You may have noticed on the right a bunch of lists of current movies, television and music I've been listening to. Scroll down a bit further and check it out if you haven't already. It's a little thing I'm doing since I haven't done any big "Hit List" reviews in a while. Here's a little "Best Of The Best" where I do a short little review on those things lately that I've really enjoyed.
Children of Men - this film is amazing. Alfonso Cuaron has been one of my favorite directors ever since I saw his 2001 film, Y Tu Mama Tambien. You may not be familiar with his name, but I'm willing to bet you've seen his work already, 2004's Harry Potter and The Prisoner of Azkaban, which many consider the best of the Potter films so far.
This film takes place in the year 2027 when for untold reasons, humans can no longer procreate, with the last baby being born 17 years prior. It follows our main character played by Clive Owen who finds a pregnant woman who may be holding the fate of humankind in her belly.
This is a grim film that was absolutely unsettling to watch, but don't take that as a negative. This film is an effective drama with a few action sequences, but it worked more as a thriller to me. There were several scenes in this film that absolutely had me on the edge of my seat. The handheld camera that takes us in the middle of the action with very little breaks and cuts help provide that unsettling nature, making this film all the more powerful. This is a moving experience that you will not soon forget.
Hot Fuzz - on the opposite end of the spectrum here is a film that is an absolute joy to watch. Like Shaun of the Dead, this film spoofs but also loves the films it references, except this time we substitute Zombies with Bruckheimer Action flicks. What is especially funny about this film is that while it spends the bulk of it making fun of those cheesy Hollywood movies, it turns into what it's making fun of by the end. But it works because the characters are funny and likable, and it's always done with tongue firmly in cheek. There is one moment is this film that is so funny that I couldn't stop laughing for a good 10 minutes. About the only bad thing I can say is that this film could have been trimmed of some 10-20 minutes. That said, I am eagerly anticipating the forthcoming DVD.
Simon Pegg and Edgar Wright are the new Sam Raimi and Bruce Campbell. Raimi now helms one of the biggest film franchises ever, Spider-Man, after humble beginnings with the Evil Dead series. I envision that in the future their cult status will grow to mainstream status, something along the line of Wright directing a Bond pic in the future.
Marie Antoinette - I was very apprehensive of this film because the reviews were so polarized, either very good or very bad. But the writer/director Sofia Coppola has directed two very good recent films, The Virgin Suicides and Lost in Translation, two films I enjoyed greatly, especially Lost in Translation, so I had to give Marie Antoinette a shot. Like those films, this film is similar in that it follows the main female character(s) as they live their lives. Marie Antoinette is not the usual controversial figure she is usually portrayed as (perhaps unfairly so), but here she is presented as your typical teenage girl as she becomes a woman. A word about the music - great. Some people may hate how a period film is scored with a modern soundtrack, but I love how it really evoked what the director wanted to portray, and plus it's just a blast to listen to. This may not be the an accurate portrayal of Marie Antoinette, but it is certainly a very enjoyable film.
Super Paper Mario (Wii) - the latest installment of the Mario RPG/Paper Mario series further proves my "great first party nintendo games" theory, as it is one of the best Wii games released so far. Originally developed for the Gamecube, they moved this to the Wii without making it seem like a quick port. The controls are well done and the story is involving and funny. However, unlike previous Paper Mario games, this game does not involve turn based battles, but real time battles similar to that of a regular Mario platformer. I kind of didn't like this at first, but by the end I was used to it.
The main selling point of this game is the ability to switch from 2D mode into 3D, providing a whole new dimension to the game (I love me some cliches). And it really is great, a certain 2D portion becomes a whole new area when you go into 3D, which is essential to moving forward in the story and to find secrets.
Qualms: No replay value, I wish it had a Hard mode or something, because this game was just way too easy, I honestly couldn't die if I tried. TOO MUCH READING!!! This is a problem of many Nintendo games, which feature no speech and all text. In addition, the first 20-30 minutes feature you doing nothing but watching - not cool. I hate games that do this, a quick intro is fine, but please don't make us wait so long to play the freaking game!
Casino Royale - The most enjoyable Bond in ages. Gone is all that silly rubbish that made the series so stale and not too enjoyable. It's back to basics, serious and nitty-gritty. Kind of like the Bourne series (which has passed the popularity of the Bond flicks lately). Pierce Brosnan was a good Bond, but I honestly didn't care for the his last two Bond films. They all had their enjoyable bits, but they were all by-the-numbers and followed the same formula. Here, we see Daniel Craig in his first days as a double agent, and he really is fantastic. Looking forward to the next installments, and let's hope they keep it dark and dirty without all the BS that has dragged down the series.
Justice League Unlimited: The Complete Second Season - The final season of Bruce Timm's DC Animated Universe goes out with a bang. Unlimited was no doubt my favorite of all the animated series, which is saying something, because I loved it all. It had some great stories, great voice acting, big surprises, revelations, everything, epic action sequences, it had it all. Of note, is quite possibly my favorite single episode of all the DC animated shows, The Great Brain Robbery. Flash and Luthor switch bodies, hilarity ensues, 'nuff said.
Stranger Than Fiction - this is one of those sleeper films that you never expect, but end up enjoying the heck out of. While Will Ferrell can make me laugh until it hurts, sometimes he's a bit much. This is not your typical whacked-out crazy Will Ferrell comedy but instead a sweet romantic comedy that shows that not only can Ferrell make us laugh, but he can act!
Queen: A Night at the Opera - this is Queen at its best. This is the one with Bohemian Rhapsody, recently and frequently voted as the greatest song of all-time, a sentiment that I would not argue. But this is not a one-song album, it's not one of those "great single, the rest is filler" type albums. What really makes this album great, is that the rest of the songs are great too! Personal Faves besides Bohemian Rhapsody: You're My Best Friend, Love of My Life.
I can say without hesitation that if Freddie Mercury were still alive today, Queen would no doubt be my favorite band, and that's including Nine Inch Nails (Sorry Trent, although I'm sure he'll agree too). Just imagine how crazy-awesome it would be to see Freddie and Trent duet "Get Down Make Love".
Explosions in the Sky: All of a Sudden I Miss Everyone - EITS's newest album is fan-freaking-tastic. I love it so much; they have in a very short time become one of my absolute favorite bands. Like I said about their previous album sometime last year, this is all about putting it on, closing your eyes and being transported to a new place. While the title may be melancholic and somber, the music is quite uplifting and inspirational.
Favorite Tracks: Welcome, Ghosts; It's Natural To Be Afraid
Monday, April 30, 2007
Wednesday, April 25, 2007
Actual Things Said By Eric So
In celebration of The King of Sing getting his own karaoke blog, I've decided to compile this list of actual things he has said.
To Me regarding China Visa Applications: "nationality canadian..even though ur chinese." Apparently there's no difference between nationality and ethnicity.
Regarding cell phone usage over the Pacific Ocean: "It's roaming right?" Yes, apparently all phone companies now install cell phone towers in the middle of nowhere.
About Eating Green TicTacs like candy to support his Dallas Stars: "They're not green!" (looks at packaging, flavour = WinterGREEN).
On what he would rather win: $1,000 cash or a brand new $30,000 Car "Cash, 'cause it's cash, right?" But the car can be sold for.....ahh never mind.
On the longest Canuck game ever: "Was it regular season or playoffs?" Because those marathon regular season games don't end after a five minute overtime and shootout.
As Jason and I berate Phil on not joining us (Me, Jason and Eric) to watch a hockey game: Eric asks "Are you guys talking about me?" Jason: "Well you're here aren't you??" Not everything is about you Eric, you egotistical bastard.
On Peter getting baptised: "Are you happy for him?" No Eric, we hate that Peter is happy and found religion.
Not so much said, but not said: After dinner at a nice restaurant, we usually like to split the bill. So we leave it to Eric to figure out how much we each owe. Big mistake as it takes half an hour for him not to figure it out. For some reason, we ended up miles short of the proper price. It was also a birthday dinner of sorts for a few of us, so we would be treated right? Wrong. Mr. Calculator forgets to include GST for the whole thing. So in the end, we had to pay for our birthday dinners and wasted a good half hour in doing so!
It's ok Eric, it was an honest mistake, not like you work for an accounting firm or anything....oh, wait....
To Me regarding China Visa Applications: "nationality canadian..even though ur chinese." Apparently there's no difference between nationality and ethnicity.
Regarding cell phone usage over the Pacific Ocean: "It's roaming right?" Yes, apparently all phone companies now install cell phone towers in the middle of nowhere.
About Eating Green TicTacs like candy to support his Dallas Stars: "They're not green!" (looks at packaging, flavour = WinterGREEN).
On what he would rather win: $1,000 cash or a brand new $30,000 Car "Cash, 'cause it's cash, right?" But the car can be sold for.....ahh never mind.
On the longest Canuck game ever: "Was it regular season or playoffs?" Because those marathon regular season games don't end after a five minute overtime and shootout.
As Jason and I berate Phil on not joining us (Me, Jason and Eric) to watch a hockey game: Eric asks "Are you guys talking about me?" Jason: "Well you're here aren't you??" Not everything is about you Eric, you egotistical bastard.
On Peter getting baptised: "Are you happy for him?" No Eric, we hate that Peter is happy and found religion.
