Tag: Close Encounters of the Third Kind

What To Watch On YouTube Right Now – Part 143

What To Watch On YouTube Right Now – Part 143

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Welcome back my readers, YouTube viewers and all others who followed this series of articles focused on YouTube videos worth watching.

Have you been searching for something fun or interesting to watch on YouTube? Do you feel bored right now and you crave for something to see on the world’s most popular online video destination?

I recommend you check out the following videos I found.

#1 Ashleigh Burton Reacts To Minority Report – If ever the science fiction concept of pre-crime becomes a reality, would you support it if ever it gets implemented by the national government to fight crime? Steven Spielberg’s Minority Report tackled that concept very well and Tom Cruise was almost perfect as the cinematic law enforcer who became a fugitive. Minority Report remains cerebral and entertaining by today’s standards and it is not surprising that it got featured in many YouTube reaction videos. As such, I urge you all to watch Ashleigh Burton’s reaction video of the 2002 movie.

#2 Close Encounter Of The Third Kind Retrospective Videos – If you are disappointed with Steven Spielberg’s latest science fiction film Disclosure Day, now is a good time to revisit his much older works with similar concepts. His 1977 film Close Encounters of the Third Kind continues to impact viewers and YouTubers which only proves there is something very unique about it. In addition, the movie shows what kind of visionary and storyteller Spielberg was when he was much younger. That said, now is a good time to watch the following retrospective videos – including movie reactions – of the sci-fi film.

#3 Sega Dreamcast – PlayStation 2 “Rivalry” Revisited – When Sega launched the Dreamcast console in the late 1990s, the company went through years of financial losses as well as tarnished reputation with both gamers and their business partners. To be fair, Sega learned from their mistakes with the Saturn console and simplified their business model to avoid the confusion they caused by releasing many add-on devices. The Dreamcast was indeed a high-quality game console and had features that were ahead of its time, although the technologies used were nowhere as advanced as what Sony came up with in the PlayStation 2. To see the so-called rivalry between the two consoles, watch the video below.

#4 Japanese Businesses Growing Their Own Food – Economic challenges in Japan are compelling businesses their to grow their own food supplies. For some time now, Japan’s rice supply has been in a crisis and that alone affects a whole lot of food joints, stores and other enterprises involved. The supply chain of vegetables, fresh meat and fish and key ingredients is also getting strained. As such, many Japanese companies have gotten involved in agriculture and fisheries. Ultimately, the video of Nippon TV below will show you what has been happening and what is Japan doing to ensure food security.

#5 Spider-Man: Maximum Carnage Comics Revisited – What is there to say about the Maximum Carnage comic book storyline Marvel Comics published in 1993? It was a 14-part storyline that was published temporarily in the four monthly Spider-Man series and in two issues of the quarterly Spider-Man Unlimited series. It was released at a time when Venom and Carnage were wildly popular and it was also an opportunity for Marvel to get the Spider-Man fans and collectors engaged when Image Comics and Valiant Comics was challenging them. For a comedic look back at Maximum Carnage, watch the video below.

#6 Ranting For Vengeance Talks About Resident Evil Veronica And Slams Woke Nuts Online – There definitely is something wrong with people who have turned woke. For some reason, they want to claim the Resident Evil game franchise as their own and they have been posting their distorted opinions about it for some time now. As Capcom formally announced Resident Evil Veronica (the remake of 2000’s Resident Evil – Code Veronica), the woke (including the gay pride zealots) are once again attaching themselves to anything Resident Evil. In his recent video, Ranting for Vengeance shared his impression about Resident Evil Veronica before slamming the woke. Watch the video below and pay attention to the details.

#7 Obscure JRPGs Revisited – Have you ever enjoyed a Japanese role-playing game (JRPG) that many gamers other there did not play? As seen over the past few decades, there are lots of JRPGs released on consoles and computers that did not sell massively and had been forgotten. Many of them were only released in Japan. Those are the obscure JRPGs and in recent times, retro gamers and RPG enthusiasts had to literally search hard and dig deep to play them. Last December, Gaming Broductions posted a video focused on obscure JRPGs, and there are a lot featured and explained in detail. That said, go watch their video below.

