Sunday, March 22, 2009
Friday, March 20, 2009
Protesting Call of Duty: World at War?
An article at Joystiq discusses a high school student's protest of Call of Duty: World at War's dog killing. This is a minor element of the game, and takes place specifically in context.
She says, "Killing animals should not be a form of entertainment."
So, my question is: It's not ok to kill a couple of dogs in a video game, but killing literally thousands of people in the same game is cool?
I don't get it.
She says, "Killing animals should not be a form of entertainment."
So, my question is: It's not ok to kill a couple of dogs in a video game, but killing literally thousands of people in the same game is cool?
I don't get it.
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
and then there are times...
that being a Dad is the best gig in the world.
It says:
To: Daddy
I love
you!
Your the
best
Dad
ever!
Your the
best
Dad
anybody
cod have!
(On the back)
P.S. I hope
you have
a grate
day at
woke!
Ever day!
That is the probably best thing you can find on your desk after the day I've had...
Saturday, March 14, 2009
The Last House on the Left
The Last House on the Left is yet another remake, this time of a classic 1972 Wes Craven film.
It's really not worth delving too deeply into, so this will be a rather short review.
I'm not going to say I liked this movie. I didn't hate it, but it was flawed in a great number of ways. What I will say is that this movie is deeply satisfying, especially as a father of daughters.
The casting is mediocre, at best. The acting is, therefore, sketchy. There are some gaps that I had a hard time with, and some are fairly glaring. Points throughout the movie drag by, almost painfully. There's an unnecessarily brutal rape scene that seems to exist simply for the shock value.
Still, the movie ends with some satisfying revenge, which made the movie feel worth watching.
This is not a movie that I can recommend as a must see, but I will say that it was better than I expected. It doesn't scratch that horror itch, but it's still a movie you can catch with some friends and either enjoy or enjoy bashing.
Thursday, March 12, 2009
ThruYOU - Something Amazing
ThruYOU
Remixing, re-sampling, re-creating: these are all things that I approve of, but only sparingly, at best.
This site, though, is nothing short of amazing.
What it is: Kutiman, an Israeli artist, has taken dozens of seemingly unrelated YouTube videos, everything from solo vocals to basic instructional videos to advertisements for items being sold on eBay, and put them together so deftly as to make a series of seven incredible tracks.
They're all up to see, plus a short 'about' video that allows you to meet the man.
Sure, there's the questions of copyright infringement, of someone using these videos for their own gain. I'm not normally in favor of the ends justifying the means, but these tracks are spectacular, and I have to say the sum is greater than it's parts.
It's worth a listen. Links are provided to all of the original videos as an overlay when you click 'Credits'. Some of the original videos are amazing on their own, and some, I feel, should feel lucky to have actually been turned into something unique and interesting.
I will, however, leave the ethical judgment up to you. My opinion is my opinion. Either way, I'm hoping that even if you don't necessarily approve of the methods, the end result is spectacular.
Remixing, re-sampling, re-creating: these are all things that I approve of, but only sparingly, at best.
This site, though, is nothing short of amazing.
What it is: Kutiman, an Israeli artist, has taken dozens of seemingly unrelated YouTube videos, everything from solo vocals to basic instructional videos to advertisements for items being sold on eBay, and put them together so deftly as to make a series of seven incredible tracks.
They're all up to see, plus a short 'about' video that allows you to meet the man.
Sure, there's the questions of copyright infringement, of someone using these videos for their own gain. I'm not normally in favor of the ends justifying the means, but these tracks are spectacular, and I have to say the sum is greater than it's parts.
It's worth a listen. Links are provided to all of the original videos as an overlay when you click 'Credits'. Some of the original videos are amazing on their own, and some, I feel, should feel lucky to have actually been turned into something unique and interesting.
I will, however, leave the ethical judgment up to you. My opinion is my opinion. Either way, I'm hoping that even if you don't necessarily approve of the methods, the end result is spectacular.
