Final Fantasy XIII-2: Podcast Review

 
Well, well, here is something new. It's my first podcast, and I'm very excited to share this with the world!

So, what do I have prepared for you? Well, it's a video game review, and it's on none other than Final Fantasy XIII-2. This is the much awaited sequel to last year's FF-XIII.

Okay, first thing, if you're not a gamer...listen anyway! If you are, well check us out, hear the voices of two gamers from NYC. Seriously, I'm being serious now and maybe a bit comical, but gamer or not, I think you'll enjoy the podcast.

We're gamer nerds! Well, I am to a certain degree.

Hey, it's one of several other things that I do besides write stories about robots, zombies, etc. Ha!

I'm joined by me good friend, Jose. We talk about improvements, overall gameplay, and other Final Fantasyisms while comparing XIII-2 to its predecessor to see how the whole thing fared as a final product.

What did I and my fellow gamer co-podcaster think about it? Just listen...





As always Internet listeners, leave feedback! This is something new for me so I'm trying it out to see how it goes. Advice, pointers and comments are helpful and greatly appreciated.

Until next time, peace!

Chronicle: Movie Review

 
Most of us are familiar with superhero movies, stories, etc. Some of them are very enjoyable and other not so much. I personally found stories that focused on the inner turmoil of a character trying to balance their powers while remaining a functional member of society to be quite interesting. They seem, at least to me, to be the closest depiction to actual human interaction, while still exploring the limits of superhuman possibility and social/moral acceptance.

What I am talking about? I don't read American comics, hence American superheroes, except through their film adaptations. I do however read Manga and many of their supernatural stories are referenced in the movie Chronicle.

So, the film documents the story of three high schoolers who stumble upon a strange "alien" object buried or hidden underground. I say "alien" and buried/hidden because neither of these points is explained or verified; although, the nature or format of this movie (more appropriate) can only reveal what our three protagonists encounter. To put it simply, the film is a "found footage" piece that documents the events that transpire after they develop their powers. Things develop rapidly and different social dynamics/situations provide plot points that force the characters to move along and make decisions that lead to an extreme climax that borders on the moralistic social commentary of today's youth.

While the film is about teenagers with superpowers, the real story centers on the relationship between social acceptance and the dangers of abuse and ridicule. In other words, bullying. The movie opens up with Andrew making a documentary about his life and all the social awkward experiences he has for being an introvert. He goes around and records all his daily exploits and as the audience follows him, we see the isolation and bullying he encounters. While most of these are reduced to mere pushing and shoving, the harsher reality appears in the form of his abusive father. However, here is where another dynamic appears. While Andrew bottles his abusive father, he tries to look after his ill mother.

So, this abusive treatment at home coupled with Andrew's already introverted behavior creates a character that is on the verge of  a breakdown. The superpowers will eventually lend a hand in allowing him to release his frustrations but on a grander, out-of-control scale. His only ground with reality comes in the form of his cousin Matt and their friend Steve. All three of them share the same gift and so share the same experiences in discovering their new found powers. However, even as they explore further, Andrew begins to slowly show signs that his introvert shell is cracking and with each abusive situation or conflict that he encounters the more unstable he becomes.

Without giving away any details, Andrew refocuses his perspective and convinces himself that his powers are a gift meant as a means to an end. So he lashes out against aggressors. At first he targets specific people, but after his altered indoctrination, he indiscriminately attacks anyone. Again, all the bottled up rage has spilled over causing Andrew to think irrationally and lose his humanity to some degree. In a way, it reminds me of the Japanese Anime movie Akira.

Originally, my thoughts about this film were somewhat low. Superhero or super powered people movies are hit or miss depending on the writing and focus. And, with teens, my expectations are even further low. I just can't stand the carelessness of young people with superpowers, it honestly irritates me because these are usually handled so poorly. Geez, I hate those so called teens with perfect lives and meaningless conflicts or struggles that don't appeal to no one. So already I thought I was going to detest that fact that this was a movie about teens with superpowers. But, that wasn't the case, thankfully!

