Comments (0) I went to go and see Inception tonight and I have to say it is a rather excellent film. The Dark Knight wasn’t a one off with Nolan making this film a great fun that is a deeply involved crime caper one one level and something else on the other.
(There may be spoilers at some point in the article so I recommend if you haven’t seen the film don’t read on)
(Before you read this I’d like to say this is entirely a piece of humour, not intended to be taken seriously. It was also primarily written by Matty Wood with some contributions by myself. If you have an issue with this, please email me at blog@hntdaab.co.uk to complain)
Inspired by the Bro Code of How I Met Your Mother, in 2010 a new bible for men was written by the Johnson with assistance from a selection of his friends. This is the first and main section of it which may in future be extended with various additional words of wisdom from Johnson himself
Okay time for another update. Take it as granted from now until July I will have exams/revision to do so until then my gaming and writing time is limited. However, I have had a bit of time to get on with some games and some film watching.
FILM
Men Who Stare At Goats (Blu-Ray)
What with my mum being in London this weekend to see Love Never Dies, my Dad and I went off to Blockbusters to rent four films for the extended bank holiday weekend. Among them was this comedy gem from last year.
So Ewan McGregor plays an American journalist who, after going through a rather shitty period in his life, ends up going to Kuwait. There, he meets with Lyn Cassidy (played excellently by George Clooney), an undercover soldier who claims to have psychic powers. As the two go through Iraq, Lyn relates the tale of the New Earth Army, an unconventional army formed by Jeff Bridge’s character, an eccentric hippy general. In other words, its all a bit bonkers.
The film isn’t perfect, but there are some very funny sequences. Clooney and McGregor play off each other brilliantly, creating the sort of buddy movie roadtrip feeling. Better though is watching McGregor trying to hold back his laughter when Clooney frequently refers to Jedi. But the best character has to Kevin Spacey’s asshole of a character who represents the dark side of the psychics. He is a complete bastard from the very first time you see him and continues as such throughout. He is also the most serious of the group which makes everything he or anyone else says. For example, the section at the end of the trailer when Django (Bridges) is on trial just shows perfectly what the tone of the film is like.
The film doesn’t really take much advantage of the HD – it looks a bit better with some more detail but its not apparent at first glance. I really recommend it as a rental, but I’m not sure about buying it, as there are a few funny scenes with quite a bit of padding. It also has a slight edge of satire at some of the ways the war was fought(mainly with Robert Patrick’s character who turns up for a scene) but its so minor you could hardly notice it.
Law-Abiding Citizen (Blu-Ray)
Gerard Butler returns to This Week with the second of the Blu Ray films. Instead of being the crazy action hero of the previous film on this blog Gamer, he instead plays an engineer whose family is killed and wife raped during a home invasion. Unfortunately, justice isn’t served in his favour, as the lawyer in charge of his case (played by Jamie Foxx) cuts a deal to maintain his impeccable conviction record. The rapist gets off scot free. Ten years later, and Butler engages into a battle of wits in his quest for justice.
First things first, this film is awesome. It is a great thriller, packed with twists and turns alongside the intense staring matches between Foxx and Butler. On top of this, the film isn’t beyond putting in gore, violence and swearing but it knows when to use them with restraint as opposed to the lack of it that Gamer suffered from. There are about two or three scenes that had me going “holy shit” (the section with Butler and his cellmate is one of the best sections) but the rest was just done about the whole tension between the two main leads. Its also got a brilliant message behind it, making you ponder just about the whole justice system, with an early scene in the court with Butler simply ripping the judge to pieces during his bail hearing.
The cast is all superb with even the minor parts feeling realistic. The plot eventually feels a bit like the later part of Dark Knight with everyone starting to panic. It also showed off HD with the film just looking really sharp and crisp throughout. The sound also was really good, with the music perfectly fitting in and just helping to ratchet up the tension.
I’m surprised this didn’t do better in the cinema as its a perfect thriller. I recommend a rental but the fact its a thriller slightly ruins its replay value as the big plot twists have less impact the second time round
Zombieland (Blu-Ray)
So I’ll admit something – I am a bit of a zombie nut (do you have a zombie escape plan?) And I love films like Shaun of the Dead. Zombieland is basically Shaun of the Dead done stateside. It has a different plot, but the whole merging of comedy and horror is pretty similar. It based more around the rules that the main character has laid out for himself, narrated as it his by him. However, the star of the show has to be Woody Harelson’s character - a bourbon slugging, big truck driving lunatic of a zombie killer who provides some of the best lines throughout the entire film.
There isn’t much action (apart from one or two scenes) through the film, as its primarily just the 2 main characters (later joined by another pair) driving along across a ruined America. There is a pretty good cameo later on from Bill Murray which is one of the best sequences, but the most laughs come from the little snippets of conversation as they drive towards LA.
