FILM REVIEW: Schindler's List (1993)

‘Schindler’s list’ (1993)

AMBLIN ENTERTAINMENT

DIRECTED BY: Stephen Spielberg

STARRING:   Liam Neeson, Ben Kingsley

I learned two things tonight: one, that when I write my reviews, the fewer words I use, chances are the better the film. And after watching Schindler’s List for the first time tonight, I learned something else: you don’t touch the Holocaust.

You can make a WWII dogfight action movie in Red Tails, or the most dramatic battle scenes in  Saving Private Ryan, you can make an HBO mini-series in The Pacific, you can compile lost war footage from WWII…

But you don’t. Touch. The Holocaust.

No matter what you do, any missed steps in filmmaking can damn you by an entire Jewish generation or culture. But Spielberg (a Jew himself) dared to go deep, away from his usual hansy-pansy science fiction, into the red of filmmaking. And after waking up and coming back to reality, I went to my laptop and typed.

Now like I usually do, after viewing a film for the first time, I do abit of research to see what I missed, or production and reactions. And then I noticed a complaint from a French director, Claude Lanzmann, and how this was all a clichéd, Hollywooded drama. His film, Shoah, is a 10-hour film that consists mostly of interviews. While I can’t say much about it, and seeing as how I haven’t seen this 10-hour film… this sounds like a film about interviews and recounts from survivors.

Spielberg made a film with actors, sound effects, scenery, props, and a modern film-camera and filmtape. And my body is shuttering like it’s never, or will never, shuttered before. You’ll forget this was filmed in 4:3 B&W, or the white text that can mix in with the scenes and can make reading them confusing, or even a few typical Spielberg touches. In fact, you’ll forget the world even exists. Because nothing about the Holocaust, nothing in cinema, will petrify your body to your seat and turn your eyes to glass like Schindler’s List.

☆☆☆☆

- Ant

FILM REVIEW: The Artist (2011)

'The Artist' (2011)
THE WEINSTEIN COMPANY/LA PETITE REINE
DIRECTED BY: Michel Hazanavicius
STARRING: Jean Dujardin, Bérénice Bejo

Ya know, I haven’t been to a real movie theater experience in awhile. Sitting on my ass for Netflix, waiting for a movie to show up at the “dollar theater”, and a few rentals from the now-deceased Blockbuster (bless your soul), but these have been just cheap shots as I further test my interest in film.

However, walking into the Regal after all this time, I remembered why I haven’t gone. The moment I walk in, there’s a poster for another 3D re-release, this time James Cameron’s Titanic. Then a poster for a Three Stooges reboot, another take at a Grimm tale, a re-re-release of Star Wars Episode I, lines packed for a damn Disney reboot, another Underworld movie, another horror movie that’s probably gonna suck… Jesus, I remember as a kid the movie theaters were full of variety and adventure, like a candy store (along with bigger arcades and cheaper tickets than $10.50 for a mere ticket). What happened? Where’s the originality, anymore? Where's the glory of the cinema? Where is the movie of the year, or the start of my year, that’s gonna get me to remember why I love movies, why I majored in film.

Once again, the French answered the call.

Whether it is a bore or a success to the eyes of yesterday and today’s audience, what makes The Artist unique is that doesn’t ask for much from any of these audiences, except our imagination; it doesn’t demand analysis or heavy critiquing. Compared to today’s dynamics in filmmaking, this is a simple 90-min movie, made for B&W, made to look like what you’d see in a film history museum. But this is also a simple movie doing so little, so right. It also makes this review easier to make, because of its flawless execution, I can just make points as to what made it great:

- As I said, this is a just and simple story about love, lose, redemption, and alcoholism in the Great Depression. What you may not notice until later is that, in fact, had The Artist been given the approval of voiceovers, this would’ve turned out to be an over-predictable bore that could stand side-by-side with, well, all the crap I mentioned early this night.

- But this isn’t that kinda movie. This goes back in time, to what movies of its time were really like: black and white, 4:3 (though 16:9 here), pantomimes, text shots, and characters. Characters, characters, characters. Characters that have no voice, and whose means to accessing the audience’s attention is a heavy reliance of facial-expressing…

- Which these two (TWO!) characters capture with such beauty and grace. Characters that have no audible dialogue, but can steal an Oscar in a heartbeat….

- Along with a beautiful score that drives the experience forward in almost-perfect unison with what is onscreen, so much it makes up for the missing voices. Not to forget a scene involving a unique use of excellent SFXs, and a whimsical final scene that plays fun at viewer expectations. These brief moments of audio make you forget you're watching a 21st century movie.

- Which comes back to the stress in subtlety of every shot, with no attempt at exaggeration or flashiness. The direction here asked us to be immersed in characters that put themselves in bigger-than-life situations, nothing more, nothing less. And in this (kind of) film, it’s all we should ask for.

- But most of all, this is the TRUE reboot/remake. NOT a Disney re-release, nor a reboot of The Three Stooges, nor a remake like last year's abysmal Straw Dogs... this is originality, an honest and justice reminder that new technology can resurrect a film style devoted to story and characters, to graceful potential and re-imagination, unseen in theaters in over some seventy years.

This is truly what cinema is all about; a charming and refreshing new life in movie-going, no, an experience, la gloria la cinema, a resurrection of 100 years of filmmaking that’s very worthy of a ten dollar ticket. If you’re as tired as I am with what’s being shown on TV and theaters, this is a charming gem hidden in the shadows that cannot be skipped.

The fact it does something (very) different, earns it kudos. Doing that something rather damn well, earns a ☆☆☆☆.
- Ant

It is 2:00 in the morning...

... and I’m sweating like Satan.

