Well, it's been quite a bit since my last post, and that's mainly because I haven't had steady access to the internet. (Also, screw Comcast.)
I wanted to make my mushy, heartfelt post about Wes Craven weeks ago, as soon as I heard about his death actually, but I guess late's better than never, right? So, without further ado, here's a look back at one of the most brilliant minds in Horror.
I have to admit that, even after I first became a writer, I didn't like Horror at all. I know that comes as a major shock to anyone who's known me the past three years or so, but it's true. My only real exposure to Horror (because my family was insanely religious and I wasn't allowed to watch it) was what I came to find out from Slashers like Jason X. The only Horror that I didn't consider a bastardization of the art form were older flicks with guys like Vincent Price and Boris Karloff. Those, I really liked, because they had intriguing stories and characters, and they raised questions that really made you think. In my mind, modern Horror was just a chance to pelt you with senseless jump scares a gore. I knew of Wes Craven during this time, but I'd never watched any of his films, only knowing what I saw from the previews of the first Nightmare and the Last House and Hills remakes. Surely this man was just like every other tired Horror director, right? There was no way he could possibly have anything intriguing to say.
I went on with that mindset for years, until one night some friends and I decided to grab a few beers and watch some Slasher, with our only intent being to make fun of them while we drank. One of my friends was a fan of A Nightmare on Elm Street, so we started there. An hour in, my head's spinning as a realize just how subversive the movie really is. I started thinking about all the times I'd dismissed all Horror post-70's to be cheap trash, and here was proof that I was dead wrong.
Next, my friend suggested Wes Craven's New Nightmare, and I jumped up to pop the disc in. It was even more mind-blowing than the original, and I realized Wes Craven really was something special. Even digging back into my favorite old Karloff and Price movies, nothing seemed as deep and subversive as Craven's work. From there, I tracked down everything by Wes Craven I could find and devoured it all. Nightmare's theme of the sins of the older generation coming back to haunt their kids resonated with me, and Last House's ugly picture of the cruelty of human nature still gives me chills to this day.
I think it's safe to safe that Wes Craven's influence made Horror film more subversive than they'd ever been. Without Last House to pave the way, Carpenter and Hooper wouldn't have been able to get away with Halloween and Texas Chainsaw. Here was Horror that not only made you feel incredibly uncomfortable and terrified, but made you think and question the Status Quo. At it's darkest moments, Last House made you question your own nature. After Krug has raped Mari and carved his name into her chest with a knife, he just stands there, looking at his gang. They all look at the blood on their hands and realize just what they've done, and it makes even them uncomfortable. They were humans, just like us, and the level of violence and depravity they're capable of makes us wonder just how far we ourselves could go.
I could go on all day about how Craven opened the Horror genre up to me. How he made me realize just how powerful Horror can be, and the questions it can pose where no other genre can. But, we don't have time for all that. So, I'll just wrap things up here.
Thank you, Mr. Craven. There will never be another mind like yours in the film industry, and that should sadden us deeply. I can't speak for all of us, but I know, as I writer, I intend to keep your influence alive as best I can. Your work has had a deep impact on my voice, and I thank you for that.
Well, guys, that's it from me today. Sorry if this post is kind of a scrambled mess, but I've got a very small window to write this, and no time to worry about edits. If anyone's interested, I may do a more in-depth look at some of Craven's best works in the future. Hit me up in the comments or on facebook and let me know if you'd like to see that!
Wednesday, September 30, 2015
Thursday, August 6, 2015
Fear
It's one of the nights (or early mornings, if you prefer) where I feel compelled to create something, but I don't really know where to start. So here I am, after 1 A.M., listening to Matisyahu's One Day (which is a beautiful tune, by the way) trying to figure out what to say. And the only thing I can really think of at the moment is what I've been going through lately. If you can bear to stick with me through something insanely personal, I invite you to read on.
So, lately I've been doing a lot of self-analyzing, and I finally had to face the fact that I've been holding myself back in every aspect of my life since I was a kid. I've known this for awhile, but I could never bring myself to say it out loud, and I never went into it with anyone until recently. In the past few weeks, I've been hit especially hard by self-doubt; it got so bad that I finally had no choice but to face up to my problems. This might seem painfully vague, but I'm going somewhere with this, I promise.
It's no secret that I hate to lose. At pretty much anything, really, and to the point where I tend to shy away from any games based on luck, since mine tends to be terrible. Loss, for me, turns to self-loathing in the blink of an eye and puts me in a terrible mood, making me wonder to this day why I thought moving into competitive gaming was a good idea, but I digress.
Let me step back for a sec and talk about my past a bit. I'm not going to go into my heavy religious background, (even though it's very relevant) because that gets really complicated and it would eat up a whole blog post by itself. For reference, my religious experiences as a kid were almost a mirror of Wes Craven's, if you know anything about his background. So, even as a preteen, I hated the idea of losing, which sucked because I was never the fastest, smartest, or any other kind of "est." I had an overactive imagination, and that was about it. I was also saw shades of the "We're All Winners" movement in my childhood, which even at that age didn't feel right ... but you'd best believe I embraced the hell out of it because I was suddenly immune to loserdom.
Then, when I was 15, I finally decided to stop being lazy and learn guitar. Within 2 days, I'd taught myself to play songs, and within another 2 weeks or so, I was writing my own music; it just came naturally to me. And I loved every minute of it (in part because there was no "losing") because it gave me the freedom every teenager wants in their life. I was able to pour my heart out into the various notes and lyrics and no one could tell me I was wrong; it helped me explore religion and injustice in a way you just can't be taught.
I found Robert Jordan around that time, too. Read The Eye of the World for the first time and it changed the way I looked at Fantasy, but I was still too intimidated to try and write anything like that, and not even because I thought it would take too long or that I couldn't finish a book, but because I was afraid it wouldn't be good enough. And there was the fear of failure again, holding me back. For some reason, I was free with music and lyrics, but fiction ... well that was elusive for some reason. That fear held me back until NaNoWriMo 2010, when I finally pushed back my fear long enough to crank out my first book, within 10 days. I was on such an emotional high that I didn't know what to do with myself, and that last a few weeks. Then, when it came time to hit the second book, I hit another road block that slowed me to a crawl. What if this one couldn't live up to the last one? What if I can't reach a satisfying conclusion before the end of the 3rd book? What if everyone hates it? What if no one ever reads my work again because of it? I managed to finish the book, but tore myself apart in the process.
So, while that was going on, I had a few other issues going on, but the one I'm going to focus on now is Street Fighter 4. Fighting games were all but dead, then this game hit the States in '09 and reignited the spark for everyone, and even pulled me in ... for a few weeks. See, I picked up some of the basics of the game pretty quick (I could throw out fireballs, dragon punches and tatsumakis on command) and I was one of the best of our small group in the beginning. But, after a few weeks of practicing, the other guys got better and I didn't. I didn't practice, so I didn't progress, it's that simple. And when I stopped winning, I just stopped playing. That lasted for a few years, even though I loved the game; I gave up something I loved because I couldn't hold that L. Looking back on it now, as I progress in the competitive scene, young Cam makes me sick because of the solid 2 years of practice he lost me. But, you might be asking what brought me back.... The truth is, one day it just dawned on me that the reason I hadn't practiced in the beginning was because that would've upped my stakes. In short, if I didn't practice, I had an excuse for my losses, whereas, if I actually tried to get better, I still might not be good enough. I might fail.
The day that finally dawned on me, I wanted to bash my head against the doorframe for being so stupid. I immediately put money back to buy a fightstick and started working to get better ... and I did. I was leagues beyond the guys that used to beat me, and it felt great. I watched videos, I went into training mode, I played CONSTANTLY, and it all helped me grow. For the first time in my life, I wasn't actively running away from something just because it didn't come naturally and I might fail; I was facing my demons and kicking their asses. But, even that didn't last, because of course I met new players, and they were better than me, which only served to suddenly remind me that I was years behind in training. I might never catch up to them! What difference does it make if I'm leveling up now, if they're just gonna keep doing the same? In other words, my self-pity took over again, repeatedly kicking me in the balls. I thought I was never going to beat this thing.
So, fast-forward to now and what's changed? Well, for one, I've been fortunate enough to be surrounded by people who believed in me when I sure as hell didn't believe in myself. My wife, Anna, she's been great. My bros, John, Rickman, Chris, Andy, they're all irreplaceable, and I wouldn't be here without every one of them. But, in the past year or two there's been someone else pushing me, and I know he never knew how deep my issues ran. He's been more than just my Fighting Game Guru; he's been a life teacher for me, whether he realized it or not. Do I still struggle with my doubts? Yes. But it's getting better, especially now that I'm finally able to admit it. What do you know ... admitting your problem really does kickstart the healing process.