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
Coraline
Here's another film adaptation, this time, Neil Gaiman's great little book for 'kids', Coraline.
The book in this case was excellent, creepy and filled with imagery frightening even to adults. I enjoyed reading it years ago, but decided that it would be best to put off reading it to my children until they were a little older. I loved the book, as I love so much of his writing. My only real complaint would be the lack of a clear cut message. I mean, I understand that it is 'be careful what you wish for', I suppose, but at the same time, I never felt like anyone truly learned anything in the end...
much the same in the film. We'll get to that, however.
The movie adaptation has some excellent qualities, not the least of which is the incredible stop motion animation, brilliant art direction and use of color saturation. I'm sure all of this goes without saying if you've at least seen the trailers or a commercial in passing. It is nothing short of breathtaking to see something that seems so... flawless, yet perfectly flawed. My only regret was that I didn't see it in 3D.
The voice acting is good, but really, didn't exactly leap out at all.
Overall the story presented is fairly accurate to the original. The only glaring difference is that they felt watching a little girl wander around by herself might not translate well on screen, so they created an extra character for her to interact with: "Wybie". This was done quite skillfully, to the point that I actually had to think hard about whether he was in the original story or not.
In the end, I think it's a great movie for both kids and adults, and definitely worth the watch. A word of warning though, even with the bright colors and seemingly upbeat nature found in the ads, this is still a some what dark story. My youngest daughter spent most of that last half of the movie wrapped entirely around my arm, and she's seven. My nine year old girl seemed to handle it well enough.
The book in this case was excellent, creepy and filled with imagery frightening even to adults. I enjoyed reading it years ago, but decided that it would be best to put off reading it to my children until they were a little older. I loved the book, as I love so much of his writing. My only real complaint would be the lack of a clear cut message. I mean, I understand that it is 'be careful what you wish for', I suppose, but at the same time, I never felt like anyone truly learned anything in the end...
much the same in the film. We'll get to that, however.
The movie adaptation has some excellent qualities, not the least of which is the incredible stop motion animation, brilliant art direction and use of color saturation. I'm sure all of this goes without saying if you've at least seen the trailers or a commercial in passing. It is nothing short of breathtaking to see something that seems so... flawless, yet perfectly flawed. My only regret was that I didn't see it in 3D.
The voice acting is good, but really, didn't exactly leap out at all.
Overall the story presented is fairly accurate to the original. The only glaring difference is that they felt watching a little girl wander around by herself might not translate well on screen, so they created an extra character for her to interact with: "Wybie". This was done quite skillfully, to the point that I actually had to think hard about whether he was in the original story or not.
In the end, I think it's a great movie for both kids and adults, and definitely worth the watch. A word of warning though, even with the bright colors and seemingly upbeat nature found in the ads, this is still a some what dark story. My youngest daughter spent most of that last half of the movie wrapped entirely around my arm, and she's seven. My nine year old girl seemed to handle it well enough.
Found: Stuff
Seriously, what gives?
F. Stephen Kirschbaum
Sent from my BlackBerry device.
Sunday, March 8, 2009
Watchmen
I'm not even going to comment on how long it has been since I posted. Just accept I don't post as much as I used to.
Watchmen. I read most of the series when I was younger. Admittedly, I think I was much too young to really 'get it', though it stuck with me. I never got around to finishing. My copy of the original graphic novel was loaned out a very long time ago (which is why I didn't finish it), but the wonder of the internet allowed me to finally read about how the whole thing ends.
The film is unbelievable. I can understand some of the criticism that it's not so much a creative adaptation of the comic, but rather a nearly shot for shot transfer from panel to screen. I can understand, too, why people are saying that it will be, for those who haven't read it, somewhat difficult to follow, like this sentence. I don't think, though, that these things make it bad movie, just a movie that isn't for everyone.