Originally written in October 10th, 2009

It’s peculiar, yet fascinating what I’ve come to throughout the years. People like me, doing absolutely nothing on a day like this, on a day that we long for the most. Friday nights.

I just saw the most incredible movie in awhile. American Beauty. Wow. I wanted to see it for a while now, but I never would’ve guessed it’d be so good. So much going on in 2 hours, I’ll need to see it over, and over, and over again, just to get one part of the whole movie.

That’s something not seen anymore in filmography. That’s the thing about the 90s. Things were kicking off. Everything. Film, technology, society, everything, just popping.

I never realized how different I was from the world until maybe after the middle of Freshman year of high school. I noticed 2 different universes:

There’s the people who focused on football and sports, girls and hooters, beer and underage sex, and America and Polo shirts. Self-centered, low esteemed queefs who cant even spell ‘intellectual’ without hinting a guess at what it means.

Then there’s the people who focused on video games and music, relationships and the color black, and Invader Zim and Hot Topic. Questionable and lost souls, who cant seem to find what they are looking for but to see the world cry in tears of blood.

Where do I stand? Where did I stand?

I tried the ‘preppy/jock’ universe for a while. Not only did I not look and act the part, but my family were too boring and low to afford something above one American Eagle shirt.

I tried the ‘emo/goth’ universe about Sophomore year. What a change… to them. The only Asian they knew who hanged tight with them. Interestingly, the ‘emo/goth’ world included the under-appreciated geek. And the random.

Though I can’t call everyone in this clique I found ‘friends’, they didn’t drive me to the floor for hating football. Christ…

Just tomorrow, I’ll hopefully be hanging with a ‘random’ I haven’t seen in months. Since I was rezoned to a new school, new and old things change rather quickly, but in the most wonderful ways.

Lucky me. She calls me a ‘best friend’. At least, I hope she does. I’ve never been called a ‘best friend’ by anyone in my childhood, let alone Anthony Avila in 2^nd grade. I was his only friend.

As far as I see, I’ve become everything I thought I couldn’t be when I was in middle school. Middle school was hell. Cliché enough. But in those rough 4 years of schooling, I couldn’t be anything I am today. A friend, a child so alive, a flirt, a smartass, a liberator, or even a politician.

I’ve changed drastically. And I only figured it out. It’s taking my breath away. It’s just too overwhelming, what I’ve become. I’m so happy with my life now. I’m proud to write that here. ‘I’m happy’.

I also don’t see how lucky I am until I see the rest of the world stop spinning as I myself spin. I only know about 2 people who are as lucky as me. Everyone I know has some of the roughest lives I’ve ever seen. Family issues, relationships, schooling, money, society, even living itself.

Sure, I may not have the best life in comparison to some more than lucky people. But these ‘lucky’ people are seduced by drugs, money, and power they THINK is acquirable like pudding in your hands. But that pudding is dirt. They just don’t see it.

I got 2 adults in the house who could get into arguments on many occasions, but we would still have a Kodak moment maybe once in a week. 2 adults in the house who try to pay the Man as much as they can, yet we can be fortunate on all levels to get most of what we want. Even most of what we yearn for on a Christmas morning.

They don’t smile anymore. They love me. They just don’t know how to show it. I don’t know how to see it, either.

I’m a walking milestone when compared to everyone else. But they’d (the people I see today) laugh anyway and just be ignorant to admit it I’m right. And most girls I would even care a dime about ignore it, and don’t see the happiness and fortune they see before them. Only the fewest people and women have the right mindset to see it.

That’s how it was/is since my first day of school in Puerto Rico.

I don’t mean to gloat my life. It’s impossible. But when you put me on a double-balanced beam, with one side as me, the other side as the world…

- Ant

Dear children,

Originally written on a sentimental July 27th, 2010:

Dear children,

The moment you first walk as a toddler, you must know, you will know, that this world you now walk on is, and will seem to forever be, a cruel world. A trap. The generation you are now a part of is a sensation of anguish, greed, and a dysfunction of loyalty. By the time you see it, you’ll see there is no trust, no honor, among any one of us. We have aged appallingly through the end of the 20^th Century and already through my time this moment on the 21^st Century.

We tell you it’s illegal to have contact with the enemy, racism, drugs, etc... but would we know who is the enemy? If not inside of us? What makes me better than a Negro with the same ego and fashion as I? A misconception of different categories of drugs and experiments can cause issues in authority? ... but in the end, it seems more than okay for them to follow an “arrest/kill first, ask later” policy. We have our rights as Americans and humans, but those rights are often overpowered by violence and deception. It has come to a staggering point where it truly feels like every person must feed for themselves. But this is where you, children, this is where you shine the light.

I have hopes that most of you (some of you will follow your own path) will grow to understand what I’m trying to express through words on this page. Just because they justify that “When someone starts smoking marijuana, he/she’d start with tobacco”, it doesn’t mean you need to follow that policy. It is your choice, for Christ’s sake. And why follow anyway, when selling tobacco is more than legal in our states. Since when did we ever care about our health? What do we care about the connections between the two? Almost all of us would do the drug because of the psychedelic effects on the mind. Tobacco is just a life-cutter. MaryJane is a high. Where’s the connection? What makes marijuana a threat to us? Has it killed anyone over history? Is it illegal to have our own President of the United States of American run our nation, when he himself has his own history with the plant? Where’s the jurisdiction over the jurisdiction?

Didn’t a wise man state that “mankind must put an end to war, or war will put an to mankind”? Didn’t the words and works of JFK teach us enough? Did war bring any more “freedom” to America than we already had? You call this freedom? With all due respect for the US Army, Marines, and all others fighting for us... what are we fighting? “for us”? Who’s “us”? We are far apart from each other to be an “us” anymore. For a long time.

