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eazy-group · 2 years ago

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No need for an RV with these great camping cars

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No need for an RV with these great camping cars

Consider this the summer in limbo, and not just because we have to bend over backwards to make any plans at all. With summer plans scrambled due to the coronavirus pandemic and more Americans wary of airline travel and hotel stays, it’s time to restore that timeless American adventure and hit the road.

It won’t take an RV or a vacation rental to explore America’s national treasures while still maintaining distance from other Americans. Camping requires some gear—glamping requires an excess—but our list of camper-ready vehicles come from the factory ready for adventure.

2021 Chrysler Pacifica

2021 Chrysler Pacifica, 2020 Chicago Auto Show

The versatile family hauler can become a cabin on wheels if the weather becomes unbearable. Available now in all-wheel drive, the 2021 Pacifica comes with second- and third-row seats that fold into the floor (the hybrid model does not come with second-row Stow ‘N Go seats). Other vans have heavy, removable seats that become a pain in a pinch, such as during that surprise hail storm or when that shrill animal cry gets closer. And closer. With 140.5 cubic feet of space behind the front seats and room enough to fit four-by-eight sheets of plywood, the Pacifica could fit a full-sized inflatable mattress with just a little squeezing on the side. If that’s not enough space, it can tow up to 3,600 pounds (when a $995 towing package is equipped), good enough to tow everything from recreational toys to small travel trailers.

2020 Subaru Outback

The poster child for the outdoorsman, the predecessor to the do-it-all SUV, the Swiss army knife of cars, the Sultan of Swat, the King of Crash, the Colossus of Clout—you get it, even if you’ve never seen “The Sandlot” or visited Colorado. The Outback is all grown up, and handles suburban outings with the same capability as back-country romps. The low, wide, flat floor, and wide door openings make loading and unloading gear a cinch, and dogs love jumping in and out. Collapsible roof racks with tie downs come standard, as does all-wheel drive and a slew of safety features. Available water-repellent interiors, skid plates, a trailer hitch with 3,500-pound towing capacity and so many aftermarket roof-top tent options make this classic as modern as ever. And it’s the only vehicle on our list that can answer the call of the wild with efficient urban driving.

2020 Honda Ridgeline

2017 Honda Ridgeline Black Edition

2018 Honda Ridgeline

Any pickup truck could make our list, but since the Ridgeline shares a platform with the Honda Pilot crossover SUV, it’s the smoothest-riding pickup and our pick for an impromptu camper. The truck bed extends from 64 inches to 83 inches with the tailgate down, which is long enough to be a makeshift bed in a pinch. With 50 inches across, a twin mattress could fit, or a full-size could get squeezed by the wheel wells. If not being used as a pillow, the dual-action tailgate swings out to the left for easier bed access and a clever floor locker can double as a cooler. A truck-bed audio system on the RTL-E trim sweetens the deal, and an available bed extender or roof-mounted bike carrier means you can bring along the toys. There are some pretty sweet aftermarket tents that extend over the bed, as well.

2020 Jeep Gladiator

2020 Jeep Gladiator with Mopar accessories

2020 Jeep Gladiator

Jeep’s mid-size pickup truck, or the Wrangler with a bed, offers all the capability of a Wrangler with the added versatility of a pickup that can tow up to 7,650 pounds. And you can take off the roof and doors for a night under the stars. For off-roaders, the long wheelbase limits its breakover angle compared to the Wrangler, though there are few places that would worry the Gladiator. The 5-foot steel cargo bed might not be the best for sleeping, but the available Trail Rail system with a 115-volt AC outlet and all the Mopar parts means you can equip the Gladiator in a way that tells others: “I’ll sleep when I die.”

2020 Dodge Durango SRT

2018 Dodge Durango SRT first drive

2020 Dodge Durango SRT

As much as we love the performance from the 475-hp 6.4-liter Hemi V-8 in the Durango SRT, we prize the three-row SUV here for its towing capacity of up to 8,700 pounds ($1,195 package required), which is the most for any SUV not based on a truck. That’s good enough to tow some 30-foot travel trailers, and when you unhitch it at the campsite you can cruise around the local sights with gusto. Or find a straight to hit 60 mph in 4.4 seconds. Careful on arriving at the campground late or leaving early; the unabashed V-8 rumble might cause your neighbors to enact social distancing in a much more hostile way. It seats six, too, with comfy buckets in the first two rows, so if you had to sleep in the car, you could recline and cocoon yourself in blankets or catch a flick on the rear entertainment center ($1,995). That’s not really camping but at least you’re out of the house.

