The Walking Dead: Season One (Video Game - 2012)

Developer: Telltale Games

Writers (according to wiki): Sean Vanaman, Mark Darin, Gary Whitta

Whoaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa

Beware! Once you start, it's hard to put the controller down!

This is kind of like Mad Libs TV (if you remember the Mad Libs word game) and I love it! I do wish that the programmers got hard core and created ten times as many scenarios and outcomes. There is one PS3 in the house and my roommates and I often watched each other play so we could see what happens when different decisions are made. Sometimes different decisions would have pretty different results, but more often than not - the same thing would happen.

For example, early on in the game there is a woman in your group that shoots someone else in your group and it's up to you at that point whether or not to leave her behind. Whether or not you choose to leave her behind right then and there doesn't matter for long because ten minutes later in the game she leaves on her own. Sure the group has different opinions about you depending on the circumstances, but I thought it could be even better if that woman stayed even longer. The same is usually true for when a character dies also. Sometimes you can choose to kill a character, but whether you do or don't - that person is still going to die real soon.

I know all these decisions change how the people in your group feel about you, but it never gets to the point where the story changes. I wish the story could change! When you start Season One, it will end in the same way for you that it does for everyone else. I thought it would be way more cool if there were 7 to 10 different routes the game could go.

Now, I know the end of Season One matters because of the way Season Two begins, but I think among those different stories/paths you chose to follow, I think they could all still end in such a way that Season Two could pick up where it needs to.

I could see the counter argument being - if you chose a different path, then you wouldn't have experienced the full-circle and cinematic ending (spoiler alert - because that's what happens) but I like options yedig. I wanted to play a zombie game where I could actually do what I would want to do in those circumstances. For example, I would have liked to try and re-fortify a place to survive, similar to how Rick and the gang stay in the Jail in the real Walking Dead.

Anyways - I didn't get to play season two yet, but I do know that (SPOILER ALERT) you play as Clementine, and I'm not sure how I feel about that. I'm sure it will still be pretty damn awesome, but one of my favorite parts about the game is that you are responsible for this little girl the whole time. For me, that raised the stakes a lot.I'm sure I will eventually get to season two, until then:

PLAY THE WALKING DEAD SEASON ONE!

Dororo (2007)

Directed by Akihiko Shiota

I saw this a while ago on netflix and I forgot to make a note of it. Therefore - I don't have a detailed memory of it, but I remember liking it for all the wrong reasons (whatever that means).Anyways - the dude has fucking swords for limbs - if that's not enough of a reason to watch a movie, then perhaps you're taking movie-watching-advice from the wrong person.

I like the concept a lot, but the demons were usually corny and made me laugh because the special effects were pretty terrible. The two main characters and their relationship with each other was pretty priceless too. The woman and her high energy was hilarious, and she had a small drum that she would use to add to her enthusiasm (you see it in the trailer).

I did find one thing on youtube tho that I thought was pretty cool. I found this youtube video that is a cartoon of Dororo. It's black and white and it's twenty-six 30 minute episodes. I found it because I forgot what the title of this film was, so I searched 'samurai who must fight 48 demons to get his body parts back' - Dororo came up right away and I found out that it was a Japanese Manga series before it was a movie, and I found the black and white youtube videos. The first video I found was only the first 7 minutes of Episode one, and then I found the full version of episode two, and that's what I'd start you on:

It's kind of slow, but what do you expect from a 1969 black and white Japanese cartoon where a guy  has swords for limbs, and must battle 48 demons?

I plan on eventually watching all 26 episodes, but in the meantime - stop being an amateur and check out the feature on Netflix!

Death Note OR Desu nôto (2006-2007)

Directed by Tetsuro Araki (and five others, but he directed 34 out of 37 episodes)
Written by Takeshi Obata and Tsugumi Ohba (and two others, but these guys wrote 37 episodes)

I cheated on this show a bit. I missed episodes 7 to 14 ish and 22 to 28 ish I think.. I had to get some shit done and my roommates were watching it, so I was still half in. I missed (Spoiler Alert) when L was revealed, and I missed when Light gave up the book the first time, came back right around when he got it back and stuck thru to the end.

The show is awesome! I love the concept, and the struggle between the idea of what is right and what is wrong throughout the entirety of the show - it's brilliant.

The question is - who would you kill if all you had to do was write their name in a book?

:)

Check out the show - There are a million Japanese Animated shows on Netflix and you never know which one to watch - watch Death Note and think about how to fix the world without killing everyone in it. If you figure out how to do that - run for president (I'll vote for you) and wear a bullet proof wig every damn day.

Working in West Texas

I've got excuses for days it seems - here's the newest one - I was in West Texas working on a feature.

It was hot, there were a GANG of flies, and IT WAS FUCKING AWESOME!!

I grew a love for West Texas and I plan to go back fo sho!

There was a mini ramp on set, and one day during a lunch break I skated it - someone got a photo of me, and the next day it was on the back of the call sheet:

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2014)

Directed by Jonathan Liebesman

Saw it in Theater. I don't want to talk about it.

Don't get me wrong - check it out - it's just not the Ninja Turtles that I remember, and I'm wondering if that means I'm getting old or if it means the characters were not developed well enough .. ? I wonder if the other people who say there was no character development thought to themselves .. or maybe I'm just an old fuck?

Or am I biased because the director is South African? 

Anyways - The set piece where the semi truck slides down the snowy hill - FUCKING AWESOME

whatever bye.

Guardians of the Galaxy (2014)

Directed by James Gunn

SAW IT 3D IN THEATER DUH  !

FUCKING DUH !

THIS WAS THE BEST MARVEL MOVIE I'VE SEEN SO FAR !

I SAW IT TWICE !

FUCKING HALDUKKEN MAFAKAAA !!!

Lucy (2014)

Directed by Luc Besson

Saw it in theaters - pretty awesome!

The story/plot wasn't mind blowing, but I did leave the theater thinking mad hard about life. That is the best reason to see a movie if you ask me. People were complaining about plot holes, weak action, how we actually DO use %100 of our brain, and blah blah blah ... whatever. I like to think about space and time and weird shit, and I also like to think that there is always room for humans to be smarter and stronger - so this was right up my alley.

Check it out, hopefully it will make you think.