Movie: The Gift (2015) Caution Spoiler Alert

 The Gift

Came out; 2015

Time; 1 hours 48 minutes

Watched: Netflix

Rating; R for language

IMDB Rating; 7/10

Caution; Spoiler Alert

Staring;

Jason Bateman as Simon

Rebecca Hall as Robyn

Joel Edgerton as Gordo

Allison Tolman as Lucy

Tim Griffin as Kevin Keelor

Busy Phillips as Duffy

Story Line;

Simon and Robyn are a young married couple whose life is going just as planned until a chance encounter with an acquaintance from Simon's high school sends their world into a harrowing tailspin. Simon doesn't recognize Gordo at first, but after a series of uninvited encounters and mysterious gifts prove troubling, a horrifying secret from the past is uncovered after more than 20 years. As Robyn learns the unsettling truth about what happened between Simon and Gordo, she starts to question: how well do we really know the people closest to us, and are past bygones ever really bygones?

Thoughts;

This was a movie I had wanted to watch when it came out but just never did, it's so full of holes but they did that on purpose. It's a great movie, to see Jason Bateman's character change from loving husband to a bit of a control freak is amazing!

This was great and although it left so many unanswered questions it was a great kept you guessing movie.

CAUTION; Major Spoiler Alert

Simon and Robyn Callum (Jason Bateman and Rebecca Hall) are a married couple moving from Chicago to California while recovering from a recent miscarriage. They find a lovely home near the place Simon used to live and decide to settle in.

While getting furniture for their house, a man (Joel Edgerton) approaches Simon and claims to know him from high school. Simon doesn't recognize him until the man says his name is Gordon Mosely, or simply Gordo. He politely welcomes the couple to the area and leaves.

Gordo first drops off a bottle of wine on the couple's doorstep as a welcoming gift. He later shows up while Simon is at work. Robyn invites him in and takes him on a tour of the house. In one room, they find a giant toy monkey, and Robyn tells Gordo that Simon has a phobia of monkeys. Robyn invites Gordo to stay for dinner. When Simon joins them, Gordo tells Robyn about how Simon used to have a campaign for class president and using "Simon Says" as his slogan, and it would get him anything he wanted. A little too drunk from wine, Gordo comments that "Simon Says..." applies to all the nice things Simon has in his life (great home, beautiful wife, nice job, etc.) which makes the couple a bit uncomfortable.

Simon doesn't approve of Gordo visiting them, even crossing his name out over his phone number on the fridge and writing "Weirdo," as that was Gordo's nickname in high school. Gordo continues to come to their house when Simon is at work, and he leaves gifts like a bunch of koi fish for the pond in front of their home, and he gets their cable TV working. He walks into the kitchen and sees "Weirdo" written on the fridge and leaves offended. To Robyn's surprise, Gordo later invites the couple over for a dinner party.

Simon and Robyn go to a surprisingly nice home for the party. Gordo tells them that the other couple he invited just canceled on them. During the conversation, he mentions that he is not married. Gordo then gets a phone call which he claims is from work and he leaves Simon and Robyn home alone. Simon then starts making rude comments about Gordo, saying that he has a crush on Robyn and wants to do perverted things to her. Simon then suggests they go exploring the house. They find a bedroom with women's clothing, as well as what appears to be a child's bedroom. They hear Gordo's car returning, and they run back to the living room. When Gordo comes back inside, Simon asks him what he does for work. Gordo says that he lied and that he took a call from his ex-wife and admitted that it was a heated conversation. Simon insists that Robyn leave the room and Simon forcefully tells Gordo that he doesn't want him visiting them anymore.

The next morning, Robyn thinks she hears noises while home alone. She goes outside and discovers that the koi fish are dead, and their dog, Mr. Bojangles, is nowhere to be found. Simon later goes back to Gordo's house, being greeted at the door by a woman whom he thinks is Gordo's wife. It turns out that Gordo doesn't live there. The Callums call the cops and find out that the couple in the house did know Gordo, and he had a key, since he handled their leased cars, and he had apparently used the key to get inside while the couple was on vacation. Without sufficient evidence, the cops can't do more than question Gordo, and they observe that Gordo would know who sent the authorities to him.

Simon is being considered for a promotion at work, and after a good meeting with the two men who head the company, a colleague tells him that he has only one competitor for the position, Danny McDonald (PJ Byrne).

Robyn continues to feel like Gordo is watching her at home. She takes some prescription pills that she pinched from their next-door neighbor, and she faints in the bedroom. She awakens to find herself lying on the bed.

At night, Robyn walks into the kitchen and thinks she hears a noise. A thump is heard at the door. It's Bojangles, safely returned home. Robyn wakes Simon up, and they talk in the kitchen as Simon mentions he was going to tell Robyn that he got a promotion at work, but he found her passed out. He also takes out the pills he found and thinks that Robyn has had a relapse after previously abusing pills during their stay in Chicago. Robyn argues that Simon doesn't believe her suspicions about Gordo. Simon just thinks that the man has had a negative influence on their lives and it would be best to forget about him and move on.

Over the next few months, Robyn becomes pregnant again. The couple lives on just fine until Robyn is told that a man is watching her at work. It's Gordo. Later, the couple finds a letter that apologizes for him bothering them, and he addresses Simon by saying he was willing to let "bygones be bygones." Simon denies knowing what Gordo is talking about.

The couple goes to a baby shower for Robyn. She later takes a walk with Simon's sister Joan (Katie Aselton). Robyn asks her if she knew anything about Gordo. Joan says that it was reported that Simon and his friend Greg (David Denman) found Gordo in a car being molested by an older student, and this made everyone think he was gay.

