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[Wednesday Aug 12, 2009] |
Okay, the reason why the live-action GI Joe movie was not the complete train wreck I expected it to be was because my expectations were all wrong.
I was expecting it to be a reinvention of the franchise just like the Devils Due comics and GI Joe Resolute, the latter I recommend all Joe fans should watch. This wasn't an attempt to turn turn Joe into something adult-oriented. Sommers's Joe film lives in its childish fantasy world, complete with massive subterranean bases, sci-fi weaponry, and awesome ninja action. The story is not deep, nor is it solid, but it is serviceable to what amounts to a roller-coaster of often-times imaginative action sequences. I still hate the idea of the mecha-suits, but I found that chase sequence to be rather unique and fun in the end.
I still have my nitpicks, from some of the weaponry to the vehicle designs (the Joe transport looks nothing more than a flying hunk of metal, lacking any sense of design whatsoever) and especially some of the character portrayals. Call me a purist, because I somewhat am, but there are some things I wish this film took from the cartoons and the comics, such as Duke becoming field leader, the romantic angle between Scarlett, Snake Eyes, and Duke, and them actually using their particular fields of expertise (Scarlett, for example, is the Joes' counter-intelligence specialist.) The scenes at the Pit could actually have been used to show off the other Joe teams, such as Flint's, and Hawk's (Lowlight, Cross Country, Lifeline, Rocondo, etc.) and hell, even guys like Beachhead and Gung Ho could still fit in the background. but these are mostly missed opportunities and not actual "mistakes."
Overall, this GI Joe film was fun, enjoyable fare. It's not solid, and it's definitely made for the tykes. As long as you're in that mindset, you should enjoy the ride.
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[Sunday Aug 2, 2009] |
Once again, the Ultimate Fighting Championship has failed to nab the biggest free agent fighter in the world, Fedor Emelianenko. Fedor is the best heavyweight fighter in the world, and second in most pound-for-pound rankings behind Georges St. Pierre, only because the level of competition faced by St. Pierre was significantly greater. Fedor has a 30-1 record, with that one loss coming from an illegal blow that should have ruled the fight a no-contest had the referee seen it.
For years fans had been clamoring for Emelianenko-Couture, back when the Natural was the UFC Heavyweight Champ. When Pride FC was bought by the UFC, the UFC acquired most of the best Pride had to offer. Wanderlei. Hendo. Shogun. There are a scant few that were left unsigned, most notably Fedor and Shinya Aoki, but Fedor is and has always been the top prize.
He is a phenomenal fighter, with knockout power that can quickly turn the tide of a fight towards his favor. While his standup lacks technical skills, his power and ground skills, borne from years of sambo training and competition, can be matched by few. Perhaps his greatest advantage, the one that cemented his legend, is that he cannot be hurt. Against Andrei Arlovski, he took his shots, waited for Arlovski to make a mistake, and won that fight with one well-placed knockout punch.Back in Pride, Kevin Randleman picked up Fedor and dropped him on the top of his head. Fedor simply stood up, took Randleman to the ground, and submitted him with a straight armbar.
The UFC has solidified its reputation as the best MMA organization in the world, where the best fighters compete in matches the fans want to see. They have tried their best to give Fedor the best deal possible, paying him a large amount of money, allowing him to compete in sambo, and even going so far as to allow him to advertise M-1, a rival MMA company, on his shorts and banner. It was a deal that was fair, and profitable, and only a fool would not accept it.
Call Fedor Emelianenko a fool, because he did not accept the deal, opting to stay loyal to M-1 Global. M-1's counter offer, and thier goal, is co-promotion with the UFC, and it is something the UFC will not accept under anyy circumstances. That is like a major sports league doing all the work and sharing half of its earnings with a shadowy, third-rate organization. M-1 has some talent, but it is not as deep as the UFC's at this point, and they do not have the marketing power that the UFC has right now.
The current owners of the UFC took a huge risk when they bought the company, and were bleeding money for the first few years. They singlehandedly elevated the UFC to the phenomenon it is now, and established mixed martial arts as a legitimate and exciting sport. No loner was the UFC about violence or determining the best martial art, it was about competition, the best fighters coming in to see where they stack with each other, in perhaps the purest form of legal unarmed combat we'll ever see. The UFC became a success on its own, and it will continue to grow on its own, with or without Fedor Emelianenko.
Fedor needs the UFC. There is nowhere else for him to fight and legitimately test himself. Not Japan, not Russia, nowhere. The longer Fedor avoids signing with the UFC, the more damaged his reputation as the best fighter in the world becomes. I am diosappointed that I will not see Fodor vs Lesnar or Couture, but I will get over it.
And I will look forward to what the UFC now has.
A fully healed Tito Ortiz, rumored to face Mark Coleman.
