is still semi-lovable and semi-annoying. I think Megan Fox puts on a stronger performance here (or perhaps is more likable, or else has more material to work with; either way, her presence is stronger). John Turturro, Josh Duhamel, Tyrese Gibson, Peter Cullen, and Hugo Weaving all return and are decent. Production value is still insanely high, with no expense spared on sets, props, costumes, special effects, or all the genuine military hardware and personnel on display. Aside from one or two iffy rock songs, the music is quite smashing.

Given all the hate this films receives, I can only recommend it as a rental.

4/5 (entertainment: 5/5, story: 3.5/5, film: 4/5)

This Blu-Ray shows some grain and noise during darker scenes, but is otherwise darn near perfect.  If you get the Walmart-exclusive Big Screen edition, you'll be treated with seeing the IMAX scenes at their full aspect ratio and with phenomenal resolution.  Aside from some low dialogue, the sound quality is great.

Picture Quality:  5/5,  Audio Quality:  4.5/5

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"Transformers:  Dark of the Moon"

As expected, “Transformers: DotM” showcases one of the most ambitious and epic finales of any film series. Even if you thought the action could never top the intensity or breadth of the first two films, “DotM” finally cuts to the chase and brings us all-out carnage! It’s pretty darn awesome watching the transformers duke it out in foreign lands and on the highways (in a scene which could possibly surpass the highway chase scene in the first movie), but the last hour or so is entirely devoted to a massive invasion where robots and ships are literally tearing the city up and brutally massacring each other. The ruined cityscapes are about as imaginative and artistic as what we see in the “Crysis 2” video game; the intensity and the stakes are about as high as what we see in a “Terminator” movie; the action is easily the best of the series. And with strong storytelling and cinematography, “DotM” easily bests most other alien invasion movies (especially following the releases of “Skyline” and “Battle: LA," both of which were rather dissapointing).

This movie may be overshadowed by the weaknesses of “Revenge of the Fallen,” but rest assured that the story for “DotM” is fleshed out way better. The conspiracies that are unveiled are quite sublimely integrated, and seeing them unravel feels like a refreshing revelation. The climax works very well to tie up the events of the first two films, and ultimately I feel that this movie incorporates a number of elements that may have been lost in the last film (namely, the ideas that the transformers are covert, the ideas that they are fighting for their way of life, and most importantly, the idea that they are fighting for freedom). As far as the human element goes, the story takes the franchise’s hero to his next logical step; all of this drama might test your patience a little (especially with so much hit-or-miss humor), but it all contributes to the amazing finale.

Cinematically, “DotM” shows excellent photography and editing; the shots are indeed prolonged and evenly-paced, allowing you to see the action much more leisurely than the last two hectic movies. The film has its share of wonderful scenery, but it feels rather drab and grim overall (which helps add a sense of doom and gloom; parts of this movie are rather scary). Acting is a mixed bag once again; Shia LaBeouf continues to be himself, for better or for worse. Rosie Huntington-Whiteley has a few weak moments, but I felt she was an ample replacement for Megan Fox. Patrick Dempsey is convincing as a jerk. Ken Jeong’s role was pretty darn wild, for better or for worse. John Turturro, Josh Duhamel, and Tyrese Gibson all return and are still great; Frances McDormand, John Malkovich, and Alan Tudyk are interesting additions. And of course, Peter Cullen, Hugo Weaving, and Leonard Nimoy are superb in their voice acting. Aside from using my least-favorite Linkin Park song, the music is great.

I’m not sure at this point if I’d rank this over the first film or not. But at the very least, I’d put them on the same level, and in time I’ll see which one I value the most.

Casually recommended!

4.5/5 (entertainment: 4.5/5, story: 4.5/5, film: 4/5)

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Gruß Gott!!!

After a rather stressful couple of weeks, I’ve taken a trip to Germany.  In my previous travels, I’ve visited Chiemsee, Frankfurt, Wiesbaden, Mainz-Kastel, and the Rhine river valley.  This time around, I have the opportunity to visit some areas I’ve never been to before; mostly in Bavaria.

