부산행 영어 리뷰 - Train to Busan Movie non-spoiler Review

부산행 (Busan Train or Train to Busan) : World War Z meets Snowpiercer?

The hype around this movie began picking up speed in May after it was heavily praised at the Cannes Film Festival. Since then, adverts are appearing on buses (not a trailer I'd want to spot while on the train) and it finally pulled in to cinemas last weekend. Many of the comparisons I heard before my viewing claimed 부산행 was the Korean World War Z however it's a movie that managed to follow some of the more traditional tropes of the genre. While I or the people I watched it with wouldn't label it a great movie, it was definitely fun and all of us left the theatre entertained.

If you do plan to catch it in the theatres, we could not find any that provided English subtitles. Regardless, the movie was easy-to-follow and, aside from one or two wordy scenes, subtitles were very much unnecessary if you know the following three phrases:

빨리 가! - Bbali Ga! - (Go Fast) HURRY!
빨리 와! - Bbali Wha! - (Come Fast) HURRY!
가지마! - Ga je ma! - (Don't go) Don't go!

The action definitely had a WWZ vibe, there were thrills, spills, no automobiles and one sequence had a hint of Snowpiercer. The characters were interesting throughout and there were a few laughs scattered within, pacing the tension well.

The Korean Zombie Movie - 부산행 영화 영어 Trailer

KAEB hasn't been this excited for a Zombie Movie for some time. The trailer for 부산행 (Busan Train) clearly has a World War Z vibe to it and hopefully it can replicate some of the finer points of that movie. The trailer seems to place the entire movie on the train (if the clue wasn't in the title) - it will be interesting to see how this affects the pace of the movie. World War Z, in comparison, visits practically every continent on the globe. 

If you haven't seen the trailer you can find it HERE. 

Maggie (2015) Review: Not Your Typical Zombie Movie

Film: Maggie
Director: Henry Hobson
Cast: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Abigail Breslin
Release: 2015

KAEB Rating: 7/10

Image: rickihobson.files.wordpress.com/

Arnold Schwarzenegger. Zombies. Surely, grudge match of the century? For those of us that love the more action-orientated Z movies (so, all of us, right?) this is the ultimate team-up. Arnie, crushing puny zombie skulls with his biceps, n'yarh! It's certainly a drool-inspiring thought but it's not what the makers of Maggie had in mind. The movie attracted a fair amount of negativity because of this. Now, I'll be the first to say; everyone is entitled to their opinion and every review is valuable. But the negative reviews about this film are wrong. And stupid. Call me childish but... Screw you! Heh, seriously though. This movie, while not what we expected in the slightest, is remarkable.

News about this small movie did huge rounds on social media once Arnie was announced. It was cited he took this movie in the hopes to branch out from his Hollywood-Action-Epic corner and undertake something that could stretch his acting comfort zone. Some doubt circulated, pre and post film, though I thought his performance was great - it is said he hired a 'drama coach' just for this movie. Dedication. While the buzz followed Arnie, do not forget about Oscar-nominated Abigail Breslin, taking the role of title character Maggie.

image: pixel.nymag.com/

In my eyes it was this early movie hype around Big Arnold that has brought it such critical reviews. Many, as I initially did, took "Arnold Schwarzenegger" + "Zombies" + "Head popping" and never looked into the movie again until release date. A quick glance at the trailer would show anyone interested: this is not an action movie. It's a gripping narrative based on a father's fear of losing his daughter and the probable eventuality he may have to do it himself. The movie latches on to this fear. Everyone around the two are fearful of Maggie, fearful of what she is becoming, and all argue with Wade Vogel that the time is nigh for Maggie's... Termination. It focuses on the human connection - something TV series The Walking Dead renowned for. The movie can be slow in parts and the actionnever really explodes but this builds to a gripping narrative that never leaves the characters. Sure, I would have loved for Big A to get his hands on the nearest farming tool (Scythe. Please get the scythe) but it isn't the point of this movie.

*Spoiler in this paragraph - why the casting of Schwarzenegger was genius*
This called for some to ask why Schwarzenegger was cast in the first place but the casting is perfect. This is an actor that sweats power. Strength is his middle-name, all four of them. Near the start of the movie, in perhaps it's one true zombie action scene, he encounters one of them in a rest-stop bathroom and finishes it quickly. The man is a mountain of muscle and calmness and we can see this farmer for the hard grafting man he is. We then spend the rest of this movie watching this indomitable, unbeatable titan be corroded and worn down by his daughter's sickness. No matter how powerful a father is, the slow loss of his daughter is something he can not fight and defeat.
*Spoiler in this paragraph*

Provided that slow, gritty dramas are your thing, I'd recommend this movie to you. It had that Walking Dead character vibe to it. It does stutter at times and take longer than need be but it is a small criticism and one that carries no weight here. The majority of negative reviews about this movie come from people who expected Terminator and got an actor stretching his acting chops, and doing a good job at it too.

image: static.srcdn.com/

Paper Miniatures for D&D [ How to Make / Review ]

Gone is the day of the bargain bucket Dragon Quest figures, 20 for a $ or whatever they used to be. These days miniatures are expensive. Real expensive. Add this to the other draw-backs: Impossible to find, difficult to store, requiring painting. Miniatures have become a far greater hassle than they need be. Hopefully 3D printing will fix that in the coming years but we won't wait that long to play D&D.

