#Also hopefully this is available on the Netflix version since that’s how I’ve been able to play the game

[princessjadyn15]

EVERYONE SHUT UP AND LOOK

ITS OUR GIRL MONA LISA

[quinnmorgendorffer]

So the oldest show I see you talk about is usually The Facts of Life but usually you don't go much further than 80s and 90s. I am very curious to know if you have favorites from the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s (not including TFOL obviously)? And explanations why! Hopefully something to keep your brain occupied during quarantine.

Ha, I was about to point out that TFOL was technically started in 1979 haha and thank you for the question

When I got this ask, the first thing that came to mind was The Twilight Zone. I’ll save my rant about that and some other shows under the cut.

Tbh, I haven’t gotten into a lot of classics pre-1980/1979-ish. I’ve had I Love Lucy in “My Stuff” on Hulu for, like, years now, but I haven’t sat down and watched the whole thing. I definitely watched multiple episodes back when it was on Nick at Nite. If it was on Nick and Nite in the 90s or in some other form of syndication, I’ve seen at least a few episodes. Bewitched, I Dream of Jeannie, Gilligan’s Island, Andy Griffith, Mary Tyler Moore, Dick Van Dyke, etc. 

A lot of older shows that I want to watch just aren’t available anywhere, or they weren’t available when I last looked. One that springs to mind immediately is Maude. It isn’t available anywhere past paying about $20 for the first season on Amazon prime which…I’m not really able to do atm. I know that features a younger Bea Arthur and touches on some controversial issues including gay rights and abortion and so many progressive causes I’d love to see. I think I’m more interested in that than the show it spun off of, All in the Family. 

Other shows I’ve had difficulty finding but want to watch:

Diff’rent Strokes (at least for the backdoor pilot of TFOL lol but it’s only on Hulu with the Starz add-on, which I don’t have)

The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show

Kate & Allie (1980s but I have to complain about how it’s fucking nOWHERE AND I JUST WANNA WATCH JANE CURTIN)

Anyways, for shows that first came to mind at this ask:

The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle: Since I grew up with baby boomer parents, this was right up their alley back when they were kids, particularly my mom, since she was around 7 when the show started. We owned some episodes, if not the whole thing, on DVD when I was little and I loved it. My grandmother would tell us “Fractured Fairy Tales” a la one of the segments. I excitedly saw the movie back when it came out. I truly just enjoy the show, even if its “just” meant for kids. It’s fun and sweet and I obviously love good, dumb puns.

Also, two of my favorite Rocky Horror callbacks reference it. One of the most famous and classic callbacks is the Rocky Horror Roll Call: “Janet!” “Dr. Scott!” “JANET!” “BRAD!” “Rocky!” “BULLWINKLE!!!!”

One of them isn’t as common, I’m guessing because you have to know Rocky and Bullwinkle past the name to get it. “I grow veary of this vorld! When do we return to Transylvania, HUH?” “AFTER WE CAPTURE MOOSE AND SQUIRREL!” 

And a theater back in Kansas did a fringe festival production of Rocky Horror mixed with Rocky and Bullwinkle called, of course, The Rocky & Bullwinkle Picture Show. It was hilarious.

Laugh-In: Did anyone else have a bit of a TV schedule memorized for when you were sick, or was that just me? Lol back in elementary school, this would play on one channel and I’d normally watch an episode of it and then normally, like, Hamtaro after that lol I have specific memories of both of them ;alsdjk. It’s obviously best known for launching careers of many comedians, including Goldie Hawn and Lily Tomlin. And, of course, the time Nixon appeared on it to say “Sock it to me!” The 30 Rock parodies of it cracked me up.

I just found out that at least one season is on Amazon Prime which makes me very happy. 

The Twilight Zone: For someone who loves sitcoms and pretty much refuses to watch any prestige TV dramas, I really fucking love TWZ. One of my weirder life/pop culture goals is to see every episode in every incarnation, the first one having the most episodes and seasons (5 seasons, over 150 episodes) starting back in 1959. It’s particularly a weird one for me because I can be a bit easily spooked—like, I can’t do true crime whatsoever, it freaks me tf out and when I read through cases of things like that I have to watch something lighthearted or else I won’t be able to sleep lol. TWZ is easier for me, though. I also grew up with a lot of this on DVD due to, again, my baby boomer parents growing up with it.

I’ve seen an episode of the 2002/2003 reboot, the remake of one of the best (and most famous) episodes, “The Eye of the Beholder”, and I watched the first two episodes of Jordan Peele’s reboot, but haven’t finished the season. Ultimately, while I enjoyed his first episode, which I found very original, and his retake on the classic "there’s a gremlin on the wing of the plane!” episode, I find that doing an hour long show is just not a smart move when it comes to TWZ. For a bit of fun trivia, TWZ was originally cancelled after its third season, but CBS brought it back to replace two half hour shows mid-season, meaning the show had to be an hour long for s4, when it was originally only half an hour. S4, last I checked, isn’t even available on Netflix and seems to only be on Hulu. It was pretty much considered a failure to everyone and when you look at lists of the best twilight zone episodes, most people either ignore s4 or will throw one in while basically saying “well, we SHOULD include at least ONE…” 

TWZ really showed how much you can fit into half an hour, and a lot of the episodes feel so much longer—in a good way, of course. While back then there were less commercials so the shows could be slightly longer (25 minutes according to Wikipedia compared to 22-23 minutes nowadays), it still managed to pull you in and hold your attention and not overstay its welcome. I find that the hour long versions of the show make it harder to stay engaged and the pacing really has to slow down to fill in the space. 

However, I do enjoy how each incarnation has used sci-fi/fantasy to approach fears and prejudices of the time. I know the 2002 reboot redid “The Monsters Are Due on Maple Street” which, back in the original ‘59 series, was about fear of communists and the like, and made it about fear of terrorists and Islamaphobia. Jordan Peele’s obviously tackled a lot of racism and I know the third episode, without having seen it, was about police brutality against black people. The show definitely has the potential to tackle heavy subjects in a great way, I just think its a show meant to be half an hour.

And another side rant, TWZ >>>> Black Mirror. I’ve read through the summaries of every Black Mirror episode and have seen a couple, including the perfection of “San Junipero”. Besides that episode, I really don’t like the show? TWZ managed to be original and have varying endings and had messages besides “technology bad”. It’s why I can like “San Junipero” for being so unlike the other episodes. I’ve enjoyed some of the twists I’ve read, but a lot of it just rings hollow compared to TWZ for me.

So, that’s about it for classic shows I could call favorites, though, tbh, TWZ is probably the first I’d say is a favorite of these or any pre-1980s show.

In general, since the 90s shows defined my childhood, I’ve been enjoying watching those during this pandemic for nostalgia and comfort. I’m cycling through two shows I’ve watched all of before (3rd Rock from the Sun and Cybill) as well as one I’ve possibly seen all the episodes of but only through syndication and never straight through (The Nanny). But depending on how long we’re here, maybe I’ll get a chance to watch some of these older classics on my list!

[roseisread]

My Year in Movies: Favorite Non-2018 Feature Films (Part 1)

I watched a LOT of movies this year. At last count, I had logged 229 features and 126 shorts; and that doesn’t count rewatches--only movies that were new to me.

I set a few challenges for myself as well this year. The first one was to watch at least one non-English language/US release per week--this exposed me to so much world cinema and some really amazing filmmakers. Anyone who avoids foreign films because “I don’t like subtitles” is really missing out, and I found myself craving these narratives from voices I don’t ordinarily get exposed to in my everyday life. 

Other personal challenges: Watching as many horror movies as possible in October (with horror defined pretty loosely so I could include entries from silent era and onward, as well as some comedy cult classics that have horror/thriller elements); participating in Noirvember (in addition to attending Noir City in Chicago); crossing off some major blindspots from my list (such as Bicycle Thieves, The Producers, Lethal Weapon, A Few Good Men, Grease, Home Alone 2, Brazil, and Indiana Jones & the Temple of Doom); and trying to watch movies and short films from every decade that motion pictures have existed.

In 2019, I hope to do similar personal challenges with a focus on movies made by women, LGBTQ+, and people of color, in addition to filling in the gaps of my classical/canonical movie knowledge. 

OK, so that’s enough preamble. Let’s get to the list! For this list, I’m excluding movies that were released in 2018--that’s coming but this is for movies released before that. 

50. Linda Linda Linda (2005, directed by Nobuhiro Yamashita, country of origin: Japan)

High school girls recruit the Korean exchange student (Doona Bae, of Cloud Atlas and Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance) to join their rock band a few days before the school talent show. This is just a feel good film, recommended if you enjoyed the likes of Sing Street, We Are The Best!, and The Runaways. Unfortunately, it’s out of print in physical form; but last I checked someone had uploaded it to YouTube so you might want to get on that before it’s removed. You can watch the trailer here.

49. The Blue Dahlia (1946, directed by George Marshall, country of origin: US)

This film noir stars Veronica Lake and Alan Ladd, and like any good noir, it deals with dark subjects including murder, blackmail, political corruption, and PTSD. It’s been on my watchlist for a long time, and thanks to Noir City Chicago, I got to see it on the big screen at the Music Box Theatre. For small screen viewing, you can catch up with it via rental on Vudu, Amazon, iTunes... the usual suspects. 

48. Siren of the Tropics (1927, directed by Mario Nalpas and Henri Etievant, country of origin: France)

My dearly departed Filmstruck had a spotlight on the films of Josephine Baker, and this was among them. I fell in love instantly with the lively, beautiful Baker, here playing a woman named Papitou who deals with some super scummy dudes but manages to be herself in the face of all that nonsense. Silent films can sometimes be tougher to engage with for modern audiences, but this one flies by and contains some unexpectedly racy sequences for the time. Its racial politics don’t meet today’s cultural standards, but considering Baker’s parents were former slaves and their daughter went on to become the first woman of color to star in a major motion picture, this is still a landmark film worthy of our consideration. She broke down many barriers and contributed a great deal to both the entertainment world and the Civil Rights movement, and this serves as a nice entry point into her career. It’s available on DVD through Kino Lorber, and hopefully one day soon it’ll pop up on another streaming service that carries on the Filmstruck legacy.