As told, in the end of this life, there is no one to trust. For that mention, even I can’t be trusted, not even for my own sake.

Everything you see today is a load of lies, and the sooner you discover and study this, the more stronger and wiser you will be in the future. The stronger and wiser you shall all be, so that when the time comes where man can no longer survive himself, at least you are still the walking chess piece.

You can be a piece of this resistance, a resistance from choking authority, a resistance for freedom, true freedom. A freedom where a community can live together peacefully and gleefully through the power of music, feeling, soul, “I am you, you are me”, and the scent of a burning piece of cannabis. I tell you again, the freedom of which I tell you all is a freedom far stronger and more beautiful than the freedom of which I see in America, and abroad.

Though this dream is clouded far too much almost every day and week, I dream we shall see the green, grassy fields again, of what was once a Woodstock Festival, but in our own spirits and virtue. A green field where we can hold hands and not worry about threats from anyone or anything but God toying with a thunderstorm. A green field where we can dance to the feelings of music flowing through our flesh,

I am still the student in this world, but you can be leaders.

- Anthony J. Garcia, 17

Going Through The Motions 'Til 3 (#12-16)

Link to the past here: http://mexicasian50.blogspot.com/2010/12/14-make-it-stop-15alot-of-people-ask-me.html

12) Riding my bike... I usually don't know where I'm going, but I enjoy the ride. All I really need is you, the music.

13) I can't concentrate on continuing this number status thing I'm doing because Taylor Swift is singing on Ellen, make it STOP!

14) MAKE IT STOP!

15)Alot of people ask me (as in, no one) why I ride my bike so much for no random reason. I honestly don't ever know these things, I like it that way... but I can tell you that riding down and back Washington Rd. with the setting sun, the far green trees in Richmond County, the train whistling across, and all I'm doing is holding on to one end of the handle... it's something else. So that explains it: something else.

16) My dad is still reluctant to buy me the LEGALIZE IT wristband. Does he not know how stupid it would look on me for my Senior Project presentation? On legalizing marijuana? Com'on, daddy!

- Ant

ANT'S INDEPENDENT REVOLUTION 2011

An unpublished post on New Year's Eve 2010, I honestly do not know why this wasn't posted:

Right now, it is 3:17 in the afternoon. In about eight and a half hours, it'll be January the first, of 2011. A year that's absolutely critical to me right now. Not only will I graduate, but I have to go out with a college by the Fall. And in that time, I'll need to find a job, get into my permit/license more than ever, and finish high school with the biggest bang I've ever cared about... and then there's my other life, and a big part of that life falls on two words I'm caring about for this summer, as any:

E3 2011.

VIDEO GAMES
E3 2011 is, without any of my doubt, going to be the biggest E3 since 2009, especially for my cradle, Playstation. There is an overwhelming amount of releases and announcements from them this year, from a list of games I'll probably list right now:

- Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception
- Resistance 3
- inFAMOUS 2
- Twisted Metal
- Agent
- Dead Space 2
- Batman: Arkham City
... and some other big ones that I can't remember at the moment. And the motherload of them all, the announcement of the PSP Phone. It's gonna be announced eventually, there just isn't any silence on it. And from all the leaks leaked, it's looking to be the PSP alot of us have been waiting for, especially myself. It's going to be a good year for Playstation...

But it doesn't stop with Playstation. Nintendo have more to discuss about the 3DS, as well as a successor to the Wii (there's gonna be one); Microsoft will hopefully have more Kinect releases, and more on Gears of War 3, Mass Effect 3, and whatever Bungie is planning on now... there just isn't a better time for video games, and there isn't a better time to be a gamer, than 2011.

And pre-E3 is looking good, as well. The PS3 "port" of Mass Effect 2 in January, Killzone 3 will be coming in February, L.A Noire will be available in the Spring (I think)... I'll say it again: there just isn't a better time for the video game industry than 2011, and the expectations are staggering.

But I wish my life was just on video games. They aren't.

PRE-2011
I didn't blog this Christmas, so I'll make a small note of it: Christmas day was absolutely quiet.

Christmas Eve was very interesting. My mother got a dinner invitation from her friend/co-worker/whoever, and we spent our Christmas Eve with her friend's family. However, we were late for the grand dinner, so when we arrived, we had to eat by ourselves in the room while guests were leaving, which was kinda awkward, but the kids around me kept it entertaining. After dinner, my father takes out my ancient Mouse Trap board game, and without my consent, declares that I gave it to them. There goes $10 I could have made, but they all had a good time, and my childhood was rushing towards me as I helped set up the contraption. 

Senior Project. I hate mentioning it, I hate discussing it with anyone, I hate working on it, I hate everything about it, I hate it, I hate it, I hate it. But I have to do it, and I'm close to finishing it. I finally came up with a product, and it's coming along well... I just don't want to do it, though. And like I said before, the Senior Project isn't necessarily a difficult project (from my perspective, though)... it's just a matter of my attention-span and care. It is really low right now.

But putting aside the Senior Project, there's


... yeah, now I know why it wasn't published. But two years later, my Senior Project was a roaring success; graduation was absolutely amazing; inFAMOUS 2 was my GOTY for 2011; Uncharted 3 was, and continues to be, a big disappointment; the "Playstation Phone" was a Playschool toy compared to last year's announcement of the NGP, later called the Playstation Vita, which is a portable bitch; and I haven't legitimately touched this blog in a long time...

