Where's My Head At

Cineplex - DO BETTER - Your Movies are WAY TOO LOUD

2026-07-29T09:02:05.241-04:00

Dear SilverCity Customer Service, I am writing to express my frustration regarding my recent movie-going experiences at your theatre. Unfortunately, this is the second consecutive visit where the movie volume was so excessively loud that it significantly detracted from the experience. During my most recent visit to see The Odyssey last evening, I measured sound levels of approximately 90 dB using a sound meter app. Sitting through nearly three hours at that volume was not only uncomfortable but also concerning from a hearing health perspective. I now feel compelled to bring earplugs to every movie simply to avoid potential hearing damage, which should not be necessary in a cinema. I would appreciate an explanation as to why movies are presented at such extreme volume levels. Is there a technical standard or company policy that requires this? I genuinely do not understand why the sound needs to be so loud. Because of this issue, I have almost completely stopped going to the movies. I now attend perhaps one or two films a year, despite previously enjoying the theatre experience. The people I attended the screening with last night shared the same opinion—that the volume was uncomfortably and unnecessarily loud. I hope you will take this feedback seriously. I believe many patrons would enjoy the cinematic experience more if the sound were reduced to a comfortable level without sacrificing the impact of the film. I would appreciate a response explaining your theatre's approach to sound levels and whether this issue is being considered. Thank you for your time.

Some of My Favorite Photos of the North Shore Region

2026-07-10T15:50:07.227-04:00

Welcome Islands (Thunder Bay off in the Distance)

MacKenzie Falls - Shuniah

Prince Arthur's Landing Sunrise - Winter

Kakabeka Falls

Battle Island Light House - Rossport

High Falls - Pigeon River Border

Swing Bridge - Kaministiqua River

Sleeping Giant - Winter

Camp Life - Pass Lake

Lupins - Chippewa Sandy Beach

Spring Fowl

Fishing Boat with Bike - Silver Islet

High Falls - Pigeon River - Winter

Lake View atop Sleeping Giant

General Store - Silver Islet

Sea Lion - Sibley Provincial Park

At Anchor - Slate Islands - Rossport

Aguasobon Falls - Terrace Bay

Eagles - Kakabeka

High Falls - Autumn

Thompson Island Anchorage

Sleeping Giant - Sunrise

Bella - Lake Superior

Watched It Somewhere Near Greenland, Forgot It Somewhere Near Ireland

2026-06-11T15:06:11.670-04:00

I was reluctantly pulled back into the Krasinski universe of Jack Ryan. I enjoyed the TV series well enough, thanks in large part to supporting players Wendell Pierce and Michael Kelly, who do much of the heavy lifting here too.

Unfortunately, Ghost War feels like a "the gang's all here" reunion more than a standalone film. The whole thing has the compressed feel of a television season squeezed into two hours, rushing through plot points that might have had room to breathe in episodic form.

It's perfectly watchable, but never quite finds its own identity. Krasinski ends up stranded somewhere between James Bond and Ethan Hunt—competent enough, but lacking the charisma, style, or spectacle to stand alongside either.

That said, I watched it on a flight somewhere over the North Atlantic, probably not far from Greenland, and that may be the ideal venue. It's exactly the kind of movie that makes a few hours disappear at 35,000 feet without demanding much of your attention. By the time the plane lands, you've mostly forgotten it—and that's not necessarily a criticism.

2025-12-22T10:11:00.003-05:00

Netflix cracked the Hallmark Christmas movie code — and somehow broke the mold while they were at it. I loved this.

Yes, yes… my half-Italian bias is definitely showing, but still: Christmas in Rome is a Hallmark-style movie that isn’t made by Hallmark, and that alone feels like a small miracle. It walks a familiar path without blindly following the checklist we’ve all grown used to playing bingo with.

The characters are believable, the charm feels earned, and the film smartly dances around the usual clichés instead of tripping headfirst into them. I kept holding my breath, waiting for the inevitable “Hallmark misunderstanding” — the one that sends the newly star-crossed lovers spiraling apart until the final 10-minute reconciliation.

It never fully goes there. And for that, I was genuinely delighted.

Quite possibly my new favorite Christmas movie. 🎄

-follow me on Letterboxd!

https://letterboxd.com/s0bad/

The Secret of Secrets is your next Page Turner

2025-12-02T10:53:00.000-05:00

A surprisingly refreshing return to the Robert Langdon universe. After finding the post–Da Vinci Code sequels only “fine,” this one felt like a genuine rejuvenation of the character. Dan Brown strikes a better balance of adventure, history, and pacing, with far less of the usual “I’m Robert Langdon — the expert!” energy. The real cleverness is in shifting the emotional focus to the secondary character, letting Langdon support rather than dominate. It makes the story feel fresher, tighter, and more engaging than the last few outings.

