Crysis 2 on Xbox and PS3 looks interesting, but should I waste my time or go back to Call of Duty: BLOPS?

Battle: L.A.

When I first saw the trailer for Battle: Los Angeles, I couldn’t help think that this movie didn’t look too interesting save for the concept. Then a friend of mine had said that he read it was in some ways similar to “Black Hawk Down”. I was shocked to hear this because I love “Black Hawk Down” and do not compare many other films, let alone movies, to it. My friend then informed me it was based on the Marines. Well I was sold, at least enough to see the movie for myself. After seeing the movie I can say the similarities are mild. But was it worth my time and money?

Most movies attract me by their story first. The story of aliens attacking the planet earth is not an entirely new one. I’ve seen it a hundred times done in four or five ways. Most movies with aliens will detail the human struggle as a species, the social struggle of the local group (Americans, Japanese, New Yorkers, etc), or the political observations of such events. This is one way in which Battle: L.A. changes is by dealing directly with the small squad of Marines which find themselves clearing out portions of Santa Monica. A story told in this regard does lose some of the grandeur that larger alien attack films have.

One such element is back story. Where most stories will tell the audience the entirely of the 5 W’s (Who, What, Where, When, Why, and How… still never got the silent H addition…), this movie doesn’t do this. They show you only what the characters in the movie might know. There is a cheat here or there, but the general ideas are informed to the observer of the movie. While I will not spoil anything for this review, I can say if you wanted to have  complete answers to who the aliens are, what they are, where they come from, when they found us, you won’t get that. You barely get a why or even a how. Some of this is granted, but not much. The story is not reliant on that however. The story is that of the Marines, and not necessarily the individual Marines. The main character is Aaron Eckhart (SSgt Nantz), and while he has most of the face time, never did you feel like he was this massive force of a character. The real character comes through as the cohesive unit of the Marines and the way in which they are conveyed. First ones in, Last ones out is a solid representation of these soldiers. The stories of the individuals only serve to observe how each one inter-relates to one another and how it may affect the others. They include a measure of doubt from the troops to Eckharts character which gets a resolution at some point in a rather touching way, but none of it is as “Hollywood” as previous attempts have been. The story is subtle outside of the massive alien force which is attacking the planet.

The story of Battle: Los Angeles is accentuated by using video verite. For the few people who don’t know, video verite (or cinema verite) is a style which was used in the new Battlestar Galactica as well as the movie Cloverfield. It is where a hand cam feel is used to place the viewer into a different state of mind when observing, though completely different from LSD. This style works very well in the movie, but not without its faults. Early on, while we are getting to know the majority of the cast, the video verite style is at odds with the observer. A shaky camera with a closeup is not the best way to introduce me to the people I need to care about. Additionally, there are several times when you feel claustrophobic where casual conversation is taking place. Luckily, however, these are few and generally located in the front half of the movie. A circumstance where it worked well casually was a situation where two of the men are discussing their new SSgt, SSgt Nantz. The camera takes a distant observation point with the two focal points in the background. While these two are talking, the scene is going on around them, with various actors passing through the scene. This adds to the emotion of the scene as the two Marines are discussing their uncertainty of Nantz because of his history. Here, you got the proper sense that they were concerned but not outwardly vocal to the rest of the Marines about it. It also conveyed well that many people had their own concerns for Nantz, which is an important part of the group cohesion for the majority of the movie.

The action sequences for Battle: L.A. are well done. They are not, by any means, the traditional over the top action scenes we have come to expect from Hollywood blockbusters. Instead, aside from the alien force, they are quite believable. There are three main action sequences which takes place in the movie, and each one offers a difference emotive quality. The movies takes the observer on an emotional journey with each one. The first one has the observer feeling helpless as they are introduced to their threats. The second one has the observer anxious and claustrophobic. The third and final battle definitely has the audience feeling hopeful, but not to the point of cocky. It is uncertain who will live and die, and people certainly die.The emotive connection is most definitely made possible by the use of the verite style. An uncertain camera means the framing isn’t as predictable as it usually is and this gives you the sense you are in the battle. The best thing about these sequences however is that they do not suffer from the usual “what is going on” that most movies suffer from, and they aren’t usually using the verite style! With this movie, they have differentiated most of the actors well enough that you generally know who is in trouble, who is under fire, and who’s dog tags are to be found in their boots.