- Ant

Ant's Game of the Year 2011

Before I give out what game made my personal pick for Game of the Year, I’ll tell you what it is & isn’t. First, it’s a PS3 game; as much as I respect these systems, I have no interest (or money) for a 360, nor does the Wii have enough software support, aside Skyward Sword, to tide me over, etc. I'm a Playstation devotee, not a fanboy. Second, of the PS3 backlog, it isn’t Uncharted 3, which hurts to say. It isn’t Batman: Akrham City, nor L.A. Noire, nor Battlefield 3, nor Minecraft, nor that RPG that’s becoming an annoying meme to the knee, Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. Hell, it deserves a shout-out, but it isn’t Duke Nukem Forever.

So why isn’t it these games? Why isn’t it these successful titles (minus the King) that both sold well and got hell’ota great reception?

Well, for one, U3 was a shocking disappointment; I haven't but want to try Arkham City when all the DLC is shelled out; aside the impressive facial animations, L.A. Noire didn’t do anything else impressive that equaled the scale or motivations found in other Rockstar titles; Battlefield 3 is a pretty FPS, but another FPS nonetheless; Minecraft looks humdum, and dangerously addicting and time-consuming, but I may give it a shot; I used to play RPGs and fantasy fiction, but then I took life to the knee.

And as for Call of Duty: MW3… funny. It’s not. It’s not Infinity Ward & Activision, no way, it’s not any of these big-time developers that are getting praise and hype from every corner every day, they’re not my GOTY.

GOTY, to me, doesn’t depend on sales figures, or reputation, or developer, or any other extra that merit the award. It could, but it doesn’t. Because if it did, then there wouldn’t be chances & risks. Why bother making this game, when this franchise, or this developer studio, will automatically get more recognition just for those kinds of reputations mentioned (Homefront, Brink, etc.)? For example, why should we develop this game, this Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune game, when there’s already a Gears market, etc? Or Killzone 2 when there's a COD market, Halo 3, and Resistance 2? Or why take on this idea of the origins of a superhero, who has the choice to do good or evil?

This question came up as the possiblities of owning a Playstation 3 drew near, to Black Friday 2009. I still remember that Black Friday: I had the choice of the GameStop bundle, a 120GB PS3, the God of War collection, and the LittleBigPlanet I desperately wanted to try; or the Wal*Mart bundle: a120GB PS3, inFAMOUS, Batman: Arkham Asylum, and The Dark Knight Blu-Ray movie for the family who have acquired an HDTV and a BluRay player that same day. With those options, the Wal*Mart bundle was our obvious pick.

So Christmas Day, we open the PS3, and there’s these sandbox games, Batman: Arkham Asylum & inFAMOUS. I played abit of inFAMOUS at a GameStop kiosk awhile back. It looked cool, but it didn’t interest me… mostly because I didn’t have the damn console. But now I do, and now I have a free copy. I remember the kiosk demo had a very attractive graphic novel-like cutscene that matched the cityscape of Empire City. Spoiled for choice, I started playing inFAMOUS over my lower interest in Batman.

I was surprisingly hooked.

I stayed up long nights, even the New Year, to see what was gonna happen next in Cole’s shoes, explore the open Empire City, listen to Dead Drops, watched those beautiful graphic novel-esque cutscenes, listen to the back-and-forth banter between Cole & Zeke, Cole & Moya, and find myself surprised by the final revelations. It was, without a doubt, an awesome introduction to my first Playstation 3 console.

Will there be a sequel, I asked. Then the Gameinformer leak came months later in 2010, revealing a new Cole, New Marais, new powers, new everything. The hype machine was on. The E3 reveal couldn’t come any sooner… and when the reveal came, my mind was rocked, did it look damn good. While Cole’s new look drew attention to Nathan Drake, it didn’t bother me the slightest. His hairy, bruised, and loosened look reminded me that this was something new… and he has ice powers!

Only one official clip of gameplay footage was released by Sucker Punch, and I would watch that clip over, and over, and over, just to be enarmored by this new and attractive location, the improved graphics, the awesome soundtrack in the background, or the cyclone power. Then there was a report that… well, people didn’t like Cole’s new look. Looking like Nate Drake has a drawback, I suppose. But SuckerPunch responded immediately, releasing a shot of a newer new Cole. The clothing is back to yellow/black, and no more hair. Ironically, this bothered me for abit, but the fact SuckerPunch payed attention to the outcry days after the E3 reveal showed how much they’re putting to their baby.

Tidbit after tidbit, gameplay after gameplay, HERO EDITION, ONLY $99, then the reveal of a cutscene… aw com’on, it’s only autumn! inFAMOUS 2 continued to entice.

FINALLY, I bled in hype 'til the FedEx man came to my door with my Hero Edition, that June, damp, launch day. I thought I would stop bleeding, but I loved this so much… I had to make a video unboxing. My first video unboxing, took about an hour to make, I couldn’t take anymore, I got it over with, put it aside, put in the disc, and… INSTALL?!? BUT a half-hour later, I began, and YES, I can carry over my original 100%ed inFAMOUS save… the first cutscene, oh boy. Then flash, I’m in-game, Zeke & Cole are looking over the city I made him protect. And the Beast is already here? Oh, COME at me, bro!

What a beautiful game to look at. The crowd behind the gate cheering my name, “Look, it’s Cole!” “Go get’em, Cole!” Yes, I will… and now I’m flying, my gosh, this guy is huge, and tough… and I’m dead. My powers are gone, and now I understand why I’m going to New Marais, why I’m improving my powers... because that Beast...

