This is ... just ... wow.
Metal Gear Solid: Philanthropy is a fan-movie created by Italian filmmakers, Hive Division, about one of Snake's adventures in Philanthropy, the anti-Metal Gear group that he and Otacon founded. Normally the term "fan-movie" suggests a few silly teenagers, a digital camera, and a Youtube account, but like Purchase Brothers' Escape From City 17, Hive Division's offering is a lot more impressive.
Simply put, the movie looks professionally made. The film work is excellent in its own right, but also pays obvious homage to the cinematography of Kojima's lengthy cutscenes, even to the point where you might think you're playing one of the games. Special effects are used frequently to full cinematic effect and provide some honestly breath-taking visuals. The score is perfect as far as I can tell, the post-production makes the film feel ever more professional, and the acting is solid. Pun intended.
There are some choppy bits: The special effects aren't the most advanced and I could easily pick out the shots where green screen was used. The animated models looked somewhat primitive too. Furthermore, since all or most of the actors are Italian, an English dub was commissioned and even though the actors DO speak English on film, the timing on mouth synchronization is off just enough to be noticeable. But actually, this is something of a historical practice used for decades' worth of spaghetti westerns. In any case, none of these technical hiccups are enough to distract from the enjoyment of the film.
Still, good production value can never hide bad fan fiction. Luckily, this is another of Philanthropy's strengths. Rather than going overboard on cameos from the author's favorite characters, Giacomo Talamini -- the movie's writer/director -- chose to create a story only loosely based on the franchise. Snake is the only recurring character, with a short cameo from Otacon and the mention of institutions like Armstech. Meanwhile, Talamini places Snake in command of a team of infiltrators, original characters every bit as intriguing as some of Kojima's best, who present a new challenge for our usually silent, solitary hero. Metal Gear fans will also recognize the necessary inclusion of memorably awesome villains, also original.
Unfortunately for us, only "part one" of Philanthropy has been released so far and the movie left me hungry for more. It's a wonderful watch for a Metal Gear fan and I highly recommend it.
Note: There no plans for the making of the second and third parts of MGS:P (reference). If you, like me, find yourself starving and unfulfilled at the end of the film, there are a couple of things you can do. First, stay through the credits and watch what happens after. And second, check out these interviews with the voice actors Phillip Sacramento, Lucien Dodge, and Laura Post.
Showing posts with label TV/cinema. Show all posts
Showing posts with label TV/cinema. Show all posts
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
Friday, April 24, 2009
Jimmy Fallon is a tool
When relaxing in my own home at 12:40am, getting blindsided by the words "Madden," "greatest game ever," and "everyone at GameStop" makes me upset. Meanwhile, his show just sucks anyway, which, to be fair, is equally the fault of NBC as much as his.
Sunday, March 29, 2009
My report on an 8-year-old movie.
Wow, Fulltime Killer is a really good movie! I only rented it on a whim, but I was really impressed.
Well, I have to admit, I am writing this immediately after having seen it, so I'm still kind of high on it. Sometimes I have to see a movie a couple of times before I can accurately criticize it, but I do also like to record my initial impression. I think I was mostly enamored by how smart the movie is: it's got this great post-modern vibe, best exemplified by one of the main characters, Tok, who is a hitman who loves action movies. There are a number of hectic action scenes that I expected to be as confusing as in other action-thrillers like Casino Royale or the Bourne movies, but the action is kept clear, pretty, and fun; the director obviously respects the audience.
(Actually, I'm just now coming to the realization that shaky-cam is totally way overused these days and I wish it wasn't because I don't remember Fulltime Killer using it.)
It's also a nice touch when a movie winks at its audience. Tok obviously enjoys pop culture because he makes a couple references to manga and video games. Sometimes a film or story can overdo the winking, but in this case it helps strengthen the character and makes the movie more fun.
Well, I have to admit, I am writing this immediately after having seen it, so I'm still kind of high on it. Sometimes I have to see a movie a couple of times before I can accurately criticize it, but I do also like to record my initial impression. I think I was mostly enamored by how smart the movie is: it's got this great post-modern vibe, best exemplified by one of the main characters, Tok, who is a hitman who loves action movies. There are a number of hectic action scenes that I expected to be as confusing as in other action-thrillers like Casino Royale or the Bourne movies, but the action is kept clear, pretty, and fun; the director obviously respects the audience.
(Actually, I'm just now coming to the realization that shaky-cam is totally way overused these days and I wish it wasn't because I don't remember Fulltime Killer using it.)
It's also a nice touch when a movie winks at its audience. Tok obviously enjoys pop culture because he makes a couple references to manga and video games. Sometimes a film or story can overdo the winking, but in this case it helps strengthen the character and makes the movie more fun.
Monday, March 09, 2009
Castle
I just watched the premiere episode of Castle, a new show on ABC. It's about a charismatic and quick-witted author who partners up with a no-nonsense yet flirtatious female cop to solve murders. The titular author character is played by Nathan Fillion, aka Captain Malcolm Reynolds of Firefly fame.
The show is cheesy, unoriginal, and predictable, but goddamn if Fillion isn't the most charming white man on television.
Well, except for Craig Ferguson.
The show is cheesy, unoriginal, and predictable, but goddamn if Fillion isn't the most charming white man on television.
Well, except for Craig Ferguson.
Monday, January 07, 2008
The State of Things According to Me
I consider Codename: Kids Next Door to be the last great Cartoon Cartoon. Billy and Mandy is okay, but I've never been crazy about it. KND, meanwhile, has all the right stuff. Yes, it's a kids' cartoon full of silly jokes having to do with underwear and boogers, but it's also one of the few GOOD action cartoons out there. Even more impressive is the epic scale of its stories and the relationships between the good guys and the bad guys. Remember when it was an event whenever your favorite villain appeared on a show? The Joker in Batman, Vegeta in DBZ, Gary in Pokemon -- usually the hero's most fearsome archenemy. KND revitalizes that kind of excitement with its stories -- whenever the Delightful Children From Down The Lane show up, you know something major is going to happen ... Father might even be involved!
