We have all
played board games in one fashion or another.
Whether it was Candyland, Monopoly or Chutes and Ladders our collective
tastes always brought us into wanting to see what the next game will test us or
impress us. When I was a boy my favorite
game was Risk. Warring armies poised to
establish dominance over the world. Risk
II is that same feeling of the roll of the dice and the chances to pit your
strategic wit against an adversary or adversaries. A downloadable game found on www.reflexive.com
and a handful of other sites, this game simulates the world map, troops and
weapons carried throughout your territories.
No longer do you have to imagine how the
battle is waged as your men line up against the opposition and carry out your
commands. Following the original board
game’s rules with trading cards for men and land this wonderful graphic and
sound engages the game on a whole new level.
You can hear the horses trample through the mud and sand. The roar of the cannons and the crack fire of the
rifles as your dice fall; deciding the fate of the two battling hostiles. The play can be against a series of computer
opponents ranging from easy, medium and hard.
You may also play against your friends via taking turns on a single
computer. Similar actions like the game
of Life. Even better still would be the
competition of both human and computer waging battle against both for the
control of the board.
A demo version of this game can be found in
just about any search engine and you may play it up to an hour and after that
the cost is about 10 dollars roughly. A
bargain really when you consider we live in a world that most computer games
run anywhere from twenty to about seventy-five dollars. So if you are the type to love a good
strategy game and you got sick of replaying Civilization II for the twentieth
time in a row I would highly recommend this game to anyone that loves a good
challenge and like spanking their friends board game wise.
Well folks you know how when a show is created and feel
nothing will come as close to the same level of writing the first season
offered you? The same jam packed action
or suspense clearly cannot be topped.
Pin your ears back, open your eyes and prepared to be wowed. This is Burn Notice Season 2.
This message will
contain spoilers and self-destruct if you dislike it.
Well we last left Michael Weston (Jeffery Donovan of Burn Notice,
Hitch, Another World and Book of Shadows: Blair Witch 2) he was getting
his buddy, former SEAL and likable alcoholic Sam Axe (Bruce Campbell of The Evil Dead,
Army of Darkness, The Adventures of Brisco County Jr. and Spider-Man)
and former IRA girlfriend Fiona Glennanne (Gabrielle Anwar of For Love or Money, Body
Snatchers, Scent of a Woman and Three Musketeers) out of a tight spot
with some heroin dealers, then he was loaded up to meet his mystery date/keeper
of his leash regarding his burn notice.
Hours pass and Michael is aching for some action when his mild dozing is
interrupted with explosions, assault rifle fire and a bit of odd
screaming. His cell phone goes off and
man his reception is amazing in my opinion; a female voice informs Michael her
name is Carla and she wants to know if he is up for a few errands
From this rather impressive build-up it really sets the tone
for the season. Fiona and Sam are
slowly and against their collective will start to like one another. The insanity and repercussions of last
season is taking a toll on Michael’s family as well and Michael has that series
of issues to contend with.
From layman’s eye this show takes another leap into very
technical camera maneuvering, high speed car chases, mixed martial art hand to
hand and more gun fights than a Segal movie.
Creator Matt Nix sets the bar and tries to push this show to the letter
Director of Photography William Wage
( Love
Potion No. 9, Purgatory, Down in the Delta and Surface) combines crane
shots, on-board cameras ,dolly tracks and just about anything needed to get the
shot. Hell I am just shocked to not find
cameras mounted on the actors for some bizarre POV shot. Familiar faces ranging from science fiction,
comedy and drama emerge this season and you will be stunned when you see them. If you made it through Season 1 and were
blown away by this series with complex characters leading complicated lives and
odds are against them, you will thoroughly enjoy season 2 , but don’t tell
anyone were you got this information or we are all in the soup.
Well I am back and with yet another vampire movie with Jason
Connery, son of Sir Sean Connery. I bet
if they crank out a third vampire film with this yahoo we can create our own
subgenre in vampire films. Connery
Fangs!!! Well this brilliant piece of
tripe is called The Thirst: Blood War a.k.a. The Thirst a.k.a. Blood Wars. Hey distribution! Pick a title and stick with it! OooOoO POV shots on a scale model and into
our feature. Can’t tell if it is that or
CGI. Handheld HD DVD mini-cam strikes
again. Brotherhood of Blood
flashback! Good God does no one shoot
on 35MM anymore? Hell even 35MM HD would
be fine as well but I guess it wasn’t in the budget. Next complaint is under cranking the footage
so it flies around like a crazed vampire bat of yesteryear and killing
epileptics left and right. Great dizzy
and annoyed I start this flick off on the wrong foot.
