Video Game Review: Resistance

For the last two weeks or so, I’ve been playing the original Resistance, broken up only with frustrations at playing Phantom Hourglass on my DS and frustrations playing Death, Jr. on my PSP. Both of those handheld games have their obnoxious sides; the former is a kid's game full of puzzles and riddles and going through the same fucking map 10 fucking times, the latter, a not-so-kid's game that I’m sure I’m not playing in the right order because I’m constantly getting my ass kicked. When I am home and playing Resistance, however, I can say that I have very few complaints. It’s a very good FPS (first person shooter, as they call it in the biz), other than the fact that everything is GREY, grey, grey. I can't complain about the fact that I have a health bar and it's not just the typical "if I hide behind this wall, I’ll regenerate like any normal person" FPS health meter. Not that there's anything wrong with that, that's how things are in Resistance 2, which I’m really looking forward to getting back into, now that I can tell the different between a black Carbine and a Frag grenade and the grey ground/wall/door/dirt. I love the guns in the game - the Bullseye, with its tagging feature, allows you to shoot around walls, and the Auger, while not as powerful as I’d hoped, allows you to shoot your enemies through a wall, which is pretty amazing (I should point out these are both Chimeran guns - though I will also grudgingly admit I like the shotgun in this game – the Rossmore – more than I have in any other FPS I’ve played, and that the Carbine has grown on me exponentially every time I fight a wave of Leapers). The firefights never get boring to me; they're not too impossibly easy or hard in either direction, and in addition, things get changed up constantly. My one and only complaint is that it is LONG as all hell - I really can't wait to be in the colorful world of Resistance 2, which will feel much like Dorothy must have felt when she walked out of the house after the twister and realized she wasn't in monochromatic Kansas anymore. I’m also eagerly anticipating the release of Resistance: Retribution on the PSP next month, which, according to what I saw in the latest Qore episode, promises to be anything but a disappointment. All in all, two thumbs up, and I hope to be finished with it tonight and well on my way to Oz by morning.

Addendum: an hour after writing this, I did, in fact, beat Resistance. The final fight was definitely a worthy one, though the ending itself left much to be desired in comparison to the ending of the second one (which I saw when Mike was playing it, and now wish I hadn’t). But I dutifully watched the credits and I was rewarded with a partially satisfying scene that made me want to start the second one even more. So, hopefully, I’ll have a follow-up review for that one within the week – that is, if I don’t end up writing my critical essay due Tuesday, or work on my application to graduate school, or do any of the work for my travel writing course, or, you know, sleep.

Life Review

I have totally fallen off the face of the internet. Several things happened:

-I went to Japan for two weeks.
-I went to see Shudder to Think for an entire weekend.
-I went to a dozen Halloween parties.
-I bought a PS3...and 4 games.
-I sort-of fell in love.

Those events are listed in chronological order. And they are all fabulous.

I will be writing more in the upcoming weeks - I promise. I was trying to do NaNo but please see list above for reasons why it simply hasn't worked out. I'm in that early stage of the relationship (can I call it "blithesome"?) and it's wonderful. But I'm going to get back into the swing of things. I've been:

-reading the Stephen King "Dark Tower" series;
-watching loads of horror movies;
-playing tons of video games.

So, I have plenty of fodder for the blog cannon. And I think it's time I got the creative juices flowing again.

Band Review: Shudder to Think (part 2)

I just got back from the show. I'm 29 years old. And I still - and always will - love Craig Wedren.

You'll always be my number one, Craig. <3

Band Review: Shudder to Think

I wrote this completely corny review yesterday, and I am a little self-conscious about it, but whatever. I'm corny! I don't care. I'm seeing Shudder to Think tonight and I couldn't be more thrilled. So, enjoy! -n

In my teenage years, one of my favorite hobbies was to stay up all night watching MTV. This could happen any night, and occasionally fell in a Sunday, when they used to have a show called “120 Minutes.” It was an amalgam of what was considered “alternative” music, back when that genre was still relatively new. It was on one of these beloved night/mornings that I discovered a band that would change my life forever: Shudder to Think. The video was for “X-French T-shirt” on what remains my favorite album, Pony Express Record. And from the moment Craig Wedren’s voice poured out of those shitty RCA television speakers and started to Shake My Halo Down, I knew I was in love, and that nothing would ever be the same again.

