THE ATOMIC CHEESE MELT

Game Review: Baldur's Gate Enhanced Edition

2013-05-16T16:01:00.002-07:00

BALDUR’S GATE GOODNESS

The majority of RPG fans have already played the original Baldur’s Gate games. There is no question, no debate; no doubt… these were some of the best video games ever.

Only two were made with an expansion pack for each. Back when expansion packs meant a huge amount of content to extend the game… opposed to the current definition of cut-content already developed sold alongside the game to rip you off.

Despite raving reviews and a cult following, the uncertainty of the gaming industry kept anymore from being made.

Eventually Dragon Age: Origins was released as a “spiritual successor”, while a good game it took over five years to develop and didn’t even come close to the scale or wonder or adventure of the Baldur’s Gate games. And with the flop that was Dragon Age 2 it’s clear that Bioware (in its current form) is no longer aware of what made their early games such a success or how to recreate said success. Basically Dragon Age is a very poor candidate to be a successor at this point.

Enter Beamdog & Overhaul Games companies made by a Bioware co-founder & lead programmer, who apparently are also aware of Biowares inability to continue the work of Baldur’s Gate. So they have taken it upon themselves to do what’s right… to carry the torch.

So far they have revamped the first Baldur’s Gate, combining the expansion with the base game, upgrading the engine and resolution to that of the second game (something done before by modders, but now integrated to save you from the fuss), added three new characters with their own storylines, and fixed a plethora of bugs, giving you the best experience in one attractive package.

Honestly? I think this new company is worth giving a chance.

I’m sure most fans already own a version of these games. The catch is buying old versions from random sites on the internet (or just pirating it) ends up giving the money to anyone but the creators of the game (or more importantly people who are trying to improve the game). Overhaul Games is already working on the Enhanced Edition of the Sequel and have stated that if sales are good they will FINALLY work on the third installment (something that should have been made a decade ago). Better late then never I say.

We are entering a new age of gaming in which the gamers can directly fund the games they want with their money, as opposed to giving a giant publisher (that did nothing on the games themselves) the majority of the money, forcing the developers out of business. For only $20 it’s very nice to be able to own the original Baldur’s Gate with all the ground work of modding it done for you, also knowing that you’re directly funding Baldur’s Gate 3!

TV Review: Futurama

2013-05-08T02:34:00.006-07:00

CANCELLED AGAIN

Is there no justice in the world!? Is this just a cruel joke!? Cancelled once for no reason, an army of fans demanding its return were needed to bring it back. What a comeback it was... FOUR WHOLE MOVIES! But for what? Two additional seasons? Well there still might be hope for it, but as of now it doesn't have a network since comedy central isn't renewing. I don't even understand the decision, what are they basing it on? Ratings? Who doesn't love Futurama? What do ratings even prove in this day and age? How many people are behind the times? Everyone watches these shows online or owned copies.

The one silver lining is there is still going to be 13 more episodes to finish the last season. After that I guess it's up to the fans once more... or some other network smart enough to pick up Futurama. Because I just can't handle it being cancelled again...

TV Review: American Dad

2013-05-07T16:16:00.003-07:00

Seth Macfarlane's Best Show

Family Guy was the original show, quickly becoming known and loved by all (more or less). However after the first few years it became trendy to hate on it, saying it was no longer funny, that it had no story, and so on. There was some truth to these criticisms...

Second there was American Dad, from the very first episode to the most recent I don't think there has ever been a bad one. I think this show was made to answer for the flaws of Family Guy. Always a story to follow, always hilarious, and even though the characters are more "out of this world" as in an alien and a fish with the brain of a German. They are way more relatable.

Lastly came the Cleveland Show, not for everyone to say the least. Sometimes I wonder if it was just made so Seth Macfarlane could have 75% of the animated Sunday line-up.

So in conclusion... All these shows are funny in their own way (unless you are one of those people without a sense of humor). But American Dad is by far the best.

