These past couple of months have felt like the summer/end of 03 all over again. Most people I know are moving away or joining the armed services. It's kind of scary. Some part of me wonders if this will become a routine every few years or so.
I'm always dumbfounded as to how someone can reach a point in their life where they say "alright, I don't have ANY options left. I'm choosing to be shipped overseas and be thrust into the heat of battle." I haven't known anyone who has done it for the whole "defending the country blah blah" reason.
I can hope that 2009 will bring better days for me than 2008 did. So far, it just seems like the same ol' situation. Still jobless, still feeling like I'm losing more people than gaining new ones.
But at the same time, I've been trying to learn to stop being so worried about the problems of others. It seems to be working pretty well so far, minus the above stress.
Some other quick notes:
-Irreversible was one hell of a disturbing flick. I'll give it props for being so daring, but the second half was actually pretty boring/meandering.
-Street Fighter IV kicks ass. I hate that last boss with a passion though.
-I'm waiting for Madball/Reign Supreme to happen already.
-Same with United Blood in Richmond.
-Scion Fest in this weekend. Damn their hides for making the ticket process so sketchy.
-I need to diversify my music taste.
Friday, February 27, 2009
Thursday, February 5, 2009
Couple of (not so) quick reviews
This really isn't anything too special, just a couple of reviews that I decided to get out of the way while I was at it. One is for a film I wish I had seen sooner before it leaves theaters (which is actually as I'm posting this), and the other is for a game that is enjoyable just so long as you spend as little cash on it as possible.
It took me weeks to do it, but I finally caught the Christopher Wallace biopic "Notorious." The film actually starts with the infamous night in Cali where he was gunned down, and then flashes back to his youth and everything afterwards that happens (appropriate, considering the whole myth about how your whole life flashes before your eyes before you die). We see he was actually a pretty privileged kid who was fascinated by the whole notion of making money and getting what all the other kids had. He starts selling crack, and getting involved with less than stellar people. He raps on the side, and decides after getting arrested a couple of times, to make it his main focus. We see him meet Tupac for the first time, record his first album, meet Lil' Kim, all the usual jazz.
How much (if at all) you enjoy the film really depends on how view Biggie's actions. It certainly isn't very comforting to see him sell crack to a pregnant woman, or see him fool around on EVERY woman he hooks up with, or go ballistic on Faith Evans on hearing about possible infidelity from her. But then again, are ANY music biopics not without some fair share of controversy? The performances are a mixed bag, with not everybody looking the part, but still giving it their all. Jamal Woodard does a pretty damn good job channeling Biggie's charm and mannerisms, although I can't say the same for Angela Bassett's portrayal of Voletta, his mother. You might be irritated with her slipping in and out of a Jamaican accent, plus she really needed more screen time. Does one man really need to see so much of Lil' Cease? One person we DID see a lot of (and boy do I mean it) was Lil' Kim, played rather well by the quite attractive Naturi Naughton. She was a part of that awful group 3LW, but I'll forgive her for that). The guy who played Puff Daddy did a good job, despite not really looking like him. Tupac's actor could have been better, but the film barely uses him so it's not a large issue. Same with Faith Evans, though I can't say the same for looking the part when it comes to her.
There are several things that are left unanswered in the film that might irk real fans, such as why he chose the name Biggie Smalls, or why there isn't more time spent showing him making his records. Again, they're forgivable, but it's still disappointing. One can hope that they'll be covered on the DVD release of the film.
Overall, it's an enjoyable film and even with it's problems, a good tribute to one of the best rappers that we ever bared witness to. I hope that Woodard gets some more work after seeing his performance in here. Guy might have a career in acting if his rapping career doesn't take off (and it doesn't seem to be from what I can tell). I'd give about 7.5/10.
And now for the next review...
I had meaning to pick up this game for years since I'm a huge Capcom fighting fiend (I still own Rival Schools and Pocket Fighter for PS1) and crossover games of any sort have always intrigued me. One of our local Babbage's was closing, and lo and behold, there was a used copy of this bad boy going for $12.99. I figured to give it a shot, and figured at it's worst, it'll provide me with a cheap thrill until Street Fighter IV comes out.
What we have here is a collection of 5 factions featuring 4 characters to represent each of them: Street Fighter II, Street Fighter Alpha, Street Fighter III, Darkstalkers, and Red Earth (a game that never even saw release over here). There's also a new character named Ingrid, who was supposed to appear in the now canceled Capcom Fighting All Stars. Each faction has their own unique merits to them, such as higher damage, custom combos, EX-moves, airblocking, etc. The fights are one on one, and after a round, you can choose to stick with your current character or switch to another one for the next round (something their rivals SNK introduced in the King of Fighters games).
I'll start with the positives:
-It's pretty cool to see Capcom give some nods to old fan favs like Jedah, Rose and Alex.
-The new stages are pretty to look at.