2020 Toyota Land Cruiser

It doesn’t matter that this three-row SUV is nearly old enough to get its own driver’s license, the Land Cruiser is beloved the world over for its rugged capability and SUV versatility. The 381-hp V-8 and truck frame give this heavy 4×4 the kind of off-road confidence expected in a truck but with a boxy body. It seats eight but no one will be happy about that. The third row can never get out of its own way, however, even if it’s split and swung out to rest against the wall. The off-road ready Heritage Edition deletes the third row to seat five, and comes with a mega roof rack coveted by posers and brozers alike. Options are limited but tow hooks, skid plates, mud-and-snow tires, a split liftgate/tailgate, and an integrated hitch capable of towing 8,100 pounds come standard. What it lacks in interior refinement and features, the Land Cruiser makes up for in bona fide go-anywhere capability. It’s not the roomiest if you need to crash in it overnight, but there are so many aftermarket accessories and roof-top tents you may never need to.

2020 Land Rover Defender

2020 Land Rover Defender, 2019 LA Auto Show

Land Rover might be the only brand with an off-road reputation on par with the Land Cruiser, and the return of the boxy Defender two- or four-door SUV puts the British brand firmly back in the bush. Thick bumpers, big wheels, heavy cladding, and a tailgate-mounted spare belie the blend of luxury and rugged finishes found inside, such as a touchscreen, alpine lights, and exposed rivets. The Defender X off-road model has locking center and rear differentials, and all Defenders come with four-wheel drive and 11.5-inches of ground clearance, which is nearly an inch more than a Wrangler. An available jump seat could let you sit three up front to get the best shots on safari, and other options such as a 1.7-gallon water reservoir for cleaning off muddy pets or shoes, an electric winch, or roof and side carriers let you customize your outback adventure. The various “packs” are almost as cool as the Defender itself; the Adventure Pack comes with a seat backpack and integrated air compressor.

2022 Volkswagen Microbus

Volkswagen ID Buzz electric bus concept with 1964 VW Microbus

Like the Defender, the Bus is back. Almost. And when it arrives for 2022 as the ID Buzz or the Electric Bus or whatever it’s going to be called, it will be an all-electric van. Little is known about the reboot of the 60s counterculture icon except that it will be a key part of Volkswagen Group’s plans to build 27 different electric vehicles across all brands. Since most established campgrounds have electricity, finding one with EV chargers is getting easier. Ride on, plug in, drop out.

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aftermathdb · 6 years ago

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DEATH BATTLE Review: Ben 10 vs Green Lantern

Two guardians of the universe, clad in green. Though, one will be going home in blood-red stained clothes.

So, apparently the reason it’s not Ben 10 vs. Beast Boy is because Ben just outclasses Beast Boy with his variety of aliens.

Ben 10′s Preview.

Benjamin Kirby Tennyson started out as just your average ten-year old kid. But on a strange day for his summer vacation, an alien device did what it did, and stuck itself on his wrist with secrets that it hid. Now he’s got super powers, he’s no ordinary kid, he’s Ben 10!

Look, the theme song is catchy. It would be a crime not to reference it in some way.

Anyways, the alien device was the Omnitrix, a portable library that houses all sorts of alien DNA. It allows Ben to “Check out” an alien to transform into and use their superpowers.

From aliens that can control water, ice, electricity, and fire, Ben’s got it all. And if he finds an alien that isn’t in the library, the Omnitrix will scan and replicate the DNA, allowing Ben to have another alien to use.

(Ignore that timebar at the bottom. I thought I had cropped it out).

Though, the Omnitrix has numerous defenses to fight back against anyone who wants to take it from Ben’s wrist.

With all those superpowers, Ben also has aliens for smarts as well. Including Brainstorm, an alien who has an I.Q of one nonillion. That’s a one, followed by…

THAT many zeros. And still not enough to beat out EXE’s record of highest number ever recorded.

But if Ben wants to just suck, he can turn into Walkatrout… Who is a fish… with legs.