Robyn looks up Greg's name online and finds that he's a chiropractor. She makes an appointment to see him and starts to ask him about what happened between Simon and Gordo. Greg does not want to answer her questions but finally tells her that Simon made up the story about Gordo being molested because Simon was a bully and frequently targeted Gordo. This story also led to Gordo's father trying to burn him alive after thinking he was gay, resulting in his father's arrest.

Robyn goes to Simon's home office and searches his desk, finding two files. One contains information about Gordo, and the other is about Danny McDonald, the other finalist for the job that Simon is hoping to get. She sees a mugshot of Gordo, as he was apparently arrested years ago for burglary. Robyn later confronts Simon when he gets home, and he callously states that while he did not know what Gordo's father tried doing to him, he doesn't care since his dad was hard on him, but he toughed it out and didn't feel he's done anything wrong. He starts to comment on Robyn taking pills, and she slaps him, saying he's just as much a bully now as he was back then. Simon later apologized to her and said he did a background check on Gordo to protect themselves.

Simon goes to a bar where Gordo is hosting a trivia contest. Afterward, Simon finds Gordo in a parking garage and gives him a half-hearted apology, mainly because Robyn told him to. Gordo says it's too late for that, and while Simon thinks he's done with the past, the past isn't done with him. Simon knocks a basket out of Gordo's hands, spilling papers everywhere. Simon then kicks Gordo as he tries to pick them up, then presses him against the pavement, demanding that he accept his apology. Simon leaves and goes home to tell Robyn that Gordo won't bother them again.

Simon gets the job, and the Callums host a dinner party to celebrate. A clattering sound is heard from upstairs, followed by another, and then something is thrown through the glass door, triggering the security system. Simon runs outside and sees someone running away. He tackles the man to the ground, thinking it's Gordo, but it is Danny McDonald, angry with Simon for fabricating information about him that not only cost him the promotion, but it also cost him his current job. Police sirens are heard, and Danny starts begging to be let go. Simon relents and allows him to leave. Robyn then announces that she's going into labor.

Robyn gives birth to a healthy baby boy. However, she tells Simon that she doesn't want to go back home with him due to all the drama and madness he's caused. When he leaves her room, he gets a call from work saying he's being let go after word got out that he lied about Danny.

Simon returns home to find a big wrapped box outside. In it is a baby bassinet the, and three numbered boxes. The first one contains a key to their house, showing how Gordo has been getting in and around their home. The second box has a tape that recorded Simon mocking Gordo when he left them to take his phone call. The third box contains a DVD of recorded footage showing Simon and Robyn having dinner and sleeping. Then there's footage of Robyn when she passed out, followed by Gordo wearing a monkey mask (to spite Simon since he has a phobia of monkeys) and pulling Robyn onto the bed, stroking her and waving to the mirror. The footage cuts off, leaving Simon to think that Gordo may have raped Robyn. While Simon watches the DVD, Gordo visits Robyn in the hospital with flowers to congratulate her on her baby. He has a bruise on his face and his arm in a sling. Robyn asks if Simon did it. Gordo states merely that people will get what they deserve and he exits.

Simon rushes back to the hospital and finds Gordo getting into an elevator, but he fails to catch him. Simon runs out the hospital to give chase and receives a call from Gordo. He demands to know if Gordo did what Simon thinks he did. Gordo says no but then suggests maybe he did, and this is what happens when a bad idea is put into someone's head.

Simon goes to find the baby to get a better look at his eyes. It still doesn't let him know whether the baby is Simon's or Gordo's. Robyn holds the baby and looks at Simon with displeasure. Simon slumps against the wall and quietly weeps, knowing his whole life is now ruined. Gordo briefly watches Simon before leaving and removing the sling from his arm; his mission to heartlessly destroy Simon's life is now completed.

Movie: Bright (2017) Caution Spoiler Alert

 Bright

Came out; 2017.

Time; 1 hours 57 minutes

Watched: Netflix

Rating; TV-MA

IMDB Rating; 7.4/10

Caution; Spoiler Alert

Staring.

Will Smith as Daryl Ward

Joel Edgerton as Nick Jakoby

Noomi Rapace as Leilah

Edgar Ramirez as Kandomere

Lucy Fry as Tikka

Veronica Ngo as Tien

Story Line;

In Los Angeles, humans live with orcs and elves in a world where fantasy creatures do exist. LAPD police officer Dayl Ward is the first human cop having the orc police officer Nick Jakoby as a partner. When Ward is shot by an orc and Jakoby does not capture the shooter, he questions whether Jakoby lets the fellow orc escape. During a patrol, Ward and Jakoby arrest a man that tells that there is a prophecy and Ward is blessed. Meanwhile, Internal Affairs press Ward to find the truth about the escape of the shooter so that they can fire Jakoby. The magic department of the FBI interrogates the man that belongs to the terrorist Shield of Light group which protects brights so that they can prepare for the return of the Dark Lord that will destroy the world. Ward and Jakoby are summoned to attend a disturbance and they stumble upon a Shield of Light safe-house where they arrest the elf Tikka and bag her magic wand. Soon they learn that Tikka is hunted down by the evil and powerful rogue elf Leilah and her Terrorist group Inferni which are the ones actually trying to resurrect the dark lord and they need to protect Tikka and the wand; otherwise the world will be destroyed

Thoughts;

This looked interesting and a little different.

This movie was really good! It had a great story line which is really important, had great acting and action along with being different and well put together.

It kept my interest through the whole thing and the spin with the bad police was great to throw in.

CAUTION; Major Spoiler Alert

This film is set in an alternate reality of the city of Los Angeles, where humans co-exist with orcs, elves, and fairies. Officer Daryl Ward (Will Smith) is out on the streets with his partner, Nick Jakoby (Joel Edgerton), who is the world's first orc cop. Jakoby is grabbing a burrito when an orc gangster emerges from a shop and blasts Ward with a shotgun.