47. I Don’t Feel At Home in This World Anymore (2017, directed by Macon Blair, country of origin: US)

Here’s a film that goes to some unexpected places. I had no idea what to expect from Macon Blair, who frequently appears in the movies of Jeremy Saulnier; but in his debut feature for Netflix, he pulled out all the stops. Hilarious, violent, and intense, with memorable performances from stars Melanie Lynskey and Elijah Wood, this is a movie about getting in over your head and just going for it anyway. I don’t want to tell you about the plot because it’s best discovered through watching--just go to your nearest device and add it to your Netflix queue. 

46. Song of the Sea (2014, directed by Tomm Moore, country of origin: Ireland)

Absolutely gorgeous animation from the team that previously brought us The Secret of Kells, and a touching story that combines family and mythology. I adored this one. Watch it on Netflix or rent on the usual streaming sources--for a preview, click here. 

45. Yankee Doodle Dandy (1942, directed by Michael Curtiz, country of origin: US)

I always watch Independence Day on the Fourth of July; but in 2018, I decided to mix it up and cross this patriotic musical off the watchlist. I’d seen James Cagney’s gangster movies like White Heat and The Public Enemy, but seeing him sing and dance was a whole new joyous discovery. This movie is entertaining, funny, touching, and full of iconic sequences that other films would go on to borrow from. I absolutely loved it. Pretty sure I saw this on Filmstruck originally, but since that’s no longer possible you should be able to find it at your local public library or you can rent it for a couple bucks on Amazon, YouTube, iTunes, and the like. 

44. The Man Who Cheated Himself (1950, directed by Felix Feist, country of origin: US)

This tightly wound noir thriller pits brother against brother against the backdrop of 1950s San Francisco. Lee Cobb plays an aging bachelor and an accomplished police detective who falls for the wrong dame. His younger brother, played by John Dall (Gun Crazy, Rope), has just joined the police force and idolizes his older brother. Trouble strikes when the dame murders her no good husband and needs help from Cobb to cover it up. Naturally, Dall gets assigned to the case and as he begins to piece together the clues, he doesn’t like where they’re leading him. The climactic sequence is one of my favorite endings to a noir film, and I’ve seen a lot of them. Watch it for free if you have Amazon Prime; otherwise, there are a few versions uploaded to YouTube of varying quality or you could wait for it to pop up on TCM. 

43. Los Angeles Plays Itself (2003, directed by Thom Andersen, country of origin: US)

This documentary edits together clips from movies of every era that were filmed or set in Los Angeles, and explains through voiceover narration the significance of each location and the history of the motion pictures in LA. That’s it--very simple concept but also fascinating. I split this up over a couple nights because it’s pretty long, but if you’re a film fan or a Los Angeles native, this is well worth your time. The voiceover is kind of hilariously flat in its delivery--kind of a Steven Wright sound actually--but that sort of adds to the charm for me. Get a taste by watching the trailer, and then you can rent it on YouTube for $1.99.

42. A Simple Plan (1998, directed by Sam Raimi, country of origin: US)

It’s been almost two years since we lost Bill Paxton; I don’t know about you but I don’t think any other actor can really fill those shoes. This year I caught up with three films that showcased his talent: A Simple Plan, One False Move, and Frailty. He plays very different characters in each one but in many ways they all start off with a similar premise: Ordinary guy dreams of becoming more. What that “more” is for each character is what sets each film and performance apart, but Paxton provided a great canvas to paint these unique characters onto. He inhabited the ordinary man better than just about anyone. 

In this film, which I watched during Noirvember, Paxton plays Hank, a college-educated guy working a blue collar job in a small town, trying to make a better life for himself and his family. He’d like to get away from those small town roots, but his socially awkward brother Jacob (Billy Bob Thornton) relies on him. Unfortunately, Jacob is often accompanied by the hard-drinking loose canon Lou (Brent Briscoe). When the unlikely trio discover a crashed plane in the woods containing a suitcase full of cash, they each have ideas for how to handle the situation. Of course things escalate from there, and the way the movie explores human nature and family ties set this story apart. Available for online rental on the usual platforms.

41. The Iron Giant (1999, directed by Brad Bird, country of origin: US)

Given my obsession with Vin Diesel in the early 2000s, it’s pretty shocking I never saw this movie til now--sure, he and his glorious muscles don’t appear on screen, but he does provide the voice of the title character after all. When the Iron Giant made a controversial cameo in this year’s film adaptation of Ready Player One, I decided it was time I saw the source material for myself. 

This gorgeously animated fable unfolds during the Cold War era, and features an ET-inspired story arc of a young boy befriending an unlikely being that the government is looking for. If you’ve never seen it, this is definitely a must-watch. Currently available on Netflix, but rentable on other platforms too.

40. The Unsuspected (1947, directed by Michael Curtiz, country of origin: US)

I adore Claude Rains, star of this film and supporting actor in Curtiz’s more famous work, Casablanca. Here, he plays the host and narrator of a popular radio show that revolves around tales of murder--basically the Law and Order: SVU of its day. We learn early on that he sometimes draws inspiration for his broadcasts from real life criminals. When people in his own life start dropping dead, the plot thickens and he finds himself at the center of the action. A very suspenseful and well-plotted film noir, which is available from the Warner Archive collection on DVD. I got to see it at Noir City Chicago, and loved every second of it. 

That’s all for this entry--stay tuned for part two of this list, posting soon! 

[weekendwarriorblog]

THE WEEKEND WARRIOR 4/2/21: GODZILLA VS. KONG, THE UNHOLY, OXFORD FILM FESTIVAL

I’m really not sure how I feel about doing the Weekend Warrior at quite the level I was doing last year. Even though the box office is slowly coming back, it’s still very frustrating to write about, and honestly, the Disney announcement last week about all the movies being delayed or dumped to Disney+ kinda brought me down. It just tells me that many studios are giving up on theatrical just as people have gotten so used to watching stuff at home, they don’t care about going out and being in rooms with other people, especially strangers. I guess I can understand that, but all the negativity that pervaded the narrative in 2020 is finally doing its damage as theaters reopen and some may have trouble even filling 25% capacity for some movies.

Then again, I’ve just come back from a weekend at the Oxford Film Festival, which became one of the first American film festivals to go in-person, although it is doing a bit of a hybrid in-person with virtual, so locals and a few out-of-of-towners (mainly me) were able to see all of this year’s great programming at one of the outdoor (and then indoor due to weather) venues. I was on the feature doc jury and got to see 11 terrific documentaries, some of which hopefully will get distribution and get out there, but why wait? While most of the movies are geoblocked to the United States (and some to Mississippi), there’s so much great programming to check out over the next month, and you can do so via OxFilm’s virtual cinema, which includes many great features and shorts. As far as the juries, I can highly recommend the Jury Prize winners, In a DIfferent Key, a fantastic film about autism directed by Caren Zucker & John Donvan, and the runner-up, Patrick O’Connor’s Look Away, Look Away, an amazing bi-partisan look at the fight to keep the Confederate-created flag of MIssissippi or change it, depending on your side of the fight. It’s a doc that really needs to be seen in other parts of the country. (Unfortunately, those are both geoblocked to Mississippi, as is Chelsea Christie’s Bleeding Audio, which tells the tragic story of the rise and fall of San Francisco’s The Matches and won for Music Documentary.) There are movies available everywhere in the United States though, and you can check out the full line-up of movies here.

Anyway, OxFilm gives me hope that there’s a future for theatrical moviegoing and as far as the box office, that hope comes in the form of the first holiday weekend since NYC and L.A. reopened as the Good Friday day off for most schools and Easter Monday that continues the vacation for others might persuade people to check out what’s happening in theaters, and fortunately, it’s a movie that’s so easy to market based on the fact that it has two of the biggest movie monsters facing off for the first time since 1963.

That’s right -- opening on Wednesday is the anticipated GODZILLA VS. KING KONG, starring… well, does it really matter who it stars other than Zilla and Kong? Probably not. The fourth movie in the Legendary Pictures and Warner Bros. Monsterverse takes the star of 2017’s Kong: Skull Island ($168 million at domestic box office) and pits him against the title character of 2014’s Godzilla ($200 million) and 2019’s Godzilla, King of the Monsters ($110.5 million). MInd you, I just include those domestic grosses for reference, because even if we take into account that scary dip from Godzilla and its direct sequel, it won’t really matter when you take into consideration a little thing called…. COVID! We’ve already seen movies gross more than $50 million since everything shutdown

I already reviewed this over at Below the Line, so I don’t have much more to say in that regard. It’s good if you like giant monster fights but isn’t much beyond its amazing monster battles, which is why I won’t even mention the actors that appear in it or any of the characters.

Godzilla vs. Kong is probably going to be the widest release since COVID hit with 2,600 theaters on Wednesday and then expanded to 3,000 on Friday when Regal reopens many (but not all) of its theaters. While I expect it to do fine on Weds and Thursday, making probably $4 or 5 million, it should really explode on Good Friday, which should allow it to make somewhere between $18 and 20 million over the three-day holiday weekend, so let’s say $25 to 26 million before Monday.

Also opening theatrically, this one on Friday is the Screen Gems horror movie THE UNHOLY from Sam Raimi’s Ghost House Pictures, the directorial debut by Evan Spiliotopoulos (writer of Disney’s mega-blockbuster Beauty and the Beast live action movie and the Rock’s Hercules ), who adapted the story from James Herbert’s novel “Shrine.” The movie stars Jeffrey Dean Morgan as disgrace journalist Gerry Fenn who is trying to get stories for a supernatural tabloid when he comes upon a deaf teenager named Alice (Cricket Brown) seemingly praying at an oak tree in a rural community in Massachusetts. When she seemingly gets her hearing back and is able to talk, word quickly spreads that she’s able to communicate with a benevolent Virgin Mary-like spirit that gives her the powers to heal. Since this is a horror movie, you can probably guess that things quickly get ugly and scary. THe movie also stars the wonderful Katie Aselton as a local doctor, who doesn’t do very many doctor-y things.

