Well, I went to the movies last weekend, and saw a really great movie, which I decided to review for this here site, amazingly enough. So here goes.
Righteously Killer
Obviously, I saw the new movie Righteous Kill this weekend, as part of a double feature with Burn After Reading (Which was fun, but quite as good). And I have to say, I really liked it. A lot. If it hadn't come out in a year filled with other amazing performances *COUGH* HEATH LEDGER *COUGH*, I would put it in for a best actor nomination. Maybe not a win, but a nomination.
Righteous Kill is the latest take on the tried and true "Big Actor Team Up Cop Murder Mystery" forumla. That particular formula has had some good results in the past, like the dark, though- and nightmare- provoking Seven with Brad Pitt and Morgan Freeman, and, more recently, the acclaimed The Departed with Matt Damon and Leonardo DiCaprio. Personally, I think this movie is as good as either of those. This time, it's the can't miss duo of Al Pacino and Robert DeNiro playing off each other as a pair of veteran detectives in the homicide department investigating the case of a serial killer who kills the low-life scum the cops grab but can't pin a case to, which obviously leads them to suspect a cop as the killer.
This is were reviewing the movie gets tough. You're totally blindsided by the resolution of the case, but the movie does such a good job of weaving clues, hints, and subtleties thoughout, that I really can't go any more in depth than that without giving away something and ruining the movie. It's pushing it to say that I enjoyed how the movie had reasons for me to be suspictious throughout, but managed to allay those suspictions so well, I never saw the end coming. Suffice to say that the movie borrows a lot, structurally, at least, from Fight Club, of all things, although the sociology here is totally different. And like Fight Club, it will defintely bear multiple views, and as such, I can't wait to get it on DVD, so I can catch all the subtleties.
This movie does ask some intriguing questions, though they may not be as deep as other film's social and moral conundrums. Essentially, it brings up the question of vigilante justice (ironic that this movie asks that, but a Batman movie comign out the same year asks much deeper things). Is a crime like murder less bad if committed against someone who the justice system would ideally have put away for a long time, but didn't? If the victim was causing society harm and pain, is killing them righteous or evil? In the end, it's up to the viewers to decide, which is part of the art here. Not to mention the great acting from the leading duo, which in itself comes close to art.
Final Verdict: 3 1/2 Stars. one of my top five films of the year so far, the acting is great, the plot is amazing, and it's message still manages to not wither too badly in compairison with Dark Knight. Highly recomended.
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
A Tribute
This is not one of my regular posts, obviously. It's just a tribute to things gone past.
________________________________________________________
I’m going to be totally honest. I do not remember the first time I heard Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon. That’s not because it didn’t make an impact. It’s because it did.
I don’t know the exact date, but I know the where and how. My earliest exposure to rock music outside The Beatles, to stuff like Radiohead, the Rolling Stones, or Led Zepplin, was always, always, ALWAYS in the car, our old blue mini-van with my dad and my brother. Technically, we were running errands, but there was more to it than that. Dave, my brother, went because it was a chance for him and Dad to have another of their epic discussions on music, epic discussions that would eventually lead to a train trip across the country, a visit to family in Oregon, and an in-depth assessment of the best 100 albums of all time, at least for them. I went, frankly, because I was a young kid, six-seven-eight, sharing a room with his brother, who I was sure was a perfect being, and who wanted to spend as much time with his brother and father as possible.
Dad worked from home in those days. He was always the one waiting for us as we got home from school, the one waking us up in the morning, the singing us lullabies at night. Dave has always been into music, and always will be. He’s the ultimate source for anything involving a beat and harmony. He still has encyclopedias of music stacked in his room by the window, but now-a-days they’re covered in dust and un-used. He just simply knows everything they have to say. He and Dad always got along perfectly well, at least as far as my eyes saw. And my eyes saw them best running errands in our blue van, heading to Kinko’s with a side trip to the adjacent Blockbuster.
There was always music playing. Who’s Next, The Wall, OK Computer, McCartney. That was the sound track to my childhood. As I sat in the back seat, looking out the window at the old, familiar sights along the highway, I would let the music wash over me in waves, never really comprehending the subtleties, the themes, the things my brother and father saw in them, but I loved it anyway. It was happiness. It was that old blue van, listening to endless debates over the merits of whatever musical phase my brother was going through. It was all that was right with the world.
That world is gone now, and yet, not. No more watching old Godzilla movies endlessly with my brother. No more squirt guns with Dad in the yard. My dad still works from home, he’s re-married and living out in Worchester. My brother is going to college, and he’s cracking into the musical journalism industry. He and my dad had a falling out when he hit high school and was never around anymore. The only thing they seem to agree on anymore is music. Me, I lost the musical thread for a while. I could no longer let it wash over me, but at the same time, I still couldn’t quite get the little nuances they always got. Then I got it. I just got it. It all came to me, and Pink Floyd and Led Zepplin and Paul McCartney started flowing back onto my iPod, kicking out the Weird Al and the show tunes I had turned to for simplicity. That’s where I am now. Where my brother was at age 10. I’m not jealous, though. To each his own.
This morning I woke up, and as I got dressed, something just kinda told me it would be a good day to wear my Pink Floyd shirt. Then, later, I read the news as I was checking my email. Richard Wright died today. The keyboardist for Pink Floyd. Had you asked me who he was a year ago, I wouldn’t have known. But now I do. Now I realize that you may not be able to go back in time, and capture the feeling of the past, that each day may only make us “shorter of breath/ and one day closer to death,” but that’s part of the beauty of it all, and we can’t let the passage of time, the constant of the present, ruin our past, and our future.