Some time later, Ward is ready to go back to the force. He is struggling to keep his house that he shares with his wife Sherri (Dawn Olivieri) and daughter Sophia (Scarlet Spencer). Sophia hates that her dad is a cop because she worries he'll get killed. They see a video from Joe Rogan interviewing an orc as they discuss Jakoby being on the force. The other orcs hate Jakoby as they consider him a traitor. Ward dislikes having him as a partner because he blames Jakoby for him getting shot. Sherri then makes him go outside to deal with a fairy that's attacking the bird feeder. Ward takes a broom and whacks the fairy to death.

Ward and Jakoby ride together, with Ward openly blaming Jakoby for the shooting incident. After driving through the wealthy Elftown neighborhood, they arrive at work, where a few rotten cops - Pollard (Ike Barinholtz), Hicks (Matt Gerald), and Brown (Joseph Piccuirro) - mock Jakoby when he's not around. When Ward is assigned to be on patrol with Jakoby for the day, he protests to Sergeant Ching (Margaret Cho), but she doesn't care for his complaints.

Ward and Jakoby head downtown to handle a disturbance, meeting with Sheriff Rodriguez (Jay Hernandez). A crazy man named Serling (Chris Browning) is waving a sword around and yelling nonsense. With the officers drawing their weapons, Serling surrenders and is taken into custody. On the ride back to the precinct, Serling pukes in the back of the car before starting to speak Orkish to Jakoby, saying he has a message from an organization called the Shield of Light, telling him to "remember the old ways", and how a prophecy has chosen him, and that Ward is blessed.

Ward is later approached by Captain Perez (Andrea Navedo), along with two men - Yamahara (Kenneth Choi) and Arkashian (Bobby Naderi) - who order Ward to record Jakoby admitting that he let Ward's shooter get away.

Serling is interrogated by an elf FBI agent, Kandomere (Edgar Ramirez), and his partner Montehugh (Happy Anderson). The agents ask Serling what he knows about two elf sisters - Leilah (Noomi Rapace) and Tikka (Lucy Fry). Serling knows that Leilah is a dark elf, part of the Inferni clan that wants to resurrect the Dark Lord, an evil entity that was defeated 2,000 years earlier by the Nine Armies. Leilah and her minions want to bring him back to unleash darkness upon the world with the use of three magic wands. Leilah is a "Bright", meaning she can wield a wand without it destroying her. Montehugh says they need to find Tikka in order to set a trap for Leilah.

On the night patrol, Ward tries to get Jakoby to confess to the incident, when they are alerted to something going on at a house on Abrams Street. They arrive and are shot at by an unseen assailant. After a shootout, the officers kill the assailant. They head inside the house and find dead bodies, including a few that look like they were burnt alive. The officers find Tikka, who is in possession of the wand.

Ward calls in Ching and the other cops in regards to the wand. They want the wand for themselves, and they order Ward to go along with it and kill Jakoby, or he dies as well. Ward goes outside to do the job, but first he presses Jakoby at gunpoint on what really happened when he got shot. Jakoby admits he did let the shooter get away, but it was because he lost him in a crowd. He thought he cornered the guy in an alley, but it was just a young orc spray-painting the side of a building. Knowing that the human officers would kill the kid on the spot, Jakoby let him get away on a fire escape. Moments later, Ching and the officers step outside. Ward spins around quickly and shoots them all dead, but Pollard is the only one hanging on for his life. Jakoby attempts to arrest Ward until they are approached by a gang led by wheelchair-bound Poison (Enrique Murciano), who knows about the wand and wants it for himself so that he can walk again. Ward and Jakoby take Tikka and head into their van as the gangsters start attacking.

The officers drive away as the gangsters pursue them. The gangsters shoot at them, but Ward and Jakoby are able to shake most of them off. They find a place to hide briefly until more gangsters come after them. One of them finds the wand and tries to grab it, but it causes him to explode and kill those around him.

Leilah and her minions arrive at the Abrams house and find Pollard dying before Leilah finishes the job. She then finds another Inferni elf, Larika (Nadia Grey), who is stuck to the walls. She tells Leilah that Tikka got away with the wand, and she slashes Larika's throat. The elves then come across a family that they kill for more information on the wand's whereabouts. Kandomere and Montehugh later come upon the crime scene at the Abrams house, and Kandomere knows Leilah has lost the wand, making her vulnerable.

Ward, Jakoby, and Tikka walk through a sleazy orc/human strip club. Poison and his gang find them and once again threaten them for the wand, but Leilah and her minions show up and slaughter Poison and his gang. Another shootout happens, forcing the trio to run again. They run into a nearby convenience store where they find a place to hide. While tending to their wounds in a bathroom, Ward and Jakoby discuss their relationship. Although Ward doesn't think of them as friends, he does tell Jakoby that he shouldn't want to be like him, despite Jakoby previously stating he wishes he were because he sees Ward as fearless.

Rodriguez shows up to the store after hearing about Ward killing the officers. He orders Ward to cuff Jakoby since everyone suspects him anyway, and Jakoby willingly relents. Rodriguez is then shot dead as the elves drive up and crash through the store, shooting at the cops. The trio fight back, shooting at the elves before getting away.

The trio are then found by a group of orc gangsters belonging to the Fogteeth clan. After Ward mocks them, they get beaten and dragged to a church that serves as their lair. The orcs bring them to their leader, Dorghu (Brad William Henke). He wants the wand as well, and he mocks Jakoby for being unblooded (accepted by the other orcs as one of their own). After the cops refuse to give up the wand, Dorghu orders them to be executed. The guards drag Ward and Jakoby to a pit, and Dorghu orders his son Mikey (Brandon Larracuente) to execute Jakoby. However, Mikey can't bring himself to do so, because he is the young orc that Jakoby let get away. Dorghu allows Mikey to go home, and Dorghu shoots Jakoby, letting his body fall into the pit. Tikka then pulls out the wand and uses it to resurrect Jakoby and raise his body up. The other orcs are astonished and kneel before Jakoby, believing him to be the one the prophecy spoke of. The three then leave.

