Magicalbox.com

Blade Runner gets shit out on Prime

2025-08-26T10:33:00.001-05:00

Another favorite genre of mine is ready to get butchered on Prime. Apparently Blade Runner is set for a live actioin series to debut on Prime in 2026.

https://arstechnica.com/culture/2025/08/sequel-series-blade-runner-2099-set-to-premiere-in-2026/

I'd say that I can't wait, but I'm just sad. Hopefully it will be available somewhere else in time but for now, I'll have to just wait on catch previews. I just can't stand to send any more money that way and I won't watch the damn commercials.

Weapons

2025-08-16T21:53:00.002-05:00

I saw Weapons this past weekend and I can say that it was suprisingly not that bad. After seeing the previews I certainly had my doubts. It rambled a bit and has a few loose ends, but overall it was well done and sufficiently scary without being campy or overblown. Amy Madigan was spectacular as a new villian. I've liked her work since Streets of Fire and recognized her immediately. Julia Garner and Josh Brolin round out a great cast that keep you connected and wondering what will happen next. Highly recommended and worth the time invested. 8/10 👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍

The Amateur

2025-06-18T15:35:00.007-05:00

The Amateur was entertaining and worth the watch. Of course, it was predictable and cliche but still had a bit of a twist at the end and no big disappointments.

7/10 👍👍👍👍👍👍👍

Flora and Son

2025-01-15T10:10:00.004-06:00

Great uplifting film about connecting with your teenage son.

9/10 👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍

This is the series you're looking for...

2024-06-07T08:50:00.009-05:00

I've been looking forward to this series for a while. I'm afraid to read any articles for spoilers or even look at any reviews.

Screenrant has a good article on the use of the force and the Jedi Mind Trick.

https://screenrant.com/star-wars-first-jedi-power-dark-side-symbol/

Henry Sugar

2023-09-28T13:11:00.006-05:00

The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar is a delight.

10/10 👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍

Stranger Things Season 4, volume 2 review

2022-07-01T10:24:00.005-05:00

I'll be avoiding this review for a couple days while I catch up on season 4, volume 1 first. I have been reviewing season 3 the past couple days and I am ready to proceed into what I've been told is the best season yet.

Comingsoon.net gives this a glowing 9/10 review so check it out if you are ready.

Stranger Things Season 4 Volume 2 Review: The Series’ Best Effort Yet

Screenrant gets it

2022-06-08T09:42:00.004-05:00

I couldn't agree more. Leia had to be present for the story to have any clout.

Why Obi-Wan Kenobi Had To Have Young Princess Leia

Yellowstone Prequel coming soon...

2021-12-03T16:29:00.002-06:00

The new 1883 series on Paramount is a prequel to the popular Yellowstone series. Although I can't imagine there's much a connection aside from names. Still good to see a new western out there. Nice to see the ageless Sam Elliot crushing it as well.

Finch trailer out there

2021-09-21T11:31:00.007-05:00

Really excited about this one.

Edit: 👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍

New Rick and Morty stuffs

2021-06-22T12:29:00.002-05:00

New Rick and Morty season with some good additions from ScreenRant.

Pedro Pascal as Joel

2021-02-11T09:49:00.010-06:00

This is a great choice. Let's hope they do a good job on the movie now. I think a lot of people were disappointed with the sequel to the original game. I hope they change directions on the movie and give us something more like the first game. Although, I never finished the sequel, I thought what I played was still very good.

Looks like I'll have to dust off my PS controller and get busy. I think I have yet to complete Tsushima and hours of time to play Cyberpunk as well.

https://www.comingsoon.net/tv/news/1163398-pedro-pascal-joins-hbos-the-last-of-us-series-as-joel

Roman Holiday

2021-02-10T13:24:00.003-06:00

Do I really need to give a review for this movie? I found it just starting on Pluto the other day so I watched it again. It's such a great movie. I can't say enough about the whole deal. I just wish I could go back in time to see it when it was released. That and to be able to visit these places the way they were back then. I can't help but think that it's all gone now. Or at least not as pure as they were back then. Maybe that's just the cranky old man in me.

(10/10)👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍

Cinema will never die!

