A Game of Thrones, Wizard and Glass, Fast and Furious, The Wrestler, Gaslight Anthem, and Halo Wars
Lo and Behold! A Media Update!!!!
I tried to post this earlier in the week but LJ cut off 80% of the text I had written and I didn't realize it. Took me a while to type it all up again. Thanks, LJ. No wonder I never freaking post anymore.
Yes I have been a bad poster. Not that I'm trying to make excuses, but one of the leading contributors to why I'm not posting a lot anymore is Facebook. I have a finite amount of time and most of the time that had previously been spent on posting is now being spent on Facebook. Bitch me out, or rejoice in the fact that I'm actually making a post (and a media update to boot!)
So here's what I've been reading, watching, listening to and playing:
A Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin - I'm curious to know if he actually has two middle names that begin with "R" or if it's some kind of strange tribute to Tolkien. How many people can there be with two "R.R." middle initials, let alone two high fantasy authors. But I digress.
I started in on Martin when I read that his Song of Ice and Fire books were on tap for a new HBO Miniseries. It was stated that it would be a relatively simple fantasy to produce as there is little in the ways of "fantastic" things happening. You would think that would be a detriment, but it actually works out.
It is very much a political tale. Kings and lords and knights and assassinations and regicide and uspurpings. It is somewhat sexually graphic and very, very violent. At one point early in the beginning of the novel, someone pushes an 8 year old boy out a castle tower window because he overheard part of a conspiracy plot if that gives you any idea of the ruthlessness of some of the characters.
For the majority of this book I was thinking that this was less of a High Fantasy and more of a Medieval Political Thriller with a dash of zombies thrown in for good measure. Magic is only hinted at but not actually seen. There are no orcs, elves, dwarves, trolls or any other kinds of fantasy staple races, no exotic locales, and no fantasy-esqe monsters. It isn't until the the very end of the book that something happens which establishes this firmly as a fantasy novel.
The other really interesting thing about Martin's writing is his format. Each chapter is told from the perspective of one of a handful of main characters. Quite often we can hear their thoughts as they interact with other characters and react to events going on around them. It's a fairly unique way of telling the story and makes for some thought-provoking reading.
The book definately has some gravitas. It's not quite as thick reading as say Robert Jordan, but it's up there. I'd recommend that if you're into that kind of thing.
Wizard and Glass by Stephen King - Wizard and Glass is the fourth installment of King's Dark Tower series and it is by far my favorite thus far.
Wizard and Glass is largely a flashback as Roland Deschain the Last Gunslinger, relates to his new Ka-tet the tale of his first Ka-tet's adventures in the Barony of Mejis. Until now all we have gotten is little bits and pieces of what Roland's world used to be like before it "moved on." Personally I've been very interested in Roland's past since the first book.
Since this takes place before the Fall of Gilead and the slaughter of the the other Gunslingers at the Battle of Jericho Hill we get a really as sense of what life was like in Mid-World for Roland and for everyone else. The events of this book go a long way towards explaining why Roland is as dark and somber as he is.
More specifically, it is his relationship with Susan Delgado, again only hinted at in the previous novels, that is also finally told here. It's somewhat of a depressing story. It's made all the more tragic by the fact that even though he lost Susan, his Ka-tet was successful in stopping the Big Coffin Hunters and ultimately Farson; yet we know Gilead fell and the Gunslingers were all killed anyway. So it was definately a pyrrhic victory for Roland that ended up serving no purpose other than to galvanize him as a tough-as-nails, unrelenting warrior.
The Big Coffin Hunters were an interesting group of villains and it was kind of cool to have some actual antagonists. Sure there were the Ludites, Blaine, the Man in Black and so on but these were the first villains that felt like actual villains and remained through the whole story. King has also introduced the Crimson King which finally gives a main antagonist to Roland and appears to be his biggest obstacle in reaching the Dark Tower.
As I said before this has definately been my favorite of the four I've read so far. From what I understand there are no more full flashback stories in the last 3 books which is somewhat disappointing. However I have started to read the Gunslinger graphic novels from Marvel which do a good job of fleshing out Roland's world before it moved on. I'm hoping that they will definately chronicle some of the cooler aspects of that, such as the Fall of Gilead and the Battle of Jericho Hill.