Tikka then speaks English for the first time, now that she knows she can trust Ward and Jakoby. She explains that she took the wand because she knew Leilah wanted to bring back the Dark Lord, and she had sent Larika to kill her, but Tikka took the wand herself. The use of the wand took a toll on her, and it's starting to kill her. She tells them that the Shield of Light can help them if they take her to a pool back at the Abrams house.

Ward and Jakoby bring Leilah back to the house. Leilah and the other dark elves show up and battle the cops. Ward and Jakoby manage to kill the elves, and Jakoby appears to shoot Leilah dead. They then take Tikka to the pool beneath a tree, but Leilah emerges, still alive. When she tries to get the wand, Ward grabs it himself. It starts to glow, and he doesn't explode, meaning he is a Bright. Tikka tells him a war word to cast a spell, which Ward repeats, causing the wand to blast Leilah to smithereens. Outside, authorities arrive just as they witness the explosion. Ward and Jakoby look for Tikka, but she's gone.

The officers are in the hospital and are approached by Kandomere and Montehugh. Although Jakoby tries to explain everything that happened, Ward denies that there was ever a wand, and that gangsters killed the corrupt officers.

In the final scene, Ward and Jakoby are commemorated for their heroism. Pollard, Brown, Hicks, and Ching are also honored alongside Rodriguez, with Ward expressing his hatred for that fact. Jakoby tells him to let it go, since at least they know the truth. Sherri and Sophia are there to support Ward, while he and Jakoby notice Tikka walking among the crowd, smiling at them.

Movie: Ready Player One (2018) Caution Spoiler Alert

 Ready Player One

Came out; 2018

Time; 2 hours 20 minutes

Watched: Cable on Demand

Rating; PG-13 for sequences of sci-fi action violence, bloody images, some suggestive material, partial nudity and language

IMDB Rating; 7.4/10

Caution; Spoiler Alert

Staring.

Tye Sheridan as Parzival/Wade

Olivia Cooke as Art3mis/Samantha

Ben Mendelsohn as Sorrento

Lena Waithe as Aech/Helen

T.J. Miller as I-R0K

Simon Pegg as Curator/Ogden Morrow

Mark Rylance as Anorak/Halliday

Story Line.

In the year 2045, the real world is a harsh place. The only time Wade Watts (Tye Sheridan) truly feels alive is when he escapes to the OASIS, an immersive virtual universe where most of humanity spends their days. In the OASIS, you can go anywhere, do anything, be anyone--the only limits are your own imagination. The OASIS was created by the brilliant and eccentric James Halliday (Mark Rylance), who left his immense fortune and total control of the Oasis to the winner of a three-part contest he designed to find a worthy heir. When Wade conquers the first challenge of the reality-bending treasure hunt, he and his friends--The High Five--are hurled into a fantastical universe of discovery and danger to save the OASIS

Thoughts.

I've caught this from time to time on TV but my son watches a show about something similar and we were telling him about this movie, we decided to watch it, uncut with him.

I forgot what an actual cute movie this is!

CAUTION; Major Spoiler Alert

We open in a place called "The Stacks", in Columbus Ohio, in the year 2045.

The-low-income community is filled with a number of precariously stacked trailers and vehicles, where Wade Watts (Tye Sheridan) lives with his Aunt Alice (Susan Lynch), and her boyfriend Rick (Ralph Ineson).

With the real world in such an impoverished state and no one really caring to do anything about it, Wade finds himself like millions of people, escaping into The OASIS (Ontologically Anthropocentric Sensory Immersive Simulation), a virtual reality world where people can enter as avatars to play video games, entertain themselves, and seek pleasures they can't find so easily in the real world.

Created by James Halliday (Mark Rylance) and Ogden Morrow (Simon Pegg) of Gregarious Games, The OASIS is a place where one can do anything and be anyone (or anything). However, like a video game, if you accumulate stuff in THE OASIS and your avatar dies, you end up losing everything. Wade's avatar in this world is named Parzival, and he frequently interacts with Aech (Lena Waithe), a huge muscular mechanic, as well as the samurai Daito (Win Morisaki) and fighter Sho (Philip Zhao), although he has never met any of them in person.

One of Wade's hobbies, is trying to decipher a contest that James Halliday created before he died. After his death, a video was sent out, telling how he had hidden an Easter egg within the Oasis. There would be three challenges to win (presided over by Halliday's avatar, Anorak the all-knowing), each one having a specific key. Whomever gets all three keys and receives the egg, would inherit Halliday's personal fortune of $500 billion, and gain total control over THE OASIS.

While many egg hunters (nicknamed "Gunters") have teamed up to search, Wade mostly searches on his own. Their main competition comes from Gregarious Games' main competition: IOI (Innovative Online Industries). Though mostly making their money off of products and other gear to allow one into THE OASIS, the company's CEO Nolan Sorrento (Ben Mendelsohn) wants to find the egg to increase the amount of influence and money IOI can make from the virtual world.

A number of persons eagerly searched for the keys, but in five years, the only thing uncovered was the first challenge: a racing game through a simulated New York City. Wade and Aech attempt go on another race through the event, but like always, no one can get past King Kong near the end of the challenge. During the race Wade is also entranced by a female racer on a bike from the film "Akira." He soon finds out that this is Art3mis (Olivia Cooke), a well-known gamer and "sixer-fixer."