Before we get to my review -- and I’ll blame the review embargo on it for this week’s column being so late -- let’s talk about the movie’s box office potential, because religious horror-thrillers have quite a significant draw over a certain audience going straight back to the ‘70s with movies like The Exorcist and The Omen (the latter one of my all-time favorites) and The Unholy does dip into the toe of both of those. It’s been a long since there’s been one of those which might make this a draw for audiences into theaters, especially over Easter weekend -- that may be meant as irony -- but there’s also a little movie called Godzilla vs. Kong, which is just way more of a draw even with it being on HBO Max, but also because it’s likely to get better reviews. I’m not sure how many theaters Sony is getting this into, but I expect it’s somewhere around 2,000 or so, and that might be enough for the movie to make around $4 to 5 million this weekend, but probably VERY frontloaded to Friday.

Now let’s get to that review…

The Unholy begins with a flashback scene to “February 31, 1845” with a scene right out of the Salem Witch Trials of a woman being mutilated and strung up to a tree. This plays a very important role in a story that involves a fairly ludicrous premise that mostly involves Jeffrey Dean Morgan’s character finding something called a Kern Baby, essentially a porcelain doll wrapped in chains that he decides to smash in order to create a fake supernatural story about how smashing the doll causes crops to fail. In fact, smashing it releases the spirit of the woman we saw in that opening scene possessing a deaf teen girl named Alice who starts to heal everyone in her rural community, while also releasing the evil that had that woman’s spirit bound into the doll in the first place.

There isn’t that much more to say about the plot to a stupid horror premise so full of religious hokum as more characters get involved with trying to figure out if Alice is actually healing people or not. This includes the benevolent local priest Father Hagan, played by William Sadler, and a Bishop (really) played by Cary Elwes, who is using such a bizarre accent, kind of like a cross between the Bronx and a heavy Irish brogue, that it’s impossible to take his character very seriously.

Just knowing what studio garbage Spiliotopoulos has written did not make me very hopeful for his directorial debut, which is just all over the place in terms of tone and pacing, dragging at times and then throwing the type of cheap jump scares and schlocky CG horror creatures at the viewer with very little of it actually being very scary. " (The creature version of "Mary" just looks silly.) Besides being highly derivative, ripping off almost every religious horror movie, both bad and good, some aspects of the movie are so laughably bad that it’s hard to take much of it seriously. Worst of all, it ends with just a really horrible climax that reverses any good will the movie might have created with the casual young horror fans that usually like this thing. Honestly, I wouldn’t be shocked if it’s another one of those unrare “F” CinemaScores we see whenever a studio horror film doesn’t bother matching up to the quality of something like The Witch or Hereditary. Horror fans definitely want more than the usual these days, and The Unholy just seems like a lazy waste of time.

A movie that I’ve been looking forward to seeing and just haven't had time to watch is Emma Seligman’s SHIVA BABY (Utopia) that stars Rachel Sennott as 20-something Danielle who runs into her sugar daddy (Danny Deferrari) at a shiva with his wife (Dianna Agron) and their baby, as well as her parents (Fred Melamed and Pollyw Draper) and Molly Gordon as Danielle’s ex-girlfriend. It’s actually playing at the newly reopened Quad Cinema, so who knows? Actually I did watch Shiva Baby and was kind of disappointed. It seemed very twee and precious, and Sennott's character seems like the type of spoiled Millennial white girl that I hate in indie movies like this. I also just didn't find it particularly funny. Oh, well.

Streaming Friday on Netflix is Ricky Staub’s CONCRETE COWBOY, starring Idris Elba, Caleb McLaughlin and Lorraine Toussiant with McLaughlin being a teenager who moves in with his estranged father (Elba) in North Philadelphia where he learns about his passion for urban horseback riding.

Opening in New York (at the Angelika and Village East) on Friday and in L.A.and other cities on April 9 is the Oscar-nominated International Feature THE MAN WHO SOLD HIS SKIN (Samuel Goldwyn Films), written and directed by Kaouther Ben Hania, and starring Yahya Mahyni, Dea Liane, Koen De Bouw and Monica Bellucci. Tunisia’s submission is the story of Sam Ali, a Syrian who leaves his country for Lebanon to escape the war with hopes of travelling to Europe to be with the love of his life. To fulfill that dream, he allows his back to be tattooed by a contemporary artist that actually brings more trouble to the poor young man.

Hulu will debut the doc WeWork: or The Making and Breaking of a $47 Billion Unicorn (Hulu), which I still haven’t gotten around to watching but seems like an interesting subject for a doc.

A little closer to home at the still-closed Metrograph, they’re playing Claire Dennis’ 2004 film L’Intrus through April 8, and on Friday will open Sky Hopinka’s experimental debut maɬni – towards the ocean, towards the shore (Grasshopper Films) which follows Sweetwater Sahme and Jordan Mercier as they wander around the Pacific Northwest, mostly speaking in the Chinuk Wawa language. The latter is free to digital members ($5/month, $50 a year!) and $12 for non-members… pretty easy decision there, huh? Ms. Dennis’ film is also available to members.

Not only that, but New York’s Film Forum is also reopening this Friday with the double feature of Almodovar’s remastered Woman on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown and his new short The Human Voice, starring Tilda Swinton; the fantastic doc The Truffle Hunters; as well as his Fellini’s masterful Oscar winner La Strada (Janus Films, 1954), starring Anthony Queen and the wonderful Giulietta Masina! (That’s what I’ll be seeing this Sunday!) On top of that, Film Forum will continue its fantastic Virtual Cinema programming, which will launch Eric Roehmer’s A Tale of Winter (1992) this Friday with Roehmer’s A Tale of Summer (1996) joining the Virtual Cinema starting Friday April 9.

Got exciting news that Film at Lincoln Center will be reopening on April 16, but this week, they’ll be launching the latest edition of Neighboring Scenes, its annual series of Latin American films done in conjunction with Cinema Tropical. It’s 10 films that you can watch with an all-access pass for the low price of $80, and it usually has some good movies in the program.

A couple others out this week, including Funny Face and Every Breath You Take (Vertical), which I don’t even have time to look up what they’re about. Sorry!

That’s it for this week. Next week, Neil Burger’s sci-fi coming-of-age thriller, VOYAGERS, will hit theaters.

[furederiko]

September 1st!!! And it's the first (of hopefully more) Random-News-Digest of the month...

Quick update before I start! Nope, my situation hasn't really improved since last time. Things are still going haywire and uncertain on my part. Which means I'm still not too sure if I will be able to post more frequently this month as well. But this is a NEW month, and I always want to start anything with a fresh and optimistic mind. So at the very least, I'm going to TRY to post more. Here's hoping... Also, expect this R-N-D to be more... 'Digest' than usual. After all, I actually decided to do this on a whimsy when I woke up this morning. You can expect things to be more shorter and compact this time around. So without further ado, let's start!!!

DC Films

The news in this category has been quite a shocker lately. Martin Scorsese wants to make a stand-alone "Joker" origin story without Jared Leto? And then there's that Leto and Margot Robbie's "Joker and Harley Quinn" movie, that is being fast-tracked to come following "Suicide Squad 2"? It's a new title that was first rumored to replace David Ayer's "Gotham City Sirens", though recent report suggests that all-female movie is STILL in development as well. To complicate matters, "Suicide Squad 2" already lost a potential director, and with Will Smith's busy schedule, it won't start production until late next year. Ouch!

Oh yeah, eventhough the movie won't arrive until April 5th, 2019, director David F. Sandberg teased that the most lighthearted DC Film movie "Shazam" will start production very soon. Yet we don't even know who's going to play Billy Batson, nor his grown-up version. While Matt Reeves is going back and forth his version of "The Batman", saying it's not part of the DCEU, and then it IS. Please make up your mind! Jon Spaihts was rumored to be re-writing "Justice League Dark", though said rumor has been cleared out by The Wrap. The irony in that, is because he was among the writer of "Doctor Strange" for Marvel Studios!!! First Joss Whedon took over Zack Snyder for "Justice League", and has officially been given a writer credit (his involvement is 33% of the movie!!!). And don't forget how Patty Jenkins used to be attached to the first Thor sequel. So Spaihts's name being thrown into the rumor zone didn't feel as 'strange'. What I'm trying to say is, I won't be surprised if more people related to Marvel Studios will end up doing DC movies for Warner Bros in the future.

Clearly, this proves that WB STILL doesn't have a plan nor idea of what they are going to do with their DC Films. A concerning truth, but is definitely far from being a surprise nowadays. I guess since the current DCEU doesn't really have a clear future (despite the success of "Wonder Woman"), WB is already thinking about creating another Universe to complement it. Perhaps, if this one works better, then they can simply erase the one that Snyder started. That's the point of "Flashpoint", right? We'll see. Yes, we'll see...

X-Men Universe

Can't believe it took this long for some people to realize that... as long as Simon Kinberg is still in charge (in ANY capacity), fans probably won't be getting the 'true' X-Men movie they have always wanted. People seems to forget that he was the writer of the disappointing "X-Men: The Last Stand", and supervised the dreaded "Fant4stic Four". Now his upcoming directorial debut, "X-Men: Dark Phoenix", which he also wrote... is already put into a giant question mark, thanks to Kinberg's recent comment.

I admit, I've grown to DESPISE the term 'grounded' in recent years, because it is (ab)used as an excuse to make shitty underwhelming products. But seriously, what good will a "Dark Phoenix" storyline get by making it... grounded? That arc is meant to be a galactic interstellar adventure, involving alien entities and otherworldly stuffs. "X3" was already its grounded version, and it did NOT work. So why bother going the same route? Is this movie 'doomed to fail' then? It's unclear. But I certainly won't be surprised if that turns out to be the case. Just remember how that grounded take on "X-Men: Apocalypse" performed...

