Author: kane2026

Earthquake Bird Lucy goes through Teiji's pictures

Film

Earthquake Bird Review starring Alicia Vikander

One of the movies I have long been looking forward to is Earthquake Bird, based on the novel by Susanna Jones. I am quite a Japanophile, with a formal study in the Japanese language. That is besides my education as a softwareengineer. Neither the original novel nor this movie are long. The original source material is barely more than a novella. But what it lacks in brevity it makes up in suspense. The movie is a faithful adaptation and while exciting itfails in the second half when the suspense becomes lackluster and it cannot build on the groundwork laid by...

The Mandalorian finds his bounty

TV-series

The Mandalorian Chapter 1 Review

Finally, after more than a decade of speculation our first live-action Star Wars show has arrived. After having seen this episode it feels Star Wars is back being relevant again. With eight episodes in the first season there is a lot riding on this show for Disney, especially as it is intended to be the flagship series for their streaming service Disney+. Chapter 1 of The Mandalorian Chapter 1 of The Mandalorian does what it needs to do. It raises questions and it sets the stage. The first third of the episode establishes that the main characters The Mandalorian (played...

Terminator Dark Fate Review - Arnold Schwarzenegger as Terminator 800

Film

Terminator Dark Fate Review

If there is one movie I did not want to watch this year it was Terminator Dark Fate. The sixth movie in a franchise is rarely any good. After Terminator 3 through 5 crashed and burned I was done with the franchise. And yet, the movie is directed by Tim Miller who also directed Deadpool. Furthermore the movie stars Mackenzie Davis as the female version of Kyle Reese. And Mackenzie is quickly becoming the new queen of Science-Fiction. To top it off Linda Hamilton and Arnold Schwarzenegger return in their original franchise role. This at least piqued my interest. After...

Luigi's Mansion 3 Review 5

Computer Games

Luigi’s Mansion 3 Review – the best Halloween game ever

The latest game to play on the Nintendo Switch is Luigi’s Mansion 3. Of which this is a mini-review after having played about 10 hours. The game is surprisingly enough not developed in-house by Nintendo, but instead by Next Level Games from Vancouver. With a lot of games set within the Mario or Zelda universe I have the tendency to become bored with the introductory dialogue. The plot is usually flimsy and oftentimes impossible to click through with sufficient speed. Luigi’s Mansion 3 is different. The story does not take itself too seriously and Luigi is source of deadpan humor....

Happy Halloween landscape

Computer Games / DVD / Film / Literature / TV-series

Happy Halloween 2019 + schedule for the fall

I will start by wishing everybody a Happy Halloween Halloween is slowly starting to become more of an event where I live. In fact I saw the first pumpkin lanterns just now as I was walking outside through the autumn coldness. And there is plenty to do this Halloween weekend. Playing Luigi’s Mansion 3 and The Outer Worlds, or watching Terminator: Dark Fate or Malificent 2. However, with just two months left in this year It is also time to reflect. For the last few months it has been very busy here at SciFiEmpire.net. This article included makes for 13...

Star Wars Jedi Fallen Order Preview 6

Computer Games

Star Wars Jedi Fallen Order Preview

If you have been watching entertainment news in the last few weeks you cannot help but notice things are heating up around Star Wars. The Rise of Skywalker is slated for December 18th, The Mandalorian for November 12th and Jedi Fallen Order for November 15th. Things have been quiet with Star Wars gaming for well over a decade. Previously gamers could expect multiple games of different genres on different consoles. Now it has been 2 years since the release Battlefront 2. While a good game it had its own release debacle. Now players will get Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order...

Deliver Us The Moon 2

Computer Games

Deliver Us The Moon Review

A few weeks the Indie game Deliver Us The Moon saw its general release. Offering a mystery in a sci-fi theme git me intrigued. This weekend – between playing The Outer Worlds – I decided to give it a try. Deliver Us The Moon is not a very long game. Consider this a mini-review for a mini-game. Deliver Us The Moon is an indie game by Dutch developer KeokeN Interactive. The game is a story driven mystery game in which you explore various Lunar stations. And attempt to uncover the sudden disappearance of it crew. The story is set in...

The Outer Worlds 2

Computer Games

The Outer Worlds Review – better than Fallout

One of the most looked after games of the year is The Outer Worlds, and action RPG developer by Obsidian Entertainment and published by Private Division. Obsidian is of course famous as the go to developer of making sequels to established game franchises. Their first foray was Knight of the Old Republic 2 – to somewhat mixed results. But they have also developer Fallout: New Vegas, Neverwinter Nights 2 and Pillars of eternity. So the pedigree is there. What drew people’s attention to The Outer Worlds is the obvious influence of the Fallout reboot series by Bethesda Games. In fact,...