I'm also beginning to see the parallels between The Dark Tower and Lost which is why started reading it in the first place.
Fast and Furious - Remember when Vin Diesel was too good to do a sequel to The Fast and the Furious? Apparently the residuals from Disney's The Pacifier weren't giving him the returns he expected.
Fortunately for us this caused Diesel to relent and we were graced with a "true sequel." For all intents and purposes you can completely disregard Too Fast, Too Furious (which wasn't horrible) and The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift (which WAS horrible) and watch this film as if the previous two never existed.
Having all the original cast back was definately a plus. I didn't mind that they killed off Michelle Rodriguez's character in the beginning of the film because she kind of annoys me. I actually found the plot to be more interesting than the original film. The little twist they threw in there was kind of cool even if I saw it coming.
And then there is the reason why guys watch this series of films: the racing and the stunts. Again I think this film outweighs the original in both respects. The racing was definately cool especially the the city race without the roads blocked off and the scenes in the border tunnels. The beginning where they rob the gasoline train was probably one of the cooler stunt scenes I've seen in a while.
Personally if Diesel was going to do a sequel I'd have preferred a new Riddick movie, but I'll take this as a close second. Nothing really bad to say about this one. If you liked the original you'll dig this one.
The Wrestler - This film had been on my radar since its Oscar Nominations for Best Actor and Best Supporting Actress, but I hadn't gotten a chance to see it until this weekend. I've very glad I picked it up. The Wrestler is an amazing character film.
I won't lie. This film is VERY depressing. Although as a person who spends most of my time by myself, I think Randy's loneliness resonates a lot more with me so it hit a little closer to home. Mickey Rourke did an incredible job at breathing life into the character of Randy "The Ram" Robinson, a washed-up, over-the-hill, professional wrestler who is now paying the price for all the abuse he's put his body through over the span of his career.
Randy's life pretty much sucks. He lives in a trailer. He has no money, no steady work, no family save for an illegitimate daughter who won't speak to him. The only thing that gives his life any meaning is clinging to his wrestling career through some occasional random amateur matches.
When his body finally fires a warning shot across his bow in the form of a heart attack, Randy is forced to give up wrestling as the strain from another match would most likely kill him. But it is easier said than done.
Randy tries unsuccessfully to retire from what he loves. At the beginning it seems like he is going to turn over a new leaf. He starts steady work, he tries to make amends with his daughter, he pursues a relationship with Marissa Tomei's character, a single mother and stripper named Pam. However he quickly screws it all up. In the end he chooses to go back to wrestling with full knowledge that he will not survive, but also that he has nothing left to live for. They don't flat out show it, but they infer that his heart is going to give out as he fights his last match. But in my opinion, having Randy choose to die with dignity, doing what he loves is what makes this story resonate.
The most interesting thing I found about this film is that Randy is such a genuinely nice guy. He's the type of guy you could sit at a bar and have a beer with and just shoot the shit. From his heartfelt encouragement of up-and-coming younger wrestlers, to taking a degrading job at a deli counter and putting his heart into it, to wresting and playing nintendo with the neighborhood kids, Randy is just a totally amicable guy and Rourke does a bang-up job of exhibiting this.
We believe him when he tries to become a part of his daughter's life again and he tells her "I'm just a beat-up piece of meat and I'm all alone and it's my fault; I just don't want you to hate me." You almost feel sorry for him if it wasn't in the back of your mind that most of his failures ARE his fault.
I realize that this is a story about a professional wrestler and that may put some people off. But really if you are looking for a good, solid, character driven film, I highly recommend it. I can't see how you wouldn't take something away from Randy's story.
The '59 Sound by The Gaslight Anthem - I want to do a music update because I have a lot of South by Southwest bands to discuss. But I'm really digging this band so this is just a real quick note.
The Gaslight Anthem is on a punk label and I can see where they may have some punk influences, but I don't really consider them to be punk. What they really are is a throwback to late 70's and early 80's solid rock bands, most notably Bruce Springsteen.