To start with, I finally got the chance to see Neuschwanstein Castle.  Even if you’ve never heard of the place, chances are that you might have seen pictures of it on postcards, puzzles, desktop backgrounds, and the like; it’s one of the most popular castles in the world.  So popular, it provided the inspiration for the Disney castle.  Much like the Disney castle, Neuschwanstein is an impressively tall, handsome-looking building with tall turrets and spires.  As a relatively modern castle (only 142 years old), it’s still very much intact and clean.

From the nearby town, it takes 20-30 minutes to hike up a massive hill to get to the castle.  It takes even longer to reach the bridge where I took this picture (it’s a popular angle):



Neuschwanstein Castle!

Past the castle gates, there’s a nifty little courtyard with stairs leading up to a second courtyard.  Inside the castle, I had to traverse through three different spiral staircases to see the different floors and rooms.  Contrary to what I’ve heard before, I found the castle’s interior impressive.  The gilded throne room is gorgeous; all surrounded in gold with intricate and exotic wall, ceiling, and floor paintings.  At first glance it looked majestic, but as I examined the patterns and structures, I could easily see its Byzantine influence.  Throughout the rest of the castle, I got to behold a number of rooms with more intricate paintings, murals, designs, and wood-carvings.  It’s all especially interesting because, in accordance with King Ludwig II's obsession with fairy tales, the castle overall had a magical feeling, and every piece of art and architecture was homage to the tales of old.  There must have been at least a few different times when I spotted a reference to the Nibelungen legend.

The painted cieling of the Wieskirche.



In addition to seeing Schwangau, the tour also visited the Wieskirche (aka, the Church in the Meadow).  Of all the German churches I’ve seen, this one probably has the best, most intricate, and most beautiful interior artwork and architecture I’ve seen.

The next day, I took a visit to the Zugspitze.  It was a semi-comfortable 20-minute train ride to the top of the mountain.  It was a hot summer day when I started, but at the mountaintop, I was surprised when I saw snow on the ground and felt thin cold air going into my lungs.  The train stop itself provided ample opportunity for some very good pictures, but a cable-car provided access to the very top of the mountain.  The view was incredible; these might be some of the coolest pictures I’ve taken!



The view from Germany's highest mountain peak.


The last biggest highlight I had was visiting the Dachau concentration camp.  My parents tried to dissuade me from seeing this; I suppose it’s hard to articulate the exact reasoning behind seeing a place where thousands and thousands of people were brutally tortured and murdered.  I suppose I would chalk it up to a combination of morbid fascination, interest in WWII history, and a desire to feel inspired for my “Jaegermeister” novel (part of which may take place inside a concentration camp).  At the very least, I felt it was something I should experience at least once in a lifetime, to fully understand and appreciate just how harrowing and hellish the holocaust was.  Visiting the camp has exceeded all my expectations; the place is much bigger and more intact than I imagined it would be, and it’s loaded with informative displays and panels.  Walking through the camp, I definitely get a better feeling for how the place is laid out, how it would operate, and what kind of misery the people there would have gone through.  It is definitely a somber place and a sobering experience; I can understand that most sane people probably wouldn’t want to know about these kinds of places, but I believe it’s important to learn and understand the extent of the holocaust’s impact, so that such atrocities won’t be repeated.



Dachau.

On top of all that, I also managed to see some sights in Munich, Garmisch, Austria, Mainz, and Wiesbaden.  It has been a very full trip; I must have seen dozens of sights, sampled plenty of German food and beer, and taken hundreds of pictures.  I’ve also indulged in some shopping, including multiple cheap albums from fleamarkets (I was quite happy to find some albums from the German groups I’m interested in:  Die Boehse Onkelz, Die Toten Hosen, and Seeed.  I was also surprised to see that Weird Al Yankovic put out a new album; how the frakk could I miss that?!).  It’s all been very eventful and pleasing all at once.