Wade convinces Aech to help Art3mis repair her bike after the race. In Aech's garage, Wade and Art3mis discuss Halliday and his challenge. While Wade claims he'd use the money to buy things, Artemis claims he's really afraid to 'zero-out' and lose all his stuff.

Art3mis' words stick in Wade's head, and then goes to the Halliday Journals, a place in THE OASIS that is like a personal shrine to Halliday. With assistance from a mechanical Curator (Simon Pegg), Wade observes a memory in which Halliday and Morrow have a discussion about the future of their creation. Halliday claims he hates rules, and wishes they could "just go backwards."

The next time Wade enters the first challenge, he throttles his Delorean Time Machine vehicle backwards, and uncovers a secret roadway, that leads him underneath the challenge, past Kong, and to Central Park. He then meets Anorak, who rewards him with the Copper Key, 100,000 coins, and a clue. Wade takes his newfound winnings, and goes on a shopping spree, before telling of the challenge's secret to Art3mis, Aech, Daito, and Sho.

In his spare time, Wade ponders the clue about "a creator who hates his own creation" and "a leap not taken," but draws a blank.

At IOI, a number of board members explain to Sorrento their worry now that Parzival's name is on the board. However, the businessman is fairly certain there is nothing to worry about, in their quest to get more money from THE OASIS. Even so, Sorrento goes into THE OASIS, where he meets up with a bounty hunter called I-R0k (T.J. Miller). After collecting a powerful item called the Orb of Osuvox from him, Sorrento then hires I-ROk to take out Parzival.

Wade's next visit to the Halliday Journals has him mobbed by a number of fans, until Art3mis shows up, and helps disguise him. The two then go into the Journals, and view a recording of a meeting between Halliday and Morrow before THE OASIS went live. In the memory, Halliday tells how he took a woman named Karen Underwood (Perdita Weeks) on a date, but while she wanted to go dancing, he took her to a movie instead. Kira eventually married Morrow, though Wade notes that even though she seemed to be important to both their lives, this is the only mention of her name he's found in the Journals.

The Curator debates this, but finds the analysis to be true. Wade is rewarded with a quarter, and an invitation by Art3mis to go to The Distracted Globe, a special club that was designed by Halliday.

While Wade is excited to hang out with Art3mis, Aech cautions him that she may be using him, or that Art3mis could be "a dude."

At the Distracted Globe, Art3mis leads Wade out onto a zero-g dance floor, thinking "the leap not taken" may be tied to having the Copper Key, AND leaping into the void. This doesn't work, but during the time in zero-g, Wade begins to confess his feelings to Art3mis, eventually even telling her his real name (which happens to be overheard by i-R0k!).

Before the bounty hunter can strike, IOI crashes the party, attempting to assassinate Wade. He and Art3mis manage to escape, but almost at the cost of their own lives. Art3mis confesses how her father died in an IOI "Loyalty Center," trying to pay off debt, and that she can't afford to be distracted from trying to find the egg, and possibly stopping further harm happening to others.

i-R0k does more research, and soon gives Sorrento Wade's full information. Per the IOI Board of Directors, Sorrento has wade's avatar piped into his office. Sorrento offers Wade plenty of things, including a$25 million bonus if he helps the company find the egg. However, Wade isn't swayed by the offers, and declines...but not before Sorrento confesses that he knows where Wade lives, and is going to destroy his home!

Wade rushes out of his secret hiding place to warn his Aunt and her boyfriend, but is too late, as the stack their home is atop explodes, and crashes to the ground! Wade next tries to contact his friends, but is knocked out by an unknown man with a face tattoo.

When he awakens, Wade finds himself face-to-face with Art3mis, whose real name is Samantha Cook. She and several others are headquartered not far from The Stacks and IOI. While she seems upset about a large birthmark on her face, Wade tells her that he doesn't care about it. As they talk in private, Samantha suddenly thinks she may know what the first challenge's clue meant!

Getting their friends together, the group head back to the Journals, and inquire about the films that Halliday might have taken Kira to on her date. One that stands out to Wade is "The Shining." Much like the clue, it's creator (author Stephen King) hated it's creation.

The group go into the film's Overlook Hotel, courtesy of the Curator. Aech braves a number of terrifying scenarios, but they question their first assumption that a particular key in the film may be what they are looking for, when they hear music coming from one of the rooms. It is here they encounter Kira, dancing with a number of zombies over a large pit.

Art3mis then realizes "the leap not taken," was Halliday talking about not taking the step to be with Kira! Eventually, she makes her way through the zombies, and asks Kira to dance. This reveals Anorak, who then offers her The Jade Key, and the next clue.

The rest of the group (dubbing themselves "the High Five") soon get their own Jade Key, before being followed in by a hoard of Sixers, who then are set upon by the terrors of "The Shining."

This latest revelation also reveals to Sorrento that Wade is still alive. Sending out his associate F'Nale Zandor (Hannah John-Kamen) to try and track down the group. She eventually finds one of Samantha's associates, and trails him to her secret hideout!

Wade attempts to get Samantha to escape with him, but she sacrifices herself so he can get away, and alerts their friends to help him. F'Nale then confronts Samantha, and claims that IOI is now in possession of her "outstnding debts," earning her a ticket to the one place the girl fears most: IOI's Loyalty Centers.

Meanwhile, Wade has been found and picked up by his friends. Aech (whose real name is Helen) helps him escape in a modified postal truck, where he meets Daito (real name Toshiro), and Sho (named Shoto).

During this time, IOI cracked the third challenge, and determined it leads to Castle Anorak, on Planet Doom in THE OASIS. It is here the final challenge is revealed: an Atari 2600 with every game ever made for the console...but only one will unlock the final key.