This is CLASSIC rock regardless of who they've been touring with and who produced their music. The title track The '59 Sound is just a roll the windows down on a cool afternoon and drum on the steering wheel kind of tune. Songs like High Lonesome and Here's Looking at You, Kid are lyrically honest, almost to the bone.
If bands like The Gaslight Anthem were around during the early 90's, I probably wouldn't have shut off the radio for 4 years.
Halo Wars - Okay let's face it. PC Real-Time-Strategy games do not belong on a console. I've stated this multiple times usually after I want to snap a disc in half because the computer can move so much faster than the player can (cough, cough, COMMAND AND CONQUER 3, cough, cough).
Most of the negative reviews I've read about Halo Wars is that it's too simple. I've noticed that these are usually people who play a lot of PC RTS's. I do not think that simplicity on a console RPG is a detriment. In fact I believe that it's the only logical direction. I like that Ensemble has embraced the idea of toning down all the management and troop building in favor of tactics and objectives. There is none of this "churn out as many troops as possible and then try to overwhelm your enemy before he does the same to you." Because the A.I. will ALWAYS win. It can just move faster than you can and there is no mouse to mitigate this.
The control scheme is simple, and the management is very easy. My soul complaint was that there is no way to group your armies but by the end of the game this was almost a positive as things got a little too hectic to have to worry about spacing out your troops. As long as your forces were balanced, it didn't matter.
Another huge plus for this game is the storyline. If you're a fan of the Halo lore this is simply just a great story. Another boon is that because this took place before most of the other Spartans were killed at the Fall of Reach, this is the first Halo game that does not focus on the Master Chief. Getting to see the other Spartans in action is pretty cool.
The cutscenes are by and large amazing. Ensemble really did a bang-up job on these and it shows. There is a scene at the end where three Spartans take on about 15 Elites and it was just done amazingly well. It really showcased what Spartans can do and why the Covenant views them as "demons."
Definately worth a rental and if you're a fan of the Halo story as a whole as I am (which my bookshelf can attest to), it's worth the money of a purchase.
Okay folks that's about it for today. Boogieman out...
I tried to post this earlier in the week but LJ cut off 80% of the text I had written and I didn't realize it. Took me a while to type it all up again. Thanks, LJ. No wonder I never freaking post anymore.
Yes I have been a bad poster. Not that I'm trying to make excuses, but one of the leading contributors to why I'm not posting a lot anymore is Facebook. I have a finite amount of time and most of the time that had previously been spent on posting is now being spent on Facebook. Bitch me out, or rejoice in the fact that I'm actually making a post (and a media update to boot!)
So here's what I've been reading, watching, listening to and playing:
A Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin - I'm curious to know if he actually has two middle names that begin with "R" or if it's some kind of strange tribute to Tolkien. How many people can there be with two "R.R." middle initials, let alone two high fantasy authors. But I digress.
I started in on Martin when I read that his Song of Ice and Fire books were on tap for a new HBO Miniseries. It was stated that it would be a relatively simple fantasy to produce as there is little in the ways of "fantastic" things happening. You would think that would be a detriment, but it actually works out.
It is very much a political tale. Kings and lords and knights and assassinations and regicide and uspurpings. It is somewhat sexually graphic and very, very violent. At one point early in the beginning of the novel, someone pushes an 8 year old boy out a castle tower window because he overheard part of a conspiracy plot if that gives you any idea of the ruthlessness of some of the characters.
For the majority of this book I was thinking that this was less of a High Fantasy and more of a Medieval Political Thriller with a dash of zombies thrown in for good measure. Magic is only hinted at but not actually seen. There are no orcs, elves, dwarves, trolls or any other kinds of fantasy staple races, no exotic locales, and no fantasy-esqe monsters. It isn't until the the very end of the book that something happens which establishes this firmly as a fantasy novel.
The other really interesting thing about Martin's writing is his format. Each chapter is told from the perspective of one of a handful of main characters. Quite often we can hear their thoughts as they interact with other characters and react to events going on around them. It's a fairly unique way of telling the story and makes for some thought-provoking reading.