#9 You, Me And The Movies React To Resident Evil: Damnation – Can’t get enough of Resident Evil? While live-action Resident Evil movies featured Milla Jovovich and had stories that were not faithful to the games, Capcom in Japan proceeded to produce their very own computer-generated RE movies to delight the fans while conveniently expanding the lore. Following the release of Resident Evil: Degeneration, the Japanese came up with Resident Evil: Damnation which featured again Leon Kennedy and had the popular Ada Wong included in the cast. That said, you have to see You, Me and the Movies’ reaction video of RE: Damnation and see how it impacted them.

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Thank you for reading. If you find this article engaging, please click the like button below, share this article to others and also please consider making a donation to support my publishing. If you are looking for a copywriter to create content for your special project or business, check out my services and my portfolio. Feel free to contact me with a private message. Also please feel free to visit my Facebook page Author Carlo Carrasco and follow me on Twitter at @CarloCarrascoPH as well as on Tumblr at https://carlocarrasco.tumblr.com/ and on Instagram athttps://www.instagram.com/authorcarlocarrasco

What to watch on YouTube right now – Part 99

What to watch on YouTube right now – Part 99

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Welcome back my readers, YouTube viewers and all others who followed this series of articles focused on YouTube videos worth watching. Have you been searching for something fun or interesting to watch on YouTube? Do you feel bored right now and you crave for something to see on the world’s most popular online video destination?

I recommend you check out the following videos I found.

#1 Close Encounters of the Third Kind Revisited – The first time I ever saw Steven Spielberg’s Close Encounters of the Third Kind was not in the cinema but on home video in the early 1980s. Being so young, I was not aware that the movie I saw was the director’s cut version (which showed the interior of the alien space ship). In 1998, the movie regained spotlight with the release of its 3rd and final version. That being said, it is not surprising that Spielberg’s film became the popular subject of YouTube movie reaction videos. I can only wonder what exact versions are the YouTubers reacting to. Watch the selected videos below (including a trivia video by Minty Comedic Arts and a Dan Monroe retrospective).

#2 The Rise, The Fall and Scandals of E3 – I love playing video games and there was a time when the annual E3 became the one video game convention I wanted to attend. I never had the opportunity to attend it and E3 came to an inevitable demise due to many factors like the high costs of event organizing, irrelevance with game industry players, and a variety of scandals. To know more about E3 and why it has a terrible history despite being an entertaining event for gamers, watch the video below.

#3 Greta Thunberg Is Back (Again) – Climate change zealot and Islamic terrorist supporter Greta Thunberg is back yet again. After failing to reach the Gaza Strip with her activist pals, Thunberg is trying to do the same thing again and Israel is watching. She clearly has no respect for authority, continues to be allied with evil elements of the world (she refused to condemn Palestinian terrorist group Hamas) and she is living with a very distorted perception of reality. Watch and learn from the Sky News Australia videos below.

#4 SPAM’s Impact On Food In Japan – Like many others out there, I enjoy eating SPAM lunch meat from Hormel from time to time. It is a great addition for making sandwiches or rice meals. When I had a solo holiday in Hawaii, I saw SPAM on ready-to-eat food items there. SPAM also had impact on certain food of Okinawa in Japan and you can learn more by watching the video below.

#5 Are You Aware Of The History Of Comico?  – Have you ever read any comic book from Comico: The Comic Company? I did and they were direct adaptations of episodes of Robotech in the 1980s. I know they published many other titles during their years of business but I never got to see any more Comico releases at retail here in the Philippines. As it turned out, Comico closed down in 1997. You can learn more about the beginning, rise and closure of Comico by watching the video below.