Sorrento then has the Orb of Osuvox activated, shielding the castle from anyone getting in, while a number of Loyalty Center employees (including Samanta), set explosive charges outside the front entrance of the place.

To save Samantha, Wade tells Aech what he recalls of Sorrento's office, and they create a digital-double of the place, hijacking his online feed before he can return to the real world! Sorrento gives the group information on Samantha's workstation, and they manage to get her out. However, knowing what IOI has done to the castle, she stays in the facility, and tries to find a way to undo the orb.

Wade and his friends then broadcast a message across the Oasis, telling of what Sorrento has done, and requesting those who believe in what's right, come to Planet Doom to help them. This leads to a massive group of persons doing battle against IOI forces, as Samantha manages to bring the orb's protection down.

Getting outside, she manages to meet up with Wade, but not before Sorrento unleashes his Mecha-Godzilla armored suit against the. Aech uses her Iron Giant persona and Daito gains control of a Gundam suit for 60 seconds, but both fail to make a dent in the massive creature. However, Samantha manages to use a Madball/bomb thrown into the head, to take down Sorrento.

Sorrento then goes on a mad rampage through hi facility, certain that Samantha is there. To save her, Wade kills her character in THE OASIS, and she escapes outside, soon encountering the others.

Back in the game, Wade and Sho manage to make it to the final challenge. As they watch one Sixer play the game "Adventure," he wins...but then falls through some ice!

Wade claims he knows how to get the final key, when Sorrento and i-R0k show up. Sorrento makes one more offer to Wade, but threatens to unleash a weapon called "The Cataclysm," that will wipe out every avatar on Planet Doom! Wade attempts to stop the madman, but he sets off the device!

In the aftermath, Wade finds out he is still alive. Apparently, the quarter the Curator gave him, was an Extra Life token! Wade then begins to play Adventure, and THE OASIS then begins to broadcast what he's doing. Wade explains that the goal of the final challenge, is to find the hidden Easter egg in the game (which some consider to be one of the first in video game history!).

This reveals Anorak, and the final Crystal Key. It is at this point that IOI and their forces have found Aech and her truck. Wade calls out to anyone in the area to meet them at The Stacks.

In THE OASIS, he manages to unlock a large door with his keys, and is then given papers to sign...but hesitates. Wade claims this is similar to when Halliday made Morrow sign over his shares of the company. When Wade refuses to sign, Anorak becomes Halliday, and the chamber becomes Halliday's childhood room.

The room contains a special button, that if pressed, will erase the entire OASIS. Halliday also gives Wade the Easter egg, while telling him that while the virtual world can be good from time-to-time, the real world, and interacting with real people, is just as important.

The group makes it to The Stacks, but not before Sorrento knocks them off-balance. He almost kills them, when he sees the glint of the Easter egg in Wade's VR goggles. It is at this time that the Police arrive, and arrest Sorrento and F'Nale.

Shortly after this Ogden Morrow shows up, along with some lawyers from Gregarious Games, wanting Wade's signature. However, he claims he wants to split the prize with his friends.

Ogden also reveals that he was the Curator, and commends Wade for his detective work.

In the aftermath of the contest, Ogden comes to work with them in overseeing THE OASIS (his fee: twenty-five cents). They also ban any Loyalty Centers from doing business in THE OASIS, and IOI is forced to shut them all down.

Taking Halliday's advice to experience the real world, the group also shuts THE OASIS off on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

Movie: Memory (2022) Caution Spoiler Alerts

 Memory

Came out; 2022

Time; 1 hours 54 minutes

Watched: Amazon

Rating; R for violence, some bloody images and language throughout

IMDB Rating; 5.7/10

Caution; Spoiler Alert

Staring;

Liam Beeson as Alex Lewis

Guy Pearce as Vincent Serra

Taj Atwal as Linda Amisted

Harold Torres as Hugo Marquez

Ray Fearon as Gerald Nussbaum

Monica Bellucci as Davana Sealman

Ray Stevenson as Danny Mora

Mila Sanchez as Beatriz

Story Line;

Alex Lewis (Liam Neeson) is an expert assassin with a reputation for discreet precision. Caught in a moral quagmire, Alex refuses to complete a job that violates his code and must quickly hunt down and kill the people who hired him before they and FBI agent Vincent Serra (Guy Pearce) find him first. Alex is built for revenge but, with a memory that is beginning to falter, he is forced to question his every action, blurring the line between right and wrong

Thoughts;

I like Liam Neeson, he's a good actor, I do like that this movie showed that he once a bad ass but now is aging. It fits who he is in real life!

This movie was pretty par for the course when it comes to action. It did a great job of showing how he's trying to get out but can't, showing how he is losing his mind but still trying.

I didn't like the ending and feel like they could have done more justice to the character and child at the center of the movie. The revenge twist at the end was pretty good though!

CAUTION; Major Spoiler Alert

Alex Lewis is a contract killer living in Mexico who suffers from early onset Alzheimer's and works for Davana Sealman. He is assigned to kill a man in El Paso, Texas, where he grew up and where his brother lives in residence at a nursing home due to severe Alzheimer's disease. The target of the hit is Ellis Van Camp, a builder for the Texas Central Processing Facility. Meanwhile, Vincent Serra of the FBI's Child Exploitation Task Force is undercover in El Paso trying to arrest "Papa Leon," a sex trafficker. Vincent kills Papa Leon after the latter takes his daughter Beatriz hostage during the sting operation. Beatriz is taken to the Processing Facility, where she had been held previously, before ending up at a group home. Vincent is frustrated that his domestic investigations into trafficking are frequently foiled.