Running Man meets 1984

2025-11-19T09:24:00.003-05:00

Is it good? Yes.
Worth seeing in a theatre? Absolutely.
Am I familiar with the 80s Arnie movie? Yep.
Does it compare? Not really—this is its own thing.
Have I read the book? Not yet.

Edgar Wright’s adaptation is tight. Exposition lands cleanly, and the pacing never drags. Glenn Powell is perfectly cast as the relatable everyman, Lee Pace is straight-up kick-ass, and Josh Brolin brings a charismatic charm to a very likable “bad guy.”

PMG’s 80s version took huge swings—because it was the 80s. Wright’s take is far more grounded, which somehow makes it even eerier because it gets so many details uncomfortably right. Will this version hold up in 20 or 30 years? Hard to say—but the future feels close enough that it might.

I got shades of Children of Men and Andor in the bleak, bureaucratic hellscape of the co-ops. What really struck me was how much of the movie happens in broad daylight. I’ve walked grey, empty big-city streets in the fall, and it was easy to imagine this world bleeding into ours.

The “future tech” is refreshingly understated. Nothing glossy or over-designed—more knobs and tactile hardware, with the occasional SpaceX-style sleekness sprinkled in. Nothing felt sensationalized.

What did stand out was the frictionless TikTok-style social media layer. It’s disturbingly natural—everyone casually participating in tracking and identifying runners. It’s 1984 meets influencer culture: a surveillance state turned up to 11, not through force but through engagement and normalization.

On the surface, it’s a fast-paced action romp. Beneath that, it’s a sharp commentary on the near future—one we’re inching toward if we’re not paying attention.

I’m looking forward to reading Stephen King’s novel, written over 40 years ago, to see how his nightmare stacks up against today’s world. And I’ll definitely be rewatching Wright’s version to catch the little nods and Easter eggs I know I missed.

Greyhound

2023-02-24T10:19:00.006-05:00

They did it!

I was just having a conversation about the state of films and how everything needs a crazy exposition or twists and turns.

I've been beating the drum that we need 'sometimes' to be given a bare bones story. "Here's the plot laid out in the first few minutes... character x needs to accomplish y. Go!"

Audience now on edge of seat/couch glued to screen to see if character can pull it off.

Done.

This Tom Hanks character is a first time captain charged with escorting a convoy. Guard it against u-boats across the Atlantic to supply the war effort. Will he succeed?

Bravo! You did Apple! Tight one act story full of action!

Did Some Great Waterfall Chasing

2022-05-19T10:13:00.001-04:00

Managed to put on some miles this past weekend. My foray into the USA since the pandemic, then north of Thunder Bay to Terrace Bay. For more: @thunderbaylandscapes on Instagram, of ThunderBayLandScapes on Facebook

City Of Thunder Bay Bus Art

2022-03-15T14:10:00.005-04:00

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A post shared by Thunder Bay Landscapes (@thunderbaylandscapes)

Best Free Recording Software for your Kitchen Studio - Protools First with Mbox 2 Mini

2021-04-08T16:16:00.005-04:00

So finally after a few years of pushing Protools 8 on an older Windows 7 computer with an Mbox2 Mini, I made the jump to Protools First. I had tried casually a few times last year to see if I could use 'First' but ran up against problems with legacy drivers for Mbox.

I just wrapped up production on my latest project (https://cosmicseam.bandcamp.com) and really noticed my trusty PT 8 wasn't cutting the mustard. The production sounded good, but I finally decided now was the time. I debated whether buying new hardware and interface would be the best solution, but it came with a price tag I just can't afford. I am after all just a 'kitchen studio' writing and recording songs for the pure love of it.

Free 99.99 was the goal and last night I succeeded! So the Achilles heal to this is the driver for the Mbox. If you're not careful you will BSOD your Windows 10. I'm currently on 2004. I did a scratch install of Protools First on a laptop with Windows 10 1903 and it worked and the Windows Update surprisingly found the driver. However on a anything newer than 1903 there's a major issue with the driver.

So "robertomurta" in the Avid forums found a work around to install a specific driver set with instructions here: https://duc.avid.com/showthread.php?p=2595552

Prior to finding this gem of a resource I managed to Blue Screen my newer PC 2x. Luckily I had created restore points prior to installing and was able to recover both times.