New Marais is a beautiful place to look at; there is style in every corner. Someone playing a saxophone near the park, another making a street act, someone playing a drum with a bucket, the architecture, the neon, the construction around the church, the scenery, is all beautiful to see and hear. Cole, himself, is a beautiful character, along with the wonderfully-acted supporting cast. Zeke isn’t a useless bum like before, both in story and in-game. The in-game cutscenes have drastically improved over the static animations in the original, showing mo-cap'ed characters with more life and attention; from seeing the rise of hero Kuo in the cemetery, to seeing a fully-animated Beast in the distance of the bay, to Cole apologizing to Zeke after him saving his life, not to mention the graphic novel cutscenes in-between returning in their gorgeous but fewer glory, the game is a marvel in presentation from every direction.

Of course, the fuel to this design is the gameplay, with the inclusion of new powers and a new Amp. Since melee wasn’t really… well, encouraged in combat in inFAMOUS, the Amp was an interesting inclusion. Without a doubt, though, its inclusion makes for an insanely good time. Whacking my Golden Amp onto enemies (and innocent bystanders) not only makes for stylish combat animations, but continued use on a group of people can unleash a finishing blow that's even more awesome to use. Basically, the Amp was something I didn’t know I wanted for this sequel.

Powers did not feel too much nor too little. Having to regain my “old” powers was slightly tedious, but I didn’t feel underpowered or overpowered, and all were useful in defeating enemies. Whether it'd be tossing cars with Kinetic Pulse, launching myself like a kamikaze with Firebird Strike, or launching the ice storm with Ionic Freeze, the powers were useful in combat, but also alota fun. Being able to charge by rails was unfortunate, but it added challenge into how cautious I'd sometimes have to be with my energy; in largescale shootouts, I'd be difficult to run (or hover) over to some source of power without getting killed.

With great power comes greater responsibility, and with all this power, accessing it would've been a challenge with menu changes and patterns, but Sucker Punch made a smart decision with allowing quick swaps using the d-pad, and still keeping you in-game and away from what would've been an annoying use of the menu. Along with the inclusion of the new Ionic Powers, the Amp combos, Sucker Punch weren't afraid of dipping their toe in the water, instead keeping & slightly improving what already worked (upgrading powers, Blast Shards, Dead Drops, graphic cutscenes, etc.), and adding little extras with success.

HEY, the Beast went down to Georgia! I’m nearing the end, I’m getting close to firing up the RFI, and… holy crap, it’s John! John? John! This guy, John, he got... oh... oh... of course he’s the Beast, how could I not see this?!? My jaw dropped when he appeared in his scarred body, devil-red eyes, and pimp-red suit... wait, this is where the evil Karma kicks in... I can make Conduits, I can create an army of Conduits with my power. I can join him, destroy the... nah, I’ll kill him off instead.

However, what I did not see was the ending. Not how it was gonna end, me beating the Beast and also saving mankind of the plague… no, this will involve a sacrifice. Me. I have to sacrifice myself. I won’t see Zeke, whom is sick but is now a likable character, I won’t see Nix, who somehow chose my side against evil… this is how it ends, with my death. Here it goes… I was not prepared for this… and that powerful final objective… “Let go”… the emotion going through that, letting go of L2/R2, and that’s it. This is goodbye, goodbye to Cole, goodbye to everything. And the final cutscene couldn’t be any better. A perfect conclusion to an otherwise upsetting and emotional end. And the chorus for The Black Heart Procession’s “Fade Away”... Wow, what an ending, what a perfect ending.

But WAIT... what happens if I chose ignorance? What happens if I chose to end the humanity in humanity, and take over? I got resistance from Kuo when I chose goodness… but now I have Zeke & Nix threatening me. “This doesn’t change anything.” Does this mean he hasn’t forgotten about Zeke & Trish? What does this mean? Doesn’t matter, I’m gonna get some sh** outta this one. It ends at the church, of all places… and there’s Zeke, holding the RFI… does this mean what I think it means? In order to progress with my evil intentions, it means killing my best friend? No! I have no option to move, only aim, only shoot. I can recover from whatever shots Zeke fires… but I won’t fire at Zeke. I couldn’t. One blast after another, Zeke being tortured to the ground but still getting up. This is how it ends, with me killing my best friend. And now I have the power of the Beast. “We said goodbye to our old lives, and got to work…” No, this isn’t how it ends. This is how it begins.

Emotional can best describe the conclusion(s) of inFAMOUS 2. This has been an adventure from start to finish, what video games strive to accomplish: suck you in, and not let you go. And here, I am Cole MacGrath. I watch over these streets from the tops of these colorful rooftops. I’ll be heroic & stupid, and take on the insanely huge and annoying Brawler, and probably get killed doing so. I’ll be selfish & arrogant, and lead a mutant charge against the humanity I once saved in the original inFAMOUS, and probably get killed doing so. But that’s okay. Because I am Cole MacGrath, and I have superpowers that can change or destroy the world. This is why I play video games. I am who I play.

I’m not the creative mind to thoroughly test out the UGC feature, but it’s a neat extra that continues to evolve into that "play, create, share" lingo, recently adding the ability to make 2D cutscenes. The end of the year, and inFAMOUS 2 continues to give and give. Even recently with the new stand-alone DLC, Festival of Blood, which I’ve yet to try out.

If things were different, if I bought that Gamestop bundle on Black Friday in 2009 instead, if I wasn’t nitpicky about the extra DLC Rocksteady is still shelling out, I’d buy Batman: Akrham City and probably declare it GOTY for what more it could offer over i2. Because honestly, inFAMOUS 2 & Arkham City are very close in design, characters, gameplay, development, and everything else in-between; they're both superheroes, after all. For all I care, I can say both these games are GOTY, but until I see a complete DLCed Arkham City (which probably won’t be ‘til next year) and have it somehow raise my interest in Batman, that superhero won’t hold a candle to what Cole and inFAMOUS 2 delivered this year.

