I have no idea if this movie is being made, finished or otherwise but it has the BEST teaser I have ever seen:
Most movies are never as good as their trailers. It is a fact.
But the art of trailer making is a complex one. This says everything about what we are supposed to think about the plot.
Will it be radically different? Perhaps.
Friday, July 05, 2013
Tuesday, February 05, 2013
LTTP: Terminal City
In honor of Terminal City being reprinted by Dark Horse, I've decided do a review on this unique piece of work. It was originally printed by DC/Vertigo in 1996. It is written by Dean Motter and drawn by Michael Lark and there could not have been a better team for this book.
There is a term I like to use when describing comics that I don't get to use that often. That is 'Communicating a World.' Most mainstream comics are happy enough drawing a hero with muscles no non-deformed human being should have in a 'action pose' over a colored panel. The world in this typical comic is 'Metropolis' and you don't need to draw it because 'Metropolis' isn't important, isn't part of the story, it is merely background. Terminal City takes this formula and flips it on its head.
The story takes place in Terminal City but it is in a future that was imagined in the 1920's. The back of the book calls it retro-futurism. Sure. Anyway, not only is it in the future of the 20's the 20's culture of gangsters and flappers are alive and well.
Gorgeous art. Cheesy stories, boxers versus gorillas/robots. Read it kids, enjoy.
There is a term I like to use when describing comics that I don't get to use that often. That is 'Communicating a World.' Most mainstream comics are happy enough drawing a hero with muscles no non-deformed human being should have in a 'action pose' over a colored panel. The world in this typical comic is 'Metropolis' and you don't need to draw it because 'Metropolis' isn't important, isn't part of the story, it is merely background. Terminal City takes this formula and flips it on its head.
The story takes place in Terminal City but it is in a future that was imagined in the 1920's. The back of the book calls it retro-futurism. Sure. Anyway, not only is it in the future of the 20's the 20's culture of gangsters and flappers are alive and well.
Wednesday, January 30, 2013
LTTP: Human Target (TV Series)
There are some FOX shows that get cancelled long before they jump the shark. Firefly, Freaks and Geeks, Wonderfalls, just to name a few. Human Target is a show that I fanatically carry a torch for and miss it so much that I actually have written several fan-fiction scripts. So any producers reading who want to push a revival, hit me up!
The show is focused on former hit-man Christopher Chance. Chance, had a change in heart and is now helping people in trouble. He gets help from his former cop buddy and a fellow former -yet still a sociopath- hit-man. In season two a rehabilitated con-artist joins the ranks along with a rich socialite. It is basically The A-Team, MacGyver and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles rolled into one. The chemistry between all these characters is so good. Quips and jabs at one another along with inside lingo that may not make sense to the viewer but is still funny and/or useful. What I'm saying is the the writing is so good that I believe these characters and it is easy to believe that they have been a team for a long time. I get the idea that we aren't seeing all of their (mis)adventures which leads to fans (like myself) to invent adventures in our heads. That's how you get a cult following of hardcore fans.
However, what Human Target delivers better than any show is 100% Pure cheesy action.
Now, if it's cheesy, I love it. Books about religiously fanatic space marines? Count me in. Comics about a gangster hunting hero from the 50's named 'Lobster Johnson'? Sign me up! Professional wrestling? YES! YES! YES!
Pure. Cheese.
I think poor promotion advertising the frequent and unnecessary schedule changes for the show killed its chances (No pun intended). I honestly want to thank anyone involved with the making of this show. I know it sounds cheesy but Human Target got me through some rough times and it helped me stay creative when I felt like shit.
The show is focused on former hit-man Christopher Chance. Chance, had a change in heart and is now helping people in trouble. He gets help from his former cop buddy and a fellow former -yet still a sociopath- hit-man. In season two a rehabilitated con-artist joins the ranks along with a rich socialite. It is basically The A-Team, MacGyver and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles rolled into one. The chemistry between all these characters is so good. Quips and jabs at one another along with inside lingo that may not make sense to the viewer but is still funny and/or useful. What I'm saying is the the writing is so good that I believe these characters and it is easy to believe that they have been a team for a long time. I get the idea that we aren't seeing all of their (mis)adventures which leads to fans (like myself) to invent adventures in our heads. That's how you get a cult following of hardcore fans.