Our group turned to Paper Miniatures and in all honesty? We prefer them.

Pros and Cons of Paper Miniatures:

Pros: 

• You can use any image you want, including something you've drawn yourself, or I can search for images that fit the storyline. 
• You can create multiple images of each character.
• You can add character names or minion numbers to the bottom. "I attack Goblin 4" instead of "I attack that Goblin. Which one is he again? Isn't he 6? No he's the left one.

Cons:

• They're not as sturdy as normal miniatures, even with card. Susceptible to bending.
• Sometimes the paper peels away from the card - can easily be touched up in game.

I will also share our process for making them. Peace!

Step One: Acquire Starter Pack and Templates

Head on over to http://www.darkcitygames.com/

They have a few packs of monsters to get you started, all of a high quality. To make the custom miniatures though, we'll be looting their template to give us good size options.

Step Two: Empty a Template

Using the template sizes as a... Template... Clean them out. (or alternatively, save the one below :D)

Step Three: Make or Search For The Creatures You Need And Insert Them To Template

A Google images search using terms like "Fantasy Elf" or "D&D Orc" etc will bring up what you like. Ideally you want something with a white background.

If you take Images from deviantart or other sharing websites, please try to drop by the Artist's page and like/share/comment. 

You can use Paint to crop/resize them.

   

Simply invert the image and copy above.


[OPTIONAL] Step Four: Add Shadows

In our games we like to keep track of the direction the character is facing. This way we can use it when determining Passive Perception scores or similar. To achieve this, we place a shadow on the backside of the miniature by:

Copy the Resized Image into GIMP. (Free to Download)

Use the 'Select by Colour' tool and click on the White Space in the picture.

Click Invert.

Fill the Selection using the Fill Tool with the Shadow Colour of your choice. Some pieces may not fill - you can touch it up with a brush.

Flip the Image.

You can add a blur if you wish. I add a 1pt Blur just to make it less pixel-heavy.

Select All, Copy, And Paste back in the Paint Template.

Repeat until you have the desired number of images and print.

Step 5: Stick to Card

To give the tokens some durability, I stick them to card. 

Slay safe!

Merke

5 Great Things About Batman Vs Superman: Dawn of Justice

The hate train is a-coming. Choo choo! BvS has become the puppy everyone loves to kick. Critics and fans alike have been decapitating this movie since it's release two weeks ago.

Now, I'm not going to defend this movie against those criticisms. Many of them are well-founded (especially regarding Superman. Sorry you lost your personality big guy) but that doesn't mean everything in this movie is dreadful.

Here are five things that Batman V Superman got very, very RIGHT!


1. Alfred, The Faithful Butler.

Image: comicvine.com/

Though not surprising, the portrayal of Alfred by Jeremy Irons was fantastic. The quips and one-liners were written superbly and Irons did not disappoint on delivery.


2. The Batman Warehouse Scene

Image: newmediarockstars.com/

Finally, an action Batman. Gone are the days of awkward, stiff, slow and boring, Bats has undergone training (perhaps an all-nighter on the Arkham games?) and come out better of it. Smashing up through the floor, deploying gadgets to remove the enemies strengths before a good ol' beat down in a spiral of Bat-rage. The Arkham game series got its combat very, very right and it does feel the movie has taken from that.

3. Objective Reached: Generate Hype for DCU

Image: moviepilot.com/

My big gripe with BvS: Dawn of Justice was exactly that. Batman Vs Superman: Dawn of Justice. It should have been Batman Vs Superman with Dawn of Justice to follow it six months to a year later. Fortunately, this isn't a gripe post. BvSDoJ gave us a peak at what to expect with the upcoming DC:U. Many fans were disappointed by the cameo shots. I am not amongst them. Aquaman (needs reminding that he doesn't have to hold his brea-STOP IT) looked powerful. Very powerful indeed. Flash's (confusing time line scene that was really unnecessary for the-NO. BAD ME) scene in the convenience store was fantastic, the milk unable to hit the floor as he dashes to stop the robber. Cyborg... Errr... Okay. Well. I liked it. It helps that I know what a Mother Box is...

Oh, and Batman will be in Suicide Squad. Weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee-

Image: fandango.com/

4. Man of Steel Follow-Up

Image: thefilmexperience.net/

The destruction of Metropolis in Man of Steel caused a huge backlash from fans. "This would cost --- billion dollars to rebuild!" "Why couldn't he do a Goku and take him outside of town?" Blah blah. One thing about it was true though - that level of destruction without a human connection seemed... Meaningless. The city crumbled in the final fight but it didn't leave an impression on fans, who were more concerned about the clean up bill.

Fast forward to BvS and few can deny the greatness of this opening scene. The carnage. The chaos. The Batma-I mean Bruce Wayne. Totally Bruce Wayne and not Batman..... It's probably my favourite scene in the movie. More please.

5. Lex Luthor Vs Senator

Image: capedcrusades.com/

Probably the most controversial on this list,  I had to sneak it in as a personal favourite. These are the few scenes in which the script didn't throat-punch itself. The verbal back and forth between these two characters was great and slowly revealed Luthor's role in the movie, introducing his motives through stories about his father. Cough Heath Ledger Joker cough. I get it, it's very uncomicbookmovie to not overly state "I'M GOING TO SHOW MY POWER OVER SUPERMAN" but I was never a fan of that kind of dialogue-drivel anyway. If these scenes are a taste of what's to come then I'm all for it.