Along with the camera work, the audio is used fairly competently. When the presence of the aliens is first established, they give the observer an understanding that a particular sound is accompanied by some shit hitting the fan. It is a rather odd bass sound which is not natural to the common observer. It’s similar to that of a pod race sound in Star Wars: The Phantom Menace. While I’m not a fan of the Star Wars movies, this sound works well as an unnatural alien sound. During moments of intense gun fire, the sound cuts through the loud “clicks” and “clacks” of gun fire so that you can distinguish who is gaining momentum. The mix of high intensity emotion from the story, the unsteady hand of the verite style, and the audio which captured the essence of the artillery, gunfire, and alien presence kept the movie captivating enough.

Ultimately, the question on whether or not you want to see this movie lies with you. If you want a high intensity, action at every corner, full blown action film, do not see this movie. This movie doesn’t offer the traditional sense of the Hollywood Blockbuster you might expect from a movie that is about aliens invading the planet. If you’re much more interested in a story that is much more the duties and responsibilities of a Marine and soldiers in general over that of their enemy being aliens, then sit down and enjoy yourself. It is in this way where the movie closely fits with “Black Hawk Down”. In the same way that movie conveyed the Rangers and Special Forces in a serious conflict that had you in near tears, I found several moments in this movie to feel emotional. Not in the fact that they were written particularly well, but in the fact that the words spoken could have been true in Los Angeles with an alien attack, or spoken in Afghanistan, Iraq, Korea, or any other location where war has made soldiers live regrettably necessary lives. At the end of the day I did not regret my decision to see this movie. And while I personally don’t see Eckhart as a Marine, he did well enough a job to convey the important parts that this movie feels like a well done experiment that makes me want to see similar movies in the future. I do suggest this movie is seen, and if you’re still uncertain, please spend the time to see it when it comes to video so that you can see a small glimpse into the difficult and simply complex lives of soldiers in our Armed Forces… without all of the fluff. Consider Battle Los Angeles a movie about marines in a conflict. In this particular case, the conflict is one to save the planet Earth, starting with L.A..

-The Adam

I haven’t ever given two thoughts about the Oscars. The more I think about it, the less I care. The Academy Awards, as the institution calls it, aren’t something which affects my life in any tangible way. This isn’t to imply or state that I do not enjoy movies. I have enjoyed a consider list of well known and little known movies. I can experience a movie or film from both a personal level and a well perceived critical level. I can enjoy a movie from the aspect of its direct relation to the events of my life. I can also enjoy a film based on its technical merits in editing or direction, the actor or actresses ability to pull me into their plight, or even lighting and set dressing. And yet, something never dug into me about the Academy Awards.

I realized over time that people somehow were crazed about this phenomenon. I would go into work at times to hear people talking about some event that people had observed on the Oscars. Perhaps an acceptance speech was too robust. Maybe the opening act wasn’t up to par. Or maybe the host was a little too flamoyant. And while I never knew specifically what they were talking about, I felt this talk was familiar to me. I couldn’t quite place this feeling.

I couldn’t place this feeling until one day someone was talking about a reality show. I realized the same reactions were given by the same people about reality TV shows. Now granted, there were people in both camps which did not cross over, but the way they expressed and how they seemed to care about an event which made no difference in their lives seemed not only similar, but from the same place. This drama of detail in lives which are not there own.