2021-02-01T13:33:00.005-06:00

Steven Spielberg pumping up my AMC stock 😀

https://www.empireonline.com/movies/features/steven-spielberg-empire-cinema-will-never-die/

Black Mountain Side

2021-01-25T16:02:00.010-06:00

You know, I will never understand movies that have a good plot, are well written (kinda), well acted (kinda), well conceived, and even produced well on a low budget, but then they just end. It's almost like they have some kind of notion that if we just end it suddenly, it's some how "artsy" or something. There's nothing arty or dramatic about movies that just end. It's just stupid. It doesn't leave some kind of aura of deep thought in the viewers head, it just makes them angry and not enjoy the movie.

I saw Black Mountain Side on Prime and thought it looked promising. I was surprised that I had not heard of it before since it seems like the type of movie I watch a lot - I'm a big fan of "The Thing" (1982). So, I can only give it up to the Amazon matrix on why I haven't seen it before. Perhaps the budget wasn't there to promote it properly, who knows.

I watch a lot of movies with an ending always playing around in my head and I usually get pretty close by the time the credits roll. Not with this one. Well, I was close but then they seemed to just pull the plug. Maybe they ran out of money? Please, next time, do us all a favor and wrap things up nicely. Even if you are planning some kind of sequel, it's just common courtesy to at least give us a fade away.

The movie starts a little slow but very similar to The Thing with the isolation and cold but with a nice twist. It makes you start to think about nature, history, even cosmic or otherworldly. There is some good well thought out background on native cultures and anthropological groundwork laid out. Then things get gritty in a sort of Lovecraftian Native American sort of way and you start taking sides and cheering for different people. Then it ends. There is no final thought, explanation, wrap up scene, nothing. Not even an eerie fade away.

(7/10)👍👍👍👍👍👍👍

Wolfwalkers

2021-01-23T11:26:00.005-06:00

I watched Wolfwalkers over the holiday and I was instantly impressed. The theme of the entire movie is incredible. I love the attention to details in the drawing. The characters are all unique, fun, and so enjoyable to watch. The story moves along and keeps you glued to the screen.

It's easy to see why this gets a solid 99/100 score on the Tomato-meter. Highly recommended - a howling good show.

(10/10)👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍

Google Domains

2015-06-22T10:52:00.001-05:00

Looks like Google is jumping into the domain registrar business. I imagine I'll be transferring off Godaddy as mine come up for renewal.

https://domains.google.com

More tiny flying robots!

2014-08-05T15:26:00.002-05:00

This is just incredible. Only a matter of time before I have my own flying GoPro to follow me on my long runs. Of course, so will everyone else.

http://www.businessinsider.com/harvard-robobees-closer-to-pollinating-crops-2014-6

Outrunner Running Robot

2014-05-12T10:57:00.003-05:00

Pretty cool stuff.

Kickstarter campaign

Nest Protect Is A $129 Smoke And Carbon Monoxide Detector That Takes Nest Deeper Into The Connected Home [feedly]

2013-10-10T09:50:00.000-05:00

Nest Protect Is A $129 Smoke And Carbon Monoxide Detector That Takes Nest Deeper Into The Connected Home
http://techcrunch.com/2013/10/08/nest-protect-is-a-129-smoke-and-carbon-monoxide-detector-that-takes-nest-deeper-into-the-connected-home/

via feedly.com

The first flexible, fiber-optic solar cell that can be woven into clothes | ExtremeTech

2012-12-07T09:53:00.001-06:00

It's just a matter of time.

The first flexible, fiber-optic solar cell that can be woven into clothes | ExtremeTech:

Incredible Robotic Dragonfly

2012-11-07T09:36:00.004-06:00

Robotic researchers at Georgia Tech have created a wonderfully scary robotic dragonfly. I have always loved flying my mini-helicopter around the house but it is difficult to fly and the battery only lasts a few minutes, tops. This appears to be the answer to all the problems.

Just imagine the endless number of uses. Police and Fire departments, sporting events, photography, even the military (imagine pinpoint drone attacks where NO innocent civilians are hurt) could benefit from such technology.

Yes, the good always comes with the bad. You can imagine just as many bad uses for such a device. But let's face it, if we always focus on the bad things, we are destined to a life of suffering and disappointment.