This is a visceral film, I would put it high up in the list of bloodiest movies I've ever seen. The action throughout is intense. The fight sequences are fast, powerful, and performed extremely well.
The characters are cast nearly perfectly, and for the most part, the acting is nothing short of stellar. Jeffry Dean Morgan's (The Comedian) acting in the opening scene is nothing short of amazing, the fact that throughout a stunning fight scene, he shows a range of emotions that are both real and intense, yet subtle. With a simple twinge of his face, you see his fear, and I mean the real, primal, uncontrollable sort of fear that seems like it could only come from acceptance of your doomed fate.
The only weak link is Malin Akerman (Silk Spectre II). To me, she stands out as nothing more than a pretty face that looks like her character. While everyone around her seems to emote, showing depth to their characters, she falls completely flat to me. I couldn't buy what she was trying to sell.
I don't think the effects need much comment, really, you've seen the trailers, you had to have heard how much money is behind this project and the people involved. They are nothing short of amazing, as you would expect.
The incorporation of pop culture and news elements really help to create this as a cohesive package. While I felt a little overwhelmed with some of music, most of it was well placed and transports into their alternate 1985, recalling memories of the Nixon-free version we all experienced.
The ending of the film is different from the comic, some people seem really upset about this. I was aware of the ending of the book, but, I have to say that I am pleased with the way they ended the movie. I don't want to give anything away for anyone who doesn't know, but for me, the new ending makes a lot more sense to me.
I recommend this movie. There are flaws, but to me they are minor. This is as close as you can get to a perfect adaptation as you can get. Some people will love it, some will hate it, but I think it's still worth seeing.
(I'm sorry, I got a little rambley at the end there.)
Watchmen. I read most of the series when I was younger. Admittedly, I think I was much too young to really 'get it', though it stuck with me. I never got around to finishing. My copy of the original graphic novel was loaned out a very long time ago (which is why I didn't finish it), but the wonder of the internet allowed me to finally read about how the whole thing ends.
The film is unbelievable. I can understand some of the criticism that it's not so much a creative adaptation of the comic, but rather a nearly shot for shot transfer from panel to screen. I can understand, too, why people are saying that it will be, for those who haven't read it, somewhat difficult to follow, like this sentence. I don't think, though, that these things make it bad movie, just a movie that isn't for everyone.
This is a visceral film, I would put it high up in the list of bloodiest movies I've ever seen. The action throughout is intense. The fight sequences are fast, powerful, and performed extremely well.
The characters are cast nearly perfectly, and for the most part, the acting is nothing short of stellar. Jeffry Dean Morgan's (The Comedian) acting in the opening scene is nothing short of amazing, the fact that throughout a stunning fight scene, he shows a range of emotions that are both real and intense, yet subtle. With a simple twinge of his face, you see his fear, and I mean the real, primal, uncontrollable sort of fear that seems like it could only come from acceptance of your doomed fate.
The only weak link is Malin Akerman (Silk Spectre II). To me, she stands out as nothing more than a pretty face that looks like her character. While everyone around her seems to emote, showing depth to their characters, she falls completely flat to me. I couldn't buy what she was trying to sell.
I don't think the effects need much comment, really, you've seen the trailers, you had to have heard how much money is behind this project and the people involved. They are nothing short of amazing, as you would expect.
The incorporation of pop culture and news elements really help to create this as a cohesive package. While I felt a little overwhelmed with some of music, most of it was well placed and transports into their alternate 1985, recalling memories of the Nixon-free version we all experienced.
The ending of the film is different from the comic, some people seem really upset about this. I was aware of the ending of the book, but, I have to say that I am pleased with the way they ended the movie. I don't want to give anything away for anyone who doesn't know, but for me, the new ending makes a lot more sense to me.
I recommend this movie. There are flaws, but to me they are minor. This is as close as you can get to a perfect adaptation as you can get. Some people will love it, some will hate it, but I think it's still worth seeing.
(I'm sorry, I got a little rambley at the end there.)
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