Not so much said, but not said: After dinner at a nice restaurant, we usually like to split the bill. So we leave it to Eric to figure out how much we each owe. Big mistake as it takes half an hour for him not to figure it out. For some reason, we ended up miles short of the proper price. It was also a birthday dinner of sorts for a few of us, so we would be treated right? Wrong. Mr. Calculator forgets to include GST for the whole thing. So in the end, we had to pay for our birthday dinners and wasted a good half hour in doing so!
It's ok Eric, it was an honest mistake, not like you work for an accounting firm or anything....oh, wait....
The King of Sing Gets His Own Blog
The Eric So Karaoke Internet Phenomenon has become so big that this blog simply cannot contain it by itself anymore. So with that in mind, please visit and bookmark the new Eric "King of Sing" So Karaoke Blog. From now on, all Eric So (henceforth known as "The King of Sing") Karaoke related news and videos will be posted there, because YOU, the general public, demanded it dammit!
Stay tuned here for my usual ramblings and whatnots.
Stay tuned here for my usual ramblings and whatnots.
Thursday, April 19, 2007
My Top Ten Favorite Gamecube Games
The Gamecube came out of the last generation of Video Games on the bottom end versus the Xbox and Playstation 2. It had its faults, but certainly had its share of plusses. I will say this about Nintendo, and having owned more consoles by them than any other company, their consoles are worth owning even if they were the only ones that made the games, which was almost the case for the Gamecube actually. Their franchises, from Mario to Zelda to Metroid make their consoles must own by themselves alone.
So inspired by ScrewAttack's Farewell to Nintendo's Gamecube, I give you My Personal Top Ten Favorite Gamecube Games:
10. Bomberman Generation - the ultimate party game. You don't mess with the classics, and thats what they did with Bomberman 64, turning everybody's favorite party game into a complete mess by bringing it into the 3D realm. But they learned from their mistake and just gave us classic Bomberman, pure and simple.
9. Soul Calibur II - great fighting game, with great graphics. Sure it was released on the other systems too, but each one had an extra character exclusive to that system. Gamecube had the best - Link.
8. Burnout 2: Point of Impact - My very first taste of Burnout, and I've been hooked ever since. So good, I bought this twice, first on PS2, then again on Gamecube. It looked slightly better, and the same tight controls, but gave us double the crash junctions, the best part of the game itself.
7. Super Monkey Ball 2 - great game where you had to get a monkey in a ball (hence the name) through a certain level with many obstacles. The twist? You didn't move the monkey in the ball, you moved the level itself. Add in some great mini games that were party favorites (Monkey Bowling anyone??) and you've got a great game.
6. Tales of Symphonia - following the disappointing Final Fantasy X, I was getting pretty tired of those Japanese style RPGs with their stale turn-based combat systems and random battles. But this game was different, you could avoid or take battles at your own whim, but with its different real-time combat system, you actually wanted to do the battles! Now you could blow through this game's main story in about 40-50 hours, but this game had so much else to do that I doubled that, and spent 80+ great hours with this game.
5. Metroid Prime - like everybody else alive, I was skeptical when I heard Nintendo was taking their Metroid franchise into the 3D arena with a first person shooter. Now back then, I was more of a PC gamer, so for a FPS, a mouse and keyboard was a necessity, whereas a controller was the complete opposite. Not to mention Japan has typically shunned first person shooters. Nintendo had the intelligence to employ the Texas based Retro Studios to make this for them. Texas is of course, home of many of the great FPS developers (id, 3D Realms, Raven, etc.). This game had everything going against it. But how wrong I was, and how wrong many of us were. This game was absolutely balls to the walls. The graphics were phenomenal, the controls were very well done, the levels large and expansive with many areas to explore, and despite the move from 2D to 3D, kept much of what made everyone love the older Metroids in the first place. I bet not even Nintendo themselves thought that this would be as good as it turned out to be.
4. Paper Mario: The Thousand Year-Old Door - Well placed among their Mario franchise, but deviating from the standard platforming by adding RPG elements and turn based battles. The gameplay was very refined, giving you extra boosts if you did things a certain way, such as certain button presses at the right time. Finding out those perfect timings and trying to replicate them each time was half the fun. And not only was Mario battling, but you had a half dozen teammates there to help you, each with their own unique set of actions and even more of those timed button presses. It was over too quick for my liking, but that's because I had such a great time.
3. Mario Kart: Double Dash - I love this game. Adding in two riders to one kart really gave this franchise an innovative new twist. It had some great maps, and was best played with others. Looking forward to see what Nintendo has up its sleeve for the Wii installment. Nothing's been said so far, but you know it's coming.
2. The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker - it is unfortunate that many overlooked this game because of its cartoonish graphics. Those who didn't were rewarded with a game that fit into Zelda canon nicely, serving as a prequel to all previous Zelda games and telling us the whole backstory of the great Zelda universe. I absolutely loved the cel shaded art story of this film. Stylistically, it helped convey emotion and gave more depth to the story. One of the problems of 3D graphics even today is its inability to realistically portray emotion in human faces. It just never looks right, no matter how powerful the hardware you have because we know that it's not real. The art style in Wind Waker sidestepped this by using celshading, and not going for the realistic look. Add in one of the greatest end boss fights of all time and you have one of the best Gamecube games ever. I like Twilight Princess very much, but am disappointed that they forgoed the cel shaded style, fortunately they are using it in their DS game, The Phantom Hourglass, so all is not lost.
1. Metroid Prime 2 - Metroid Prime was amazing. A complete classic in every way, but this game was even better. It improved every single aspect of the first game, the graphics were even better (probably the best of any Gamecube game), the storytelling was more refined, and it was tough as all hell, but not in an annoying way. It's one of those games where you beat a certain part or boss and you really feel a sense of accomplishment. The first Metroid Prime was a successful hit, swaying all naysayers and universal praise across the board. While Metroid Prime 2 was a hit, it didn't come close to the first as it had the unfortunate circumstance to be released alongside Halo 2 for the Xbox, and Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas on the PS2. Ouch. It didn't stand a chance against those juggernauts. If you have a Gamecube or Wii, and haven't played this, then you owe it to yourself. It's one of the greatest gaming experiences I've ever had, and I am eagerly anticipating the upcoming third installment.
Honorable Mentions:
Donkey Kong: Jungle Beat - one of the few games that used that neat little Bongo accessory. I usually hate games that require accessories (save Guitar Hero), but I got this for cheap so the price was right. And you know what? It's innovative, but most of all, it's fun.
Pac-Man Vs. - this neat little gem was packaged with Pac Man World 2 (an unspectacular but competent platformer), and it was all about Multiplayer. It required a Game Boy Advance and the GC to GA cable, but it was worth it for this. Take classic Pac Man, but this time, instead of fighting computer A.I. ghosts, humans become the ghosts. More fun than it had any right to be.
Best Gamecube Game I Haven't Played:
Resident Evil 4 - I'm not really a fan of horror games, and the Resident Evil franchise has kinda been running on autopilot, but the universal acclaim for this title even from those who dislike the franchise put it over the top. I've had this game for a while but haven't played it just yet....soon enough though, soon enough.
Most Disappointing Gamecube Games:
Super Mario Sunshine - Mario 64 is one of the greatest games of all time, bar none. This game isn't bad by any means, it was good, but for a Mario game, good isn't good enough. It just had a very lame story, even for Mario standards, and the controls were not precise enough for a game that needs precise control. People say this game is hard, but I don't think that's by design, it's because of that horrible camera. How many times would you screw up and lose progress because you missed a jump because the camera screwed up and you jumped to a position relative to the new camera angle? Horrible, just horrible. I couldn't stand to finish this game.
Mario Party Franchise - did we really need 4 installments of this game for the Gamecube? If it wasn't getting tired by #4 (the first Gamecube iteration), it certainly was by #7 (the last iteration). It was still fun in small spurts, but the slow and boring gameplay had me itching for the WarioWare series, which was much more fast-paced and frenetic, and most important of all, fun! Each game was essentially the same just with new minigames, all of which are hit or miss, usually miss. Among a game's 70 or so minigames, there were usually just a handful worth replaying. Here's hoping they give us something new and fresh for Mario Party 8 on the Wii. They better.
So inspired by ScrewAttack's Farewell to Nintendo's Gamecube, I give you My Personal Top Ten Favorite Gamecube Games:
10. Bomberman Generation - the ultimate party game. You don't mess with the classics, and thats what they did with Bomberman 64, turning everybody's favorite party game into a complete mess by bringing it into the 3D realm. But they learned from their mistake and just gave us classic Bomberman, pure and simple.
9. Soul Calibur II - great fighting game, with great graphics. Sure it was released on the other systems too, but each one had an extra character exclusive to that system. Gamecube had the best - Link.
8. Burnout 2: Point of Impact - My very first taste of Burnout, and I've been hooked ever since. So good, I bought this twice, first on PS2, then again on Gamecube. It looked slightly better, and the same tight controls, but gave us double the crash junctions, the best part of the game itself.
7. Super Monkey Ball 2 - great game where you had to get a monkey in a ball (hence the name) through a certain level with many obstacles. The twist? You didn't move the monkey in the ball, you moved the level itself. Add in some great mini games that were party favorites (Monkey Bowling anyone??) and you've got a great game.
