Movies

So I've seen some of the movies that have been coming out in the last several months. Some, but not all the ones I'd like to see. I still haven't seen the third Hobbit film, which is possibly the one I wanted to see the most, but oh well.

I did see Interstellar. That was amazing. The soundtrack was really well done, different from what Hans Zimmer had done before, but fit the film excellently. If you are a fan of science-fiction, or Christopher Nolan, please go see this movie. Nolan is my favorite director, and SF is probably my favorite genre, so to see the two finally united was wonderful.

I also saw Fury. Initially when I first heard about it coming out, I thought "we don't need another WW2 movie, besides, it's probably just Brad Pitt doing the thing from Inglorious Basterds." I was wrong. Pitt's character was quite different, and he did a great job. In fact, all of the acting was great, including what was probably Shia LaBeouf's best work on screen to date. Don't let the fact that he's in it turn you off from this film. I'm no WW2 history expert, but I've heard they paid a lot of attention to historical accuracy in this film. It certainly felt real, and I would agree with the quote on the box that it was "the best war film since Saving Private Ryan." But I don't want to over-hype it, either. It's kind of a smaller scale than that film, taking place after D-Day in the final days of the war. I won't say anything else, as I like to know as little about a movie as possible going into it. I usually try to avoid seeing trailers these days for that reason, but it also means that seeing movies is more of a gamble, so I see fewer films than I used to.

Gone Girl lived up to the hype, in my opinion. I didn't read the book, but the film was excellent. I didn't see a trailer, I just knew that it was directed by David Fincher and that was enough for me. You could definitely feel the Zodiac vibe at times, since it involved police investigation. Again, I won't say any more as especially this film is one you want to be surprised by. Try to avoid any spoilers! Don't even read the back of the box! Features great performances by two actors far out of their genre: Neil Patrick Harris, and surprisingly, Tyler Perry.

In February, I saw Kingsman. I wasn't really interested in this one at all based on the trailer I had happened to see, as it sort of felt like a college-aged Spy Kids. However, my roommates were going out to see it, and I figured, "why not." It ended up being a lot different than I expected. It was definitely rated R, which from the trailer I had guessed it was maybe PG-13. It was somewhat gratuitous, in fact, and reminded me of both of the Kick-Ass films. It turns out, Kingsman was directed by Matthew Vaughn, the director of the first Kick-Ass. Anyway, it ended up being a mostly pleasant surprise. The film took some unexpected turns, and had some pretty crazy fight scenes. It was fun to see Samuel L. Jackson in a different sort of role (comedic villain), and Mark Hamill on screen for the first time in who knows how long in a minor role.

Last night, I saw Nightcrawler, which I had been wanting to watch for a while. I ended up not liking it quite as much as I thought I would, but I believe that is down to two factors: I expected a lot going in, and the protagonist wasn't that likeable. That aside, it was still a very well-made film, and covered a niche subject that isn't often done (the life of an independent news cameraman, bending the rules to increase profitability). It's definitely a good film with some good performances, and I give it bonus points for its uniquness. Features an avant-garde-retroish soundtrack by James Newton Howard that complements and clashes with the subject matter in interesting ways.

That's about it for now.

Sayings

Dare I? Dare I compose another post? I somehow missed the entire years of 2013 and 2014. I kind of wish I slipped one right in at the end there, right before January. But alas, I had forgotten about this blog yet again. Well, this won't be long, but I thought I'd say something.

Farcry 3 turned out great, as we all know. I enjoyed it, but still haven't beaten the story yet. Mass Effect 3's ending was a trainwreck, apparently. I still loved the game, the ending less so, but I think it was better than 2. The first ME game is probably still my favorite.

Destiny has also received a lot of mixed press. I like it a lot, but I agree that the story makes no sense, the missions are repetitive, and the end-game loot grind is literally punishing, especially with The Dark Below. Why that doesn't bother me is I haven't even finished the story, I prefer the Crucible, Destiny's version of Halo Matchmaking. That is a barrel of monkeys, fun monkeys. And I'm only level 25 because I play so casually that I may never get into that final grind for exotics. Though of course I do want some. It did take me this long just to finally get a rare sniper rifle, even though all the rest of my weapons and armor have been rare for a few levels, just because the loot algorithms or whatchamacallits (that's actually a word?!) are so bad that early on in the game you could decode an engram and actually just get two items of a lower rarity than the engram you turned in, or so I heard. I wasn't paying that much attention. I've been busy with work and boring adult things. Like writing my book (which isn't boring or adult). All that said, with the level advantages supposedly nullified in the Crucible, any advantage given by loot is probably surmountable by having an edge in skill, teamwork, and a little luck. Unfortunately, I am almost always severely lacking in all three categories. Regardless, it remains fun.

I got The Long Dark for Christmas from a wonderful friend. It's an indie survival game on Steam in Early Access (wow a lot has changed since I last posted). In it, you do not fight zombies or other people, but wolves, the cold, and hunger. So far, it is extremely enjoyable. I barely survived one wolf attack, with 14% health and decreasing as I was bleeding out. I limped back into the house I had just proudly stamped out of after having successfully cooked myself a warm breakfast, sat by the fire which was still burning, and bandaged myself and applied antiseptic. I also drank some water as I was thirsty. Unfortunately, I had my inventory categorized by weight, and clicked on "non-potable water" by accident, since the potable kind was usually on top. I contracted dysentery immediately. Luckily, I had picked up some antibiotics (this was day 4), and I had to drink a half gallon of clean water, and sleep for ten hours. After that debacle, I focused on regrouping, repairing clothing, etc. in a nearby gas station I had found. I also found a hatchet hiding under some barrels or something (finally). The next in-game morning, I stepped outside, flare equipped to scare off any wolves, and saw a car not 20 feet from a new house. I saw no wolves, got in the car, searched it, and got out. Between the car and the house, I got killed by a wolf. It was extremely frustrating and I can't wait until I play it again.

Since I last posted I probably also played Dark Souls. I didn't get very far at all, and they have a sequel now, but that was very good as well.

Well, it's 3 am, and I have work tomorrow. Who knows if it will be another 2 or 3 years before I post again? I shudder to think what may happen by then.

Farewell faithful spambots and accidental human visitors, and, what was it I used to say? Oh yeah. Beware the pink mist. Or something. Read Penny Arcade. Watch Interstellar. Play The Long Dark. Go on a hike. See old friends. Eat something delicious. Do something new and uncomfortable. If you're an artist, don't wait for inspiration. Just do it. If you're not an artist, ask yourself why. If it's a lack of talent, know that talent is largely a word used by people too lazy to put in the time to become talented. I know because I'm lazy. But it's worth the effort. Make time. You can. Birds.