The book definately has some gravitas. It's not quite as thick reading as say Robert Jordan, but it's up there. I'd recommend that if you're into that kind of thing.
Wizard and Glass by Stephen King - Wizard and Glass is the fourth installment of King's Dark Tower series and it is by far my favorite thus far.
Wizard and Glass is largely a flashback as Roland Deschain the Last Gunslinger, relates to his new Ka-tet the tale of his first Ka-tet's adventures in the Barony of Mejis. Until now all we have gotten is little bits and pieces of what Roland's world used to be like before it "moved on." Personally I've been very interested in Roland's past since the first book.
Since this takes place before the Fall of Gilead and the slaughter of the the other Gunslingers at the Battle of Jericho Hill we get a really as sense of what life was like in Mid-World for Roland and for everyone else. The events of this book go a long way towards explaining why Roland is as dark and somber as he is.
More specifically, it is his relationship with Susan Delgado, again only hinted at in the previous novels, that is also finally told here. It's somewhat of a depressing story. It's made all the more tragic by the fact that even though he lost Susan, his Ka-tet was successful in stopping the Big Coffin Hunters and ultimately Farson; yet we know Gilead fell and the Gunslingers were all killed anyway. So it was definately a pyrrhic victory for Roland that ended up serving no purpose other than to galvanize him as a tough-as-nails, unrelenting warrior.
The Big Coffin Hunters were an interesting group of villains and it was kind of cool to have some actual antagonists. Sure there were the Ludites, Blaine, the Man in Black and so on but these were the first villains that felt like actual villains and remained through the whole story. King has also introduced the Crimson King which finally gives a main antagonist to Roland and appears to be his biggest obstacle in reaching the Dark Tower.
As I said before this has definately been my favorite of the four I've read so far. From what I understand there are no more full flashback stories in the last 3 books which is somewhat disappointing. However I have started to read the Gunslinger graphic novels from Marvel which do a good job of fleshing out Roland's world before it moved on. I'm hoping that they will definately chronicle some of the cooler aspects of that, such as the Fall of Gilead and the Battle of Jericho Hill.
I'm also beginning to see the parallels between The Dark Tower and Lost which is why started reading it in the first place.
Fast and Furious - Remember when Vin Diesel was too good to do a sequel to The Fast and the Furious? Apparently the residuals from Disney's The Pacifier weren't giving him the returns he expected.
Fortunately for us this caused Diesel to relent and we were graced with a "true sequel." For all intents and purposes you can completely disregard Too Fast, Too Furious (which wasn't horrible) and The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift (which WAS horrible) and watch this film as if the previous two never existed.
Having all the original cast back was definately a plus. I didn't mind that they killed off Michelle Rodriguez's character in the beginning of the film because she kind of annoys me. I actually found the plot to be more interesting than the original film. The little twist they threw in there was kind of cool even if I saw it coming.
And then there is the reason why guys watch this series of films: the racing and the stunts. Again I think this film outweighs the original in both respects. The racing was definately cool especially the the city race without the roads blocked off and the scenes in the border tunnels. The beginning where they rob the gasoline train was probably one of the cooler stunt scenes I've seen in a while.
Personally if Diesel was going to do a sequel I'd have preferred a new Riddick movie, but I'll take this as a close second. Nothing really bad to say about this one. If you liked the original you'll dig this one.
The Wrestler - This film had been on my radar since its Oscar Nominations for Best Actor and Best Supporting Actress, but I hadn't gotten a chance to see it until this weekend. I've very glad I picked it up. The Wrestler is an amazing character film.
I won't lie. This film is VERY depressing. Although as a person who spends most of my time by myself, I think Randy's loneliness resonates a lot more with me so it hit a little closer to home. Mickey Rourke did an incredible job at breathing life into the character of Randy "The Ram" Robinson, a washed-up, over-the-hill, professional wrestler who is now paying the price for all the abuse he's put his body through over the span of his career.
Randy's life pretty much sucks. He lives in a trailer. He has no money, no steady work, no family save for an illegitimate daughter who won't speak to him. The only thing that gives his life any meaning is clinging to his wrestling career through some occasional random amateur matches.