6. Tales of Symphonia - following the disappointing Final Fantasy X, I was getting pretty tired of those Japanese style RPGs with their stale turn-based combat systems and random battles. But this game was different, you could avoid or take battles at your own whim, but with its different real-time combat system, you actually wanted to do the battles! Now you could blow through this game's main story in about 40-50 hours, but this game had so much else to do that I doubled that, and spent 80+ great hours with this game.
5. Metroid Prime - like everybody else alive, I was skeptical when I heard Nintendo was taking their Metroid franchise into the 3D arena with a first person shooter. Now back then, I was more of a PC gamer, so for a FPS, a mouse and keyboard was a necessity, whereas a controller was the complete opposite. Not to mention Japan has typically shunned first person shooters. Nintendo had the intelligence to employ the Texas based Retro Studios to make this for them. Texas is of course, home of many of the great FPS developers (id, 3D Realms, Raven, etc.). This game had everything going against it. But how wrong I was, and how wrong many of us were. This game was absolutely balls to the walls. The graphics were phenomenal, the controls were very well done, the levels large and expansive with many areas to explore, and despite the move from 2D to 3D, kept much of what made everyone love the older Metroids in the first place. I bet not even Nintendo themselves thought that this would be as good as it turned out to be.
4. Paper Mario: The Thousand Year-Old Door - Well placed among their Mario franchise, but deviating from the standard platforming by adding RPG elements and turn based battles. The gameplay was very refined, giving you extra boosts if you did things a certain way, such as certain button presses at the right time. Finding out those perfect timings and trying to replicate them each time was half the fun. And not only was Mario battling, but you had a half dozen teammates there to help you, each with their own unique set of actions and even more of those timed button presses. It was over too quick for my liking, but that's because I had such a great time.
3. Mario Kart: Double Dash - I love this game. Adding in two riders to one kart really gave this franchise an innovative new twist. It had some great maps, and was best played with others. Looking forward to see what Nintendo has up its sleeve for the Wii installment. Nothing's been said so far, but you know it's coming.
2. The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker - it is unfortunate that many overlooked this game because of its cartoonish graphics. Those who didn't were rewarded with a game that fit into Zelda canon nicely, serving as a prequel to all previous Zelda games and telling us the whole backstory of the great Zelda universe. I absolutely loved the cel shaded art story of this film. Stylistically, it helped convey emotion and gave more depth to the story. One of the problems of 3D graphics even today is its inability to realistically portray emotion in human faces. It just never looks right, no matter how powerful the hardware you have because we know that it's not real. The art style in Wind Waker sidestepped this by using celshading, and not going for the realistic look. Add in one of the greatest end boss fights of all time and you have one of the best Gamecube games ever. I like Twilight Princess very much, but am disappointed that they forgoed the cel shaded style, fortunately they are using it in their DS game, The Phantom Hourglass, so all is not lost.
1. Metroid Prime 2 - Metroid Prime was amazing. A complete classic in every way, but this game was even better. It improved every single aspect of the first game, the graphics were even better (probably the best of any Gamecube game), the storytelling was more refined, and it was tough as all hell, but not in an annoying way. It's one of those games where you beat a certain part or boss and you really feel a sense of accomplishment. The first Metroid Prime was a successful hit, swaying all naysayers and universal praise across the board. While Metroid Prime 2 was a hit, it didn't come close to the first as it had the unfortunate circumstance to be released alongside Halo 2 for the Xbox, and Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas on the PS2. Ouch. It didn't stand a chance against those juggernauts. If you have a Gamecube or Wii, and haven't played this, then you owe it to yourself. It's one of the greatest gaming experiences I've ever had, and I am eagerly anticipating the upcoming third installment.
Honorable Mentions:
Donkey Kong: Jungle Beat - one of the few games that used that neat little Bongo accessory. I usually hate games that require accessories (save Guitar Hero), but I got this for cheap so the price was right. And you know what? It's innovative, but most of all, it's fun.
Pac-Man Vs. - this neat little gem was packaged with Pac Man World 2 (an unspectacular but competent platformer), and it was all about Multiplayer. It required a Game Boy Advance and the GC to GA cable, but it was worth it for this. Take classic Pac Man, but this time, instead of fighting computer A.I. ghosts, humans become the ghosts. More fun than it had any right to be.
Best Gamecube Game I Haven't Played:
Resident Evil 4 - I'm not really a fan of horror games, and the Resident Evil franchise has kinda been running on autopilot, but the universal acclaim for this title even from those who dislike the franchise put it over the top. I've had this game for a while but haven't played it just yet....soon enough though, soon enough.
Most Disappointing Gamecube Games:
Super Mario Sunshine - Mario 64 is one of the greatest games of all time, bar none. This game isn't bad by any means, it was good, but for a Mario game, good isn't good enough. It just had a very lame story, even for Mario standards, and the controls were not precise enough for a game that needs precise control. People say this game is hard, but I don't think that's by design, it's because of that horrible camera. How many times would you screw up and lose progress because you missed a jump because the camera screwed up and you jumped to a position relative to the new camera angle? Horrible, just horrible. I couldn't stand to finish this game.
Mario Party Franchise - did we really need 4 installments of this game for the Gamecube? If it wasn't getting tired by #4 (the first Gamecube iteration), it certainly was by #7 (the last iteration). It was still fun in small spurts, but the slow and boring gameplay had me itching for the WarioWare series, which was much more fast-paced and frenetic, and most important of all, fun! Each game was essentially the same just with new minigames, all of which are hit or miss, usually miss. Among a game's 70 or so minigames, there were usually just a handful worth replaying. Here's hoping they give us something new and fresh for Mario Party 8 on the Wii. They better.
Thursday, April 12, 2007
The Best Time of the Year
It's the best time of the year, why? Summer's close? Nope. School's Out? Nope. All good reasons for being a good time of the year, but not the best. The real reason? Hockey playoffs. Specifically the first round. Turn on the TV and we get at least a few games every day for 2 weeks. And it's not just regular hockey. It's playoff hockey for the biggest prize in all of hockey -- The Stanley Cup. So you know everyone's giving it their all. And with playoff hockey comes the most exciting part of all exciting parts -- Sudden Death Overtime. First team to score wins, doesn't get more nailbiting than that. You don't score, you keep playing until you do. No matter how long it takes.
So finally I get to go to my first playoff game, game 1 of the first round, the Vancouver Canucks vs. the Dallas Stars. Two evenly matched teams who split their season series all with identical scores of 2-1. Both defensive minded teams with little scoring and great goalies. We all expected a close game, but not like this. The atmosphere is incredible, and as cool as it looks on TV, you have to be there live to experience just how cool a visual it is to see an entire arena waving towels. TOWEL POWER! I even joked that a playoff game between these two teams could cause the game to go into multiple overtimes, little did I know....
Longest Canucks game in history, 6th longest in NHL history. I'm gonna skip the entire regulation except to say that the Canucks blew a 4-2 lead in the third period. Let's jump straight to the intermission after overtime period #3, where the equivalent of 2 full games had passed. I needed water but didn't wanna pay an arm and a leg for it. I can hold out (for now). Overtime period #4, less than 2 minutes less, preparing for Overtime #5, and about to give up that arm and leg for some bottled water. But alas, we score just short of entering period #8.
I gotta say though, as much as I love sudden death overtime and these superlong games, they gotta find a way to shorten them, like with a shootout or 4 on 4 in OT. They gotta do that for the players, it's just too much for them. It's just not fair for them to play that much in one night, and have to do it again in a couple days. They all played their hearts and muscles out, but you could tell that they were all on the verge of collapsing from exhaustion. I was getting tired watching, I can't imagine how it was to actually play that long.
Luongo made 72 saves, and while he may have let in a couple "soft" ones, he made the ones that counted, and always gave us a chance to win. He was named First Star, and it was well deserved. We were badly outplayed for much of the game, and were badly outshot, but upon learning that we lost 2 key forwards and were basically rolling 3 lines for almost the entire overtime periods, it made much more sense. We weren't badly outplayed, we were outmanned.
First playoff game, and what a game it was. It was almost two and a half games for the price of one, so I definately got my money's worth. I can now say that I was in the building during the longest Canucks game in history. It was a game the Canucks should've won outright in regulation, but it was not to be. Fortunately, we got the win anyways, eventually. Ok, time for bed, I need it.
So finally I get to go to my first playoff game, game 1 of the first round, the Vancouver Canucks vs. the Dallas Stars. Two evenly matched teams who split their season series all with identical scores of 2-1. Both defensive minded teams with little scoring and great goalies. We all expected a close game, but not like this. The atmosphere is incredible, and as cool as it looks on TV, you have to be there live to experience just how cool a visual it is to see an entire arena waving towels. TOWEL POWER! I even joked that a playoff game between these two teams could cause the game to go into multiple overtimes, little did I know....
Longest Canucks game in history, 6th longest in NHL history. I'm gonna skip the entire regulation except to say that the Canucks blew a 4-2 lead in the third period. Let's jump straight to the intermission after overtime period #3, where the equivalent of 2 full games had passed. I needed water but didn't wanna pay an arm and a leg for it. I can hold out (for now). Overtime period #4, less than 2 minutes less, preparing for Overtime #5, and about to give up that arm and leg for some bottled water. But alas, we score just short of entering period #8.