There's a saying I've heard a few times that goes something like: "The difference between a master and a student is the master has failed more times than the student has tried." It's something that really resonates with me at this stage in my life. There are still times (more often than not) that I hate losing, but the loss doesn't define me anymore. I'm not afraid of failing anymore, and it feels great to be able to say that. I let fear, self-doubt, self-pity and my fragile ego hold me back for the better part of my life, all because I thought the only thing that mattered was making people view me as a "winner." There's more to life than that, kiddos, take it from me.
I hope this post actually made some sense. I'm super tired and I'm not even going to spell check this thing before throwing it up, so there ya go. This will be as honest a post as you can get, and if it helps someone with something they're going through, that's awesome. If not, it's certainly a load off my chest, so thanks for taking the time to read. But before we get out of here, I want to take a sec to say a few more words about the friends I mentioned above.
Anna: You're the most amazing wife a man (or woman) could ask for. Thanks for having faith in me when I did nothing to deserve it.
John, Rickman & Chris: Y'know, despite the fact that frat boys have hijacked the word "bro" and bastardized it, I knew you guys before that, so screw it, it's still our word. And it's a word I don't use lightly. We might not be blood, but we're still brothers, and I love you guys.
Andy: Thanks pushing me while I was still a teenager. Without you, I wouldn't have been able to write that first book. Here's to finishing the 3rd one (which I could use a cover for, but we'll talk about that later) and finishing step 1 of that journey.
Isaac: I saved you last for a reason, big guy. No one's had a bigger influence on me in the past year than you have, and I've grown a lot because of it. You're a killer mentor, and I want to say thanks for being patient with me, even when I acted like a brat. Not even sure you'll read this, but if you do, just know that I'm gonna be doing my best to keep growing and make you proud. And when I finally win my first major, you better be on stage to take the bow with me.
And that's it. I'm dozing here, so it's time to call it a night. If there's a moral to all of this, I'd say it's that whatever you're going through, don't be afraid to confide in someone and get it off your chest. Sometimes just saying it out loud makes the problem seem a lot smaller.
So, lately I've been doing a lot of self-analyzing, and I finally had to face the fact that I've been holding myself back in every aspect of my life since I was a kid. I've known this for awhile, but I could never bring myself to say it out loud, and I never went into it with anyone until recently. In the past few weeks, I've been hit especially hard by self-doubt; it got so bad that I finally had no choice but to face up to my problems. This might seem painfully vague, but I'm going somewhere with this, I promise.
It's no secret that I hate to lose. At pretty much anything, really, and to the point where I tend to shy away from any games based on luck, since mine tends to be terrible. Loss, for me, turns to self-loathing in the blink of an eye and puts me in a terrible mood, making me wonder to this day why I thought moving into competitive gaming was a good idea, but I digress.
Let me step back for a sec and talk about my past a bit. I'm not going to go into my heavy religious background, (even though it's very relevant) because that gets really complicated and it would eat up a whole blog post by itself. For reference, my religious experiences as a kid were almost a mirror of Wes Craven's, if you know anything about his background. So, even as a preteen, I hated the idea of losing, which sucked because I was never the fastest, smartest, or any other kind of "est." I had an overactive imagination, and that was about it. I was also saw shades of the "We're All Winners" movement in my childhood, which even at that age didn't feel right ... but you'd best believe I embraced the hell out of it because I was suddenly immune to loserdom.
Then, when I was 15, I finally decided to stop being lazy and learn guitar. Within 2 days, I'd taught myself to play songs, and within another 2 weeks or so, I was writing my own music; it just came naturally to me. And I loved every minute of it (in part because there was no "losing") because it gave me the freedom every teenager wants in their life. I was able to pour my heart out into the various notes and lyrics and no one could tell me I was wrong; it helped me explore religion and injustice in a way you just can't be taught.
I found Robert Jordan around that time, too. Read The Eye of the World for the first time and it changed the way I looked at Fantasy, but I was still too intimidated to try and write anything like that, and not even because I thought it would take too long or that I couldn't finish a book, but because I was afraid it wouldn't be good enough. And there was the fear of failure again, holding me back. For some reason, I was free with music and lyrics, but fiction ... well that was elusive for some reason. That fear held me back until NaNoWriMo 2010, when I finally pushed back my fear long enough to crank out my first book, within 10 days. I was on such an emotional high that I didn't know what to do with myself, and that last a few weeks. Then, when it came time to hit the second book, I hit another road block that slowed me to a crawl. What if this one couldn't live up to the last one? What if I can't reach a satisfying conclusion before the end of the 3rd book? What if everyone hates it? What if no one ever reads my work again because of it? I managed to finish the book, but tore myself apart in the process.
So, while that was going on, I had a few other issues going on, but the one I'm going to focus on now is Street Fighter 4. Fighting games were all but dead, then this game hit the States in '09 and reignited the spark for everyone, and even pulled me in ... for a few weeks. See, I picked up some of the basics of the game pretty quick (I could throw out fireballs, dragon punches and tatsumakis on command) and I was one of the best of our small group in the beginning. But, after a few weeks of practicing, the other guys got better and I didn't. I didn't practice, so I didn't progress, it's that simple. And when I stopped winning, I just stopped playing. That lasted for a few years, even though I loved the game; I gave up something I loved because I couldn't hold that L. Looking back on it now, as I progress in the competitive scene, young Cam makes me sick because of the solid 2 years of practice he lost me. But, you might be asking what brought me back.... The truth is, one day it just dawned on me that the reason I hadn't practiced in the beginning was because that would've upped my stakes. In short, if I didn't practice, I had an excuse for my losses, whereas, if I actually tried to get better, I still might not be good enough. I might fail.
The day that finally dawned on me, I wanted to bash my head against the doorframe for being so stupid. I immediately put money back to buy a fightstick and started working to get better ... and I did. I was leagues beyond the guys that used to beat me, and it felt great. I watched videos, I went into training mode, I played CONSTANTLY, and it all helped me grow. For the first time in my life, I wasn't actively running away from something just because it didn't come naturally and I might fail; I was facing my demons and kicking their asses. But, even that didn't last, because of course I met new players, and they were better than me, which only served to suddenly remind me that I was years behind in training. I might never catch up to them! What difference does it make if I'm leveling up now, if they're just gonna keep doing the same? In other words, my self-pity took over again, repeatedly kicking me in the balls. I thought I was never going to beat this thing.
So, fast-forward to now and what's changed? Well, for one, I've been fortunate enough to be surrounded by people who believed in me when I sure as hell didn't believe in myself. My wife, Anna, she's been great. My bros, John, Rickman, Chris, Andy, they're all irreplaceable, and I wouldn't be here without every one of them. But, in the past year or two there's been someone else pushing me, and I know he never knew how deep my issues ran. He's been more than just my Fighting Game Guru; he's been a life teacher for me, whether he realized it or not. Do I still struggle with my doubts? Yes. But it's getting better, especially now that I'm finally able to admit it. What do you know ... admitting your problem really does kickstart the healing process.
There's a saying I've heard a few times that goes something like: "The difference between a master and a student is the master has failed more times than the student has tried." It's something that really resonates with me at this stage in my life. There are still times (more often than not) that I hate losing, but the loss doesn't define me anymore. I'm not afraid of failing anymore, and it feels great to be able to say that. I let fear, self-doubt, self-pity and my fragile ego hold me back for the better part of my life, all because I thought the only thing that mattered was making people view me as a "winner." There's more to life than that, kiddos, take it from me.
I hope this post actually made some sense. I'm super tired and I'm not even going to spell check this thing before throwing it up, so there ya go. This will be as honest a post as you can get, and if it helps someone with something they're going through, that's awesome. If not, it's certainly a load off my chest, so thanks for taking the time to read. But before we get out of here, I want to take a sec to say a few more words about the friends I mentioned above.
Anna: You're the most amazing wife a man (or woman) could ask for. Thanks for having faith in me when I did nothing to deserve it.
John, Rickman & Chris: Y'know, despite the fact that frat boys have hijacked the word "bro" and bastardized it, I knew you guys before that, so screw it, it's still our word. And it's a word I don't use lightly. We might not be blood, but we're still brothers, and I love you guys.
Andy: Thanks pushing me while I was still a teenager. Without you, I wouldn't have been able to write that first book. Here's to finishing the 3rd one (which I could use a cover for, but we'll talk about that later) and finishing step 1 of that journey.
Isaac: I saved you last for a reason, big guy. No one's had a bigger influence on me in the past year than you have, and I've grown a lot because of it. You're a killer mentor, and I want to say thanks for being patient with me, even when I acted like a brat. Not even sure you'll read this, but if you do, just know that I'm gonna be doing my best to keep growing and make you proud. And when I finally win my first major, you better be on stage to take the bow with me.
And that's it. I'm dozing here, so it's time to call it a night. If there's a moral to all of this, I'd say it's that whatever you're going through, don't be afraid to confide in someone and get it off your chest. Sometimes just saying it out loud makes the problem seem a lot smaller.