This much-welcome break has ended, but I’ll be spending the next few days off, catching up with daily affairs, and maybe doing some more writing (finally).  For whatever reason, I started off a “Star Wars” novel while I was away; I’ve always wanted to do one, but never really had a good plot or original characters until now.  I’m not sure if it’ll ever be a fully-published official story, but it’ll at least be a fun bit of fan fiction.  I’m also evaluating “Der Jaegermeister,” and should be working on bunches of other projects.



Die Jaeger!!!



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Two Weeks of Heck

Throughout the first couple of weeks in this month, it’s felt like heck.  At the time I would have been tempted to call it Hell, but let’s face it, things could always be worse.

To start with, work has been quite hectic with personnel coming and going, policy changes, interoffice conflicts, and elevated workloads.  It’s certainly kept me busy most of the time.  Then, my car had an unexpected breakdown one morning.  As it turned out, my transmission had a malfunction, and was failing to engage the 3^rd and 4^th gears.  As a result, I would push on the gas and the engine would rev and rev and rev without going anywhere; it’s quite a frightening experience, especially when there’s other traffic around.  I also had a bit of a near miss, as a car tried to make a turn across my lane, forcing me to come to a screeching halt.  So with my car in the shop, I had to rely on other folk’s rides, and I had to comply with their schedules.  Ultimately, every day started to feel exhausting.

I’ll be taking a break from work for a while, and I will be grateful for the respite.

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Short Story: One Thousand Heartbeats (aka, Demise of the Sentinel)

          At the Aviton Elementary School, the police had established a perimeter.  Most of the building’s teachers and students had evacuated, and were waiting outside in organized formations.  They were all anxious and afraid; the teachers did their best to console the crying children, but some of them were weeping over the crisis as well.  As time passed, the children’s parents arrived at the scene, rushing to their aid frantically.

          Ten minutes after the evacuation, the Sentinel arrived.  Everybody recognized the hero, clad in his long leather jacket, wearing a metal helmet with a visor on his head.  Beneath the jacket, the Sentinel’s body was half-metal; his arms and legs were completely robotic, while cybernetic implants kept the vital organs in his upper torso protected beneath his remaining flesh.  Strengthened by these enhancements, the Sentinel was renowned for his speed, strength, and agility.  For the past ten years, he assisted in resolving over two thousand criminal cases.

          As soon as the Sentinel arrived, the crowd of children and adults applauded and cheered for him.  He walked through the police perimeter, and recognizing him instantly, the patrolmen let him pass without challenge.  Striding directly to the police chief, the Sentinel addressed coldly, “I am here.  What’s the situation?”

          The chief explained, “The station got an anonymous call at 10:36 today.  It was an automated message, so our dispatch almost dismissed it as telemarketers.  But every phone in the station rang with this same message, so we had no choice but to listen.  The message said that this school has a bomb in it.  There’s no indication of where it is in the building, or when it’ll go off, or anything! There are a number of goons inside the school; they tripped the fire alarms to start the evacuation, and once they had the building all to themselves, they fortified the hell out of it.  I’m guessing they planted the bomb once the building was clear.”

          “That wouldn’t make sense.  Why plant a bomb in an empty building?”

          “There is one child unaccounted for,” the chief replied, pointing to the other side of the police perimeter.  A couple looked at the Sentinel with desperate eyes; it was clear to him that it was their child at stake.

          “All this for a single child?” the Sentinel muttered to himself.

          Shrugging, the chief remarked, “Who knows what goes on in the minds of these wackos? If I had to take a guess, I’m thinking this might be the work of Ray Synche, the nutjob who tried to bomb City Hall.”

          “Synche may have the ability, but I can’t imagine he’d have any motive to bomb a school.  My instinct tells me that James Nevidan is behind this.  If so, then there could be much more to this than he’d have us believe.”

          “Why him?”

