Movie Review: Devil

I watched this film a couple of days ago since I happen to like M. Night Shyamalan. As a director, producer and more so as a writer, I’ve been a fan of this US-born Indian storyteller since his 1999 breakout hit “The Sixth Sense”. It’s great to hear the story of this relatively young turk who rose to become part of the top names in the tough and very demanding American movie scene. He’s got this sometimes pleasant, sometimes head-scratching signature in the films he’s written: that of an “unconventional unraveling which suddenly permeates the denouement of the narrative”. . . OUCH! . . .Ok, a 3-pound Webster’s dictionary fell from the shelf and hit me squarely on the head. What that simply meant was that there’s often a surprise twist in the climax of his films!

However, ever since 2004’s “The Village”, it seems he’s caught in a bit of a downturn. He made “Lady in the Water” in 2006 which apparently came from a collection of fanciful bedtime stories he told his own daughter. Personally, the idea sounded good but the translation into actual film? Its no “Lord of the Rings” I can tell you that. Ominously, 2008’s “The Happening” passed by unremarkably since I believe the death-inducing- epidemic-wind projected on the film isn’t as menacing as it should have been. Recently his version of “The Last Airbender” left a lot of the fan boys feeling underwhelmed, as if the mythos of this popular Nickelodeon cartoon had been rendered bland, in spite of the ending which seems to indicate that there’s definitely more to come.

Don’t get me wrong though. Like I said, I’m a fan of his style and writing. It’s sometimes the execution of his more recent works that fall short of what they could have been. Afterall, as the old saying goes: “the devil is in the details”.

Admittedly he didn’t write the film, yet “Devil” was a story by Shyamalan that’s also supposed to be the first installment of a planned trilogy called “The Night Chronicles”. It revolves around a simple plot with loads of potential: five people get trapped inside an elevator with the chances of repair or rescue getting to be very challenging. The main cast of unwilling captives inside the steel box is a businessman with no sense of how annoying he really is, a seemingly sweet old lady, a guy who looks like the one you bump into the street everyday, a charming and privileged-looking woman and a temp security guard who seems to have a very large chip on his shoulder and just wants to make it thru the day. There are plenty of possibilities for claustrophobia (which one of them conveniently had), paranoia, psychotic breakdowns and bladder-control failures. Sounds fun! And to top it all of, one of them could be the devil himself in disguise! Interested? I know I am. Their only link to the outside and normalcy is via a one-way close circuit camera linked to two clueless security guards. I also haven’t mentioned another character, that of a traumatized and jaded police detective who suffered a painful loss sometime back who may just be the possible hero figure, or is he?

The ambiance for the supernatural is set when a story is explored of how the devil comes into this world in human form and walks among us. What is his sinister purpose in doing so? Wreak havoc on the innocent? To torment and to tempt? Get what is due him? Well, I might give something away and spoil it for you but obviously, if you’re going to be stuck for many hours inside a cramped, enclosed space with total strangers suspended many floors up, you’re bound to get just a little edgy. The lights turning off and the sudden jolt from occasional falling descent from many heights up add to the “bite your nails” factor as well. Of course you won’t be disappointed if you’re expecting some tense moments coupled with the occasional blood, murder and carnage literally a few inches from you and you can’t escape being captive along side with it. Don’t forget the surprise twist somewhere in there too.

Overall, I think the movie was entertaining enough to spend the afternoon on, though certainly not something you tell your friends excitedly about. Here’s looking forward to the rest of the Night Chronicles which could prove to be the great turnaround for Shyamalan.

The Chilean Miners Rescue: A Look Back

(Photo taken from FoxNews.com)

The world, and especially the citizens and families of Chile, are still ecstatic and thankful for the rescue of the 33 miners. Not only was this a welcome release from being trapped in the dark earth for two months but it was achieved without incident.

Of course prior to this amazing rescue was the the planned execution and the logistics. The main equipment used was the so-called Phoenix Capsule, the rescue platform developed specifically for this task jointly by scientists from NASA and the Chilean Navy. The link below provides more info -

http://www.foxnews.com/scitech/2010/10/12/phoenix-rescue-capsule-save-chilean-miners/

UPDATE:

As to those wondering how they're doing, they are getting to be celebrities. Take their eyewear for example; they're still wearing shades! This is because of the very real danger of "solar retinopathy" as they were stuck in an a dark environment for a very long period. Link below -

http://buzz.yahoo.com/buzzlog/94069?fp=1

On Brilliance

Any intelligent fool can make things bigger and more complex... It takes a touch of genius - and a lot of courage to move in the opposite direction.

- Albert Einstein

Top 10 Body Weight Exercises

No equipment. No expensive gym memberships. No need to get out of your house. A simple and straightforward instructional which you could make your own "Daily 10".

As with any training regimen though, take it slow first and only gradually build up reps or counts and intensity later. If you're just starting, check with your physician to make sure you're Ok to start engaging in these exercises. Have fun!

Boker Plus M-Type

It’s been almost three years since I got this knife thru a good friend from the States. I must say that I’m thoroughly happy to own this knife. It’s proven to be one fantastic cutting tool!