It’s easily his worst alien. And that’s saying a lot, considering he has an alien literally named “The Worst.”

Though, if Ben wants some refinement, he can turn into Molestache. Boomstick’s favorite alien, who does fisticuffs with his moustache.

The Omnitirx is easily one of the most powerful tools ever created. And apparently… Boomstick has one?

But if there’s ever a weakness of the Omnitrix, it would probably be the cooldown timer.

… Which is thankfully negated with Master Control, giving Ben unlimited access to everything.

But, there is one alien that blows the rest of them out of the water. Alien X.

Alien X is a Celestialsapien, a being that exists beyond the universe, and has control over all of reality. It even once survived the universe being destroyed by the Ahnialarg, and then recreated it. Hell! Alien X didn’t just survive the Universe being destroyed, he basically didn’t even notice!

HA! now we beat EXE’s record! Alien X managed to survive an event worth 4x10^69 Joules of energy!

Ben even managed to get past the “Needs to come to a unanimous decision“ thing later on, making Alien X the most powerful being in his universe.

And as Alien X, Ben has managed to fly fast enough to create a black hole.

If there was ever any real weakness that Ben himself has, it would be his immaturity. Sure, he’s pretty great at ingenuity and thinking on his feet, but for a long time, Ben was pretty immature, and has a bit of an ego.

But when lives are on the line, you can set your clocks. Because there would be only one time it could be.

HERO TIME!

Green Lantern (Hal Jordan)′s Preview.

Hal Jordan was just your average devilishly handsome Military Test Pilot. Until the day that destiny fell from the sky (sound familiar?).

Upon investigating an alien crash landing, HAl Jordan found Abin Sur, an alien being who had a powerful device known as a Green Lantern Ring. This device belonged to a group of protectors known as the Green Lantern Corps.

The Lanterns are essentially like space cops, and the universe is divided into sectors. Hal’s sector is designated Sector 2814, and he was given the prestigious job of Green Lantern.

The GL Power Ring is the ultimate weapon against those who worship evil’s might. It has a variety of tools to help with a fight.

Think of the Power Ring as the ultimate Swiss-Army Knife. Now think of that thing on steroids. Now think of those steroids as also being on steroids. Now think of the Swiss-Army Knife as having special treatment so as it doesn’t die from those steroids, add some more steroids, then times a thousand.

It gives Hal a bunch of different powers. From time travel, to matter manipulation, to phasing through objects, to a powerful shield.

It can also protect his mind.

And Hal can also reasonably scale to other Lanterns, like the time when Kilowog survived the Crisis on Infinite Earths event.

With all this power, you gotta be wondering: What the hell does this thing run on? And the answer is willpower. Part of the emotional spectrum that makes up sentient life.

Red is linked to rage, Orange to greed, Yellow to fear, Green to willpower, Blue to hope. Indigo to compassion, and Violet to love (This isn’t actually mentioned in the episode, but I thought I’d mention it here).

And Hal is definitely a powerful Green Lantern. Like…

With all that power, that definitely solidifies Hal as being the most powerful Green Lantern. It also means that he can irrefutably scale to other Lanterns.

Hal also could move from the center of the universe to a planet in moments.

This puts Hal in the high-end of the spectrum.

And being so fast that you nearly enter the Speed Force is all kinds of impressive for someone not connected to it.

And one time, Hal was without his ring. Meaning that he had to fly a ship moving faster than light on his own.

That is to say that Hal managed to avoid stars, planets, without the ring helping him.

And as a being who defeated the physical embodiment of willpower with his own willpower, Hal can do things that other Green Lanterns can do.

Green Lantern Kyle Rayner once survived the Big Bang, since Hal did that previous thing, it’s reasonable to say that Hal can do the same.

But the ring aren’t perfect. They do have a limited power source, and the constructs are limited to the user’s imagination and confidence in themselves. If they aren’t confident enough, they lose their will.

But there’s also a really big elephant in the room. An elephant painted yellow.

Thankfully, this was done because Paralax had corrupted the Green Battery, and is now a non-issue. Not that it compares to the weakness of Alan Scott, who had a weakness to wood.

But Hal is one of the best. Be it brightest day, or blackest night, no evil will escape his sight. Let those who worship evil’s might, beware his power…

GREEN LANTERN’S LIGHT!