          “After foiling his attempted bank robbery, he might want to demand a ransom to make up for his losses.  At the very least, he may want retribution against me.”

          “Well, whatever the case is, we gotta act fast.  Listen, the bomb squad will be here any minute.  In order to get them in, we’ll have to get past the armed thugs first.  A firefight here in the street will be too dangerous, especially with all these kids behind the perimeter.”

          “You want me to take out the resistance first,” the Sentinel guessed.

          “Well, that would make our jobs a hell of a lot easier!”

          “Give me five minutes.”

          Turning toward the building, the Sentinel started walking toward it.  His visor emitted a scanning field that penetrated the walls.  With a direct connection to his brain, the visor allowed him to memorize the layout of the building, and where all his enemies were.  To reinforce his knowledge, the visor highlighted the floor plan and the positions of the henchmen.

          At the front windows of the building, a group of armed men broke the glass and aimed their guns at the Sentinel.  They were assault rifles:  a common weapon for street gangs and professionals alike, and they offered no clue as to who hired these men.

          Before the henchmen could open fire, the Sentinel launched himself toward the nearest window.  His cybernetically-enhanced legs propelled him through the opening at high velocity; his body slammed into the criminal standing there, pinning him to the floor.

          Panicked, the other thugs turned to the Sentinel and fired at him.  Dozens of bullets rained on him, but the Kevlar weave beneath his leather jacket kept him protected.  After punching the enemy he had pinned down, the Sentinel rushed into the nearest shooter.  His hands grabbed the enemy’s rifle; his mechanical fingers crushed the barrel and rendered the gun useless.  With a powerful jerk, the Sentinel shoved the butt of the gun against the attacker’s face, knocking him out.

          Moving to the next enemy, the Sentinel swung the broken gun like a club, and smacked the thug in the cheek.  The blow was strong enough to knock the man against the wall and knock him unconscious.

          Turning to the hallway, the Sentinel jogged deeper into the school.  Halfway down the corridor, another group of henchmen jumped out from an adjacent classroom and tried to ambush the Sentinel.  Sensing their attack, the hero jumped and closed the distance between him and his enemies.  Landing in front of them, the Sentinel punched the first enemy; his metal fist knocked the man out immediately.  The second enemy aimed his gun at the Sentinel’s gut, but the Sentinel threw his arm up and knocked the weapon out of his hands.  Kicking the man, he sent him sprawling into the henchman behind him, and both bodies tumbled to the floor.

          Further down the hall, more goons rounded the corner and dashed toward the Sentinel, bearing guns and knives.  From his jacket pocket, the Sentinel pulled out a small metal rod.  Twisting its shaft, the rod extended at both ends and became a staff.

          Two henchmen came at the Sentinel, slashing their knives at him.  With one stroke, the hero knocked both blades out of his enemies’ hands.  Twirling the staff, he knocked one enemy back and whacked the other in the side.

          Pushing past them, the Sentinel moved toward the gunmen.  They opened fire; the Sentinel’s visor calculated the bullets’ path and velocities, and inputted them to his brain.  To avoid the gunfire, the hero ducked and rolled, clearing the distance between him and his enemies.  Jumping up in front of his enemies, the Sentinel swung his staff and knocked the guns out of their hands.  Then, he jabbed at both enemies and knocked them to the floor.

          Rounding the corner of the hallway, the Sentinel sensed one more enemy.  He was a burly henchman wielding a minigun.  For a moment, the Sentinel wondered where these criminals would have gotten a hold of such a weapon; to acquire the gun, it would have taken more wealth and connections than a common criminal could afford.

          Once again, the Sentinel’s visor calculated the gun’s trajectories and rate-of-fire, and fed the information directly to his mind.  Instinctively predicting every bullet’s path, the Sentinel paced his stride and started swinging his staff.