When his body finally fires a warning shot across his bow in the form of a heart attack, Randy is forced to give up wrestling as the strain from another match would most likely kill him. But it is easier said than done.
Randy tries unsuccessfully to retire from what he loves. At the beginning it seems like he is going to turn over a new leaf. He starts steady work, he tries to make amends with his daughter, he pursues a relationship with Marissa Tomei's character, a single mother and stripper named Pam. However he quickly screws it all up. In the end he chooses to go back to wrestling with full knowledge that he will not survive, but also that he has nothing left to live for. They don't flat out show it, but they infer that his heart is going to give out as he fights his last match. But in my opinion, having Randy choose to die with dignity, doing what he loves is what makes this story resonate.
The most interesting thing I found about this film is that Randy is such a genuinely nice guy. He's the type of guy you could sit at a bar and have a beer with and just shoot the shit. From his heartfelt encouragement of up-and-coming younger wrestlers, to taking a degrading job at a deli counter and putting his heart into it, to wresting and playing nintendo with the neighborhood kids, Randy is just a totally amicable guy and Rourke does a bang-up job of exhibiting this.
We believe him when he tries to become a part of his daughter's life again and he tells her "I'm just a beat-up piece of meat and I'm all alone and it's my fault; I just don't want you to hate me." You almost feel sorry for him if it wasn't in the back of your mind that most of his failures ARE his fault.
I realize that this is a story about a professional wrestler and that may put some people off. But really if you are looking for a good, solid, character driven film, I highly recommend it. I can't see how you wouldn't take something away from Randy's story.
The '59 Sound by The Gaslight Anthem - I want to do a music update because I have a lot of South by Southwest bands to discuss. But I'm really digging this band so this is just a real quick note.
The Gaslight Anthem is on a punk label and I can see where they may have some punk influences, but I don't really consider them to be punk. What they really are is a throwback to late 70's and early 80's solid rock bands, most notably Bruce Springsteen.
This is CLASSIC rock regardless of who they've been touring with and who produced their music. The title track The '59 Sound is just a roll the windows down on a cool afternoon and drum on the steering wheel kind of tune. Songs like High Lonesome and Here's Looking at You, Kid are lyrically honest, almost to the bone.
If bands like The Gaslight Anthem were around during the early 90's, I probably wouldn't have shut off the radio for 4 years.
Halo Wars - Okay let's face it. PC Real-Time-Strategy games do not belong on a console. I've stated this multiple times usually after I want to snap a disc in half because the computer can move so much faster than the player can (cough, cough, COMMAND AND CONQUER 3, cough, cough).
Most of the negative reviews I've read about Halo Wars is that it's too simple. I've noticed that these are usually people who play a lot of PC RTS's. I do not think that simplicity on a console RPG is a detriment. In fact I believe that it's the only logical direction. I like that Ensemble has embraced the idea of toning down all the management and troop building in favor of tactics and objectives. There is none of this "churn out as many troops as possible and then try to overwhelm your enemy before he does the same to you." Because the A.I. will ALWAYS win. It can just move faster than you can and there is no mouse to mitigate this.
The control scheme is simple, and the management is very easy. My soul complaint was that there is no way to group your armies but by the end of the game this was almost a positive as things got a little too hectic to have to worry about spacing out your troops. As long as your forces were balanced, it didn't matter.
Another huge plus for this game is the storyline. If you're a fan of the Halo lore this is simply just a great story. Another boon is that because this took place before most of the other Spartans were killed at the Fall of Reach, this is the first Halo game that does not focus on the Master Chief. Getting to see the other Spartans in action is pretty cool.
The cutscenes are by and large amazing. Ensemble really did a bang-up job on these and it shows. There is a scene at the end where three Spartans take on about 15 Elites and it was just done amazingly well. It really showcased what Spartans can do and why the Covenant views them as "demons."
Definately worth a rental and if you're a fan of the Halo story as a whole as I am (which my bookshelf can attest to), it's worth the money of a purchase.
Okay folks that's about it for today. Boogieman out...