However, what Human Target delivers better than any show is 100% Pure cheesy action.
Now, if it's cheesy, I love it. Books about religiously fanatic space marines? Count me in. Comics about a gangster hunting hero from the 50's named 'Lobster Johnson'? Sign me up! Professional wrestling? YES! YES! YES!
Pure. Cheese.
I think poor promotion advertising the frequent and unnecessary schedule changes for the show killed its chances (No pun intended). I honestly want to thank anyone involved with the making of this show. I know it sounds cheesy but Human Target got me through some rough times and it helped me stay creative when I felt like shit.
Thursday, December 27, 2012
Top Games of 2012
10. Frog Fractions
This is an educational game that teaches you about fractions. Or is that all there is? I really can't say anymore without ruining the reveals. It's free, go play it and get lost in those fractions. http://twinbeardstudios.com/frog-fractions
9. Cart Life
A truly unique game that -at its core- is a retail sim (In fact, that's what the official website touts it as). What it does so well is that the world and characters around that sim are real and affecting. Also, its free! Go download at http://www.richardhofmeier.com/cartlife/
8. Journey
The first time I played this I was enthralled with its style and its beauty. The simple game play is easy to grasp and it's not hard at all. Though, I wondered why so many people were praising this as more than just a good game. Then I met another player and my entire game changed. Its cheap (But only on the PSN) and can be picked up in a bundle with Flow and Flower for the PS3.
7. Hitman: Absolution
KILL ALL SEXY NUNS!!!!11!1! That might be all the news you've heard about this game but please look past the media hype and give it a play. It is very pretty and it's easily the most populated world Agent 47 has ever stalked. You are going to notice that I don't really care about graphics as much as I care about game systems and how they interact through emergent gameplay. On that front, Hitman delivers abundantly.
There was a worry that the game was moving away from it's Blood Money roots but Square has made the best Hitman yet. And oh my goodness is it a looooong game (Perhaps a little too long), well worth whatever they're asking for a copy. http://hitman.com/
6. 10000000
Easily my surprise hit of this year, 10000000 can almost be described (in a reductive manner) as Bejeweled with mana and hit-points. Throw-back graphics and music give it a nostalgic feel in a very charming way. Simple and quick game play will have you hooked and thinking 'Just one more game.' I probably have spent longer on the john than I would've because of this game.
5. Call of Duty: Black OPS 2
To start: this is the first COD I have ever played. Oh I've been aware of it's phenomenal impact on the games industry and have actually followed some really good players on YouTube. So why now? Why Black OPs 2?
1. I finally have reliable high-speed internet (Welcome to the 21st century).
2. I have been hearing that this is the best COD in a very long time.
So why not give it a shot? Know what I found out guys? It has a very addictive and great multiplayer game system they have going for them. The 'Pick-Ten' system is brilliant and I felt like I was getting better with each game. And for all those who complain about the online community being annoying and full of racist, homophobic 12 year olds.... you're so right guys! It's almost like I'm playing with the entire congregation of the Westboro Baptist Church. Luckily, there is a mute button.
4. Dishonored
This game is a mixture of Half-Life 2, Theif, Bioshock and Deus Ex. So, naturally, I love it. It features an open level design, filled with multiple game systems and endless options limited only by the player. If you can get through the first lackluster hour of the game, you'll soon find that you are in a very special game that just begs to be replayed over and over.
3. X-COM: Enemy Unknown
A remake of a hardcore turn-based strategy PC-only cult classic that's actually better when played with a controller? A bunch of hooey and applesauce I say!
I am eating my own hat on this one guys. The game is deep, engaging and deceptively simple. And hard. I mean 30 hours into your play-through and you will just lose hard. Perma-death hard. Yet ,with its difficulty comes a many great rewarding moments and holy-shit-did-I-just-pull-that-off close calls.