Now I'll go with the negatives:
- Why is this called EVOLUTION? That implies that things, I dunno, evolve? Change? Every sprite and character here is recycled, with the exception of Ingrid. Were the artists getting lazy? Hell the only artists here who weren't lazy are the folks at Udon, who drew every character's ending. Those look great. The characters don't.
-All of the fighters aren't balanced very well. There are plenty of ways to be cheap here. The Red Earth characters are pretty much disposable, with the exception of the hulking Hauzer (A DINOSAUR WITH CHICKEN FEET).
-There is very little replay value. The only things to unlock are two characters, characters' theme songs from their debut games, and...well that's it.
The game just feels very rushed. I've seen packs of Mugen that had more time put into them than this game did. Actually, that's what this game feels like. A really shitty version of a Mugen fighter (google it if you don't know what I'm referring to).
I can forgive Capcom for this though. I think even they feel kind of ashamed with this one. It isn't in Japanese arcades anymore, and they aren't packaging new copies for stores anymore either. If you're an absolute completest, then by all means pick this up. You'll get a couple of days' worth of enjoyment out of it. If you're not, save your money for Street Fighter IV. Or go find a copy of Capcom vs SNK 2.
It took me weeks to do it, but I finally caught the Christopher Wallace biopic "Notorious." The film actually starts with the infamous night in Cali where he was gunned down, and then flashes back to his youth and everything afterwards that happens (appropriate, considering the whole myth about how your whole life flashes before your eyes before you die). We see he was actually a pretty privileged kid who was fascinated by the whole notion of making money and getting what all the other kids had. He starts selling crack, and getting involved with less than stellar people. He raps on the side, and decides after getting arrested a couple of times, to make it his main focus. We see him meet Tupac for the first time, record his first album, meet Lil' Kim, all the usual jazz.
How much (if at all) you enjoy the film really depends on how view Biggie's actions. It certainly isn't very comforting to see him sell crack to a pregnant woman, or see him fool around on EVERY woman he hooks up with, or go ballistic on Faith Evans on hearing about possible infidelity from her. But then again, are ANY music biopics not without some fair share of controversy? The performances are a mixed bag, with not everybody looking the part, but still giving it their all. Jamal Woodard does a pretty damn good job channeling Biggie's charm and mannerisms, although I can't say the same for Angela Bassett's portrayal of Voletta, his mother. You might be irritated with her slipping in and out of a Jamaican accent, plus she really needed more screen time. Does one man really need to see so much of Lil' Cease? One person we DID see a lot of (and boy do I mean it) was Lil' Kim, played rather well by the quite attractive Naturi Naughton. She was a part of that awful group 3LW, but I'll forgive her for that). The guy who played Puff Daddy did a good job, despite not really looking like him. Tupac's actor could have been better, but the film barely uses him so it's not a large issue. Same with Faith Evans, though I can't say the same for looking the part when it comes to her.
There are several things that are left unanswered in the film that might irk real fans, such as why he chose the name Biggie Smalls, or why there isn't more time spent showing him making his records. Again, they're forgivable, but it's still disappointing. One can hope that they'll be covered on the DVD release of the film.
Overall, it's an enjoyable film and even with it's problems, a good tribute to one of the best rappers that we ever bared witness to. I hope that Woodard gets some more work after seeing his performance in here. Guy might have a career in acting if his rapping career doesn't take off (and it doesn't seem to be from what I can tell). I'd give about 7.5/10.
And now for the next review...
I had meaning to pick up this game for years since I'm a huge Capcom fighting fiend (I still own Rival Schools and Pocket Fighter for PS1) and crossover games of any sort have always intrigued me. One of our local Babbage's was closing, and lo and behold, there was a used copy of this bad boy going for $12.99. I figured to give it a shot, and figured at it's worst, it'll provide me with a cheap thrill until Street Fighter IV comes out.
What we have here is a collection of 5 factions featuring 4 characters to represent each of them: Street Fighter II, Street Fighter Alpha, Street Fighter III, Darkstalkers, and Red Earth (a game that never even saw release over here). There's also a new character named Ingrid, who was supposed to appear in the now canceled Capcom Fighting All Stars. Each faction has their own unique merits to them, such as higher damage, custom combos, EX-moves, airblocking, etc. The fights are one on one, and after a round, you can choose to stick with your current character or switch to another one for the next round (something their rivals SNK introduced in the King of Fighters games).
I'll start with the positives:
-It's pretty cool to see Capcom give some nods to old fan favs like Jedah, Rose and Alex.
-The new stages are pretty to look at.
Now I'll go with the negatives:
- Why is this called EVOLUTION? That implies that things, I dunno, evolve? Change? Every sprite and character here is recycled, with the exception of Ingrid. Were the artists getting lazy? Hell the only artists here who weren't lazy are the folks at Udon, who drew every character's ending. Those look great. The characters don't.