Marvel Studios

Marvel is celebrating the late Jack Kirby's 100th birthday this week. Studio's president Kevin Feige revealed on Twitter that the upcoming "Thor: Ragnarok" is produced as a love-letter to Kirby's work. Not unlike last year's "Doctor Strange", that served as a clear tribute to Steve Ditko. Actress Evangeline Lilly also celebrated the occassion, by sharing the first official image of her character Hope van Dyne, wearing the updated Wasp suit from "Ant-Man and the Wasp".

About that last one... I totally DIG her hair-style, because Lilly always looks much better with a long hairdo instead of the one she had in the first "Ant-Man". The suit on the other hand? I'm a bit mixed. I don't know why. Perhaps because I was expecting more... yellow/gold in the color scheme? Then again, Peyton Reed and Marvel Studios might be going with Wasp's red-black scheme once again, because it's the one designed by Kirby. Especially with Janet van Dyne being in the movie (played by Michelle Pfeiffer), and the report that Michael Douglas' Hank Pym will be suiting up himself in the classic white-red costume.

The writers of "Spider-Man: Homecoming" are set to be back for the sequel! Chris McKenna and Erik Sommers are also involved in "Ant-Man and the Wasp", so there's a possibility they might end up becoming the next Markus-McFeely of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Assuming all the stars are aligned, they will reunite with director Jon Watts (who was already in talks to return) to work on the first Marvel Studios after "Avengers 4" ends the current Phase 3. Here's hoping this team will keep deliver something better, without losing that irresistible youthful and innocent charm that the first movie exuded.

Marvel TV

When this post goes up, Marvel's "The Inhumans" should be arriving in IMAX theatres everywhere. Not sure if it will be available in my country, but it's surely a definite for the US region, because ABC will begin broadcasting the series on Friday, September 29th, 2017.

According to recent report, the response to its premiere was... much positive. In fact, it's a far cry to the supposed 'disaster' that occured at the Television Critics Association Panel. Is this surprising? Well... not quite. I mean, one man's trash can end up becoming another's treasure, right? So I predict that the overall review, when it officially hits, will be mixed at best. Remember, this is still Jeph Loeb's and Scott Buck's work. Each or both have ruined a show (or two, if we count that much-anticipated crossover that came out last month... or more if we put into account their past forays) before, so there's no assurance that they won't strike again. But I'm honestly glad to hear some people actually enjoying it. Hey, there's one for everyone, right?

As for me, as I said before, I personally won't be seeing this on the theatres. Based on the lackluster trailers and underwhelming clips released so far, I'll have to give it a hard pass. Beside, considering my current financial issue, wasting money for uncertain things can be considered 'suicide' anyway. I'll probably going to hold back on watching the series as well, until the reviews for all episodes are out. Thanks to my doozy experience with the recent Netflix 'crossover mini-series', I'm going to be extra cautious with Marvel TV now. Because really, spending 8 hours for a boring and/or disappointing show felt like a tremendous waste of time. Doing so isn't going to do me any good.

QUICK UPDATE: Embargo for the full reviews hasn't been lifted when I wrote and upped this essay into queue. Those reviews have been made available NOW on various sites, and well... turns out it's as BAD as many initially said. Since I'm too lazy to modify the entire category (although it's only 3 short paragraphs LOL), this note will do just fine as a follow up. My original writing sounded more 'positive' anyways. LOL.

Meanwhile, things are looking A LOT better for Marvel's "Runaways". It seems response for the first episodes was more than great. It is currently being praised as very faithful to the source material, despite its various 'tweaks' (for example, one character was a mutant in the comic, but the copyrights prevent that to exist in live action adaptation). Not that it should be a surprise anyway. When the writer of the comic is directly in charge as consultant, we know that at least things are going to be close to the comics. Might this be the Marvel show to wait for this year? Probably, but I digress. I'm still going to be approaching this one with extra caution. If recent Marvel TV shows are any indications, then we can't really expect it to be... evenly balanced. Some of them had okay to good run in the first half, only to falter into a massive dud in the later half. Yes, even "LEGION", and the 4th season of Marvel's "Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.". They started out strong, but ended rather... disappointingly. Considering the same people behind them are also supervising this, said similar treatment can also apply to "Runaways"...

Netflix

It's already September, and I haven't finished Marvel's "The Defenders" yet. How come? The mini-series surprisingly BORED the hell out of me! A full review for it was meant to go up as my first post of September (yes, this R-N-D is its last minute replacement). That's the initial plan anyway, because I still haven't seen the last two episodes. Seriously though, when you've already lost any single urge to do it, there's nothing else you can do right?

Thanks to that, the internet had already spoiled me about what's going to happen to Simone Missick's Misty Knight. I don't even need to READ the whole article to figure out what will become of her... right hand. Yes, the headline already gave it away, and my minor knowledge of the character in the comics was more than enough to lead me to said conclusion. And then the image spreading on social media solidified it. Mind you, I still don't know how or what caused her to lose that body part. My quick and easy guess? Likely by Bakuto, considering up to episode 6, Misty had only spoken with one particular supporting character from the other series: Jessica Henwick's Colleen Wing. And it's also about her... KATANA, as if it's not obvious enough. Expect Misty to be armed with a prosthetic arm in the 3rd Season Marvel's "Luke Cage".

Yep, if you're like me, hoping for a "Heroes for Hire" show that includes the Daughters of Dragon... then we might as well swallow that wishful thinking. Why? It probably won't happen until the 2nd Season of Marvel's "Iron Fist" is out. Going by math alone, that means we have to wait another 26 episodes, and at least another two years. New season for "Luke Cage" will likely arrive in 2018, while the one for "Iron Fist" might probably land in 2019. Yeah, two years indeed. This is why you can't really expect much when it comes to Marvel TV... *sigh*

"Stranger Things" released a set of character posters for its 2nd Season. They cover the returning cast, as well as the new additions. What's interesting about these posters, is the strong nod to Steven Spielberg! And being a series set in the 80s, that folded-magazine style is also pretty neat. I hope this 2nd season will be as great as the 1st, and unlike most other Netflix shows.

One more thing! It's a rather old news, but worth bringing up. Netflix is currently collaborating with TOEI Animation, to remake the popular shounen-series "Saint Seiya". Titled "Knights of the Zodiac: Saint Seiya", the new series will be created in full CG style. If you're curious on how that might look, think of it like several parts of TOEI's "Precure Dream Star!" movie that was done completely in CG, or their recent "Sekaisuru KADO" series. The latter in particular, already has a character design that's looking VERY Saint Seiya-ish (could it be intended as the warm-up to this one, then? probably). First season will be 12 episodes of 30 minutes, and will cover the "Galaxy War" to the "Silver Saint" Arcs. Yoshiharu Ashino is directing the new series, Eugene Son is the story editor and head writer, Terumi Nishii will be handling the character design, while Takashi Okazaki is doing the armors.

This news is intriguing, because it can end up heading towards into two different territory: actually good, or downright Bad. The latest "Sailor Moon" reboot that immediately divide old and new fans, is a great example of said situation. "Saint Seiya" is among the beloved titles to those growing up in the late 80s, so you can imagine their negative reactions if this remake doesn't suit their taste. The series doesn't have a fixed release date for now, but I believe we can expect it to arrive on Spring 2018. My only hope is that it retains Shingo Araki's anime style compared to Masami Kurumada's manga ones, because it has been pretty much the 'signature' of the series for the fans.

Disney XD Series

I saw the one-hour premiere of the "DuckTales" reboot not long after it aired, and great goodness... I'm LOVING it. I used to have a minor issue with the voices of the nephews before, but that concern quickly faded away when the story started rolling. It's just so engaging and fun to watch! My only complaint, is that it takes too long for the next episodes to start airing. But we're now in September, so September 23rd is just around 20 days away. Shall we start counting down for more Scrooge McDuck's adventure, then? I wonder if Disney XD will debut the first episode of "Big Hero 6 the Series" in advance too? Hmmm....

Pocket Monsters

"Pokemon GO" has been greeted by Legendary Birds Articuno, Moltres, Zapdos, and Lugia last month. Starting yesterday, August 31st, 2017, Niantic has continued the streak with the Legendary Dogs Entei, Raikou, and Suicine. Unlike the Birds, these ones are going to show up as region-based for a particular duration. Entei will be in the Europe and Africa region, Raikou in the America, and Suicine in Asia-Pacific. They will then switch places on September 30th, 2017.

This is great news, right? NOT exactly. While I DID feel overjoyed when the Legendaries were first announced, what came next was nothing more than disappointments. The fact that Niantic is focusing too much on Raid Battles to debut these special Pokemon, had caused inconveniences to some (if not MANY) of its players. Sad to say, yours truly is included in this cluster.

Here's the deal. In order to capture ONE Legendary, it first needs to be defeated in a Raid Battle. Unlike normal Raids, it's a group effort that requires around 15-20 players to be on the spot at the same time, working together to take one down. So what happens when you're a player... living in an area, that does NOT have the privilege of having at least the minimum number of players? You can only bite your nails while grunting and sighing with disappointments, because there's really NOTHING you can do. I've lost count how many 'futile attempts' I've done, singlehandedly (seriously, because there's NOBODY around) trying to defeat one. I've now arrived to the point where I simply couldn't care less about any of them anymore. Which is sad, because I was sort of hoping "Pokemon GO" would be there to help me go through my current situation. I mean, when that role has been surprisingly taken over by a repetitive, kid-oriented game called "Magikarp, Jump!"... That's saying much, right?