A revitalized Vitor Belfort, scheduled to fight Rich Franklin at 195 lbs.
A significant boost in their heavyweight division, including Ben Rothwell.
Out of the three, Belfort-Franklin is the soonest to come, and I can't wait for that one.
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| No Time Anymore... |
[Tuesday Jul 14, 2009] |
So I'm training in the family company and the system there is text-based that involves it's own code as well as various commands. This is like college again, and I have homework to do along with notes to organize. My brain's fried because I spent the entire day doing exercises.
At this stage I have to screw speed and take things slow and methodical. One I find my rhythm and my pattern then I suppose I can think of speed/ Right now I should get things right.
It's probably my competitive edge overriding a lot of things. I think I might be lagging behind a bit, but I want this bad, for once I gotta prove to myself I can make top-of-the-class or something like that, prove that I'm not just a lazy bastard.
And instead of sleeping or studying, I was posting something for my D&D game. Urg.
So yeah, no time for much things. I have to kick my work into high gear because I got a practical test this Friday. Closed notes.
Bring it.
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[Wednesday Jul 1, 2009] |
So I've seen Revenge of the Fallen twice now. Even before the film's trailers started coming on the web I kept telling myself "This is Bay.... This is Bay... This is Bay..." like some rhythmic meditative chant to get me to appreciate the film more.
See, even as a kid I've watched Transformers for primarily one reason:robots kicking ass. And the greatest of them all was Optimus Prime. If there were two people whom my 4-year old self idolized it was Superman and Prime, the two ultimate good guys who could do no wrong.
One of my main criticisms with the first film was that Prime kicked no ass at all. And man was that rectified here. The first viewing brought me back to my four-year-old self yelling "GO PRIME!" at every single combat scene involving Optimus. Then i realized how much he dominate the action it practically became The Optimus Prime Show featuring the US Army and the Autobots.
Second gripe, damn you Bay and your monkey-fighting hard-on for the US military. This is Transformers. We want giant robot action, not shots of the US military standing around shooting things and Megan Fox being... Okay fine, we want some Megan Fox, but as icing on a cake of ROBOT ACTION!
Seriously if he wanted to do a movie about elite special forces soldiers with high tech weaponry and lots of explosions, he should've done GI Joe.
That compounded with idiotic scenes with Sam's mom, the two borderline-offensive twins (I swear it should've just been Sunstreaker and Sideswipe if they wanted Autobot brothers) and a slew of continuity mistakes too many to count (Blackout and Bonecrusher alive! All those Constructicons!!) and so many idiotic senseless things just left me with a bad taste after the second being.
Will I watch this again? Most probably.
Why?
Because Optimus Prime kicks ass.
I just won't pay for it.
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| Paladins and their None-Armor Defenses |
[Thursday Jun 25, 2009] |
Taken from the D&D boards.
As for the best, in 3.5 that was easily the Paladin, who had great big NADs. (Is it any wonder the Paladins with the biggest NADs were very charismatic?) Conversely, 4e Paladins have NADs that aren't much bigger than everyone else's. You know why? His Code of Conduct. The 3.5 Paladin's strong NADs were descended directly from his CoC; as long as the Paladin's CoC stood firm, his NADs would stay nice and healthy. He wouldn't have to buff them as much, letting him focus even more attention on his CoC; a Paladin with the right priorities would hold his CoC firmly above his NADs. After all, a Paladin's NADs become pretty useless if he loses his CoC. In 4e, on the other hand, Paladins can ignore their poor CoCs entirely! Is it any wonder their NADs have shriveled so much?
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| Darkness and Light |
[Tuesday Jun 23, 2009] |
I enter the room, pitch black save for the light that came from the antechamber. The door, shuts behind me and I am embraced by cold, dark, and silence. It is almost peaceful, then the candles come to life, a perfect circle around me, illuminating the image of the Sun on the ground. I should be used to this by now, I am a sorcerer after all, in a world of dragons and demons, and yet paltry little tricks like this have a tendency to amuse me.
I shut it out, soon enough. The candles mark the beginning of Iudicium Inti Ignis, The Trial of Inner Fire, where we face our innermost fears and our innermost demons, to purify ourselves so that we may purify others with no hypocrisy, no ulterior motive. Each one faces something different.
And so I sit, I breathe, I pray. This is not the first time I've done the Trial, nor will it be my last. I slowly focus on my breathing, shutting out everything else, emptying my mind.
Of my victories.
Of my failures.
Of my emotions.
Of everything.
I breathe deeper.
And I enter deeper into my mind.
My heart.
My soul.