________________________________________________________
I’m going to be totally honest. I do not remember the first time I heard Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon. That’s not because it didn’t make an impact. It’s because it did.
I don’t know the exact date, but I know the where and how. My earliest exposure to rock music outside The Beatles, to stuff like Radiohead, the Rolling Stones, or Led Zepplin, was always, always, ALWAYS in the car, our old blue mini-van with my dad and my brother. Technically, we were running errands, but there was more to it than that. Dave, my brother, went because it was a chance for him and Dad to have another of their epic discussions on music, epic discussions that would eventually lead to a train trip across the country, a visit to family in Oregon, and an in-depth assessment of the best 100 albums of all time, at least for them. I went, frankly, because I was a young kid, six-seven-eight, sharing a room with his brother, who I was sure was a perfect being, and who wanted to spend as much time with his brother and father as possible.
Dad worked from home in those days. He was always the one waiting for us as we got home from school, the one waking us up in the morning, the singing us lullabies at night. Dave has always been into music, and always will be. He’s the ultimate source for anything involving a beat and harmony. He still has encyclopedias of music stacked in his room by the window, but now-a-days they’re covered in dust and un-used. He just simply knows everything they have to say. He and Dad always got along perfectly well, at least as far as my eyes saw. And my eyes saw them best running errands in our blue van, heading to Kinko’s with a side trip to the adjacent Blockbuster.
There was always music playing. Who’s Next, The Wall, OK Computer, McCartney. That was the sound track to my childhood. As I sat in the back seat, looking out the window at the old, familiar sights along the highway, I would let the music wash over me in waves, never really comprehending the subtleties, the themes, the things my brother and father saw in them, but I loved it anyway. It was happiness. It was that old blue van, listening to endless debates over the merits of whatever musical phase my brother was going through. It was all that was right with the world.
That world is gone now, and yet, not. No more watching old Godzilla movies endlessly with my brother. No more squirt guns with Dad in the yard. My dad still works from home, he’s re-married and living out in Worchester. My brother is going to college, and he’s cracking into the musical journalism industry. He and my dad had a falling out when he hit high school and was never around anymore. The only thing they seem to agree on anymore is music. Me, I lost the musical thread for a while. I could no longer let it wash over me, but at the same time, I still couldn’t quite get the little nuances they always got. Then I got it. I just got it. It all came to me, and Pink Floyd and Led Zepplin and Paul McCartney started flowing back onto my iPod, kicking out the Weird Al and the show tunes I had turned to for simplicity. That’s where I am now. Where my brother was at age 10. I’m not jealous, though. To each his own.
This morning I woke up, and as I got dressed, something just kinda told me it would be a good day to wear my Pink Floyd shirt. Then, later, I read the news as I was checking my email. Richard Wright died today. The keyboardist for Pink Floyd. Had you asked me who he was a year ago, I wouldn’t have known. But now I do. Now I realize that you may not be able to go back in time, and capture the feeling of the past, that each day may only make us “shorter of breath/ and one day closer to death,” but that’s part of the beauty of it all, and we can’t let the passage of time, the constant of the present, ruin our past, and our future.
Sunday, September 14, 2008
Must Have Music Playlists III
This week, my must-have playlist does not so much follow a theme as a common structure: Epic-ness. These are some of my favorite songs around or above (usually way above) 6 minutes. These eleven songs are alomst as long as both of my previous playlists put together. So get comfy, because here it goes:
EPICS FOR THE AGES:
1. Bohemian Rhapsody by Queen
2. Jailbreak [Live] by AC/DC
3. One More Time/Aerodynamic by Daft Punk (off of Live At Coachella 2006)
4. Land of Hopes and Dreams [Live] by Bruce Springsteen
5. My Generation by The Who (off of Live At Leeds)
6. Money by Pink Floyd
7. Won't Get Fooled Again by The Who
8. Funeral For a Friend/Love Lies Bleeding by Elton John
9. Lily, Rosemary, and The Jack of Hearts by Bob Dylan
10. I Want You (She's So Heavy) by The Beatles
11. Stairway to Heaven by Led Zepplin
There they are, in all their 6+ minute glory. Some of the live cuts may be a bit hard to come across, but I highly recoomend them, as they are some of the most fun songs here.
EPICS FOR THE AGES:
1. Bohemian Rhapsody by Queen
2. Jailbreak [Live] by AC/DC
3. One More Time/Aerodynamic by Daft Punk (off of Live At Coachella 2006)
4. Land of Hopes and Dreams [Live] by Bruce Springsteen
5. My Generation by The Who (off of Live At Leeds)
6. Money by Pink Floyd
7. Won't Get Fooled Again by The Who
8. Funeral For a Friend/Love Lies Bleeding by Elton John
9. Lily, Rosemary, and The Jack of Hearts by Bob Dylan
10. I Want You (She's So Heavy) by The Beatles
11. Stairway to Heaven by Led Zepplin
There they are, in all their 6+ minute glory. Some of the live cuts may be a bit hard to come across, but I highly recoomend them, as they are some of the most fun songs here.
Friday, September 12, 2008
Desert Island Games III
This week, on desert Island Games, I'm tackling:
HORROR/SURVIVAL GAMES
As I said in my review of Dawn of the Dead, I'm not normally abig horror fan. Mostly, this is in movies, but some of the worse horror games also put me off my stomach. Not so with today's game. It combines non-stop action with mile-a-minute thrills, and pull sit off beautifully. It's easily one of the best-reviewed games of all time. Thats right, I'm talking about Resident Evil 4!