Of course, this shouldn't be an issue if "Pokemon GO" is still enjoyable as a single-player experience. Players who can't capture a Legendary, could still focus on doing anything else. Problem is, there's NOTHING much to do beside that. Niantic is too focused on the multiplayer 'Team Gameplay' aspect of this game, that it neglects those who play individually (whether by choice, or who are simply forced by circumstances... like yours truly). The new 'Gym System' was nice, but lately I've noticed a concerning trend: the turnaround has gradually becoming very slow. Many Gyms in my area, have Pokemon with ZERO motivations. Worse, they are stranded there for days (I can personally attest to this, because mine are among them!). That means many players no longer visit the Gyms. To put it simply, this game is just not... FUN anymore for everyone. Only for the 'privileged'.

Niantic can actually fix this, by start releasing Generation III as soon as possible. Adding a horde of new Pokemon, even if not all of them (honestly, releasing 10 new species per month would be a fun options), will give these 'unfortunate players' a renewed 'purpose' to go out and play the game. Otherwise, it's really a dry boring-ish land. IMHO, Niantic could and should've tried another method with the Legendary Dogs by... I don't know... letting them in the wild, like what happened in the core "Pokemon Gold, Silver & Crystal" games. Then again, it's probably too much to ask for. I mean, Niantic doesn't even allow something as simple as having these Legendaries added as silhouettes to the Pokedex after encountering them. And that's the only thing I've been hoping for... *sigh*. For now, unless Niantic shakes things up big time, my days with the App is numbered. And I'm going to be just another entry to the long list of players who have already walked out due to disappointments...

One more thing for "Pokemon". A quick detour to the TV side! Kanto Gym Leaders and Satoshi's former travel companions Kasumi and Takeshi (or Misty and Brock in the US version)... are coming to Alola this month!!! Many fans are obviously pleased to hear this! After they have been unceremoniously snubbed in the 20th Anniversary movie "Eiga Pocket Monster, Kimi ni Kimeta!", they are set to show up in the series instead. Takeshi in particular, is the character I've been waiting for. After all, his VA Yuuji Ueda is still a crucial part in the series as the voice of Sonansu/Wobbuffet, so he could actually show up a lot more! This pair will be making their Alolan guest appearances on the September 14th and 21st episodes. Which got me thinking: How awesome will it be if Satoshi's other travel friends show up at the same time too, right?

Street Fighter

"Street Fighter V" has welcomed its 5th DLC character for Season 2. As speculated and rumored before, it's indeed Menat, the Eyes of the Future. She is also confirmed to be the apprentice of Rose, by the way. This makes her the first completely NEW character to the franchise, because Kolin, Ed, and Abigail have all showed up before in other games. Judging from her quick and... arguably pointless appearance in Ed's Story Mode, Menat has a fantastic Egyptian-themed design. The mummy queen alternate costume however? Yeeesh. You can check out her reveal trailer online, or you can just get her right away because she's already available since early this week.

Menat's arrival after Abigail, pretty much confirms the identity of the 6th and final DLC character: Guy's teacher, Zeku. His name was already leaked before by Event Hubs' Flowtron, and his report has been proven to be on point until now. So I guess all we need to wait is CAPCOM's official announcement, right? Seeing the release pattern (Ed on May 30th, Abigail on July 25th, Menat on August 29th), we can probably expect this last Season 2 character to arrive later this month, if not late October. So tell me, are you excited about Zeku?

[isay]

Abide with me (nb - does not contain hymns)

Right so this week I decided to update my phone from the Nexus 6p I’ve been totting around for the last 18 months and get a new model. My requirements are based on my usage, be able to function as my camera (because who actually uses a camera anymore), music player, a quick internet connection for tumblr, Facebook and The Guardian, streaming Netflix and having a battery which might see me through to the end of a day without dying on me.

Now the Nexus has been great, it has a lovely screen, decent camera and does all the stuff I need but it is huge and unless you have hands like The Rock it’s unlikely you can use it one handed, which can make it inconvenient. Since the announcement that Nokia is releasing phones this year I’ve been jonesing for a newer smaller more convenient phone and I have come to the realisation that I am far from a power user. A bit of social media, a bit of checking my work email, a bit of streaming music and tv and that’s about it, give or take a few pics when I am out and about or when the cats are dicking about.

So much research and despite my Nokia fetish I have actually gone for a Sony phone because a) the Nokia’s still aren’t available b) the Sony came with a deal which also nabbed me a PlayStation and c) it’s really nicely designed.

The phone which I chose boasts a 23 megapixel camera (although it’s actually best used at an 8m resolution – which is perfectly adequate for snapshots for Instagram), and it has intelligent battery usage so it learns how you use your phone and can go into a ‘stamina’ mode which will make it last longer when you need it. It’s got some audio enhancement technology which upscales audio files to bring out more detail from them and it has a fingerprint sensor located on the side of the phone. Now I admit I was really sceptical about this but after a day’s use it really does seem to be the most sensible place to put a scanner (unfortunately the version in the US doesn’t have this due to some contractual nonsense or something), it feels like the natural and logical placement (and the scanner works consistently). This phone also fits in my pocket

The Xperia X is not a flagship phone, it doesn’t have a screen which goes to the top of the phone but I am sold. It is beautifully designed (mine is a graphite grey) and feels almost inspired by the Nokia Lumia series unlike their new phones.

Importantly the Xperia X feels tactile and great in the hand, and as far as usability goes it does everything I need from a phone (plus I got a PS4 to dick about with and 10gb data out of the deal). I have also taken to running the Nokia Z launcher on my phone which gets you to use the screen to navigate in an entirely different way to most Android launchers, if you have an Android phone I think it’s well worth checking out.

And yet when you read the reviews of this phone they are at best underwhelming which makes me seriously question the objectivity of reviewers, or perhaps the problem is that with all the whistles and bells now on offer with devices like mobile phones have we lost the ability to actually look at the way we use these devices in our daily lives?

Seriously, things like VR have very little in the way of practical application for most of us, yes I can see the potential for use in settings such as medical training but for most people VR will be nothing more than an escape from reality and probably a new way of wanking. Because let’s face it, pornography has always gone hand in clammy hand with the advance of technology. Super high resolution screens are hardly noticeable to the human eye and drain batteries faster, and really how much processing power do you need on your phone to be able to scroll through Facebook?

Anyway in between the usual washing and housework, I plan on taking a little leave from reality this weekend with my PS4, enjoying the fact that I have a phone that I don’t have to be enslaved to and hopefully indulging Mrs iSay’s insatiable appetite for the written word by going to the world’s best bookshop to find something new to read.

I may even indulge myself with a paper copy of the conversations of Jeff Bridges and Bernie Glassman.

[josephlrushing]

Xiaomi Impresses with Their Latest Launch

Xiaomi may not be the first brand that people in the US think of for smartphones, but they are ranked at #4 worldwide behind Samsung, Huawei, and Apple. Their smartphones have garnered praise from stateside reviewers for having excellent cameras, best-in-class features, and, most importantly, affordability. But Xiaomi makes more than just smartphones; they also sell home, health, and lifestyle products that include routers, fitness bands, LED desk lamps, air purifiers, and electric scooters, to name just a few.

This morning, Xiaomi hosted a virtual Ecosystem Product Launch event. The event kicked off with Shou Zi Chew, President of International at Xiaomi, on stage with a nod to the upheaval and uncertainty in these trying times. “We’re in this with you” was on the screen behind him. He said that since February, Xiaomi had sent aid to over 37 countries, and they have donated around 2.5 million masks, gloves, ventilators, and other emergency medical supplies. He implored us all to “do our part to look out for one another.” It was one of the most concise yet compassionate mentions I’ve yet seen in a product launch since the pandemic hit, and yet I was still bracing myself to hear prices that wouldn’t reflect his attitude. I must have forgotten for a moment that this was a Xiaomi event; they are a company known for their fair prices. But I digress! Let’s take a moment to look at the new products Xiaomi is launching, in this, their tenth anniversary year.

Mi Smart Band 5

The Mi Smart Band 5 has is revamped with a large, 1.1″ high-resolution AMOLED display

If you are one of the (many) people who feel like a workout doesn’t count if you haven’t tracked it, you’ll appreciate the Mi Smart Band 5 for its sleek styling and bright (450 nits) display that makes it visible even in direct sunlight. Available in black, orange, navy blue, yellow, teal, and mint green, the Mi Smart Band 5 can be personalized with over 65 different theme options through the Mi Fit app available on iOS and Android. Handling even more activities than its predecessor, the Smart Band 5 supports tracking your progress for 11 exercise types, including walking, running, yoga, jump rope, elliptical, and more. The Smart Band 5 also features easy to understand metrics from its Personal Activity Intelligence module. The Smart Band 5 offers 24/7 heart rate monitoring as well as upgraded sleep tracking; it also has an all-new stress detection with a breathing exercise function. Women can even use it to track their menstrual cycles. The Mi Smart Band 5 is rated for 5 ATMs so that it can be worn during swimming, snorkeling, and of course, showering. It comes with an easy to use magnetic charger, and it can get up to 14 days of battery life from a single charge. The Mi Smart Band 5 will start at €39.99; they will also have an early bird price starting from €44.99. The early bird offer is limited by time and quantity and will vary by region.

Mi True Wireless Earphones 2 Basic

The Mi True Wireless Earphones 2 Basic offer crystal clear calls with dual-mic environmental noise cancellation. A 1.5-hour charge results in 5 hours of battery life from the earphones, but you can quadruple their time to up to 20 hours by recharging them in their case. Each earphone can auto-pair and auto-connect with a compatible Mi phone separately for single-ear listening, and their double-tap feature enables play, pause, phone call pick-up, and voice control access. The earphones have in-ear detection, so if you remove one, your audio will automatically pause. The Mi True Wireless Earphones 2 Basic support Bluetooth 5.0 and SBC/AAC codecs, and they’ll be great on the go or while in a Zoom call on your computer. The Mi True Wireless Earphones 2 Basic feature reliable quality, advanced technology, and leading battery life. Most importantly, they are easy to use, and they charge via USB Type-C, so there’s no need to carry a lone microUSB cable. They will sell for a starting price of €39.99, with an early bird starting price of €29.99. The early bird offer is limited by time and quantity and will vary by region.