I intend to buy the film as soon as possible as it strikes me as the sort of film you watch again and again and still find it funny. And because it is perfect zombie humour to which any geek (or infact anyone) can relate to.
(I also watched Fast and Furious which was alright – Vin Diesel’s terrible acting being the best bit. Though it does look good in HD)
MISC
JRPG Episode 1 (Four Points of Power)
A bit of change with this. I was originally planning to a game featuring the rogue Suitman but due to time constraints I’ve decided to create a totally new game to get used to the whole RPG Maker program and the scripting behind. The title relates to an idea behind it that its a world split between four different points of loyality – The King, The Church, The Magi and The Scientists. The plot is the usual: stranger tries to save world despite having no memory but I aim to do it with a sense of humour not normally seen in this style of game. So expect Monty Python jokes, references to various other games and cameos from unexpected people. I’m going to put some more info up on my tumblr so keep your eye on that
Summer of Film
I mentioned exams at the start but we have plans for after exams. Can I have all suggestions for the Summer of Film sent as questions to this webpage and I’ll put the final list up on the blog at some point. We can sort out dates at a later point (as well as how to get hold of all the films – hope you have Blockbuster cards)
That’s all for now, expect some more later this week including an impression of Frozen Synapse
Its been over a week since I last posted – been up to my neck in revision, coursework and more revision. Admittedly it does serve me right for picking two sciences for A2 but in a matter of weeks it will all be over and I’ll be free.
So apart from working, what have I been up to?
I went to go and see it last week in 3D and I have to say, very good. For those who don’t know, its the story of Hiccup the Viking who lives on an island where the local pest are dragons. However, Hiccup isn’t quite the stereotypical Viking, more about making machines then embedding an axe in someone’s skull so when he says he had downed a dragon with a bolo launcher, no one (not even his father Stotic the Vast, who just happens to be the Viking Chief) believes him. Determined to prove them wrong he goes looking for his prey but finds a little more than he bargained for and that the dragons are a bit more then just mindless reptiles.
Its a really good film and one of Dreamwork’s best. I actually enjoyed it a lot more than the latest Shrek as it isn’t filled with the frequent pop culture references that are getting slightly old. Instead it tells its own story which, although rather generic in some cases, is better than the sum of its parts. There are some rather touching moments and the laughs are all carefully crafted. I do think part of the reason for this is the director, Chris Wedge, who also did the Disney film Lilo and Stich which is a classic in my opinion. The main dragon, Toothless, even looks a bit like Stitch with the same cat like look and even the same little smile. The animation is very good throughout with the various characters brimming full of personality. This personality also includes the voice acting. Jay Baruchel (Sandusky from Tropic Thunder) is perfect as the geeky Hiccup while Gerard Butler as Stotic is also good, embodying the tough guy who just doesn’t understand his son’s hobbies. However, I think the best character is Craig Fergueson’s Gobber who acts as the coach for all the Vikings learning to fight dragons. He is the classic eccentric and is just hilarious. Oh and McLovin is in it too.
Of course, the main question is about the 3D. I’m still not grabbed by the concept but I think animated films make more sense than for live action. Part of this is just how much better it is to do when everything is digital as it doesn’t require another process to occur to make the film 3D – it can simply be rendered as is. It has a few scenes which show off the 3D (with things flying out the screen towards you) but mostly its quite subtle which is how it should be.
Overall – Go see it. Right Now
Gamer, also staring Gerard Butler, is an interesting film. Its a pretty good idea but the film around it isn’t that good. The story is set in the future, where Second Life and Counter Strike have evolved in Society and Slayers, two games where players control real people. In Society, it is actors who are under the gamers ever whim, while Slayers gives death row convicts a chance at freedom if they survive 30 games under player control. Gerard Butler play Kable one such inmate who is only three games off 30 and is looking at his chance of escaping. However, he is also the key to a secret that the owner of Slayers, Ken Castle would not like to be revealed. Cue shooting, explosions and much pwning of noobs.
Where in lies my first problem with the film. Its the usual thriller nonsense plot but it portrays gamers horribly. All the gamers shown are either pricks or quite disturbing – the controller of Kable’s wife (who is in Society) is a morbidly obese man who is disgusting to watch whenever he appears. Their activities in game are all the worse aspects such as tea bagging, corpse shooting or killing civilians in Slayers or the very depths of the human condition in Society. Its a very clever satire of gaming and its a good point to make but some moments can be quite uncomfortable. Another reason is the editing of the film. It is way too fast to move between scenes with many of the earlier one being about five minutes long each and it jumping between two or three different stories. Its also a bit motion sickness inducing with the camera constantly apping the stereotypical gaming point of view which when combined with the imagery is a little bit off putting.