(That’s not the end quote, so I figured that I’d put it here).

The Battle Itself.

Zack and Luis (Animation director) on animation, Ben will be voiced by Nicholas Andrew Louie and Green Lantern will be voiced Bradley Gareth. , Jerky on sprites, Therewolf on music (Emerald Warriors), and audio is led by Chris Kokkinos.

So, as we know from the preview, Hal tries to take in Ben for having a “Class A” Superweapon, and Ben fights back. Which immediately makes this one of the better stories around, as it fits both characters and their roles very well.

… I’ll put the reason why some people were put off by the use of kid Ben sprites in the “Overall Impression” part. Meanwhile, let’s look at this hand-drawn animation of Ben going Fourarms!

But, given that Hal has handled stronger blows before, he takes it in stride. Leaving Ben to go for Heatblast.

And one explosion later, Ben boasts that he could possibly beat Hal with Grey Matter… Which he turns into. But he quickly recovers and goes big. Way Big.

Hal, obviously not impressed, creates a meteor to smash Way Big with. So Ben brings out the big guns.

Behold! Alien X!

The fight is taken to space, where Alien X opts to just erase Hal.

But, as he possesses a device that lets him take a retcon to the face, Hal doesn’t break.

So Ben goes for a swarm tactic and tries to break Hal’s shield.

Hal recites his Lantern Oath to break free and summon a weapon to attack with.

This attack works, but Alien X rewinds time to knock Hal back.

He politely reminds Hal of a thing that he forgot about.

Which means that finishing blow in 5…

4…

3…

2…

1…

I wonder if that was a size ten sorrynotsorry.

I can’t tell if Present!Hal is talking about the battle wounds that he has, or the one-liner he made, and I’m okay with that.

Verdict + Explanation.

So, right off the bat, one of Ben’s biggest advantages was his absurd versatility in his transformations and his ingenuity. But Hal outclassed him in many areas.

Sure Ben has an absurd amount of versatility, but here’s the thing: He can only use one alien at a time. Whereas Hal has his whole package in his one little ring.

Essentially, even with Master Control, Ben is always playing catch up. Fourarms and Way Big are strong, but not on the level of what Hal regularly faces. Diamondhead is tough, but not planet busting tough. XLR8 is fast, but- You get the picture, right?

Alien X was really Ben’s best shot at winning. But Hal has not only fought alongside allies with that kind of power (Like Dr. Fate), but he’s also fought against that (Like Darkseid).

And even then, Alien X is still vulnerable to damage (albiet, it has to be super absurd). Ben’s own fight with the Galactic Gladiator proves that Celestialsapiens can still lose fights. And the fact that Alien X failed to stop the Anihilaarg was because Ben was busy arguing with the other two personalities about what to do. In other words, Alien X isn’t omnipotent.

There’s also no real evidence to suggest that Alien X could resist anything that Hal could either. Ben’s versatility put up quite the fight, but it wasn’t enough to match Green Lantern’s speed, strength, durability, tools, and literal willpower.

And don’t be green with envy. That pun was Ten out of Bens… Yes, these are all of Boomstick’s puns.

Overall impression.

7.8/10.

Overall, the fight is impressive. There are great hand-drawn moments in it, though I do have to knock some points for using Kid Ben sprites. Not only does the voice sound more appropriate for a teenager, these guys went on about how if the had “trimmed down Ben to his original 10-15, then it would be more fair of a fight to put him up against Beast Boy.”- That’s stuff that would lead people to think “Oh. So they’re going to use teenage Ben sprites.” This isn’t like using younger sprites of Jotaro or Naruto. The big heads never said anything about how “If we had used pre-Kurama friendship Naruto, then pitting him against Luffy would be fair” they just went straight into the battle due to power levels.

In short: Had they not made a big deal about it, then this wouldn’t be a problem.

Also, I think there’s a valid criticism about them primarily pulling from the classic-era aliens and only having Alien X from the AF/UA be the only one not from that era. Like… would have using Humungousaur instead of Fourarms been too much?- What about Atomix from Omniverse?- He’s delightfully hammy.

But, I can’t blame them for using so few. It would be a pain to try and animate all those alien forms.