Wednesday, July 29, 2015
Top 15 Anime Series
So, a couple of friends on facebook decided to post a list of their favorite anime series on facebook a couple of days ago. I did the same, but now I'm feeling compelled to expand on my choices a bit, and explain why these made my list over numerous others that could have been on it. If you're interested, keep reading! (Also, after the top 3, these are in no certain order.)
1. Rurouni Kenshin
Yes! My favorite anime of all time, hands down, despite the fact that the second half of it derails a bit. OK, it derails a lot, but even then it's a solid anime with an (overall) good voice cast for the main characters. Minus the voices of Kaoru and Yahiko, I like all of the main cast, especially Richard Cansino (also sometimes credited as Richard Hayworth) as Kenshin. He's the definitive voice of the character to me, and nails every emotion Kenshin goes through perfectly.
Why does Rurouni Kenshin top the list? Because it was the first anime that really got me invested in characters versus archetypes like the anime I'd watched before it. I still remember when Toonami aired the first episode, and I was watching the block because I wanted to see the latest episodes of G Gundam and DBZ. I'd seen the commercials for it, and didn't even care to watch it. I mean, how could it possibly compare to the over-the-top insaneness (yup, I'm coining insaneness as a word) of DBZ and G Gundam? Well, I had nothing else to watch anyway, so I just sat there and waited ... then the end of the episode came and I wanted more. Here was this hero (and he was a ginger like me!) who was the nicest, most soft-spoken and well-meaning guy you could meet who was only a pacifist because of his past life as a murdering assassin. And yes, he was nice to a fault ... until you threatened the people he cared about, and that really resonated with me.
Kenshin's struggle throughout the series to get away from violence while having to use violence to save his friends (usually because of his own past coming back to bite him) kept me coming back again and again. He was a character with a past and a heart, with a personality unique to him. He wasn't the same dumb, fumbling strong guy that wins through sheer luck; he wins because of his drive, skill and his training as a cold-blooded killer. His is a story that says: Just because your past is dark and you've made bad mistakes, that doesn't mean you can't turn it around and use it for good.
Anyone who knows me has probably heard me say a million times over, "I'm a sucker for a good redemption story." Well, what most of them don't know is that it all started with Kenshin.
2. Yu Yu Hakusho
As much as I loved DBZ as a kid, Yu Yu Hakusho replaced it as my go to high-octane Fighting Anime. I still like DBZ well enough, but I feel like Yu Yu Hakusho told a fuller, more complete story in about half the time it took DBZ, and I liked the characters a little bit better. Yuske, Kuwubara, Hiei and Kurama all go through significant changes as the series goes on, and it isn't just relegated to them getting stronger (I'm still looking at you, DBZ.) Every arc of the show challenged the group in new ways and forced them to become a better team. There was no Saiyan equivalent that made every other character useless by the end of the series; Hiei, Kurama and Kuwubara are all relevant right until the fourth season, where Kuwubara backs out because he wants to pursue his education, which made perfect sense for his character.
This is also the series I watched before writing Electus. It influenced it a good bit, I think, at least as far as pacing and characterization goes. I've always been a huge fan of how fast Yu Yu Hakusho moved through an arc compared to most big anime and it never felt like anything was sacrificed. More shows could learn from that.
3. Trigun
Just as I was coming off my Rurouni Kenshin high, I found a new hero on Cartoon Network's Adult Swim block to fill my pacifist-hero-that-still-has-to-solve-problems-with-violence-because-he's-haunted-by-his-past fix. Man, that was a mouthful....
Anyway, Trigun was always fun for me because, unlike Kenshin, Vash was a bit of a perv and got himself into a lot of trouble he could've avoided because of that. Along the way you find out that the massive destruction caused by Vash years prior wasn't even his fault, but he's still forced to suffer the consequenses. The final episode, where we see Vash finally forced to fight his own brother to the death served as the perfect ending to a magnificent series.
4. Gankutsuo
I had friends who hated this series because of the art style, and I never understood why. To me, it's one of the prettiest series I've ever watched, and that's handy, because it's about all the flashiness you'll get out of this one. Gankutsuo is a re-imagining of The Count of Monte Cristo, so it's more political intrigue than slugfest. Unlike the film from years back, the anime is much more true to the Count's dark, selfish character; he's a monster consumed with the thought of vengeance and there's no room in his heart for anything else.
This one's probably the biggest oddball on my list, but it's one of those shows that just sticks out in my mind, and now I really want to find it on DVD and watch it again....
5. Saint Seiya
Saint Seiya (or Knights of the Zodiac as it was called in the States) is an interesting beast that starts out as a pretty standard fair team anime. You have this group of kids with clashing personalities who are chosen by fate to bear their respective symbols and they have to learn to work together to overcome the big cosmic baddie of the week. What set Saint Seiya apart for me was the fact that over time, they allowed their characters to suffer permanent damage. By the end, Swan loses an eye, while Shiryu is permanently blinded by Perseus, and despite the fact that they live in a world where miracles are possible, these are things they just have to deal with. (That doesn't really make sense, but I digress.)
Other than that, I always enjoyed its blend of Greek mythology and standard anime fare. The biggest twists come in the last season (which was delayed for several years) when we find out that the good guys weren't really the good guys, and ... wait, you mean they were? Oh, awesome, and then Athena has to be rescued and ... wait, they failed? No, it was her plan? So. Many. Twists. Just give it a watch and you'll see what I mean.
6. Ronin Warriors
Ronin Warriors is just plain fun. Picture a better, deeper version of Power Rangers and you're not too far off from describing the show. If you can manage to find it without paying through the nose, pick this one up. I can't really do it justice with a description, so you'll just have to see it for yourself.
7. Speed Racer
This is the one that usually has people scratching their heads, wondering where in the unholy hell this belongs on a list with all my other favorites. And really ... I don't have a good answer for that. I can tell you it was the very first anime I ever saw, and I still enjoy watching it today, even though it's the cheesiest thing you'll ever watch outside of an episode of The Brady Bunch. The characters are all archetypes and exhibit only the most extreme personalities and emotions and the animation is a bit dated. But it still looks alright, and I love it.
8. Cyborg 009
I didn't appreciate this show when I was a kid. I thought the art style looked dumb (and I still kinda do) and I didn't understand the story. But, when I got older and went back to watch it again, it struck a chord with me. When you get down to the meat of it, Cyborg 009 and the rest of his group are all pretty depressing. Maybe that's why I didn't like the show as a kid; this show is really sad. How the heck did it make it to Cartoon Network anyway?
9. Cowboy Bebop
...
...
Yeah, it's really good and no one really argues that, so, moving on....
10. Gungrave
Oy, saddle up for what is quite possibly the saddest anime of all time. What starts out as a story about two best friends fighting their way up from nothing ends with one of them becoming a big underworld leader and the other having to come back from the grave to kill his former best friend. This whole anime tugs on the heartstrings and the animation is beautiful. It's a wonderful anime, but I warn everyone to stay away from it if they don't want something that's going to stomp all over their emotions with as much remorse as my wife has for spiders.
11. Wolf's Rain
Remember earlier when I said Gungrave was super depressing? Well, Wolf's Rain gives it a hard run for its money. Between the two, I honestly can't tell you which one tugged at my heartstrings the most, and I also can't tell you which is the most beautifully told. But if I had to pick a favorite between the two, I'd give the nod to Wolf's Rain just because I really like wolves. But, again, if you don't like stories that were built from the ground up to stomp on your heart like your high school sweetheart the day before prom, steer clear.
12. RIN: Daughters of Mnemosyne
This one was fairly mainstream, and because of that it floored me with its level of ... Dark. Yeah, this show is so Dark that the d should always be capitalized. I've tried to get people into this anime in the past and only two of them were able to make it past the first episode. It's weird, it's Dark, it pulls no punches, it ... has one of the most interesting backstories of anything I've ever watched. Not for the feint of heart with all the violence (a good bit of it sexual in nature) and mutilation, but if you can get past that, the story is very rich. There are so many neat little details I catch when I rewatch it that I missed the second and third time I sat through it.
If you've ever watched something on the level of Gantz, then RIN probably won't bother you. Only, unlike Gantz, RIN is good. But there's your measuring stick.
13. Outlaw Star
Ah, my old friend. I remember this one from Toonami, and then again when they aired it on Adult Swim at launch. Then I owned it on DVD and watched again ... then my dumb ass decided to sell it. I made a lot of mistakes in my childhood, but that one still haunts me just because of the sheer stupidity? I mean, if I was that mind-numbingly idiotic, how did I remember to breathe?
Anyway, this anime is great! You want giant spaceship battles? You got it! Want a gun with bullets literally made of magic? Boom, all yours! Want an awesome Ronin chick that could probably kill you with a stare if she wanted? Yeah, she's here too! Want that kind of annoying sidekick character that pops up in most anime? Well, me neither, but we take the good with the bad.
I believe you can find this show now for pretty cheap, so give it a watch!
