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locker_monster- I did a locked room yesterday for a library fundraiser. The twist? You're not locked in one room with one small team. You're locked in the library with 50 other teams. So that was interesting. You can see the other teams while you're running around, so you can kind of glean what the clue is from where people are milling around. At the same time, you can be led down the wrong path if people are milling around the wrong place.
My team did make it out, but after the allotted hour and half, but we were 14 out of 50, so that's not so bad. Top 15! I liked this locked room better than the last one I did. The library one was more word based, so I could actually figure out some of the clues. There was obvious stuff, like figuring out a message made up numbers. The numbers were 1 through 25, so it was obviously the letters of the alphabet. Then there were passwords you had to figure out from jumbled up letters and once we figured out that all of the passwords were book themed, that was easy to do.
The other cool thing was how the library used the library system to provide clues. Like, we had to check out a book and the result on the screen provided the password. Another time, we had to look up fake authors in the catalogue and the names of their books were another clue. The very last thing you had to do was return all of the books you collected during the night and library had programmed all of the RFID tags in the books so they were sorted into specific piles with corresponding letters. If you collected all of the right books, then the letters made up the word of a cryptex that got you out of the library. It was really clever. The library said they're doing another locked room in September and there are going to be 1000 participants, so roughly 200 teams. My friends and I are eager to try that one when it rolls around.
- I saw Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 this weekend and it was really fun. I think it was a little too long, but there was a lot going on so you need that time to service everything. I think that the first movie is the better movie to watch when you need something zany to unwind with, but Vol. 2 will still have you laughing hysterically.
Like the opening with Baby Groot dancing to ELO's "Mr. Blue Sky" while the rest of the team tries to fight off a monster from another dimension. You wanted more Baby Groot dancing? Well, here you go! Not that the sequence is solely there to sell more dancing Baby Groot toys. It also sets the tone of the movie. Plus, it was just really cute watching the team scolding Baby Groot for carelessly dancing around while the fight is going on. He's still just a toddler and no one wants to see him get squished.
I didn't like that the team is split up for the majority of the movie, but it's done to tell more storylines. Peter is dealing with his dad, Gamora and Nebula are working on their sibling issues, Drax gets to bond with Mantis, while Rocket and Groot get to spend some quality time with Yondu. I didn't expect that last one, but it works. Not to mention you get a hilarious sequence with Baby Groot trying to retrieve a new head fin for Yondu and he keeps coming back with the wrong thing. It all ties together neatly in the end, but as such, only the beginning and the end feature the whole team working together. This makes Vol. 2 less straightforward than the first movie, which featured a simple plot involving the Orb, but you can't keep telling the same sort of story over and over again. I appreciate that James Gunn went for something more thoughtful.
You can certainly see that approach in the selection of songs he chose for Peter's second mix tape. While the first movie featured songs that were high energy and a blast to listen to while they played over a scene, some of songs here are more mature and reflect the themes in the movie. I like that you can chart Peter's growth as a person by the mix tapes in the movies. By the end of Vol. 2, his beloved Walkman is crushed by his crazy dad, but that frees Peter to move on from his mother's death and embrace his new family. Also, the Zune from Yondu just made me laugh. Peter wouldn't be Star Lord without an outdated piece of technology to play his tunes. :-D Wait, does this mean that cosplayers will now have to find Zunes on eBay to complete their costumes?
And then the movie goes nuts and has five end credit scenes. Most are just fun little scenes, like emo Teen Groot, but there are important scenes, like the introduction of Adam Warlock and the reunion of the original Guardians of the Galaxy from the comics. Michelle Yeoh for the win! Oh, and let's not forget Stan Lee. When he was at the local comic book expo, he said his Vol. 2 cameo would reveal secrets and you know what? He wasn't just joking. The cameo supposedly confirms the fan theory that all of Stan Lee's characters we've seen are the different incarnations of the same guy. And all of this occurs while Stan Lee is talking to a trio of big headed aliens wearing capes. Watchers! It's played as a joke, so you really shouldn't expect Nick Fury killing Uatu and taking over his powers in a future movie, but it was still a fun easter egg.
Oh, and Nathan Fillion's cameo either got cut or it's not super obvious. I believe he's on some movie posters, but I didn't notice a movie theatre in the background during the Earth scenes. Oh well. It just gives him a chance to appear as prominent Marvel character later on.
I think Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 is one of those rare movies where I would gladly pay the money and watch it again in the theatre. There's just so much to see that one go isn't enough.