So a night of installing to my 'better' Windows 10 PC and I managed to fully jump from Protools 8 to Protools First. My first impressions on First is so far are really good. It's free 99.99! The new Expand 2 plugin samples are sounding awesome! I managed to get my old Radium 49 Keystation working flawlessly. The only thing missing from First is the Eleven Rack guitar amp simulators. But those weren't great in the old version, so using an Orange Micro with the headphone out seems to work nicely to give my guitar tracks a better sounding guitar amp.

Get That Kodak/Fuji Film Look Within Your Nikon Camera Using Picture Control Editor

2021-01-25T11:58:00.003-05:00

I was tired of spending time in Lightroom post processing my images to look like ‘film’. I spent a lot of time creating a preset in Lightroom to try and make my photos look like National Geographic . On a side note when I was a child we had a subscription to NG and I’m sure that had some impact on me and why I like photography so much. But I digress.

It felt like work after spending hours in nature shooting then coming home to the daunting task of culling, then processing all my photos that were shot in RAW.

I was in the deep end of thinking I had to shoot RAW to get the best amount of data in my file rather than a pleasing picture. I subscribed to the ‘make it the best after you shoot’ method. This literally would take hours of touching up and tweaking in Lightroom.

I found some articles and forum posts that led me to: https://nikonpc.com/ - a site that someone created and uploaded Nikon profiles that mimic all our favorite film stocks.

You simply browse the examples and download the ones you want to try. Copy the file to your SD card then load it into your camera. VOILA! Film stock settings that manipulate the color definitions, contrast sharpness etc.

Now you have more options besides (vivid, portrait etc) in your camera.

It shoots only JPG with these profiles – but I think that’s a positive as it saves space.

The other great thing as well is with the newer Nikons (like my D5600) is SNAPBRIDGE. Snapbridge now allows me to connect to my camera to my phone and grab a copy of the pictures which I can then easily put into Instagram and Facebook. I think for this point in time I’ve learned what I can from Lightroom and I just want to spend more time shooting and less time editing. Let me know if you have any questions in the comments. Hope this helps those film enthusiasts that shoot digital! Don't forget - you can now order my prints or canvas at my store: https://adamsabaz.darkroom.tech

Ice Skating on a Frozen Pond

2021-01-06T10:00:00.001-05:00

Learning some lessons from my first use of my new camera stabilizer, I made some corrections to my setup and took the ice with my kids skating outside. The park we skated at is a very scenic spot surrounded by mature trees and monuments. I swapped out my Tamron with my less heavy kit lens, went full manual and well, I think it went pretty good! Still have to tweak and nail down exposure via shutter settings but overall I'm very pleased with this little project.

Morning Sunrise Content Creation Project

2020-12-29T10:34:00.004-05:00

Got my self a camera stabilizer and had the opportunity to try it out. There was a bit of learning curve and I definitely will be taking a lost from this initial test. The main takeaways:

-my Tamron lens is just too heavy and i'll have to use my kit lens
-the heavier lens also forced me to slot the camera in slightly off balanced position so all my shots appear to swoosh up a bit-Aperture priority just won't cut it in low light situations, will need to go full manual to avoid the compensations

A Quick Tutorial On Long Exposure Photography

2020-11-07T22:19:00.001-05:00

A nice little video I made with some one of my favorite musical pieces. I explain my workflow for long exposure photography - using an ND filter to knock down the amount of light hitting the lens so the camera has to keep the shutter open for longer. In this case about 20 seconds.

Sailing The North Shore of Lake Superior

2020-08-18T19:26:00.000-04:00

A Case For Shooting In Aperture Priority Mode

2020-07-17T21:23:00.006-04:00

I've really enjoyed shooting these past few months with my Nikon D5600. I proved to myself that yes - i can shoot in manual mode but have finally told myself that it's okay to shoot in AP. I used to think it was cheating or being lazy. Truth be told - it is way easier and I've shot some of my best stuff lately in AP and really started enjoying the art of photography again.

Skating In Thunder Bay

2020-07-04T00:24:00.001-04:00

What an awesome group of people running the Eclectic Skate Shop and Skate Park. After introducing myself they let me photograph a session. It was so great to reconnect with skateboarding again.

Short Film - Somewhere in Nothern Ontario

2020-05-26T07:54:00.002-04:00

Hiking About Silver Islet

2020-05-25T17:33:00.001-04:00

Spent a few days with my good friend Ken out at Silver Islet. We hiked around the tops of the mountains around the shore and down by the water's edge.