I first see Hallriege, the young lad who turned into a monster, now ravaging the outskirts of the territories. Then I see Zigfried, my brother-in-arms. Again I relive that moment that changed both of us, when he had to choose between the life of his spouse, or the life of his child. He wouldn't choose, they died, and he was turned into something much darker. I curse myself for failing my friends, question whether I did all I could, and chastise myself for not doing enough.
The pain is magnified by the fact that I played a part in it. is goddess called him to the North, away from his family in peril. And I convinced him against it.
Dammit, what else could we have done? The slightest flicker of an answer doesn't appear. It never has, it never will.
Then I open my eyes to see him there in front of me. He is my twin, identical to the very last fiber, and yet completely opposite. He stands full of pride, an overwhelming spirit coming forth that begs one's attention, awe, worship, admiration.
I give him the opposite.
Swords and sorcery fly freely and the room is turned into an infernal arena of destruction as our blades thunder upon impact, and fire, lightning and other elements erupt throughout our small battleground. I strike him with all my power, I hold nothing back. The duel remains even, slash for slash, spell for spell. And yet he continues to smile at me, continues to mock me, my heritage.
We battle for what seems like eternity. Blood flows freely from our many wounds, our burns smolder like the nine hells, some still boiling with smoke spewing forth. Realizing our fatigue, I channel all my remaining magic into one final spell to finish this for good.
Just like the past duels, he counters with the exact spell. The room erupts in one massive burst of pure, unbridled, uncontrolled magic and we're both on the ground. The bastard's still laughing, still taunting me.
"Demon, you'll never be one of them..."
I muster what remaining strength and drag myself towards him. I raise my sword high into the air, and with one final, primal scream filled with all my wrath and all my rage, I drive the blade deep into his heart.
As his laughter and jeering dies down, he looks through my eyes deep into me one last time, and a smile breaks from his face, full of triumph, not a single ounce of deceit or delusion. He speaks one final truth, barely a whisper, but still clear as day.
"I still win."
It is those words that haunt me then, and still haunt me now...
I wake from the trial, my wounds healed, the room in order, my clothes and belongings intact. Despite what looks like a deep sleep, I feel as if I've fought a war for hundreds of years. So tired, yet I cannot shake that smile and those words from my mind, because they were so true.
He still won.
I exit the room, and as I walk the corridors, many of the people I walk past are taken aback by my sight. It is then that I take my spectacles, with their deep, reflective blue lenses, and put them on to cover my eyes. I was born with the blood celestial and infernal, my left arm and my eyes betraying my otherwise human appearance. Since then, my arm's been granted a human appearance, but my eyes retained their nature, and I am reminded of my dark half every time I look in a mirror.
A young squire timidly hands me a scroll, orders from my superiors. I have a mission to do, a unit of warriors to lead. I have always drawn strength from my conviction, my belief in doing what is right not because of reward, but because it was simply the right thing to do. And I must maintain this composure, this integrity. I cannot show them that deep inside, I am balancing myself on a razor's edge.
And that at any moment, I can fall...
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[Sunday May 24, 2009] |
I now realize why I hate organizing pick-up raids in WoW. While not as difficult as before, finding the right balance between healers, tanks, and damage-dealers is tough, and then you have to pick capable people, those with skill and gear, to fill out said roles. And when the pickings are slim, boy does it get ugly. There's a reason why raiding sometimes, of not oftentimes, becomes a blame game.
Blood Fist feels like home because it doesn't play the blame game, and things are handled in a civil a manner as possible. The officers have mentioned their policies time and again, to notify them if you want to raid. And my officers have been very gracious with the requirements I need to meet so that I don't become a burden.
This one's a long time missing, bear with me.
Star Trek was awesome. A reboot that remains faithful and connected to the original series, it brings everyone back to square one, to how the legendary crew of the USS Enterprise came together for their first mission. Under the guidance of JJ Abrams, the film tweaks the Star Trek formula for a new generation.
Thankfully, Paramount decided to up the budget for this one, and they first thing you notice is that it looks like a film, not an extended episode. This allows for amazing effects that bring back the grandeur and the wonder of Star Trek. And Trek's always been an optimistic franchise at heart, where mankind has united, eliminated a good number of their vices, and are now exploring space and making peace with other races. And when you see the sets, and teh ships, and hell, the Enterprise, ou can't help but ooh and aah.
The cast definitely deserve kudos for bringing their take to their iconic characters. It was easy to fall into the trap of just rehashing James Doohan or George Takei ( I omit Shattner because only Shattner can do Shattner), but thankfully they each bring a fresh and faithful take to their characters. Karl "Eomer/The-guy-from-Doom-Chronicles-of-Riddick-and-Pathfinder: Urban stands out for really nailing that crabby, manic behavior of Dr. Leonard McCoy without necessarily doing a second-rate Deforest Kelly.
And Anton Yelchin got Chekov spot on, with one of the funniest moments in the film. I swear I busted a gut laughing so hard.