I gotta say though, as much as I love sudden death overtime and these superlong games, they gotta find a way to shorten them, like with a shootout or 4 on 4 in OT. They gotta do that for the players, it's just too much for them. It's just not fair for them to play that much in one night, and have to do it again in a couple days. They all played their hearts and muscles out, but you could tell that they were all on the verge of collapsing from exhaustion. I was getting tired watching, I can't imagine how it was to actually play that long.
Luongo made 72 saves, and while he may have let in a couple "soft" ones, he made the ones that counted, and always gave us a chance to win. He was named First Star, and it was well deserved. We were badly outplayed for much of the game, and were badly outshot, but upon learning that we lost 2 key forwards and were basically rolling 3 lines for almost the entire overtime periods, it made much more sense. We weren't badly outplayed, we were outmanned.
First playoff game, and what a game it was. It was almost two and a half games for the price of one, so I definately got my money's worth. I can now say that I was in the building during the longest Canucks game in history. It was a game the Canucks should've won outright in regulation, but it was not to be. Fortunately, we got the win anyways, eventually. Ok, time for bed, I need it.
Friday, March 30, 2007
Movie Renting Tips From Yours Truly
Here's some movie renting tips from yours truly to help you save a buck and get the most out of your money.
1. Libraries are gold mines when it comes to classic movies. Sometimes they'll even have those harder to find lesser-known and more expensive movies that even the big video stores don't carry. If they aren't your cup of tea, give em a chance, what's the worst that can happen? You'll like it?? Once you watch the classics, you'll see how many modern movies homage and rip them off. Once in a while you'll even find the odd new release Hollywood flick. Best of all, it's FREE. Well technically, libraries are funded through your taxes, so you already are paying for it, so you might as well use em. Many libraries also have online catalogues where you can request holds (sometimes its free, but sometimes there is a small charge, usually a buck or less -- still cheaper than renting from an actual video store).
2. With many rental stores now offering "No Late Fees" policies, you effectively have an extra week, and even an extra month (minus a possible restocking fee). Now I'm not telling you to keep a movie for that long, because if everybody did that, everybody loses and no one would see the movie they wanted. Where this can be useful is in avoiding the lineups of the average moviegoer who gets rentals on Fridays and Saturdays. While most people only have free time on the weekend, you can preplan your weekend by dropping by the video store during the middle of the week during less busy hours. Those couple of extra days won't cost you anything because of the "No Late Fees" policy. Spend your free time watching a movie, or waiting in line to rent it, the choice is yours.
3. Some rental outfits offer guaranteed rentals on certain titles, and if they don't have it in stock, its free the next time you return. If you don't mind not seeing a certain movie right away, you can get it free during its release week by visiting a store during the later hours on a Friday or Saturday, as most people have likely rented them all during the previous hours. Conversely, if you really want to see that movie, go early or call ahead, most places will also place holds for you.
4. Now that you have the movie, there's nothing more annoying than in the middle of watching it, all of a sudden it stops or begins to skip like crazy because some random asshole doesn't know how to handle a DVD (You Know Who You Are). This last tip will help you avoid those. It's not 100% perfect, but it certainly helps. Unfortunately, most video rental places have their discs secured so you can't see them for wear and tear until you've paid for it. What you want to do instead of just grabbing a random copy off the shelf, grab a copy on the lowest or highest shelf, and grab the bottom copy, the one most inside. Most people tend to grab the copies at arms length on the middle shelves, and hence return copies are placed back in the exact same place. Those lesser rented copies can yield a disc with less wear and tear. Sometimes, the outside of the case is also an indicator, if its uncharacteristically dirty or grimy, skip it.
A Bonus Tip! Not related to renting a movie, but in watching it. Unfortunately DVDs today can be loaded with advertisements, trailers, and disclaimers (in multiple languages). It just makes me wanna barf. We've all gone through DVDs with dozens of these, taking upwards of several minutes before the movie actually plays. To avoid this, instead of selecting "PLAY" at the main menu, choose "SCENE SELECTIONS" or "CHAPTERS" or something to that effect, and then choose the very first scene or chapter. Choosing the "PLAY" option activates said advertisements and disclaimers, whereas using the latter method skips all that crap and sends you straight to the beginning of the movie.
So there you have it. Efficient time planning, money saving, and maximizing movie enjoyment, what more can you ask for? :)
1. Libraries are gold mines when it comes to classic movies. Sometimes they'll even have those harder to find lesser-known and more expensive movies that even the big video stores don't carry. If they aren't your cup of tea, give em a chance, what's the worst that can happen? You'll like it?? Once you watch the classics, you'll see how many modern movies homage and rip them off. Once in a while you'll even find the odd new release Hollywood flick. Best of all, it's FREE. Well technically, libraries are funded through your taxes, so you already are paying for it, so you might as well use em. Many libraries also have online catalogues where you can request holds (sometimes its free, but sometimes there is a small charge, usually a buck or less -- still cheaper than renting from an actual video store).
2. With many rental stores now offering "No Late Fees" policies, you effectively have an extra week, and even an extra month (minus a possible restocking fee). Now I'm not telling you to keep a movie for that long, because if everybody did that, everybody loses and no one would see the movie they wanted. Where this can be useful is in avoiding the lineups of the average moviegoer who gets rentals on Fridays and Saturdays. While most people only have free time on the weekend, you can preplan your weekend by dropping by the video store during the middle of the week during less busy hours. Those couple of extra days won't cost you anything because of the "No Late Fees" policy. Spend your free time watching a movie, or waiting in line to rent it, the choice is yours.
3. Some rental outfits offer guaranteed rentals on certain titles, and if they don't have it in stock, its free the next time you return. If you don't mind not seeing a certain movie right away, you can get it free during its release week by visiting a store during the later hours on a Friday or Saturday, as most people have likely rented them all during the previous hours. Conversely, if you really want to see that movie, go early or call ahead, most places will also place holds for you.
4. Now that you have the movie, there's nothing more annoying than in the middle of watching it, all of a sudden it stops or begins to skip like crazy because some random asshole doesn't know how to handle a DVD (You Know Who You Are). This last tip will help you avoid those. It's not 100% perfect, but it certainly helps. Unfortunately, most video rental places have their discs secured so you can't see them for wear and tear until you've paid for it. What you want to do instead of just grabbing a random copy off the shelf, grab a copy on the lowest or highest shelf, and grab the bottom copy, the one most inside. Most people tend to grab the copies at arms length on the middle shelves, and hence return copies are placed back in the exact same place. Those lesser rented copies can yield a disc with less wear and tear. Sometimes, the outside of the case is also an indicator, if its uncharacteristically dirty or grimy, skip it.
A Bonus Tip! Not related to renting a movie, but in watching it. Unfortunately DVDs today can be loaded with advertisements, trailers, and disclaimers (in multiple languages). It just makes me wanna barf. We've all gone through DVDs with dozens of these, taking upwards of several minutes before the movie actually plays. To avoid this, instead of selecting "PLAY" at the main menu, choose "SCENE SELECTIONS" or "CHAPTERS" or something to that effect, and then choose the very first scene or chapter. Choosing the "PLAY" option activates said advertisements and disclaimers, whereas using the latter method skips all that crap and sends you straight to the beginning of the movie.
So there you have it. Efficient time planning, money saving, and maximizing movie enjoyment, what more can you ask for? :)
Saturday, March 3, 2007
DVD Review - Nine Inch Nails Live: Beside You In Time
With Trent Reznor cleaned up for good (hopefully), 2005's With Teeth and his touring to support it announced that NIN is not only back, but they're here to stay, and they have never been better. Backed by IMO, his best handpicked assembled band yet of drummer Josh Freese, guitarist Aaron North, bassist/guitarist Jeordie White and Keyboardist/Guitarist Alessandro Cortini.
One of the things I love about NIN is that as long as Trent wants to keep it going, they will never break up. Or as a friend put, they break up after every tour. The band member roulette seems to change every tour, which is good and bad. Bad in that we, as fans, have come to love the then-current members and seeing new ones just seem strange. Good in that the new members bring a new quality to the band, and in essence help keep NIN fresh by introducing their own unique sound and sensibilities. As Trent has said, he would never bring in the best technical player for each position, instead picking those who are multi-talented and fit in with the band the best. I mean, Eric Clapton is a fantastic guitarist, one of the greatest of all-time, but he would never fit in with Nine Inch Nails. Although, come to think of it, I would pay mucho dinero to see Clapton and Reznor live together.
As evidenced through this live DVD, Trent Reznor is now over 40 years old and exudes an energy onstage that many musicians half his age can barely muster. He is truly a sight to see. As much of a master of music that he is, and as quietly spoken he seems to be in many interviews, when he walks onstage, he becomes a monster. No longer dressed in fishnets and drenched with corn starch, Reznor also ditched his longer locks for the short shaven look with a sleeveless tops that show off his enormous muscular arms. As he said, if you can't do drugs, what else can you do? Lift weights apparently, and a lot of them at that.
What I love about the new Trent is new fearlessness towards playing many songs of NIN's expansive back catalogue that have never been tackled, for various reasons. Perhaps inspired by his new band, the newest incarnation of NIN has spiced up old favorites while also playing new favorites that have never been played live before. And this all brings us to NIN's latest release, the live performance, Beside You In Time. This is a great document of NIN at their greatest.