When they broke up, it made me Grow Cold. I had finally been able to procure all of their albums, thanks largely to a used record store in Reading called “Warrior Music” – I hope that, somewhere, my old Saab still has their “Screw Corporate America!” bumper sticker I so affectionately placed on there – and they broke up. I was devastated, certain that it was The Saddest Day of My Life. I continued listening to them, and they remained my favorite band, despite the many bands that have ebbed and flowed in and out of my eclectic musical taste.

Then I heard The Call of the Playground: they were getting back together for a reunion tour. No way! It can’t be! I could not believe these Lies About the Sky. I, of course, bought tickets to both the Philadelphia and New York shows, determined to see them as much as I possibly could. I’ve been listening daily to every Day Ditty, and suddenly, this morning, while listening to “Just Really Wanna See You” from the First Love, Last Rites soundtrack, it hit me like a Love Catastrophe: I’m going to see Shudder to Think tomorrow.

Tomorrow night, I am going to walk into the TLA and see them perform, live, and I will most likely sob my heart out the entire show. Tomorrow, I am going to be in the same room as Craig Wedren and he is going to perform the songs that have helped me to get through some of my most awkward and painful moments. Tomorrow, I’m going to hear, in person, some of the words that, like the loving grip of a friend, squeezed my hand in my time of need. Tomorrow, my dear Earthquakes will Come Home. And I’m sorry to anyone who tries to love me ever again, for I am So Into You, Shudder to Think: you Own Me.

A word or two on PAX, before reality seeps back in.

so i just got back from PAX. it was...an incredible experience, to say the least. i got to check out (though not as much as i wanted to) a gorgeous new city, seattle. i FINALLY managed to make it to the west coast for the first time in my life. i got to see and play all kinds of awesome new video games as well as pick up loads of awesome (and lots of free!) merch. i got to see mc frontalot perform...AND he signed my cds...AND i got my picture taken with him. i got to see an amazing q&a with the penny arcade boys, as well as watch them play rock band (AWESOME!) and vs. excitebike. i got to experience the omegathon in all its geektastic glory. the creator of ninjatown recognized my patrick the wolfboy t-shirt and talked to me about art and franco (shawn says hi, guys!). i got to see a fantastic spore demo and realized IT IS COMING OUT NEXT WEEK - after YEARS of waiting for it. and...possibly the best part...i got to see a panel (and new exclusive stuff - live!) from the rooster teeth guys as well as get my stuff signed AND get my picture taken with them. they were...just...amazing. really fantastic.

i have to admit, i'm no stranger to conventions. this was, i think, my eighth year going to philadelphia's wizard world comic-con. it was my third year going to monster mania in cherry hill. it was my first year going to otakon. it was my first pax. (those last three all happened in this month of august, in fact.) while i love the comic book convention (it's got my favorite geek flea market) and the horror convention (there's nothing quite like breathlessly accusing tom savini of being a genius) and otakon was a blast (so much KAWAII), i can honestly say that PAX was the first time i felt like i was really home. i guess it's because of those four things - comics, horror movies, anime, and video games - i've been into video games the longest, since my mom used to haul crates over to arcade games at the mall so i could play them when i was 3 or 4 years old. it took going to PAX to bring back the full nostalgia of it for me and remind me how much of a gaming geek i am - and always have been - at heart. i also have a hard time choosing between watching movies, reading books, and playing video games (and even playing the guitar and knitting), but i think for a while i know which mode i'm going to be stuck on again.

the other thing that i want to comment on is just...seattle. WOW. i could never imagine wanting to live anywhere other than philadelphia. my second favorite city is boston, and my third, baltimore. but seattle...seattle just blew them all away. i could see myself living in dublin, and even belfast, but i could never imagine calling those places my home. the same with boston and baltimore. but seattle...i could see myself living in seattle and calling it my home, really. it's laid back, and from what i saw, it's just my style, from the clothes to the food to the attitude. i utterly loved it there. i'm not sure if i'll be singing the same tune in a few weeks, after i get back from japan, but these are just my rambling, sleep-deprived, jetlagged thoughts as i'm having them.