What really sealed the deal for me was the pacing. Abrams was not a fan of Trek, but realized the merits and the good qualities of the series, the action, the comedy, the wit, but also realized it was bogged down my lots of wordy chit-chat. Some of it was technobabble, other times it was about political maneuvering regarding regulations, protocol, and one of the directives such as the Prime Directive or the Temporal prime Directive. Abrams keeps a slick pace that hooks you, and keeps you hooked. And when he does slow it down, he nails you with such emotion you still can't help but be fascinated by these people forming perhaps the greatest friendship in all of screen history.
After all, as much as this film is about the crew of the Enterprise coming together, it's also about how James Tiberius Kirk and Spock formed one of the greatest friendships ever.
The pace is probably what will polarize fans most. Fans are always hesitant to drastic change, and while this film is big on action, I will admit it does not make you think that much, or give you that intellectual reaction that some of the best episodes did. This is most probably due to the fact that it's the first film in a new franchise, and has the primary responsibility of laying down the groundwork and foundations of said franchise. This was one of, if not the main criticism behind such franchise-starters like X-Men and Spider-Man, and both have lead to much better second films. Second, this is a bog-screen movie. I do see the second Trek film to have deeper story, possibly more intellectually stimulating while still maintaining the tight pace and deep characterizations that make you connect emotionally with these fictitious people onscreen.
One hell of a ride. Live long and prosper.
Now to finish my other viewings.
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| Yo Joe |
[Monday Apr 27, 2009] |
Finally saw all of GI Joe Resolute. After finishing Argent Tournament dailies last Sunday I decided to watch all of it in one go. Thankfully, my internet was able to stream the videos off Youtube with no lag.
All I can say is that this is how I imagine GI Joe is supposed to be. This Joe team shows itself to be the best of the best, and while they do have a huge support staff, the actual Joes are shown to be the best in their particular specialty, calling to mind Channing Tatum's words from the Super Bowl teaser: When all else fails, we don't. But Stephen Sommers isn't helming this and making a mess out of it.
Resolute's primary creative duo is award-winning writer Warren Ellis, who injects a lot of military know-how, procedure, and plausibility throughout the story along with his trademark scifi. When the Joes hit the field, the scenes feel like an actual military operation in every bit, like Black Hawk Down with scifi. Instead of storming through with tanks and firepower, the Joes play things smart, relying on stealth and smarts to even the odds against superior numbers. Ellis also drops a few easter eggs for those knowledgeable in the various Joe histories, such as a short glimpse at a Duke-Scarlett-Snake Eyes love triangle that only those following the comics and the cartoons would get, as well as explaining Cobra Commanders lameness. Sort of. But most of all, thanks to this being an Adult Swim production, he injects a mature tone to the series, starting with the death of two major characters that say "we fucking mean business."
Joining Ellis is director Joaquim Dos Santos who helmed a great deal of Justice League Unlimited and Avatar: The Last Airbender. Dos Santos's execution really nails the realistic tone that Ellis wanted and injecting it with a fair share of energy and flair. Gung Ho and Roadblock's infiltration op, Scarlett's shooting spree, and the Snake Eyes vs. Storm Shadow in a duel for the ages. Fans of ninjas and these two characters should not miss this.
There are ten episodes with a length of five minutes each and a ten-minute finale for a total of an hours worth of what is perhaps the best depiction of GI Joe, hands down. While it is available on www.adultswim.com, viewers outside of the US won't be able to stream the episodes. Thankfully, Youtube has all of them.
Go. Watch. You will not be disappointed.
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[Wednesday Apr 22, 2009] |
I realize I haven't really updated this thing in a while. Suffice to say things have been genuinely hectic for me these past couple of days. I'm going through a pretty big change in my life that'll knock me out of my comfort zone and quite possibly force me to really grow up.
And with said growing up comes the biggest deal breaker: cutting back on WoW. I should probably admit that my parents were right and I am addicted. I've tried to justify it, saying that it doesn't interfer with my work and I don't steal to maintain it. But I have been noticing a greater degree of twitchiness when I am not hacking away at something, and then I pull out my cel phone and start gaming.
While i'll still play the game, I am going to miss the raiding I've been doing with my guild. There's really nothing like working together as a team to progess through the game in order to conquer those final bosses like Kel'Thuzad and really test just how good you all really are. I finally made Raider, which is a big thing for me because I've been recognized as one of the best players in the guild. I suppose I can always play during the weekends with those guys, but I'll still miss raiding with the main guys, the best of the best, like Colder and Malta, but I am thankful that I still have guildmates I can do things with during my free times.