Mi Electric Scooter Pro 2

If I lived in the city, I doubt I would own a car — but I would want an electric scooter. Not only are they fun to ride, but they can also be quite affordable and inexpensive to maintain and charge. Xiaomi is the number one scooter brand in the world, and  Mi Electric Scooter Pro 2 has a maximum speed of 15.5 mph, and a range of up to 28 miles — perfect for zipping around the city for quick appointments or light errands on its pneumatic tires. The Mi Electric Scooter Pro 2 has a 300W brushless motor that can handle 20% incline hills, and its dual braking system includes a mechanical disc brake and an eABS regenerative anti-lock brake. Front, rear, and side reflectors help others see you; there is a brake light on the back, and there is an upgraded 2W headlamp that can illuminate your way forward up to 33′ ahead for nighttime riding, and there is a built-in display for ride information on the go. The foldable scooter weighs a smidge over 31 pounds, so it is easily portable when you reach your destination — or have to deal with a random set of stairs. Mi Electric Scooter Pro 2 starts at €499.

If you want an even less expensive scooter that is great for commuting, with a maximum speed of 15.5mph, a range of up to 18.6 miles, and that can handle 14% incline hills, there will be a Mi Electric Scooter 1S. It will have a 250W electric motor and the safety features mentioned for the Mi Electric Scooter Pro 2. It will start at €399.

And there was ‘one more thing’! Xiaomi has partnered with AMG Petronas Formula One Team to create the MI Electric Scooter Pro 2 Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 Team Edition. All we got to see was this teaser photo, but hopefully, we’ll have more info on its release soon.

Mi TV Stick

Not everyone has a Smart TV, but the Mi TV Stick can transform just about any screen (or older TV with a USB port) into just that. The Mi TV Stick comes with a Bluetooth remote with dedicated buttons for swift access to Google Assistant, Netflix, and Amazon Prime Video. You can also download other popular channels and apps through Google Play. The Mi TV Stick has the latest version of Chromecast embedded, so you can also cast any content from your mobile directly to the TV wirelessly. You’ll get the benefit of Dolby Audio and DTS at 1080p for streamed content, and the Mi TV Stick gas 1GB RAM and 8GB internal storage to keep your show playing without interruptions when your internet hiccups. The Mi TV Stick will start at €39.99.

34″ Mi Curved Gaming Monitor 

If your 20″ display is no longer cutting it, you might want to check out the 34″ Mi Curved Gaming Monitor. Sure, the high-resolution WQHD (3440×1440 pixel) screen is perfect for gaming with its 144Hz refresh rate, vivid 121% sRGB wide color gamut, and 1500R curvature for maximum immersion. But it will also handily display your photos, videos, open windows, and spreadsheets. You’ll be able to tackle work and play with ease! The 34″ Mi Curved Gaming Monitor will start at €399.

But that wasn’t all. Xiaomi’s ‘one last thing’ was the introduction of three entry-level phones with “more.”

The Redmi 9 will feature a 6.53″ FDH+ display, Corning Gorilla Glass, Android 10, dark mode, Reading Mode 2.0, a non-slip ripple texture, and a splash-proof design. It will have a 5020mAh battery, a MediaTek Helio G80 processor, up to 4GB of LPDDRX4 RAM, 18W USBType-C fast-charging, and a Dual SIM +microSD slot for up to 512GB storage. As for cameras, the Redmi 9 will have four rear cameras, including an 8-megapixel 118º ultra-wide-angle camera, a 13-megapixel primary camera, a 2-megapixel depth sensor, and a 5-megapixel macro camera. It will also feature a 3.5mm headphone jack, a 1217 ultra-linear speaker, Bluetooth 5.0, a wireless FM radio, an IR blaster, and NFC. Xiaomi says that Redmi 9 is “definitely the entry-level’s fastest and most powerful smartphone.” The 3GB RAM with 32 GB user memory version will sell for €149, and the 4GB RAM with 64GB user memory version will sell for €169.

The Redmi 9C has a 6.53″ dot drop display, a 5,000mAh battery that has been enhanced for a longer lifespan, a gaming-ready Helios G35 processor, a 3.5mm headphone jack, and an AI triple camera array with a 13-megapixel primary camera, a 2-megapixel depth sensor, and a 2-megapixel macro camera. The Redmi 9C will start at €119 for the 2GB RAM with 32GB user memory version, and it will be €139 for the 3GB RAM with 64GB user memory version. It will be available late this month.

The Redmi 9A Is described as a “highly reliable device that won’t let you down.” It will feature a 6.53″ dot drop display, a 5,000mAh battery that has been enhanced for a longer lifespan, a Helios G25 processor, a 3.5mm headphone jack, expandable storage up to 512GB, and a 13-megapixel AI camera. The Redmi 9A will start at €99 for the 2GB RAM with 32GB user memory.

You can watch the entire Xiaomi Ecosystem Product Launch event here; when you’re done, you can learn more about Xiaomi and all of their products by clicking here.

In case you didn’t catch it, this was the statement at the end of the video — complete with sweeping music and soaring vocals:

Smart technology doesn’t have to cost a fortune. At Xiaomi, we make amazing products at honest prices, and we’re the 4th largest smartphone brand in the world. Affordable prices certainly doesn’t mean low-quality. We only use world-class components from the industry’s best, and we’ve won countless design and innovation awards. We believe in efficiency, honesty, and transparency. We have pledged to keep pit hardware net profit under 5% because our vision is to provide innovation for everyone. Since our founding in 2010, we have won the trust of more than 200 million users in 80m markets around the world. Our customers are the heart of everything we do. With your help, we’ll grow even better. You tell us how to improve our products, and we listen so we can create even more amazing products at even more accessible prices. Xiaomi is looking to the future, where all our products talk to each other, so your life is seamlessly connected to make life a little bit smarter and simpler.

from Joseph Rushing https://geardiary.com/2020/07/15/xiaomi-impresses-with-their-latest-launch/

[son-of-a-duck]

September 3, 2017

This morning I woke up super early, said screw that, and rolled back over for another couple of hours. Then I got up, took a shower, and spent awhile looking up game things.  I started by finally downloading the VR Minecraft mod, and all the other mods I usually use in Minecraft. Surprisingly all of the mods installed correctly the first time. They have made the process much easier over the years, but I still don't get that lucky very often.  I only ran around a little bit in the game but it is pretty cool being able to move around inside the world, not staring at it through a monitor.

Then I moved onto researching apps and things for Elite Dangerous. I downloaded a few different things that should help keep track of where I've been and where I'm going, as well as keep track of different things in the game.  I also found another one that should allow me to put a window in 3D space in the game.  The idea behind this is that I could have Netflix or YouTube or Twitch running in the ship while I played.  It is an older program that they have now turned into a full program for sale on Steam, but the old version is still available (at least I think it is) so I downloaded it and I'm going to try it out.  If it works well I'll get the new and improved version.  Tomorrow maybe, if I have time before or after I do laundry I might try to mess around with things a little bit and see if I can figure them out without having to read in-depth instructions.

I got my new laptop fan in the mail. There is still a little bit of noise, so I'm a little worried about how long it will actually last, but it is much quieter than the one that was failing.  It looks identical to the original one so hopefully it hangs in there for awhile.

I also finally got a welcome letter from the HOA, along with a bill for $1,035.  I'm a little concerned that they would got this long without contacting me.  Maybe a thousand bucks is the magic number.  I'm also a little concerned that they still don't seem to know who lives here because it was address the the “current resident”.  It's good timing though because I was needing to find their contact information to find out about fixing my yard so it doesn't drain water toward my house.  I'm going to compose an email tomorrow.  Now I just need to decide if I should write nine individual checks for the monthly dues or if I should just write one for the total amount.  I'll probably end up going with one check but I've got so many and I rarely get to use them.  It might also be a little too passive aggressive to send them nine checks at once, as if I was waiting for them to contact me.

At 3:00PM I went over to my friends house and hung out with him and his family (including his grandma) and our other friend's mom.  I got to hold his sister's new baby, after he was handed to me against my protests.  I'm fairly certain I haven't held a baby since my brother, and he's 21 now, so that was awhile ago.  It went pretty well and I'm still two for two when it comes to not dropping babies.  It feels like way too much responsibility and way too much of a commitment.  I'm pretty sure I still want kids but it seems simultaneously scary and exhausting.  

I left when they were about to eat dinner, even though I was invited to stay, and came home to eat my own dinner and watch more New Girl. Then I tried figuring out why my VR setup is backwards.  When I'm facing my computer, the main VR area is behind me, when it should be in front of me.  I thought maybe it was a sensor issue, so I swapped those around, but it didn't help.  At one point I got it to work by doing the standing room setup first, which involves pointing the headset the right way, and then doing the full room setup.  But then I wanted to redraw the space for some reason and it screwed it up again.  In Elite Dangerous it works fine, and there is an option that lets me adjust my seated position, so I'm centered correctly over my character.  There doesn't appear to be an option anywhere to reset the direction of the camera in regular VR space.  Redoing the room setup is the only way I'm aware of, but that wasn't really working today.  It's kind of annoying but at the same time it's not bad having the computer behind you because it encourages the headset cord to be behind you.  So maybe I'll just learn to live with it.

Some time later my friend came over and I let him try out a bunch of different VR stuff.  He seemed to enjoy it.  We did that for about an hour and a half before he called it quits.  Then we went to Sonic for drinks before driving around for a little bit and eventually ending up at a bar.  He got a beer and we stood around watching people play cornhole and talked before calling it a night.  During our drive we talked about dating apps because he's the one that said I should try them out the last time he was in town.  I mentioned my game of trying to figure out which girl in the group picture was the girl with the profile.  I pulled out my phone to find an example and the second girl that came up was the perfect example.  She had six pictures and five of them featured the same two girls.  The sixth picture also had two girls but one of them was different, so you could go back and figure out which girl was in the other five pictures.  I couldn't have asked for a better example.