This was not the only reason I didn’t like the awards. It was also the thought behind it. I had this feeling it was self serving. A hubris driven song and dance hidden in penguin suits and sequin dresses. It felt emulatory of such fantastic stars such as Sean Penn and Martin Sheen, individuals who are happy to tell us what we are doing wrong in our lives even though their own histories with family, drugs, and bat-shit crazy are the fuel stuff aspiring writers wish they could place in their screenplays. The facade of the show didn’t sit well with me and made much more sense when I found out why.

Learning about the awards show in a Cinema class, I had learned it’s history which I will not get into detail here. The small version was a group of executives and other important members of the industry in the year 1926 settled on the idea that in the next year, 1927, they would host a luncheon and announce plans for persons in their industry. It wasn’t until 1929 where they announced ”winners”  from 1927 and ’28 to the public.  Mind you, this would be radio played and its concept was to bring more eyes on into theaters while keeping the “little people” happy.

The design of “Oscar” himself is a deliberate attempt to instill a point of excessive pride. Oscar was designed to be standing atop a roll of film, this is obvious. But Oscar also holds a sword in his hand. This was designed to make Oscar look “knightly”. Knightly? This was in an era when being Knighted was something of an honor, a cut above. To be Knighted you were meant to have a noble form, a principle above all others. As most of us know this is not true, but it is perceived. Once again, the perception of the world around us misleads our sensibilities. Recipients in essence are given a noble and knightly perception and are elevated in our minds to be adored. Definitely meant to keep the workers happy with what they have and keep audiences adoring.

 While many out there might question motivation, simply look to the events of these years and the exceptionally harsh conditions endured by the crews on sets. Treated like second class citizens, the idea was designed to keep the masses comfortable enough while still being able to make the large amounts of money in an era where the Depression was just about to begin. Corruption and manipulation was the name of the game and the creation of the show was no exception.

To be fair, the nominations for those up for an award are chosen by their peers. In this regard, I think the Academy Awards have some merit. In any field, it is always nice to hear that you are thought of by your peers. I somehow doubt, however, that it works that way. Looking at the system by which nominees and recipients are chosen (do a search, it’s a crazy elaborate process) it appears that the Awards show is much more a networking system. The system is not a simple one and is indeed designed to be confusing at best. My favorite part, however, is who counts the ballots.

Accountants. It is accountants who count the ballots for nominees. It is the accountants who know the list of nominees and who the ultimate winners are. Now, an argument could be made for why this is. If it was an actor, director, or a standard person off the street, then these bits of information might not be so secure. Well, this logic only works because all of those persons wouldn’t have a vested interest in securing the nominations. Going back to the beginning again, it was the studio heads and other important persons who gathered the masses (originally only 250 members by the way) to award “selected” individuals. Having an accountant have the power over this system is a testament to how important this event is to the longevity of the industry itself.

Then there is the participation of the “show” that the accountant has to be included in. In a deliberately overly dramatic emulatory way, the accountants have a ridiculous process by which they have to take the ballots to the awards show. It involves taking different routes, black suit cases, memorization of all winners prior to the show, and having to stand around through the duration of the show “just in case” the wrong name is mentioned (which is odd, since they placed the names in the envelopes with the other accountans). I’m almost certain this process is more elaborate than the President obtaining the “football”.

In the end, all of this is simply a means to keep the masses interested in what they do. The millions of dollars a year isn’t enough to do the job. It requires a night which cross pollinates their industry of fifty foot theater screens with the smaller screens of your living room to insert the understanding of a culture in hopes you’ll continue to support them.

What is important is that people are entertained. I am not concerned with this form of entertainment, but others are. I understand the want to deviate the tedium of ones life with something which momentarily takes you away to a new place. A mentality similar to watching Survivor, American Idol, or any of the other dramas which pretend to be reality. My issue here is that it’s one that doesn’t benefit you or I. Imagine what could be accomplished if persons spent HALF the attention they spend on this sham on something which made their neighbors lives happy, or even their own children and family.  Watching a group of liars (deliberately chosen because actors portray people they are not) do that which they do best when in the presence of their peers doesn’t do much for the majority of the public…American public at that.