2. Mass Effect 3
At first I was upset that ME3 seemed to neuter my bad-ass renegade fem-shep. Then, I realized that the writing was so good that I felt conflicted going completely 'bad-guy' in my choices.
This, coupled with improvements to the battle system made the game better (Though I still think ME2 is the best in the trilogy).
Where this game got me were the moments of despair I felt with the endings to certain characters. Also this game received a ton of flack for it's ending and I will admit I wasn't too impressed with it at first either. Then I read about the indoctrination theory and (I don't care if BioWare has denied it as canon) I felt completely satisfied and honestly think it's the coolest thing a video game has ever done.
The games have recently been released in a trilogy bundle (Even on the PS3) so go play them and experience the best game trilogy this generation.
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| 'I am the very model of a scientist Salarian....' |
*SOBS*
1. FarCry3
After loading up my game I stepped out of my little hut startling a herd of Water Buffalo. As they were running away, a tiger pounced out of the bushes and tackled one of the Buffalo into a passing jeep full of pirates. Though the pirates were knocked out of the jeep, it kept going full speed into a tree, flipped over and promptly exploded causing a forest fire that not only killed said pirates but also the herd of buffalo and the tiger. All because I stepped outside.
I cannot describe how fun it is to exist in the FarCry3 world with all of its systems.
The story starts out in an oddly hilarious poke at the 'Bros' featured in most video games. I mean, to gain power your character gets a tribal tattoo. How obvious do I need to be? In this way I was enjoying story enough but then it makes a turn. A bad turn.
Despite the crappy story stuff, I love the world of FC3. I am addicted to every aspect. Whether it's disarming radio towers, collecting letters, finding relics, killing a shark to make a wallet that holds more money (Trust me, you'll understand) or clearing out a pirate stronghold with nothing but a rock and a pack of rabid dogs.
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| This picture is only worth one word: 'VIDEOGAMES' |
Sunday, November 04, 2012
LTTP: Horrible/Great Anime
There are few things that upset me like rhetorical questions and being picky about food. There are even fewer things that will make me rage with the fury of ten suns like people paying for cigarettes with food stamps or rape jokes. Yet, NOTHING makes me an uncontrollable ball of rage like shitty anime and the fans who adore them.
DO NOT GET ME WRONG: Success is a beautiful thing and must be noted and learned from. Also, what people love is totally their own thing.
I am simply pointing out why anime is hated by most people and give a bad name to actual good shows.
First: Most likely, the main music theme is a mix between the shittiest kids bop anthem and what can only be called 'Engrish Cher Song'.
Let us look at some examples. The show Full Metal Alchemist has about 50 iterations/spin-offs and is beloved by tons of fanboys. Yeah, I'll admit, it has an interesting world that I would like to see stories in but as soon as I hear...
....Fuck you, anime! Really?! That's what you are going to open your show with? A complete in-one-ear-out-the-other pop song with some butt-rock guitar thrown in? Its almost like if Star Wars opened with a Miley Cyrus song.
It doesn't stop with the theme either. Look up any song related to FMA and your bound to find a song identical with the one above or another laced with violins and harpsichord.
Compare: Cowboy Bebop:
That is an opening. No pretentious montage of characters looking out windows or surrounded by birds. It screams with style (A trait sorely missed in ALL mediums not just anime).
Second:
Dear Anime,
Please stop with the contrived 'Untill Next Time' episode ending.
Love,
Owen.
Seriously guys, a season of Dragon Ball Z would be 85 episodes long, center around one fight and be released on 52 VHS tapes. There are about 93 seasons. Do the math, it's exploitation.
Compare: FLCL. It has a complete story, memorable characters and takes place in only 6 episodes. Granted, they were released 2 episodes to a DVD back in the day but that's a waaaay better bang for you buck than anything Inuyasha ever put out.
Third: Convoluted does not a good story make. Bleach, YuYuHakusho, Inuyasha, Naruto, Evangelion, Gundam Wing and countless others fall prey to the allure of 'mystery is good story'. Hell, the show Lost is the worst offender of this principle (If you need a IRL example). These also are guilty of characters being stuck in 3 or 4 love triangles.