And it is now one o'clock so I'm going to record my audio journal and go to bed.  It would have been nice if I didn't work this weekend because I would have gotten an uninterrupted three-day weekend.

[topicprinter]

I was going recently through my "spring cleaning" of things I use online. I'm not talking about the business tools, but the services and tools I use, for my own, personal benefit. I know, you're an entrepreneur, all you think about is your business, but come on...So I thought it might be interesting to make a list of all the things I can vouch for since I give them the best review ever: opening my wallet every month. Who knows, maybe you get some ideas (all the links are to the services, they're not affiliate links and I'm not affiliated with any of them in any way).DropboxI've been using Dropbox for so long now, I can't really remember how it was before it existed, when I needed to carry all my files with me, on a USB stick, like a savage person :)It took me about 3 years to say "ok, I'll pay yearly, it makes more sense" :))EvernoteI've been using Evernote as a "dump everything" app for about 5 years or so. I got into the annual payment last year, as well. I moved to Premium once they changed to the new pricing options.PocketI don't really use Pocket as a "dump everything I want to read" tool (that's what Evernote is for). I use it more for "I need to have something to read on the plane, so I will add all these 40 long articles to it". Because the only way I could have the mobile sync was to pay for it, I paid for it. Now, that I think about it, I travel a lot less and the internet is no longer that much of an issue, so I might stop using it. But, since I paid annually already, we'll see.Oh, and the reason why I use it over Evernote for reading on mobile: the articles look a lot, lot better and less cluttered. I don't know why, I just like it more.Google DriveI just use it for backups. Oh, and Photos, because Google Photos is the best photos app ever: have you tried searching in it? It's worth it just for the search images function and how well it works.NetflixNeed I say more? I pay for the bigger account, with 4 devices and UHD content, but I don't really see much of a difference on a 4K screen between UHD and FHD, frankly - I understood recently why: AppleTV doesn't play 4K content. If I think about it, since I pay monthly, I wonder if I can pay yearly.HuluSome TV series are available here and not on Netflix, so I pay for the account without ads. I need to check out if I can pay yearly as well. While Hulu is not available outside of US, I travel quite often there that it makes sense. And sometimes I get "creative" about it :)Tennis TVIt's really bad that WTA is not on it anymore since I watched as many matches of the Romanian ladies as possible, but I still keep it for the ATP games. And my father uses it, as well, and he would be really sad if he didn't have it anymore. And I really can't have my father sad, can I? :)SpotifyI've created the account the last time I've been to the states. It's perfect for several people in the family (you can add up to 5, I think, under the $15/month contract). I pay monthly, cause I wasn't sure I want to keep, but I'll see if it's possible yearly. I used to pay for Google Play Music, but I didn't like it as much. I think Spotify has a better discovery engine and I like this a lot.OvercastThe best podcasting app there is on iOS. I really like it (the cutting of pauses alone reduces podcasts duration by 5-10%, probably), but I hate that there isn't a macOS version. There's a web player, though. If you're looking for an Android version, there's none, but I don't use Android, so I don't really care about it :)MyusI need a stable US address and this is a good solution for me. They changed a little bit since I started using it: I used to be able receive packages and letters there with the basic account. Not anymore, so I need to look a little bit at how much I really need it now. The thing is I got a replacement bank card sent there and "receiving packages" is no longer part of the plan, so I needed to reorder a new card from the bank to another address. Which was bad, as you would expect.CyberGhostThe best VPN solution I used in the last years. I used some others before and I had some issues so I preferred to go with CyberGhost. The reasoning at that moment was that if I really had any issues I could actually meet them and talk to them since the company is based in Bucharest and I could actually go to their office. Thankfully, I didn't need help, since the app worked really well doing what I need. Though now I'm a little sorry I didn't visit them. Who knows, maybe I could've invested a little bit in them and be even happier about the acquisition they announced last month :)I use VPNs because I travel a lot and I feel uncomfortable connecting to public wifi networks without a VPN. Yes, I get "creative" with streaming services from time to time, but not as often as you would think. I'm a lot more concerned about security.I pay Cyberghost yearly, as well.Kindle Unlimited (Amazon Prime)I’ve used Kindle Unlimited sparingly from time to time. You basically get free books to read, but the books aren’t always the greatest. Still, there are some worth reading, like The Simple Path to Wealth by JL Collins. Since I basically pay for Amazon Prime, not for Kindle Unlimited, I also use this for cheap and free deliveries (to the US and Ireland, where I stay most of the time). Again, I pay monthly, I need to look if it’s possible to pay yearly.1passwordIt's not a monthly service, but I paid for it on all the platforms I use (macOS, iOS). It's the service I use the most on a daily basis since I have weird passwords that I always forget :)RunKeeperI haven't run since September, but I keep paying this monthly because ONE DAY!!!! SOME DAY!!!! I actually played a lot of tennis during the winter which caused some weird problems with my Achilles tendon and I need a treatment which happens right now, in May. So hopefully, by June I will start using the app again.SoulverThis is an app I paid about $10, I think. It's the best calculator there is. I don't know how to really explain it, but it's good :)These are the service and platforms I use every month. And I support them with my credit cards :)edit: formatting

[consuelopxz-blog]

How To Watch Streaming Video & Netflix USA In Canada

Last Up to date twenty eighth January 2017: To entry Netflix you want to unblock Netflix's geo-blocking mechanisms through the use of a Digital Non-public Community (VPN). Netflix Canada and Netflix USA also seem to rotate their films at different instances, so typically the movie you will want to see is on the market on one website us netflix, however not the other. Additionally, because of Kevin and James who left comments bringing a couple of different Canadian television stations that stream on-line to my attention. Now I can watch not only Netflix USA, but Netflix from a various combine of nations with sundry content material libraries. After reading your article i wish to share my private methods of accessing Hulu outdoors USA as a result of i like to look at Hulu fairly than other channels. I did not hassle to read all the posts but when you're searching for american tv or movies you may watch Hulu in Canada with the addition of a really small program. This way, the site you're attempting to entry will see that the request is being constituted of the US based server and will gladly let you access that site and all the wonderful US Netflix content. When this method is utilized to cell units and computers, your computer will assume it's within the USA and sure Web searches will be focused for USA customers. If you're a Reddit person come be part of my new sub r/NetflixVPN I'm going to be posting some suggestions and guides on there quickly that will probably be posted there solely! Netflix has to strike totally different deals with the TV firms for every location, and usually the US edition of Netflix has a far higher collection of movies and TV exhibits. I don't have a PS3 personally so I'm not able to check… in any occasion, I assumed I would share their findings so you may hopefully get it working by means of your PS3. Hello tried several of these dns in edmonton on apple tv i maintain getting go to viperdns as an alternative of the film names. The free ones are inclined to have terrible throughput and service IMO so I can not suggest any. Smart DNS on the other hand is primarily meant for allowing users to stream geo-based content (American Netflix) at high speeds with out interfering along with your on a regular basis on-line actions.

If content material homeowners were seriously concerned with VPN utilization, they might simply refuse to license their content material to Netflix till it cracked down on the observe. If you're using an cell gadget or tablet (iPad, iPhone, Android phone, and many others) with the Netflix App then you must flip off location companies. Tunlr is one free mission that manipulates the DNS and methods the servers in US in believing that the incoming request is from a USA based mostly IP. January 2017 Replace - Unlocator is now not working for Netflix however works with other streaming services equivalent to HBO, Hulu, and so on. The main reason for this is the completely different licensing agreements within the different countries that are coated by Netflix. The answer to that is to make use of an older version of the Android Netflix app or use a streaming media box such as Roku, AppleTV, or related. In 2011, I started How one can Get it in Canada with the purpose of serving to Canadians just like you learn how to access websites which can be otherwise blocked as a result of they live in Canada. Netflix Latin America is catered to Latin American audiences, and is thus solely provided inside Latin American nations; Netflix UK is catered to UK audiences…you get the concept. NOTE: Unfortunately, Netflix has been stepping up their marketing campaign against Smart DNS services. If the Netflix App is open in your iOS Multitasking, shut it from the multitasking tray and re-launch the app from your private home display. The Canadian introduction marks the first availability of the Netflix service outdoors the United States. They have 24/7 stay chat obtainable on their web site and they will assist you right away when you've got any problems with Netflix. StrongVPN permits you to access nearly every nation's model of Netflix in the world. Out there along with your alternative of 30 day unconditional a reimbursement guarantee or a three day free trial. The Chameleon 256 protocol accessible with the VyprVPN Professional package is essentially the most reliable for Netflix. Just do not forget that Chameleon is there in case you need it. For instance, if Netflix starts cracking down strongly once more, then you could need it. Right now, it isn't mandatory. Before doing anything, you want a robust software that may assist to virtually reside in the USA. Will not work for me. I consider I've carried out every little thing proper, but I still get the Canadian Netflix. Choice 1 is likely one of the easiest ways to be able to watch the US Netflix library in your (big display screen?) TV in Canada or around the world. However truthfully, with the amount that we pay for cable, it's small worth to have the ability to watch all of the channels and television reveals! In case you're pumped up about with the ability to access the US Netflix library in your pc from Canada please it with your pals on Facebook. If you happen to suppose your mates would like to know that they'll get as a lot as 10 occasions extra titles by accessing the US Netflix in Canada utilizing your iPhone/iPad/iPod and an Apple TELEVISION then please this guide with your friends on Facebook. For those who live outdoors the USA, you should utilize tools like UnoTelly to get Netflix (or Hulu, or BBC, and so on) in your iPad. If Netflix thinks ” you might be located within the USA, they provide you full entry to their MUCH LARGER MUCH BETTER American Netflix Library. The supported devices are : Pc COMPUTER/Mac, iPhone, iPad, Android, Apple TV, Roku, PS4, Xbox, Fire Stick, and plenty of more. To reset again to your authentic Netflix by region, merely enter in the DNS that was there earlier than you changed it. I have personally been utilizing HMA to unblock US web sites and watch American Netflix for over 2 years now. Watch British TELEVISION reveals on BBC iPlayer — like Top Gear, EastEnders, The Syndicate and more — from all of our VPN areas worldwide. So I spend hours researching if/the way it was attainable to unblock US Netflix in Canada. We make it straightforward for you to watch present episodes of your favorite exhibits plus full seasons on Hulu's premium subscription service! This is not to say that, theoretically, Netflix cannot inform if you are bypassing their restrictions. Notice: Netflix recently started blocking virtually all DNS so as stop customers from watching reveals that are not out there in their international locations. However, if these decisions could be mixed to give a subscriber access to all of them — effectively, that's the dream Netflix customers have been chasing. I've had usa netflix since netflix came out haha, each device in my router can get it. After signing up with the service, all I needed to do was modify the DNS settings on my dwelling router, and I used to be good to go. The services above also let you set whichever Netflix area you like (Japan, USA, UK, and so on). My brother mentioned I ought to set up a US Netflix account however it seemed like such a problem. Watching Netflix can also be performed on an iPad, Google Pill, iPhone, Android Cellphone, Home windows Telephone and many different mobile units using this methodology. To have the ability to watch US Netflix in your iPad or every other Apple gadget, the process is completely different. Works unblock-us great for me, and you can go into the setup page and alter which netflix it factors you to. So I can easily scan although UK, Canada and US to see if there is something new on one which is not available on the others. The rationale why eluded me for a little while, that's until only in the near past when I observed that immediately I could not stream Netflix from dwelling using both the iPhone or the Observe. This may increasingly sound like loads of TV exhibits and flicks but our neighbors south of the border in America had entry to presumably 750,000 titles! Ironsocket and NordVPN , though not as dependable for US Netflix as my high suggestions, do assist a higher variety of Netflix areas. Such as you stated, Netflix not required a US based mostly account and you can use your individual Canadian credit card. Notice: In case you have any questions about establishing a US Netflix account in Canada - let me know and I'll try to help!