14. Mobile Fighter G Gundam
They say there's at least one Gundam show for everyone, and they're right! All Bandai had to do was make a show unlike any other Gundam show and I was hooked! Unfortunately, most Gundam fans HATE this show, and I never really understood why. It had fun characters and stylish action, and it didn't take itself too seriously, like most Gundam shows are guilty of.
The whole premise of the rich people floating above earth on space-continents (and no, I'm not joking) and using the planet as their own personal battleground for an annual tournament made so much sense to me. They don't care for the people actually living down there on the planet, they just want to have their tournament and float around on their space-continents (God, that's fun to say) and lord it over everyone else. So, if you've never seen, I recommend at least checking it out. And if you've suffered through Gundam Seed, then this will be like having a nice, juicy steak after 6 months of nothing but McNuggets.
Space-Continent!
15. Eden of the East
I didn't expect to fall in love with this show like I did. It was on Netflix at the time, and I watched it on a whim after hearing about it from a friend in passing. I made it through the whole main series in one day, and moved onto the two following films afterwards. The characters are likeable, the voice acting, animation and music are all top-notch. I really can't say enough good things about this show; it's serious when it needs to be, then it'll make you laugh and feel all fuzzy inside.
You know, I don't want to spoil a single thing about this one. Just go watch it. If you don't like it, I'll ... well, I'll probably just feel sorry for you, but yeah, check it out!
1. Rurouni Kenshin
Yes! My favorite anime of all time, hands down, despite the fact that the second half of it derails a bit. OK, it derails a lot, but even then it's a solid anime with an (overall) good voice cast for the main characters. Minus the voices of Kaoru and Yahiko, I like all of the main cast, especially Richard Cansino (also sometimes credited as Richard Hayworth) as Kenshin. He's the definitive voice of the character to me, and nails every emotion Kenshin goes through perfectly.
Why does Rurouni Kenshin top the list? Because it was the first anime that really got me invested in characters versus archetypes like the anime I'd watched before it. I still remember when Toonami aired the first episode, and I was watching the block because I wanted to see the latest episodes of G Gundam and DBZ. I'd seen the commercials for it, and didn't even care to watch it. I mean, how could it possibly compare to the over-the-top insaneness (yup, I'm coining insaneness as a word) of DBZ and G Gundam? Well, I had nothing else to watch anyway, so I just sat there and waited ... then the end of the episode came and I wanted more. Here was this hero (and he was a ginger like me!) who was the nicest, most soft-spoken and well-meaning guy you could meet who was only a pacifist because of his past life as a murdering assassin. And yes, he was nice to a fault ... until you threatened the people he cared about, and that really resonated with me.
Kenshin's struggle throughout the series to get away from violence while having to use violence to save his friends (usually because of his own past coming back to bite him) kept me coming back again and again. He was a character with a past and a heart, with a personality unique to him. He wasn't the same dumb, fumbling strong guy that wins through sheer luck; he wins because of his drive, skill and his training as a cold-blooded killer. His is a story that says: Just because your past is dark and you've made bad mistakes, that doesn't mean you can't turn it around and use it for good.
Anyone who knows me has probably heard me say a million times over, "I'm a sucker for a good redemption story." Well, what most of them don't know is that it all started with Kenshin.
2. Yu Yu Hakusho
As much as I loved DBZ as a kid, Yu Yu Hakusho replaced it as my go to high-octane Fighting Anime. I still like DBZ well enough, but I feel like Yu Yu Hakusho told a fuller, more complete story in about half the time it took DBZ, and I liked the characters a little bit better. Yuske, Kuwubara, Hiei and Kurama all go through significant changes as the series goes on, and it isn't just relegated to them getting stronger (I'm still looking at you, DBZ.) Every arc of the show challenged the group in new ways and forced them to become a better team. There was no Saiyan equivalent that made every other character useless by the end of the series; Hiei, Kurama and Kuwubara are all relevant right until the fourth season, where Kuwubara backs out because he wants to pursue his education, which made perfect sense for his character.
This is also the series I watched before writing Electus. It influenced it a good bit, I think, at least as far as pacing and characterization goes. I've always been a huge fan of how fast Yu Yu Hakusho moved through an arc compared to most big anime and it never felt like anything was sacrificed. More shows could learn from that.
3. Trigun
Just as I was coming off my Rurouni Kenshin high, I found a new hero on Cartoon Network's Adult Swim block to fill my pacifist-hero-that-still-has-to-solve-problems-with-violence-because-he's-haunted-by-his-past fix. Man, that was a mouthful....
Anyway, Trigun was always fun for me because, unlike Kenshin, Vash was a bit of a perv and got himself into a lot of trouble he could've avoided because of that. Along the way you find out that the massive destruction caused by Vash years prior wasn't even his fault, but he's still forced to suffer the consequenses. The final episode, where we see Vash finally forced to fight his own brother to the death served as the perfect ending to a magnificent series.
4. Gankutsuo
I had friends who hated this series because of the art style, and I never understood why. To me, it's one of the prettiest series I've ever watched, and that's handy, because it's about all the flashiness you'll get out of this one. Gankutsuo is a re-imagining of The Count of Monte Cristo, so it's more political intrigue than slugfest. Unlike the film from years back, the anime is much more true to the Count's dark, selfish character; he's a monster consumed with the thought of vengeance and there's no room in his heart for anything else.
This one's probably the biggest oddball on my list, but it's one of those shows that just sticks out in my mind, and now I really want to find it on DVD and watch it again....
5. Saint Seiya
Saint Seiya (or Knights of the Zodiac as it was called in the States) is an interesting beast that starts out as a pretty standard fair team anime. You have this group of kids with clashing personalities who are chosen by fate to bear their respective symbols and they have to learn to work together to overcome the big cosmic baddie of the week. What set Saint Seiya apart for me was the fact that over time, they allowed their characters to suffer permanent damage. By the end, Swan loses an eye, while Shiryu is permanently blinded by Perseus, and despite the fact that they live in a world where miracles are possible, these are things they just have to deal with. (That doesn't really make sense, but I digress.)
Other than that, I always enjoyed its blend of Greek mythology and standard anime fare. The biggest twists come in the last season (which was delayed for several years) when we find out that the good guys weren't really the good guys, and ... wait, you mean they were? Oh, awesome, and then Athena has to be rescued and ... wait, they failed? No, it was her plan? So. Many. Twists. Just give it a watch and you'll see what I mean.
6. Ronin Warriors
Ronin Warriors is just plain fun. Picture a better, deeper version of Power Rangers and you're not too far off from describing the show. If you can manage to find it without paying through the nose, pick this one up. I can't really do it justice with a description, so you'll just have to see it for yourself.
7. Speed Racer
This is the one that usually has people scratching their heads, wondering where in the unholy hell this belongs on a list with all my other favorites. And really ... I don't have a good answer for that. I can tell you it was the very first anime I ever saw, and I still enjoy watching it today, even though it's the cheesiest thing you'll ever watch outside of an episode of The Brady Bunch. The characters are all archetypes and exhibit only the most extreme personalities and emotions and the animation is a bit dated. But it still looks alright, and I love it.
8. Cyborg 009
I didn't appreciate this show when I was a kid. I thought the art style looked dumb (and I still kinda do) and I didn't understand the story. But, when I got older and went back to watch it again, it struck a chord with me. When you get down to the meat of it, Cyborg 009 and the rest of his group are all pretty depressing. Maybe that's why I didn't like the show as a kid; this show is really sad. How the heck did it make it to Cartoon Network anyway?
9. Cowboy Bebop
...
...
Yeah, it's really good and no one really argues that, so, moving on....
10. Gungrave
Oy, saddle up for what is quite possibly the saddest anime of all time. What starts out as a story about two best friends fighting their way up from nothing ends with one of them becoming a big underworld leader and the other having to come back from the grave to kill his former best friend. This whole anime tugs on the heartstrings and the animation is beautiful. It's a wonderful anime, but I warn everyone to stay away from it if they don't want something that's going to stomp all over their emotions with as much remorse as my wife has for spiders.
11. Wolf's Rain
Remember earlier when I said Gungrave was super depressing? Well, Wolf's Rain gives it a hard run for its money. Between the two, I honestly can't tell you which one tugged at my heartstrings the most, and I also can't tell you which is the most beautifully told. But if I had to pick a favorite between the two, I'd give the nod to Wolf's Rain just because I really like wolves. But, again, if you don't like stories that were built from the ground up to stomp on your heart like your high school sweetheart the day before prom, steer clear.
12. RIN: Daughters of Mnemosyne
This one was fairly mainstream, and because of that it floored me with its level of ... Dark. Yeah, this show is so Dark that the d should always be capitalized. I've tried to get people into this anime in the past and only two of them were able to make it past the first episode. It's weird, it's Dark, it pulls no punches, it ... has one of the most interesting backstories of anything I've ever watched. Not for the feint of heart with all the violence (a good bit of it sexual in nature) and mutilation, but if you can get past that, the story is very rich. There are so many neat little details I catch when I rewatch it that I missed the second and third time I sat through it.