The Resident Evil series is a long and storied franchise, with a lot of proven history behind it. The games weren't ussauly super-star games, they had more a niche market, but they were usually good and had a cult following. It even spawned a passable-to-good series of zombie movies. They zombies themselves were usually the stadard, slow moving brain-eaters, created by the dastardly Umbrella Corporation for nefarious purposes. But not so with this game. This game is the I Am Legend to the rest of the series' Romero's Living Dead trilogy. No shambling undead, evil corporations, or dank, enclosed industrial setting here. No, instead you have gentically mutated villagers in an expansive medival Spanish hamlet, being controlled by a fanatical religious orginzation. And as much of a departure from the tried and true this is, it works. Well.
First off, the pure mechanics of the game are top-notch. The item system is well thought out and logical, and constantly has you juggling weapons, ammo, health boosts, and key items, in such a way as you never seem to have enough of anything, which adds to the tension. The aiming system is orignal and well-developed, and is just tough enough to make making every bullet count a full time job. The AI is great, each unique type of enemy reacts intellgently to you, their companions, and their surrondings, and your partner character is just dim enough for her personality in-game, but not too frustratingly idiotic. The puzzles are challenging, fun, and often terifying, and really cause you to stop and think. And then there's the amazing graphics. For the time, they were amazing, and they're still good today, as the game really isn't that old. The level design and boss battles are amazing, and even the cutscenes are inter-active. If you don't keep your hand on the controller, following frantic button prompts, you die. End of story.
Speaking of the story, what a story there is here. It's clever, as original as the genre will allow, and terribly frightnening, with a good mix of surprise and straigt up creepiness. You constantly have this feeling that you just barely don't know what's going on, and each new enemy is a terrfiying surprise, no matter how familiar the type of enemy (not to mention that several types of enemies disguise themselvles as easier enemyies before popping out after you think you've killed them). Around every corner is a jolting surprise, each time an enemy rushes you, you feel paniced, and the boss battles are genuinely, wet-your-pants frightnening. The tension is masterfully maintained, and you always want to go forward, just to find out what new challenge awaits you. It's agame thats hard to put down, even at 11:30 at night with no lights on in a dark basement. Put simply, you've never had as much fun being scared out of your wits than you will here.
Runner-Up
This week's runner-up is the very definition of a classic, a game that does not cease to entertain, decades after its release. The original Doom, the scariest 16 bits has ever been, and one of the games that got parents worried about just what kind of things their children were playing with here with these new-fangled video games. The game is not happered by its crude format, but instead takes advantage of it, so you never really know what that next pixilated blob will turn out to be until you're WAY to close for comfort. This is a game thats not for the feint of heart, despite its age, and I heartily recommend it.
HORROR/SURVIVAL GAMES
As I said in my review of Dawn of the Dead, I'm not normally abig horror fan. Mostly, this is in movies, but some of the worse horror games also put me off my stomach. Not so with today's game. It combines non-stop action with mile-a-minute thrills, and pull sit off beautifully. It's easily one of the best-reviewed games of all time. Thats right, I'm talking about Resident Evil 4!
The Resident Evil series is a long and storied franchise, with a lot of proven history behind it. The games weren't ussauly super-star games, they had more a niche market, but they were usually good and had a cult following. It even spawned a passable-to-good series of zombie movies. They zombies themselves were usually the stadard, slow moving brain-eaters, created by the dastardly Umbrella Corporation for nefarious purposes. But not so with this game. This game is the I Am Legend to the rest of the series' Romero's Living Dead trilogy. No shambling undead, evil corporations, or dank, enclosed industrial setting here. No, instead you have gentically mutated villagers in an expansive medival Spanish hamlet, being controlled by a fanatical religious orginzation. And as much of a departure from the tried and true this is, it works. Well.
First off, the pure mechanics of the game are top-notch. The item system is well thought out and logical, and constantly has you juggling weapons, ammo, health boosts, and key items, in such a way as you never seem to have enough of anything, which adds to the tension. The aiming system is orignal and well-developed, and is just tough enough to make making every bullet count a full time job. The AI is great, each unique type of enemy reacts intellgently to you, their companions, and their surrondings, and your partner character is just dim enough for her personality in-game, but not too frustratingly idiotic. The puzzles are challenging, fun, and often terifying, and really cause you to stop and think. And then there's the amazing graphics. For the time, they were amazing, and they're still good today, as the game really isn't that old. The level design and boss battles are amazing, and even the cutscenes are inter-active. If you don't keep your hand on the controller, following frantic button prompts, you die. End of story.
Speaking of the story, what a story there is here. It's clever, as original as the genre will allow, and terribly frightnening, with a good mix of surprise and straigt up creepiness. You constantly have this feeling that you just barely don't know what's going on, and each new enemy is a terrfiying surprise, no matter how familiar the type of enemy (not to mention that several types of enemies disguise themselvles as easier enemyies before popping out after you think you've killed them). Around every corner is a jolting surprise, each time an enemy rushes you, you feel paniced, and the boss battles are genuinely, wet-your-pants frightnening. The tension is masterfully maintained, and you always want to go forward, just to find out what new challenge awaits you. It's agame thats hard to put down, even at 11:30 at night with no lights on in a dark basement. Put simply, you've never had as much fun being scared out of your wits than you will here.