          After warming up, the gun’s rotating barrels started spitting bullets at him.  The steady stream of fire lanced at the Sentinel; each bullet ricocheted off his staff as he twirled it.  Scores of bullets snapped at the staff and were deflected to the walls; large bullet holes exploded along the posters, lockers, and bulletin boards along the walls.  Only a few shots zipped past the staff, impacting harmlessly against his bulletproof jacket.  Unaffected by the gunfire, the Sentinel walked up to his enemy, deflecting bullets the whole way.

          When he was upon his enemy, the Sentinel whacked the enemy’s minigun with his staff, knocking it out of his hands.  With an upward swing, the Sentinel slammed the staff into the man’s jaw.  The painful attack made the henchman stagger and cry; the Sentinel hit him on the back of the head to knock him out.

          His visor indicated that all enemies were taken care of, and the hostage was being held in the school’s auditorium.  Walking to the end of the hallway, the Sentinel opened the doors and entered the large room.

          The Sentinel spotted the hostage on the stage ahead of him; it was a little girl no older than ten.  She was bound in a chair and connected to a large mechanism; the apparatus contained barrels of gasoline plastered together with C-4 explosives.  The Sentinel’s visor highlighted the presence of a radioactive isotope, and he feared this was a “dirty bomb.”

          Moving to the stage, the Sentinel reassured the weeping girl as he looked over the bomb.  He noticed that the straps holding the girl’s arms were directly wired to the bomb’s trigger; he could not risk moving the girl without setting off the bomb.

          Above the girl’s head, a monitor robotically extended out.  When the screen came on, James Nevidan’s face appeared.  The Sentinel recognized the wealthy gangster’s face from a number of previous encounters.

          Scowling, the Sentinel said, “I had a suspicion that this was your work!”

          James replied smugly, “I’m flattered that you recognize my work.”

          “What do you want?”

          “Revenge.  What else? Ever since you came to the scene ten years ago, you’ve been nothing but trouble for me and all the people I work for.  Just out of the blue, you got some fancy cyborg implants, and you think you can run this city?”

          “I don’t run it.  I protect it!”

          “We do too!”

          “What you did was mere racketeering!”

          “We maintained a balance on the streets.  You disrupted all of it; it’s because of you that we had to take serious measures! Every time we robbed banks, terrorized public offices, took hostages, it was all in reaction to your actions! You backed us into a corner, so we did what we could to survive.  We still won’t let you take our city!”

          “The city belongs to the people! Not to the mafia, gangs, or the Triads!”

          “But we’re the people too.  Who protects us?”

          At that time, the bomb squad entered the room.  Rushing to the stage, they immediately started looking over the bomb.

          Nevidan beamed, “Good, the gang’s all here, so we can get this party started! Listen carefully:  there is enough explosive power to level this entire city block, and shower radiation on the rest of the city.  Your bomb squad cronies should confirm this, so you know I mean business.”

          After examining the bomb, the squad leader confirmed, “It’s the real deal.  If we fail, we’ll all fry and take out everything around us.”

          Nevidan continued, “Told you so.  The bomb will go off if you try to tamper with it.  It will go off if you try to save the girl.  But more importantly, it will go off when this number reaches zero.”

          A single number appeared on the screen:  1,000.  Nevidan explained, “This clock is connected to the straps on the girl’s wrists, and are measuring her pulse.  It will count down with every heart beat.  The only way to disarm the bomb completely is to kill the girl.  There’s a little something under the chair to help with that.”

          “You’re asking me to murder an innocent child?” the Sentinel challenged.

          “It’s either that, or let the bomb go off, destroying you and everyone outside.  That is your choice.  It’s time to see how all those special supersoldier implants the Army gave you work in figuring this one out.”

          “How do you know about that?”

          “I got my connections.  Frankly, your origins are a minor detail; just keep in mind that I may leak out what I know to the press if you manage to walk out of this alive.  It’s a heck of a story, hearing about how an Iraq-war veteran with no arms or legs got these highly experimental implants that turned him into a rogue superhero.  But that story won’t nearly be as interesting as hearing how you murdered an innocent girl to stop this bomb from exploding.  There will be an uproar, you can count on that!”