Anyway, it appears that the adventures of the Sector V crew are finally coming to an end, with the series finale airing the 21st. I'm sad to see it go ... I hope it gets more re-run time than Johnny Bravo. Ah, Johnny Bravo ... truly the epitome of animation greatness! Second to none ... ooh, except maybe Time Squad! Aw, remember Time Squad? That was great...
In all seriousness, I'm very disappointed and disheartened by the original shows that have been popping up on Cartoon Network. Camp Lazlo and ... ugh, it pains me to even type this name ... My Gym Partner's a Monkey simply lack the creativity and charm of their predecessors. Class of 3000 has entranced me with its bright colors and honestly cool music numbers, but the standard animation and stories that the majority of the show is composed of is very, very bland.
On the other hand, Foster's is really good. I've begun to tire of Bloo's overbearing personality taking control of each episode, but stories like The Little Peas and Make-Believe It or Not remind me why I loved the show in the first place.
Meanwhile, I don't even watch cartoons on any other channel. Is ABC's equivalent to One Saturday Morning still on? Fuck, if it's not airing Pepper Ann, I don't even give a damn. It is a dark time for children's animation.
Anyway, it appears that the adventures of the Sector V crew are finally coming to an end, with the series finale airing the 21st. I'm sad to see it go ... I hope it gets more re-run time than Johnny Bravo. Ah, Johnny Bravo ... truly the epitome of animation greatness! Second to none ... ooh, except maybe Time Squad! Aw, remember Time Squad? That was great...
In all seriousness, I'm very disappointed and disheartened by the original shows that have been popping up on Cartoon Network. Camp Lazlo and ... ugh, it pains me to even type this name ... My Gym Partner's a Monkey simply lack the creativity and charm of their predecessors. Class of 3000 has entranced me with its bright colors and honestly cool music numbers, but the standard animation and stories that the majority of the show is composed of is very, very bland.
On the other hand, Foster's is really good. I've begun to tire of Bloo's overbearing personality taking control of each episode, but stories like The Little Peas and Make-Believe It or Not remind me why I loved the show in the first place.
Meanwhile, I don't even watch cartoons on any other channel. Is ABC's equivalent to One Saturday Morning still on? Fuck, if it's not airing Pepper Ann, I don't even give a damn. It is a dark time for children's animation.
Tuesday, January 01, 2008
Oshougatsu
Last year I was in Japan for New Year's. It's weird to think that it was a whole year ago.
I had a good 'Eve. Watched Who Framed Roger Rabbit on TV. BRILLIANT MOVIE. Said good-bye to syndicated Futurama as Adult Swim aired the first and last episodes. I was surprised -- the first Futurama episode I ever saw turns out to have been the last one! And now the last Futurama episode I'll ever see is also the last one! Huh!
Well, there are still those "movies" that are coming out in increments. Hopefully, Fox or Cartoon Network will air them at some point.
I had a good 'Eve. Watched Who Framed Roger Rabbit on TV. BRILLIANT MOVIE. Said good-bye to syndicated Futurama as Adult Swim aired the first and last episodes. I was surprised -- the first Futurama episode I ever saw turns out to have been the last one! And now the last Futurama episode I'll ever see is also the last one! Huh!
Well, there are still those "movies" that are coming out in increments. Hopefully, Fox or Cartoon Network will air them at some point.
Saturday, October 06, 2007
Duhnuhnuhnuhnuhnuhnuhnuh
Goddammit. Batman: The Animated Series is so good. I should be doing homework but I can't stop watching it.
I just finished watching the 2nd and 3rd volumes of Superman. Y'know, 3 wasn't that great. The Darkseid episodes were okay, but the whole thing felt kind of lazy. I guess there's only so much you can do to keep an invincible superhero interesting.
On a similar note, I just saw the Fleischer bros.'s original cartoon and it was awe-inspiring. Sure we can laugh now at the ridiculous mad scientist and Clark Kent sneaking into a closet to change clothes and Superman punching laser beams, but you have to admire the wonderful quality of animation and the way the toon captures the essence of the Man of Steel. I'm told the budget the Fleischers were given was higher then for anything they'd done before and it really shows.
I just finished watching the 2nd and 3rd volumes of Superman. Y'know, 3 wasn't that great. The Darkseid episodes were okay, but the whole thing felt kind of lazy. I guess there's only so much you can do to keep an invincible superhero interesting.
On a similar note, I just saw the Fleischer bros.'s original cartoon and it was awe-inspiring. Sure we can laugh now at the ridiculous mad scientist and Clark Kent sneaking into a closet to change clothes and Superman punching laser beams, but you have to admire the wonderful quality of animation and the way the toon captures the essence of the Man of Steel. I'm told the budget the Fleischers were given was higher then for anything they'd done before and it really shows.
Thursday, June 14, 2007
Spider-Man 3
I just realized that I haven't made a post about how the movie that I've been anticipating for a year or two was. This is bad. It must be remedied.
Basically what I've been telling people who ask me how Spidey 3 was is this: I enjoyed the movie because I went into the theater with low expectations. It failed for exactly the reasons I expected it to: too many things going on at once. We've got three different villains AND the symbiote for Spidey to fight, a crumbling relationship with MJ, and a new love interest in the form of Gwen Stacy. Now, all of these themes, separately or in certain cases paired together, would make for an excellent storyline. As it is, quite the opposite occurs, and the movie doesn't seem to know what to do with each theme as it's juggling all six or seven, so it just underplays all of them, ignoring their vast potentials. It's really tragic too, because as I watched, I really wanted to see more done with Venom, more done with Sandman, more done with the symbiote.
Harry is arguably the most interesting part of the film. His part in the story is allowed to be wrapped up with a bang (though not necessarily a well-orchestrated one), but at the cost, again, of underplaying all the other characters. MJ's relationship with Peter begins to unravel as she starts to distance herself from him for some reason that the movie doesn't seem to clarify, and as the symbiote aggravates Peter's "dark side." It's really fucked up that Gwen should be used in the way she is, as the "other" girl that Peter uses to make MJ jealous -- a far less pivotal role than she has in the comics. Ultimately, all the love and relationship and normal life stuff designed to keep the female section of the audience occupied proves just as cramped and served short of their potential as the villains are.