Runner-Up
This week's runner-up is the very definition of a classic, a game that does not cease to entertain, decades after its release. The original Doom, the scariest 16 bits has ever been, and one of the games that got parents worried about just what kind of things their children were playing with here with these new-fangled video games. The game is not happered by its crude format, but instead takes advantage of it, so you never really know what that next pixilated blob will turn out to be until you're WAY to close for comfort. This is a game thats not for the feint of heart, despite its age, and I heartily recommend it.
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
Schedule update and Pov's Movie Point of View II
Sorry that this review is off schedule, but my schedule has changed in real life, and so I'm going to have to change the Pov's POV schedule to adapt to it. So, as of now, Movie Point of Views are moved to Wednesday, Desert Island Games are moved to Friday, and Must Have Music Play-lists are moved to the weekend.
So, business is out of the way, lets get down to it. This week I'm going to review a classic: George A. Romero's original Dawn of the Dead.
Brainy Brain-eaters
I'm normally not a fan of horror movies. I don't really like being scared out of my wits by a monster or watch people torture themselves to survive. But I have one weakness in this genre, namely zombie movies, in partciular the work of visonary director George A. Romero. His work began with Night of the Living Dead in the 1960's, which was followed up by today's subject, Dawn of the Dead. First off, like all of Romero's original work, the movie was made on a surprisngly low budget. It took less than a $3/4 million to make this movie. Even adjusted for inflation, thats dirt cheap. But just because its low budget doesn't mean it's low quality.
The plot of this movie is in no way original: survivors of a zombie pandemic hole up to survive in a chaotic world where the government is rapidly falling apart. None of Romero's work has a very surprising plot. The genius of this film is the symbolism and imagery. It sounds weird, refering to a low-budget horror movie like that, but it really is there. Dawn of the Dead continues it's predecessor's overarching theme: that in a hostile enviornment, it's not the dangers of the world that will destroy a group, it's people themselves. This time, instead of the group imploding due to internal disagreement, which was the case of the first movie, the original group resolves their interpersonal issues quickly and effectively. They manage to create for themselves a little Utopia inside their shopping mall/hideout, and dispite a bit of cabin fever, things seem to be generally going well. Then other people show up. In what I see as a metaphor for war and agression, a deadly, heavily armed gang of biker-pirates attack our heroes, breaking in, and in the process, destroying the paradise the survivors had created for themselves by letting in the zombies. In the end, the conflict destroys the predators as well, not simply the prey.
But the explosive finale is not the only metaphor in the film. Laced throughout the film is a stirring and disturbing motif of the zombies shambling about the mall, brainlessly attempting to live out the lives they had before death. This conjures up a disconcerting image of today's modern shoppers, and the whole film feels like a silent protest of American consumerism, that it is slowly deading us from the inside, as illustrated by the zombies' decomposing exterior. This is an uncomfortable but very valid protest, and it really show's Romero's genius.
Its not all brain-eating goodness here, however. I do have a few, minor grievances. The most important one is the very, very end, the last 30 seconds or so. I won't ruin the final situation, but suffice to say, the ending is a let down and almost compeletly negates the pessimistic message of the movie. It feels like the producers of the movie pulled to have a happier ending, which just doesn't fit with the rest of the movie's feel and vibe. Other than that though, the film is dated and low budget, but surprsingly good.
Final Verdit: 3 1/2 stars out of 4. Argueably the best zombie movie of all time, let down only by the ending.
So, business is out of the way, lets get down to it. This week I'm going to review a classic: George A. Romero's original Dawn of the Dead.
Brainy Brain-eaters
I'm normally not a fan of horror movies. I don't really like being scared out of my wits by a monster or watch people torture themselves to survive. But I have one weakness in this genre, namely zombie movies, in partciular the work of visonary director George A. Romero. His work began with Night of the Living Dead in the 1960's, which was followed up by today's subject, Dawn of the Dead. First off, like all of Romero's original work, the movie was made on a surprisngly low budget. It took less than a $3/4 million to make this movie. Even adjusted for inflation, thats dirt cheap. But just because its low budget doesn't mean it's low quality.
The plot of this movie is in no way original: survivors of a zombie pandemic hole up to survive in a chaotic world where the government is rapidly falling apart. None of Romero's work has a very surprising plot. The genius of this film is the symbolism and imagery. It sounds weird, refering to a low-budget horror movie like that, but it really is there. Dawn of the Dead continues it's predecessor's overarching theme: that in a hostile enviornment, it's not the dangers of the world that will destroy a group, it's people themselves. This time, instead of the group imploding due to internal disagreement, which was the case of the first movie, the original group resolves their interpersonal issues quickly and effectively. They manage to create for themselves a little Utopia inside their shopping mall/hideout, and dispite a bit of cabin fever, things seem to be generally going well. Then other people show up. In what I see as a metaphor for war and agression, a deadly, heavily armed gang of biker-pirates attack our heroes, breaking in, and in the process, destroying the paradise the survivors had created for themselves by letting in the zombies. In the end, the conflict destroys the predators as well, not simply the prey.
But the explosive finale is not the only metaphor in the film. Laced throughout the film is a stirring and disturbing motif of the zombies shambling about the mall, brainlessly attempting to live out the lives they had before death. This conjures up a disconcerting image of today's modern shoppers, and the whole film feels like a silent protest of American consumerism, that it is slowly deading us from the inside, as illustrated by the zombies' decomposing exterior. This is an uncomfortable but very valid protest, and it really show's Romero's genius.