          “I won’t kill this girl!”

          “Then you’ll all die.  No matter what you decide, you lose.”

          Nevidan ended the transmission, and the countdown started.  With each heartbeat in the little girl’s body, the number dropped at an alarming rate.  In the course of a minute, it plummeted from 1,000 to 915.

          The bomb squad wasted no time in working on the bomb.  They tested the machine’s panels carefully, trying to determine how it was rigged.  They didn’t dare take off its panels yet, fearing that the casing was directly connected to the trigger.

          While the squad examined the machine, the Sentinel watched the countdown.  As frightened as the girl was, her pulse raced, and the numbers continued to drop.  Trying to comfort the girl, he assured her, “Everything’s going to be all right.  We will get this bomb disarmed, and nobody has to die today.”

          Through her tears, the girl sobbed, “I’m scared.”

          “So am I,” the Sentinel admitted. “We’re all scared.  But together, we can work through this.”

          One of the bomb squad members cursed, and exclaimed, “This thing’s too tightly constructed! He’s got the casing rigged to the trigger!”

          The squad leader encouraged, “There has to be a way.  What about the straps on the girl?”

          Examining the straps, the policeman determined, “It’s a closed circuit.  If we break it, it will trigger the bomb.”

          Still crying the girl bleated, “I want my mom!”

          Glancing up, the Sentinel watched in panic as the counter dropped to 600.  Turning back to the girl, he assured, “Your parents are outside, waiting for you.  I will return you to them, I promise.  What’s your name?”

          “Emily,” the girl sobbed.

          “Well, Emily, you know who I am, right?”

          Nodding, Emily replied, “You’re the Sentinel!”

          “That’s right.  There hasn’t been a fight I haven’t won.  And I won’t lose you.”

          Feeling calmer, the girl smiled, and her pulse slackened.  The countdown slowed with it, remaining just over 500.

          Pulling out a small PDA, one of the bomb squad members asked the Sentinel, “Say, can your visor hook up to this? You could X-ray the machine for us.”

          The Sentinel nodded, and allowed the policeman to hook up the device to the side of his visor with a firewire.  Scanning the machine, the visor fed a full schematic of the machine’s circuitry to the PDA.  Examining it, the policeman said, “Just about everything here sets off the bomb.  Every panel and every wire makes a closed circuit that can’t be broken.”

          “Can’t we trick the machine into thinking that the girl is dead?” the squad leader asked.  Hearing the question, the girl cried again and her pulse skyrocketed.  The counter dropped to 350.

          “How do you expect to do that? We can’t remove these straps.”

          “There is no other way,” the Sentinel declared. “The bomb is only disarmed when the machine no longer feels the girl’s pulse.”

          “So what? Can’t we just fiddle with this thing, to make it stop feeling her pulse?” The policeman asked, touching the straps on the girl’s arms.  As soon as he tried to move the straps on the chair, the monitor flickered, and a red light blinked on the machine.  Everybody immediately backed away from it, fearing that the bomb would go off.

          “Don’t do that again,” the squad leader spat. “We can’t risk it!”

          200 heartbeats remained.  The Sentinel ordered, “There is no more time.  I have to do this.  Leave us.”

          Cursing the bomb squad leader had all his men leave the auditorium.  While they evacuated, the Sentinel reached beneath the chair and pulled out a case that was set there.  Opening it, he saw a syringe inside.  His visor indicated that it was filled with sodium thiopental, pancuronium bromide, and potassium chloride:  all the same compounds as used in lethal injection executions.

          As he took the needle in his hand, Emily cried even louder and pleaded, “Please don’t kill me! You promised to bring me back to mom and dad!”

          “I know.” Reflectively, the Sentinel added, “I think I made a promise, both to you and this city, that I simply can’t keep.  I have to do this, or else hundreds more people will die.”

          “I don’t want to die!”

          “I’m sorry,” the Sentinel stammered.