That being said, the WoW paladin class is going through one of those changes, particularly with their player vs player balance. Ever since the Exorcism skill became harmful to all types of enemies (it used to only damage undead and demons as the name implies), paladins have been doing higher damage then they should, and while the spell still affects all enemy types, it does not affect players. Blizzard, the developers, admit that it was a mistake on their part, but that they need more time to rebalance and fix this issue because it's too complicated to be done in a week.
That being said, I do wish that Exorcism did remain only exclusively useful against undead and demons. That is what the name's about, isn't it? Still paladins, need some way to close the distance against mages and hunters in PVP. Warriors have Charge, Death Knights have Death Grip.
With all this musing about gaming, I have to blog about the recent games I've been on.
Einsunder in my guild is also my real life friend from college, and he's been running a tabletop RPG during the weekends. In his game, I decided to play a detective, modeled after John Constantine and Richard Fell, two characters written by Warren Ellis. He was your typical bad cop of the good-cop-bad-cop routine with a fairly good heart. If this were D&D he'd be chaotic good, beats the living hell out of the good guys, got a soft spot for the good folks.
But this isn't D&D. This is the World of Darkness.
Imagine a world with vampires, werewolves, and all those things that go bump-in-the-night, and imagine that they control the world. That's the World of Darkness. It is grim, gritty, hopeless, the epitome of gothic punk with a touch of noir.
My character was a mage, someone who knows the cheat codes of reality and uses those cheat codes. He just discovered his powers and so only does mundane things with them like read minds and sees ghosts. Well, those are pretty mundane for mages.
Anyway, at one point, some major character captures my characters partner and daughter, and I pretty much have to choose one or the other. I pretty much try to warp reality in order to save both of them.
Among the other players, I pretty much went through the most major emotional loss, at least as far as I know. My gaming had never been that intense in a long time, and only Jobert had enough GM gusto to get that emotional intensity out of me. After we ended that session, I was tired. I mean really tired, as if I had the biggest adrenaline rush and I needed to sit down for some time and calm down. And we were basically sitting at a table, talking, and rolling dice.
It was pretty cool to have that kind of roleplaying experience again. Last weekend, I found out that they really did die, but I altered reality in such a way that there's sense of good that occured in their death. My daughter died innocent, my partner died a hero in the line of duty. And I, as a player, and my game master aren't bogged by these people I have to contantly keep an eye out for. It's an interesting evolution of the character as now that he's lost everything, he's now gaining more and more power with his magic.
Reminds me of why I love roleplaying games so much.
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[Monday Apr 6, 2009] |
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Been a while since I posted here. More than seven months to be exact. I seriously have a lot to catch up.
Well, the ride that was Macross Frontier has ended not with w whimper, but not quite with the bang that kicked of the series and instilled much hope in us Macross fans after the messes that were Macross 7 and Macross Zero.
Suffice to say that the ending, like much of the series, paid much homage to the original series and delivered a music-filled, dogfight extravaganza. Classic songs were sung, even for just a few lines, classic moments were re-interpreted, and lots of transforming mecha explodo goodness was to be found everywhere. While there are some that might feel this finale felt rushed, it still wrapped up the series in a neat manner, tying up all loose ends and giving a satisfying ending for all the characters.
Overall the series started out strong, but with twenty-five episodes you're bound to hit filler and that's what happened. It had it's highs, it had it's lows, but it was overall a good series. Nothing really groundbreaking, just good fun mecha-dogfighting with some funky pop music thrown in, a modern tribute to the Macross of the eighties.
A Macross Frontier movie has been announced. Whether it will be a sequel, side story, or retelling has been left out. Hopefully it will not be a supercompressed mess...
And it's been a while since I first wrote that. And a while since I've posted in general.
I did projections for Rep's A Christmas Carol. It was a fantastic show, and a lot of effort was put into it and you can definitely see it onstage. Short show but, it was packed with heart and show-stopping numbers from beginning to end, so much so that much of the cast can't rest backstage as they have to change costumes. Even during intermission, as they had to set up quick changes for act two.
And man Ethan, one of our Tiny Tims became the crush of two schools, Poveda and the Montessori in BF. The girls were flocking to him like the next hot boy star that it was really cute to see him bewildered at his little taste of celebrity.
Speaking of short things to watch, Quantum of Solace was also pretty short at 105 minutes in length. My cousin found it bitin, but I found it alright. Put in more unnecessary action scenes and it becomes hollow and pointless. While action movies put great emphasis on the action scenes, the best action movies still let a good story dictate those scenes. If the story's over, then it's over. I'd rather a movie doesn't pointlessly dragged on for the sake of making it two hours long.
Then there's Watchmen...
Oh God where do we begin... I have a good feeling the producers thought "Hey this Snyder guy did 300, that looked like an adult comic book movie, maybe he can do Watchmen." And it all goes downhill from there.