TV Review: House of Cards

2013-04-30T21:39:00.002-07:00

"A FRESH START"

Politics have never been so entertaining… maybe because there is very little politics, or more so what politics are actually about. Every other scene is backstabbing, scheming, hookers, blow, adult situations, corporate pay-offs, and there’s even a scene with an old dirty hippie journalist who breaks-down the sham that is government.

All of what I described was just the icing… the entirety of the filing is Kevin Spacey, truly one of those actors that there’s no reason to hate on. Great in everything he’s been in, including this. Co-staring Robin Wright (the princess bride, from The Princess Bride), my only problem with her is she has this weird indent thing going on with her lower neck that I couldn’t find any answers to online… the rest of the cast is solid as is the show. So watch it already…

Health Review: Toothpaste & Shampoo

2013-04-24T10:43:00.003-07:00

STOP POISONING YOURSELF, STOP POISONING YOURSELF

We live in a bizarro world in which a large majority of things offered to make an aspect of life better actually only make it worse, usually the very thing that it advertised to help.

Examples? There are plenty: keep your teeth clean with chemical waste called fluoride! Not only is there no concrete evidence that it improves tooth health, but there is now piling evidence that it does everything from lower IQ, suppress thyroid, to calcify the pineal gland. Ok, how about make your bones strong with MILK! Except again no evidence it improves bone strength and in fact does the opposite… making your bones brittle. Plus they are trying to add aspartame to milk… ASPARTAME! What’s that? Oh, it’s that thing in diet soda; you drink diet soda don’t you? You know to lose weight… well jokes on you once again… aspartame has been linked to cause cancer, diabetes, you get it. Man all this is getting me down even depressed. What should I do? Oh take anti-depressants obviously. Wait one second I’m on to you… what do those do? Oh nothing, just CAUSE YOU TO COMMITE SUICIDE!!! You can’t make this stuff up… a side effect of the pills given for depression is SUICIDE.

It’s as if “they” are trying to kill us… who’s “they”? Well call them what you want. Some people presented all the evidence cite that it’s simply greed and human incompetence that is the cause of all this. That “might” be true. Considering the majority of these things lead to health problems, so then you can turn to your friendly neighborhood MEDICAL INDUSTRIAL COMPLEX! To not cure your problems but simply prolong your agonizing life, until you are bankrupt from their outrageous bills, at which point you are given some suicide pills for your obvious depression. It seems pretty thought out to me. Not just greedy, but flat out EVIL.

With all that in mind, it’s actually pretty easy to turn back to a healthy lifestyle. Just be skeptical of everything! Which leads me to my latest discovery; Toothpaste & Shampoo are bad for you! Surprise, surprise! Well I’m actually not really surprised. First off most toothpaste has fluoride in it; we already know that’s bad. But it, along with shampoo, and most other cosmetic products have something called Sodium Lauryl Sulfate, used to make products “frothy”. Yep totally legitimate reason to poison us with yet another chemical… this one in particular according to thousands of tests does nothing more then irritate the skin. Obviously the thing we use on a daily basis ON OUR SKIN is BAD FOR OUR SKIN. I knew I wasn’t crazy saying I breakout every time I washed my hair with shampoo, for I really do have sensitive skin. But let’s even break down the word: shampoo… it’s a SHAM, and it’s POO. I don’t want poo in my hair!

The simplest alternative: BAKING SODA! Not only does it already clean just about everything in your house. But it also cleans YOU! I’ve been washing my hair for about 3 weeks with baking soda and I can confirm your hair stays cleaner, longer. Shampoo isn’t bad because of just one chemical; it’s bad because you are literally putting dozens of random chemicals on your hair to “clean it”. How does that make sense? It doesn’t… the reason your hair becomes greasy so fast is because of the shampoo! It stays looking clean much longer with baking soda, and there are plenty of natural recipes you can look up to shake things up, lemons for example. Onto toothpaste, same thing: baking soda. The taste is different for sure but you really get the sense of your mouth being clean. Don’t believe me? Just brush your teeth with baking soda at night, wake up the next morning and check how your breath smells. After the very first time there was no morning breath. I was amazed… considering the change is so simple, but years of contaminating my mouth with the thing specifically made to clean it, hadn’t.