I do not believe this is a solely American mentality, but most definitely believe that it is only Americans who will care about the events of the Academy Awards. I am quite curious as to what events non-Americans will be interested in when not presented with a long winded pat on the back . I’ll guess scandal television takes a different form in those countries.

I will continue to not care about which movies I wasn’t interested in to begin with win what rewards, but understand the sales and rentals of such movies increases dramatically when nominated or announced as a winner.  I will absolutely crack a small smile every year when I hear about the Oscars a day before they occur and realize I almost dodged a bullet by not having to hear the rants on why someone should or should not have won, believing it to be a traditionally democratic process. Even as I write this, random entities on Facebook cannot help but present their personal points of pride that they saw some particular amount of the nominees and try and play the role of an accountant and insert their own pick into an envelope. I will continue to not care about this inasmuch as I do not care about when a doped up actor leaves rehab for the seventh time or kills themselves in a hotel room. I will continue to live my life in realizing that the job of an actor is an easy one. You pretend to be something you are not. With any job, the better you are at it, the more people are likely to come to you for this job. As with any job, the system is rigged at times. I will continue to just not care what a group of individuals thought about some movie based off a topic which does not affect my life or that I’ve had deeper thoughts about while sitting on the can. I just cannot care about lives which are larger than their own capacity in a world brought about by excess and arrogance.

But the day that Clint Eastwood dies…I will bow my head in silence… and post about it on the Internets from wifi connection on my laptop. Be certain of this.

-The Adam

Mirrors came to my attention when I watched the “Welcome to the new Myspace” promo video for their chunky upgrade to their website. “Damn that’s a pretty interesting sound! The hell is this? Is this an old song?” I was taken back to the early 1980′s with the distinct vocal style of Tears for Fears and a bit of Depeche Mode but with an updated electronic sound; not to be confused with ‘upgraded’ mind you. Myspace could’ve at least thrown these guys a bone by linking to their Myspace page or at least post the name of the band or song (don’t worry, I’ll do that later). Unfortunately, there was absolutely no information about the music I was hearing. It wasn’t until 4 days later that a kind soul replied to my post on the page about finding out the name of the band. “Mirrors” he said. And the song is “Ways to an End”. He even provided a link to their video. Thanks dude, you’re the bomb!

Now we’re talking. The reverberated vocals, harmonized synths, and catchy beat give it a spacey and powerful feel. These guys had five other songs posted on YouTube but this one easily became my favorite track. Listening to these tunes made me really want to investigate this band and probably purchase their CD. I know, it is very old school of me to actually purchase CDs, but I do this on principle for sending some cash to the band as well as obtaining a hard copy that can be duplicated over and over again for my personal various listening habits. Upon further investigations through the Internets I was hard-up to find ANY info on an album whatsoever. Nothing on Amazon, or Zune and the same five tracks were available on iTunes. These guys just seemed too well produced and talented to not even have a proper website or album.

Here’s what I found; a Myspace page (myspace does indeed allow for a great platform for musicians), a Facebook page which features a ton of tracks and they’re all fantastic, and a Blogspot page featuring the Euro band’s travels, life events and what-not. One fan wrote on their Facebook wall posted “Album?” and the response: “Very soon! Not long now until we announce the date!!”. Fantastic, because I’d really love to hear more.