But I did say I enjoyed the film, didn't I? Honestly, the film isn't bad until the final fight scene, when the slowly steepening hill finally hits a 90 degree angle. In the meantime, it's a fun ride down. The action scenes are just as cool as you'd expect, though all the costumed people spend way too much time with their masks off. Probably the most memorable part of the movie are the "Evil Peter" scenes, which were thankfully not taken at all seriously and are quite hilarious. Similarly, crowd-pleasers like Bruce Campbell's appearance make it enjoyable in a tongue-in-cheek way.
The movie would've been a major letdown if my expectations had been higher, and even now the wasted potential stings like mad. It was a fun movie, though and worth seeing at least once, just don't expect it to be Batman Begins.
Basically what I've been telling people who ask me how Spidey 3 was is this: I enjoyed the movie because I went into the theater with low expectations. It failed for exactly the reasons I expected it to: too many things going on at once. We've got three different villains AND the symbiote for Spidey to fight, a crumbling relationship with MJ, and a new love interest in the form of Gwen Stacy. Now, all of these themes, separately or in certain cases paired together, would make for an excellent storyline. As it is, quite the opposite occurs, and the movie doesn't seem to know what to do with each theme as it's juggling all six or seven, so it just underplays all of them, ignoring their vast potentials. It's really tragic too, because as I watched, I really wanted to see more done with Venom, more done with Sandman, more done with the symbiote.
Harry is arguably the most interesting part of the film. His part in the story is allowed to be wrapped up with a bang (though not necessarily a well-orchestrated one), but at the cost, again, of underplaying all the other characters. MJ's relationship with Peter begins to unravel as she starts to distance herself from him for some reason that the movie doesn't seem to clarify, and as the symbiote aggravates Peter's "dark side." It's really fucked up that Gwen should be used in the way she is, as the "other" girl that Peter uses to make MJ jealous -- a far less pivotal role than she has in the comics. Ultimately, all the love and relationship and normal life stuff designed to keep the female section of the audience occupied proves just as cramped and served short of their potential as the villains are.
But I did say I enjoyed the film, didn't I? Honestly, the film isn't bad until the final fight scene, when the slowly steepening hill finally hits a 90 degree angle. In the meantime, it's a fun ride down. The action scenes are just as cool as you'd expect, though all the costumed people spend way too much time with their masks off. Probably the most memorable part of the movie are the "Evil Peter" scenes, which were thankfully not taken at all seriously and are quite hilarious. Similarly, crowd-pleasers like Bruce Campbell's appearance make it enjoyable in a tongue-in-cheek way.
The movie would've been a major letdown if my expectations had been higher, and even now the wasted potential stings like mad. It was a fun movie, though and worth seeing at least once, just don't expect it to be Batman Begins.
Wednesday, May 30, 2007
Shiver me timbers.
Pirates of the Caribbean 3 was pretty good. I could say it "blew me out of the water," but that would be stooping to back of the DVD quotes level. I didn't much like 2; too much action and too many new characters with too few resolutions, I thought. 3 is pretty much 2, but with less mind-numbing action and with more story. It's very confusing keeping track of everyone's motives and their arrangements and bargains and quarrels with everybody else (god, even the monkey has interpersonal conflicts), but if 2 was good for anything it was to prepare you for such confusion. Action, thankfully, is restricted only to certain scenes, and no more of this fighting invincible monsters nonsense. Of course, the action is pretty kickass in and of itself. The biggest fight scene takes place on two cursed pirate ships circling each other as they plunge into a maelstrom during a thunderstorm induced by an angry goddess. Oh, and Will and Lizzy get married in the middle of it.
No, I'm not going to say anything about fucking Jack Sparrow.
Although there is a pretty cool scene where he captains a ship manned entirely by himselves.
Oh yes, and remember the face of the boy at the beginning when you reach the end of the credits. Brr.
No, I'm not going to say anything about fucking Jack Sparrow.
Although there is a pretty cool scene where he captains a ship manned entirely by himselves.
Oh yes, and remember the face of the boy at the beginning when you reach the end of the credits. Brr.
Saturday, March 24, 2007
Cowabunga!
Saw TMNT. The beginning made it seem really promising. The action was really great. The CGI look was very nice. I thought the gang wars theme worked well at first. But the movie ended up failing on a bunch of levels. It centered too much on Leo and Raphael's quarrels, something as old as time, leaving poor Mikey and Don as nothing more than humorous relief. The turtles vs. Foot vs. ancient warriors vs. 13 monsters idea quickly fell apart and introduced more than one plot hole. Worst of all, the movie felt short and the ending felt rushed. I think this movie may have been too big for its shoes, similar to the way I'm afraid of Spider-Man 3 having too much content for one film.
Still, the action sequences were killer. If only there had been more scenes of traditional turtles vs. Foot battles. The one near the ending was eye-boggling. Given what Karai said about faces from the past or whatever ... maybe there's a sequel in the works. With Shredder. Tha' be coo.
Quite an all-star cast for this film, though. The more famous include Patrick Stewart, Sarah Michelle Geller, and Kevin Smith. As far as voice actors go, John DiMaggio and James Arnold Taylor are pretty notable. And, of course, Mako, for whose death TMNT is dedicated to. Weird to think that the voice of Aku is gone.
Still, the action sequences were killer. If only there had been more scenes of traditional turtles vs. Foot battles. The one near the ending was eye-boggling. Given what Karai said about faces from the past or whatever ... maybe there's a sequel in the works. With Shredder. Tha' be coo.
Quite an all-star cast for this film, though. The more famous include Patrick Stewart, Sarah Michelle Geller, and Kevin Smith. As far as voice actors go, John DiMaggio and James Arnold Taylor are pretty notable. And, of course, Mako, for whose death TMNT is dedicated to. Weird to think that the voice of Aku is gone.