Compare: Death Note is the best supernatural mystery drama ever. Dr. Who? Go suck a dick. X-Files? Outta my life. Fringe? Not even.
Death Note creates a world of rules and then creates an intricate cat-and-mouse mystery within that world. Yes, it's silly, melodramatic and lame in parts but what good sci-fi/fantasy isn't?
Quadly: Stupid episode titles. Inuyasha is the worst offender with such gems as: "The Girl Who Overcame Time... and the Boy Who Was Just Overcome", "Possessed by a Parasite: Shippo, Our Worst Enemy!" and "A Strange Invisible Demon Appears!"
Finaly: Fans.
You've seen this guy. Maybe half-remembered or perhaps instantly forgotten. These are the people who not only watch and appreciate anime; they worship it. They model their life philosophies around them.
They write fan fiction where the main character fucks that one cat seen only for a split second in the unreleased pilot deleted scene. 47 chapters.
Sure, there are obsessive fans for everything. Anime fans, however, have no idea they are ridiculous. And they have no idea they are flaunting that they love a show reeking with pedophilia.
How do I know? I used to be one. Yes I was a card toting, praise shouting Cowboy Bebop fan. Though not the worst thing you could be a fan of, I was the kid who wore the imported shirt to school, said things like 'See you, Space Cowboy' instead of 'goodbye' and jerked off to Faye while wondering why girls didn't like me.
Guys, watch Death Note.
DO NOT GET ME WRONG: Success is a beautiful thing and must be noted and learned from. Also, what people love is totally their own thing.
I am simply pointing out why anime is hated by most people and give a bad name to actual good shows.
First: Most likely, the main music theme is a mix between the shittiest kids bop anthem and what can only be called 'Engrish Cher Song'.
Let us look at some examples. The show Full Metal Alchemist has about 50 iterations/spin-offs and is beloved by tons of fanboys. Yeah, I'll admit, it has an interesting world that I would like to see stories in but as soon as I hear...
....Fuck you, anime! Really?! That's what you are going to open your show with? A complete in-one-ear-out-the-other pop song with some butt-rock guitar thrown in? Its almost like if Star Wars opened with a Miley Cyrus song.
It doesn't stop with the theme either. Look up any song related to FMA and your bound to find a song identical with the one above or another laced with violins and harpsichord.
Compare: Cowboy Bebop:
That is an opening. No pretentious montage of characters looking out windows or surrounded by birds. It screams with style (A trait sorely missed in ALL mediums not just anime).
Second:
Dear Anime,
Please stop with the contrived 'Untill Next Time' episode ending.
Love,
Owen.
Seriously guys, a season of Dragon Ball Z would be 85 episodes long, center around one fight and be released on 52 VHS tapes. There are about 93 seasons. Do the math, it's exploitation.
Compare: FLCL. It has a complete story, memorable characters and takes place in only 6 episodes. Granted, they were released 2 episodes to a DVD back in the day but that's a waaaay better bang for you buck than anything Inuyasha ever put out.
Third: Convoluted does not a good story make. Bleach, YuYuHakusho, Inuyasha, Naruto, Evangelion, Gundam Wing and countless others fall prey to the allure of 'mystery is good story'. Hell, the show Lost is the worst offender of this principle (If you need a IRL example). These also are guilty of characters being stuck in 3 or 4 love triangles.
Compare: Death Note is the best supernatural mystery drama ever. Dr. Who? Go suck a dick. X-Files? Outta my life. Fringe? Not even.
Death Note creates a world of rules and then creates an intricate cat-and-mouse mystery within that world. Yes, it's silly, melodramatic and lame in parts but what good sci-fi/fantasy isn't?
Quadly: Stupid episode titles. Inuyasha is the worst offender with such gems as: "The Girl Who Overcame Time... and the Boy Who Was Just Overcome", "Possessed by a Parasite: Shippo, Our Worst Enemy!" and "A Strange Invisible Demon Appears!"
