August 21, 2009

Careful of the Complex Shadows

I thought my recent review of Shadow Complex for Xbox Live Arcade might actually be worthy of a re-post over here. If you don't wanna click through and read it at the 'Funk, I'll just let you know over here: it's amazing. It reminds me why I'd always say Super Metroid for the SNES is my favorite game of all time.

Loved it!

-- "I love you bro Montana."

August 17, 2009

Second Verse Same as the First

In lieu of declaring my return, I'll just act like nothing happened (because it really didn't) and move on to the movies I've watched since then.

Jumper - I wasn't expecting much and was pleasantly surprised. Say what you will, but it did create an alternate 'verse of possibility living amongst the now. Of course it was no realm of Harry Potter possibilities, but good enough. Also, Rachel Bilson is adorable.

This Film Is Not Yet Rated - I found this documentary about the film industry's rating system very intriguing. Its purpose isn't to just to see differences in NC-17 and R ratings; it also points out a bunch of hypocrisies and unveils some of the ludicrous secrets held close by the MPAA.

Visioneers - It was a complete lack of laugh-out-loud funny and teetering on the edge of serious drama amongst absurd circumstance. And it was interesting enough to see through to the end even though you may be hating some parts of it and/or falling asleep due to the sloth-like pace.

Primer - This one was kinda hard to keep up with as it tried to tackle time travel with existing physics. It attempted to baffle its audience with brilliance. And I totally didn't expect any twists it may or may not contain.

Finding Neverland - Further continuing my Marc Forster love (see Stranger Than Fiction), this movie pleased me throughout. The true-to-life adaptation about the conception of Peter Pan was well-received and worth the hype. I hope Freddie Highmore continues to grow as an actor through all these amazing films he's already been apart of before he even turned 18.

Coraline - I haven't read any Neil Gaiman, but it was definitely a creative world. The animation was stilted but good enough (just like Nightmare Before Christmas) and the design was fantastic. I just couldn't get engrossed in the story.

Horton Hears a Who! - I actually wasn't really familiar with this Seuss tale but felt like I'd be missing out if I hadn't seen it. It was entertaining enough to not be considered a waste of time. And though usually appreciating Jim Carrey's works, I didn't care for his voice-acting in this one. Steve Carrell's voice was trumpeted far above everyone else in this one.

Cowboy Bebop - The Movie
- I've gotten used to and actually prefer the English dubbed series, so it was great to hear everyone again after some time since I'd seen the show. The only reason this was called "The Movie" was because the creators made it two hours long. It was really just a long episode, a good one but looong. It's worth it enough just to see Ein with a jack-o-lantern helmet on.

The Jacket - This was another movie of the "mindscrew" genre. So I naturally enjoyed it just for that aspect. But Adrien Brody was thrilling as he approached this schizophrenic role. If Stanley Kubrick directed a movie based on the books Slaughterhouse V and One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, it would be a close approximation to this film.

The Godfather - I finally saw it, and yes, I really liked it.

-- "Leave the gun. Take the cannoli."