Tuesday, March 20, 2007
Live Free or Die ... Hard
Hmm. Half of me is screaming, "Fuck yeah," but the other half is tempted to point out the contradiction that the title establishes. Still, seeing my state's motto (which happens to be the best one ever) as a movie title is pretty awesome. And, you know, Bruce Willis, right? So I'm pumped. I think.
Looking back through my recent posts, I seem to have developed a case of March movie madness. I'm kuh-raaaaazy.
Looking back through my recent posts, I seem to have developed a case of March movie madness. I'm kuh-raaaaazy.
Sunday, March 18, 2007
300 ... IN IMAX!!
Upon second viewing, 300 isn't nearly violent enough. No seriously. Whenever Queen Gorgo would come onscreen I was like, "Go away, I wanna see more decapitation and shit."
The IMAX theatre showed the trailer for Spider-Man 3 before the movie. I COULD SEE EVER FIBER OF HIS MASK. It was cool.
TMNT comes out soon. Yay.
The IMAX theatre showed the trailer for Spider-Man 3 before the movie. I COULD SEE EVER FIBER OF HIS MASK. It was cool.
TMNT comes out soon. Yay.
Saturday, March 10, 2007
300
Went to see it tonight. The theatre was fucking packed. My Gamestop cohorts and I had to buy tickets about fifteen minutes early. Then we realized we’d forgotten to get tickets for one more of our group, and by that time they’d sold out. Finally, after a long debate, the ticket guy somehow got us that one ticket. ‘Course, by that time all the good seats in the theatre had been taken so we had to sit in the neck cramp (i.e. front) row. Never again will I see a movie on opening day.
Unless it is the sequel to this movie. Because it was So. Damn. Good.
Honestly, when I first heard about 300 and saw some screenshots, it didn’t look that impressive. It had the overdone Sin City green screen special effects look to it, and I was worried it wouldn’t look as good in color as it had in black and white. But I’d read the graphic novel, which is, of course, spectacular, so I knew the essence of the film, at the least, couldn’t go wrong; furthermore, if Frank Miller were to ever approve a film version of one of his comics, he’d have had to have been damn impressed by the proposal. With that in mind, I was able to get really excited for the movie.
But the film itself completely blew away my expectations. The special effects, the camera work, the colors -- the entire visual aspect of the movie is absolutely beautiful. The soundtrack is a wonderful blend of swelling movie epic music, softer strings, and the occasionally badass hard rock riff; this is the first time in a while that I’ve wanted to buy a movie soundtrack. But the best aspect of the film is the intensity of it, supplied in part by the amazing acting of the cast, in particular Gerald Butler, who portrays Leonidas perfectly. This is a story -- not just a story, but a visual epic -- about SPARTANS, the manliest manly men mankind has ever manned, and you can feel the raw power, the borderline insanity, the bloodlust, and the desire for honor and glory that rushes through and electrifies the veins of these warriors.
But that aspect was just as present in the graphic novel. What the movie one-ups that original material with is the gorgeous and brutal action sequences. Ripped men in dazzling red capes swinging shields, thrusting spears, and slashing swords at the best that the Persian army has to offer: oceans of footmen, hundreds of elitist demon-like soldiers, and the occasional deformed battle giant or war elephants. The overly violent action is seamless, paced fabulously, honestly beautiful, and just fucking fun to watch.
In this way does the movie most surpass the graphic novel, but otherwise it’s very true to its roots, much like Sin City was; I don’t think Miller would have had it any other way. Tonight has easily been the best theatre-going experience I’ve had in a long time, even despite the waiting for tickets and the neck cramp. I’m going to see the movie again as soon as I can and I hope anyone reading will too.
Unless it is the sequel to this movie. Because it was So. Damn. Good.
Honestly, when I first heard about 300 and saw some screenshots, it didn’t look that impressive. It had the overdone Sin City green screen special effects look to it, and I was worried it wouldn’t look as good in color as it had in black and white. But I’d read the graphic novel, which is, of course, spectacular, so I knew the essence of the film, at the least, couldn’t go wrong; furthermore, if Frank Miller were to ever approve a film version of one of his comics, he’d have had to have been damn impressed by the proposal. With that in mind, I was able to get really excited for the movie.
But the film itself completely blew away my expectations. The special effects, the camera work, the colors -- the entire visual aspect of the movie is absolutely beautiful. The soundtrack is a wonderful blend of swelling movie epic music, softer strings, and the occasionally badass hard rock riff; this is the first time in a while that I’ve wanted to buy a movie soundtrack. But the best aspect of the film is the intensity of it, supplied in part by the amazing acting of the cast, in particular Gerald Butler, who portrays Leonidas perfectly. This is a story -- not just a story, but a visual epic -- about SPARTANS, the manliest manly men mankind has ever manned, and you can feel the raw power, the borderline insanity, the bloodlust, and the desire for honor and glory that rushes through and electrifies the veins of these warriors.
But that aspect was just as present in the graphic novel. What the movie one-ups that original material with is the gorgeous and brutal action sequences. Ripped men in dazzling red capes swinging shields, thrusting spears, and slashing swords at the best that the Persian army has to offer: oceans of footmen, hundreds of elitist demon-like soldiers, and the occasional deformed battle giant or war elephants. The overly violent action is seamless, paced fabulously, honestly beautiful, and just fucking fun to watch.
In this way does the movie most surpass the graphic novel, but otherwise it’s very true to its roots, much like Sin City was; I don’t think Miller would have had it any other way. Tonight has easily been the best theatre-going experience I’ve had in a long time, even despite the waiting for tickets and the neck cramp. I’m going to see the movie again as soon as I can and I hope anyone reading will too.
Wednesday, December 27, 2006
Monday, December 11, 2006
Remember, remember, the stuff of November
Well, I was holding out on any more posts until I got a fourth installment of The Tower of Books put together, but, and this shouldn’t be a surprise to anyone, I am a lazy bastard. So amazingly interesting and well-written reviews for The Walking Dead, Runners, and Ode to Kirihito will have to wait to be posted until I develop an ability to motivate myself, which is not viewable in the foreseeable future. I’m sorry. I know there were hundreds of people waiting impatiently for them. It’s all this pressure, man. I JUST CAN’T PLEASE EVERYONE.