Finaly: Fans.
You've seen this guy. Maybe half-remembered or perhaps instantly forgotten. These are the people who not only watch and appreciate anime; they worship it. They model their life philosophies around them.
They write fan fiction where the main character fucks that one cat seen only for a split second in the unreleased pilot deleted scene. 47 chapters.
Sure, there are obsessive fans for everything. Anime fans, however, have no idea they are ridiculous. And they have no idea they are flaunting that they love a show reeking with pedophilia.
How do I know? I used to be one. Yes I was a card toting, praise shouting Cowboy Bebop fan. Though not the worst thing you could be a fan of, I was the kid who wore the imported shirt to school, said things like 'See you, Space Cowboy' instead of 'goodbye' and jerked off to Faye while wondering why girls didn't like me.
Guys, watch Death Note.
Wednesday, September 05, 2012
Not so LTTP: Gravity Falls
I know this is out of character for the blog: reviewing something so new, but this show is so good must be enjoyed...NOW!
Gravity Falls is a new half-hour animated show from the Disney Channel. Beautifully drawn and cleverly written, it is easily my favorite show of this year.
The show follows the misadventures of Dipper and Mabel Pines while they spend the summer with their eccentric Grunkle (Great Uncle) Stan. Grunkle Stan owns the Mystery Shack, a touristy roadside attraction filled with various obscurities which often lead to supernatural shenanigans.
Unlike other shows like Adventure Time, which seems to revel in its being weird for the sake of weird, Gravity Falls has a more guided weirdness about its writing. Usually only one element of each episode has a tinge of paranormal all the while sprinkling the background with objects that refer to previous episodes. Almost like Arrested Development in that way.
Also what stands Gravity Falls out from other shows of its ilk is that each show is one story. Most cartoons are broken up into two 15 minute short stories. I'm not sure if it really needs to be that long but this format does allow for deeper exploration of minor characters and story. It is also pretty formulaic and each episode ends like Scooby-Doo with a villain swearing revenge on the two heroes.
If you are a fan of animation then all you have to see is the opening theme from the show.
The frame work is amazing. It has become really hard to watch an episode of Family Guy after seeing how good this is drawn.
If you can only catch one episode make it #4 'The Hand that Rocks the Mabel.' It has singing, adorable characters and an over-the-top story.
If I haven't sold you, I know that just did! Go DVR it now!
Gravity Falls is a new half-hour animated show from the Disney Channel. Beautifully drawn and cleverly written, it is easily my favorite show of this year.
The show follows the misadventures of Dipper and Mabel Pines while they spend the summer with their eccentric Grunkle (Great Uncle) Stan. Grunkle Stan owns the Mystery Shack, a touristy roadside attraction filled with various obscurities which often lead to supernatural shenanigans.
Unlike other shows like Adventure Time, which seems to revel in its being weird for the sake of weird, Gravity Falls has a more guided weirdness about its writing. Usually only one element of each episode has a tinge of paranormal all the while sprinkling the background with objects that refer to previous episodes. Almost like Arrested Development in that way.
Also what stands Gravity Falls out from other shows of its ilk is that each show is one story. Most cartoons are broken up into two 15 minute short stories. I'm not sure if it really needs to be that long but this format does allow for deeper exploration of minor characters and story. It is also pretty formulaic and each episode ends like Scooby-Doo with a villain swearing revenge on the two heroes.
If you are a fan of animation then all you have to see is the opening theme from the show.
The frame work is amazing. It has become really hard to watch an episode of Family Guy after seeing how good this is drawn.
If you can only catch one episode make it #4 'The Hand that Rocks the Mabel.' It has singing, adorable characters and an over-the-top story.
If I haven't sold you, I know that just did! Go DVR it now!
Friday, August 24, 2012
Article Headers
Since I'm quite sure most of these will never see the light of day otherwise, I am posting some article banners I made for HipSquaredCircle.com. I am, perhaps unfortunately, in love with these and I just need to get them out on the web. So.....ENJOY!
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| My personal favorite. |
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