Our film revolves around a hippy college student named Will
(A.J. Draven of Spec Ops) who simply
bumbles with the female student body because he is a doofus. His roommate/buddy
Rico not so Suave (Owiso Odera of Dirt
and Three Rivers) proceed to chat up a couple of girls Jayne and Ashley (Allison Lange of Gacy and Christina’s House
and Rini Bell of Gilmore Girls and Bring It On) all the while illuming to the lost of several
collegiate members over the past few days.
I mean it’s not even mid terms so the atypical fleeing and suicides
shouldn’t be happening just yet.
The coven meeting
between the witches and vampires is amusing for the fact that Tony Todd (Hatchet and Hatchet 2) is miked but his
lackey Claudius (Jason Connery of
Brotherhood of Blood) isn’t and he sounds like he is projecting for a high
school play. He struts and rants a few
moments before he is put in his place by Todd then he just plops down amongst
three or four undead hunnies. Hmm maybe
he is a chip off the old block after all.
Get this man some roles of caliber dammit. Apparently there exists in this universe a
type of Warlock. No not Julian
Sands. A warlock called a sentry and
they can defeat vampires. A slight
distraction from this episodic masterpiece is two rednecks with beer and a
shotgun. Shenanigans away! C.Thomas
Howell (Kindred, Outsiders and the Hitcher) and Mark Holton (Leprechaun and Pee
Wee’s Big Adventure) are two Billy Bob’s short of a KKK rally head into the
woods looking to shoot a cougar only to get snacked on by a couple of rookie
vamps. ENTER THE SENTRIES!!! Our “Warlocks” slay the vampires in their
stylish gunny sack robes. First off
let’s just take a look at the word Warlock.
Last I recall they are practitioners of black magic. Perhaps sorcerer
would have worked or say wizard. Apparently the Sentries and Vampires have a
long standing rivalry so yeah no real heroes in this. We have more back story about how the
Sentries and Vampires have been going at it I felt like I was attending a
history lecture. Who can say offhand? Our
writer may have just done a handful of horse tranquilizers and slaved away at
the keyboard. Oh sorry I forgot. Our creative muse inspired bringer of pain is
Ramesh Thandani. This was his first
script followed by Operation Midnight Climax.
With this insight you can see what a treat you are in for. Back to our wacky sophomores Rico and Will
are playing what looks like Left4Dead 2 and Rico fades out after his victory
dance. Will stumbles through his
explanation that he is cool with Jayne and likes her boobies. Okay maybe not that bad but my God this boy
needs some lessons in dealing with the opposite sex. The two are back at his dorm for some action
but low and behold a fade so no sex scene for you kids. So
our wacky young lad encounters some weird eroticism vampire dreamscape after he
is bitten.
Let’s give you all, the
abridged version. Ahem. The fight scenes could have benefited from a
stunt coordinator. I mean it looks like
a pre-teen schoolyard squabble in most.
Tony Todd has a very commanding performance that is simply wasted on
this film. Jason Connery was excellent
as the impatient vampire to ascend to the throne if you will. America Olivo, who I felt was seductive but
the performance seemed hasty and her lines felt forced. A.J. Draven and let us spare his feelings
appeared to be out of his depth in playing a complex character such as a newly
turned vampire struggling to keep his humanity and not give into the dark
pleasures of the night. Hell Denzel
Washington would have had some issues with that and that cat is dynamite on the
screen. Also would have been a trifle
bit difficult to envision Denzel Washington as a college student now. Bottom line is this film tried to push where
their time constraints and lack of budget and frankly just did not cut the
mustard. You have a potentially decent
flick if more time was taken with it.
Maybe with new edits or re-shoots with A.J. and tell him to emote
dammit. Suffice to say this vampire film sucked after
many fashions.
Now normally when I
give a review about a game I am weighing the pros and cons of it but with Black
& White it is damn near impossible to bad mouth it. Lionhead Studios
released Black & White in 2001.
Published by Electronic Arts for both Windows and Mac, this game got
instant raves allowing you to be either a savior or a devil. Due to its
popularity, a expansion came out, followed by its sequel Black & White2. The tutorial (unfortunately you
cannot skip through that) starts as soon as you are brought into this world as
a new deity. No sooner do you rescue a child from ravenous sharks; the
villagers wish to worship and praise your name. You are then greeted by your
collective conscience of evil and good or black and white if you will. Both
will offer advice to situations as each new problem or crisis is put before
you. Each task can be handled with benevolence or malice. The choice is yours.