Chronicle was a story that depicted a character with a very real conflict that appeals to everyone. We've all been that bullied or ridiculed kid in school. We hated it and there were times that we wanted to beat the crap out of anyone and everyone that ever put us down, but here's where the story also shows the very real and dark consequences of such behavior. Depending on how we handled it the result or final trigger can be very dangerous.

Visually, the film was shot very well considering it was one of those first person shot movies. However, here is where I applauded the filming approach. Throughout the movie, Andrew is filming, so the you rarely see him in the shot, but after he gets his powers he learns to hold his camera with his telekinetic abilities. This becomes a nifty technique because while the audience believes that he is still suspending it in the air, it feels as though the camera was placed there to give us the third person omniscient view that we are used to in other movies. The special effects were integrated so well that the flying scenes looked like actual base jumping or body surfing shots. Even during the climax scenes near the end, the visuals effects of Andrew unleashing his full powers and fighting against Matt resembled something out of an anime. I honestly began to think that this was how they should have filmed that atrocious Dragonball: Evolution movie.



I really enjoyed this film and the development of each of the characters especially Andrew. He wasn't really a villain but more of a misunderstood social outcast. This is something we can all understand and relate to because we have all experienced it in our own way. The writing captured the essence of teenage life and most of its shortcomings. And, I especially liked that behind the superpowers there was a deeper message about understanding, social acceptance and the dangers of abuse, ridicule and isolation.

Until the next one. Stay strong and unafraid.

The Grey: Movie Review

As of late, actor Liam Neeson has been making quite a name for himself as an action/drama movie star and now you can add survivalist to that list.

I have been following his exploits since his film Taken and I was immediately blown away at how he transformed his character from loving and caring parent to hunter. He literally tracks down his daughter's kidnappers with a combination of intelligence tactics and physically persuasive techniques to convince the baddies in his favor. Yeah, beating the crap out of evildoers makes a plan go into motion.

And, I loved every minute of his stampede through Europe to rescue his daughter. His famous "I'll find you and I'll kill you" line has been a trademark that defined him as a badass. He even obliged a fan during a interview on the Graham Norton Show by recording the line as a voicemail greeting. Check the link below. The voice recording segment happens toward the end of the clip, but watch the whole thing, it's great!



Even his next film Unknown is filled with enough suspense, intrigue and action to keep you glued to the screen. Don't take my word for it, just watch it yourself.

Now back to The Grey. After seeing that Neeson had a new film coming out, I became very interested in what this new project might bring. The title alone brings much vagueness and blurriness, and that not because of all the snow falling. Actually, the title plays an important role in foreshadowing the where the film goes and how it ends. I'm not going to reveal anything because I think anyone interested should just go and watch it. Still, however nebulous the trailer might seem, trust me when I say that you're in for quite a treat!

I have to say right away that this movie has increased my fear plane crashes, collisions and freezing. So, around the 15 minute mark, John Ottway's (Neeson) plane crashes over what I believe is somewhere in deep freezing, snowing Alaska. Out of a plane with about 20-30 passengers, only 7 survive the crash. Not much is revealed about the background of any of these characters. Neeson's character's background is slowly explored through flashbacks of himself with another woman who we later understand is his wife.

Immediately, right from the start, as soon as they start to pick themselves up from the devastating crash the principle antagonists are revealed-- THE WOLVES! The film becomes a quest of survival as Neeson's character tries to save anyone from the feral jaws of nature. Why does Neeson's character take it upon himself to play leader and save everyone? Because he's fucking Liam Neeson! And, his character, Ottway, is a hunter and specialist in survival situations; he makes Bear Grylls and any other TV show survivalist look like an amateur. I mean, Neeson's character fights a wolf with his own DAMN BARE HANDS! I was shouting at the top of my lungs when I saw that. Of course, disagreements happen has members from the surviving party question authority and location, but when the wolves start picking them off one-by-one, they just follow.

Going back to my reemerging fears. Yeah, plane crashes and freezing. I have flown in planes and experienced turbulence of different levels, but the fear is always there and I manage to suck it up and just relax. This probably sounds like I'm more nervous about flying then I actually am, but I'm pretty cool. Anyway, crashing first but the freezing is another story. The survivors end up in blizzard conditions, so maintaining warm is a necessity. However, there are moments where Ottway falls into streams of freezing water and I'm like, WHAT! Even after those moments, he forges on. I think I would've died of hypothermia a long time ago. Characters undergo extreme psychological changes that represent real consequences to conditions of near death.