If you've ever watched something on the level of Gantz, then RIN probably won't bother you. Only, unlike Gantz, RIN is good. But there's your measuring stick.
13. Outlaw Star
Ah, my old friend. I remember this one from Toonami, and then again when they aired it on Adult Swim at launch. Then I owned it on DVD and watched again ... then my dumb ass decided to sell it. I made a lot of mistakes in my childhood, but that one still haunts me just because of the sheer stupidity? I mean, if I was that mind-numbingly idiotic, how did I remember to breathe?
Anyway, this anime is great! You want giant spaceship battles? You got it! Want a gun with bullets literally made of magic? Boom, all yours! Want an awesome Ronin chick that could probably kill you with a stare if she wanted? Yeah, she's here too! Want that kind of annoying sidekick character that pops up in most anime? Well, me neither, but we take the good with the bad.
I believe you can find this show now for pretty cheap, so give it a watch!
14. Mobile Fighter G Gundam
They say there's at least one Gundam show for everyone, and they're right! All Bandai had to do was make a show unlike any other Gundam show and I was hooked! Unfortunately, most Gundam fans HATE this show, and I never really understood why. It had fun characters and stylish action, and it didn't take itself too seriously, like most Gundam shows are guilty of.
The whole premise of the rich people floating above earth on space-continents (and no, I'm not joking) and using the planet as their own personal battleground for an annual tournament made so much sense to me. They don't care for the people actually living down there on the planet, they just want to have their tournament and float around on their space-continents (God, that's fun to say) and lord it over everyone else. So, if you've never seen, I recommend at least checking it out. And if you've suffered through Gundam Seed, then this will be like having a nice, juicy steak after 6 months of nothing but McNuggets.
Space-Continent!
15. Eden of the East
I didn't expect to fall in love with this show like I did. It was on Netflix at the time, and I watched it on a whim after hearing about it from a friend in passing. I made it through the whole main series in one day, and moved onto the two following films afterwards. The characters are likeable, the voice acting, animation and music are all top-notch. I really can't say enough good things about this show; it's serious when it needs to be, then it'll make you laugh and feel all fuzzy inside.
You know, I don't want to spoil a single thing about this one. Just go watch it. If you don't like it, I'll ... well, I'll probably just feel sorry for you, but yeah, check it out!
Tuesday, July 14, 2015
It Follows
Wow, I just got off of a very entertaining thrill ride called It Follows, a film written and directed by David Robert Mitchell, and I gotta tell ya, I haven't had a modern Horror film hit me like this in a very long time. It's well-shot, amazingly scored and features a cast of characters played by actors who are not only good at what they do, but look like ordinary people and not like the standard cheerleader and jock types we're used to seeing in these kinds of movies.
Another refresher is that we don't focus on the standard dumb teenager/young adult, and instead focus on fairly level-headed (or as close to level-headed as any of us were in our earliest 20's anyway) individuals who are forced to deal with a situation I don't even want to imagine myself in. This isn't a movie where you're going to see dumb kids making the same dumb mistakes we've seen a thousand times, but instead they make their own mistakes, due in part to their lack of familiarity with the creature they're dealing with. In a way it's a sort of allegory, with the lead girl being a fresh college student and feeling her way through adulthood, where every decision you make seems like the wrong one, no matter what you do.
I'll try to avoid spoilers here, but I will be touching on a scene here or there to cast some light of the various themes that can be pulled from the movie, so a minor spoiler or two is possible. So, with that in mind, read on at your own risk.
The movie starts with a girl running out of her house, frantic as her dad calls back from the house, asking if she's alright. Meanwhile, we notice her eyes focused on something in the direction of the camera. Something that the lady on the street next to her doesn't seem to notice. She runs back into the house, then runs back out a few seconds later with her keys, then hops in her car and drives away. Next, it's after dark and we see her sitting on a beach alone and her phone rings (it's interesting to note that this use of the cell phone is something you won't really see again) and she apologizes to her dad for being a bad daughter sometimes, and it becomes apparent that she's saying goodbye, having accepted her fate.
Skipping ahead, we meet our lead, Jay, played by Maika Monroe. She's swimming in the pool in her backyard without a care, minus the two neighborhood kids peeking in on her over the fence, but she doesn't even let that bother her, telling them with a smile that she sees them. Shortly after she's on a date with her new boyfriend, Hugh, played by Jake Weary, and everything is going pretty well. Watching this scene reminded me of how awkward first dates were when I was young. Even the best of first dates tend to have those awkward moments you can't get around when really getting to know someone for the first time. Very quickly though, once they get into the theater and sit down, ready to watch their movie, things take a turn. Hugh points out a girl in a yellow dress that Jay says she can't see. Hugh starts to panic and says they need to leave. Jay questions him about it outside, but he's deflective and won't tell her. To be concise, they do end up having a second date, where they have sex ... and then Hugh uses a chloroform rag to knock her out.
Now, here's where the meat of the story and the root for all of the movie's symbolism begins. Jay wakes up tied to a chair, scared and confused as Hugh talks to her and begins to tell her what he's done. There's this thing; it doesn't have a name, and he only knows it as, well, "It." He tells her that It will begin to follow her now, always at a walking pace and It can look like anyone. He warns her against going anywhere that only has one exit, because "It's slow, but It's not stupid." Then, after making sure she sees It and is convinced it's real, he pulls her away to his car and drives off, after suggesting that she has sex with someone else to pass it on. Apparently once it's passed on, It follows that person until they pass on the curse or It kills them. And after It kills someone, the last person in the chain is the next target. Oh, and only those touched by the curse can see It, and that's what makes It so terrifying.
The message(s) that this film tackles ... well, it doesn't shy away from anything. There are so many interpretations that can be gleaned from this movie it can make your head spin. It's the kind of thing you can watch with two other people and each of you can pull different meanings out of it, and none of them are any more right or wrong than the others. I wish I'd been able to watch it with a group the first time to see what my friends pulled from it, but I definitely plan to do that later. This movie has the kind of heart that Wes Craven's work is known for, and I applaud it for going the direction it went. Not to mention that Jay is, in my opinion, the best female lead in a Horror film since Nancy Callahan in A Nightmare on Elm Street. Yeah, I went there.
The last things I'm going to talk about are the period of the film, and the soundtrack. As far as the period goes, the director did a great job maintaining ambiguity. We see a cell phone or two, but the decor in the houses we see look very 80's or early 90's, which puts it somewhere between a nostalgia trip and our modern reality. It walks that line very well, and nothing ever feels out of place. Now, the soundtrack ... WOW. The composer is someone you may recognize if you've played the video game Fez, Disasterpiece. I already thought his work was good, but this film convinced me he's about a league past brilliant. Pulling a lot from John Carpenter's work, he weaves together a score that not only sends chills up your spine when it needs to, but conveys an almost dreamlike confusion at other times. I don't think I've ever been more impressed by the music in a Horror movie, ever.
I could go on, diving into the themes of the movie, talking about what Paul's relationship with Jay represents and maybe touch on the themes of sexuality throughout the movie, but instead I think I'll let you find that out for yourself. Do yourself a favor and watch this movie, preferably with a group, and really think about it. You won't regret it. I hope I've convinced you to give it a shot.
Another refresher is that we don't focus on the standard dumb teenager/young adult, and instead focus on fairly level-headed (or as close to level-headed as any of us were in our earliest 20's anyway) individuals who are forced to deal with a situation I don't even want to imagine myself in. This isn't a movie where you're going to see dumb kids making the same dumb mistakes we've seen a thousand times, but instead they make their own mistakes, due in part to their lack of familiarity with the creature they're dealing with. In a way it's a sort of allegory, with the lead girl being a fresh college student and feeling her way through adulthood, where every decision you make seems like the wrong one, no matter what you do.
I'll try to avoid spoilers here, but I will be touching on a scene here or there to cast some light of the various themes that can be pulled from the movie, so a minor spoiler or two is possible. So, with that in mind, read on at your own risk.
The movie starts with a girl running out of her house, frantic as her dad calls back from the house, asking if she's alright. Meanwhile, we notice her eyes focused on something in the direction of the camera. Something that the lady on the street next to her doesn't seem to notice. She runs back into the house, then runs back out a few seconds later with her keys, then hops in her car and drives away. Next, it's after dark and we see her sitting on a beach alone and her phone rings (it's interesting to note that this use of the cell phone is something you won't really see again) and she apologizes to her dad for being a bad daughter sometimes, and it becomes apparent that she's saying goodbye, having accepted her fate.