I feel you cannot properly understand a game until you have explored all the
angles and opportunities that both good and evil provide so without further
adieu here are the highlights to good.
Good:You are the toast of
the town and the answer to all prayers. As a good deity you will find
worshippers come quickly to prayer. As this is your flock you must watch and
tend to them. Assign them work and life. Creating disciples is a snap. The
options are builder, breeder, farmer, fisherman or woodsman. Your disciples
will continue this line of work that you saw them fit to do until the day they
die. This includes breeders, so if you do not want a population increase to
epic level, be a bit choosy as to how many breeders you possess, because they
are like rabbits.
Part of being a
loving god is to take all the problems in your stride and assist them as best
as you can. Aiding you in these endeavors will be a pet you can nurture with
love and understanding. Providing compassion to this creature is not only kind
but a must in the game. Teach it to respect the people and land to create a
better harmony for all. With each problem correctly taken care of, a reward is
assured and happier worshippers are bountiful. Bear in mind that you will not
make them happy 100% of the time. You can only do the tasks, provide miracles
to astound and bewilder them and in general and guard them from harm from evil
deities. While some might view this as a thankless task, yours is a higher
calling to the children you wish to strive in your land.
Evil: Corrupter of youth
and destroyer of men, yours is a task behold to the pathetic mortals that dare
ask for favors. Constantly underfoot and demanding, these mortals attempt to
take up your precious time with requests of benevolence of which you have none.
You strive to obtain powers and wreak havoc across the land leaving these
frightened simpletons cowering in their little, hopeless lives awaiting to be
the next sacrifice to your awesome might. When one of their neighbors goes to
the altar for blood sacrifice, they should be down on their knees praising you
for not ending them.
Fear is an excellent
motivator and provides more worship in your name. Their children will learn to
abide by your rules or be fed to the fiendish creature you command with a ruthless
iron fist. You will revel in delight as your creature hurls lightning and
fireballs from sheer boredom or just in general malice. Cackle from high above
at the wanton destruction in your name. Oh it is good to be the god.
The story is in your
hands. Do what you will and enjoy.
In the far away timeline of 1997(huh?), crime has risen
nearly 400% so prior to that in 1988 New York City has been converted into the
world’s maximum security end all prison.
Those that have been convicted of high treasonous crimes are deported to
New York and given no chance of parole.
New York is surrounded by a 50-foot high wall of concrete and razor
wire, the bridges are mind and waterways are patrolled by regular routine
helicopter fly bys. The United States
Police forces are camped around it like an army. China, The Soviet Union (Communism is the
wave of the future!) and America are in negotiations when Air Force One is
hijacked by a terrorist liberation front called the National Liberation Front
causing the President to use an escape pod and landing in the prison. A rescue attempt must be made.
Lotta spoilers in the Hudson.
Hiyas folks today we review the 1981 despotic future
storyline Escape from New York. Brought
to us by legendary director/editor/composer John Carpenter (Assault on Precinct 13, Halloween, The Fog,
Remake of the Village of the Damned and Vampires) and writer/director Nick
Castle (Major Payne, The Last
Starfighter and Taps) America has
become a police state enforcing law with extreme prejudice and vital
information needed for the summit, Police Commissioner Robert Hauk (Lee Van Cleef of The Good the Bad and the
Ugly, Gunsmoke and Have Gun Will Travel) must recruit former special forces
solider “Snake” Plissken (Kurt Russel of
The Thing, Big Trouble in Little China, Escape from L.A.) to infiltrate the
prison, get back the President (Donald
Pleasance of You Only Live Twice, Halloween 1,2,4,5,6) and off the island
in 24 hours. A full pardon is offered
for this blatant suicide mission and Snake is tagged with a dissolving
explosive in his system to keep him in check.
Snake uses a glider to land on
the Sears Tower in order to take off at a later date. Getting to ground; Snake runs into a
cornucopia of criminal elements of all types, ranging from cannibals, small
time offenders to mass murderers. Now
added by temporary alliances the clock is running out for the President and
Plissken must reluctantly save the day.
At this point I would love to point out what it is about
this movie that makes it so enjoyable.