It was just a great movie that continued to carry Liam Neeson's trademark badassness! I mean, he frickin' fought a wolf--with his bare hands!!



Neeson continues to surprise me by how well he adapts to these tough roles. I like it a lot and would be terrified to go up against him and his badassness. Like I said, the film a well worth a watch, and every moment tests and pushes each of the characters to their breaking point. Watching Liam Neeson strap on a makeshift glove/gauntlet/weapon of broken bottles to one hand with tape, and a knife in the other just sent chills down my spin.

Until next time, survive!

5 Days of War: Movie Review

 
Well, it's been a while, but I'm back with another brand new movie review.

I don't think I'll have a lot to say about this film because I really enjoyed it. So, I'll just rave about how immersed I became at the story that unfolded as I sat in a lit room and witnessed the horrors and sacrifices brought about by war.

To begin, I have always enjoyed well told/filmed war movies. The struggle to survive is evident in the need for soldiers to carry out a task, and while this is present in the film, the perspective is different. The film is based on the real life war that transpired between Russia and Georgia. Now, let me begin by saying that I'm not familiar with the history or ensuing conflicts between these two countries that led to the war that lasted 5 days.

The aspect of the film that caught my attention was the news reporting angle. 5 Days of War centers around a journalist by the name of Thomas Anders played by Rupert Friend and his struggle to stay alive long enough to escape the war zone and release the film footage he and his cameraman caught of the carnage as Russian mercenaries entered a village in Georgia and slaughtered civilians. So, the entire film is an action documentary of what took place, but without the need of having the film shot from a first person perspective.

Now, I've read that this film received mixed reviews with most of its criticisms pointing to the fact that the film portrays only the Georgian side of the conflict. All the while the Russians are portrayed as barbaric killing squads marching along the Georgian countryside eliminating everything. Some critics claimed the film was a dangerous form of propaganda used to promote sympathetic reactions from audiences. Again, I not familiar with the actual reasons that brought about the war, and while some of these criticisms against the film may be true, I'm not here to pass judgement. Although, during times of war, everything that we see or are allowed to be shown by the media is put up for criticism. We can never be sure if what we're being told is true or exaggerated.

The term 'propaganda' is correct in some ways; as journalists, you try to push your information because the world has a right to know. So here we have just that. Thomas Anders embarks on a mission to uncover the truth about a possible confrontation between Russia and Georgia and ends up with a front row ticket to a real first-hand experience of life and death. This brings me to a interesting point that I have always know to be true. War journalists and photographers are the most hardcore and fearless people in the world. To put yourself in harms way, deliberately now, is insane! Even with proper precautions, journalism rights/permissions and military escorts, they run very real risks that could have fatal consequences.

Anyway, these were the points of the film that kept me immersed and wanting to reach the end. Another interesting fact, there was very little news coverage of the war due to the fact the as this was happening much of the world, and the news media, was busy covering the Olympics. Add that to the pile building in front of you as a journalist!

It was interesting to see Andy Garcia play Mikheil Saakashvili, the President of Georgia. Other cast members included: Val Kilmer, Dean Cain, Emmanuel Chriqui and a brief cameo by Heather Graham. All in all, I really enjoyed the film. My interest in it first came when I saw the trailer a few months back, and I wasn't disappointed. It's an action film at heart and it provides several moments of intense confrontation and quick pace.




Well, I hope you enjoy and until next time!

Resident Evil 6 Official Trailer!

Oh. My. Lord!

It hasn't been ten minutes since I posted my last blog entry on Resident Evil: Retribution, and now I see the official trailer for Resident Evil 6 the game.

I have now officially gone off the deep end.

After the mediocre RE5, I was left wanting something more substantial, new...something with elements that reminded me of what scared and thrilled me about the early games. Way back when, I read rumors that RE6 was to be a reboot of sorts. It would continue to progress later into the RE universe, but it would also implement the use of creepy atmospheric settings that we all enjoyed when we played through RE 1, 2 and 3.