If anything this is a public service announcement, stop poisoning yourself. Try things for yourself; don’t just trust the word of an actor on television, or even me. Research things for yourself, STOP POISONING YOURSELF!

Movie & Game Review: Disney & Star Wars

2013-04-15T01:56:00.004-07:00

DISNEY SUCKS AND IS GOING TO RUIN STAR WARS

Not that Star Wars wasn't ruined already… depending on whom you ask. I was not one of said people. I was fairly young when The Phantom Menace was released; to the original fans it probably felt like a kid’s movie, perfect for a kid though. Not to say I wasn’t raised right, watched and loved the original movies.

My true calling however was video games. Boy oh boy was there a lot of Star Wars games over the years and I have played close to most of them, the bad ones, the mediocre ones, and of course the glorious gems. This isn’t a review for said games; this is a review about the future lack of said games.

LucasArt Studios was a great company with a 30 year history. They were in the process of developing multiple new promising Star Wars Titles. Star Wars: Battlefront III (the battlefront series has always been AWESOME, and this new one was looking even better). Star Wars 1313 (basically the origin story of Boba Fett, that looked like a gritty Mass Effect-esque take on Star Wars, basically AWESOME). Finally Star Wars: First Assault (don’t know much about it, probably was going to be awesome). They also had 150 employees, people who depended on a paycheck for their families, people who were passionate about Star Wars. Good People, Good Nerds.

Why am I talking about LucasArt Studios? BECAUSE ON A WHIM after Disney purchased Star Wars as a whole, they decided to cancel all these games and close down LucasArt, firing everyone. THE REASON GIVEN!? “We are reevaluating violence in our video games”. Translation: “we are only going to be making Lego Star Wars titles from now on…” and I don’t even want to think about what they are going to do with the new movies… I’m sure there's gonna be a lot of dismemberment. I bet light sabers are gonna be the equivalent of what they were in that one episode of the Venture Bros. “I’ve been gypped!”

The thing that really gets to me is… where does Disney get off doing this, when Disney in a nutshell is: A Satanic company (founded by a Nazi) that brainwashes your children. Yep but pretend violence is wrong.

Long live the original movies, long live those great games, R.I.P. LucasArt. Burn in Hell Disney.

TV Review: Dexter

2013-04-14T18:21:00.002-07:00

LEAVE MY CEREAL ALONE!

Oooooh, "Serial".

But in all seriousness this is just flat out, a good show.

How do I know? first of all I actually watched it all and THOROUGHLY enjoyed it. Seven seasons already, with each season leaving you wanting more and wondering what could possibly happen next.

I mean you must have been living under a rock if you don’t know at least the premise of this show. Basically Dexter is a good serial killer… as in a serial killer who kills other serial killers. Which leaves every person to debate with themselves what they consider is right and wrong, whether he’s a good guy or bad. So much that I've been at school before and teachers were debating the show, it’s just that interesting.

Based on a book series with the same name, I have never read said books but my best friend has and highly recommends them. Apparently the show and books start out similar but then diverge in plots, enough so that it’s worth reading and watching both.

In conclusion with the sheer amount of crap on television, why WOULDN’T you watch this show?

In conclusion, do so.

Music Review: Death From Above 1979

2013-04-14T17:17:00.001-07:00

BACK FROM THE DEAD (LIKE JESUS)

This band is why I play bass; this band is maybe why I play music in general.

Guitar? We don't need no stinking guitar. The most kick ass music ever made with just bass and drums. Drummer (Sebastien) taking the role of singer and Bassist (Jesse) taking the role of Bass God (with some keyboards here and there). It's like... what are you even doing rest of the music industry?

While there are bassists who honestly argue and care about whether or not it's ok to play bass with a pick. Ahhh, retards I think they are called. DFA1979 transcends these mortal stupidities. They are so great they actually broke up after only 5 years, 1 ep, 1 album, and 1 remix album. For they knew their work on this planet was already accomplished. 5 more years passed and the world was crumbling kinda like in that movie 2012, the main reason obviously being not enough people learned of and appreciated DFA1979.