BACKGROUND

The German Boker company has been a manufacturer with a long tradition in producing cutlery. Among its range of knives, it produced the Boker Plus brand as its more affordable line of products. This is because it has outsourced its production to China, a common manufacturing trend nowadays to cut down on costs.

The design of the knife is a nice story in itself. The designer is Chad Los Banos, an athletic Hawaiian of Filipino extraction (yep, Pinoy siya!) and who works in law enforcement as a corrections officer. This background along with his knife hobby pushed him to create his own designs and knock on the doors of major knife manufactures to sell his ideas. Persistence paid off when some companies, Boker included, adopted and launched his designs. It’s been a successful venture ever since (if you want to check him out, his website is http://www.clbdesign.info/).

IMPRESSIONS AND DESCRIPTION

The M-Type’s blade is 3½ inches long and about 1¼ inches wide is considered to be a midium to large-sized folder as compared to Chad’s previous designs. It’s got a drop point shape and a top false edge or swedge on it. The knife is a tad heavier than my previous knives but it has grown on me giving me the reassurance of its utility whenever I need it.

Prior to getting the knife, what initially attracted me to it was that it was a frame lock design. This means that its locking mechanism is the entire bare, right metal side of the handle to fold onto the blade’s base. This makes not only for a strong locking mechanism but also a reliable one especially when you hear that comforting “clack” sound it produces when engaged. The opposite side is also metal but recessed in black G10 material which is not that grippy or rough-feeling in texture. This may or may not be good depending on your liking. Personally, this lack of texture is offset by its handle’s comfortable form which I’ll be getting into shortly. This softer texture will also be gentler on the fabric of your pants and clothing.

The first time I got it out of the box, it was naturally a bit stiff to open. This was done via the studs you use your thumbs to push the blade outwards. The edges and corners all around were a bit rough and sharp too, like those on the jimping for your thumb on the blade spine, the inner edges of the handles and the stud openers. I had to soften them up by passing a screwdriver edge repeatedly on top of them along with some light sandpapering on the edges and studs.

The handle has superb ergonomics that mold your hand comfortably in different forward grips. For reverse grip though, I felt it was better when the cutting edge was facing edge-in.

PERFORMANCE

Performance-wise, the 440C steel holds a decent working edge to tackle most types of cutting tasks. It also re-sharpens up nicely with minimal effort. It’s a joy in fact for kitchen tasks like peeling and slicing veggies, even outshining the pitiful low-end chef’s knife we have. The high grind on the 1/8” thick blade I believe also contributed to its slicing ability. I did notice some minute chipping on the edge though after rougher cutting on wood.

I was also a bit worried about the slight recurve shape of the blade edge when it came time for resharpening. I’m happy to report that it was subtle enough not to be an issue.

The pocket clip seated the knife just enough that only about half an inch of the handle’s butt showed in the pocket. While there are other knives that slide the knife fully in a pants pocket for “discreet carry”, for my uses it was discreet enough. This also helps to facilitate in drawing the knife from the pocket. I later added a small lanyard to further aid in the draw.

Being oriented for a right-handed person, the clip could also be transferred changing the orientation of the draw. It came out of the box in blade tip-down with the clip attached near the pivot. I felt it got in the way of my grip so I transferred it to tip-up. You need a special torx head screw driver for this though (which was used in the knife’s construction) but I managed with a small Allen hex wrench.

SUMMARY

Pros:

· Good framelock design

· Very EDC-able dimensions

· Decent edge holding on the blade

· Ergonomic handle design

· Inexpensive price point

Cons:

· Some chipping on the blade edge

· Pivot pin tended to get loose and needed tightening

· Rough fit and finish

Personal Preferences:

· No top swedge

· Could be lighter

· Better designed or radiused stud openers

· Larger and stronger pivot

· Handle color variety

I have no reservations recommending this as a great folding knife. While not being a top-of-the-line quality brand, being at an affordable price point, it’s an excellent buy. I think you’ll agree if you get one.

Here's a brief vid showing it in more detail -

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Chen Taijiquan Compact Cannon Fist Form

Taijiquan (also known popularly as Tai Chi Chuan) is one of the most misunderstood martial arts. It is known more as a form of exercise for the elderly with its slow and silk-like movements as practiced by millions worldwide. Often, it is baffling for the untrained or uninformed as to its more martial roots.

Having been a student (Yang style) and learning from a talented group, I can tell you with confidence that its applications in how to efficiently move your body, whether in exercise or self-defense is valid, especially for your later years.

Here's a short Youtube link of a recognized master in the US of the Chen style, known to be the oldest and a source of the other major styles of taiji. It is known for its strong, low stances and the projecting of internal, penetrating force (fa jing in Chinese).

Tonkatsu = Mmmmmmmm!

I really didn't know if I should label this for "Humor" section as well. It's immensely funny to with the dog bit too!

It's a nice "how to" Youtube vid on this Japanese staple. Actually, I prefer torikatsu (chicken rather than pork cutlet) better, but it's still a delight to eat.

Fried, crispy, eggy goodness with its sweetish sauce over hot steaming rice. Enjoy!