What am I talking about? Raccoon City, or some similar setting. Personally, while I played RE 4 and adored the new game play and the 3rd person behind the back camera angle, the lack of a city setting made it feel strange for me. Don't get me wrong, it was great.

However, it was feeling less like Resident Evil and more like an action/shooter game. RE5 is a clear indication of this.

Anyway, no more talk. Just Enjoy what I believe will be a return to Resident Evil roots. I am really so damn excited and I can't contain my enthusiasm!



I know a lot of what I'm saying may be difficult to understand for non-Resident Evil game fans, but this is impressive. From what I can tell so far, the setting seems to be in a city, a large city at that. Leon Kennedy and Chris Redfield for the most part are the primary characters. Again, it is still too early to tell what the story is behind this new chapter and who the real enemy is. Umbrella, Tricell or some other new entity.

One definite plus is that it looks like I'll be walking through long, dark and scary corridors again...and ZOMBIES are back! I just hope that some old Umbrella beasties return as well. A Tyrant here, a Hunter there. Come on, Capcom, do it for me!

More to come when I find or stumble upon it!

Until then, spread the 'Evil' - Resident Evil 6 is almost here!

Resident Evil: Retribution - Official Trailer

 
Well, well, look at what we have here...

So, the trailer for the next installment of the Resident Evil movie franchise is here. I'll place the link after I have said my two cents on it.

I'll keep this short.

With the way the last film ended, I wasn't surprised that another film was being put together. But, where does this latest in 3D explosions, gun firing and zombie fighting take place? I have no idea, but I'm very curious and looking forward to getting an explanation as to where these flying beasties, giant lickers and Michele Rodriguez (she played Rain in the first film) came from!

Yeah, I knew that either all of some of the characters from the earlier movies were going to be coming back. However, I'm still confused as to how they returned and what their purpose will be. As it is the trailer seems to suggest that we are still in a post apocalyptic setting some time after Resident Evil: Afterlife. Another battle takes place on the ship where our heroes rescued K-Mart, (Yeah, I still laugh every time I hear her name); then we see some kind of fortified city with Alice (Jovovich) resembling some kind of one man army.

There are so many questions, but these trailers always leave me and just about anyone with a million questions as to the setting or connect to the games. Once again, I think there is no connect, timeline wise, with the games anymore. I mean, Afterlife can vaguely be connected to RE5 because these was an Axeman and the last battle between Chris/Claire and Wesker was a direct ripoff of the final battle between Chris/Sheva and Wesker from Resident Evil 5 (game). That's it!

Oh, but WAIT! Is that ADA WONG I saw in there! Yes it is! She's in her RE4 attire too! So Hot!

Now I'm hooked. What does she have to gain in this movie. The world is dead; for who could she be working for that needs information on the T, G, V, Plagas virus? Her role in the games was to retrieve information on the virus and to bring back a sample to her employer. However, in the games, the world hadn't gone to shit yet, so what's her deal here? Hmmm...

I even heard or read somewhere that Leon Kennedy will be in this film. I can't confirm, and I wouldn't be surprised if he shows up just so that the entire game cast could finally make an appearance in the flesh.

Well enough of me talking. Check out the clip below and tell me what you think!



What do you think, guys and gals? I know some of you out there are RE fans just like me. So much going on in those 60 seconds of a teaser trailer. I hate the opening commercial sequence. Either way, I'm excited to see what does adds to the film franchise and where it ends up.

More Resident Evil news as it becomes available or I stumble upon it! Also, Resident Evil movie reviews coming soon and why the games are my favorite.

Until then, look alive and share the "Evil" in Resident Evil.

I End A Chapter With An M.F.A.

 

Hello Internet World,

This will be my first post of 2012, and it is both exciting and bittersweet. I’m not going to sit here and explain the exciting because I think those were explained in my last post. Also, I can’t think of anything exciting right now. However, the bittersweet part is very much clear and lingering on my mind. I’m back in NYC after a wonderful week in Maine, and I brought with me so many memories and a new degree under my belt.

This past Saturday, the 14^th, was my graduation from Stonecoast.