          As Emily wept heavily, her remaining heartbeats plummeted to 100.  With perhaps one minute left, the Sentinel brought the syringe to her arm.  His robotic hands trembled violently, and he started sobbing beneath his visor; it was as if his body was having a negative reaction to his own actions.

          With a deep breath, the Sentinel tried his best to choke down his tears and control his hands.  With a quick jab, he pierced the girl’s veins and injected the chemicals.  The girl cried harder, but her voice gradually fell silent.  Her brown eyes became glassy and vacant as her life slowly came to an end.  The Sentinel watched as the numbers on the screen crawled from 85, to 50, and then to 37.  When the girl’s pulse finally stopped, the counter showed 13.

          The Sentinel’s visor confirmed that the bomb was diffused; sensing no pulse from the girl, the power was shut off.  Ripping the straps off of the chair, the Sentinel lifted the girl’s limp body up and carried her out of the building.

          Stepping outside, the Sentinel was greeted with dreadful silence.  The crowd of children, parents, teachers, and policemen watched him as he descended the school steps with the dead girl in his cyborg hands.  Approaching the girl’s parents, he handed the body to them.  Wailing, they wretched the girl from his grasp.

          Suddenly, the crowd outside the perimeter erupted in mad shouting.  The policemen struggled to stop the mob from rushing forward and attacking the Sentinel.  In the midst of their angry cries, the Sentinel could hear accusations of “child killer,” “murderer,” “fiend,” and “villain.” Their violent fury intensified, and the crowd started throwing things at the disgraced hero.

          Emily’s mother started screaming at the Sentinel, “You murderer! How could you? You were supposed to save her!” She broke down in tears, cradling her dead daughter in her arms.

          Turning to the Sentinel, the police chief regretfully declared, “I’ve heard about what happened.  I’m sorry, but you’re under arrest for the murder of Emily Stanford.”

          “You know what happened, so you must know why I did it.”

          “Yeah, I know.  You may have saved the city, but the fact remains that you killed a little girl.  The law doesn’t have any exceptions, even if you are our hero.  I have to arrest you.”

          Regarding the outraged crowd and the approaching policemen around him, the Sentinel concluded, “It seems that James Nevidan has won; he has destroyed my reputation as this city’s Sentinel, and Aviton will belong to him and the Triads.”

          “Look, it doesn’t have to be this way,” the chief reasoned. “Get yourself a good lawyer, maybe they’ll cut you a deal, especially after the years of service you’ve done to this city!”

          “No.  All it takes is one innocent death to undo everything I’ve done before.  I have been beaten, and I am no longer a hero.”

          Violently surging forward, the crowd barged through the perimeter and charged toward the Sentinel.  The policemen at the perimeter were overwhelmed, and some were beaten down by the mob.  The men behind the perimeter aimed their guns at the crowd, but hesitated to fire; they were quickly swarmed by the crowd and shoved to the side.

          They circled the Sentinel, shouting at him and crying out for proper justice.  He brandished his staff, jabbing at the mob to keep them at a distance.  He twisted the shaft, and a blinding light shot out from the staff.  While the crowd was blinded and disoriented, the Sentinel darted back to the school building and scaled its wall.  With his cybernetic arms and legs, he was able to push himself far up the wall and grab onto the ledge of a second floor window.  Pushing himself up further, he made it to the roof, and started running.

          That was the last anybody ever saw the Sentinel.  News of him murdering Emily Stanford spread through the nation like wildfire; the hero was publically condemned and eventually forgotten.  The Sentinel abandoned his status as a hero, and returned to being a common citizen; one of many veterans with prosthetic limbs, and nothing more.  He watched solemnly as the crime syndicates of Aviton reclaimed their territory on the streets, solidifying their power and fortune.

          The incident would become known in the city’s history as the cause of the Sentinel’s demise.  Despite the outcome, the Sentinel never regretted his decision.

Copyright 2011 all rights reserved.

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