Best Movie of 2006 that Nobody Saw?

Did anybody see this movie? If you haven't I suggest you go rent it cause it's good.

I really wasn't going into it with any expectations and it didn't sound all that interesting to me when I added it to my Netflix queue but it turned out to be a pleasant surprise. It's about a struggling businessman played by Greg Kinnear who has a chance meeting with a washed up hitman playd by Pierce Brosnan. They meet at a hotel bar in Mexico over drinks and form an unlikely friendship. Of course Greg Kinnear has no idea what this guy does but eventually finds out and the plot, which I won't spoil, thickens.

The writing and diologue throughout is top notch. Even as I write this it's hard to make it sound all that appealing but there is something about the way it's written that is highly entertaining. I found it really interesting how the story was based on these two guys that have gone through similar struggles in their lives but chosen to deal with them in completely different ways. There is something about the relationship for them that keeps them in each others lives even though they get into some pretty hairy situations. It's a neat contrast and statement about how even though people choose to live their lives in extremely different ways, we are all human and go through a lot of the same issues.

I also thought the direction was great as well as the music in it. The acting deserves a special mention as well as it was excellent throughout. Pierce Brosnan was especially good in a wildly divergent character from what you are used to seeing him playing. He obviously had fun with this role and it shows on screen.

Even though you might not have heard anything about this movie I would recommend it highly as it is a quality production throughout and I think it deserves a little more pub.

Castlevania

The Castlevania movie is underway, with Paul W.S. Anderson at the directors helm. You might recognize him for his other video game movie "masterpieces" Resident Evil and its subsequent sequel Resident Evil: Apocalypse. (A third in the series is on the way, entitled RE: Extinction). If it werent for Uwe Boll, this man would get my vote as the corniest director ever. Granted, I don't expect much from his movies, so therefore I am never let down. It wasn't until i saw Alien Vs. Predator that i started to get upset. I couldnt help but wonder how good that movie would have turned out if James Cameron had been director.

Cats Like Playing DS Too!

Hahahahahahah! Saw this pic going around online today and just thought I'd share it. Points for anyone who can name the breed!

Spiderman 3

I'm really looking forward to the third Spiderman movie. Even though I was somewhat let down by last year's X-Men 3, I have high hopes for Spiderman. I thought the first two were entertaining and judging by the pics I found online, I'm expecting the third to be great as well.


Here we see Spiderman lurking in the shadows.



Tobey McGuire plays young peter parker.



Spiderman in his new black suit.



Here, Spiderman takes time out to stretch.


Spiderman 3 opens May 4th.

Heroes, Yay or Nay?

Heroes is a relatively new show on NBC that is getting all sorts of attention lately and seems to be one of the networks bigger successes of the new season. It revolves around a group of young people who are discovering that they have unique abilities such as time warping, flying, mind reading, among a host of others. These people are all connected in some way but don't really know it and will need to band together to fight the forces of evil of course. Kind of like the X-Men.

I've been watching the show from the beginning but was thinking about it and I don't really know why? I guess it's because the subject matter is kind of interesting to me and pretty different from other shows on tv. Unique enough to get me to still tune in and suffer through some really painful diologue and acting. Actually the plot is fairly contrived as well and I will often guess exactly what will happen after the first 5 minutes of the show. So what is it that keeps me coming back? Does anybody else out there feel this way? Let me know what you think. . .

Loki

Writer: Robert Rodi
Artist: Esad Ribic


It's about damn time Loki got his own book.

I'm a Thor fan all the way, but there's just something inherently cool about a god as corrupt as Loki. The God of Mischief. The Prince of Lies. Overlooked by Odin and overshadowed by Thor.

As the title suggests, Rodi thrusts Loki in the limelight here, telling a tale of Loki's victory over the Heroes of Asgard. Not only has he defeated his half-brother, but all the gods who mocked him as a child. But what happens to someone who's achieved all he's wished for? Where does he go from there?



Rodi manages to craft believable dialog between all of the story's main characters and the Asgard-Speak is handled deftly. I found myself re-reading certain long winded speeches to understand their meaning.

"I see now your intent, fool. Why gloat over one whose spirit cannot be broken when you can boast and trumpet to one whose manhood is already yours?"

What the hell does that mean??

Each page of this book is masterfully painted by Esad Ribic. This is the first I've seen of his work and it is stunning. Some of the images of Loki, crazed and mad with power, are downright unsettling. The lady Sif, although bound by chains, appears deadly despite her dark surroundings. Thor and Odin held prisoner look every part father and son. Asgard itself looks as if built stone by stone.



This is a book worthy of anyone's collection. (Originally published as a four issue miniseries, Loki is also available as a graphic novel.)

Guitar Hero 2 Roxxorz

I'm assuming by now most everyone has heard about a little game that came out last year that took the industry by storm called Guitar Hero. If you haven't you should have cause it's fun as hell. Anyhow, I'm here to give you the scoop on the second version of the game not surprisingly titled "Guitar Hero 2".