Its not all brain-eating goodness here, however. I do have a few, minor grievances. The most important one is the very, very end, the last 30 seconds or so. I won't ruin the final situation, but suffice to say, the ending is a let down and almost compeletly negates the pessimistic message of the movie. It feels like the producers of the movie pulled to have a happier ending, which just doesn't fit with the rest of the movie's feel and vibe. Other than that though, the film is dated and low budget, but surprsingly good.
Final Verdit: 3 1/2 stars out of 4. Argueably the best zombie movie of all time, let down only by the ending.
Monday, September 8, 2008
TheNerds Pov 2
Well, TheNerd has kindly provided another submission for member monday, so here it is:
The Open World
I've been around video games for a while, but there is one game mode that I love, no matter what kind of game. From MMORPGs, to shooters, to racing games, I always appreciate a good open world. Runescape had a stranglehold over me for a couple years. Why, all you WoW players will ask. Because it was a fun world to just travel around. I could stop around in various places, play mini-games, woodcut, and fish. Grand Theft Auto: Vice City was probably one of the best games ever made. A lot of people were fainting over the campaign mode. Meanwhile, I was driving around in the nearest crotch rocket, spawning a tank, and pumping up my star level in free play. The Need for Speed series was also great for the open world feel. Personally though, I see the number one best series for free, open play as Tony Hawk. Huge skate park maps, malls, and schools open the doors to hours of fun.October of this year should bring out a game to the PS3 and 360 that I think I might enjoy. Midnight Club: Los Angeles has the free soul feel of GTA, without the mindless (but ever addictive) slaughter. EGM is giving it a great first word, saying that it will be a racing game to remember. Truly an open-world city-based racing game, this is a must buy for any gamer like me.
------
If you agree, as I do, with TheNerd, about open world games, I recommend checking out the Orginal Mercenaries. Thats a game where you can while away hours finding treasures, jacking choppers, and blowing up NK Jeeps with a tank.
The Open World
I've been around video games for a while, but there is one game mode that I love, no matter what kind of game. From MMORPGs, to shooters, to racing games, I always appreciate a good open world. Runescape had a stranglehold over me for a couple years. Why, all you WoW players will ask. Because it was a fun world to just travel around. I could stop around in various places, play mini-games, woodcut, and fish. Grand Theft Auto: Vice City was probably one of the best games ever made. A lot of people were fainting over the campaign mode. Meanwhile, I was driving around in the nearest crotch rocket, spawning a tank, and pumping up my star level in free play. The Need for Speed series was also great for the open world feel. Personally though, I see the number one best series for free, open play as Tony Hawk. Huge skate park maps, malls, and schools open the doors to hours of fun.October of this year should bring out a game to the PS3 and 360 that I think I might enjoy. Midnight Club: Los Angeles has the free soul feel of GTA, without the mindless (but ever addictive) slaughter. EGM is giving it a great first word, saying that it will be a racing game to remember. Truly an open-world city-based racing game, this is a must buy for any gamer like me.
------
If you agree, as I do, with TheNerd, about open world games, I recommend checking out the Orginal Mercenaries. Thats a game where you can while away hours finding treasures, jacking choppers, and blowing up NK Jeeps with a tank.
Thursday, September 4, 2008
Must Have Music Playlist II
Well, this time, for the Music playlist, I'm following a theme, namely Songs for a Rainy Day. I'll get right to it.
Rainy Day Songs:
1. In the Rain by The Dramatics
2. Magic by Bruce Springsteen
3. Rainy Night In Georgia by Brook Benton
4. Yesterday by The Beatles
5. The River by Bruce Springsteen
6. Honesty by Billy Joel
7. Feeling Yourself Disintergrate by The Flaming Lips
8. Buckets of Rain by Bob Dylan
9. The Long Black Veil by Johnny Cash
10. Junk by Paul McCartney
11. Green, Green Grass of Home by Johnny Cash
12. Rainy Night Lament by The Sidewalk Prophets
13. Here Comes the Sun by The Beatles
I realise that a lot of these songs are fairly ecclectic and many of you will never have heard of some of these bands, but thats just how it works, I guess. I would at least Suggest checking out the Flaming Lips and the Sidewalk Prophets.
Rainy Day Songs:
1. In the Rain by The Dramatics
2. Magic by Bruce Springsteen
3. Rainy Night In Georgia by Brook Benton
4. Yesterday by The Beatles
5. The River by Bruce Springsteen
6. Honesty by Billy Joel
7. Feeling Yourself Disintergrate by The Flaming Lips
8. Buckets of Rain by Bob Dylan
9. The Long Black Veil by Johnny Cash
10. Junk by Paul McCartney
11. Green, Green Grass of Home by Johnny Cash
12. Rainy Night Lament by The Sidewalk Prophets
13. Here Comes the Sun by The Beatles
I realise that a lot of these songs are fairly ecclectic and many of you will never have heard of some of these bands, but thats just how it works, I guess. I would at least Suggest checking out the Flaming Lips and the Sidewalk Prophets.
Desert Island Survival Games II
Well, it's Thursday, and that means it's time for the next installment in the my on-going series, Desert Island Survival Games. This time, I've decided to take on:
ROLE-PLAYING GAMES
This has to be one of the easiest categories. I don't even have to think about it. The RPG game I would like to play for the rest of my life is argueably the best game of all time: Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time for the N64. This is a game that reached the pinnacle of what a game could be: engaging, thought-provoking, deep, action-packed, and simply vast. I doubt any who have played it will argue with me. This game is simply a masterpiece.