- Looks like it'll be raining in Cardiff for most of my vacation. :-P I know the UK isn't known for sunny skies, but come on. I want to take pictures of places where Doctor Who filmed and I don't need a wet camera.
My team did make it out, but after the allotted hour and half, but we were 14 out of 50, so that's not so bad. Top 15! I liked this locked room better than the last one I did. The library one was more word based, so I could actually figure out some of the clues. There was obvious stuff, like figuring out a message made up numbers. The numbers were 1 through 25, so it was obviously the letters of the alphabet. Then there were passwords you had to figure out from jumbled up letters and once we figured out that all of the passwords were book themed, that was easy to do.
The other cool thing was how the library used the library system to provide clues. Like, we had to check out a book and the result on the screen provided the password. Another time, we had to look up fake authors in the catalogue and the names of their books were another clue. The very last thing you had to do was return all of the books you collected during the night and library had programmed all of the RFID tags in the books so they were sorted into specific piles with corresponding letters. If you collected all of the right books, then the letters made up the word of a cryptex that got you out of the library. It was really clever. The library said they're doing another locked room in September and there are going to be 1000 participants, so roughly 200 teams. My friends and I are eager to try that one when it rolls around.
- I saw Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 this weekend and it was really fun. I think it was a little too long, but there was a lot going on so you need that time to service everything. I think that the first movie is the better movie to watch when you need something zany to unwind with, but Vol. 2 will still have you laughing hysterically.
Like the opening with Baby Groot dancing to ELO's "Mr. Blue Sky" while the rest of the team tries to fight off a monster from another dimension. You wanted more Baby Groot dancing? Well, here you go! Not that the sequence is solely there to sell more dancing Baby Groot toys. It also sets the tone of the movie. Plus, it was just really cute watching the team scolding Baby Groot for carelessly dancing around while the fight is going on. He's still just a toddler and no one wants to see him get squished.
I didn't like that the team is split up for the majority of the movie, but it's done to tell more storylines. Peter is dealing with his dad, Gamora and Nebula are working on their sibling issues, Drax gets to bond with Mantis, while Rocket and Groot get to spend some quality time with Yondu. I didn't expect that last one, but it works. Not to mention you get a hilarious sequence with Baby Groot trying to retrieve a new head fin for Yondu and he keeps coming back with the wrong thing. It all ties together neatly in the end, but as such, only the beginning and the end feature the whole team working together. This makes Vol. 2 less straightforward than the first movie, which featured a simple plot involving the Orb, but you can't keep telling the same sort of story over and over again. I appreciate that James Gunn went for something more thoughtful.
You can certainly see that approach in the selection of songs he chose for Peter's second mix tape. While the first movie featured songs that were high energy and a blast to listen to while they played over a scene, some of songs here are more mature and reflect the themes in the movie. I like that you can chart Peter's growth as a person by the mix tapes in the movies. By the end of Vol. 2, his beloved Walkman is crushed by his crazy dad, but that frees Peter to move on from his mother's death and embrace his new family. Also, the Zune from Yondu just made me laugh. Peter wouldn't be Star Lord without an outdated piece of technology to play his tunes. :-D Wait, does this mean that cosplayers will now have to find Zunes on eBay to complete their costumes?
And then the movie goes nuts and has five end credit scenes. Most are just fun little scenes, like emo Teen Groot, but there are important scenes, like the introduction of Adam Warlock and the reunion of the original Guardians of the Galaxy from the comics. Michelle Yeoh for the win! Oh, and let's not forget Stan Lee. When he was at the local comic book expo, he said his Vol. 2 cameo would reveal secrets and you know what? He wasn't just joking. The cameo supposedly confirms the fan theory that all of Stan Lee's characters we've seen are the different incarnations of the same guy. And all of this occurs while Stan Lee is talking to a trio of big headed aliens wearing capes. Watchers! It's played as a joke, so you really shouldn't expect Nick Fury killing Uatu and taking over his powers in a future movie, but it was still a fun easter egg.
Oh, and Nathan Fillion's cameo either got cut or it's not super obvious. I believe he's on some movie posters, but I didn't notice a movie theatre in the background during the Earth scenes. Oh well. It just gives him a chance to appear as prominent Marvel character later on.
I think Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 is one of those rare movies where I would gladly pay the money and watch it again in the theatre. There's just so much to see that one go isn't enough.
- Looks like it'll be raining in Cardiff for most of my vacation. :-P I know the UK isn't known for sunny skies, but come on. I want to take pictures of places where Doctor Who filmed and I don't need a wet camera.