Because this isn’t a mere sequel or game, this was an adventure that didn’t disappoint a single moment throughout. It was a game that kept on giving, from reveal to launch, and then some. It has earned my respect and fan service from start to finish, and in return, it lavished me with a heartfelt story, great characters, beautiful presentation, excellent (and risky) gameplay, and an experience no game could've matched this year. Whether its the $60 retail or $100 special edition, if this isn’t a PS3 GOTY, it’s a PS3 jewel that stands tall in any collection, above all this year had to offer. This is a true sequel, a true gaming experience... and this:Is inFAMOUS 2, my Game of the Year.

- Ant

10:15pm, May 2nd, 2011

Originally written on May 2nd at the time of Bin Laden's death, this was intended to be a post about reactions for that one evening, but due to time constraints to conclude this post, I decided to wait and instead follow-up on news and reactions for the rest of the week. As always, waiting on these things is never a good idea...

I don't feel like posting another status about it on Facebook. It's gotten old very quickly by almost everyone on my Friends List. Power of the Internet for ya.

Uncharted: Drake's Fortune, in my room, as my mother was watching a crime show on CBS, and the special report tune I'm familiar with quickly rushes to my head. I know that tune. Something big just happened, I immediately fly to the stairs and glare at the TV set.

"CBS SPECIAL REPORT - President Barrack Obama..." come on, what is it. Has he been killed? Has someone in the Cabinet has been killed? Why do I think about death?... "statement in White House"... 1030PM EST..." alright, this is something big. Wait a few minutes, I walk back to my room. It's been some 20 minutes now, what's going-

"Hunt for Bin Laden...", says my father downstairs as, I assume, he reads the TV statement. Oh, Jesus...

Jesus...

Some minutes later, the CBS Special Report interrupts the station again. I rush back downstairs, I see Russ Mitchell about to talk in a low-lite CBS headquarters. He looks aged, tired... "CBS SPECIAL REPORT" "OSAMA BIN LADEN DEAD". Oh, Jesus... 10 years... oh, Jesus... my mind rushes like crazy. Like a blitz. What does this mean? Is he really dead? What is going to happen? What will happen? Will they show a confirmation image? Will the country be in a patriotic uproar? Is he haunting our countries now? What does this mean? Where's the speech? What will he say? What's gonna happen to al-Qaeda? What does this all mean for us? Who will interrupt class about it tomorrow? What does this all mean?...

All the news broadcast is showing is footage of Bin Laden from years past. That sonofabitch. Is dead. My parents prepare for bed, leaving me alone with this laptop, a light in my room, and the TV and sound system on. Russ Mitchell repeating his news statement over and over, "That Osama Bin Laden, the leader of the terrorist group, al-Qaeda, is dead... body in U.S. custody..." The TV goes back to the crime show, and it remains like that for the next few minutes 'til our local news at 11pm. It seems so quiet and normal from the TV set, but I can feel the rush of it all. There's a panic in the news stations. Like a bunch of Walter Cronkites pulling together after the assassination of JFK. This was big, even if some of us do not know it yet.

I stayed upstairs, and looked at repetitive status updates, what other friends were making of this all... and the local news is on, and it's pretty obvious the news anchor was not prepared for this. She stuttered, lost track of her words, trying to tell the people of local Augusta about the situation... if there was a situation; the bitch is dead... the cleanup from the tornado outbreak, the weather forecast, news about NASA, sports... did nothing happen? It seems like nothing happened, yet in my mind, a bomb exploded. Only eventually did the anchor bring up again on the President's planned speech, when the show was ending.

I suddenly hear Obama from the TV set downstairs... the damn station here must've cut him off with a damn commercial break before realizing what they had done. Hate the station here... I look into his eyes. A hollow, light-skinned man, under a low-light White House room... his speech... making sure that he touched the hearts of his citizens... even though he didn't write it, probably... I could feel the loneliness someone may feel in times like this. I finally know what it's like. He finished his speech, and I could see some triumph as he walked away and had his back to the camera, leaving. He should feel triumphant. Anyone in his situation should feel proud. What followed was political journalists and reporters, drowsy and ragged, discussing the speech and situation... and I turned off the TV and went back upstairs.

Bin Laden was dead. But I felt more fear than I did freedom. I did not feel safe, I felt haunted. Like Bin Laden's ghost was lurking in our house. This wasn't the end. This won't be the end. al-Qaeda will want vengeance. This is for sure.

Guess not, but Anonymous pack a punch...
- Ant

FILM REVIEW: In Time (2011)

'In Time' (2011)

20^th CENTURY FOX
DIRECTED BY: Andrew Niccol

STARRING: Justin Timberlake, Amanda Seyfried, Cillian Murphy

What can be tricky about sci-fi movies is that they can have great ideas, but the execution can greatly influence (at least, to me) those ideas and their worth to the viewer. Time literally is money here, and the question In Time' asks is whether you'd choose to be mortal with time, or immortal with *time*. In Time does with alot of excellent ideas that are not only detailed and relevant, but relatable; too many allusions to Occupy and rich (vs) poor, that as a whole, would make for an excellent Oscar contender for its effective blend of science fiction & modernism.

However, there's this thing called Hollywood, that can add famous actors, unnecessary action, plot holes, and drama who-hah, that can take away from the brilliance in In Time's ideas. That's not to say this is a bad movie; again, ideas, and it's a damn good movie. It's just unfortunate that it doesn't take itself seriously to be something more. Because, AGAIN, this has brilliant ideas, with wonderful details and tid-bits, even alluding back to a vault password using Darwin's birthday and "Survival Of The Fittest".