Those are some of my general thoughts, so here are some song-specific thoughts:
1. Love Is Not Enough - fantastic show opener with the band behind a veiled curtain so that we barely see their shadows. Love Is Not Enough is one of those NIN songs that is so good live that I can't stand listening to the album version anymore.
2. You Know What You Are? - anyone who can play the drums on this song and not have their arms fall off is a God, and Josh Freese shows off his deity-ness with this track. The performance of this song is one of the true highlights on a disc filled with them.
3. Terrible Lie - this has been one of my personal faves since I first saw them perform it live. I don't think they've ever done a show where they haven't played this song, and they've been touring since 1989. And yet, it never gets old. Like all the material off Pretty Hate Machine, the song is completely transformed into a new monster live.
4. The Line Begins To Blur - this was one of those songs I thought would translate horribly live, mainly because its got a relentless bassline throughout the whole song, and bass translate very iffy live sometimes. But I'll be damned if the live version kicks all kinds of awesome. Favorite part: "I DON'T KNOW! I DON'T KNOW!"
5. March of the Pigs - one of their live staples, always a crowdpleaser. Trent is all over the place and Aaron is all over the arena literally, jumping into the crowd at one point.
6. Something I Can Never Have - I'm so glad they decided to put this back into their set after it was pretty much "retired" since their Downward Spiral tours in 94/95. It might not have the same resonance as Hurt, but it sure comes close, and I know many who will argue it has more.
7. Closer - I've said it before, and I'll say it again, the new live version of this song is incredible. Absolutely love the insertion of "The Only Time" at the end.
8. Burn - Like Something I Can Never Have, was brought out of retirement, and kicks all kinds of ass. Sometimes you just need to take something away so that its return is that much sweeter.
9. Gave Up - Another live staple, and just shows how tight NIN's live show truly is.
Now comes what many call "The Eye of the Storm" part of many NIN concerts, where we get several slower songs in between the chaos and mayhem, accompanied by a video projection.
10. Eraser - another one of those oldies but goodies brought back to their live setlist. Probably my favorite track off The Downward Spiral (but really, there isn't a song on that album that isn't).
11. Right Where It Belongs - every NIN album always has that one emotional song that always hits you right where it hurts and really takes you to a sad place. Pretty Hate Machine had Something I Can Never Have, Downward Spiral had Hurt, The Fragile had The Great Below, and With Teeth has this. As if it wasn't sad enough already, the video projection shows us a montage of poverty and suffering contrasted with the image of George W. Bush happily dancing with his wife. Trent has never been very political before, but the current situation with Bush, with the Iraq War and his handling of Hurricane Katrina/New Orleans situation (Trent's old hometown), he just couldn't stand it anymore and had to make a statement. I applaud him for it and agree with him 100%. And if you thought this was all the socio-political commentary Trent had in him, then you haven't been following the commotion around his upcoming album, Year Zero.
12. Beside You In Time - one of visual highlights of the show. As well as it is captured on this DVD, this really had to be seen live for full impact. Love the glass breaking. Exit the video projection, and the Storm resumes.
13. With Teeth - the title track of his 2005 release is one of my favorites from that album. I love that quiet middle part with just the piano and distorted guitar, and live, its easier to hear than the album version which makes you turn up the volume only to be bombarded by the subsequent guitar riffs. I never thought it would be possible, but Trent makes playing the tambourine look cool. He doesn't really play it, its more like he attacks it.
14. Wish - another crowdpleaser that has the crowd on the verge of rioting. Josh Freese's drumming on this song was one of the reasons he really won me over after replacing NIN's old drummer Jerome Dillon. (Let's forget about Alex Carapetis....)
15. Only - manages to sound very different than the album version, but remains very cool nonetheless. So good live, they've got it on this disc twice! The visuals in this song are captured well and really show off how detailed this DVD looks.
16. The Big Come Down - this performance absolutely rocks. I can and have watched this dozens of times......(Leaves to go watch it again).
17. Hurt - another of the live staples, and emotional highpoints. Despite the sad subject matter, this is such a beautiful song, sung beautifully by Trent alone with a keyboard, with the rest of the band joining in the final verse. I love it when the crowd sings along, but please please stop the handclapping. Trent is up there pouring his heart out and you clap your hands? Seriously, stop it. Only clap when Trent wants you to, like in...
18. The Hand That Feeds - Another big F.U. to George Bush, and also a great song to bang your head to. You may clap your hands during this song if you wish.
19. Head Like A Hole - If Wish had the crowd on the verge of rioting, then Head Like A Hole is a full scale riot. NIN leaves us on a high, higher than any drug can give us, and like most drugs leave us wanting more. For the live crowd, that its for the night, but for us home viewers, there's more!
Among the additional content on Beside You In Time:
5 songs from their North American Summer Tour in 2006:
1. Somewhat Damaged - hearing this song live was such an unexpected treat. I'll never forget that moment, as it was both unexpected in terms of the song, and in terms of the moment, as the house lights were still on. Out of all the songs NIN has opened with, this is probably my favorite.
2. Closer - the very definition of a crowdpleaser. Love the accompanying visuals, especially the part where it looks like the red liquid is pouring over Trent through the grate, but fills up as soon as leaves it.
3. Help Me I Am In Hell - like Somewhat Damaged, this was an unexpected but very welcome surprise when I saw them live last summer. Played with a very trippy accompanying video projection.
4. Non-Entity - It was so great to hear this live, and even better to have it here. Great song, great visuals.
5. Only - so good they have it twice, and I gotta say I like this version better than the Winter Tour version. Much trippier visuals.
Music Videos for The Hand That Feeds and Only - interesting how Trent seems to alternate making music videos that are basic-performance-only (The Hand That Feeds) and high-concept-driven-more-complex (Only). Another good example that typifies the uniqueness and diversity of Nine Inch Nails.
Live Performances from Rehearsals of Love Is Not Enough, The Collector and Every Day Is Exactly The Same - must've been from early 2005 cuz Trent was still sporting hair and Jerome was still on drums!
While their last live release contained some great easter eggs, I have searched high and low, and alas there are none of this release. Disappointing, sure, but we sure got our moneys worth for this great little package.
The video quality on this DVD is amazing, shot on professional quality High Definition cameras, you can really tell, even on the DVD, I can't wait to see what the hi-def versions look like. Despite the frenetic lights and obviously difficult material to translate onto digital formats, the video quality really shines. Hardly any compression artifacts to note, all fit onto 1 disc with extras and both DTS and Dolby 5.1. As much as I love NIN's previous live release, And All That Could Have Been, the disc break in the middle of the performance really hurt it. The video quality on the additional content is not up to the standards of the main feature, but they were shot on handheld consumer level high definition cameras. But the band felt the material warranted inclusion despite the lower video quality.
Sound quality is also up there, presented in Dolby Digital and DTS 5.1 Surround, and a proper Stereo track for those without surround capabilities. Trent Reznor is a master musician who has done stuff in plain stereo that amazes. So you can only imagine how great this disc sounds in 5.1 surround sound. One of the aural highlights is hearing Jeordie play live bass on many songs where bass hasn't been played before in previous NIN tours is just incredible, it adds so much to the songs.
Big Kudos to whoever it is who priced the DVD/HD DVD/Blu Ray, because the DVD is about half the cost of the average new release, and the HiDef releases are also both really affordable, costing less than most standard DVD new releases.
Big Middle Finger to whoever it is who decided to delay the HD DVD and Blu Ray versions of Beside You In Time a week after the DVD in Canada. New Album on Apr. 17, tickets to see em live in Japan in May, A North American tour or two probably sometime in the Fall, and Year Zero followup in 2008? Has there ever been a better time to be a NIN fan? I don't think so....
NIN Fans already have this, music fans, this is great demo material not only video and audio-wise, but especially performance and music-wise.
One of the things I love about NIN is that as long as Trent wants to keep it going, they will never break up. Or as a friend put, they break up after every tour. The band member roulette seems to change every tour, which is good and bad. Bad in that we, as fans, have come to love the then-current members and seeing new ones just seem strange. Good in that the new members bring a new quality to the band, and in essence help keep NIN fresh by introducing their own unique sound and sensibilities. As Trent has said, he would never bring in the best technical player for each position, instead picking those who are multi-talented and fit in with the band the best. I mean, Eric Clapton is a fantastic guitarist, one of the greatest of all-time, but he would never fit in with Nine Inch Nails. Although, come to think of it, I would pay mucho dinero to see Clapton and Reznor live together.
As evidenced through this live DVD, Trent Reznor is now over 40 years old and exudes an energy onstage that many musicians half his age can barely muster. He is truly a sight to see. As much of a master of music that he is, and as quietly spoken he seems to be in many interviews, when he walks onstage, he becomes a monster. No longer dressed in fishnets and drenched with corn starch, Reznor also ditched his longer locks for the short shaven look with a sleeveless tops that show off his enormous muscular arms. As he said, if you can't do drugs, what else can you do? Lift weights apparently, and a lot of them at that.