Obviously being loving and merciful gods, Sebastien and Jesse decided to give the world one more chance to save itself. Now back with a vengeance.

The only regret I ever had in my life was not seeing them live, back when their break-up seemed permanent. A regret I got to correct and make my life whole again... catching one of their first shows (in San Francisco) after their reunion was announced.

Words can't even describe what I witnessed... it's as if they were harnessing the forces of nature, just because. The coastal winds were blowing all of us away, but then again it may also have just been the POWERFUL music.

Either way it's obvious these two are wizards, and their music is the resulting magic.

Stop donating to your religion, it has enough golden temples. Stop donating to charities that only give 1% to their supposed cause, the rest to marketing and their bank accounts. If you are one of the truly worthy think of owning these and future albums as a stepping stone on your path to enlightenment.

HAZZAH, DFA IS BACK!

PSY - GANGMAN STYLE / Best Music Video 2012

2012-08-03T14:37:00.001-07:00

My Big Fat Music

강남스타일

I've been a fan of things Korean style for a while, mostly horror movies and black comedies. I've also always enjoyed techno, dance and rap music from other countries so I'm dumbfounded on how I missed the musical stylings of PSY, aka Park Jae-Sanga. Gangman Style is a song form his 6th album and it's not only got a beat you can dance to it's also funny. Enjoy

Kuratas - Suidobashi Heavy Industries aka Your Own Personal Gundam Robot

2012-08-01T02:25:00.001-07:00

My Big Fat Robot

Start Saving Your Pennies

I had a small seizure when I stumbled across this. The Kuratas, a collaboration between artist Korgoro Kurata and robotics expert Wataru Yoshizaki, finally brings the dream of having your own personal battle robot, that you control from the inside, to life. For a cool one to two million you get to choose a from a couple dozen paint jobs as well as accessories such as shields, missiles launchers, twin Gatling guns, cup holder and more. Sadly all the weaponry is non lethal, but if you've go the scratch to buy a Kuratas in the first place I'm sure you can afford to up grade the weapons to something more lethal. The AE "V-Sido" control system uses state of the art technology to lock onto and auto track targets as well as allowing you to control the robot externally with a smart phone. It also includes Smile Shot, which translates to smile-activated firing of the twin guns. I figure a few of these will be ideal for my henchmen when I finally take over the world. Mwah-ha-ha-ha! Check out Suidobashi Heavy Industries at: www.suidobashijuko.jp

Game Review: TERA

2012-07-26T07:43:00.002-07:00

WHY DID NO ONE TELL ME!?

Upon recently finding out that Guild Wars 2 was not going to have open world PVP, I went into a deep depression. Especially since I already pre-ordered it. I'm obviously still going to be playing it, especially since it seems to be bringing a lot to the table, in terms of what MMOs need to evolve... Innovation, as it were. However, in my humble opinion OPEN WORLD PVP has to be a part of that.

Enter TERA...

My friend, sharing my disappointment about GW2's lack of PVP told me about TERA. A recently released MMO that seems to have a strong focus on PVP as a whole and apparently you can try it out for free, so we both did. OMG! OMFG! THEY FINALLY DID IT! THEY MADE A GOOD MMO. Because we're only level 8 and it's already been the most fun I've ever had with an MMO. Slaying tutorial monsters is more satisfying then the endgame of others. THE COMBAT SYSTEM IS SO GOOD! It's all I ever wished for while wasting giant chunks of my life playing lineage 2 and WoW. While it's true this game is guilty of having cookie cutter MMO style quests... EVERY MMO's quest system sucks. The difference with this game is I can't stop playing it. The Combat is just too good... I dreamed of this for so long and it's finally come true. I HAVE FAITH in the future once more. Thank you TERA... the very second I get some money you better believe I'm buying you. Then I'll be able to write an extensive review.