There is of course one saving grace – Michael C Hall (aka TV’s Dexter) as Ken Castle who is the perfect bad guy. He is a frighteningly clever guy at the start, but later he reveal the evil genius side, including a brilliant scene that means I won’t be able to hear the song “’I’ve Got You Under My Skin” without thinking about it. He carries the back half of the film with a swagger while Butler plays the usual action man role, running around blow peoples limbs off. And the guy who plays Kable’s player (Simon Silverton played by Logan Lerman) is just a horrible character
My Verdict – Watchable but if there is other stuff on offer, give it a miss
(Also very obvious its from the guys who made Crank and Crank 2 – some bits are bananas)
I never bought Just Cause the original as it was simply middling. However the sequal looked like the first turned up 11 and the demo peaked my interest. I’m not going to give a full review here (its coming soon) but its worth it. My only major issue is that after about 15 hours you end up doing the same things over and over again. But its still crazy fun so wait for the full review coming soon.
Ah Battlefield. Always preferred the Battlefield series to Call of Duty and the latest one is brilliance. Single player isn’t quite as good as the first one, but the focus on the multiplayer shows with some of the best I’ve played. Shame about the snipers.
Review coming soon
Back to Russia. Saw this going for dirt cheap in activation code only form so grabbed it and stuck it on Steam. Totally different to STALKER, more of a story taking you through the Moscow Subway tunnels. Haven’t played much but look promising. Review coming much later than the other two.
Also I’m still writing my other game reviews which will be popping up every now and again. Company of Heroes is in the pipe while the Assassin’s Creed and Audiosurf reviews will be coming soon.
I’m loving the latest drama series out of America. Brilliant cast and an excellent story make a show that keeps you hooked. I think the break they took midseries has been useful, allowing them to get the plot together and give it a better direction rather than the rambling it felt like near the end. For those not in the know, the basic plot is that for 2 minutes and 17 seconds, the entire population of the world dropped unconscious for no apparent reason and saw the events of 6 months into the future. It then follows an FBI team who start to investigate it and uncover a tangled web of conspiracy.
Its really, really good. The calibre of actor in this is exquisite, with Joseph Fiennes taking lead but with support from people such as Jack Davenport and Dominic Monaghan. I do recommend you watch from the start as otherwise you will not a clue what’s going on.
So that’s life for now, expect some more posts like this coming soon.
In the process of writing my Longbow 2 review (coming soon), I started to think back on the games that really made me the gamer/person I am. It may sound really nostalgic and like I’m old or something but as a historian once said “its in the past where we find the future”. So what the hell! Might as well delve back in time!
Little has changed has it?
First things first – my first console was the PS2 and I have never owned a handheld console. Once you have got over the shock let me explain – all my gaming influences were from PC users.
I may blame my Uncle Mike in my Longbow 2 review for my gaming habbit, but the facilitator came in the shape of my Granddad. For as long as I remember, there have always been two PCs in my grandparents house, one for their business and the other for keeping the grandkids quiet when the British weather decided to wreck any plans for playing in the garden. This machine was a gateway, which led me to play bad clones of breakout and missile command. As time passed, my grandparents then decided to attempt to use the PC to actually teach us something by using Aidi, Gizmos and Gadgets and a typing teacher that I can’t for the life of me remember the name of. These games held our attention for a while but I hated them, instead playing the Flight Simulator games my Granddad bought over and over again. One Christmas he got a Sidewinder Force Feedback joystick which changed everything. Gone was the waggly stick I’d used up until this point, now we had a joystick that bloody hurt when you dropped it. I soon go hold of it and used it every week to play such classics as Microsoft’s Combat Flight Simulator and Mechwarrior 3.
At home the story was very different. For most of my life up until my last year of primary school, I was playing games on a laptop with a 4 MB graphics card which my Dad had got from his work. It was alright, though it struggled with a load of different things. At this point, my games at home were ones my Uncle showed me, such as Indiana Jones and the Infernal Machine (review coming soon) and Longbow 2. My Dad, who still plays games, played through most of Indy and to this day still says lines from it. Longbow 2 on the other hand was what I played for most of my time on that PC. That is until 2001 where my attention swiftly changed to my first foray into Strategy gaming – Microsoft’s Close Combat series starting with the best, A Bridge Too Far.
Close Combat was the first time my mind had to actually work hard at. In Longbow 2 I’d flown around shooting people. In flight simulators I’d simply go full throttle and crash into things. In Bridge Too Far, I had to start thinking about the grand scheme of things. I had to lead a collection of guys through an entire campaign full of death. This game also introduced me to several key gaming laws:
I also got the sequel which threw out the Western Front and took me to Russia. This was the first time I learnt anything about the Eastern Front and all the battles like Kursk and Stalingrad. Most of my early interest in history comes from these two games - thus leading to a lifetime of being known as a historical war nerd. But hey, I known all about World War 2, do you?