Skipping ahead, we meet our lead, Jay, played by Maika Monroe. She's swimming in the pool in her backyard without a care, minus the two neighborhood kids peeking in on her over the fence, but she doesn't even let that bother her, telling them with a smile that she sees them. Shortly after she's on a date with her new boyfriend, Hugh, played by Jake Weary, and everything is going pretty well. Watching this scene reminded me of how awkward first dates were when I was young. Even the best of first dates tend to have those awkward moments you can't get around when really getting to know someone for the first time. Very quickly though, once they get into the theater and sit down, ready to watch their movie, things take a turn. Hugh points out a girl in a yellow dress that Jay says she can't see. Hugh starts to panic and says they need to leave. Jay questions him about it outside, but he's deflective and won't tell her. To be concise, they do end up having a second date, where they have sex ... and then Hugh uses a chloroform rag to knock her out.
Now, here's where the meat of the story and the root for all of the movie's symbolism begins. Jay wakes up tied to a chair, scared and confused as Hugh talks to her and begins to tell her what he's done. There's this thing; it doesn't have a name, and he only knows it as, well, "It." He tells her that It will begin to follow her now, always at a walking pace and It can look like anyone. He warns her against going anywhere that only has one exit, because "It's slow, but It's not stupid." Then, after making sure she sees It and is convinced it's real, he pulls her away to his car and drives off, after suggesting that she has sex with someone else to pass it on. Apparently once it's passed on, It follows that person until they pass on the curse or It kills them. And after It kills someone, the last person in the chain is the next target. Oh, and only those touched by the curse can see It, and that's what makes It so terrifying.
The message(s) that this film tackles ... well, it doesn't shy away from anything. There are so many interpretations that can be gleaned from this movie it can make your head spin. It's the kind of thing you can watch with two other people and each of you can pull different meanings out of it, and none of them are any more right or wrong than the others. I wish I'd been able to watch it with a group the first time to see what my friends pulled from it, but I definitely plan to do that later. This movie has the kind of heart that Wes Craven's work is known for, and I applaud it for going the direction it went. Not to mention that Jay is, in my opinion, the best female lead in a Horror film since Nancy Callahan in A Nightmare on Elm Street. Yeah, I went there.
The last things I'm going to talk about are the period of the film, and the soundtrack. As far as the period goes, the director did a great job maintaining ambiguity. We see a cell phone or two, but the decor in the houses we see look very 80's or early 90's, which puts it somewhere between a nostalgia trip and our modern reality. It walks that line very well, and nothing ever feels out of place. Now, the soundtrack ... WOW. The composer is someone you may recognize if you've played the video game Fez, Disasterpiece. I already thought his work was good, but this film convinced me he's about a league past brilliant. Pulling a lot from John Carpenter's work, he weaves together a score that not only sends chills up your spine when it needs to, but conveys an almost dreamlike confusion at other times. I don't think I've ever been more impressed by the music in a Horror movie, ever.
I could go on, diving into the themes of the movie, talking about what Paul's relationship with Jay represents and maybe touch on the themes of sexuality throughout the movie, but instead I think I'll let you find that out for yourself. Do yourself a favor and watch this movie, preferably with a group, and really think about it. You won't regret it. I hope I've convinced you to give it a shot.
Wednesday, July 1, 2015
Batman: Arkham Knight Review
Welcome back, guys! Time for my first video game review (on this
blog, anyway.) As I'm sure you've gathered from the title, I'll be
talking about Batman: Arkham Knight, Rocksteady's final installment in
the Arkham series. So, with that said, does the final installment live
up to the gloriousness that is Arkham City? Is this a solid sendoff for
Rocksteady? Let's find out.
SPOILER WARNING!
I'll be revealing the Arkham Knight's identity during this review, mainly because I don't feel it's a well-kept secret. But, for those who don't want it spoiled, this might not be the review for you.
In the opening of Arkham Knight, we see the body of Joker lying in an incinerator, with a prompt telling you to hold down a button to burn the body. Afterwards, we jump several months after the events of Arkham City, and we find out that GCPD has been able to not only regain control of the city, but the crime rate has dropped significantly with Joker gone, as if he were a beacon of chaos for the lowlifes of Gotham City. But, we wouldn't have much of a game without a new enemy to fight, so enter (my personal favorite of the original rogues) Scarecrow. With just five ounces of his latest toxin, he's thrown all of Gotham into a panic and forced a citywide evacuation, leaving only the criminals, GCPD and Batman & Company. The setup for the story is very well done. Forcing you to play from the perspective of a cop in a diner during the outbreak, putting you on the ground floor of the whole thing.
As soon as you take control of Batman, everything feels right. The sluggish controls of Arkham Origins are gone, back to the tight feel of Arkham City. From the moment Batman opens his mouth and you hear Kevin Conroy back in the role, there's a sense of comfort and familiarity; the man was born to play Batman. While I'm at it, I should mention the overall voice acting, which is important in a game this story-heavy. I don't have a single complaint with any of the cast for this game. They've done a great job casting every single character in their world, and even managed to get Mark Hamill back to reprise his role as Joker. (Don't worry, Joker is still dead, but the way they weave him into the story here is excellent.)
Shortly into the story you're introduced to the most annoying aspect of the game: The Batmobile.
Yeah, I said it. The Batmobile was an interesting idea, and it can help you move through the city a bit faster, but there are way to many sequences in the game where it feels forced, like they couldn't really come up with creative story purposes for it, so they shoved in these sequences to say "See! The Batmobile is awesome! Aren't you glad we gave you this?!" No, Rocksteady. No, I'm not. I'd much rather glide around the city like I did in Arkham City, and with the new grapnel upgrades, it's nearly as fast as driving anyway (and more enjoyable.) Don't get me wrong, the Batmobile controls well enough, with the ability to transition from normal car to tank with the press of a button, and tank-mode is the way you'll be using it for almost every story mission with it. God forbid you actually get to DRIVE the car. I mean, I like blowing things up as much as the next guy, but after the first five times, it gets old. It also make getting all the Riddler trophies a pain, since so many of them require the car.
Other than the Batmobile, the gameplay is exactly what it should be, with just enough new features added to keep it feeling fresh. The only takeaway is in the predator sections, where it feels like you get less reward for being unseen. There were several instances where I would study the patrol patterns of the guards and pick off the one that NEVER crossed paths with any of the others with a Silent Takedown ... then, for no reason at all, one of the others would deviate from their patrol patterns and find their buddy unconcious, putting them all on alert. By the end of the game I was just rushing through these sequences, taking them all down as fast as possible and it actually worked better. Maybe Rocksteady wanted the players to feel more powerful this time around and decided to encourage a more aggressive style during the predator segments. That's fine, and it works well enough, but I preferred the old approach a little better.
Unlike its predecessors, Arkham Knight focuses less on giving you new gadgets, and more on letting you upgrade the ones you're familiar with. By the end of the game, you can upgrade the grapnel to the point where you're launching yourself into the air with the speed of a bullet (which, again, almost eliminates the need for the Batmobile.) They also upgrade your suit, allowing for multiple takedowns at once, which is incredibly handy, but can only be used if your enemies are unaware of your location. The only new standout gadget is the Disruptor, which is basically an EMP rifle. Once fully upgraded, it can disable guns and gun lockers, stun sticks, med packs and so on. In my playthrough, this was the gadget that got used the most before a fight.
Now, let's move on to a couple of story elements that rubbed me the wrong way:
1.) For one, as some friends have also pointed out, Batman and the other characters refer to each other by their real names with bad guys standing a few feet away. In the comics this NEVER happens, because they aren't complete morons. What's the point in wearing masks if you're going to go around blabbing who you are within earshot of random thugs. This is inexcusable, and reeks of bad storytelling, much like my next point....
2.) The Arkham Knight's identity, to anyone who's cracked open a Bat-Comic in the last 10 years or so, (or knows anything about the current DC universe) will be the worst, most lazy attempt at a "mystery" in, possibly, the entire history of video games. From his first appearance it's blatant that this is Jason Todd. Then, later on in the story when they try to give you "subtle" hints with all the Jason flashbacks, it's kind of infuriating. Rule number one of being a halfway decent writer is never talking down to your audience, and that's exactly what they did. Rocksteady underestimated the intelligence of their fanbase and that rubs me the wrong way, especially after how well Arkham City's story was crafted. City never talked down to you in the narrative, and was very faithful to the various characters' attitudes and mannerisms.
3.) Near the end of the game Jason and Bruce have a "moment" where Bruce apologizes for not being there for Jason and trying to turn him around, then Jason runs off like an angsty teenager only to reappear at the end of the game to break Bruce's bonds so he can beat Scarecrow ... and that's it.... There's no real payoff for Jason's character, and even the Red Hood story missions don't expand on it. This is just sloppy.
4.) The mood set at the beginning of the game is fantastic, but by the end Scarecrow is kind of a joke. His big plan to break Batman is laughable compared to all the things he's faced during his career and the payoff for what you've been working toward the whole game falls flat. I won't go into too much detail, to avoid spoilers, but it really is disappointing.