Well, November was an eventful month. The Wii (teehee Wii) and the PS3 hit stores and a Majora--excuse me -- majority of gamers decided not to be shot for waiting in line to spend $600 and just to play the new Zelda game instead. Not me of course. Unfortunately, my Wiimote-swingin’ will have to wait until I come back from my January trip to Japan. It’s the first time I’ve been since I was 12, and this time I have a vague understanding of the language, so hopefully I’ll be able to develop that understanding to the point where I might be able to speak somewhat fluently and actually communicate efficiently with half of my family.
But that is the future! This post is about the past. November also saw the delaying of the supposedly revolutionary Sonic the Hedgehog for the PS3. However, the 360 version WAS released, and, according to 1 out of 27 votes, it sucks -- that one vote belonging to someone at Play Magazine who gave the game a frikkin’ 9.5! Nearly everyone else, however, has given it a score below 50% and general consensus from regular players is that it sucks. Pretty hard. Like, it’s embarrassing to call yourself a Sonic fan anymore hard.
There is a glimmer of mediocre hope on the horizon, in the form of the 2007 Wii game, Sonic and the Secret Rings. Most accounts of the game have been positive, but I don’t think it’s going to be something that can save the franchise. It does look cool though, throwing Sonic into a Middle Eastern setting, having something to do with the 1001 Arabian Nights.
But that is the future! This post is about the past. November also saw a couple of great ska shows with my attendance. The first was a festival, you might say, of five smaller bands playing at a local venue -- The Sad Café in Plaistow -- which, I must say, rocked and rocked hard. I skanked. I’ve never skanked in public before. The bands were great. Lemon-Lime Tennis Shoes was probably the best, but it’s hard to say. The Not So Specials delivered a great bout of horns. Honeycreeper’s hardcore saxophone is still stuck in my head. Eggplant Danceoff offered some great skanking tunes and they knew it. And In The Face just plainly and simply rocked. The next Sad Café skafest is the 23rd and I’m gonna be there. Will YOU?
But that is the future! The second show was that of the kings of the third wave of ska, and my second favorite band, Reel Big Fish. And they were awesome. I mean, come on, it’s Reel Big Fish. They even had a gimmick for the show: they played the entire Turn the Radio Off album front to back, including the secret song. Then they left the stage. Then they came back on and played a shitload more songs. It was great. And this time (as opposed to the UNH show they played) I was familiar with Cheer Up and We’re Not Happy ‘Til You’re Not Happy, and, of course, Our Live Album is Better Than Your Live Album, so I knew when to sing along and when to thrust my fist, and all that. It was a great time.
What else happened during November? Casino Royale came out and was awesome. First 007 film that I’ve enjoyed from end to end. Action sequences were fantastic. I am now gay for Bruce Willis and Daniel Craig. But not really.
The Spider-Man 3 trailer was released on the net. Pure, unfiltered awesome. Mr. Tsui, whose blog sometimes provides hugely interesting tidbits, has an animated GIF of something that was cut out of the trailer, too. I have little doubt that this movie will be awesome, but that little doubt persists in pointing out that three villains -- Sandman, Green Goblin, and the symbiote/Venom -- is too many for one movie.
Oh, and another thing about November: I GOT A CABLE MODEM. AND CABLE TV. I am no longer living in what the melodramatic would call the dark ages. But that wasn’t the best part of November. The best part was the new, modern, fast, and above all CAPABLE (opposed to the buggy, outdated POS that our old one is) computer that my family bought. It’s awesome. I bought Morrowind months ago, with the soon-to-be-dashed hope that it’d run on our old computer, but NOW with a CAPABLE computer, I’m completely immersed in the world that the island of Vvardenfell resides on. My uncle is supposed to be sending me a copy of World of Warcraft, too, so when I get back from Japan, perhaps I’ll be rubbing shoulders with the Horde. Or the Alliance. I haven’t decided yet.
Well, November was an eventful month. The Wii (teehee Wii) and the PS3 hit stores and a Majora--excuse me -- majority of gamers decided not to be shot for waiting in line to spend $600 and just to play the new Zelda game instead. Not me of course. Unfortunately, my Wiimote-swingin’ will have to wait until I come back from my January trip to Japan. It’s the first time I’ve been since I was 12, and this time I have a vague understanding of the language, so hopefully I’ll be able to develop that understanding to the point where I might be able to speak somewhat fluently and actually communicate efficiently with half of my family.
But that is the future! This post is about the past. November also saw the delaying of the supposedly revolutionary Sonic the Hedgehog for the PS3. However, the 360 version WAS released, and, according to 1 out of 27 votes, it sucks -- that one vote belonging to someone at Play Magazine who gave the game a frikkin’ 9.5! Nearly everyone else, however, has given it a score below 50% and general consensus from regular players is that it sucks. Pretty hard. Like, it’s embarrassing to call yourself a Sonic fan anymore hard.
There is a glimmer of mediocre hope on the horizon, in the form of the 2007 Wii game, Sonic and the Secret Rings. Most accounts of the game have been positive, but I don’t think it’s going to be something that can save the franchise. It does look cool though, throwing Sonic into a Middle Eastern setting, having something to do with the 1001 Arabian Nights.
But that is the future! This post is about the past. November also saw a couple of great ska shows with my attendance. The first was a festival, you might say, of five smaller bands playing at a local venue -- The Sad Café in Plaistow -- which, I must say, rocked and rocked hard. I skanked. I’ve never skanked in public before. The bands were great. Lemon-Lime Tennis Shoes was probably the best, but it’s hard to say. The Not So Specials delivered a great bout of horns. Honeycreeper’s hardcore saxophone is still stuck in my head. Eggplant Danceoff offered some great skanking tunes and they knew it. And In The Face just plainly and simply rocked. The next Sad Café skafest is the 23rd and I’m gonna be there. Will YOU?