I was always packing heat
In my first year at high school, my Grandparents decided to upgrade to Windows XP and so bought themselves a new PC from Tiny, the worst possible name for a PC manufacturer. As part of this came a game pack, which always worries me when manufacturers throw this stuff in. The pack was a little bit generic with games like Pacman, Sonic, a random Sega collection, Lemmings and two other games I played the hell out of. The first was Gunlok, a rather unusual sci-fi rpg which I have fond memories of getting nowhere in it despite spending hours on it. The other was slightly more effective in entertaining me. This was a buggy and grimy mess of an RTS called Earth 2150 but I still loved it. Being young, I ignored the plot and simply skirmished and made maps. I always played Eurasian Dynasty, the closest to modern troops available with tanks and helicopters as opposed to walkers or hovercraft. And I always pimped out my vehicles with as many upgrades as possible. The beginnings of my military tactics I’ve used in games from Command and Conquer to Company of Heroes all start from this game.
Now we come to more modern times and my first real experience of online gaming and sleep exhaustion. At this point I was still on the crappy laptop although the family had bought a Dell desktop which sat downstairs. And yes, following the “Michael-and-new-PC Syndrome (which says that within seconds of touching a new PC I’ll stick some games on it), I slapped on two multiplayer shooters America’s Army and Wolfenstien Enemy Territory. Enemy Territory lead me down a dangerous road of getting up in the middle of the night to play it online with the Yanks while my parents slept. I was never caught despite spending hours on it but America’s Army was the game that led me to getting a PC of my own. As an aside, I also played the first IL2 game on this PC thanks to a friend of mine buying it for my birthday. This was the first of a series of games that absorbed my life for several years spent flying over the steppes of Russia
So at this point I got my own PC. And around this time I also got my hands on three games that introduced me to some of the key things of PC gaming. The first was Half Life 2 which my friend lent me before we realised it had a one use key. This game first led me to use Steam, which is now home to most of my games. It also made me a life long fan of Valve and made me go back to play their older games while also buying every single one of their games going into the future. Half Life 2 brought me into the new generation of games, and was the first I actually critically analysed in frantic discussions written during school lunchtimes on various forums. I still maintain that Ravenholm was scary as hell and that puzzles were some of the best, despite both these opinions being formed in around 2006
I’ve never been the most social or creative of people but at this point gaming helped to bring me out of my shell slightly. I joined up to a Battlefield 2 clan called EAU, who was formed from various teenagers in the UK and USA. I felt right at home. We each became good friends constantly on Teamspeak or playing BF2 on our own server. We jumped into Project Reality when it was released and loved it. It was one of the best times of my life, spending a summer with a group of fun and talented people who made me my first sig (see above). However, I eventually left to get on with my life yet I still remain in contact with a few to this day even playing Bad Company 2 with them. One of the reasons I left was another side project which was testing for the Steel Legion mod for DoW. I am still genuinely proud of my time spent with that mod. I loved playing it, balancing it out and sending off reports to the mod leaders. Even now when I find my emails about it in my inbox or see the mod online I sit back and smile to myself with the pride of having helped to make something that good. I keep the banner below in my pictures with pride. This was also the first of many beta tests I took part in which included games like Battlefield 2142 and programs like Office 2007, Vista and Windows 7.
Up until this point I have hardly mentioned the other consoles. This is because I only played them at friend’s houses, never seeing the use because of my trusted PC. However, I eventually asked for a PS2 due to all the peer pressure but mainly because I wanted something else to play. This brought me into contact with Jak and Daxter, which is a game I love to this day. But more importantly it brought out 007 Nightfire and MoH Rising Sun, both games that played a key part in my childhood, my cousin’s opinion of me and the focal point of my birthday parties which consisted of games, pizza and films till late in the night. Some of my happiest memories come from that black box. But more importantly it bought my Dad back into gaming – many a time I’d come home from school to find him on his lunch break playing through Harry Potter or the later Jak games. It added something else we could talk about or do together. We always took it on holiday to the various part of the British isles (I hardly ever went abroad but that’s a different story) as insurance against the weather. My main memory of the PS2 was in a house on the coast of the isle of Skye – playing Indiana Jones while looking out the window as the seals flopped onto the beach literally feet from the patio door. Gaming has brought beautiful moments to my life.
There are other more recent stories to tell, like how Call of Duty 4 made a brilliant birthday or how I came to play MMOs but they are other stories to be told in the future. I hope this article has illuminated just where my gaming life comes from and how my family and friends brought me into this hobby. Oh and also why I still buy games on PC despite having an Xbox.
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Themocracy
