Scribberish
Scribbling Gibberish and posting it up
The House of the Devil (might contain spoilers)
Apr 20th
A couple of months ago I had the chance to see this movie after reading a fourth of an essay on it posted at slashfilm.com and am I glad I did. Not once have I ever been so clung to the edge of my seat waiting for something horrible to befall our protagonist and been so glad that nothing happened.
The House of the Devil is an edgy, atmospheric horror film that I would consider the prime example of a period piece done right and if I had no clue as to when it was actually shot I would have thought it was a straight from the ’80s b-horror-movie, but lo and behold it was shot and released in 2009. Now, I came into this movie expecting your classic grind-house inspired hack and slash formula but done with a modern twist, however, it was quite the contrary. The movie is actually more slow-paced then I was led to believe and used tension and suspense rather than gore as it’s main horror device. What I truly loved most about this movie was it’s quirky “slaps to the face” of it’s viewing audience, my favorite of all being a scene where the protagonist is playing her Walkman whilst dancing around the house when she happens upon a basement door. She opens the door cautiously and peers into the dark, but after a few seconds decides not to even turn on a light or go in. Had she explored the basement she would have found a demonic altar which in turn would have changed the plot drastically but only works to add to the theme of youthful ignorance which is quite prominent throughout the film.
Many people have dissed this movie solely for its ending but I found the ending to be a good equalizer to the whole layout of the film by breaking away from the quiet, anxious solo performance to the maelstrom of violence and gore that ensues. To be honest my perfect ending would have seen the protagonist never discovering anything damning about the residents of the home and walking away unharmed but I was still completely satisfied with what was given.
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince review
Jul 19th
Having just finished reading Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince minutes before seeing the movie I was amped with excitement. Was it going to be as good as the book? Were new characters going to be introduced? Would it have the great mystery just as the other movies had? My answer is, no, not quite. This year at Hogwarts sees Harry Potter as the ‘chosen one’, or in other words the one who will destroy the dark wizard Voldemort. Also this year Harry is given special lessons from the great wizard Dumbledore to prepare him for his final bout with Voldemort by showing him past memories involving the dark wizard. On top of all of this Harry suspects that Malfoy is up to no good, which is to be expected.
Now, I went into this movie trying to forget everything I had just read previously so as to feel slightly surprised by the places the story went and the new tidbits that would assuredly be added. However, the more the movie crept along the more I realized how much of the story was either left out or altered to much detriment. To me, many of the key events in the movie were either construed greatly or very poorly condensed. For instance, Harry’s lessons with Dumbledore seemed rather lackluster. Not once did I feel like any of it served a real purpose except for one of the lessons that was crucial to forwarding the plot. Altogether, much of the movie just felt meaningless and dull. At times I could tell that there were several edits to scenes that could have gone on for much longer and explained much more, but were cut short for reasons unknown. Had there been more information and importance placed on the terrible tragedies befalling the wizarding community I possibly would have felt a little more concerned for the characters of the movie.
However, the biggest guff I have with the movie is the complete lack of any real conflict. The audience is told every single detail of what would occur later on in the story at the very beginning of the movie and has to wait for two hours to finally see any of it happen. As I said, any type of mystery that was to be had in the book was completely revealed within the first fourth of the movie. The only reveal that had some purpose to it was that of the Half-Blood Prince and even then it fell short of it’s anticipated surprise.
At this point I feel that I’ve nagged enough, so I will say that I did enjoy the beautiful cinematography, special effects, and set pieces that really did lend themselves well to the whole mystique of the film. From crushing waves in front of a sheer cliff, to some of the best looking quidditch yet, and also the most tragic death in the series, I couldn’t ignore the great deal of care given to some of the more important and striking scenes in the movie.
All of this being the case, I hope that an uncut version of the movie is released which would actually feel like a cohesive whole instead of the Cliffs notes version that was fed to us. So, if you’re looking for a movie with lots of pretty pictures but little story to go alongside it, this is the movie for you.
World at War
Jun 8th
It’s been a long time since I sat down with a controller connected to a working 360. But three days ago when I did, I was very impressed. Maybe it was the 50 inch HD plasma TV my friend owned, but all I know is I’m going out and getting my system fixed up asap. And the first thing I do after that is buy Call of Duty: World at War.