Fly Fishing Day 6

2020-05-05T13:24:00.002-04:00

I've had some time to think about what happened. I drive through the 'quit' and jump online to order another fishing rod. I'm able to get it the same day and delight at sitting outside in the sun assembling it. Applying my knot skills rejuvenates me and I'm excited again to hit the rivers.

I meet up with my friend (social distance observed of course) and the river is very busy with people. The escape into the woods feeling I've enjoyed the past week is now gone and I'm feeling anxious with the amount of anglers in the river. There's no more sense of isolation here. It feels like a live fish market with everyone standing in a line of sorts trying to catch their dinner for tonight.

The time has come and the Steelhead are running this river now. I don't need to spend too long around a popular pool to see someone pull in a nice fish, take a picture and put it back in the water. I'm now convinced I will be catching a Steelhead this evening.

We try a few spots up river for a while and catch only snags. There is an unpleasant vibe as anglers young and old are walking up and down the trails scoping each other trying to see where the fish might be. It's all very competitive now. We make it back down to the 'pool' and claim a spot along the bank just below a set of rapids. In the span of about 40 mins 3 anglers have caught and released 5 Steelheads mere yards from me. I'm anxious and envious. Why aren't they going after my bait?

It's starting to get late and the anglers start to pack up and head home. Not me though - I'm determined. It's approaching 10PM and I can barely make out my line in the water now - but I have the whole area to myself. In a obsessive meditated manner I'm casting and reeling over and over - convinced I'll get a bite. How can I not? I'm in the exact spot others have reeled in fish just an hour ago using similar bait. What. The. Hell. The fish God's I guess haven't accepted me as a fly fisherman, unworthy of my conquest to land a fish. That's all for tonight. Another fruitless attempt.

Fly Fishing Day 5

2020-05-02T10:49:00.001-04:00

Day 6 Saturday morning 8:30 a.m. It is 3ﾟC and the Sun is shining.It's going to be a beautiful day. I'm heading out of town to the McKenzie River. I've never fished here before and I'm excited to discover a new area. I've brought my camera along as well as I'm sure there will be something to to shoot.

The drive is quiet and peaceful. I find the bridge that I had scoped out earlier in the week and choose to see what's on the right side. It's challenging to get down the bank through the trees, shrubs and boulders, but it's magnificent! From the road the bridge is unassuming. But from this vantage point it is a thing of wonder. This concrete arched bridge is colossal. I take in the sight, the sounds and snap a few pictures. The water is raging and I cans sense its power.

I climb back up the bank and look for calmer waters downstream. It is still early and the warmth of the sun is just starting to intensify. The air is brisk and the water flowing past is serene. I see only one other angler on the opposite side a ways down the stream.

So far the fly fishing experience is testing my patience. It seems as I am finally get my rhythm and start enjoying the actual fishing it get snagged. I feel I'm wasting precious time loosing my tackle as I start breaking my line. The Zen of it is passing. But I try and find the silver lining - I'm getting proficient at my knots. I figure I've lost 4 flies by this point.

My friend calls me and I can see him up river on top of the bridge and plan to head down stream towards the old railway bridge. He's got some insight that the fish might be there.

There's a nice flat rock area that is funneling the river. There's a few anglers in the water upstream from where we are and few fishing off the next rapid. We settle into this idealistic scene and the time flies. I am certain I've gotten a few bites. I am excited and deflated in a matter of moments. I try and set the hook right away only to have it pop up. I try to wait it out and sit with 'something' pulilng my line for 10 mins before the hook pops out. It is most likely the underwater currents messing with my now fragile desperation to catch a Steelhead.

After getting so hung up on a snag and 7 hours in now, the worst happens. I snapped my new fly rod. It is a frightening moment standing so close to the edge. The sound of the rod shattering makes me duck and I almost fall in. It is so loud of a noise that others upstream hear it. I can only describe it as someone throwing a metal tube at brick wall.

My day is done. I feel like a complete failure. What a crazy day 'at the office'. My drive home is solemn and I rethink my life.

Fly Fishing Day 4

2020-04-23T20:00:00.000-04:00

Day four of fishing for steelhead. This is my 2nd day out with my new Red Wolf Fly Fishing Rod purchased from Canadian Tire. I've already lost one hook his morning. I will get a new fly on now quickly as I'm becoming proficient at the Non-Slip Loop Knot. It's the silver lining I can find from loosing too many hooks recently.

I'm starting to analyze the pattern of the river and how my fly line is interacting with the current. I think I'm in a really good spot. It's a 7:00 a.m. on a workday but I figured I'd try and get out and take a peek.