If there's one thing I like about the film, it's that Snyder gets it. He gets how important the story is and what the story is about. He gets the importance of each single minutiae of detail in each panel that Moore methodically scripts in. He tries his best to pick out what works, what doesn't then work with it.
But it was written as a comic book, and meant to take full advantage of the strengths of comics as a medium, particularly the format of a 12-issue miniseries. Hence the nine-panel grid, and the alternating between a a plot chapter and character chapter. Snyder's first mistake was trying to do what he did with 300, adapting things frame by frame and word for word meant that the story would abruptly stop while we learn about Dr. Manhattan's life complete with first-person narration.
That being said, that was something that was definitely weakened in film format. If I remember the comics correctly (someone please lend me a copy) Moore kept the flashbacks strictly at nine panels per page, each panel jumping from one to the other sometimes out of chronological sequence. The way I remember things, one panel would be one event, another would be another one years before or after completely unrelated. That meant that if the reader chose so, he could read the page any which way he liked, whether conventional or unorthodox. Not only does this show that Manhattan perceives his life in an omniscient, all-at-once manner, but it empowers the reader in a way that only comics would.
Then there was the acting and the portayals. The best thing about the film for me was Dan Dreiberg's arc. Perfect casting, completely spot on throughout the film. I definitely hated the inconsistent portrayal of the Silk Spectre, and while part of the blame comes from Malin Ackerman's stilted acting, I also blame Snyder for making her a ruthless killing machine at the beginning for the sake of gore. Completely out of character.
That being said, a lot of people liked Rorschach. Sure he looked the part, which was great. Ultimately I was disappointed that they went with crazy, angry, psycho. The thing about him in the comics was that he wasn't really angry and if he was, it wasn't on the surface. It made everything he did calculated, carefully thought out, methodical. That for me, was creepier than the film.
And the ending... I'm pretty torn about it. I understand that the comic book ending might not be believable for audiences and would alienate them, but this one had it's fair share of leaps in logic. I don't want to spoil it all here. Look for me on Facebook or Multiply if you really want to know what I was thinking.
I just came from the O-Zine cosplay competition last Sunday. It was a pairs competition that involved a skit and a Q&A portion, which probably scared off a good number of people. Next time I go to one of these things, I'm going on individual day. So that way, it'll just be pure eye candy so to speak. I don't watch anime that much anymore, choosing only to sample the occasional Gundam and the choicest best-of-the-best, Top 10% stuff.
Hope I can update this thing more often. I'll try to avoid the seven-month layoff.
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[Tuesday Sep 16, 2008] |
Lich King's out on November. Gotta kick up some arena to gear up so that I won't walk around in mismatched gear. CROSSE! Feel like reminiscing?
I just need 800 more arena points for my chest. 900 extra points for my gloves would be cherry on top but I really want the damn Vengeful Gladiator's Scaled Chestpiece.
On a less whiney side, I had my Rock band cherry finally popped last weekend. Two hours of songs (I even sang Enter Sandman and sucked hard on other songs) and guitar playing. The game concept is ridiculously simple bu so incredibly rewarding especially when you get a full group together. And I wasn't just playing the game mind you, I was pretending to be a rock star like a damn kid. I even accidentally smacked my friend's face with the guitar when I finished a song. Ouch.
We played the Wii version so no downloaded tracks. The guitar controller did have some response issues especially when I was strumming. The kick pad was also square-shaped and was very hard to press and didn't feel very kick-pad-like. So my best instrument, even though I played mostly on easy, is the bass. And yes, my rock star name is Scott Pilgrim even though my friends would like to call the band Rape Manelia instead of Sex Bob-omb.
I really want my band name to have some b/16-but reference, probably dig up some old unheard-of or semi-popular game like The Lost Vikings. I wonder if people know Super C?
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[Monday Sep 8, 2008] |
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I just saw Chuck Liddell get knocked out cold by practically one punch from Rashad Evans. He's now lost three of his last four fights, and I am left wondering if he's now on his way out. It was a good exciting fight, Evans being showy and trying to draw Liddell in, Liddell doing hi thing of circling and looking to counter. In the end, bothwent for their punches and Evans got Liddell on his chin first. Just like what Rampage did.
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[Wednesday Sep 3, 2008] |
I need a new layout for this journal.
Haruhi Suzumiya is one of those way-out-from-left-field ideas that makes anime the enormous pit of ideas, from those recycled a million times over to the ones that are just whacked out unique. The premise centers on the misadventures of the title character, her friend and classmate Kyon, and their fellow members of the SOS Brigade. Haruhi believes in ESPers, aliens, and time travelers and drags a very reluctant Kyon to find these things that interest her more than real life. What Kyon finds out is that there's more to Haruhi and her "eccentricities" than he initially thinks.