But that is the future! The second show was that of the kings of the third wave of ska, and my second favorite band, Reel Big Fish. And they were awesome. I mean, come on, it’s Reel Big Fish. They even had a gimmick for the show: they played the entire Turn the Radio Off album front to back, including the secret song. Then they left the stage. Then they came back on and played a shitload more songs. It was great. And this time (as opposed to the UNH show they played) I was familiar with Cheer Up and We’re Not Happy ‘Til You’re Not Happy, and, of course, Our Live Album is Better Than Your Live Album, so I knew when to sing along and when to thrust my fist, and all that. It was a great time.
What else happened during November? Casino Royale came out and was awesome. First 007 film that I’ve enjoyed from end to end. Action sequences were fantastic. I am now gay for Bruce Willis and Daniel Craig. But not really.
The Spider-Man 3 trailer was released on the net. Pure, unfiltered awesome. Mr. Tsui, whose blog sometimes provides hugely interesting tidbits, has an animated GIF of something that was cut out of the trailer, too. I have little doubt that this movie will be awesome, but that little doubt persists in pointing out that three villains -- Sandman, Green Goblin, and the symbiote/Venom -- is too many for one movie.
Oh, and another thing about November: I GOT A CABLE MODEM. AND CABLE TV. I am no longer living in what the melodramatic would call the dark ages. But that wasn’t the best part of November. The best part was the new, modern, fast, and above all CAPABLE (opposed to the buggy, outdated POS that our old one is) computer that my family bought. It’s awesome. I bought Morrowind months ago, with the soon-to-be-dashed hope that it’d run on our old computer, but NOW with a CAPABLE computer, I’m completely immersed in the world that the island of Vvardenfell resides on. My uncle is supposed to be sending me a copy of World of Warcraft, too, so when I get back from Japan, perhaps I’ll be rubbing shoulders with the Horde. Or the Alliance. I haven’t decided yet.
Wednesday, September 13, 2006
Note to self
Brick is out on DVD. Rent it when it's available. Treat yourself to some porn or something, too. You're 18 now, you can do that.
Tuesday, August 22, 2006
Lightsabers, blasters, starfighters, and lots of explosions.
The Phantom Menace was pretty tame, but I honestly enjoyed the flick. Yes, even Jar Jar Binks. I think that it was a complimentary prequel to the original trilogy -- nowhere near as good, of course, but an entertaining look back. Attack of the Clones is where my faith began to falter. It didn't seem to fit with the rest of the relatively serene movies. It just jumped off the cliff, then grabbed onto the edge to stop from falling at the last minute. I'd like to label the problem as being a lightsaber-wielding Yoda, but that certainly wasn't the extent of it. Revenge of the Sith was when the series finally let go of the edge and plunged into sheer craziness. It simply shed everything that had made the original films great and focused on Anakin's transformation into Vader. Again, this wasn't BAD, per say, but it just didn't meet expectations.
Episode III, actually, was my favorite of the three because it shed all restrictions. Instead of trying to live up to its brothers of the '70s (which episodes I and II had failed to achieve) it went rampant with the action, badass characters, and general awesomeness. General Grievous is the best character to have spawned from the new trilogy, and when the film was released, I wished I could have seen more of the mystery villain (is he a man or droid?!) who I honestly believe could match Vader in villainy excellence.
Behold, for my prayers were answered. But before I explain, I have to back up a couple of years.
Believe it or not, I once had cable access. It's a long story, but basically I was watching the Cartoon Network for years when suddenly our cable company was ousted in favor of another and my favorite channel (along with Nick, Bravo, Discovery, etc.) was yanked from me. But before this sad, sad event, I had been relatively excited about a micro-series that the Network was featuring entitled "Star Wars: Clone Wars," and like a good little boy, I tuned in to watch the first few episodes. Sadly, they sucked, and I quickly stopped watching them.
Hold on, the story's not done.
A couple years went by, and without cable TV I had no idea what was going on in the world. Almost all of my interest in television had been vanquished and had been reduced to re-runs of The Simpsons, That '70s Show, and Becker. So it was only recently that I heard that Clone Wars, which I had so easily dismissed, had won an Emmy. Finally, I went to the movie rental shop this week and, curious, picked up the first of the two volumes.
Four words. HARDCORE NON-STOP EXPLOSIVE ACTION.
Er. Is “non-stop” two words or...?
It's actually very, very good. I now associate the suckiness I believed to have seen before with the unsatisfactorily short length of each episode (five minutes -- it wasn't called a micro-series for nothing), but when the entire season is viewed as a theatrical presentation, its excellence shines like gold. The action is literally non-stop, and the choreography and plot of each battle and the story as a whole is so good that it doesn't seem sloppy and gimmicky like some movies that boast continuous action do. The action is also VERY exaggerated (like Mace Windu taking out an entire droid army by himself), but it fits with the highly stylized theme of the series. So even though you'd never see a Jedi running at 60 MPH in any of Lucas's movies, in this case, it's so freaking COOL that I'm willing to suspend my disbelief.
The highly stylized theme applies to the artwork and animation, too. Genndy Tartakovsky, who directed the series, is also the creator of several other notable Cartoon Network shows, so Clone Wars is basically a hybrid between Star Wars and Samurai Jack. This means a lot of blocky chins and shoulders, not a lot of useless dialogue, and a simple-but-satisfying formula of hardcore action followed by extended calms.
But Clone Wars presents so much more than just high-quality action. It allows us to view the parts of the universe that we never saw on the big screen. One of my favorite episodes of the series follows the group of elite clone troopers led by Commander Cody that infiltrates the enemy base. The way they execute the mission is enough to make me want to buy an X-Box and try my hand at "Republic Commando." The choreography of the movement and strategy is exquisite, but it’s also not something that you’d ever see in one of Lucas’s films.
The elite troopers’ reappearance was also one of my favorite parts of volume two of Clone Wars. Yes, I was so enthusiastic about the series that I immediately picked up the second DVD. It differed from its action-oriented older brother by having a bit more in terms of character development and story outside of battle. There is still a butt-load of butt-kicking, but the movie essentially focuses on Anakin's attempt at passing his final test in becoming a true Jedi Knight. And honestly, I hate to say this, but this one volume seemed to make much more of an impact on Anakin's character development than the entire trilogy put together. I might be presumptuous in this statement, but I believe it to be true.