What I love about the new Trent is new fearlessness towards playing many songs of NIN's expansive back catalogue that have never been tackled, for various reasons. Perhaps inspired by his new band, the newest incarnation of NIN has spiced up old favorites while also playing new favorites that have never been played live before. And this all brings us to NIN's latest release, the live performance, Beside You In Time. This is a great document of NIN at their greatest.
Those are some of my general thoughts, so here are some song-specific thoughts:
1. Love Is Not Enough - fantastic show opener with the band behind a veiled curtain so that we barely see their shadows. Love Is Not Enough is one of those NIN songs that is so good live that I can't stand listening to the album version anymore.
2. You Know What You Are? - anyone who can play the drums on this song and not have their arms fall off is a God, and Josh Freese shows off his deity-ness with this track. The performance of this song is one of the true highlights on a disc filled with them.
3. Terrible Lie - this has been one of my personal faves since I first saw them perform it live. I don't think they've ever done a show where they haven't played this song, and they've been touring since 1989. And yet, it never gets old. Like all the material off Pretty Hate Machine, the song is completely transformed into a new monster live.
4. The Line Begins To Blur - this was one of those songs I thought would translate horribly live, mainly because its got a relentless bassline throughout the whole song, and bass translate very iffy live sometimes. But I'll be damned if the live version kicks all kinds of awesome. Favorite part: "I DON'T KNOW! I DON'T KNOW!"
5. March of the Pigs - one of their live staples, always a crowdpleaser. Trent is all over the place and Aaron is all over the arena literally, jumping into the crowd at one point.
6. Something I Can Never Have - I'm so glad they decided to put this back into their set after it was pretty much "retired" since their Downward Spiral tours in 94/95. It might not have the same resonance as Hurt, but it sure comes close, and I know many who will argue it has more.
7. Closer - I've said it before, and I'll say it again, the new live version of this song is incredible. Absolutely love the insertion of "The Only Time" at the end.
8. Burn - Like Something I Can Never Have, was brought out of retirement, and kicks all kinds of ass. Sometimes you just need to take something away so that its return is that much sweeter.
9. Gave Up - Another live staple, and just shows how tight NIN's live show truly is.
Now comes what many call "The Eye of the Storm" part of many NIN concerts, where we get several slower songs in between the chaos and mayhem, accompanied by a video projection.
10. Eraser - another one of those oldies but goodies brought back to their live setlist. Probably my favorite track off The Downward Spiral (but really, there isn't a song on that album that isn't).
11. Right Where It Belongs - every NIN album always has that one emotional song that always hits you right where it hurts and really takes you to a sad place. Pretty Hate Machine had Something I Can Never Have, Downward Spiral had Hurt, The Fragile had The Great Below, and With Teeth has this. As if it wasn't sad enough already, the video projection shows us a montage of poverty and suffering contrasted with the image of George W. Bush happily dancing with his wife. Trent has never been very political before, but the current situation with Bush, with the Iraq War and his handling of Hurricane Katrina/New Orleans situation (Trent's old hometown), he just couldn't stand it anymore and had to make a statement. I applaud him for it and agree with him 100%. And if you thought this was all the socio-political commentary Trent had in him, then you haven't been following the commotion around his upcoming album, Year Zero.
12. Beside You In Time - one of visual highlights of the show. As well as it is captured on this DVD, this really had to be seen live for full impact. Love the glass breaking. Exit the video projection, and the Storm resumes.
13. With Teeth - the title track of his 2005 release is one of my favorites from that album. I love that quiet middle part with just the piano and distorted guitar, and live, its easier to hear than the album version which makes you turn up the volume only to be bombarded by the subsequent guitar riffs. I never thought it would be possible, but Trent makes playing the tambourine look cool. He doesn't really play it, its more like he attacks it.
14. Wish - another crowdpleaser that has the crowd on the verge of rioting. Josh Freese's drumming on this song was one of the reasons he really won me over after replacing NIN's old drummer Jerome Dillon. (Let's forget about Alex Carapetis....)
15. Only - manages to sound very different than the album version, but remains very cool nonetheless. So good live, they've got it on this disc twice! The visuals in this song are captured well and really show off how detailed this DVD looks.
16. The Big Come Down - this performance absolutely rocks. I can and have watched this dozens of times......(Leaves to go watch it again).
17. Hurt - another of the live staples, and emotional highpoints. Despite the sad subject matter, this is such a beautiful song, sung beautifully by Trent alone with a keyboard, with the rest of the band joining in the final verse. I love it when the crowd sings along, but please please stop the handclapping. Trent is up there pouring his heart out and you clap your hands? Seriously, stop it. Only clap when Trent wants you to, like in...
18. The Hand That Feeds - Another big F.U. to George Bush, and also a great song to bang your head to. You may clap your hands during this song if you wish.
19. Head Like A Hole - If Wish had the crowd on the verge of rioting, then Head Like A Hole is a full scale riot. NIN leaves us on a high, higher than any drug can give us, and like most drugs leave us wanting more. For the live crowd, that its for the night, but for us home viewers, there's more!
Among the additional content on Beside You In Time:
5 songs from their North American Summer Tour in 2006:
1. Somewhat Damaged - hearing this song live was such an unexpected treat. I'll never forget that moment, as it was both unexpected in terms of the song, and in terms of the moment, as the house lights were still on. Out of all the songs NIN has opened with, this is probably my favorite.
2. Closer - the very definition of a crowdpleaser. Love the accompanying visuals, especially the part where it looks like the red liquid is pouring over Trent through the grate, but fills up as soon as leaves it.
3. Help Me I Am In Hell - like Somewhat Damaged, this was an unexpected but very welcome surprise when I saw them live last summer. Played with a very trippy accompanying video projection.
4. Non-Entity - It was so great to hear this live, and even better to have it here. Great song, great visuals.
5. Only - so good they have it twice, and I gotta say I like this version better than the Winter Tour version. Much trippier visuals.
Music Videos for The Hand That Feeds and Only - interesting how Trent seems to alternate making music videos that are basic-performance-only (The Hand That Feeds) and high-concept-driven-more-complex (Only). Another good example that typifies the uniqueness and diversity of Nine Inch Nails.
Live Performances from Rehearsals of Love Is Not Enough, The Collector and Every Day Is Exactly The Same - must've been from early 2005 cuz Trent was still sporting hair and Jerome was still on drums!
While their last live release contained some great easter eggs, I have searched high and low, and alas there are none of this release. Disappointing, sure, but we sure got our moneys worth for this great little package.
The video quality on this DVD is amazing, shot on professional quality High Definition cameras, you can really tell, even on the DVD, I can't wait to see what the hi-def versions look like. Despite the frenetic lights and obviously difficult material to translate onto digital formats, the video quality really shines. Hardly any compression artifacts to note, all fit onto 1 disc with extras and both DTS and Dolby 5.1. As much as I love NIN's previous live release, And All That Could Have Been, the disc break in the middle of the performance really hurt it. The video quality on the additional content is not up to the standards of the main feature, but they were shot on handheld consumer level high definition cameras. But the band felt the material warranted inclusion despite the lower video quality.
Sound quality is also up there, presented in Dolby Digital and DTS 5.1 Surround, and a proper Stereo track for those without surround capabilities. Trent Reznor is a master musician who has done stuff in plain stereo that amazes. So you can only imagine how great this disc sounds in 5.1 surround sound. One of the aural highlights is hearing Jeordie play live bass on many songs where bass hasn't been played before in previous NIN tours is just incredible, it adds so much to the songs.
Big Kudos to whoever it is who priced the DVD/HD DVD/Blu Ray, because the DVD is about half the cost of the average new release, and the HiDef releases are also both really affordable, costing less than most standard DVD new releases.
Big Middle Finger to whoever it is who decided to delay the HD DVD and Blu Ray versions of Beside You In Time a week after the DVD in Canada. New Album on Apr. 17, tickets to see em live in Japan in May, A North American tour or two probably sometime in the Fall, and Year Zero followup in 2008? Has there ever been a better time to be a NIN fan? I don't think so....
NIN Fans already have this, music fans, this is great demo material not only video and audio-wise, but especially performance and music-wise.
Sunday, February 18, 2007
Eric So Karaoke Video
Because you demanded it, here it is!
If you like it, please leave a positive comment, because there's more where that came from!
If you like it, please leave a positive comment, because there's more where that came from!
Saturday, January 27, 2007
Movie Review: Pan's Labyrinth
This movie starts slow, but by the end I was swept away by its heart and emotion. The best way I can describe this film is as a dark, grim and haunting fairy tale set in Spain in 1944 after Franco's victory. Our main character, Ofelia, is the daughter of a pregnant woman, who are both travelling to live her new husband in rural Spain. Her new husband is the ruthless, fascist leader of a small squad determined to take out the rest of the remaining dissidents. Without giving away any more details, Pan's Labyrinth tells the story of Ofelia, who, attracted by a fairy gets led to this new fantastical world. Ofelia faces many trials and tribulations, both in her real life and said fantastical world.
The young Ivana Baquero plays Ofelia perfectly, in a role, that if miscast, would have ruined the movie. Thankfully she proves she has the acting chops, alongside a very powerful and intimidating cast. Most standout is the husband, Captain Vidal played almost too convincingly by Sergi Lopez. He is so ruthless that he gives Hitlet a run for his money. Maribel Verdu is also very effective as Mercedes, one of Vidal's personal servants.