5.) The true ending for this game requires 100% completion, Riddler trophies and all. Now, normally that wouldn't be such a bad thing, but when the "true" ending is literally just a small tacked-on scene a couple of minutes long that requires hours upon hours of annoying Batmobile-Centric riddles only to answer NO questions and make no*&%#$@ sense.... Well, I was a little angry.
There are a few more story gripes, but I'll stop there.
That said, is Arkham Knight a bad game? No. There's a lot of fun to be had exploring Gotham and doing most of the side-quests, with enough content here to warrant the 60 bucks you'll need to shell out for the game. The Joker subplot was also excellent (and should've been the main focus of the story), and that alone makes the story worth playing. But, is it as good or as innovative as Arkham City was? Not even close. From story to mechanics, Arkham City hit the ball out of the park and nothing, to me at least, felt tacked-on. The only place Arkham Knight really beat it was in scale and with the inclusion of Nightwing in the story (but that last part is really just for me) with everything else only meeting or falling short of Arkham City. Overall, I give Batman: Arkham Knight a 7.5 out of 10. It's still a game worth playing, but with the sloppy writing and overused Batmobile mechanics, it falls short of the masterpiece Rocksteady gave us just a few short years ago. This isn't the sendoff we needed, but it's the one Rocksteady thought we deserved.
SPOILER WARNING!
I'll be revealing the Arkham Knight's identity during this review, mainly because I don't feel it's a well-kept secret. But, for those who don't want it spoiled, this might not be the review for you.
In the opening of Arkham Knight, we see the body of Joker lying in an incinerator, with a prompt telling you to hold down a button to burn the body. Afterwards, we jump several months after the events of Arkham City, and we find out that GCPD has been able to not only regain control of the city, but the crime rate has dropped significantly with Joker gone, as if he were a beacon of chaos for the lowlifes of Gotham City. But, we wouldn't have much of a game without a new enemy to fight, so enter (my personal favorite of the original rogues) Scarecrow. With just five ounces of his latest toxin, he's thrown all of Gotham into a panic and forced a citywide evacuation, leaving only the criminals, GCPD and Batman & Company. The setup for the story is very well done. Forcing you to play from the perspective of a cop in a diner during the outbreak, putting you on the ground floor of the whole thing.
As soon as you take control of Batman, everything feels right. The sluggish controls of Arkham Origins are gone, back to the tight feel of Arkham City. From the moment Batman opens his mouth and you hear Kevin Conroy back in the role, there's a sense of comfort and familiarity; the man was born to play Batman. While I'm at it, I should mention the overall voice acting, which is important in a game this story-heavy. I don't have a single complaint with any of the cast for this game. They've done a great job casting every single character in their world, and even managed to get Mark Hamill back to reprise his role as Joker. (Don't worry, Joker is still dead, but the way they weave him into the story here is excellent.)
Shortly into the story you're introduced to the most annoying aspect of the game: The Batmobile.
Yeah, I said it. The Batmobile was an interesting idea, and it can help you move through the city a bit faster, but there are way to many sequences in the game where it feels forced, like they couldn't really come up with creative story purposes for it, so they shoved in these sequences to say "See! The Batmobile is awesome! Aren't you glad we gave you this?!" No, Rocksteady. No, I'm not. I'd much rather glide around the city like I did in Arkham City, and with the new grapnel upgrades, it's nearly as fast as driving anyway (and more enjoyable.) Don't get me wrong, the Batmobile controls well enough, with the ability to transition from normal car to tank with the press of a button, and tank-mode is the way you'll be using it for almost every story mission with it. God forbid you actually get to DRIVE the car. I mean, I like blowing things up as much as the next guy, but after the first five times, it gets old. It also make getting all the Riddler trophies a pain, since so many of them require the car.
Other than the Batmobile, the gameplay is exactly what it should be, with just enough new features added to keep it feeling fresh. The only takeaway is in the predator sections, where it feels like you get less reward for being unseen. There were several instances where I would study the patrol patterns of the guards and pick off the one that NEVER crossed paths with any of the others with a Silent Takedown ... then, for no reason at all, one of the others would deviate from their patrol patterns and find their buddy unconcious, putting them all on alert. By the end of the game I was just rushing through these sequences, taking them all down as fast as possible and it actually worked better. Maybe Rocksteady wanted the players to feel more powerful this time around and decided to encourage a more aggressive style during the predator segments. That's fine, and it works well enough, but I preferred the old approach a little better.
Unlike its predecessors, Arkham Knight focuses less on giving you new gadgets, and more on letting you upgrade the ones you're familiar with. By the end of the game, you can upgrade the grapnel to the point where you're launching yourself into the air with the speed of a bullet (which, again, almost eliminates the need for the Batmobile.) They also upgrade your suit, allowing for multiple takedowns at once, which is incredibly handy, but can only be used if your enemies are unaware of your location. The only new standout gadget is the Disruptor, which is basically an EMP rifle. Once fully upgraded, it can disable guns and gun lockers, stun sticks, med packs and so on. In my playthrough, this was the gadget that got used the most before a fight.
Now, let's move on to a couple of story elements that rubbed me the wrong way:
1.) For one, as some friends have also pointed out, Batman and the other characters refer to each other by their real names with bad guys standing a few feet away. In the comics this NEVER happens, because they aren't complete morons. What's the point in wearing masks if you're going to go around blabbing who you are within earshot of random thugs. This is inexcusable, and reeks of bad storytelling, much like my next point....
2.) The Arkham Knight's identity, to anyone who's cracked open a Bat-Comic in the last 10 years or so, (or knows anything about the current DC universe) will be the worst, most lazy attempt at a "mystery" in, possibly, the entire history of video games. From his first appearance it's blatant that this is Jason Todd. Then, later on in the story when they try to give you "subtle" hints with all the Jason flashbacks, it's kind of infuriating. Rule number one of being a halfway decent writer is never talking down to your audience, and that's exactly what they did. Rocksteady underestimated the intelligence of their fanbase and that rubs me the wrong way, especially after how well Arkham City's story was crafted. City never talked down to you in the narrative, and was very faithful to the various characters' attitudes and mannerisms.
3.) Near the end of the game Jason and Bruce have a "moment" where Bruce apologizes for not being there for Jason and trying to turn him around, then Jason runs off like an angsty teenager only to reappear at the end of the game to break Bruce's bonds so he can beat Scarecrow ... and that's it.... There's no real payoff for Jason's character, and even the Red Hood story missions don't expand on it. This is just sloppy.
4.) The mood set at the beginning of the game is fantastic, but by the end Scarecrow is kind of a joke. His big plan to break Batman is laughable compared to all the things he's faced during his career and the payoff for what you've been working toward the whole game falls flat. I won't go into too much detail, to avoid spoilers, but it really is disappointing.
5.) The true ending for this game requires 100% completion, Riddler trophies and all. Now, normally that wouldn't be such a bad thing, but when the "true" ending is literally just a small tacked-on scene a couple of minutes long that requires hours upon hours of annoying Batmobile-Centric riddles only to answer NO questions and make no*&%#$@ sense.... Well, I was a little angry.
There are a few more story gripes, but I'll stop there.
That said, is Arkham Knight a bad game? No. There's a lot of fun to be had exploring Gotham and doing most of the side-quests, with enough content here to warrant the 60 bucks you'll need to shell out for the game. The Joker subplot was also excellent (and should've been the main focus of the story), and that alone makes the story worth playing. But, is it as good or as innovative as Arkham City was? Not even close. From story to mechanics, Arkham City hit the ball out of the park and nothing, to me at least, felt tacked-on. The only place Arkham Knight really beat it was in scale and with the inclusion of Nightwing in the story (but that last part is really just for me) with everything else only meeting or falling short of Arkham City. Overall, I give Batman: Arkham Knight a 7.5 out of 10. It's still a game worth playing, but with the sloppy writing and overused Batmobile mechanics, it falls short of the masterpiece Rocksteady gave us just a few short years ago. This isn't the sendoff we needed, but it's the one Rocksteady thought we deserved.
Friday, January 23, 2015
The Beginning
It's been awhile since my last post, and I hate that. My intention was to make a post at least every other week, but life's been giving me a rough time lately and I just haven't found the time. But, to be fair, I've tried more than once in the past month to sit down and write about something, but with my job leaving me so drained and stressed, I usually end up even more frustrated and push my computer away.
So, now that we have that out of the way, let's dive into today's subject: Storytelling.
I know that seems kind of vague, but what I'm going to be covering here are the right and wrong (as well as the subjective right and wrong) ways to go about telling a story.
Now, we'll start where all good stories start: The Beginning. This is where you hook your reader (or viewer if we're talking cinema) and proceed to drag them along for the ride. It's incredibly important that you get your claws into the audience here, at the very start of the story, or you might not get them at all. Today's society is a lot more fast paced than when I was growing up. Back then, people were reading Tolkien, and no one really questioned the painfully slow start to his stories; it was just what you had to go through to get to the meat of the story, and that was fine for the time, but if Tolkien were starting out in today's literary world, his books would most likely bomb. A lot of modern readers have been drawn into books from watching the movies they're based on (like Harry Potter, and a certain sparkling mess we won't mention.) Now, this isn't necessarily a bad thing, but it does mean that the type of storytelling that sells had evolved, because if you're coming from a movie diet into a book diet, then Lord of the Rings is a shock to the system.