If you haven't played the game before it's a rhythm game that you play using a controller shaped as a small guitar (pictured above) that has a strum device and 4 or 5 fret buttons, each a different color. As you play a song, circles that have a color corresponding to one of the fret buttons scroll down the screen and as they hit a line you have to hold down that color fret button and strum at the same time to hit the note. It's kind of tough to explain but really intuitive if you pick it up to play. It's super fun and really gives you the feeling that you are playing guitar. On the expert difficulty I think actually playing the real guitar might be a tad easier.

I thought the first one was totally unique and a whole lot of fun and so did the rest of the video game buying public, hence guitar hero 2. This new one improves on the first in a few key ways. Most notably is the expansion of the multiplayer. The first GH had the potential for some really fun multiplayer but didn't quite hit it on the head. If you wanted to play two at a time the song would be played in alternating sections by each player, never both players at the same time. Fun but not ideal. GH 2 has changed this for the better by included seperate tracks for the other player to play such as bass line or rhythm guitar while the other person plays the lead guitar part. You can also choose your difficulty individually when choosing the part you want to play making it still a blast for a novice to play alongside of someone who has a lot of experience.

The second key improvement is the addition of a practice mode, something the first one totally left out. As anyone who has played this game knows, on the higher difficulty levels it gets really hard. I'm talking so hard you might as well spend the time to learn how to play the real guitar. I don't know how people got these songs down in the first one but in GH 2 the option is there to practice whole songs or you can work on specific problem sections such as the solo or intro. While practicing you have the option to slow down the song so it is easy to figure out the fingering. It's a simple addition but it's well implemented and will make a world of difference for players.

The only minor gripe about the second one is the song selection which I don't feel is as strong as the first. Don't get me wrong as there are some top notch songs to play but for some reason the selection in the first one just felt a little better to me. There are still some notable omitions like Iron Maiden and Metallica but they need to leave something for GH 3 right?

In summary I would urge any of you who haven't played this game and own a ps2 to go out at get GH 2 right away. Xbox 360 owners will also get their chance at it when it comes out for that system on 4/15/07. Get a few beers, a couple good friends and Guitar Hero 2 and that should be all you need for a very entertaining evening.

Mouse Guard

Writer/Artist: David Petersen


Mouse Guard is my comic book store's best kept secret. i stumbled upon the first issue while perusing the independent publisher rack one day. every week as other customers discuss topics such as Civil War, Infinite Crisis or the latest comic book movie, i quietly make my way to the indie rack to see if the latest issue of Mouse Guard is out.

the story follows the exploits of three Mice Guard dispatched to find a missing grain peddler, but quickly turns to a mystery surrounded by jeopardy and betrayal. danger looms around each shrub in the form of snakes, crabs, and the villainous threat of a masked warrior known only as The Axe. Great acts of heroism are committed, and brave mice live and die.

i like everything about this book. i like the fact that it's published from a small company, i like the imaginative story, i like that the characters are cute little mice that speak ye old tongue and wield swords, staffs, axes, and could just as easily exist in my front lawn than on the pages of this comic. i don't even mind that its published in an odd shape (8"x8"), and wont fit into my comic boxes correctly.

to date, only issues one thru five (of six) have been released. there is also talk of a collected hard copy of these issues, as well as more Mouse Guard stories next year.

pick up this book.

Green Lantern: Rebirth

Writer: Geoff Johns
Artist: Ethan Van Sciver

i'll be honest....i dont keep up with whats going on within the Green Lantern universe. i do know there exists a Green Lantern Corps, encompassing many green lanterns. but the only green lantern that matters to me is the one from the Superfriends' cartoon i used to watch as a kid. the OG Green Lantern. Hal Jordan.

according to my local comic book store owner (who recommended the book), things have gotten a little rough since i last heard from Hal. apparently he'd gone insane, murdered fellow green lanterns, destroyed the Central Power Battery, and was stripped of his power and rank. oh, and on top of all that, he sacrificed himself to save the earth's dying sun.

This is a great book for people who want to jump into reading the Green Lantern but don't have much knowledge on the character. Johns crafts a story that brings Hal Jordan back from the dead in a believable manner and also reminded me why the Green Lantern is one of the baddest superheroes around. not only does he have the coolest mask, but he weilds the most powerful weapon in the universe, Green Lantern's Power Ring.

Sciver's art here is a pleasure to look at. neither flashy nor over the top, the pencils deliver the story beautifully, and the battle between Sinestro and Green Lantern is worth the purchase alone.

Blades of Glory

So Will Ferrell and Jon Heder have this new movie coming out and it looks hilarious. I'm not a huge comedy fan but I really enjoyed Taladega Nights so I'm looking forward to this one. Check out the trailer here.

My humps, my humps, my lovely lady lumps. . . .

Introduction

Hey everybody, just wanted to let ya'll know what's going on with this blog. Hai and I thought it would be fun to do a collaborative blog for our take on video games, movies, and comics so if you are interested in any of that stuff please keep checking this space for reviews. Also, please feel free to add comments to our posts and participate along with us. I can't speak for Hai but I'll try my best to post frequently so check back often for new content. Welcome!

Joel