World at War is one of the best games I’ve played in the last few years. It has everything an FPS should: amazing graphics, smooth game play, incredible online play, and an immersible, interactive environment that makes you feel right in the middle of the Second World War. My friend introduced me to the game with the offline Nazi Zombies play mode. We spent hours coming up with strategies to fight the endless hordes of undead – and it never got old. Surprisingly one of the most impressive things that first caught my attention was the realistic way the dirt and rubble flies up into the air with each grenade explosion. I was often caught unaware by an approaching zombie, much to my teammate’s despair, because I was instead staring off at the detailed surroundings. But then I began to get into the game. I tried out various weapons from the extensive arsenal the game offers from the sniper to the deployable machine gun. The controls were never beyond me, a noob to the game, but there was always room for improvement. The farthest we got was level fifteen. Then, they showed me the online play.
Of course I was blown out of the water by the ‘pros’ at first. The zombies were made to seem easy – at least they didn’t shoot back. The game was realistic – a shot or two and you’re down. I didn’t like it at first, but then I learned to play more cautiously. The action was supplemented by perks and kill-streak abilities that made the game far more exciting than your basic point and shoot game. You had to constantly account for the possible weapons in your enemies’ arsenal – would he keep shooting even once you’ve supposedly kill him? Would a recon plane be flying over head giving away your location? And at the same time you had to utilize your own arsenal. It made play styles unique and different. While I chose to pick up an SMG and the camouflage perk to make for a stealthy close range combatant, my friend alternated between the juggernaut rifleman who could take extra hits and bring enemies down with a single bolt-action shot and the long ranged sniper who protected himself with mines and charges. And of course, there’s plenty of achievements, guns, and abilities to be unlocked as you improve.
It’s a game to be enjoyed with friends offline and online and one I highly recommend buying if you own a 360, and especially if that 360 is hooked up to an impressive TV system. I’d say more fun than Halo 3, hands down.
A Movieathon Reviewathon (spoilers)
Apr 13th
When I returned to my home city of Austin, Texas, for spring break I had the opportunity to see several movies (something I don’t get to do in the tiny college town of Mount Vernon, Iowa). I won’t lie, a good portion of my break was spent inside a theater with a friend or parent rather than whatever it is you’re supposed to be doing during a college spring break. I saw many films including Watchmen, I Love You, Man, Knowing, Duplicity, and Adventureland.
Watchmen was as good as everyone says it was. With a wide range of well developed characters, I felt as though anyone could find a connection within the moral debate the movie presents. This truly epic film left me questioning the true meaning of right and wrong, and whether or not its a meaning pertinent to, well, anything.
I think the only movie that left me disappointed was Knowing. This mixed up spiritual, sci-fi, mystery, suspense film reached too far and explained too little. By the time the wispy wings formed behind the ascending glowing white aliens the crowd was either groaning or laughing. Oh, the demonic Aryans were actually angelic aliens preparing an arc with all the creatures of earth and the mysterious list of numbers and religious references that plagued Nicholas Cage for the entire movie was actually just the lost-in-translation misunderstandings that comes from a human-alien interaction. Alright, cool.
Typical for it’s style of movie, I Love You, Man, was an enjoyable comedy about a ridiculous but sweet set of characters who are self-assured except when it comes to relationships (or friendships in this case). If you can bear the initial awkwardness of Paul Rudd’s character that feels, at first, more painful than funny, then I guarantee you’ll find yourself giggling and laughing at the humorous antics that fill the movie.
Duplicity is an interesting romantic comedy about spies, corporate war, and hair products. It employs an unchronological series of events that keeps the veiwer actively trying to figure out who knows what and who’s playing who. What really makes the movie is the interactions between the romantically entwined spies Julia Roberts and Clive Owen, two opposing agents turned rogue. Their sarcastic humor and seemingly deep connection has the viewer not only interested in the spy games but also whether or not the two protagonists end up with one another or torn apart by insecurities. Lastly, the absences of guns and violence is a welcome change of pace, though does liken it to the Ocean’s 11 series.
How much humor does an Office have to offer?
Mar 6th
Life has been busy lately, and thus I’ve had to make some cutbacks on leisure activities. But, I’ve managed to keep up with at least one show: NBC’s “The Office”. The popular comedy is one of the few shows I’ve watched from beginning to end and the only one that’s kept me laughing. But lately I feel as though things have taken a turn for the worse. What had made the first few seasons so enjoyable was that we had silly character interaction in awkward but believable situations. Now it seems as though the writers have scratched the believability of the show giving the characters’ absurdity to no bounds and no consequences. While the episodes still deliver the laughs, I sometimes have to pause and comment about how something actually would have gone. The show has lost sight of its goal: to exaggerate the humor and discomfort of the blue collar workplace. The BBC original series upon which the show is based ended after two seasons. I agree with NBC’s decision to drag it out a bit longer, but now I feel like they’ve moved past a social commentary to the fantastical world of Dunder Mifflin where nothing is sacred nor is anything ‘normal’. I will continue to watch the series but I have to ask myself, how much longer will it last?