Now, you could argue that the book sales of Harry Potter and the like was the reason the movies were successful, not the other way around, and that's somewhat true, or at least it was in the beginning. That said, a good half of my friends started with the movies because of all the hype, and it drew them to the books. So, I'd say it turned out to be a fairly equal marriage by the end of it all. And even if you don't agree, the current and last generations have grown up with so much more stimulation, specifically from TV and movies, than any generation before us. Like it or not, by the time we get to books, our idea of successful storytelling has already been altered from the old school mentality.
So what does this mean for the future of storytelling? Well, for one, if you're writing books, you'll have to start getting your hooks in the reader a lot sooner than, say, Tolkien did. I love The Fellowship of the Ring, but the first few chapters are tough to get through, with far too much exposition that could very easily be trimmed down. Back then, Tolkien was inventing a genre, and the expectations of literary stories were far different from today, so he got away with it. Now though, instead of the dull, drawn out opening Fellowship had, you'd need something with a little more flair to sell it to a modern audience. I personally think the way Peter Jackson handled the opening in the film was great; he set us up with a nice opening monologue from Galadriel, and we got to see an exciting fight scene. I disagree with a lot of the changes Jackson made, but this one made perfect sense to me.
I'll move past Tolkien for a minute and give you a more modern example. In Elantris by Brandon Sanderson, one of the main characters, Raoden "awoke early that morning, completely unaware that he'd been damned for all eternity." Now that's a hook! The very first line of the book, and I already want to know what the heck's going on. Elantris came out in 2005, and to this day I don't think I've read anything with a more in-your-face, inviting opener for a novel.
After reading that, I listened to a podcast where Sanderson was talking about successful opening lines for books, and how important they were in today's world. He cited that opening as one of his proudest moments, and rightfully so. But even after listening to the podcast, I still wanted to go deeper; I wanted to find the perfect formula for a good opening line. Did I ever find it? Maybe. I thought long and hard about it, and this is what I came up with: A good opening line, is an answer that makes you ask questions. Going back to the opening of Elantris, the fact that we know Raoden has been damned for all eternity if interesting, but why has he been damned? Who damned him? Is he going to die? (I think you get my point.)
After that, I started going back through some of my favorite books to see if they met this new criteria, and most of them did. The prologue to The Eye of the World certainly did, along with Dan Wells' I Am Not A Serial Killer. Is it indisputable? No, not at all. There are books even now that don't follow the rule and find great success, but a good number of those (at least in fiction) tend to be from authors who have already proven themselves and have a dedicated fanbase, like Stephen King or James Patterson. In my opinion though, for a writer starting out today, slaving over a killer opening line is one of the most important choices you can make. Do you have any idea how many people today will walk into a bookstore, pick up a book and decide whether or not they're going to buy it after the first line? I see it happening more and more. Even I've gotten to that point. With so many books out there that I'd like to read, I have to narrow things down somehow, and that's one of the quickest, easiest ways to do it.
You might be wondering if this is the definitive future of writing, and I doubt it. Just look at how far it's come since Tolkien's day. The most important thing for anyone looking to get their book published is to keep in touch with the times, and not fall into the Pit of Yesteryear, so to speak. Stay Current. Now, I'm not saying you should pick up the latest Stephen King or Dean Koontz novel and do exactly what they're doing, but you can probably pick up a few useful techniques from them to make your work more attractive to a wider audience. Pay attention to the way they kick their books off and how they set and maintain the pace. Despite their massive followings, most bestselling writers don't maintain the exact style from book to book, and if the big guys feel the need to keep things fresh, it should be a lesson to everyone else; don't let your work get stale.
Is following this advice going to magically get you published tomorrow? Well, if you're lucky, maybe, but either way it's a good way to catch the eye of an editor. So, the next time you sit down to write a story, hover over the beginning for a minute. You might be surprised what comes to you with a little patience.
So, now that we have that out of the way, let's dive into today's subject: Storytelling.
I know that seems kind of vague, but what I'm going to be covering here are the right and wrong (as well as the subjective right and wrong) ways to go about telling a story.
Now, we'll start where all good stories start: The Beginning. This is where you hook your reader (or viewer if we're talking cinema) and proceed to drag them along for the ride. It's incredibly important that you get your claws into the audience here, at the very start of the story, or you might not get them at all. Today's society is a lot more fast paced than when I was growing up. Back then, people were reading Tolkien, and no one really questioned the painfully slow start to his stories; it was just what you had to go through to get to the meat of the story, and that was fine for the time, but if Tolkien were starting out in today's literary world, his books would most likely bomb. A lot of modern readers have been drawn into books from watching the movies they're based on (like Harry Potter, and a certain sparkling mess we won't mention.) Now, this isn't necessarily a bad thing, but it does mean that the type of storytelling that sells had evolved, because if you're coming from a movie diet into a book diet, then Lord of the Rings is a shock to the system.
Now, you could argue that the book sales of Harry Potter and the like was the reason the movies were successful, not the other way around, and that's somewhat true, or at least it was in the beginning. That said, a good half of my friends started with the movies because of all the hype, and it drew them to the books. So, I'd say it turned out to be a fairly equal marriage by the end of it all. And even if you don't agree, the current and last generations have grown up with so much more stimulation, specifically from TV and movies, than any generation before us. Like it or not, by the time we get to books, our idea of successful storytelling has already been altered from the old school mentality.
So what does this mean for the future of storytelling? Well, for one, if you're writing books, you'll have to start getting your hooks in the reader a lot sooner than, say, Tolkien did. I love The Fellowship of the Ring, but the first few chapters are tough to get through, with far too much exposition that could very easily be trimmed down. Back then, Tolkien was inventing a genre, and the expectations of literary stories were far different from today, so he got away with it. Now though, instead of the dull, drawn out opening Fellowship had, you'd need something with a little more flair to sell it to a modern audience. I personally think the way Peter Jackson handled the opening in the film was great; he set us up with a nice opening monologue from Galadriel, and we got to see an exciting fight scene. I disagree with a lot of the changes Jackson made, but this one made perfect sense to me.
I'll move past Tolkien for a minute and give you a more modern example. In Elantris by Brandon Sanderson, one of the main characters, Raoden "awoke early that morning, completely unaware that he'd been damned for all eternity." Now that's a hook! The very first line of the book, and I already want to know what the heck's going on. Elantris came out in 2005, and to this day I don't think I've read anything with a more in-your-face, inviting opener for a novel.
After reading that, I listened to a podcast where Sanderson was talking about successful opening lines for books, and how important they were in today's world. He cited that opening as one of his proudest moments, and rightfully so. But even after listening to the podcast, I still wanted to go deeper; I wanted to find the perfect formula for a good opening line. Did I ever find it? Maybe. I thought long and hard about it, and this is what I came up with: A good opening line, is an answer that makes you ask questions. Going back to the opening of Elantris, the fact that we know Raoden has been damned for all eternity if interesting, but why has he been damned? Who damned him? Is he going to die? (I think you get my point.)
After that, I started going back through some of my favorite books to see if they met this new criteria, and most of them did. The prologue to The Eye of the World certainly did, along with Dan Wells' I Am Not A Serial Killer. Is it indisputable? No, not at all. There are books even now that don't follow the rule and find great success, but a good number of those (at least in fiction) tend to be from authors who have already proven themselves and have a dedicated fanbase, like Stephen King or James Patterson. In my opinion though, for a writer starting out today, slaving over a killer opening line is one of the most important choices you can make. Do you have any idea how many people today will walk into a bookstore, pick up a book and decide whether or not they're going to buy it after the first line? I see it happening more and more. Even I've gotten to that point. With so many books out there that I'd like to read, I have to narrow things down somehow, and that's one of the quickest, easiest ways to do it.
You might be wondering if this is the definitive future of writing, and I doubt it. Just look at how far it's come since Tolkien's day. The most important thing for anyone looking to get their book published is to keep in touch with the times, and not fall into the Pit of Yesteryear, so to speak. Stay Current. Now, I'm not saying you should pick up the latest Stephen King or Dean Koontz novel and do exactly what they're doing, but you can probably pick up a few useful techniques from them to make your work more attractive to a wider audience. Pay attention to the way they kick their books off and how they set and maintain the pace. Despite their massive followings, most bestselling writers don't maintain the exact style from book to book, and if the big guys feel the need to keep things fresh, it should be a lesson to everyone else; don't let your work get stale.
Is following this advice going to magically get you published tomorrow? Well, if you're lucky, maybe, but either way it's a good way to catch the eye of an editor. So, the next time you sit down to write a story, hover over the beginning for a minute. You might be surprised what comes to you with a little patience.
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