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Thank you for reading. If you find this article engaging, please click the like button below, share this article to others and also please consider making a donation to support my publishing. If you are looking for a copywriter to create content for your special project or business, check out my services and my portfolio. Feel free to contact me with a private message. Also please feel free to visit my Facebook page Author Carlo Carrasco and follow me on Twitter at  @HavenorFantasy as well as on Tumblr at https://carlocarrasco.tumblr.com/ and on Instagram athttps://www.instagram.com/authorcarlocarrasco

What to watch on YouTube right now – Part 68

What to watch on YouTube right now – Part 68

carlocarrasco

Welcome back my readers, YouTube viewers and all others who followed this series of articles focused on YouTube videos worth watching. Have you been searching for something fun or interesting to watch on YouTube? Do you feel bored right now and you crave for something to see on the world’s most popular online video destination?

I recommend you check out the following topics and the related videos I found.

#1 Ashleigh Burton reacts to Mr. Holland’s Opus – If there is anything that comes to my mind about the actor Richard Dreyfuss, it is his involvement in Steven Spielberg’s classic films Jaws and Close Encounters of the Third Kind. He is truly is a great actor and appeared in many films through the decades. Then in 1995, his name become prominent again in Mr. Holland’s Opus and his performance in that film earned him the nomination for the Academy Award of Best Actor. Recently I saw Ashleigh Burton’s reaction video of the said movie and it is a must-see.

#2 Radiant Silvergun revisited – In 1998, the sci-fi shooter Radiant Silvergun was released in arcades and on the Sega Saturn console, and it turned to be a very cleverly designed game which resulted in a positive reception with both players and game critics. The game made its debut in the West through Xbox Live Arcade in the form of an Xbox 360 port. Recently The SEGAGuys posted an in-depth, retrospective video about Radiant Silvergun which retro gaming enthusiasts should watch.

#3 Popcorn in Bed reacts to 1991’s JFK – With the recent release of previously confidential documents related to the 1963 assassination of US President John F. Kennedy, it is not surprising that a resurgence of public interest in the 1991 movie JFK happened. I saw that film on DVD a number of times and by today’s standards, it has not aged well and it is historically flawed. The movie’s biggest selling point is not the star Kevin Costner but its concept that Kennedy was the target of a conspiracy by certain forces within the US government at the time. Recently, YouTuber Popcorn in Bed posted a reaction video and the movie has its moments of engaging her.

#4 You, Me and the Movies react to The Andromeda Strain – Do you enjoy watching science fiction thrillers from the 1970s? The Andromeda Strain was one of those films from the said decade that was designed to intrigue viewers with its concept and style of presentation. It is also one of the early cinematic works written by the late Michael Crichton. It was directed by the late Robert Wise who would later direct Star Trek: The Motion Picture. You, Me and the Movies recently posted their reaction video of it and it is entertaining to see.

#5 A warning about the next Spider-Man movie becoming woke – YouTuber Ranting for Vengeance recently posted a video warning us that there are signs that the next Spider-Man live-action movie starring Tom Holland will turn out woke. If that happens, I definitely will stay away from it and I certainly will not spend time and money on any woke crap produced by Communist Hollywood (Commiewood). Ranting for Vengeance hit all the points precisely and he has in-depth explanations for each. Watch the video and share it to others. Thanks.

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Thank you for reading. If you find this article engaging, please click the like button below, share this article to others and also please consider making a donation to support my publishing. If you are looking for a copywriter to create content for your special project or business, check out my services and my portfolio. Feel free to contact me with a private message. Also please feel free to visit my Facebook page Author Carlo Carrasco and follow me on Twitter at  @HavenorFantasy as well as on Tumblr at https://carlocarrasco.tumblr.com/ and on Instagram athttps://www.instagram.com/authorcarlocarrasco

A Look Back at Starman

A Look Back at Starman

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When it comes to science fiction movies of Hollywood, the 1980s was quite an interesting decade. Released during the decade were these epic sci-fi flicks like The Empire Strikes Back, Return of the Jedi and Dune. Not to be outdone were the low-budget sci-fi movies that made an impact on pop culture like The Terminator and E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial.

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Within the big mix of these kinds of films during the 1980s was Starman which was overlooked.

Released in 1984 to positive reviews (and later an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor for Jeff Bridges), Starman was directed by John Carpenter who established himself nicely in Hollywood with 1978’s Halloween. Between Halloween and Starman, Carpenter also directed genre classics Escape from New York and The Thing.