In my opinion, I wish it took itself more seriously, but what can you do... well, really, that's kinda where you'd have to even the field. You have a great science fiction idea, but how far can you stretch it through 109 minutes? Well, sprinkle in some car chases, gangs fighting for time, Olivia Wilde, Leonard from 'The Big Bang Theory', a creepy lookin' sheriff, suits, allusions to Occupy...

I can't argue with the material; the screenwriters took it as far as they could with the audience, but overall, I wanted more. I wanted more seriousness to its brilliant ideas; but in the end, there's not much to complain about. It's a runaway drama that did alot of good things, and at least it had me thinking after the credits. If you want a smart sci-fi movie that isn't Rise of the Planet of the Apes, this is definitely worth your time.

☆☆☆
- Ant

FILM REVIEW: The Help (2011)

'The Help' (2011)
TOUCHSTONE/DREAMWORKS
DIRECTED BY: Tate Taylor
STARRING: Emma Stone, Viola Davis, Bryce Dallas Howard

If there's any way to write a review for this film, it would be like me trying to review American Beauty.

Because like American Beauty, it is difficult to describe in-detail what made it such a great film, otherwise you'd be repeating yourself over and over. But also, any critic who've seen it would have their own ideas of what it meant to them. For me, it was the perfect cast, perfect editing, perfect and surprising pacing, perfect balance of humor and intensity... but then this other idea would be brought up that also worked for the film, or this idea, etc. A topic or film such as this can be elaborated and touched upon like crazy, but trust me... the only way to understand is to see for yourself. Regardless, this is the first movie I've seen all year worthy of Best Picture.

See. This. Film.

☆☆☆☆

- Ant

FILM REVIEW: Rise of the Planet of the Apes (2011)

'Rise of the Planet of the Apes' (2011)

20^th CENTURY FOX
DIRECTED BY: Rupert Wyatt

STARRING: James Franco, Andy Serkis

Holy crap, that was damn good! All the TV accolades beforehand had me at skepticism, but the reviews did not lie. More than anything, it had that wonderful subtlety and charm that movies like WALL-E create, that immerse and engage the viewer from start to finish, even through the few but wild action scenes. Despite his expertly-paced and silently-explained origin, I actually cared about Caesar rocking San Fran!

Another great element is the nature of which prequels are supposed to do, like with X-Men: First Class: explain everything important, and let the viewer do the rest.

Caesar is the star of the show; Franco and the “humans” give passable performances, though their emotional significance is both not-as-focused, and simply unparalleled compared to Caesar’s. The story is like a prequel should, an origin story, of the... Rise of Caesar, from an Einstein infant to a would-be warrior and leader of a gorilla army, all spectacularly paced for a surprising 90 minutes.

Caesar only says four words throughout the entire movie, yet those are only props to his exposition. The spectacular (specTACULAR, James Cameron!) CGI here takes “advantage” over the simple fact that apes aren’t human. Yet by the climax, we grow so attached to Caesar that we remember theirs is a difference between our kind. Caesar speaks to us through his human-like expressionism. Making him unspeakable only adds to the humanity and sympathy we grow for him, despite those little four words (and trust me, that first word you’ll here will REALLY getcha).

What detracts from this phenomenal movie experience, understandably, is the human side of the story. Again, Franco, Felton, and his cast give passable performances, but passable only. It all comes to a magic cure that cures Alzheimer’s, which takes years to develop; meanwhile, we are given a montage of Caesar’s own development. The magic cure by then is too good, that it has opposite effects for both apes and humans… However, by the middle of the movie, we’ll have guessed what happens next. And we’ll know who the ambitious one is, who the bad guys are, etc, etc, and their screentime is very limited to really pay attention to their worth.

However, it’s obvious this isn’t a story about humans. It’s a story about Caesar, and his expertly-told and paced story from an baby, to a playful child, to a confused and scared young adult, to… you get it. This is a good thing, though. The human story was a nice extra, but it wasn’t as necessary as it would seem. Because, again, it’s all about Caesar.

PLEASE keep in mind, however. I’m giving this a very good review, but that can come from the fact that I’m an Apes-newby. Unlike X-Men: First Class, I don’t know the source material so well (novels, or Carpenter movies) to catch the allusions or possible holes. But until I do, this film stands as one of those surprises, a very excellent prequel. Do I wish Any Serkis’ CGI performance was Oscar-able? Absolutely, hope it is. How ‘bout the amazing soundtrack and great editing? Yes. Will there be sequels to this? Perhaps. But as it stands, it’s an action movie with a balance of relentless Ape action, and a relentless touch of humanity. That’s enough for me, and I hope that’s enough for Apes fans.

☆☆☆☆
- Ant

FILM REVIEW: Super 8 (2011)

'Super 8' (2011)
PARAMOUNT PICTURES
DIRECTED BY: J.J. Abrams
STARRING: Joel Courtney, Elle Fanning

For what it could've been worth as a revival of your 80s kid sci-fi movie, Super 8 turned out to be a rushed and confusing slapstick comedy lost in space. Though it had its moments, the entire experience felt almost out of place, with unattractive characters disappearing & reappearing, situations with no actual meaning, explanations that weren't given their time or patience, a well-made but overused soundtrack...