Alex kills Ellis and steals a flash drive from his safe. He finds out his second target is Beatriz, but after breaking into the group home, refuses to kill her as he believes children are "off limits." He threatens William Borden, Davana's lawyer, asking him to cancel the contract on Beatriz. Instead, she is killed by another hitman, Mauricio. The next morning Alex wakes in a hotel room after a one-night stand and sees news of Beatriz's murder. He realizes he is in danger and tells Maya, the woman he is with, to stay in the room before heading for the parking garage. He and Mauricio get into a shootout, during which Maya is killed as she had followed Alex to return his forgotten Alzheimer pills. Alex kills Mauricio and burns both bodies inside Mauricio's car.

Alex retreats to a former bakery once owned by his late father where he reviews the stolen flash drive and finds footage of Davana's son, Randy, sexually assaulting Beatriz. To avenge Beatriz, he kills Borden, which causes Randy to panic. Davana tells her son to escape, but he first throws a party on his yacht. Vincent and his team, Mexican police detective Hugo Marquez, and Special Agent Linda Amistead, are investigating the Van Camp murder and realize that the recent crimes are connected because Van Camp and Borden were shot with bullets from the same silenced pistol. They find out that Randy is the owner of the Processing facility, Van Camp was the builder, and Borden was Randy's lawyer, realizing that Randy is likely next.

The FBI arrive at the yacht party to save Randy, but Alex kills him first. Outside, he is cornered by Vincent and Marquez but escapes despite Marquez shooting him. Alex recovers inside the bakery but his Alzheimer symptoms are worsening. Narrowly avoiding an FBI raid, Alex infiltrates Davana's penthouse which is heavily guarded by corrupt El Paso police. He shoots his way past several police officers and reaches Davana but forgets that he had removed the firing pin from his pistol and is knocked out by Davana's henchman, Danny Mora. Mora brings him in alive to interrogate him about the flash drive but another officer tells Mora that Alex needs to be taken to the hospital.

Vincent, Hugo, and Linda receive a package mailed by Alex containing the flash drive. They find Alex under police custody in the hospital where he tells them that he has evidence of Davana threatening Van Camp but cannot remember where he placed the recording. Davana blackmails her personal doctor into killing Alex, but Alex apprehends him and takes him hostage. The police arrive on scene and mistakenly shoot the hostage, but Alex makes it inside Vincent's car, telling him Davana wishes to bury this (spelling "bury" as "b-e-r-y") before stepping out and being shot dead. Vincent later realizes "b-e-r-y" were the remaining four letters of the sign on the outside the bakery where Alex hid. He finds the recording of Davana threatening Ellis, but is told by the district attorney that the tape is not enough to prosecute. Vincent is told to take some time off. Soon after, Marquez kills Davana by slitting her throat; Vincent and Linda see the news report of her death at a bar. Vincent realizes that Linda took him out to give him an alibi.

Movie; Lou (2022) Caution Spoiler Alert

Lou

Came out; 2022

Time; 1 hours 47 minutes

Watched: Netflix

Rating; R for violence and language

IMDB Rating; 6.1/10

Caution; Spoiler Alert

Staring.

Allison Janney as Lou

Jurnee Smollett as Hannah

Logan Marshall-Green as Philip

Ridley Asha Bateman as Vee

Matt Craven as Sheriff Rankin

Greyston Holt as Chris

Story Line.

A massive storm rages. A young girl is kidnapped. Her mother, with no other option, teams up with the mysterious older woman next door to pursue the kidnapper a journey into the wilderness that will test their limits and expose dark and shocking secrets from their pasts

Thoughts.

The preview looked pretty good. A different type of movie for sure.

I liked that the backstory doesn't come right away, you get bits and pieces throughout until it all comes to light.

There are a lot of things that happen that you can see coming, but that is ok with this movie, the way it plays out. Thankfully, the dog is good and is just fine at the end of the movie!

CAUTION; Major Spoiler Alert

In 1986, on Orcas Island in Washington, Lou, a loner living with her dog Jax, goes to the village to buy some supplies. She talks to the sheriff about her arthritis, and he tells her a copper bracelet could help her condition. A mother, Hannah, plays hide-and-seek with her young daughter, Vee, outside their home. Lou, her landlady, stops by on her way back home to say the rent is due the next day.

Expecting a large storm, Chris, Hannah's male friend, offers to bring supplies. On his way home, he picks up a hitchhiker who kills him in his van. The hitchhiker cuts power to Hannah's home and while she is outside trying to restore power, he kidnaps Vee and flees with her on foot. Hannah runs to Lou's house, interrupting her suicide attempt, and tells her that Vee is missing. Before they are able to leave, Lou's truck blows up due to a bomb set by the hitchhiker. Eventually, Hannah and Lou set off tracking him and Vee into the night during the storm.

Hannah informs Lou that the hitchhiker is Vee's father, Philip, a former Green Beret and war criminal she thought was dead. Lou finds and kills Philip's friends on the way, clearly showing she is more than she appears to be. She explains to Hannah she is an ex-CIA field agent of 26 years. Lou and Hannah track Philip and Vee to the beach at Eagle Bay. Lou sends Hannah to radio for help, while she goes to confront Philip and rescue Vee. After a standoff, it is revealed Philip is actually Lou's son, who tracked them down after she turned him in and hid them for protection. It is also revealed that Lou abandoned him as a child to avoid blowing her undercover mission in Iran. Philip injures Lou and leaves with Vee, intending to kill all of them together.

Hannah contacts the sheriff, but a call from the United States Marshals Service forces him to stand down, as it is now a federal case. The sheriff goes to Eagle Bay nonetheless, where he finds Lou and gives her a copper bracelet. Meanwhile, Hannah arrives at the lighthouse and manages to get Vee away from Philip. After a scuffle, Hannah injures Philip and flees with Vee. Lou finds the lighthouse filled with explosives and sets them off from a distance, destroying it to signal an approaching CIA helicopter. Lou and Philip fight on the beach, until she gains the upper hand and hugs him. She apologizes as a CIA agent fires on them, and both Lou and Philip go under the water's surface.