I tried to hard to avoid using "more... than meets the eye." *insert transformering sound*
It's good lighthearted fun, a very lively take on the high school genre made vibrant by their colorful cast. The first episode can get you off, as it is an amateur film that Haruhi, Kyon, and the rest of the SOS Bridage wrote, shot, and chopped. But things pick off rather well from the second episode and I'm going along for the trip. It's not the must-marathon feeling I got from Lagann but it's fun light-hearted stuff.
Once I'm done with that I'll probably hit the heavy stuff with Honey and Clover and finish that damn thing... Or 5cm Per Second.
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[Saturday Aug 23, 2008] |
The Dark Knight may be the movie of the summer, but Wall-E comes hella close. The latest from Pixar certainly takes a huge risk, pinning the movie on two characters who hardly speak. Yes, there is hardly any dialogue from Wall-E and Eve but the animators' mastery of their medium infuses these two bots full of rich character and vibrant energy, and thus carries the story through. With only a few bits and pieces of dialogue from secondary characters, our main heroes are thus cut from the mold of silent classics such as Chaplin and Keaton, or even the classic Merry Melodies of old before dialogue came in and changed cinematic language.
I don't know is this is my favorite Pixar work, but I enjoy all their films thus far and Wall-E is a definite gem.
Which as of right now, the blade of the immortal anime isn't. I'll still probably be downloading this as I don't have anything else to download on a regular basis, but while they remain faithful to the story beats, they're now lengthening the fight scenes. And while this is good for most anime or manga, it has one negative effect on BotI: Manji is now a much better swordsman. One of Manji's more believable aspects is that he is a self-admittedly lousy swordsman who's been relying on the bloodworms to get him through his fights. This is a much different take from your traditional anime swordsman, and most of Manji's memorable fights usually end up getting hacked to pieces, usually slowly. I understand that one of the reasons this was done was to pad the story out and spice up the fights, and while they look much better, I wonder if it will still make sense when Manji is supposed to get his ass kicked later on.
That being said, I so cannot wait for Mackie's arc to get animated. I love the character to bits, and when she fights, expect a bloodbath ballet, literally. Her two seconds in the opening sequence makes me salivate every time.
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[Monday Aug 18, 2008] |
There's a nifty Scott Pilgrim animated advertisement over here and while the voice acting's pretty good, the character designs aren't as swell. Some of them look a wee bit too bulky for me.
I got into the Wrath of the Lich king beta, and so far only played my paladin and created a death knight. Paladins right know are not the best damage class in the game and are subpar compared to other damage classes because of a lack of utility. Thankfully, the retribution talents have been modified to give paladins the abilities to provide some health and mana regen to fights and effectively do some crowd control with Repentance. Right now i don't want to devote too much time to the beta knowing that when Wrath does come out, I'll have to go back to my level 70 paladin instead of my 72 one on the beta.
Blood knights are pretty interesting i've never been one for their flavor and your starting quests force you to do kill innocent women and children in the name of the Lich King. Later you break his control and get to go out on your own, rejoin the Horde/Alliance and make your way to Northrend and kick Arthas's icy cold ass.
haven't tried Holy yet. Enjoying Ret way too much.
Finally saw John Woo's The Killer, albeit wth crappy subs that gave most characters Western names. yes it look incredibly low-budget, this is 1989 Hong Kong after all. but this is john Woo at his best, the epitome of heroic blodshed, honorable menset against dishonorable times. A killer trying to right his wrongs facing a triad without the old principles, an honorable cop seeking justice but blocked at every turn. There is rich characteriation here, gorgeous cinematography, and lots of technical artistry with the action. Everything pays of in a blood-soaked shootout at an abandoned church that gets ven more involving because of teh characters and you can thank the cast, led by a much younger Chow Yun Fat, for that. When it comes to elaborate shootouts through hallways and windows, bad guys coming from every direction, nobody does it better than Woo, and while his later film Hard Boiled may have the coolest shootout, you can see the seeds of that film here in The Killer.
now on to the Grace Kelly films drected by Alfred Hitchcock, Rear Window and To Catch a Thief.
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| Pellet reviews |
[Tuesday Aug 12, 2008] |
Blargh! my LJ entry saved entry totally deleted...
Guess better short than none.
So pellet reviews:
Dark Knight is the big movie of the summer, and is pitch-perfect in almost every aspect, from the performances throughout, and extra special props to Heath's Joker as the definitive performance that blends all the great and classic elements from the comics and the previous films, shows, and cartoons: clown, crook, psycho, genius, mastermind, force of nature. props also to Michael Caine and Morgan Freeman for their fun turns and cool lines.
The only downside: the sags on Maggie Gyllenhaal's face but even she did an awesome job as Rachel Dawes.