Cost effective effects for the glider’s radar was done with a scale
model of Manhattan Island with a series of reflective tape to look like a
mapping process. With a 6 million budget
in 1981 managed matt based shots, aerial helicopter shots of which was used
with the St. Louis National Guard as Blackhawk police copters and furthermore
due to the fire in 1973 for two days; this area’s safety was blocks devastation that according to Carpenter it
spoke volumes to him and was the ideal set for his steady cams via dolly
track. His minimum lighting techniques
always give his films a more eerie feel in the same fashion Hitchcock had. His love of anamorphic camera lens gives his
sets more scope and depth to the film.
If you enjoy this particular genre of possible futures, Do
NOT skip this film. With memorable
lines, excellent character development, this is an overall great experience to
be had.
Man o man I seem to be on a vampire kick this month. This time I have a flick with some budget and
meat on the bones. No more time to
waste, let’s delve into The Insatiable. Writers/directors Cary Solomon and Chuck
Konzelman (TNT and Earth Vs. the Spider) bring us this modern day macabre
L.A. story of an everyday guy (Sean
Patrick Flannery of The Adventures of Young Indiana Jones, The Boondock Saints
1 and 2) who works selling flange pipes and is the super for his building . His local stop at a convenience store and he
offers to get a homeless guy; Sammy (Jimmy
Gonzales of Four Christmases and Beewax) something to eat. The convenience store clerk Ronnie (Brad Rowe of Shelter and National Treasure:
Book of Secrets) is swarmy to a couple of preppy kids buying porno mags
with the typical hiding purchases. Harry
and Ronnie chatter for a bit and Harry is on his way out to feed the
unfortunate fellow on the street. He
then encounters a gorgeous vivacious redheaded vampire (Charlotte Ayanna of Training Day and The Thirst) feeding that very
same homeless man. Startled as he is,
his vampire rends Sammy’s head off and leaps 30 feet straight up and through a
window without breaking stride. Harry
hyperventilates, passes out but manages to call the cops afterwards.
Naturally the lead
detective treats him like he is jotting down a drunk’s UFO sighting. Harry slighted by this reaction and terrified
of what he saw, of course he goes to work the next day to get crap from his
co-workers; Javier (Jon Huertas of
Castle and NCIS) and Chet (Josh
Hopkins of Swingtown and Private Practice) about the vampiress. Follow-up questions with lead detective
Michael Roper (Boyd Kestner of The
General’s Daughter and Hannibal) seems tedious and awkward. Harry is shown crime scene photos and he is
sickened by it. Detective Roper classifies Harry as a nut that saw what he
couldn’t possibly have seen, and tells him to take a hike. Meeting up with Ronnie at the convenience
store, Harry notices a neck wound on Ronnie and points out how wiped he
appears. Ronnie tells Harry how his new
girlfriend is just running him ragged from sex.
Hmm sounds better than watching this movie any day but I digress.
Obsessed with the
vampire; Harry surfs the web trying to get a handle on female vampires. God only knows how many porn sites came up he
had to delete out of and discovers they originate from the demon succubus; in
that they feed on a man’s life force in the act of sex and slowly drain them of
will and strength. Harry tries to sleep
only having a ridiculous bedtime montage of the past events to he heads over to
Ronnie’s place to look in on him. To his
shock and horror Ronnie to has met his fate by the vampiress. The cops are uninterested in what he has to
say, so Harry takes it upon himself to deal out justice Peter Cushing
style…..okay he actually contacts a web operator that has a few vampire pages. Harry
deals with a backed up garbage disposal of his neighbor Cindi. (Amanda Noret of Veronica Mars and Bunny
Whipped) Just pointing out that she
is drooling over Young Indy here and he is too damn bashful to do anything
about it. Smack upside head!
Begging Harry to be
free; Tatiana tells him she needs blood every night or she will waste away
horribly. Not wanting a life on his
hands, Harry offers her rabbits and other such creatures like a take-out order,
but eventually that is not enough for her appetite. He starts developing a rapport with Tatiana
and she can sense he is a lonely sad man who has never really known love. Too tempted by our vampiress the lines of
morality get crossed and Harry starts feeding Tatiana people including jackass
co-worker Javier. Eh can’t say I blame
Harry on that one. Hell I would have fed
that guy to a wood chipper let alone a vampire. The cops find Harry’s prints on discarded
bags of trash containing victims and Harry gives himself to Tatiana. The
moral of the story is to kill the pretty thing before it gets in your head.
