Indiana Jones at the Discovery Science Center: Part 2

You Choose Wisely!

Thanks for returning for Part 2 of my Pictures from the Indiana Jones Exhibit from the Discovery Science Center currently in Orange County CA.    Thanks for Hanging in there.

"Snakes Why did it have to be Snakes"

 

Pages from the Grail Diary

King Arthur: Go and tell your master that we have been charged by God with a sacred quest. If he will give us food and shelter for the night, he can join us in our quest for the Holy Grail. 

French Soldier: Well, I'll ask him, but I don't think he will be very keen. Uh, he's already got one, you see 

Sorry wrong movie

 The least favorite Indy movie---Still has some cool props

Mutt's Motorcycle

 

Actual artifacts from some actual digs 

It's only a model

Area 407 7 out of 10

Area 407  7 out of 10

The found footage film is now a genre.   The trail was blazed by the overrated and dull Blair Witch project in 1999  3 out of 10  (which was a big financial success--despite sucking)  and later by such films as Paranormal Activity --another  overrated film (that spawned a successful franchise).    This genre got the big budget treatment and good film out of Cloverfield in 2008 where we only got glimpses of the giant Godzilla like monster.   This is a low budget version of that style that was actually pretty interesting for what it was.  It basically follows this 2 teen girls on a plane flight home for the Holidays that goes terrible wrong.   They of course are filming the whole thing which includes a plane crash onto a government test area that happens to have a creature that kills people.   This low budget ---don't show you the creature lost footage worked for me in a way that Blair Witch and Paranormal Activity did not.  The main problem with Blair Witch was not only did they not show you anything --but there was nothing to hear to scare you as well.  Blair Witch 3 out of 10  was so over hyped that when I saw it I almost walked out of the theater it was so bad.  This movie had a good use of sound....something that Blair Witch was lacking.... Maybe it was just the fact that I had never heard of the film when I DVR'd it off of Chiller TV....Maybe if this movie had been hyped like both Blair Witch or Paranormal it would have been a dud as well,  but I was actually surprised by and enjoyed this movie to a certain extent.  I even liked the ending which although it was very predictable---was perfect for the film.

Doom 2005 7+ out of 10

Doom  2005    7+ out of 10

Based on the first person shooter video game of the same name....this action adventure sci-fi film stars The Rock.......and he is cooking up some video game style action.    This is the perfect kind of movie for The Rock's talent --kick ass action Arnold style. The movie is thin on plot which consists of  some space marines  (a direct rip-off of Aliens)  being sent to  investigate events at a government outpost on Mars.    Things on Mars are not going to well and the marines must take out a bunch of genetic mutants video game style and make sure that they don't get through a Stargate like portal back to Earth.   It is a good film action packed film that takes place mostly in the dark with the mutants unseen for a major portion of the film  trying to draw on the typical Alien movie wannabe Horror device of tension of the unseen.   It works fairly well as the marines are snatched and attacked in the dark  The best part of the movie came near the end in an exciting recreation of the game sequence that played out just like the game.
It is no Aliens.....but one of the better Alien rip-offs out there.

12 Disasters of Christmas 2012 4 out of 10 (Christmas Gone Wrong Part 6)

The 12 Disasters of Christmas 2012   4 out of 10

Christmas Gone Wrong Part 6.. 




Now I've seen everything......On Christmas Eve in a small town the world is about to end.....And the song the 12 days of Christmas is actually a retelling of a Mayan  end of days story.   Well the end of days have arrived and a young teenager is apparently the chosen one that can stop it.....if she can gather up 5 golden rings hidden in the small town for some reason.   The disasters are cheesy, and there is a villain that is convinced he must kill the girl to save the world.   The movie stars Magda Apanowicz (previously of Caprica and another Christmas gone wrong movie  Snowmageddon)   
http://bradgeekness.blogspot.com/search?q=Snowmageddon

The movie is pure cheese....but I give it a few points for trying to turn this concept into an ill conceived plot.    Who doesn't want to see a Christmas movie about the end of the world???  Right?

A random thought that crossed my mind while watching this barely watchable bad Si-Fi movie..."Wouldn't it be cool if you were Bill Gates rich to have a collection of movie props from cheesy Sci-Fi movies".   There was this goofy Mayan compass in the film that if I had a cheesy movie museum would be a great piece for the collection.

Holiday in Handcuffs 2007 4 out of 10 (Holiday Movies:# 1)

Holiday in the Handcuffs  2007    4 out of 10

Melissa Joan Hart kidnaps Mario Lopez for the holidays in this not so believable Christmas movie.  In a movie like this you have to at some point buy into the silly unbelievable story in order to enjoy it.....I never did.   In Harry Potter you have to believe in a world where magic is possible  (I'm all in) . In Star Wars that there are thousands of worlds with different creatures  (I can follow you there)   But in this Christmas movie I never bought into Mario Lopez  being a reluctant holiday companion.   He  never tries hard enough to escape and the love story just doesn't seem to have any legs.   The premise should have lent itself to funnier situations , but the movie just falls flat.   It just becomes a standard Holiday love story.  In a month of standard holiday movies this film just gets lost in the shuffle. 

Indiana Jones at the Discovery Science Center: Part 1

When I heard Indiana Jones was coming to the Discovery center I was excited.   I'd heard about the exhibit when it was in Canada and was hoping that it would make its way to the Los Angeles/Orange County area eventually.    

The Holy Grail!!!!!

The Sankara Stones!!!!

The Ark!!!!

I was so there.  

Up first Raiders of the Lost Ark

Indy's outfit

The exhibit included an audio tour and video displays along with the movie props.  There was also an interactive adventure for the kids

Here is some Indy Concept art

"Throw me the Idol,  I'll throw you the whip"

The ark

Props from the Marion's bar

The Headpiece

Temple of Doom

Anything Goes Concept art

Club Obi Wan outfits

Mola Ram's Headdress

"It's only a model"

 The Stones

Fortune and Glory

 Coming up in part 2    The Last Crusade and Crystal Skull