Later, Hannah and Vee are shown in Lou's house, packed up and ready to leave. After a few questions from CIA agents and a goodbye from the sheriff, they are seen onboard a ferry with Jax, who looks at someone on the upper deck, not fully in frame. The camera shifts to show a woman's arm with a similar scar that Lou had and a copper bracelet, as she watches her granddaughter and daughter-in-law through binoculars.

 

Kushner Kreations Holiday Advent 2022

 Vendor; Kushner Kreations

Web; kushnerkreations.weebly.com

Facebook; www.facebook.com/groups/KushnerKreations

Owner; April Kushner

2022 Hocus Pocus Christmas Advent

Price; $70

December 1^st

Scent; Mary

Scent Description: pumpkin waffles caramelized sugar, and rich brown sugar envelope the nutty pecan and hazelnut topped with vanilla whip cream

Thoughts: This smelled so good!

Hit or Miss; Hit

December 2^nd

Scent; Dani's Gifts

Scent Description; Red Berries, Juicy Tangerine, Bergamot, Bubbly Champagne, Cyclamen, Violet Leaves, Soft Cashmere, White Amber, Musk

Thoughts: First off, it had freaking eyes! Super cute. There was something about this that didn't smell right to my nose, but it was still nice

Hit or Miss; Hit

December 3^rd

Scent; Life Potion

Scent Description; Fresh squeezed Turkish pink lemons, sugar crystals and honey

Thoughts: This was not my scent, I'm not a huge fan of lemon

Hit or Miss; Both

December 4^th

Scent; Christmas in the graveyard

Scent Description; Red Delicious Apple, Pineapple, Peach, Juicy Pear, Apple Blossoms, Green Leaves

Thoughts: Not my scent, it wasn't one that I really liked, the pineapple threw me off

Hit or Miss, Miss

December 5^th

Scent; Cauldron

Scent Description; Green Tea, aloe tangerine

Thoughts: This was a facemask; it was a nice change from wax

Hit or Miss; Hit

December 6^th

Scent: Now we Ride

Scent Description: Pistachio cake topped with Lemon marshmallow icing

Thoughts; Yes! I love Pistachio pudding cake!

Hit or Miss; Hit

December 7^th

Billy air fresheners

Scent: Halloween Candy

December 8^th

Scent: Full Moon

Scent Description; mulled cider with woodsy notes of oak, cinnamon bark and cloves, with hints of wildberries

December 9^th

Scent: Becca

Scent Description: Rum & Raisins, Butter, Butterscotch, Caramel Creams, Maple Syrup, Walnuts and Vanilla Beans

December 10^th

Scent: Cassie

What; Strawberry Sorbet Lip Gloss

December 11^th

Scent: I Banish the from Salem! Forever

Scent Description: Peach, apples, oak, balsam, fir, and pine, with a background of cinnamon and clove

December 12^th

Scent: Winifred

Scent Description: Orange Juice, Churned Butter, Pumpkin, Star Anise, Cinnamon, Clove, Vanilla, Baked Crust

December 13^th

Scent: Gilbert

Scent Description: Fresh blueberry muffins

December 14^th

Scent: Itch-it-a-cop-it-a-Mel-a-ka-mystica

Scent Description: Anjou Pear, Georgia Peach, Juicy Cranberry, Black Currant Preserves, Grapefruit Zest, Strawberry Vine, Rhubarb, Vanilla Sugar & musk

December 15^th

Scent: Izzy

Scent Description: Warm fresh apple cider donuts mmmm

December 16^th

Scent: Burning Rain of Death

Scent Description; This smells like a nice Fresh Winter blend.

December 17^th

Scent: Black Flame Candle

Scent Description: Delicious apples, red berries, Florida orange, cinnamon,

clove, golden nectar, falling leaves, white musk

December 18^th

Scent: The Christmas Power Spell

Scent Description: Pomegranate, Peppermint and vanilla bean noel

December 19^th

Scent: The Book is Alive

Scent Description: Rich pumpkin butter, festive pumpkin pie spice, sweet vanilla bean, honeyed graham cracker and gooey marshmallow toasted over smoked woods

December 20^th

Scent; Lock up your children

Scent Description: Red Grape, Strawberry, Ginger, Cherry, Plum, Rose Hips, Cabernet Wine, Oak, Vanilla

December 21st

Scent: Mother Witch

Scent Description: Cherry, Butter Rum, Eggnog, Nutmeg, Clove, Cinnamon, Buttercream, Vanilla

December 22nd

Scent: Cobweb's Christmas Cookie

Scent Description; Creamy orange sherbet with vanilla chewy sugar cookies

December 23rd

Scent: Older Town Magic Shoppe

Scent Description: Fresh Air, Spearmint, Winter Berries, Pine Needles, Wood, Moss and Musk

December 24^th

Scent: Resting Witch Face

Scent Description: Peppermint Candy Cane

December 25^th

Scent: Don't Taunt the Devil Book

No description found

Overall Thoughts:

I started off really into this! Kushner always go all out with super cute themes and her wax throws really well in my house.

It's all on me that I just gave up. I am really not sure what happened, but December got away from me and I let it, I went into a funk that I'm starting to crawl out of slowly.

As is normal with things like this, there were some scents that I didn't like but my family did or vice versa, but everything smelled great! I liked that it had a mix of wax and other items. I don't like that you always have to chase scent descriptions with her because she doesn't put them on the label or list them sometimes.

April sadly is closing. She has some health issues and won't be able to continue with Kushner Kreations while taking care of herself.