The Blade of the Immortal started out really awesome. the art of the series clearly and understandably misses the rough hatches that are an integral part of creator Hiroaki Samura's art in the comics, but the dark look and color palette still give it a nice gritty look that are in keeping with the spirit of the work. The adaptation is faithful, but not slavish, and even the minor cosmetic changes in Manji's character design make him more of a menacing character. The inclusion of Rin and the Itto-Ryu, and other characters immediately tell you there's more to the story, even though the pilot begins and ends with the story of the first issue of the comics.
The second episode, which introduces us to Rin and gets the ball really rolling also hits its beats, but the extra details that Rin adds as she narrates her story to Manji reveal a surprise from later on in the manga that really works as a surprise reveal in that particular arc. That being said, that specific sequence was really choppy in the transitions from shot to shot, and really needed some inserts/pick-ups to seamlessly transition forward.
Then there's the whole Manji-in the-real-world thing in the opening credits and episode break. That and whole bondage feel of the opening really threw me off.
But on the other hand, Makie gets two seconds in the opening, and clearly shows that she is the most dominant of all the characters, the mistress of PWNAGE.
I so can't wait for her arc to be shown. Blade of the Immortal is perhaps my most favorite manga and I hope they don't screw it up.
Macross Fronteir is going through the halfway blues that most anime series go through. Right now, they're using lots some stock footage and some of the storytelling elements are being stretched out, but still not a breaking point of rotten quality. I sppose the'yre building up for a major reveal and a major battle, and here's hoping that things pick up.
That being said, my new favorit craze is Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann, an anime series that will blow you away and make you realize why you loved those Super Robot shows you grew up watching. Gurren Lagann throws logic right out the window and charges at you erupting with guts, bravado and charm, the hallmarks of Mazinger Z, Gette, Robo, Daimos, and Voltes V that made them such classics of our childhood. The pacing is pitch perfect and save for one episode, everything flows with charm and energy and you can't help but get sucked in for this mad adrenaline and testosterone-filled roller coaster ride. And when I say filled, I actually mean overflowing bu never running out. And with a consistent quality from start to finish, this is worth your every while.
That being said, it's super robot. So yeah it's not for everyone but if you loved those kinds of shows, when Voltes V's arms could contain missile launchers, flails, and cannons, when Getter Robo fluidly morphed beyond the combined mass of his three ships, when the hero's fighting spirit pulls him through insurmountable odds and the brink of defeat, when all you had to do was yell your attack (CHAIN KNUCKLE! ROCKET PUNCH! GETTA BEAM! DOUBLE BLIZZARD!), if you actually yelled any of these moves with all your heart when you were a we kid playing pretend, then you should not miss Gurren Lagann.
Oh yeah, I'm in the Wrath of the Lich King beta. While waiting for my paladin to transfer, my Death Knight is now out of the Lich King's control and I'm trying out the Frost tree, which is all about the tanking. The quests are pretty good and really bring you to the heart of being a death knight. And your final quest has such an epic feel and brings together so many major lore elements that I cannot spoil here. Time to take him to Outland I guess.
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[Monday Jul 7, 2008] |
So Rampage Jackson lost the light heavyweight belt.
I did not want to believe it. I'm still reeling from seeing the fight, and man was it a close fight. jackson had power in his punches, knocking down Forrest Griffin twice in the first round. But griffin is known for his resilience, and managed to get up and continue pummeling Jackson's left leg with kicks.
it all paid off in the second round, Griffin kicked hard, jackson got hurt, and Griffin took him down and controlled him on the ground, going with side control and even a full mount. Jackson did nothing to change his position, choosing to defend and absorb shots while letting his leg heal.
The next three rounds, save for the fourth, were a back-and-fourth that could've gone either way. Rampage would connect with punches, Forrest with punches and kicks. in many instances, it was hard to determine who controlled the fight as one could be wheeling back looking to counter. The fourth round was Rampage's, having taken Forrest down. Forrest guarded well and prevented Rampage's ground-and-pound, but he slapped a triangle choke. Which is something you don't want to do:
Griffin wisely let go of the triangle but still ate a less-powerful slam. in the end the judges saw the Griffin worked more, threw more shots in the third and fifth rounds, which proved the most critical.
Forrest Griffin. UFC World Light Heavyweight Champion.
I'll have to get used to it. For now.
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| The Devil Beckons a third time/ |
[Tuesday Jul 1, 2008] |
Okay guys, full of gore-loving machismo, these are for you!
Edit: These are footage of Diablo 3, first the opening cinematic and then 20 minutes of gameplay footage. I got them off gametrailers.com but they don't seem to be showing. Just click on the center of the box and it should display for sure.
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[Monday Jun 30, 2008] |
Creeped me the hell out...
but mia, you might enjoy this one...
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