These cats, hailing from Brighton England, have produced an extremely nostalgic sound of the early 1980′s synth-pop while giving it a fresh appeal. The known tracks give us the distinct sounds of reverberated vocals and bouncy beats that changes throughout the track, as good music should take us on a journey. The surprise is the track ‘Of The Night And The Light And The Half-Light’ which is an interesting mosaic of synthesized harmonics and a delayed, muted beat with no vocals (I just received some communication with the band that this track will not be on their debut album but is actually an introduction to their live show). This is a good sign that Mirrors is not a one-trick pony and understands the artistic appeal of music and creating a sound of their own. You can bet that you wont be hearing the same kinds of songs over-and-over again as the tracks are unique among themselves. I often critique music simply by the way it makes me feel and Mirrors makes me feel big and powerful. The music is large, it moves and it’s simply amazing. The track “Lights and Offerings” comes to mind as well. This song will stay with me for a long time.

I’ve been waiting for this album for a long while and it’s nice to see a group of musicians with some real talent giving a nod to the past while looking ahead into the future. For now I’ll enjoy the couple of tracks purchased from iTunes and you can bet that I’ll be buying that CD when it comes out.

My Favorite Tracks:
“Toe The Line”
“Ways To An End”
“Searching In The Wilderness”
“Lights And Offerings”

- Don The Producer

Simply put, this movie is The BOMB! Setting aside my fascinations with creating massive web empires from the ground up, because we do have to be objective here, this is a great movie. I will also have to dismiss another aspect of this film. Word on the street is that the events in this movie are far from true. I say, who gives a shit? This movie is too cool and fantastic to say it’s bad simply because it isn’t true. The Social Network is an adaptation from the book “The Accidental Billionaires” by Ben Mezrich. Now Fincher and Columbia Pictures can wash their hands of any libel.

To be super brief, this movie is about Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg’s rise as a social web entrepreneur starting as a geeky web designer at Harvard and his sudden escalation as being the creator of the largest online social network, and a billionaire by the time he was in his mid-twenties. What’s happened in between is what’s really interesting. A failed relationship with his girlfriend that leads to some embarrassing Internet smack-talk, purportedly stealing the idea of Facebook (called The Facebook back then), forming a business relationship with a friend and then later screwing him over by reducing the value of his stock ownership to a minuscule amount and being seduced by one of the most satanic characters in a movie I’ve ever seen.

The performances are awesome in this film. Jesse Eisenberg does a great job of emulating the nerdy and fast-talking Mark Zuckerberg (I personally feel that he didn’t hit Zuckerberg’s actual personality but it’s entertaining none-the-less). Armie Hammer does a great job playing two Winklevoss brothers with the aid of some very impressive CG (I had no idea it was just one dude playing these two guys until I looked it up after leaving the cinema). And Justin Timberlake is simply the damn Devil in this movie. Timberlake is always a pleasure to see on screen, he’s a great performer and takes his work seriously. His depiction of Napster founder Sean Parker is just too enjoyable. His smarmy attitude when handing Eduardo a check for his original investment in Facebook was bad ass!

The mood of this film is impressive. The editing is spot on. The cinematography depicts a dark world that Facebook may have emerged from. And the music is scored by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross. The electronic beats encapsulate the movie in extreme darkness with hints of technological marvel and inspiring themes.

On a side-note, I’ve heard some people say that this movie is very chauvinistic because it portrays women as either being bitchy or horny sex fiends interested only in selfish gain. I say no; the story is what it is. Do the filmmakers really need to alter the events simply to include diversity or to satisfy certain groups? Hell no! You would just be letting politics get in the way of art.

The Social Network is definitely a pleasure to watch. It hosts almost no heroes; just greedy and misguided kids with far too much power. And yet it’s all so strangely inspiring.

And for now, I’ll leave you with an image of the Dark Lord Mark Zuckerberg.

- Don The Producer

Yo, Tron: Legacy, that movie that everyone’s been dying to see for 30 years! Finally the bugger has come out and to Disney’s dismay it’s gotten some ‘mixed’ reviews. Adam and Don The Producer lay down what’s really going on in this flick. The Daft Punk score, the use of 3D (and 2D), character development, nods back to the old Tron and even parallels to Hitler and Jews! And did I mention SPOILERS!?

Length: 13:20
Special Guest: Adam and Don The Producer