Movies!
Office Space (20th Century Fox)
Rating: *****
Comments: Oh... my... god. Residents of Cubeville, this is your bible. These phrases say it all: "You know my job doesn't really matter and... I don't think I'm going to go anymore." "What, you're just gonna quit?" "No, I'm just not going to go anymore." Don't let Mike Jundge's name dissuade you. He may have created Beavis and Butt-Head, but he also made King of the Hill...
The Iron Giant (Warner Brothers)
Rating: **1/2
Comments: Ah, a boy and his robot. Nice idea, but it was all pretty standard really. The animation was nice, but the story could get vapid for older viewers and parents. The scenes at the end where the robot goes postal were well done and the computer aided animation for the robot was really fluid... a little TOO fluid. It kind of broke the reality (yeah, a 100 foot robot is realistic) of the animation. Not bad for technique, but at its heart, it was just another kid buddy movie. Worth at least one spin through the VCR.
Anime!
Darkside Blues (Manga Corps)
Rating: ****
Comments: Pretty, first off. Very pretty. Also has a definite moody quality that makes it great. The animation is fluid and believeable (even when the coach flies across the skies) and the characters have a fair amount of depth. Interesting story, but at times it's easy to get really lost in it. For those who don't mind watching their movies two or three times to get all of it, I heartily advise this. To those with no patience, you may want to give this one a pass.
Roujin Z (Manga Corps)
Rating: ***1/2
Comments: First off, the main story and concepts were all designed by the Master, Katsuhiro Otomo, the brains behind Akira and Domu, so I was biased before this even got written. The story is kind of a dark comedy of what happens when you try to give too much control over to machines (especially imbalanced ones with identity crises). The animation is definitly Akira-esque and the dubbing is fairly horrible, but easily overcome if you watch it on DVD or go with the sub. Good for at least one view but since I"m an Otomo-holic, no doubt it will spin in my DVD player a few more times.
Rating: ****
Comments: WEIRD! It seems to be a little like the Matrix without all the gunplay violence. I can't really sum it up because, frankly, all the pieces don't seem to fit together yet. Not that I mind. It looks like the plot is getting ready to emerge at the end of the first tape and I'm extremely interested at what will come next.
Rating:***
Comments: The third book in the continuing story of Nest Freemark, Angel Fire East has many of the fine qualities presented in both of its predecesors. The usual suspects are all there again, another seven years and one divorce later for Nest. The story is sound and the ending a surprise. For fans of the series, go check it out. However, for those new to the series, try starting back at the beginning or you're going to be really confused.
All Tomorrow's Parties (William Gibson)
Rating: ****
Comments: Good stuff Will. You never led me wrong. William Gibson brings back my favorite setting and my favorite characters nfor more weirdness. Chevette, Rydell, Yamizaki and Colin Laney all return for what Laney calls "The End of the World as we know it." Characteristic, Gibsonesque writing as per standard and neat ideas. Another cyberpunk classic. Gibson is god.
RPGs!
Vampire Storyteller's Guide Revised (White Wolf)
Rating: ****
Comments: Once again, good quality craftsmanship on the special edition. What I've read so far has been good. It includes writeups on three bloodlines, two of them re-visits and one all new (at least all new to the modern Vampire game). However, it looks like production for some of the artwork was rushed. Some of the pictures were blurry or just not well done. Otherwise, it's pretty good and definitely worth the hardbound price of the book.
Eyrcies Fragments (White Wolf Gaming Studio)
Rating: *****
Comments: Neat ideas. This book is more or less a new treatment on the Caine story. Well written from the story of how it was obtained by one of the first Giovanni ghouls. It takes a very different view on Caine's punishment and exile from Nod and contains all sorts of new prophecy material and Caine's commandments to his vampiric childer. Good for use in modern and Dark Ages campaigns. At least good for a once through but for die hards it's a must.
Hunter: the Reckoning (White Wolf Game Studios)
Rating: *****
Comments: For once, humans have a chance. And a damned small ones. What happens when supernatural being become unmasked to certain humans' eyes? A hunt, that's what. In Hunter: the Reckoning, humans make a stand against the creatures of the night via strange blessings they have recieved from mysterious forces of the universe. A must play. Check it out as soon as you can!
Video Games!
Thousand Arms (Atlus)
Rating: ** 1/2
Comments: Eh, middle of the road so far. The game play is alright. The controls are weak. However, the anime graphics used to narrate the story are crisp and neat looking and the theme seems to be rather light. I've been playing it for an hour. Still haven't fought anything, but then again, in a game where the focus is to date women, thereby getting magic to forge weapons, what was I expecting? Analog controls for one! More to come as the game actually goes somewhere.
Evolution (?)
Rating: ****
Comments: Finally, a RPG for the DreamCast. Evolution hit shelves this month after several months of anticipation and I think I can safely say that it has been worth the wait. While the scale of the game is small, there is a charm to it that copmes from several factors. The first is that the animation is on par with arcade style graphics. The gameplay is good and the dungeons are always random, making replay value easier to find. The story can be a bit thin sometimes (when there is a story present at all) but once you get the ball rolling, you can play it for hours.
Final Fantasy Anthology
Rating: ***1/2
Comments: Nice idea, but flawed in some ways. First of all, I am a nostalgic gamer. I enjoy games from the past, but FF V just isn't doing anything for me. It's 8-Bit, it's hokey and the story moves along with little cohesion of character definition to hold it together. The eye candy they've added is wonderful though and I really can't hold the fact that the game is 8-Bit against it. However, FF VI on the other hand has been revisited and given very good graphics for the cut scenes and has nifty effects and a good story thrown into the mix. So far, I'm actually liking the second of the two discs included on the anthology. Hopefully I'll wrangle my saved game from before I owned this from my one of my friends who bought it before me soon.
Music!
Lo Fidelity All Stars--How To Operate With A Blown Mind
Rating:****
Comments: Wow, this is a really neat blend of weirdness, techno and funk. The music is catchy and fun to listen to. The well known 'Battle Flag' is probably the best track on the CD, but 'How To Operate on a Blown Mind' and 'Lazer Sheep Dip Funk' are also pretty good tunes by their own merits.
Fatboy Slim --You've Come A Long Way Baby
Rating: ****
Comments: Pretty good stuff, although it is pretty standard techno fare. The tracks 'Rockafeller Skank' and 'Praise You' were the original reasons for buying this CD, and the other tracks aren't too bad either. All in all, I'm kind of tired of it already, but I'll keep listening, just to listen to Rockafeller Skank.
Offspring--Americana
Rating:****
Comments:I know that this isn't a new CD to anyone, but I just got it a few days ago and I think it's safe to say that this is one of the better albums I bought this year. Several of their most recent hits are on it (Pretty Fly, The Kids Aren't Right, Get A Job) along with some other unheard of, but even better songs like 'Feelings' and 'Have You Ever.' Go give it a try. These guys just keep getting better.
