Jump to content

Velox

Premier Retired Staff
  • Posts

    4,319
  • Joined

  • Last visited

Other groups

Year 16

About Velox

  • Birthday 07/08/1994

Profile Information

  • Gender
    Male

Contact Methods

  • Skype
    VeloxScriptor
  • AIM
    bzvelox

Recent Profile Visitors

35,620 profile views

Velox's Achievements

Nuhvok-Kal Collapsed

Nuhvok-Kal Collapsed (157/293)

  1. Velox

    Beowulf Translations

    Tolkien's version is fantastic (it just came out a couple years ago thanks to his son)--I definitely second that. It's cool because it's also prose rather than the usual epic poem style, and considering Tolkien's style of prose it reads incredibly beautifully IMO. I recently took a class on Old English (which also included Beowulf, both in the original and a translated version), and I didn't really like the translation we read (by Kevin Crossley-Holland, I believe), but I asked my professor if I could use Tolkien's translation for the paper and fortunately she allowed it, which I definitely much preferred. I usually love epic poetry but just wasn't the biggest fan of Crossley's Beowulf, so Tolkien's prose was a nice relief (then again I'm biased as he's my favorite author). I still really want to read Heaney's version too, as I love his original poetry, but just haven't gotten around to it. And besides reading some random version that I don't remember about ten years ago, those are the only two translations I've read so far--I'm definitely interested to check out both translations you mentioned.
  2. Hey, how's it been going, Velox?

  3. Thanks for the answers, everyone! Does that answer everything for you, Dragon?
  4. Thanks for the confirmation! Glad everything's fixed. Answered, confirmed, & closed.
  5. Out of theaters I recently re-watched Speed; in theaters the last film I saw was Battle of the Five Armies (sigh). Yeah, I thought the exact same thing, as I didn't really notice many differences either (plenty of differences throughout the film, but the ending specifically didn't seem much different).
  6. Velox