Where does one begin to describe the merits of such a work of art? As I said before, this game is simply so huge, it's difficult to pick out the high points. There's easily 20 or 30 hours of gameplay here, and thats just if you follow the story only and move from point to point on the map directly. But if you do that, you're mssing out on half the game. It's not that the story isn't engaging. It's easily one of the better stories a game has ever had. It's masterfully crafted, with deep themes, twists and turns at every corner, and a cast of characters that really does seem alive. But a lot of the strength of this game comes through when you stop and smell the roses.
The beauty here rest in just how much is packed into the game. It's practically impossible to complete the game without side-tracking into the living world around you, or stumbling upon an easter egg or two, and if you do, you miss out on all the cool stuff. I don't think its possible to actually finish this game. Between getting your horse, Epona, upgraing your quiver capacity, and other such tasks for improving your performance in-game, to getting the Biggoron sword, collecing pieces of heart and Gold Skulltawultas, and the abundant mini-games and side quests, there is an endless amount of variety here. Even the map around you is amazing. It can take quite a bit of walking to get from place to place in the massive map, and each area has tons of nooks and crannies you can access with new gear after you complete them, providing plenty of motivation to back-track. And the characters around you, be they major or minor, are all briliantly written, each having there own opinion on current events and different points of view. You can spend happy hours not even touching the main quest, just wandering around completing sidequests, hunting out secret caverns, and talking to different people. And the amazing part is, they fit all of this into an N64 cartidge, without the use of the in-system memory card upgrade, which came out later. I have no idea how they managed it.
Techincally, the game is also stellar. The mechanics, like Z-targeting and custom button mapping of tools, are intuitive and easy to pick up, but still entertaining, challenging, and servicable throughout the long game. It's the old saying, easy to learn, hard to master. But the most brilliant mechanic is the time-travel and music elements. The magic spells in the game take the form of songs played on the title instrument, which allow you to warp to certain spots on the maps, call your horse, unlock doors and puzzles, talk to your mentor, or change the time of day, as well as other various and sundry uses, including creating your own song to summon a scarecrow, allowing you to access secret areas. Time-travel is perhaps the most brilliantly done thing in the game. Young Link plays, feels, and even sounds (both vocally and orchestrally, with the background music) different to Adult Link, and there are things that Young Link can do and Adult Link can't, and vice-versa. There are several puzzles you have to warp backwards or forwards in time to complete, and, as I said before, backtracking to completed areas as different ages or with new equipment is constantly satisfying. This all adds to the cyclical feel of the game. And because of the length of the game, when you actually complete the story, you want to go right back and start it all again, to catch the things you missed, and simply to replay some of the incredibly well designed dungeons and bosses. This is a game for the ages, and deserves this honor more than any othe game I could name. It might well be the game I'd pick if I could only play ONE game, of any genre, for the rest of my life.
Runner-Up
This is a lot harder than the winner. There are many classic RPGs out there, mostly by Square Enix, that are incredibly detailed and well done. But in the end, I think that Final Fantasy VII takes the honors, followed closely by games like FFX and Kingdom Hearts. VII is amazingly detailed, epic, and entertaining, and one of its coolest features was how it responded to decisions players made. I've heard tell that there are ways to change which of the main characters dies at one of the many high points (not that I ever managed it, having borrowed this game and having to return it before that point, sadly), and I know there are many hidden party members that you have to work hard to get, but are not neccesary to the story. It is one of the rare games, as well as the winner, that just has this feel to it that makes you think you're really part of the story, notsimply running through it.
ROLE-PLAYING GAMES
This has to be one of the easiest categories. I don't even have to think about it. The RPG game I would like to play for the rest of my life is argueably the best game of all time: Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time for the N64. This is a game that reached the pinnacle of what a game could be: engaging, thought-provoking, deep, action-packed, and simply vast. I doubt any who have played it will argue with me. This game is simply a masterpiece.
Where does one begin to describe the merits of such a work of art? As I said before, this game is simply so huge, it's difficult to pick out the high points. There's easily 20 or 30 hours of gameplay here, and thats just if you follow the story only and move from point to point on the map directly. But if you do that, you're mssing out on half the game. It's not that the story isn't engaging. It's easily one of the better stories a game has ever had. It's masterfully crafted, with deep themes, twists and turns at every corner, and a cast of characters that really does seem alive. But a lot of the strength of this game comes through when you stop and smell the roses.
The beauty here rest in just how much is packed into the game. It's practically impossible to complete the game without side-tracking into the living world around you, or stumbling upon an easter egg or two, and if you do, you miss out on all the cool stuff. I don't think its possible to actually finish this game. Between getting your horse, Epona, upgraing your quiver capacity, and other such tasks for improving your performance in-game, to getting the Biggoron sword, collecing pieces of heart and Gold Skulltawultas, and the abundant mini-games and side quests, there is an endless amount of variety here. Even the map around you is amazing. It can take quite a bit of walking to get from place to place in the massive map, and each area has tons of nooks and crannies you can access with new gear after you complete them, providing plenty of motivation to back-track. And the characters around you, be they major or minor, are all briliantly written, each having there own opinion on current events and different points of view. You can spend happy hours not even touching the main quest, just wandering around completing sidequests, hunting out secret caverns, and talking to different people. And the amazing part is, they fit all of this into an N64 cartidge, without the use of the in-system memory card upgrade, which came out later. I have no idea how they managed it.