So far I am the only one here. Another gentleman came down the bank about 20 minutes ago but he headed upstream, so I still have this spot to myself. It's downriver from the road bridge. There is a small shoal that separates the river. There is a nice little pool right in front of it. I've seen many people fishing this spot

It's a pretty peaceful morning to be fly fishing before I login to work. The skies are overcast. The birds are chirping. There's no wind which is as of late has been blowing cold from the North.

If I don't' catch anything here on day 4 I won't be discouraged. I relish the motivation this red Wolf fishing rod has injected me with. I have a new purpose to get up first thing in the morning and just get out into nature and get some of that fresh air and just be still. Present. It is really nice.

When immersing myself into a new hobby/sport I feel like I'm part of some sort of new tribe. I now have the proper gear and it feels nice to be involved in another section of humanity. The one that strives for peace in life. The isolation. The stillness. I classify myself as mostly introverted. This is so appealing.

With that mindset, hopefully, all this patience pays off with some frantic action of reeling in a giant fish. I am so fortunate that this river just happens to be 2 blocks from where I live. The prospect of being able to get up and just drive a very short distance to get into this state of mind I think it's pretty phenomenal.

I'm not upset that I didn't discover this years ago. I think life is all about new things and new adventures. So I think is quite timely at this point in my life to adopt this new pastime.

I'm really enjoying it.

Fly Fishing Day 3

2020-04-21T08:57:00.000-04:00

I'm so excited! I was able to order a fly fishing rod from Canadian Tire last night. I was at first disappointed that it was going to take 2 days to process my order before I could drive down to the store and get it curbside pickup. Then within a few hours, I had an email that the package was ready for pickup!

Being a complete novice knowing nothing about the anatomy of a fly fishing rod - I hit the Youtube hard. Brian Flechsig of Mad River Outfitters was the best. How to tie a perfect loop knot to join the tippet to the fly line.

I followed along, tied my knots, and hit the McIntyre by up by the University. I love this spot. It's what one imagines a flowing river with rapids under a forest canopy. In the evening the sun shines through the trees. It's not very busy either. So it is really easy to lose track of time and just exist in this beautiful setting. I also happens to be a block away from where I live. I'm amazed this little piece of paradise is in the middle of the city.

Fly Fishing - Day 2

2020-04-19T09:14:00.000-04:00

I remember when I was a boy the tales of steelhead fishing in the local rivers. If I recall, a hockey teammate of mine had pulled a big fish out near the dam. He would have been 12 maybe. That fish must have felt like a shark. It always stuck with me anytime I'd bike past that area.

Now many many years later I've got the time and motivation to give it a go. I've been doing some research and scoping out the local streams and rivers. It's now getting late into April and this is when the Steelhead is supposed to start their runs.

The Neebing river is way to busy. A straight trench of a riverwith anglers exactly a rod's length apart. We are amidst a pandemic andthe government has some pretty stringent rules for social distancing. This site will be one to remember.

So I chose to hit the river near the university. Unlike the 'trench' this water system is picturesque. Under a canopy of forest runs a rapid filled twisty and bendy water flow. The rushing water is hypnotic and there are very few anglers around.

I try throwing my line in a few times in a few spots that have been talked about. It begins to snow. It's getting cold. I come up empty. However, I am full of joy. This solitude in nature is a wonderful prescription to the uncertainty that shrouds our everyday life.

Fly Fishing - Day 1

2020-04-18T09:27:00.000-04:00

I don't know what's come over me. I feel the need to fish for Steelhead. I started down the rabbit hole of river fishing. It's mid-April and the talk of Steelies running soon is making it's way to me through all the pandemic chatter. Is this a path to escape?

I'm going to journal my first season fishing for Steelhead. Now I'm not certain - but Steelheads are Rainbows. But not oceanic. Freshwater. So these Rainbow Trout live in the Great Lakes and spawn in the spring upriver? I'm sure I'll learn more about this as the season continues. It will last according to some about 4 weeks.

The issue this year in 2020 is that it's much colder than usual. So many are saying the start is very slow. I guess that's good for me as I was concerned I may have already missed it.

I've picked my spot - a river system near my home. It's a block away. In the middle of the city. I am grateful that I can in short order, grab my gear, park my car, and walk maybe 5 minutes upstream.

I've explored this area before either photographing or mountain biking. It just screams 'woodland'. I brought my camera as I usually do on any type of outing. You never know what you're going to find and want to capture. Like this keyboard/piano that I found on the trail. Legend has it some university students through it in the man-made lake upriver years ago. It's been slowly making its way downstream.