About writer/director Guillermo Del Toro, here's a guy who loves films and knows how to make them. It's pretty clear when you watch the extras for his other movies like Blade II and Hellboy that this man has a deep passion for filmmaking that very, very few people on this earth have. The way he talks just exudes enthusiasm to the nth degree. Blade II and Hellboy were just warmups for him. They are almost like his test films to show the world, "Hey, I can make a cool movie." And someone, somewhere must have seen them and reacted, "Hey, he can make a cool movie!" Both Hellboy and Blade II had the hallmarks of a director who had a great vision and knew what he was doing. They were great films, Pan's Labyrinth, or El Laberinto del Fauno as it is named in its original language, is his magnum opus.
Also of note is the score, by Javier Navarrete, which I'm listening to while typing this. While the movie is dark and grim, not all of his music is. There are some very beautiful melodies with an almost lullabic-quality (Is lullabic even a real word?).
People tend to avoid subtitled movies like the plague, and if you're one of these people, I feel sorry for you, because even if you watch this movie dubbed, you will lose a lot of the magic.
One warning about this film. This film is not filled end-to-end with violence, but it does happen occasionally, and when it does happen, it can be really cringe-inducing and head-turning. Just a heads up for those of you who may not know what to expect.
The more I think about this movie, the more I love it. I look forward to watching this again on DVD or HD DVD or Blu-ray or VHS or Beta or whatever it takes, I just can't wait to see it again.
Besides the aforementioned Blade II and Hellboy, those who enjoy Pan's will also enjoy The Devil's Backbone, one of Del Toro's early films.
The young Ivana Baquero plays Ofelia perfectly, in a role, that if miscast, would have ruined the movie. Thankfully she proves she has the acting chops, alongside a very powerful and intimidating cast. Most standout is the husband, Captain Vidal played almost too convincingly by Sergi Lopez. He is so ruthless that he gives Hitlet a run for his money. Maribel Verdu is also very effective as Mercedes, one of Vidal's personal servants.
About writer/director Guillermo Del Toro, here's a guy who loves films and knows how to make them. It's pretty clear when you watch the extras for his other movies like Blade II and Hellboy that this man has a deep passion for filmmaking that very, very few people on this earth have. The way he talks just exudes enthusiasm to the nth degree. Blade II and Hellboy were just warmups for him. They are almost like his test films to show the world, "Hey, I can make a cool movie." And someone, somewhere must have seen them and reacted, "Hey, he can make a cool movie!" Both Hellboy and Blade II had the hallmarks of a director who had a great vision and knew what he was doing. They were great films, Pan's Labyrinth, or El Laberinto del Fauno as it is named in its original language, is his magnum opus.
Also of note is the score, by Javier Navarrete, which I'm listening to while typing this. While the movie is dark and grim, not all of his music is. There are some very beautiful melodies with an almost lullabic-quality (Is lullabic even a real word?).
People tend to avoid subtitled movies like the plague, and if you're one of these people, I feel sorry for you, because even if you watch this movie dubbed, you will lose a lot of the magic.
One warning about this film. This film is not filled end-to-end with violence, but it does happen occasionally, and when it does happen, it can be really cringe-inducing and head-turning. Just a heads up for those of you who may not know what to expect.
The more I think about this movie, the more I love it. I look forward to watching this again on DVD or HD DVD or Blu-ray or VHS or Beta or whatever it takes, I just can't wait to see it again.
Besides the aforementioned Blade II and Hellboy, those who enjoy Pan's will also enjoy The Devil's Backbone, one of Del Toro's early films.
Saturday, December 23, 2006
DVD Review: The Superman Ultimate Collector's Edition
Wow, this is quite possibly the most comprehensive box set release of any movie series ever. You thought that 9-disc Alien Quadrilogy (horrible name) was expansive? Warner Brothers' 14-Disc Ultimate Superman Collection blows it away.
Here's some quick thoughts on the movies in this set:
Superman: The Movie - To this day, still ranks as one of the best superhero movies of all-time. Didn't have the slam bang action of II, but holds up remarkably well. I can and have watched this film from start-to-end many times, and will continue to do so. Available in its original 1978 Theatrical Version or the 2000 Expanded Edition.
Superman II: Theatrical Version - The first time we saw real big comic book action on the big screen. Zod is not only one of the greatest comic book movie villains of all-time, but of all cinema. ZOD!!! Doesn't hold up as well as the first movie, but still very, very fun.
Superman II: The Richard Donner Cut - a fanboy's wet dream, read my previous post.
Superman III - Richard Pryor is no doubt a comic genius, but so out of his element in a Superman movie. Evil Superman was cool though.
Superman IV: The Quest For Peace - one of those movies that's so bad, it's good. Like III, it's camp factor is high, and it's fun for a laugh. As I read somewhere else, this is Mark Pillow (Nuclear Man's) greatest triumph.
Superman Returns - I enjoyed this but was dissapointed at the same time. If anything, this helped but Superman back into the public spotlight and helped raise interest in him again, and that's never a bad thing. Let's give it a decade or two and see how well it holds up.
Here's some of my favorite features that make this set worth buying (besides the inclusions of all the feature films):
The 1940s Max Fleischer Superman Cartoons - all 17 are available here. They are so interesting and such a joy to watch mostly due to its unique art and animation style. One of the true gems of this set.
You Will Believe: The Cinematic Saga of Superman - Available only in this box set, this documentary chronicles the making of Supermans I through IV (and Supergirl!). Contains very candid comments from much of the cast and crew involved in the making of all the films. Of most interest are the segments that deal with the Donner/Lester/Salkind madness that occurred during the making of the first two films.
Look, Up In The Sky! The Amazking Story of Superman - this great documentary chronicles Superman's history throughout time since his birth to the present across all forms of media including newspaper, comic book, television, film, musical, etc., etc.
All movies save Superman Returns have commentaries (6 in total). Returns makes up for its lack of commentary with an expansive 3 hour making of documentary.
And that's just the best stuff, there's loads of more extra features piled into this set. Here is a complete list of all extra features.
This is one of those sets that promises 20 hours of extra features, but I bet there's even more than that. Honestly, there's so much stuff here, some things you've never thought about, but end up really liking (Warner Brothers Cartoons featuring Bugs Bunny and Daffy that spoof Superman) and some things you've never thought about, and still wish you didn't think about (The Adventures of Superpup - a live action TV puppet show with Superman as a dog/pupper, you've gotta see it to believe it).
For any Superman fan, this is truly the Ultimate in DVD sets. Even if you're only a fan of the Donner/Reeve Superman 1 & 2, and hate the rest, the extra bonus material justifies the extra money you'll be paying. If you do the math, you're really not paying that much more. And gosh darnit, that shiny metal box sure is purdy.
Friday, December 15, 2006
The REAL Superman Returns, A Fan's Appreciation of Superman II: The Richard Donner Cut
This review is taken from the viewpoint of a person (me), who's favorite movies since his childhood were the first two Superman films. Even today I hold them in very high regard. Also, you may understand this review more if you have an understanding of what happened with the first two Superman films, very accurately described in detail and at length at the Superman Cinema homepage. Give it a read, it's very interesting especially since we've got a quarter century of hindsight. Now onto the review/appreciation.
A brand new Christopher Reeve Superman movie. If that line alone doesn't sell you on this, then you, kind sir, or ma'am have no heart. Forget Bryan Singer's well-intentioned but ultimately dissapointing Superman Returns, this is where the REAL Superman Returns.
I don't remember much of what my science professor taught me in high school, but what little I did retain was all wrong, because Margot Kidder and Christopher Reeve show us really what real chemistry looks like. You can't just put some hot broad in a film and expect chemistry like that (See Jessica Alba in Fantastic Four....actually on second thought, don't). Unlike Alba, Kidder was not a knockout-type beauty, but had more of a subtle beauty, she had a nice smile that wasn't really big or overly exaggerated like we tend to see these days and her eyes could catch you off guard at so many turns. As much as Reeve brought to Superman, Kidder was right there behind him. Without her, Superman would have been and is a completely different beast, and an ugly one at that.
Christopher Reeve is most heartwarming and charming as Superman and Clark Kent. He exudes a quirky attitude as Clark Kent, and an airtight confidence as Superman. He is so likable I can't help but smile everytime he's on the screen. His portrayal of Superman and Clark Kent has been so ingrained in my mind, that everytime I read a Superman comic book I hear his voice saying the words on the page inside my head.
One of the most pleasant surprises was the never before seen Marlon Brando footage. Now I know why I was so dissapointed with the Brando footage in Superman Returns, it's because they saved all the good stuff for this flick. The scenes with Brando and Reeve are so essential to the film that its a surprise the theatrical version worked without it. In fact, their many new scenes together address one of the biggest plot holes in the theatrical version, namely how Clark/Superman gets his powers back after he gives them up for Lois.
Among the other new scenes of note are a new opening, where Lois thinks she figures out that Clark's really Superman. The second time's a charm though as another new scene shows her finally figuring out Superman's true identity. It's a lot more clever and rewarding than the original theatrical version where Clark just stumbles into the fireplace.