[movietvtechgeeks]

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Nintendo Switch: Impressive when it works but lacking games

Nintendo certainly has had a banner year with Pokemon Go, so anticipation has been very high for their Nintendo Switch which hits on Friday. You can check out pricing on it here and be ready to get your own. You might want to read our review first though. The idea behind it is perfect. An all-in-one gaming machine that serves as both a handheld device and a TV game console. Nintendo pretty much imprinted us with the idea when Game Boy came out that your portable devices would always be separate from your Nintendo home console. Even the games were different. If you wanted to play the same game on your portable and home console, you had to buy the same game that was made for each one. There was no crossover, until now. The Nintendo Switch bridges this huge gap which is very exciting. Basically, it's a mini table that comes with a 6.2-inch screen that you could use to play games. The only problem there is that they don't have any games that would play on a touchscreen. They have added two small game controllers (called Joy-Cons) that slide into the sides of the tablet. That grooves on the side are very easy to slide into so no worry about having to jam them in with frustration. This simple act turns the Nintendo Switch into a fully-functional while still traditional gaming machine. Plus it has those great controllers serving as joysticks. A small plastic dock let you connect everything to your tv through HDMI. So all you do is stick your Nintendo Switch into the dock, and it's all on your television screen. You pop (er slide) the controllers off, and they are wireless play toys letting you relax on the couch and have some fun. That tablet comes with a little kickstand so you can treat it like a real tablet and prop it up on a table while you work the controllers in your hands. Sounds perfect. Sounds like heaven. Right? Well, then we run into a frustrating problem. The Switch doesn't always make for such an easy switch. The device plays fine in handheld most, but we kept having sync issues with the left half of the Joy-Con. It has a very annoying lag, so when you hit the button, it takes a moment to register on your tv screen. Sometimes it just drops the connection. We noticed that many times after taking it out on the road and coming back to the office to play would require a hard reset. Another annoying thing as who wants to have to reset your console like that. The idea behind the Nintendo Switch is to be able to play on the road, come home and 'switch' seamlessly over. Like a designer having a bad week on "Project Runway," these seams are showing. This was one of my big frustrations when Guitar Hero Live hit as those dongles did something similar. Nintendo has made an answer for this. You can purchase the optional "Pro Controller" for $70 and problem solved. I can only hope that Nintendo has addressed this issue and it will be fixed in the consoles that hit on Friday. Otherwise, there going to hear a lot of grumbling all weekend long. There are a couple of other things the Switch can’t do. You can’t charge the Joy-Cons while playing in TV mode. You’ll need to buy a separate Charging Grip ($30) for that. And since the USB-C power outlet is on the bottom of the tablet, you can’t play it in the “kickstand” configuration while it’s plugged in—the cord gets in the way. Switch includes one AC adapter, but this has to be used both by the dock and while on the go. So if you want to set the dock up in your entertainment center and run the plug behind the cabinet and never touch it again, you’ll probably want a second adapter ($30). If you're hoping to hook up the Nintendo Switch to another tv in your home, you have to put out $90 for another dock. Then you're able to just pop the Switch into either dock so you can play on another television. So you can see where this is heading. Like with so many gaming systems, you get that initial price to pay, then there are all those optional features you wind up getting. So that $300 turns into $500 rather quickly. When you're putting out $300 for a gaming system, you expect it to work perfectly out of the box, but even Sony has learned that hard lesson when buyers strike back online. Our fruther fleshed out review continues on dealing with the lack of games for the Switch. When you're deep in a video game, the last thing you want to do is leave home. If only you could take the game with you for your commute to work or your bus ride to school, or to liven up your lunch hour. Nintendo's new Switch console tries to address that by letting you play it anywhere. You simply yank the Switch out of its docking station. It functions as a tablet with a built-in display, so you don't have to worry about finding a TV. Games typically work without a persistent internet connection. Once you're back home, just slide it back into the docking station to play games on a big-screen TV. The Switch works like a traditional game console when you want that; it offers portability when you need that. Over the past week, I've played the new "Legend of Zelda" game at home, outside, in a laundromat and in a mechanic's waiting room. The game picks right up wherever I left off. The big question, as it so often is with Nintendo, is whether it will be able to deliver enough games. When the console starts selling Friday, for $300, the Switch will have a paltry nine titles, leaning heavily toward familiar franchises such as "Just Dance" and "Skylanders." By contrast, Sony's PlayStation 4 and Microsoft's Xbox One had about 20 games each at launch. A new hardware introduction is big for any company, and even more so for a company in such a state of transition. Nintendo's Wii U console bombed when it came out in 2012, and its long-held dominance of the portable game market has been usurped by smartphones and tablets. Its two big successes of 2016 - "Pokemon Go" and "Super Mario Run" - were made to be played on other companies' devices. "Pokemon Go" wasn't even developed in-house, but under license by a California company called Niantic. The Switch is a gutsy attempt by Nintendo to reclaim its territory in both the home and portable markets. The console comes with two controllers, known as Joy-Cons. Each has a control stick, four buttons, two triggers, motion sensors and haptic feedback. The right one also has an infrared sensor to detect nearby objects. On the go, you can turn the tablet into a hand-held game machine by attaching Joy-Cons to each side. Or just prop the tablet on a table with a built-in kickstand and use the Joy-Cons as wireless controllers, just as you would at home. You can also transform the Joy-Cons into a more traditional game controller by sliding them into a wireless grip accessory, which is included. To play a solo adventure like "Zelda," you'll need all the buttons on both Joy-Cons. But Nintendo also wants you to play socially, so each Joy-Con functions as a freestanding controller for party games like "Just Dance 2017" and "Super Bomberman R." The Joy-Cons are surprisingly comfortable given that they are small, about the size of a candy bar. I'd be more worried about losing them than getting hand cramps. They slide into slots on the tablet and the grip with a satisfying snap. The tablet, with the Joy-Cons attached, is about as wide as a standard iPad held horizontally, but just a little more than half as tall. The screen resolution is equivalent to 720p high definition. "Zelda" looks just about as good here as on your big-screen HDTV. The battery lasts about six hours, though a power-hungry game like "Zelda" could cut that down in half. The Switch has a puny 32 gigabytes of internal storage. You'll need to buy a memory card if you intend to download plenty of games. Games also come on postage-stamp-sized game cards you slide into a slot on top. It remains to be seen just how many games you'll want. There's a drab collection of multiplayer mini-games, packaged as "1-2-Switch." The package would have been great as a free starter kit; instead, it costs $60. "Snipperclips," for just $20, is a more inspired cooperative puzzle game. The marquee attraction, of course, is "The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild" ($60). It is spectacular, but also available on the Wii U, so owners of that console don't need to upgrade yet. Granted, I am a hardcore gamer, the type of guy who would buy a Switch just for "Zelda" and spend 100 hours happily wallowing in it. Casual gamers who get by with the occasional fix of "Candy Crush Saga" on cellphones will probably wish for a broader selection. Nintendo says more than 80 games are in development, with homegrown franchise titles like "Super Mario Odyssey," ''Mario Kart 8 Deluxe" and "Splatoon 2" coming this year. But Nintendo hasn't said whether the Switch will get some version of its Virtual Console, which delivered classic hits from the company's 30-plus-year history to the Wii U. The Switch hardware is very impressive, and the ability to easily take a game from the living room to the laundromat scratches an itch I didn't know I had. But in bridging two worlds, it sacrifices important pieces of both. It doesn't have all the functions you want from a tablet; even the Xbox and the PlayStation have web browsers and video apps such as Netflix on their non-portable systems. And the Switch doesn't (yet) deliver the range of games you want from a home console. The Wii U failed, in part, because Nintendo left too many of its most beloved heroes idling on the bench. Consoles gathered dust because there weren't enough compelling games to play. The long-awaited "Zelda" is a good start for the Switch, but Nintendo will need to deliver this kind of quality more consistently. Again, hopefully Nintendo has dealt with the lag issue on their Switch so you can enjoy it fully.

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