Read all about it here at Tech Crunch.

Review: Apple's iPad mini

2012-11-06T11:16:00.002-06:00

I think I'll just upgrade my phone instead. I just can't see the need for a tablet when you have all that in your pocket.

Nice review from Apple Insider.

Apple's new iPad mini is likely to become its most popular iPad, due to a light, thin design that delivers tablet optimized apps in a more portable package at a reduced price.

What is the iPad mini?

Apple's new iPad mini, at first glance, appears to be an attempt by the company to annex the only portion of the tablet market it doesn't already own: the niche between the new 4-inch iPod touch and the full sized, 9.7-inch iPad.

Amazon, Google and a variety of other Android licensees have attempted to establish a position in 7-inch tablets that they can use to grow upward (and in some cases downward) in size. To many observers, the iPad mini is simply following this trend, albeit with a significantly more expensive entry point.

Apart from price, critics are also complaining that the iPad mini lacks the high-end Retina display of the latest iPad 3 and 4 (and Apple's most expensive new MacBooks, and all models of iPhone and iPod touch currently being sold).

However, looking at the iPad mini as a low end, 7-inch rival is just as misleading as the perspective of those who saw the original iPad as a poor netbook option saddled with such flaws as not having a physical keyboard or mouse and lacking the ability to run conventional desktop apps. People who thought that in 2010 were blindsided by the success of the iPad and the collapse of netbook sales.

Similarly, the iPad mini is not a cheap, low end tablet trying to establish the first rung of a new platform by stretching some existing smartphone apps across a larger screen.

Instead, it's a reinvented iPad, designed to be as thin as the company's newly released, 4-inch iPod touch and iPhone 5 while running the full library of tablet-optimized App Store titles (and a wide array of custom corporate apps being used in government and the enterprise) that fill out Apple's full sized iPad ecosystem.

iPad mini: a new form factor of iPad

Most of the critical engineering decisions Apple made in the design of iPad mini were clearly aimed at delivering a functional and popular mobile device, not just a very low priced one.

Apple could have reached lower into the bargain bin to give it A4 "celeron" power, created an entry point offering a paltry 8GB of storage, or relied on other OEMs to crank out a generic, thick slab of plastic and simply label that product with the sales power of its "iPad" brand, all of which are commonplace practices in the tech industry.

On the other hand, Apple could have sourced a mini-sized iPad Retina Display, paired it with its new A6X processor and 128GB of storage, and sold it to a few million people who would pay anything (probably around $1200) to have the latest iPad device.

Instead, Apple gave the iPad mini specs comparable to iPad 2, but reduced in size. This reduction sheds a lot of weight (from 1.33 lbs or 601 grams to the iPad mini's 0.69 lbs or 312 grams). In addition to its new thinness and more hand-friendly rounded rectangle shape (shown below, next to iPad 3 and iPhone 4S), this huge weight reduction makes iPad mini far more portable.

It's still too big to stick in your jeans pocket (a smartphone level of mobility that Steve Jobs said no tablet could realistically offer), but it's effortless to hold or carry around. It's a very different kid of iPad experience. It makes full-size iPads feel clumsy and heavy in comparison.

In addition, the new iPod touch/iPhone 5 body style of the new iPad mini also makes it easier to hold, and its two-thirds size makes it both easy to grab in one hand and much less of a stretch to thumb-type or play games on when held in landscape orientation.

It feels a lot more like a "big iPod touch" than the full sized iPads, but this comes at a cost: the screen is scaled down. Text on the screen is smaller, but interestingly, the title bar and lock screen text and graphics that appear about 60 percent smaller than other iPads is now about identical to the size of those elements on the iPhone. This evokes memories of lugging around a 17-inch MacBook Pro until realizing that, if you can get the same resolution in a smaller, lighter machine, why wouldn't you?

Which smartphone system is right for you?

2012-11-05T16:56:00.003-06:00

I am waffling on changing phones right now. Here is a nice little guide.

Which SmartPhone To Choose

Google News refresh places Google+ at centre

2012-05-06T09:41:00.001-05:00

Google News refresh places Google+ at centre: Google News is undergoing a makeover and has embedded content from Google+, its new social network, into its refreshed look.