Kylo Ren and Rey in the Death Star throne room in The Rise of Skywalker

Film

Star Wars The Rise of Skywalker trailer opinion

Finally, the official trailer for Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker has become available online. The movie, directed by J.J. Abrams, is slated for release on December 18th. This coincides with the official start of the ticker sales. Fans have been looking forward to the trailer with trepidation, as part of a general anxiety around the conclusion of the Sequel Trilogy. And while I enjoyed this trailer it certainly did not take away my own concerns. For those who have yet to see the trailer, can find it below. The summary So what do we see in the trailer. Well...

Treadstone Review - John played by Jeremy Irvine

TV-series

Treadstone The Cicada Protocol Review

Treadstone is a new series depicting the origin stories of the secretive CIA assassins from The Bourne Ultimatum movie series – and novel by Robert Ludlum. I hadn’t really noticed this series coming – the first I heard of it was in the spring. But after yesterday’s premiere I am glad I have taken an interest in this series. It is dark, mysterious and offers a bountiful springboard for more, but with a few caveats. The episode starts with an man restlessly restrained in a chair at a Stasi facility in East Berlin – sometime before the collapse of communism....

Mr. Robot '402 Payment Required' Review 6

TV-series

Mr. Robot ‘402 Payment Required’ Review

It has been a while since I reviewed Mr. Robot. The show starring Rami Malek and created by Sam Esmail has been a favorite since the beginning, but also hard to review. This episode was however very enjoyable and easy to follow. The latter cannot be said often of this show, which I think has alienated many viewers. If you want an easy intro to season 4, then this is your review to read. Mr. Robot will be ending with its fourth season. After this episode there are only 8 more to go, not much time left to fully conclude...

Blade Runner 2019 # 4 Review - small cover

Literature

Blade Runner 2019 # 4 Review – the end of book one

A few days ago Blade Runner 2019 issue 4 was released. I have been so busy with the website as well work I have had no time to do a thorough review. Which I hereby remedy with my review of Blade Runner 2019 # 4. If you want to catch up with all three previous reviews here are the links: issue # 1, issue # 2 and issue # 3. Issue 4 takes Blade Runner Ash to the sanctuary island off the coast of Mexico. With the help of the Tyrell corporation she managed she track down billionaire Selwyn’s missing...

2600 the hacker quarterly

Literature

Review of 2600 The Hacker Quarterly Autumn 2019

For almost a decade I have been an avid reader of one particular Hacker zine: 2600 The Hacker Quarterly. First launched in 1984 the title is reference to the dial tone that was used on older non-digital telephones. Mimicking this sound it allowed those so inclined to make long distance calls for free if necessary. 2600 has as such been around for a long time, along with the Hacker conference they organize every 2 years (HOPE). Alas the publishing market is not what it once was with diminishing subscriptions, ad revenue and increasing print costs. 2600 once had a readership...

Earthquake Bird poster starring Alicia Vikander

Film

Earthquake Bird Trailer and Preview

Yesterday saw the release of the official trailer for Earthquake Bird. The movie is based on the novel of the same name by Susanna Jones and start Alicia Vikander. Set in the late 80s Japan Vikander plays Lucy Fly, an expat who becomes the lead suspect in the disappearance of her friend Lily. Earthquake Bird is not a whodunnit The story of Earthquake Bird is based on is not really a whodunnit, but instead an in-depth analysis of a relationship breaking down. It deals with themes such as obsession, estrangement and betrayal. So why would Earthquake Bird capture my attention?...

Joker Review - Joaquin Phoenix as the titular character

Film

Joker Review – the most depressing movie of 2019 and its greatest

For most of the year the movie I was looking forward to most was Joker. When a famous actor – especially a character actor such as Joaquin Phoenix – stars in the origin story of one of the best villains of all time you know it will be great. You know it will also be cringe worthy – the director admitted to borrowing from Taxi Driver after all. As if that is not reason enough to watch it Joker also stars Robert De Niro (from aforementioned Taxi Driver and of course The Godfather), Zazie Beetz (Deadpool 2) and Brett Bullen...

Hack Yourself First Review

Literature

Hack Yourself First Review – an introduction not to miss

A few days ago I managed to obtain a review copy of a recently released book on cyber security. It is called Hack Yourself First by Stephen Haywood. I have a read a fair number of books on the topic during the past decade and I can tell you: less is more. Plenty of tomes explain the details of a particular hack vector only to forget readers must be able to apply them. I myself even ventured to write a book about hacking as well. It is called The Linux Command Line, Programming and Hacking. It is currently available at...

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