But the spritework is nice, the research is solid, and it has great moments and callbacks to each character’s respective series. So it gets points for that.

Next Time…

*Inhales*

FUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU

UUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUCK!

Y’know, the last time a RWBY character fought, an entire hate group for them sprung up on Deviantart (I’m not kidding). So, this will be fun. Please excuse me for my lack of enthusiasm, but I have bad memories of that hate group and I am not looking forward to having to go through that again.

Is there a fight that you want me to review? - Send an ask/request, and I’ll look into it!

Do you want to read my fanfic based around DEATH BATTLE itself? click here!

Thank you for reading, and I hope to see you next time for…

… Yeah, I got nothing.

#Death Battle #Deathbattle #review #screwattack

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shefamonly · 6 years ago

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the-film-bitch · 8 years ago

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Nocturnal Animals (2016) ★★★★

OSCARS: 1 Nomination for Best Supporting Actor (Michael Shannon).

Amy Adams’ face fills the frame, pupils dilated in fear, her mouth half-open as if she can’t take her eyes off whatever terrible thing she’s staring at. Superimposed over her face is a full image of a man – Jake Gyllenhaal, standing. The visual metaphor is vivid: he is in her head, under her skin.

This is the poster image, unequivocal in purpose, for Nocturnal Animals, Tom Ford’s Gone Girl-esque psychological thriller. Every other visual from the film proves just as painstakingly calculated; it has the look of an over-budget perfume ad, stylised to the last inch in tone, texture, timbre and composition. Shot on film by Seamus McGarvey (Atonement, Anna Karenina) and with a swelling orchestral score by Abel Korzeniowski (A Single Man), designer-director Tom Ford’s latest has shades of Blue (Velvet, that is) and harks back to Hitchcock-era Hollywood without feeling derivative of any one big name.

Built on the central premise of Austin Wright’s bestseller Tony and Susan, Nocturnal Animals is Ford’s full-time thriller, part-time critique of artful, empty lives. Amy Adams plays the book’s titular Susan Morrow, a married art gallery owner who feels like she should be happy with her pristine life, but can’t move past the cracks: her ‘handsome and dashing’ husband Hutton (Armie Hammer) is distant – a cinematic tipoff for an extramarital affair – and she’s much less satisfied with her work as head of an art gallery than everyone else seems to be. So when ex-husband Edward (Jake Gyllenhaal) sends her a manuscript of his latest novel (titled after an affectionate nickname he gave her in happier times), she seizes the opportunity to distract from her malaise for a little while. There’s even a deliberate ego trap on the first page to entice her: the dedication reads ‘For Susan’. Attempting to open the package, she gives herself a papercut that draws much more blood than it should; a visual clue that the innocuous-seeming packet of papers is, in fact, capable of grievous harm.

Soon, the book’s brutally violent events and its scathing sense of contempt (delivered by analogy) take over every waking moment for Susan, of which there are many (she often complains of insomnia). Chapter after chapter, ‘Nocturnal Animals’ acts like a chisel to each of the fault lines in Susan’s life, turning chip to gaping rift and fragmenting what little peace she thought she had left in her beautiful washout of a life.

Edward’s novel turns out to be the literary manifestation of all the messy hurt left over from his breakup with Susan, more details of which we learn in later flashbacks, which are indicated by warm lighting and a youthful sparkle in Adams’ eye. It’s part-therapeutic exercise – or exorcise – part-revenge piece for Edward, with Ford gesturing as much through a little scene at Susan’s gallery, where she does a double-take at a piece of artwork: the word ‘REVENGE’ arranged in staccato form. ‘Where did this painting come from?’ she asks, before Jena Malone’s caricature of the LA art world, clad in what looks like a gladiator sandal for the torso, reminds her that it was a purchase made by Susan herself some eight years ago. Edward’s novel has given Susan fresh eyes; like anything anxiety-inducing, it renders the familiar foreign, and forces Susan to take stock of the illusions in her life, exposing them for what they really are – or for what Edward (and Ford, in an interesting, though much too cursory suggestion) thinks they are.