☆☆☆
- Ant

FILM REVIEW: Toy Story 3 (2010 unfinished review)

At the time of its release in the summer of 2010, I attempted to write a review for 'Toy Story 3', my highly-anticipated animated film, ever. Time after time, this review was constantly edited but never completed. I don't have much time or patience to thoroughly complete it, and since this was at the peak of my writing habit, and since we're already into 2012 as it is, I think it's best to finally release it, unfinished and unorganized, but better than never at all. Notice the "...", indicating a blank statement that'd bridge the points above & below it:

‘Toy Story 3’ (2010)

PIXAR/DISNEY
DIRECTED BY: Lee Unkrich

STARRING: Tom Hanks, Tim Allen

PIXAR’s darkest, Toy Story’s finest

It has stretched to over 11 years. 11 years, the longest I ever had to wait for anything. And with good reason. Toy Story & Toy Story 2 were the most magical (animated) movies I’ve ever seen growing up; Wall-E is definitely up there, but not only are they years apart, but Toy Story has a completely different ‘existence’ compared to Wall-E, even though they’re all made by the mind-blowing film genius that is PIXAR Studios.

I’ve been following the development history for Toy Story 3 since as far as it has gone, from changing plots to dropping Disney. I was growing impatient. And now that it has been released this year, for something like this, I was very nervous as to whether I would be pleased with the final product, or whether my expectations over the years would be satisfied.

My call was answered with a beautiful yes, as predicted, but there is a lot to say, and though this is a review of PIXAR’s movie, what it really comes down to, overall, is PIXAR itself. Simply said: Just like our old companion Andy has grown up over the films, PIXAR has really grown up over its lifetime.

If you’ve seen the films over the years (which you must have in some lifetime), you’d notice that though there is a clear moral message in most, the way they are expressed have evolved through every film. Wall-E is a very clear example; though it was a love story through-and-through, it touched on a very critical issue in our generation of commercialism and consumerism, and just how far we’ve come/we’re coming to the death of our planet and ourselves. It’s these sorts of messages expressed in PIXAR’s films that makes it completely unparalleled to any other CGI film studio in the history of CGI. Up came after, and it too touched on a critical issue: death and loss. While we got the fun from Mr. Fredrickson and Russell’s adventure through South America, it beautifully touches on the emotions of letting go, and comprehending what has to be done to make things right inside. These examples make one part of PIXAR’s uniqueness above any other studio. PIXAR has that awesome ability to seamlessly balance what is comical and moral, and what is serious and real. No other animation studio can do it as incredibly as PIXAR. Not Dreamworks, not Sony Pictures Animation, or even Sylvain Chomet (well, maybe). Which is why there is an understandable amount of hype with everyone of their films, as well as universal acclaim and profits.

So here we are, we got Toy Story 3, the sequel to the clutch to PIXAR’s success, the sequel we’ve waited over a decade for, and it’s finally here, at the peak of PIXAR’s brilliance in movie material. Do they transfer these strong messages and mature concepts to the last film of an innocent trilogy?

Again, yes, but Toy Story 3 is also by far, the darkest and most intense CGI film I’ve ever seen, and possibly in PIXAR’s history.

Without attempting to spoil anything (which is frankly difficult here), Andy, the imaginative boy who brought life to his plastic toys and set the course for the films, is in his late-teens and is off to college. His room is littered with car posters, trophies, video games, papers, applications, crap... yeah, he’s definitely a maturing young adult.

The movie begins with a live set-piece of Andy’s imagination at work as a young kid. Woody, Buzz, Mr. Potato Head, almost every toy we’ve come to know by now, are at a wild, dialogue-driven Western bonanza, with space aliens and flying pigs… until Andy’s mom shows up with her camcorder. What follows is a montage that shows how much of Andy we remember and love, and how much things have changed minutes later.

…

These toys are going to die! They’re accepting their fate together, they’re holding their hands in unison as they await their doom in the fiery pit of hell! There were kids around me! I mean, I was blown away when PIXAR decided to add blood for the first time in Up last year. But to put, not blood, but fucking imminent death and doom?!?! In TOY STORY?!?!

…

Putting aside all these statements that make the whole (and end) of Toy Story 3... there is still so much gold to say for this movie. Even if this wasn’t a PIXAR film, or you don’t have much interest in animated films or Toy Story, there is still so much to applaud here, anyway.

The scenes between Andy and his moments with his toys are nothing short of emotional... the main plot was obviously damn intense... the comical scenes were spot-on for both the younger and jumpier audience, and the mature and accustomed audience... no predictable moments... no seconds of lulls wasted... and I can’t continue without hinting the business in CGI candy. The fantastic pacing of Toy Story 3 makes it hard to focus on the beautiful and vibrant scenery and characters, the excellent soundwork and rich musical score, the details-upon-details-upon-details... it’s a breathtaking view when you’ve seen the movie enough to ignore the plot for a bit, or even after just finishing the first two hours ago. The leaps in animation technology over the years have really shown; Wall-E is no exception, Toy Story 3 is even more attractive than the wonders of space. I saw this in usual theater fashion; seeing it in 3D would probably be too much to take it, and I have a lazy-eye, so I doubt I’d get much, anyway... but it’s simply unbelievable to imagine how far CGI has come...

There were quick skits added during the credit reel. Granted, I don’t usually like these kinda skits in animated films; however funny they are, they just feel a bit cheesy and tacky to me, even if they were necessary (this movie needed some light humor after all the sh*t that went down). But that’s just me. This isn’t even a minor negative. It’s just an opinion. The only negative to this movie is you not seeing this. Toy Story 3 is exactly what I’ve been waiting for all these years: not just another PIXAR classic, but a proper conclusion to a story so wonderful, so endearing, so unforgettable, so beautiful to look at, and so true and magical to the masses, that you just don’t want it to end. But it must. Woody, Buzz, the toys, and Andy have made their mark spot-on forever after, and with the Toy Story trilogy now complete, its endearment will never pass from our hearts.

... until the trilogy arrives on DVD and BluRay. Then the adventures can be relived over and over again. Awesome.

RATING: It’s obvious by now I don’t need to rate this. Okay, fine: ☆☆☆☆

- Ant