Game Review: Star Wars The Old Republic

2012-07-21T15:05:00.001-07:00

It's Definitely Over, Alright

I won't take up much of your or my time, I just want us all to remember this moment in history... however impossible it would be to forget. Basically $300 Million was spent on a game that is now a brain dead coma victim lying on a hospital bed and no one seems to have the heart to just pull the plug. They seriously are starting to release patches for money. PATCHES TO FIX THE BROKEN GAME THAT EVERYONE ALREADY LEFT BECAUSE OF HOW BROKEN IT WAS. EVERYONE IS ALREADY GONE! WHO IS POSSIBLY GOING TO PAY MORE MONEY ON TOP OF THEIR SUBSCRIPTION TO FIX THE GAME!? WHO!?!?!?!

Well that's the current status of the game... Personally I can't wait for Guild Wars 2 and hope it's actually going to be all it's cracked up to be.

Update 8/3/12 - Turns out the folks at Bioware realized that the only way for SWTOR to survive was to make it free to play. There's still a premium service you can pay for if you want, but I'm not sure why you'd do that.

Tech Review - Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 Sniper Mouse

2012-07-21T13:34:00.001-07:00

My Big Fat Tech

Not Just For Snipers

I bought this mouse to play Battlefield 3 on my new gaming rig. What struck me first about this mouse was the size of it. It is quite literally a "honking big" mouse. This really threw me at first. I've had a lot of different mice down through the years and this was by far the biggest. At first I really even doubted if I could play with it, but surprisingly after a few hours I adjusted to the size. I also found my game improving as I adapted to the ability to change DPI on the fly. I primarily use LMG in games play. I'm not a sniper, I loathe snipers in FPS games. So even though I was using this for LMGs I found it a great advantage to go from high DPI in close quarters to lower DPI over medium/long distances. It truly feels like an unfair edge in game play. Of course programmable buttons are great and I keyed these up to my knife attack and grenade throw. I found even outside of game play, when browsing or doing graphic design, that the ability to adjust the DPI was beneficial. I'm currently using a Razer Naga, because I've playing a lot of MMOs. The Razer's more comfortable and ergonomic, but I find myself missing the DPI control I had with the MW2 mouse. It's a tough choice between the two, but I'd say if you primarily play FPSs then the MW2 mouse should be your choice, unless you have very tiny hands.

4 stage (800/1600/2400/3200) dpi gives on-the-fly sensitivity adjustment to match mouse speed to game environment
6 programmable buttons and dpi toggle with LED status indicator
Soft-touch mouse buttons and rubberized scroll wheel for total comfort and extreme performance
Gold plated, full USB connector instantly communicates mouse commands to the PC
SST software programs mouse controls and saves settings as game-specific profiles, Instantly switch between 2 pre-configured profiles
Size 5 x 4.5 x 2.5 inches; Weight 3.5 ounces

Movie Review: Nude Nuns With Big Guns

2012-07-20T22:10:00.002-07:00

Not Enough Spree, Too Much Titee

The Guns in this movie are almost irrelevant. At certain points you have to ask yourself if you’re just watching some softcore porn with the rest of the exploitation genre storyline simply disappearing. In this case you are simply getting a feature length porno half about biker rape scenarios and half lesbian nun scenes. Sure to offend a few.

Nude Nuns definitely delivers half of what was promised, but totally skimps out on the implied gunfights… of which there are barely any. So if you want naked nuns, the murder of holy men/outlaw bikers, and having to constantly keep your guard up to make sure your friends or family don’t find out what you’re watching. This is the ONLY movie that comes to mind.

Board Game Review: Bananagrams

2012-07-20T17:21:00.002-07:00

My Big Fat Board

Bana-a-na

I love word games. Especially Scrabble and Upwords, but sadly at my house I'm the only one. Bananagrams has changed all that. It's probably the only word game that levels the playing field between those of us with verbosity in our vocabulary and those without. The goal of the game is to use all your letters before the other players. Yes, they have to be interconnected, but you can rearrange them as you pull new letters and there is no scoring for the words themselves. Again it's just who finishes first that wins. It's a lot more fast paced then Scrabble and little more hectic. It sounds simple, but it's actually quite challenging when you're under the gun to beat other players. The other nice thing is there's no bulky board to spin around and the game is a lot more portable than other board games. Bananagrams is sure to be a hit with the family. Enjoy.