The critique is clearly intentional here, but it feels underdeveloped throughout the rest of the film, like an inspired, but half-formed, idea forgotten about mid-production. Nocturnal Animals wants to tell us something, but it shouts over its own voice, all at once warning us about the dangers of betrayal, of falling into false complacency early on in life – its discordant voices speak of regret, selfishness, masculinity, anguish, and of the scars that make compelling art. This is the most frustrating thing about the film – that it can’t decide where to stick the knife in – instead pricking at us in an inexact, half-hearted sort of way when it has the potential to deliver a direct stab to the heart.

Ford is more successful in cutting to the quick elsewhere. As writer-director, his overhauling of the original story is bold and ambitious, deftly tweaking finer aspects of the original story to give the film a sharper psychological edge: the gothic appeal of Texas as the scene for violence replaces the book’s more chaste original setting of Maine, for example, while female lead Susan is promoted from housewife to professional aesthete to put more sting in the film’s tail.

This last amendment gives Amy Adams a role starkly different from those we’re used to seeing her in. As high-fashion, high-flying Susan, Adams moves in a way we haven’t seen her move before: calculatedly, as if she knows she’s being watched and wants to project confidence and grace – almost as if she was starring in that perfume advert instead. And when Edward’s novel shocks her out of that carefully-poised composure, Adams skillfully produces a changed Susan, convincing us that the damage is real.

Casting also works excellently in analogising the novel’s characters with the film’s: Tony and Edward are both played by Jake Gyllenhaal, while the former’s red-headed wife (Isla Fisher) and daughter (Ellie Bamber) bear uncanny resemblances to Susan herself. What the fate of the book’s women suggests of Edward’s post-breakup feelings for Susan is left hanging in the air. Instead, Nocturnal Animals more deeply explores the emasculation of a man jilted through the analogy of a man bereaved, with the fictional Tony experiencing in action what Edward went through in feeling.

This is no better exemplified than in what is by far the film’s stand-out scene – in which Tony takes a quiet, nighttime family roadtrip through a moonless Texas night before being set upon by a group of juiced-up menacing locals. Aaron Taylor-Johnson plays their leader, Ray, in an astonishing performance (remember Angus, Thongs & Perfect Snogging?) that deftly captures the surface charm, erraticism and underlying menace of a serial killer. Indicating deep cinematic instincts, Ford has us watch the entire roadside meeting from behind our fingers as its nerve-racking disquiet steadily builds to the full sinister end that we dared not imagine. A few faltering moments for Tony, and the power dynamics slide away from him; his later tearful exasperation at the complete loss of his control over the situation is achingly palpable, because a small part of us agrees with him when he says, ‘I should’ve stopped it’. Perhaps all those Taken movies have set us up to see Edward as a father-failure here. But Michael Shannon as gravelly Detective Bobby Andes underscores this sentiment onscreen with his quizzical questioning of Tony, implying his bemusement at the latter’s passivity: ‘It’s my understanding these fellas didn’t have any guns?’ and when Tony confirms as much, ‘Hmm. Alright…’.

As you’d expect from someone whose day job is as fashion designer, Ford’s detail is immaculate; perfectionistic. Every aspect of the mise-en-scene is purposeful: when a portrait shot swings wide to reveal a classic Pontiac on window display, it’s to remind us that we’ve seen it before – in the novel’s fictional world, where it seemed to run on Ray’s testosterone. There are plenty of these interesting totems appearing in both Susan’s life and the book to indicate a parallel; twin items that remind us that Edward’s story is very much stocked with his memories of Susan.

At first glance, Nocturnal Animals might be on par with 2009’s excellent A Single Man. Looking for longer, though, it gives itself away as the flashier, less eloquent teenage equivalent of its grown-up brother. There certainly is plenty to marvel at here: its packed tight with stunning design, intricate plot weaving and a bolt from the blue performance from Aaron Taylor-Johnson – and with Tom Ford’s meticulous attention to detail, there will still be much to discover in a second viewing. But seeing the film again won’t clear up that vague sense of not quite getting the gist – does it want us to leave the cinema more protective of our youthful, romantic voice – the one Susan ignored? Or is its principal message about the nature of art, or the hollow happiness to be found in capitalist pleasures? In either case, Ford doesn’t pay these themes enough attention, dropping them in and then forgetting all about them soon after. It gleams, but Nocturnal Animals only goes skin-deep.

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#nocturnal animals #tom ford #amy adams #jake gyllenhaal #oscarwatch

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