PAX changed me. it re-opened a place that i had in my heart that's been buried under failed relationships, japanese grammar, netflix queues, and complications of life. too much of my energy and passion is constantly misdirected. but i promise myself - i will never let that place get buried again.

<3

Movie Review - Alpha Dog

I wasn’t interested in seeing Alpha Dog until I saw Emile Hirsch’s performance as the title character in Speed Racer, and even after seeing it, I still feel the latter is possibly the best delivery he’s ever given. But I will say one thing: I had no idea Justin Timberlake could act. Sure, I’ve seen his silly performances on Saturday Night Live, and I love Black Snake Moan, but let’s be serious – who was paying attention to him in that movie, really? Christina Ricci utterly consumed all focus. But Timerlake was given the chance to truly shine in this movie, bringing out a side of him I had never seen.

For anyone unfamiliar with the plot, Alpha Dog is based on a true story – that of “Jesse James Hollywood,” who was the youngest man to appear on the FBI’s “Most Wanted” list. This tragic tale centers on Hirsch’s character, Johnny Truelove, and his relationship with one of his underlings, Jake Mazursky. Mazursky owes him money, and the two start a feud that leads to Truelove kidnapping Jake’s younger brother, Zack. Thinking this will blow over quickly, Truelove puts Frankie in charge of watching Zack. Frankie – played by Timberlake – and Zack both begin to take the situation lightly. Frankie starts to like the kid, and Zack, who had just gotten into a fight with his parents, loves the freedom (ironically) and the party-all-the-time lifestyle. He’s somewhat of a celebrity to all the kids, and the girls can’t keep their hands off of him. But when the reality of what has happened catches up with everyone – a seriousness evident as an undercurrent throughout the film with the reactions of the Mazursky parents, as well as Truelove’s father’s reaction to what’s going on – Truelove makes a drastic decision that shatters the rock-star lifestyle they’ve all been leading.

Touching, naïve, and tragic, Alpha Dog has many themes – the mentality of the “immortal and untouchable youth,” the fear of taking responsibility for one’s actions, and the herd mentality all combine for extraordinary characters and an unforgettable story. I wouldn’t recommend this to the overly-sensitive or the weak of stomach or heart, though. It’s a tragedy that will remain with you.

Movie Review - The Fountain

First and foremost, I’d like to make something clear. Had I not read the little sleeve the movie came in when Netflix shipped it to me, The Fountain would not have made a whole lot of sense. It describes the three iterations of the two main characters – in 16^th century Spain, as soldier and Queen; in modern times, as scientist and sick wife; in 26^th century space, as an astronaut and…er…a tree. However, if you don’t read that little blurb, or have no previous knowledge of the movie, the scenes in which the two main characters are in the future make very little sense. There is neither an introduction to, nor an explanation of, the scenes in which the “astronaut” and his tree are in a bubble in space and, given the context of the movie, it could mean something very different than what they were trying to accomplish.

The two main characters are played by Hugh Jackman and Rachel Weisz. I feel they did a fantastic job portraying the lovers throughout the ages. But the weak connections, disjointed plot, and confusing timeline bogged down the movie and undermined their chemistry. The costumes and scenery are beautiful, but again, the disorientation and lack of explanation leave crucial information to the imagination, which is a sign of a poorly-developed design. And I’d rather use the word “scant” when I’m referencing Weisz’s wardrobe than when I’m discussing the amount of sense the story made.

The one really positive thing I will say about the movie is this: I really, really liked the ending. Weisz’s present-day character, the scientist's wife who was dying of cancer, had a beautiful view of what immortality was, and tried to explain it to Jackman, but he was too obsessed with finding a cure for her – and a cure for death – that he wouldn’t listen. It took him another 500 years – and a trip to a star nebula in space – to figure it out. The way they achieve their goal is very cool, but sadly, doesn’t make up for the time wasted to get there.