Yup, I finally received my M.F.A. in creative writing. I still can’t believe how two years of hard work, making friends and having fun with such a small community of writers came to an end. It felt like only yesterday that I began my next step in my academic career by trying to get my masters degree, and now it’s all over. Every residency brought me joy and knowledge into what I was capable of in my writing, and with each workshop and mentor, I progressed through difficult times and achieved a necessary tool or skill that helped me to become the writer that I am now. This doesn’t mean that I’ll stop learning, of course not. It just means that I won’t have that support community so accessible anymore.

Well, that may not be entirely true because some of us can still email or meet to continue to share work. More importantly, it’s a way that maybe we can get together and still have fun.

So, how did my final residency go?

I think it went very well despite the fact that both my reading and my presentation were toward the end of the week. I was bummed a bit by that schedule, but in the end, I’m actually glad that it went that way. It’s not that I had a poor reading or presentation, not at all. As it turned out, I was actually more nervous about my reading as opposed to my presentation. I know this must sound silly, but that’s how I felt. The entire time I kept telling myself that I wished my presentation was scheduled earlier in the week, so that way I could finish up with a great reading. Here’s the funny part. I spent the entire week adjusting and editing the PowerPoint for my presentation. I started adding more information and making it longer, or in some cases shorter.

Originally, I thought the PowerPoint I had put together was sufficient to get my ideas across. However, the more I looked through it, the more I became paranoid and unsatisfied I got with it. So, I kept fidgeting with it until I had something that I felt was more thorough than what I started with. On top of that, a couple of nights before the presentation, I even put together a nice video to go along with the PowerPoint.

Can you believe I did all that! And I didn’t even look over my reading until the day before it was scheduled to take place. I knew what I wanted to read, but the extra work into the presentation kept me so immersed that pushed it to the side. Ha Ha!

When I did actually get to look over my reading, I had trouble adjusting my voice to it. This sounds strange I’m sure, but I could not find that pace and tone that I wanted to use. In addition, the very words that made up my story sounded weird. I think for most readers, when they read their own work out loud, it sounds awkward. Still, I tried my best to adjust my voice and find an appropriate pace to read my story. In the end, my reading turned out very well. I read my short story “The Guardian’s Paw” and it brought a few laughs and everyone enjoyed my take on anime/manga fiction. I felt such relief after. One down, one to go. I never realized how much anxiety I had built up around my reading, so after I read I was so much calmer.

My presentation on Manga was such a thrill for me. I actually felt very comfortable and excited about it. I mean, I spent all that time beforehand fixing and creating that I was amped! Everything went so well. Actually, not entirely. During the last ten minutes, I showed the video that I put together and half way through the power went out! Can you believe that? Ha Ha! The projector went out and so the lights, but my laptop kept playing. Soon after, everything came back on, and I finished showing the video and ending my presentation. Now, that’s a good way to go out on a high note. Or, is it a power outage note?

I even acted in two staged plays and that was fun. Several people came to me afterward and complemented me on how I did. They were all amazed by how well I acted out the parts I was given. Let me tell you that while I was humbled by their comments and appraisal, I didn’t think I did anything special. I’m not an actor, but I just played the parts the way I thought they needed to be. Above all, I just wanted to have fun with it. Everyone involved enjoyed the plays, being a part of it, and we made everyone laugh which I call a successful night in my opinion. If there was one downfall this residency, it turned out to be the fact that I got sick for about three days. I never got sick during a residency, so this was quite unexpected, but I made the most of it. I ate fruits and drink lots of orange juice as I recuperated.

Graduation came and went, and I said goodbye to so many people. I had such a good time talking to people, but in the end I also felt sad that it was over. It’s going to be so weird not having packets due by the end of the month anymore. Still, I will keep myself busy and continue to write new stories as I send other stories for publishing. It’s the beginning of a new journey and I want to mark my place somewhere on the path that I take. 

Even as I write this, all I can think about was how, a day ago, I was there with all of my Stonecoast buddies, YOU KNOW WHO YOU ARE! Now, I'm far away. Oh man, I'm not going to think about it. I'm in denial that it's over. I'll probably be like that for a bit, ha!

For now, I'll walk holding my head high knowing that I accomplished another noteworthy academic goal. I graduated from the Stonecoast MFA Program with my Master’s Degree in Creative Writing, and I’ll do my popular fiction brothers and sisters proud.