    Top Ten Books of 2014

    @Sumiki--Yeah, I debated including it or not . . . it’s one of those books that I really liked when I first read it, but as time has gone on, I've started to like it less and less. Ultimately I decided to go with my initial impression, which was simply that I really enjoyed it, even if it wasn’t one of the greatest books. I sort of doubt I’d like it as much if I read it again, but who knows. Either way, it's certainly not as good as the other books there, even if I did initially enjoy it. @V1P2--Definitely--that's the Tolkien book I plan on reading next (though I've already read a bit of it here and there before, but I'm looking forward to reading it cover to cover).
  7. And now for my favorite top ten list—books! So this was a really great year for me, reading-wise, as I (somehow) managed to more than double the amount of books I read in 2013 for a total of 121 books. Granted, a lot of those were graphic novels or other short books, but still. And so picking a top ten was hard as I had about 40 books that I rated 5 stars. So I’ve grouped some together and also made separate lists for novels and graphic novels. Note: These lists are for books I’ve read in 2014, and has nothing to do with release dates. Unfortunately I only read a couple 2014 releases or so (though I am currently reading The Martian, by Andy Weir, which came out in 2014 and is great so far) Top Ten Novels of 2014 Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell, by Susanna Clarke. This book is long and dense, but definitely worth it. The Silmarillion, by J.R.R. Tolkien. I was expecting to not like this as much, as it’s always been described as basically “a history book of the elves” and, well, I always hated reading history books for school (history is fascinating, but the textbooks on it less so). =P And yes, it is a history of the elves, but written exceedingly well (I mean, it is Tolkien) and not text-book-y. This book was just so interesting, and I really look forward to re-reading it someday. Stardust, Neverwhere, The Graveyard Book, Coraline, and Fortunately, the Milk, all by Neil Gaiman. So sort of cheating here, but every single one of his books is absolutely fantastic, and I read all of these this year. My favorite is probably The Graveyard Book, but as I said, each was amazing. Gaiman is definitely one of my all-time favorite authors. The Golem and the Jinni, by Helene Wecker. I’d heard so much about this, and it really lived up to all the hype. To put simply, it was really beautifully written, and simply reading each word was just as enjoyable as the plot and characters. Skin Game, by Jim Butcher. Butcher is another favorite author of mine, and the Dresden Files is one of my all-time favorite series. They seem to just keep getting better and better, and Skin Game was no different. The Bartimaeus Trilogy, by Jonathan Stroud. Can’t wait to read the prequel book, The Ring of Solomon, as this was one of the best series/trilogies I’ve read. The footnotes by Bartimaeus were hilarious. A Dance with Dragons, by George R.R. Martin. Well, of course. This series is fantastic, and I finally got around to reading the latest novel early last year. Can’t wait for Winds of Winter. Einstein’s Dreams, by Alan Lightman. This was just an incredibly interesting read, focusing on the dreams of Einstein as he’s forming his theory of relativity. Really brilliant, not only being fascinating in itself, but also making you think and ponder about it. The Princess Bride, by William Goldman. Hilarious and exceedingly fun. Highly recommended to any fan of the film. The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. My favorite Sherlock Holmes “book” (counting each collection of short stories as well as the four novels as individual books), as it contains the most of my favorite stories: “A Scandal in Bohemia”, “The Red-Headed League”, and “The Speckled Band”, plus I enjoyed all the others. Honorable Mentions: A Wrinkle in Time, by Madeleine L’Engle; Ender’s Game, by Orson Scott Card; and The Fault in our Stars, by John Green. ~ :: ~ I’m really saddened it’s taken me so long to read a lot of these, but I really only got into graphic novels and comics fairly recently (basically at the beginning of 2014 when I read Hush and fell in love with them—I’d only read a few here and there before), unfortunately. Better late than never, I suppose. Top Ten Graphic Novels of 2014 Watchmen, by Alan Moore. Without a doubt the best graphic novel I’ve read, and one of the best books I’ve read period. The Sandman series, by Neil Gaiman. There’s a reason this series is so highly praised, and that’s because it’s fantastic. Tied for my two favorite books would be Vol. 1: Preludes and Nocturnes, and Vol. 4: Season of Mists, followed closely by Vol. 7: Brief Lives because of how hilarious and fun-to-read Delirium is. I've been buying the single issues of Overture (with the Dave McKean covers ^^), but haven't read them yet as I was hoping they'd get on a more regular release schedule first, but it looks like that may not happen...so I'll probably just start reading them soon. The New 52 Batman, by Scott Snyder (this being The Court of Owls, The City of Owls, Death of the Family, Zero Year – Secret City, and Zero Year – Dark City, all of which I read this year). I’ve rated every one 5 stars, as Snyder really is an amazing writer and is doing such a great job with Batman. Can’t wait to see how Endgame plays out. Batman: Hush, by Jeph Loeb. Just such a great stand-alone Batman story, and it's the one that got me really interested in comics in general. Can't wait to read The Long Halloween, also by Loeb. Batman: Arkham Asylum – A Serious House on Serious Earth, by Grant Morrison. First off, the art for this, by Dave McKean, is absolutely amazing, and fits the story perfectly. The story itself is fantastically dark and creepy. Deadpool: The Complete Collection – Volume 1, by Daniel Way. Just a blast. I recently picked up the other three volumes of Daniel Way’s run, and can’t wait to read them. Deadpool really is a hilarious character (can’t wait for the film, especially if it’s anything like that leaked clip, as that’s very close to the Deadpool in Way’s comics). Hawkeye, Vol. 1: My Life as a Weapon, by Matt Fraction. It's really fun to see Hawkeye in a non-Avengers setting, and just what his day-to-day life is like--great character. Captain America: Winter Soldier, by Ed Brubaker. Captain America is my second favorite superhero (after Batman), and this run was a great read. Kingdom Come, by Mark Waid. What was fascinating about this was how all the Justice League members were old, and it was great seeing them have to come back. V for Vendetta and Batman: The Killing Joke, by Alan Moore. Moore really is the master of comics, and while not as good as Watchmen in my opinion, still two fantastic books. Honorable Mentions: Batman: The Black Mirror, by Scott Snyder; Batman: Year One, by Frank Miller; and Green Arrow—Year One, by Andy Diggle. Also shout-out to Wytches, by Scott Snyder, and Rocket Raccoon, by Scottie Young, both of which are currently in-progress but absolutely fantastic and would’ve made it on the top ten list otherwise.