Starman follows an alien creature whose ship (a UFO) was shot down by fighter jets that acted in defense. The alien finds its way into the house of Jenny Hayden (Karen Allen) who is grieving over the sudden death of her husband Scott (Jeff Bridges) watching a personal video of their past and drinking lots of liquor. Inside the house was an album which contained a lock of hair which the alien used to create a clone of Scott instantly from infant to full adult which is the titular Starman (also played by Bridges).

This of course shocks Jenny. She sees her husband return yet it’s not really him. Starman – the alien – clearly is not used to occupying a human body but does his best to communicate with her in English. He also carries with him seven silver spheres that allow him to do special things (specifically manipulating matter) that would appear as miracles to others. Starman wants Jenny to bring him to the Barringer Crater in Arizona within three days in order to be picked up by his fellow aliens. Otherwise he would die.

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Although frightened and hostile towards him, Jenny still was considerate enough to drive him far away.

If there is anything significant about this movie, it is the sheer depth of character development of both Jenny and Starman. Equally significant is the chemistry between Karen Allen and Jeff Bridges who made their characters believable.

Jeff Bridges is excellent in his portrayal of Starman. He’s clearly an alien who is not only struggling on being in a human body but also struggles to learn about the many ways of life and expression around him on his time on Earth. This includes learning gestures, saying words and doing things that people already find normal to do.

Karen Allen delivered a fine performance as Jenny Hayden. In fact when it comes to character development, I see Jenny a more significant character than her counterpart from outer space. While Starman adapts to life on Earth, Jenny’s character is gradually and convincingly transformed from one who is stuck with the past and being bitter into a person who gets renewed by understanding that life does have more to offer, that hope exists, that miracles do happen and finding new love and inspiration to live on.

As a Born Again Christian who went through personal transformation, who gained renewed faith in the Lord, and who left the old life behind to live on with a new purpose in life, I strongly relate with Jenny’s character development a lot. The concept of renewal and personal transformation portrayed by Karen Allen is much clearer to me than ever. Not to be outdone is the element of the healing of the soul of Jenny as a result of learning and understanding Starman.

The movie also has a solid supporting character in scientist Mark Shermin nicely played by Charles Martin Smith. Shermin is the typical sympathetic and willing-to-understand scientist who strives to discover first-hand an actual living alien which puts him into conflict the National Security Agency’s plan to capture Starman dead or alive. His talk with Starman reminds us viewers that humanity is always flawed and has many times resorted to violence as a means of accomplishment whenever a challenging situation (read: the visit of Starman to Earth by space ship only to be shot down due to fear of being invaded) happens.

With regards to storytelling, Starman is a nice mix of genre elements that goes beyond science fiction. It is also a road movie and a romance. At the same time director John Carpenter told the story with a controlled pace that gives viewers ample time to understand what’s been going on and a decent amount of spectacles that highlight Starman’s miracles.

Speaking of which, the film has elements of Christianity and the miracles of Starman are just the start of it. I could emphasize further here what the other elements are but that would mean spoiling the story and that is something I won’t do. You just will have to watch the movie to realize it.

Is Starman a wonderful movie? Absolutely! Is it one of the best works of John Carpenter? Truly it is and it deserves any moviegoer’s attention. How does it compare with other friendly alien movies like E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial and Close Encounters of the Third Kind? Compared to those two flicks, Starman has the best and most mature character development of its protagonists. Its dramatic performances are also better.

Starman is a true sci-fi classic that deserves your attention even if you are not fond of sci-fi or UFO movies. I highly recommend buying this movie on Blu-ray disc or by streaming it.

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Thank you for reading. If you enjoyed this article, please click the like button below and also please consider sharing this article to your fellow John Carpenter fans and sci-fi movie fans. Also my fantasy book The World of Havenor is still available in paperback and e-book format. If you are looking for a copywriter to create content for your project or business, check out my services.

Author’s Note: This article was originally published at my old Geeks and Villagers blog. What you read on this website was an updated and expanded version. In other words, this newest version you just read is the most definitive version.