But the best part was that my favorite character had a special place in the series. (Scroll up now to the second and third paragraphs of this post and make the connections. See how I did a little foreshadowing back there? Oh yeah, that was clever.) General Grievous proved to be a far more menacing (not to mention a way past cooler) antagonist than Darth Maul, Count Dooku, or Palpatine. I can't even begin to describe the visual orgasm that is Grievous in action. This is something that you simply have to see for yourself, so I suggest that, if you enjoyed the action of Episode III in the slightest, you pick up Clone Wars. Buy the two volumes if you have to. To sum it up, Clone Wars is a product of loyal and talented Star Wars fans that not only gives us further spectrum into the history and depth of the new trilogy, but arguably supersedes and surpasses the original material. It is well worth your money and your time.
Episode III, actually, was my favorite of the three because it shed all restrictions. Instead of trying to live up to its brothers of the '70s (which episodes I and II had failed to achieve) it went rampant with the action, badass characters, and general awesomeness. General Grievous is the best character to have spawned from the new trilogy, and when the film was released, I wished I could have seen more of the mystery villain (is he a man or droid?!) who I honestly believe could match Vader in villainy excellence.
Behold, for my prayers were answered. But before I explain, I have to back up a couple of years.
Believe it or not, I once had cable access. It's a long story, but basically I was watching the Cartoon Network for years when suddenly our cable company was ousted in favor of another and my favorite channel (along with Nick, Bravo, Discovery, etc.) was yanked from me. But before this sad, sad event, I had been relatively excited about a micro-series that the Network was featuring entitled "Star Wars: Clone Wars," and like a good little boy, I tuned in to watch the first few episodes. Sadly, they sucked, and I quickly stopped watching them.
Hold on, the story's not done.
A couple years went by, and without cable TV I had no idea what was going on in the world. Almost all of my interest in television had been vanquished and had been reduced to re-runs of The Simpsons, That '70s Show, and Becker. So it was only recently that I heard that Clone Wars, which I had so easily dismissed, had won an Emmy. Finally, I went to the movie rental shop this week and, curious, picked up the first of the two volumes.
Four words. HARDCORE NON-STOP EXPLOSIVE ACTION.
Er. Is “non-stop” two words or...?
It's actually very, very good. I now associate the suckiness I believed to have seen before with the unsatisfactorily short length of each episode (five minutes -- it wasn't called a micro-series for nothing), but when the entire season is viewed as a theatrical presentation, its excellence shines like gold. The action is literally non-stop, and the choreography and plot of each battle and the story as a whole is so good that it doesn't seem sloppy and gimmicky like some movies that boast continuous action do. The action is also VERY exaggerated (like Mace Windu taking out an entire droid army by himself), but it fits with the highly stylized theme of the series. So even though you'd never see a Jedi running at 60 MPH in any of Lucas's movies, in this case, it's so freaking COOL that I'm willing to suspend my disbelief.
The highly stylized theme applies to the artwork and animation, too. Genndy Tartakovsky, who directed the series, is also the creator of several other notable Cartoon Network shows, so Clone Wars is basically a hybrid between Star Wars and Samurai Jack. This means a lot of blocky chins and shoulders, not a lot of useless dialogue, and a simple-but-satisfying formula of hardcore action followed by extended calms.
But Clone Wars presents so much more than just high-quality action. It allows us to view the parts of the universe that we never saw on the big screen. One of my favorite episodes of the series follows the group of elite clone troopers led by Commander Cody that infiltrates the enemy base. The way they execute the mission is enough to make me want to buy an X-Box and try my hand at "Republic Commando." The choreography of the movement and strategy is exquisite, but it’s also not something that you’d ever see in one of Lucas’s films.
The elite troopers’ reappearance was also one of my favorite parts of volume two of Clone Wars. Yes, I was so enthusiastic about the series that I immediately picked up the second DVD. It differed from its action-oriented older brother by having a bit more in terms of character development and story outside of battle. There is still a butt-load of butt-kicking, but the movie essentially focuses on Anakin's attempt at passing his final test in becoming a true Jedi Knight. And honestly, I hate to say this, but this one volume seemed to make much more of an impact on Anakin's character development than the entire trilogy put together. I might be presumptuous in this statement, but I believe it to be true.
But the best part was that my favorite character had a special place in the series. (Scroll up now to the second and third paragraphs of this post and make the connections. See how I did a little foreshadowing back there? Oh yeah, that was clever.) General Grievous proved to be a far more menacing (not to mention a way past cooler) antagonist than Darth Maul, Count Dooku, or Palpatine. I can't even begin to describe the visual orgasm that is Grievous in action. This is something that you simply have to see for yourself, so I suggest that, if you enjoyed the action of Episode III in the slightest, you pick up Clone Wars. Buy the two volumes if you have to. To sum it up, Clone Wars is a product of loyal and talented Star Wars fans that not only gives us further spectrum into the history and depth of the new trilogy, but arguably supersedes and surpasses the original material. It is well worth your money and your time.
Monday, May 15, 2006
A racked arm will get you anywhere
Midori Days reminds me of that episode of Star Trek: Enterprise where Trip becomes pregnant with an alien baby and grow nipples on his wrists.
Wow, what a horrifically sexist thing to say. As if women are just walking boobies. I should burn in Hell for saying that. Or at least have my blog taken anyway from me. SOME sort of reprimand from above!
...Well, God hasn't seemed to have struck me down yet. She probably doesn't care that much (oh, controversy!!). I guess that gives me a chance to point out that volume 1 of the Midori Days anime has been released here in the US of A. It's pretty good. Very faithful to the manga in terms of story and character design. I'm a little upset that it became somewhat generic in this form, though. The art is dimmed down from Inoue's excellence to what you'd find in pretty much ANY romantic comedy anime. Half of the English voice-acting cast sucks, too, especially Midori. Her voice is that annoyingly high, wispy voice that works well in Japanese but sounds like a nails-onna-chalkboard in English. Seiji's English VA did a swell job though, and Seiji's fight scenes are on par with Cowboy Bebop quality action. I wish I didn't have to dish out $22.99 to Best Buy just to see these first five episodes, but I guess I'll survive. I honestly liked the manga better though, and highly recommend it to the nonexistent anime fanboys who are reading this.