Techincally, the game is also stellar. The mechanics, like Z-targeting and custom button mapping of tools, are intuitive and easy to pick up, but still entertaining, challenging, and servicable throughout the long game. It's the old saying, easy to learn, hard to master. But the most brilliant mechanic is the time-travel and music elements. The magic spells in the game take the form of songs played on the title instrument, which allow you to warp to certain spots on the maps, call your horse, unlock doors and puzzles, talk to your mentor, or change the time of day, as well as other various and sundry uses, including creating your own song to summon a scarecrow, allowing you to access secret areas. Time-travel is perhaps the most brilliantly done thing in the game. Young Link plays, feels, and even sounds (both vocally and orchestrally, with the background music) different to Adult Link, and there are things that Young Link can do and Adult Link can't, and vice-versa. There are several puzzles you have to warp backwards or forwards in time to complete, and, as I said before, backtracking to completed areas as different ages or with new equipment is constantly satisfying. This all adds to the cyclical feel of the game. And because of the length of the game, when you actually complete the story, you want to go right back and start it all again, to catch the things you missed, and simply to replay some of the incredibly well designed dungeons and bosses. This is a game for the ages, and deserves this honor more than any othe game I could name. It might well be the game I'd pick if I could only play ONE game, of any genre, for the rest of my life.
Runner-Up
This is a lot harder than the winner. There are many classic RPGs out there, mostly by Square Enix, that are incredibly detailed and well done. But in the end, I think that Final Fantasy VII takes the honors, followed closely by games like FFX and Kingdom Hearts. VII is amazingly detailed, epic, and entertaining, and one of its coolest features was how it responded to decisions players made. I've heard tell that there are ways to change which of the main characters dies at one of the many high points (not that I ever managed it, having borrowed this game and having to return it before that point, sadly), and I know there are many hidden party members that you have to work hard to get, but are not neccesary to the story. It is one of the rare games, as well as the winner, that just has this feel to it that makes you think you're really part of the story, notsimply running through it.
Tuesday, September 2, 2008
Pov's Movie Point of View
This is the beginnings of a segement where I'll be rviewing movies, funnily enough. They may be movies that have come out recently, or old movies I've discovered on DVD, depending on how I feel. So, I just get to it.
Thoughtfullness WANTED
Today, I'm going to review one of the first big Movies to come out this summer, Wanted. The plot is fairly Matrix-esque. You average Joe Six-pack office worker finds out he is really the son of the greatest assasin ever, and has inherited the gift. He subsequently joins a league of "assasins of fate" who get there orders from, get this, freshly woven cloth. Come on... CLOTH? Was there nothing left for the fates to communicate with? Still, the idea that theses assasins were killing, not for any political or economic reasons, but to keep the world in balance, killing those who would cause the world the most suffering, could have been a cool theme. Too bad they didn't do anything with it.
Thats really the major problem with this movie. Like a lot of other movies lately, its trying to cash in on the success of movies like Iron Man, Fight Club, I Am Legend, and The Dark Knight by combining the mass appeal of an action movie with a thoughtful plot and deep, socialogical themes. Unfortunately, like a lot of the other movies that try to recreate that winning mix of action and brains, TRYING is about as far as they get. Wanted most takes after Fight Club, trying to urge viewers to take control of their lives, but the problem is, instead of weaving that theme into the abundant action and gore, it simply tacks it on in places and hopes for the best. This gives the movie a half-hearted feel, which is actaully kind of a shame, because there is a cool action movie here.
I will give Wanted credit, what it does do, it does well. Namely, the mass appeal part of the (mass appeal + brains) equation. The special effects are really top notch, some of the best of the summer. There are many creative ways of showing bullets graphically ripping through people's bodies in slow motion sprinkled throughout the film. Angelina Jolie was smoking hot. There is a very fun quarter of the movie that focusses solely on the protagonist taking vengance on all the people who made his normal life so shitty. Angelina Jolie is smoking hot and can handle a gun. A lot of the abundant gratoutitous violence is very clever and funny, including a truck load of exploading rats (no joke). Angelina Jolie is smoking hot and can handle a gun and a car masterfully. And there is a good twist in the plot as well, but unfortunately, it really only serves to heighten the feeling of wasted potential, and it seems a bit to familiar (*cough* Star Wars *cough*). Did I mention Angelina Jolie is smoking hot?
But as good as the action movie is, there is just enough of the failed brains part of the movie to make all of it seem brainless and stupid, especially the over-the-top training sequence, which seemed simply to be fight club with the violence turned up several notches, which in and of itself was a feat, but again, without the reasoning. I mean, Morgan Freeman is in this movie, and I usually trust him to pick good films, but it just wasn't there. There's just too much sensless violence for not enough sensible social commentary, and the movie falls flat. Wanted had a lot of potential, but in the end, I found it... wanting.
Final Verdict: 2 stars. It just doesn't live up to its potential.
Thoughtfullness WANTED
Today, I'm going to review one of the first big Movies to come out this summer, Wanted. The plot is fairly Matrix-esque. You average Joe Six-pack office worker finds out he is really the son of the greatest assasin ever, and has inherited the gift. He subsequently joins a league of "assasins of fate" who get there orders from, get this, freshly woven cloth. Come on... CLOTH? Was there nothing left for the fates to communicate with? Still, the idea that theses assasins were killing, not for any political or economic reasons, but to keep the world in balance, killing those who would cause the world the most suffering, could have been a cool theme. Too bad they didn't do anything with it.