Film Review: Brave (2012)

2012-07-20T17:05:00.001-07:00

My Big Fat Film Review

A Rare Pixar Hit

I jest of course. Brave has all the elements you've come to expect from a Pixar film. Funny, endearing and at times sad, but of course uplifting in the end. The story follows a young princess who, to her father's amusement, is more tomboyish then her mother would like. While here brothers are aloud to do what ever they want she is forced to constantly practice being polite and gentle. Things come to ahead when her mother insists she choose a suitor for marriage. It's not the most original idea for a film, but it's done very well. As with all other Pixar films it's aimed at kids, but doesn't forget that adults are watching too. There's plenty of laughs to be had and a few tear jerker moments of course, it's okay you can cry. All in all an enjoyable film to see with the kids or without, we won't tell.

TV Review: Frasier

2012-07-19T21:28:00.001-07:00

Still The Most Sophisticated Show on Television

I remember watching this show as a kid and can safely say some of the humor was lost on me. All I really remember was thinking Frasier and his brother Niles were brothers in real life, not the case... but superb casting job. Never have I considered someone snooty and yet loveable at the same time.

Recently I started rewatching the entire series, hilarious to say the least. I'm only on the second season and I already feel as if my IQ has risen a few points.

So what are you waiting for...? All those years of MTV programming has probably taken its toll on your brain... IT'S TIME TO FIGHT BACK, with FRASIER!

Game Review: Defense Grid: The Awakening (PC and Xbox 360)

2012-07-16T13:55:00.001-07:00

My Big Fat Game Review

A Bit Of Fun

Defense Grid is a tower defense game, of which I haven't seen too many in the last few years. Defense Grid is enough fun that I played through all 16 levels twice and dabbled around with some of the game variants offered. Game play is challenging and some levels will take more than one attempt to get through. The graphics are quite splendid and have some great detail. Tower defense games aren't for everybody, but if you like them you'll certainly want to check Defense Grid out. The story has you fighting off an alien invasion on a planet with defunct defense system. You're goal is to reactive the system in order to protect power cores from the aliens who are attempting to take them. You only need to save one power core to win, but with limited resources it can be difficult. The levels are typically ancient ruins with military bases built around them. As you progress you get upgrades and better weapons, but deciding what to use on which aliens can be tricky to figure out. It's a great game, but over much too quickly. I finished it in matter of hours and it left me wanting more. There are eight additional levels available for download, which is good, but still not enough in my opinion. Hopefully there will be a sequel, but in the meantime it's a great way to kill an afternoon.

Film Review: Kung Fu Dunk (2008)

2012-07-16T13:22:00.004-07:00

My Big Fat Movie Review

More Like Kung Fu Dump

Wow! Possibly one of the worst movies I've ever seen. Kung Fu Dunk is huge a piece of crap and that's coming from someone who likes B movies. The story for this movie is all over the place. The characters lack any depth what so ever and the biggest problem is there is hardly any martial arts in relation to the theme, basketball. When there finally is it's so ridiculous you just want it to stop, it's down right embarrassing. If you go into this movie expecting a gem like Shaolin Soccer or Kung Fu Hustle you'll be very disappointed. Save yourself the effort and the two hours and go get a root canal instead. You'll thank me.

Film Review: House of 9 (2005)

2012-07-16T13:03:00.002-07:00

My Big Fat Movie Review

Classic

That's the one word I would use to sum up this movie. Classic. The premise is pretty easy to get. Nine people, kidnapped and drugged, wake up locked in a mansion. They are informed that only one will survive and be let out along with five million dollars. From there human nature takes it's course. The movie reminded me very much of Alfred Hitchcock films (aka Rope (1948)), in that it's all about the story and the acting. There's no special effects and everything takes place in one area. The acting is decent and you genuinely get invested in the characters. Dennis Hopper is of course instrumental in setting the tone, nobody plays crazy better. You'll find that the movie is hit or miss in reviews arena. I'll admit it's not as good as Devil (2010), but it's worth watching at least once and unless you've been ruined by big budget special effects and 3D you'll definitely enjoy it.