Wow, what a horrifically sexist thing to say. As if women are just walking boobies. I should burn in Hell for saying that. Or at least have my blog taken anyway from me. SOME sort of reprimand from above!
...Well, God hasn't seemed to have struck me down yet. She probably doesn't care that much (oh, controversy!!). I guess that gives me a chance to point out that volume 1 of the Midori Days anime has been released here in the US of A. It's pretty good. Very faithful to the manga in terms of story and character design. I'm a little upset that it became somewhat generic in this form, though. The art is dimmed down from Inoue's excellence to what you'd find in pretty much ANY romantic comedy anime. Half of the English voice-acting cast sucks, too, especially Midori. Her voice is that annoyingly high, wispy voice that works well in Japanese but sounds like a nails-onna-chalkboard in English. Seiji's English VA did a swell job though, and Seiji's fight scenes are on par with Cowboy Bebop quality action. I wish I didn't have to dish out $22.99 to Best Buy just to see these first five episodes, but I guess I'll survive. I honestly liked the manga better though, and highly recommend it to the nonexistent anime fanboys who are reading this.
Sunday, May 07, 2006
There are a great many things I love about the 6-part anime, Furi Kuri (or FLCL or Fooly Cooly, whatever you want to call it). The slapstick humor, the sublime satire, the excellently orchestrated action, the allusions to both Japanese and American culture, the allusions to itself, the depth of the characters, the quality of the animation, the atmosphere, the horror, the emotion, the love, all underlined by the impossibly awesome soundtrack provided by the pillows. There's probably some other stuff that I'm forgetting, too.
But as I was popping zits in the mirror today, one specific scene came to mind: the first time Naota grows a horn from his forehead and he's looking at it in the mirror. He tries looking at it from different angles and with different expressions, thinking that maybe it's not really that noticeable, then finally gives up with a sigh and wears a band-aid over it for the rest of the episode. The relation between this and any teenage boy's first pimple is obvious, and I love that Gainax pulled it off so well. It's at points like this when the anime stops being a crazy, self-involved fantasy and actually pulls off some commentary on humanity, in this case pubescence and coming of age, which is one major theme to FLCL anyway.
Of course, just because FLCL has significance doesn't mean this post has to. No, this is just a random thought of the day. Sorry if I disappointed.
(ps: Canti is badass)
But as I was popping zits in the mirror today, one specific scene came to mind: the first time Naota grows a horn from his forehead and he's looking at it in the mirror. He tries looking at it from different angles and with different expressions, thinking that maybe it's not really that noticeable, then finally gives up with a sigh and wears a band-aid over it for the rest of the episode. The relation between this and any teenage boy's first pimple is obvious, and I love that Gainax pulled it off so well. It's at points like this when the anime stops being a crazy, self-involved fantasy and actually pulls off some commentary on humanity, in this case pubescence and coming of age, which is one major theme to FLCL anyway.
Of course, just because FLCL has significance doesn't mean this post has to. No, this is just a random thought of the day. Sorry if I disappointed.
(ps: Canti is badass)
Thursday, May 04, 2006
Fuck you, Chucky.
Walking through the new releases section of my local video rental store, and less than enthusiastic with the selection as I was, I came across a DVD sitting quietly in solitude. As the other videos screamed for attention, offering blood, angst, cheap laughs, and boobies, this lonely DVD just put forward its sword, raised the wooden head of the character on its cover, and showered me with a rain of strings from the sky. The beauty struck me, and, though I’d never heard of it, I rented Strings for the week.
This movie, right off the bat, is freaking gorgeous. As I pressed play on my DVD player, the camera raised to the sky to show the title embellished with the endless bands of ropes poking through the clouds of the magical world the film takes place in. Below the clouds, the strings stretched down until they attached themselves to the puppets that are the people of this world. Yes, the movie is a puppet animation. But rather than editing out the cables that move them, Strings makes its strings the essential aspect of the movie. Strings are the life and death of the puppets, and strings bind them and imbue them with great powers.
Again, the movie is crazy-beautiful. The elegantly carved puppets, the environments, the cinematography, and the colors and lights and darks create an atmosphere that is filled with magic. There are some truly fantastic (in both senses of the word) scenes, like the birthing of the baby puppet and the encounter with the one-stringed puppets. The story is also elegant; your basic “young prince rides out to save his kingdom from evil” plotline, but with emotion that is somehow amplified by the puppets, despite the fact that their faces are set in one expression.
I think I enjoyed this movie as much as I did any one of the Lord of the Rings movies, which isn’t saying TOO much for it, but might give you an impression of how impressed I was with the visuals and themes. I highly recommend seeing it at least once if you have ANY appreciation for cinematic beauty.
This movie, right off the bat, is freaking gorgeous. As I pressed play on my DVD player, the camera raised to the sky to show the title embellished with the endless bands of ropes poking through the clouds of the magical world the film takes place in. Below the clouds, the strings stretched down until they attached themselves to the puppets that are the people of this world. Yes, the movie is a puppet animation. But rather than editing out the cables that move them, Strings makes its strings the essential aspect of the movie. Strings are the life and death of the puppets, and strings bind them and imbue them with great powers.
Again, the movie is crazy-beautiful. The elegantly carved puppets, the environments, the cinematography, and the colors and lights and darks create an atmosphere that is filled with magic. There are some truly fantastic (in both senses of the word) scenes, like the birthing of the baby puppet and the encounter with the one-stringed puppets. The story is also elegant; your basic “young prince rides out to save his kingdom from evil” plotline, but with emotion that is somehow amplified by the puppets, despite the fact that their faces are set in one expression.
I think I enjoyed this movie as much as I did any one of the Lord of the Rings movies, which isn’t saying TOO much for it, but might give you an impression of how impressed I was with the visuals and themes. I highly recommend seeing it at least once if you have ANY appreciation for cinematic beauty.
