Tag: horse

Movie Round-Up: October 8th, 2010

Reviews

My Life as We Buried Secretariat to TakeSecretariat: (official site)

Another inspiring movie about a horse.  I’m sure it will be good.  It looks good.  But I’m just not going to spend $10 to see this in the theater.  However, the wife and I will happily watch it the minute it’s available on Netflix.

Life as We Know It: (official site)

Two people who don’t really get along find out they are the intended caretakers of their best friends’ child when the best friends die in a horrible car accident.  As they learn to raise a child, they also learn about themselves, and that maybe they get along after all.  Honestly, there is nothing surprising about these sorts of films.  Sure, they may have a particularly clever joke here or a particularly romantic turn of phrase, but you don’t go to these sorts of films for their originality.  You go because they are fun and make you feel good.  I got to see a screening of this a short while back, and I can say it delivers.  Personally, I’d say it’s worth a matinée price, but if these sorts of films are right up your alley, go ahead and see it.  It’s worth the money.

My Soul to Take: (official site)

Wes Craven.  I have loved, for one reason or another, every film that he has made.  So I’m sure I’ll love this too.  Plus, it’s horror.  In 3D.  If any movie earns my money this weekend, this might be it.  There is only one thing that could possibly stop me…

Buried: (official site)

… and that would be this film.  Not only am I a huge fan of Ryan Reynolds, but the mere idea of this film intrigues me.  Practically the entire film taking place inside a box where the main character is buried alive with a lighter, a knife and a cell phone.  I know plenty of people who can’t see this film.  Not won’t, but can’t.  They would have to leave from all the claustrophobic feelings.  But I want to see this.  I must see this.  Luckily for me, this weekend is my birthday, so I might just get what I want.

To Crush Your Enemies

Gaming

Mongol General: We have won again. That is good! But what is best in life?
Mongolian trainee: The open steppe, fleet horse, falcon on your wrist, wind in your hair!
 Mongol General: Wrong! Conan, what is best in life?
Conan: To crush your enemies, see them driven before you, and to hear the lamentation of the women!
Mongol General: That is good.
-exchange from Conan the Barbarian (1982)

Charlie, Keely and I used to get together at their house and play Risk. Except by luck of the dice, Keely always won. But over time Charlie and I got better at learning when to strike and where to fortify. Those days of gaming were good days. Risk was a good filler between days of AD&D and Top Secret.

Yesterday, a few gents from the ofasoft boards introduced me to the Conquer Club. Basically, its online Risk. You can play tradition board with sequential turns, you can play teams, you can freestyle the turns, or even play on one of numerous variant boards like Lord of the Rings, Discworld, USA Apocalypse, Russia, Canada, and more. If you join for free you can play in up to 4 games at once. If you buy a membership for $20 you can play unlimited games.

It has been a long time since I played Risk, so my skills are rusty. But its fun just the same. So if you like Risk but can’t always get people to play with you, sign up and maybe we will meet on the fields of battle.

Spring Forward

Random Thoughts

I really dislike Daylight Saving Time. Its just such a pain in the ass to remember to change all the clocks, or in the case of my cable, to wait until it updates itself, which always takes about two weeks. Considering that we aren’t at war, nor do we really need to adjust time to avoid brigands jumping out horse carts on the way to work, why can’t we just split the difference once, jump half an hour in one direction, and call it quits?

If I’m ever elected President, I think it will be one of my first actions in office.