  8. @Protalgift--Yep! I've been so excited ever since I heard it was in production a few months ago. I'm most excited for Liam Neeson voicing the Monster, which I think is perfect. It'll be really interesting to see how they do it, regardless...the art is so fantastic I can't imagine seeing it another way, so here's hoping it looks all right. @TMD--After watching the trailer a few more times I'm actually a little more excited for it. Not sure if I'll see it in theaters or not (just because I really don't see all that many films in theaters), but I'll definitely see it at some point. Agreed about Sam Jackson and Kingsman--tbh it'd probably be worth it just to see it for him haha, but the rest looks really great too. @V1P2--Yeah I'm definitely interested to see what they do with Aquaman regardless, story-wise.
  9. (finally) Just finished reading Ready Player One, by Ernest Cline. Such a fun and amazing read. All I want to do is immediately re-read it.
  10. @ TMD--Yeah, I guess it's a mix of just not being a huge fan of the second two Matrix films, and not being completely blown away from the trailer (plus it having to be pushed back and whatnot just makes me worry slightly, but that could be nothing). I mean, the trailer looks good, but just not amazing (it does look visually stunning, though, and Eddie Redmayne is awesome). So I am excited and hopeful, just not as much as I wish I was. =P But you're right, given the fact it's their first completely original project since The Matrix is a really good sign. @V1P2--I really need to see his other two films, but yeah, Mud was just amazing. There's also a rumor going around that he could potentially direct the upcoming Aquaman film with Jason Momoa, which I think would be great because one thing I loved about Mud was the atmosphere and setting (very visually poetic), which makes me think he could do an amazing job with an underwater setting.
  11. So after writing up my favorite films of 2014, I thought I'd make a list of the films I'm most excited for this year. Top Ten Most Anticipated Films of 2015 Star Wars: The Force Awakens. By far, the film I’m most excited for, no question. The trailer was fantastic, and I love how JJ Abrams captured the look of the original trilogy, while it’s still recognizably Abrams. Cannot wait. Avengers: Age of Ultron. Not much needs to be said. I loved the first Avengers (and most of Marvel’s films overall), it’s Joss Whedon again, and the trailer was one of the best trailers I’ve seen. American Sniper. This just looks very emotionally powerful. I’ve loved the trailers I’ve seen, and it’s Clint Eastwood. I'm hoping it becomes the next Saving Private Ryan or Black Hawk Down. The Hateful Eight. Quentin Tarantino. Another Western. What more needs to be said? The Martian. I can only be (cautiously) hopeful for this film. It’s got Ridley Scott (who, while maybe not directing as great of things recently, has directed masterpieces like Blade Runner, Black Hawk Down, Gladiator, Alien, etc.); Jessica Chastain, Sebastian Stan, Sean Bean, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Matt Damon, and others as the cast; and Drew Goddard writing. Plus, the novel sounds amazing, and is the #1 most anticipated book for me to read in 2015—I ordered it from B&N a little while ago, and just can't wait (which will of course also affect my anticipation of the film, depending on how much I like it). Untitled Cold War Thriller by Steven Spielberg. Spielberg and Hanks team up again for a Cold War spy thriller? Count me in. Jurassic World. This could be amazing. Or it could be less so. But I'm hoping it's amazing, and I enjoyed the trailer (though I wish there was less CGI). Crimson Peak. I mean, it’s Guillermo del Toro. And Tom Hiddleston/Jessica Chastain. Not a huge horror person, but this looks really good. Ant-Man. It’s Marvel. They’ve proven themselves, and while this had a few missteps (losing Edgar Wright, etc.), I’m still excited for it. Mad Max: Fury Road. Before the trailer, this wouldn’t’ve been on my list at all, even as an honorable mention. But that trailer blew me away, and this just looks epic. Plus, I love Tom Hardy. Honorable Mentions (no particular order): Silence, by Martin Scorsese (this would probably be much higher on the list if there were a trailer or anything, but since it’s Scorsese, it should be good); Spectre, by Sam Mendes (honestly the thing that I'm most excited about for this is that it has Andrew Scott); Tomorrowland, by Brad Bird (trailer was great, and I'm a fan of Bird); Inside Out, by Pete Doctor (hey, it's Pixar, and the trailers look good--I'm also a little excited for their dinosaur film); Kingsman: Secret Service, by Matthew Vaughn (the trailers have me sold on this, plus Vaughn is a good director); The Walk, by Robert Zemeckis (trailer was pretty good, Zemeckis+Gordon-Levitt...); Chappie, by Neill Blomkamp; Pan, by Joe Wright (besides Hugh Jackman, probably the reason I want to see this most is apparently the screenwriter is also going to write the upcoming Wonder Woman film, and I haven't seen anything he's written yet); Midnight Special, by Jeff Nichols (loved Mud); Fantastic Four, by Josh Trank (kind of? I'm just hoping it's good); Mission: Impossible 5, by Christopher McQuarrie; Peanuts, by Steve Martino (just out of a small hope it'll live up to some of the original strips/films); Mockingjay Part 2, by Francis Lawrence (I suppose. I need to see Part 1 first though); Jupiter Ascending, by The Wachowskis (tbh I'm not that excited for it, but there's always the chance it could be just as good as the original Matrix); Terminator: Genisys, by Alan Taylor. And there's my top 25 picks. Anyone else excited for some of these? (I think I'm actually more excited for 2016 haha…Batman v Superman, Suicide Squad, Civil War, Dr. Strange, Deadpool, probably a new Nolan film [as he’s been doing one every other year], a Star Wars standalone film, X-Men Apocalypse, A Monster Calls, Jungle Book: Origins, maybe the upcoming Sandman film…)
  12. Velox