-All of the fighters aren't balanced very well. There are plenty of ways to be cheap here. The Red Earth characters are pretty much disposable, with the exception of the hulking Hauzer (A DINOSAUR WITH CHICKEN FEET).
-There is very little replay value. The only things to unlock are two characters, characters' theme songs from their debut games, and...well that's it.
The game just feels very rushed. I've seen packs of Mugen that had more time put into them than this game did. Actually, that's what this game feels like. A really shitty version of a Mugen fighter (google it if you don't know what I'm referring to).
I can forgive Capcom for this though. I think even they feel kind of ashamed with this one. It isn't in Japanese arcades anymore, and they aren't packaging new copies for stores anymore either. If you're an absolute completest, then by all means pick this up. You'll get a couple of days' worth of enjoyment out of it. If you're not, save your money for Street Fighter IV. Or go find a copy of Capcom vs SNK 2.
Monday, February 2, 2009
Disappointment
So my cold has been reactivated (or made worse, I'm not sure) over the past couple of days. I suppose that going out to places where there was a lot of smoking and whatnot didn't help. I obviously didn't think that through. I was feeling pretty damn good on Friday, but after being in Firebelly's and Barbary Coast for most of the evening, and being surrounded by human chimneys who may or may not be in equally bad conditions, I started feeling symptoms again. Couple that with going to Buffalo Wild Wings on Saturday and being surrounded by three of the worst smokers I know, and I'm sick yet again. Oh what rotten luck and utter stupidity on my part.
I haven't really had the chance to listen to much new music this week. I found an old cd wallet the other day and spent some time burning some of my oooollddd stuff to itunes that I thought I'd lost forever. Some of the music still holds up (Soundgarden, STP, even Metallica's Black album), some...doesn't. I found an ancient mix cd that my friends had made back in the day when they were obsessed with DDR. I only recognized a handful of tracks, mainly the first ones which are actually anime theme songs (two Ruroni Kenshin ending themes which STILL kick ass). I've always dug most of the themes to animes, even if I don't care to follow the stuff anymore. There were two or three Captain Jack songs which brought some minor laughs. Most of it is garbage though.
My laptop needs to be looked at. The screen doesn't close properly, the sound is going in certain parts, and the charger cable doesn't seem to work about half the time. Lame.
Someone I've always had a hit or miss relationship with (as FRIENDS thank you) is joining the army. I had heard rumors of it for about the past week or so, but got an official confirmation on Saturday. I'm not really sure what to think. Most of my childhood friends went off to join the Marines and I haven't heard from them again, though I'm sure they're alright. It's just so odd to see this "trend," if I can call it that, continue even when I'm 23. I'm a little worried too. One of my friends had joined the Marines only to try and be a mail carrier, and they ended up sending him off to Iraq instead. The same thing is being ascribed to the person I know going over there next. I hope they don't lie to him.
I've been on a geeky book binge lately. Unearthed my old Clerks comic, re-reading The Death of WCW and Have a Nice Day, and re-reading and listening to the radio drama of Kingdom Come by Mark Waid. Good times.
This week is looking pretty bare. I only hope I get better so I can go out and job hunt again. My insurance has pretty much run out because I can't afford to pay it right now.
I haven't really had the chance to listen to much new music this week. I found an old cd wallet the other day and spent some time burning some of my oooollddd stuff to itunes that I thought I'd lost forever. Some of the music still holds up (Soundgarden, STP, even Metallica's Black album), some...doesn't. I found an ancient mix cd that my friends had made back in the day when they were obsessed with DDR. I only recognized a handful of tracks, mainly the first ones which are actually anime theme songs (two Ruroni Kenshin ending themes which STILL kick ass). I've always dug most of the themes to animes, even if I don't care to follow the stuff anymore. There were two or three Captain Jack songs which brought some minor laughs. Most of it is garbage though.
My laptop needs to be looked at. The screen doesn't close properly, the sound is going in certain parts, and the charger cable doesn't seem to work about half the time. Lame.
Someone I've always had a hit or miss relationship with (as FRIENDS thank you) is joining the army. I had heard rumors of it for about the past week or so, but got an official confirmation on Saturday. I'm not really sure what to think. Most of my childhood friends went off to join the Marines and I haven't heard from them again, though I'm sure they're alright. It's just so odd to see this "trend," if I can call it that, continue even when I'm 23. I'm a little worried too. One of my friends had joined the Marines only to try and be a mail carrier, and they ended up sending him off to Iraq instead. The same thing is being ascribed to the person I know going over there next. I hope they don't lie to him.
I've been on a geeky book binge lately. Unearthed my old Clerks comic, re-reading The Death of WCW and Have a Nice Day, and re-reading and listening to the radio drama of Kingdom Come by Mark Waid. Good times.
This week is looking pretty bare. I only hope I get better so I can go out and job hunt again. My insurance has pretty much run out because I can't afford to pay it right now.
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