Gone are some of the things that most fans have always hated about the theatrical version. The two biggest are the finger beams that the Phantom Zone criminals use, and their much shortened invasion of a small American town. The former because it was just seemed silly and untrue of the comic, and the latter because of its heavy-handed way in which it protrayed the small U.S. town as being populated with stereotypical hicks.
The movie isn't without it's problems. While most of the new footage fits like a glove, some of the it sticks out like a sore thumb. Unfortunate but forgivable given the circumstances. It's a real shame this movie can never be fully completed. It brings up the interesting question, how awesome would the Superman series have been if Donner had stayed on board to guide the ship? Donner says himself that he would've been in for the long run if he had the opportunity.
For people who never enjoyed or watched Superman, you might watch this and wonder what all the fuss is about. This isn't for you, this is for the hardcore fans of the original films, who believe it or not, are actually the biggest reason this "new" film even exists. This is proof positive that online fan campaigns CAN work, when done PROPERLY. For fans of Superman, Christopher Reeve and Richard Donner, Superman II: The Richard Donner Cut is a revelation. It's something we've wanted forever, but never truly thought we would ever get. And now that it's here, we're pinching ourselves. This is a must buy. You'll believe again that a man can fly.
A brand new Christopher Reeve Superman movie. If that line alone doesn't sell you on this, then you, kind sir, or ma'am have no heart. Forget Bryan Singer's well-intentioned but ultimately dissapointing Superman Returns, this is where the REAL Superman Returns.
I don't remember much of what my science professor taught me in high school, but what little I did retain was all wrong, because Margot Kidder and Christopher Reeve show us really what real chemistry looks like. You can't just put some hot broad in a film and expect chemistry like that (See Jessica Alba in Fantastic Four....actually on second thought, don't). Unlike Alba, Kidder was not a knockout-type beauty, but had more of a subtle beauty, she had a nice smile that wasn't really big or overly exaggerated like we tend to see these days and her eyes could catch you off guard at so many turns. As much as Reeve brought to Superman, Kidder was right there behind him. Without her, Superman would have been and is a completely different beast, and an ugly one at that.
Christopher Reeve is most heartwarming and charming as Superman and Clark Kent. He exudes a quirky attitude as Clark Kent, and an airtight confidence as Superman. He is so likable I can't help but smile everytime he's on the screen. His portrayal of Superman and Clark Kent has been so ingrained in my mind, that everytime I read a Superman comic book I hear his voice saying the words on the page inside my head.
One of the most pleasant surprises was the never before seen Marlon Brando footage. Now I know why I was so dissapointed with the Brando footage in Superman Returns, it's because they saved all the good stuff for this flick. The scenes with Brando and Reeve are so essential to the film that its a surprise the theatrical version worked without it. In fact, their many new scenes together address one of the biggest plot holes in the theatrical version, namely how Clark/Superman gets his powers back after he gives them up for Lois.
Among the other new scenes of note are a new opening, where Lois thinks she figures out that Clark's really Superman. The second time's a charm though as another new scene shows her finally figuring out Superman's true identity. It's a lot more clever and rewarding than the original theatrical version where Clark just stumbles into the fireplace.
Gone are some of the things that most fans have always hated about the theatrical version. The two biggest are the finger beams that the Phantom Zone criminals use, and their much shortened invasion of a small American town. The former because it was just seemed silly and untrue of the comic, and the latter because of its heavy-handed way in which it protrayed the small U.S. town as being populated with stereotypical hicks.
The movie isn't without it's problems. While most of the new footage fits like a glove, some of the it sticks out like a sore thumb. Unfortunate but forgivable given the circumstances. It's a real shame this movie can never be fully completed. It brings up the interesting question, how awesome would the Superman series have been if Donner had stayed on board to guide the ship? Donner says himself that he would've been in for the long run if he had the opportunity.
For people who never enjoyed or watched Superman, you might watch this and wonder what all the fuss is about. This isn't for you, this is for the hardcore fans of the original films, who believe it or not, are actually the biggest reason this "new" film even exists. This is proof positive that online fan campaigns CAN work, when done PROPERLY. For fans of Superman, Christopher Reeve and Richard Donner, Superman II: The Richard Donner Cut is a revelation. It's something we've wanted forever, but never truly thought we would ever get. And now that it's here, we're pinching ourselves. This is a must buy. You'll believe again that a man can fly.
Wednesday, November 22, 2006
Game Review: Gears of War
This game is just so good, I had to give it it's own post.
Gears of War is one of those games that had so much hype around it that people not familiar with games or remotely interested in the Xbox 360 know about. This is usually a deathbell for a game, as too much hype can be a bad thing. But in the case of Gears of War, it lives up to it, for the most part.
Let's start with the good. First up, Graphics. Exceptional. Quite possibly the best graphics I've seen on a home video game console to date. Some of the in-game cinematics looked almost like movie quality CGI. The shadows, the lighting, the way the blood splatters, is extremely impressive. All with a steady framerate to boot.
Sound and music is also exceptional. When you rev up the chainsaw and slice someone in half, you can actually feel it through the sound. The developers made the smart choice to employ an exceptional orchestral score, again adding to the feel of a big budget Hollywood blockbuster-type production.
All these things add up to create a campaign mode that is atmospheric, action-packed, and most important of all, fun! The campaign can be played in single-player or cooperatively with another player, which can be done online and offline. Cooperatively is definitely the way to go. This game is meant to be played with others working together as a team. In single-player, your A.I. teammates just don't cut it as they seem to die way too much, and when you try to go and save them, that's when you end up getting killed.
The real meat of this game's replay value is its online multiplayer where you team up with up to 3 others in 4 vs. 4 matches. While I love those 20 and 30+ multiplayer deathmatches, there was just too much chaos, which I guess is also part of the appeal. But in Gears, they chose to go with a lean and mean multiplayer by going 4 on 4, a number which is actually perfect for this type of game. To succeed in multiplayer, you must work well as a time. It's all about communication, taking cover, suppressing fire and flanking. There is no bigger satisfaction than sneaking up behind an unsuspecting victim and chainsawing them into 2 bloody pieces. A close second would be calling a satellite strike down on your opponent. And of course, there's always the smile-inducing headshot with the sniper rifle.
Now for the bad, about the only thing I can fault this game on its short length and anticlimactic ending that no doubt sets up a sequel. While it was short, I liked that the campaign had action at every turn. There was no filler, no library levels, no boring dungeon-crawling-random-battle power leveling. It's short, but it is so sweet you'll get a cavity. (Yep, I love my lame cliches.)
This game earns its M rating, and rather peculiarly warns like most games today that "Your game experience may change during online play." Now this is a warning they usually apply to E or T rated games because of certain people who could possibly swear during online play, something game companies have no control over. However, Gears is already an M rated game, so will the online play change into an E-rated game?
It may have taken a year, but the Xbox 360 finally has its killer app. For those who have an Xbox 360, you've already got this. For all others, it's time to get one.
Gears of War is one of those games that had so much hype around it that people not familiar with games or remotely interested in the Xbox 360 know about. This is usually a deathbell for a game, as too much hype can be a bad thing. But in the case of Gears of War, it lives up to it, for the most part.
Let's start with the good. First up, Graphics. Exceptional. Quite possibly the best graphics I've seen on a home video game console to date. Some of the in-game cinematics looked almost like movie quality CGI. The shadows, the lighting, the way the blood splatters, is extremely impressive. All with a steady framerate to boot.
Sound and music is also exceptional. When you rev up the chainsaw and slice someone in half, you can actually feel it through the sound. The developers made the smart choice to employ an exceptional orchestral score, again adding to the feel of a big budget Hollywood blockbuster-type production.
All these things add up to create a campaign mode that is atmospheric, action-packed, and most important of all, fun! The campaign can be played in single-player or cooperatively with another player, which can be done online and offline. Cooperatively is definitely the way to go. This game is meant to be played with others working together as a team. In single-player, your A.I. teammates just don't cut it as they seem to die way too much, and when you try to go and save them, that's when you end up getting killed.
The real meat of this game's replay value is its online multiplayer where you team up with up to 3 others in 4 vs. 4 matches. While I love those 20 and 30+ multiplayer deathmatches, there was just too much chaos, which I guess is also part of the appeal. But in Gears, they chose to go with a lean and mean multiplayer by going 4 on 4, a number which is actually perfect for this type of game. To succeed in multiplayer, you must work well as a time. It's all about communication, taking cover, suppressing fire and flanking. There is no bigger satisfaction than sneaking up behind an unsuspecting victim and chainsawing them into 2 bloody pieces. A close second would be calling a satellite strike down on your opponent. And of course, there's always the smile-inducing headshot with the sniper rifle.
Now for the bad, about the only thing I can fault this game on its short length and anticlimactic ending that no doubt sets up a sequel. While it was short, I liked that the campaign had action at every turn. There was no filler, no library levels, no boring dungeon-crawling-random-battle power leveling. It's short, but it is so sweet you'll get a cavity. (Yep, I love my lame cliches.)
This game earns its M rating, and rather peculiarly warns like most games today that "Your game experience may change during online play." Now this is a warning they usually apply to E or T rated games because of certain people who could possibly swear during online play, something game companies have no control over. However, Gears is already an M rated game, so will the online play change into an E-rated game?
It may have taken a year, but the Xbox 360 finally has its killer app. For those who have an Xbox 360, you've already got this. For all others, it's time to get one.
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