    Top Ten Films of 2014

    Yeah I'm not really a horror fan, but The Babadook just looks great. Glad to hear it's so highly recommended--I'll definitely be checking it out when I can.
  13. *blows dust off blog* This might be the first year I've seen over 10 films that came out this year... So here's my favorite picks. Top Ten Films of 2014 Interstellar. This is by far my favorite film of 2014, and IMO the best-made this year, too (that I've seen). This was an incredibly long film that didn’t feel long to me, and that’s really the best thing. Matthew McConaughey was great, Jessica Chastain was great, Mackenzie Foy was amazing...actually I really enjoyed pretty much all of the actors/actresses. I loved the score. Loved all the practical effects/real locations/lack of CGI (obviously there was some, and the black hole/worm hole looked amazing, but yeah--glad it was only used when necessary, and no green screen). Seeing this in 70mm IMAX at the Chinese Theatre in Hollywood was amazing (I had seen it in just a regular theater before, and so glad I saw it again in IMAX). And for the first time it made me incredibly interested in reading a science book (The Science of Interstellar, by Kip Thorne), which I got for Christmas. It also just vitalized my interest in Science Fiction and astrophysics in general. Captain America: the Winter Soldier. This is by far the most re-watchable film for me this year. It just never gets old or any less enjoyable, which is just really to the credit of the writers/directors—it holds up under multiple watches. And not only is it an absolutely fantastic comic book film, I just think it’s an amazing film in general (also Sebastian Stan is awesome). Gone Girl. I mean, it’s David Fincher—I knew that at the very least, it couldn’t be too bad. =P But the end result was something that I thought was great, harkening back to some of his older films like Se7en or Zodiac. I was not the biggest fan of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, and never saw Social Network or Benjamin Button (though House of Cards has been pretty great), but I really enjoyed this. I also really enjoyed Ben Affleck (for the first time as an actor, honestly--I really liked The Town, but I wans't a huge fan of Affleck in that film [never saw Argo]--makes me excited to see him as Batman). Great book, too. Fury. This made me actually like Shia LeBeouf, which I never thought I would. And for that reason alone this was a great film. =P But overall I just really enjoyed it, and it makes me even more excited for Suicide Squad, since David Ayer is directing that too. The Imitation Game. I was very pleasantly surprised with this. I mean, it had Benedict Cumberbatch, so I was expecting it to be pretty great, but I didn't think it would be quite as enjoyable as it was. Really well-done. The LEGO Movie. The film itself says it the best: everything is awesome. Especially LEGO Batman. Snowpiercer. This was awesome. I really had no idea what to expect, but with Chris Evans at the lead role I was interested, and certainly not disappointed. Wouldn't have watched it if it wasn't on Netflix, so I'm really glad it was. Guardians of the Galaxy. Yeah, this was just a really, really fun film. I don’t at all think this is the “modern Star Wars” as some people are calling it, but it is a great film and very enjoyable. Days of Future Past. This might be above GotG, but I haven’t seen it since it came out so I can’t quite remember. But that Quicksilver scene was amazing. Maleficent. Another film I was pleasantly surprised about. I liked it. Not amazing, but it was enjoyable. Runner-Up: Big Hero 6 (actually probably tied with Maleficent...I guess I'm thinking "which film do I want to see a second time more?" and that's Maleficent right now. But Big Hero 6 is probably the better film) Other films I’ve seen: Battle of the Five Armies (sigh. Best part of the film was Billy Boyd's "The Last Goodbye" at the end =P), The Amazing Spider-man 2 (sigh), Desolation of Smaug: Extended Edition. Films I really want to see: Edge of Tomorrow, Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, Nightcrawler, Birdman, In Your Eyes (it’s on Netflix so I’ll be watching it really soon, and written by Joss Whedon so that's exciting), The Babadook, Locke, John Wick, Into the Woods, Exodus: Gods and Kings (sort of? I mean, it is Ridley Scott and Christian Bale but…I haven’t heard great things about it), The Giver, The Equalizer, The Theory of Everything, and Mockingjay Part 1. And because I don't think it warrants a separate blog entry... Favorite TV Shows this year: Person of Interest Sherlock Arrow True Detective Justified The Flash 24: Live Another Day House of Cards Game of Thrones Constantine Shows I want to see: Fargo, The Walking Dead (only watched the first episode of season 4), The Strain, probably some others...
  14. The Imitation Game. Good film. Cumberbatch is great as always.
  15. Velox

    The Sandman

    This is awesome. I love Sandman, particularly because of all the mythological elements like you mentioned (that's actually kinda why Gaiman is just one of my favorite authors period--American Gods is his very obvious mythology-filled novel, but pretty much all of his work that I've read has mythological/fairy tale elements, and I love that). Anyway, really great job on the mosaic--it's incredibly accurate to that picture you're using. I don't really have any technical comments/criticisms/etc., but just as a fan of the character, it's fantastic and looks amazing. (Awesome job with the Silent too, btw)
×
×
  • Create New...