Thats really the major problem with this movie. Like a lot of other movies lately, its trying to cash in on the success of movies like Iron Man, Fight Club, I Am Legend, and The Dark Knight by combining the mass appeal of an action movie with a thoughtful plot and deep, socialogical themes. Unfortunately, like a lot of the other movies that try to recreate that winning mix of action and brains, TRYING is about as far as they get. Wanted most takes after Fight Club, trying to urge viewers to take control of their lives, but the problem is, instead of weaving that theme into the abundant action and gore, it simply tacks it on in places and hopes for the best. This gives the movie a half-hearted feel, which is actaully kind of a shame, because there is a cool action movie here.
I will give Wanted credit, what it does do, it does well. Namely, the mass appeal part of the (mass appeal + brains) equation. The special effects are really top notch, some of the best of the summer. There are many creative ways of showing bullets graphically ripping through people's bodies in slow motion sprinkled throughout the film. Angelina Jolie was smoking hot. There is a very fun quarter of the movie that focusses solely on the protagonist taking vengance on all the people who made his normal life so shitty. Angelina Jolie is smoking hot and can handle a gun. A lot of the abundant gratoutitous violence is very clever and funny, including a truck load of exploading rats (no joke). Angelina Jolie is smoking hot and can handle a gun and a car masterfully. And there is a good twist in the plot as well, but unfortunately, it really only serves to heighten the feeling of wasted potential, and it seems a bit to familiar (*cough* Star Wars *cough*). Did I mention Angelina Jolie is smoking hot?
But as good as the action movie is, there is just enough of the failed brains part of the movie to make all of it seem brainless and stupid, especially the over-the-top training sequence, which seemed simply to be fight club with the violence turned up several notches, which in and of itself was a feat, but again, without the reasoning. I mean, Morgan Freeman is in this movie, and I usually trust him to pick good films, but it just wasn't there. There's just too much sensless violence for not enough sensible social commentary, and the movie falls flat. Wanted had a lot of potential, but in the end, I found it... wanting.
Final Verdict: 2 stars. It just doesn't live up to its potential.
Monday, September 1, 2008
TheNerd's POV
This, the first of my Member-submitted articles I'm going to post on Mondays, is a rant brought to you by our good friend and admin, TheNerd (Matfess for those who actually know me and him). It seems he's got a pretty stong opinion on Console wars, so sit back, try to relaxed, and be whipped up into a frenzy by his ranting.
TheNerd's POV: Make War, But Just Virtually
Here's my entertainment rant of the day......I hate console wars because they bring out the worst in people. It seems like a really bad cliche, but why can't we all get along? All those kids with their Xbox360s ragging on the kids who went for the Playstation3 and the reverse is true as well. It seems to me that they should be able to talk together about their favorite games. Call of Duty 4 continues to be a favorite along with Grand Theft Auto. Both games are available for the PS3 and the 360. And even if they don't want to talk about games together, they should at least leave each other alone. I suppose most people just don't understand that each person weighed the pros and cons for each system. There isn't a "best system" out there. It's all subjective, so what's right for me isn't necessarily what's right for you. But maybe I expect too much out of people. I certainly feel bad for kids who got the Wii. They are constantly being accused of..."sexual confusion" and that is most certainly unwarranted. The Wii has a great appeal to preteens as well as older folks because of its innovative controllers and the types of games it offers. The 360 and PS3 offer more action based games. I have a PS3, but I've played on both of the other systems and each has some very unique advantages over the other. Xbox's online network far exceeds the others. The PS3 has a Blu-Ray player, a major plus since Blu-Rays won the format war. The Wii is the most unique of them all with its controllers. Make virtual war, not verbal war? Ok, a really bad attempt at a T-Shirt, but you get the picture.
In conclusion:
PS3 is the best system of them all
Xbox360 is for n00bs
Don't even get me started on the Wii
A lesson well learned.
________________
If you liked (or didn't like) TheNerd's POV, you can go to the Pov's POV forum (link found on the left of this page) and post your own point of view! If I like it, it might end up on the blog!
TheNerd's POV: Make War, But Just Virtually
Here's my entertainment rant of the day......I hate console wars because they bring out the worst in people. It seems like a really bad cliche, but why can't we all get along? All those kids with their Xbox360s ragging on the kids who went for the Playstation3 and the reverse is true as well. It seems to me that they should be able to talk together about their favorite games. Call of Duty 4 continues to be a favorite along with Grand Theft Auto. Both games are available for the PS3 and the 360. And even if they don't want to talk about games together, they should at least leave each other alone. I suppose most people just don't understand that each person weighed the pros and cons for each system. There isn't a "best system" out there. It's all subjective, so what's right for me isn't necessarily what's right for you. But maybe I expect too much out of people. I certainly feel bad for kids who got the Wii. They are constantly being accused of..."sexual confusion" and that is most certainly unwarranted. The Wii has a great appeal to preteens as well as older folks because of its innovative controllers and the types of games it offers. The 360 and PS3 offer more action based games. I have a PS3, but I've played on both of the other systems and each has some very unique advantages over the other. Xbox's online network far exceeds the others. The PS3 has a Blu-Ray player, a major plus since Blu-Rays won the format war. The Wii is the most unique of them all with its controllers. Make virtual war, not verbal war? Ok, a really bad attempt at a T-Shirt, but you get the picture.
In conclusion:
PS3 is the best system of them all
Xbox360 is for n00bs
Don't even get me started on the Wii
A lesson well learned.
________________
If you liked (or didn't like) TheNerd's POV, you can go to the Pov's POV forum (link found on the left of this page) and post your own point of view! If I like it, it might end up on the blog!
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