Short Cartoon: Genre (1996) by Don Hertzfeldt

2012-07-16T12:41:00.002-07:00

My Big Fat Shorts

What A Weirdo...

...and just my kind of person. This is probably one of Don Hertzfeldt's funniest short cartoons. These are all done by hand, meaning no computer. Pretty amazing stuff as well as hilarious.

Film Review: The Good, The Bad, The Weird (2008)

2012-07-16T12:18:00.002-07:00

My Big Fat Film Review

It's All Good!

I'd been putting off watching this movie for a while. It's hard to watch subtitles and work on one's laptop at the same time. I'm glad I finally got around to watching it though. Directed by Jee-woon Kim this film is one of the best westerns I've ever seen. It's an eclectic mix of, well, just about everything. It has the feel of a classic Clint Eastwood spaghetti western , but manages to throw in so much action you'll puke. The array of weaponry used in the movie alone is staggering, albeit not necessarily true to the era. The settings are as wild and varied as the characters, giving the feel of almost a alternate 1940's timeline. The plot follows two outlaws and a bounty hunter in 1940s Manchuria all in pursuit of a treasure map that leads to untold riches. All the while they're being pursued by the Japanese army and a group of Chinese bandits. The film winds up to a climatic and tense finale that will have you on the edge of your seat. Jee-woon is known more for his horror films, but after seeing what he's done with The Good, The Bad, The Weird hopefully he'll do more movies like this. So is it worth watching? Oh yeah! Totally one of my top ten films and it should be one of yours.

Funny Video: Marcel The Shell With Shoes On

2012-07-16T11:40:00.002-07:00

My Big Fat Shorts

Shell Shockingly Funny

I thought this was a pretty funny little video with some great one liners. Marcel the Shell is incredibly well done, but also the essence of simplicity. I'm not sure what happened to the original website for Dean Fleisher-Camp, but credit where credit is due: Directed by Dean Fleischer-Camp and voiced by Jenny Slate. Written by Jenny and Dean. There's also a book out: Marcel The Shell With Shoes On: Things About Me.

Movie Review: Prometheus (2012)

2012-07-16T11:07:00.002-07:00

My Big Fat Film Review

Back To Basics

I'm not the biggest fan of gory horror films, but I do love sci-fi and a good scare. The original Alien films had plenty of both without needing the over-top-gore-gross-out like Alien Resurrection (1997). I feel Prometheus, being a prequel of the Alien series, goes back to that original formula. I really enjoyed it and found it embodied that classic feel and also stayed loyal to female hero. It also brought more sci-fi to the table than any of the other films which is a plus. Prometheus gave a lot of answers to the series and revealed a lot of what was unknown or unexplored in the original trilogy. I've heard complaints of there being too many unanswered questions, but in reality the original trilogy didn't try to answer anything at all. I think it's naive to want everything answered in one film and clearly the movie is setting up for a sequel. Which has already been named Paradise. The acting is superb in the film and the special effects are top notch. The settings are wonderfully done and the atmosphere pulls off that gloomy-humans-shouldn't-be-here feel that we know so well. I ended up seeing the movie in 3D, which I never do, and was pleasantly surprised at how well it was used unlike most movies that try and cram 3D into every second. Little things like using 3D for the helmet HUDs when in point of view shots were really nice and very subtle. In the end I have to say this is one of the best sci-fi films I've seen in years, probably since The Fifth Element (1997). It's a great film for anyone, but especially a treat for those who like sci-fi.

Funny Video: Bah-na-na-na Banana Rap Song

2012-07-16T10:12:00.002-07:00

My Big Fat Shorts

Bananas Can Be Funnier

I've said it before and I'll say it again, "It's the simple things in life." One of the funniest videos I've seen on youtube.