New Obessions
Here I am in my 8th day of work this week, and after working through my weekend on a variety of events at what was treated as the institutional version of the Second Coming (the inauguration of our new president), I can say with confidence that WORK SUCKS. Only cool thing to happen all weekend was when the video presentation I had worked on for 3 months was falling apart at the last minute, to hear myself introduced to others as "the show's producer." That, and seeing the thing come together with the live music after nearly dying on me 15 minutes before the gala. Whew.
But I'm not here to bitch - much - but rather to share with you the utter obsession I've developed over Call of Duty: United Offensive and Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War. Dear GOD man, what an amazing pair of games. CoD: UO is hands-down the coolest shooter I've played since the first CoD was released last year, and makes a fun game even more entertaining with the additions of LMGs, bazookas, new carbines, flame throwers, tanks, jeeps, satchel charges, a sprint function, new multiplayer maps and 4 new multiplayer modes. The new single player is hard, which I like too. Many hours will be sacrificed at the alter of Grey Matter's triumphant expansion. Look for SodomyShotgun on West Coast servers and you'll find me ;^)
Just as cool is Dawn of War, which brings 4 armies from the 40k universe (Marines, Orks, Eldar, and Chaos) to the computer in what is hands down the best Warhammer 40k game ever made, and one of the best RTS's I've ever played. Developed by Relic Entertainment (the geniuses behind the Homeworld and Riven series), this game shows an incredible familiarity with the material, as well as a keen eye for what makes RTSs cool and what makes them suck. Changes to the basics include: you only typically need 1-2 builder units the whole game (!!); there's no resource gathering - rather the infantry units take 'strategic points' and 'critical locations' both of which provide you with greater resources as time passes, and act as victory conditions to boot; unit upgrades and casualty replacements happen in the field, and each unit has an upgrade queue similar to a unit producing building, allowing you to outfit and reinforce a squad in the midst of combat; a simple but logical tech tree; time slowing and zooming to watch the gore fly; unit behavior control to determine their preferred method of attack; and an army painter to develop your own unique paint schemes and army logos. Plus, gameplay is fast and furious - a great feature for a guy like me who rarely has 5 hours at a time to get a tabletop game in. Great stuff.
Gerry
On the film front, I got to see Gus Van Sant's Gerry for the first time yesterday. God, what a weird movie. Basically, 2 college kids get lost in the desert. They lose their way and don't stop to get their bearings. They are stupid and fuck themselves over. They walk fast everywhere. They don't talk much. The end. What fills the other 100 minutes I didn't cover is loooooooooooooooong tracking shots of the ruggest Soutwest landscape, quiet moments of clouds forming and evaporating as the sun rises, and incredibly oppressive periods of silence. I think the script of this movie might fill 20 pages. Maybe. Not recommended.
On the other hand, I saw the last bits of Carlito's Way the other day. That movie, I liked a lot. It's a great 70's period piece without being overly 70's, if you catch my drift. Al Pachino's not terribly believable as a Puerto Rican, but Sean Penn is killer as the scummy Alan Dershowitz-like lawyer, and the rest of the supporting cast is good too. Highly recommended for crime film/gangster movie buffs. Look for the Return of King Mortensen as a wheelchair bound, whiny crook...oh how far you've come, Viggo.
Now to convince my paramour to see Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow...
White Jazz
And speaking of great crime stories and great period pieces, I also finished James Ellroy's White Jazz a few days ago, and man what a story! This book is part of Ellroy's "Los Angeles" series of books, which includes the much more popular L.A. Confidential, American Tabloid, and a few other titles I can't remember. At any rate, those of you who have seen or read L.A. Confidential will recognize a few of the characters - particularly some that you wouldn't expect to see. The story is about 1 Dave Klein - a slumlord lawyer, corrupt detective, and former hitman for the LA Mob. Klein is about as dirty as one can get; intimidation, payoffs, torture, legal maneuvering, bribes, and murder for hire are all part of Klein's bag of tricks. Despite his utter contemptability as a human being, however, the book does a fascinating job of making him a believable person. The book is written first person, in a brutally stuccato inner monologue that reminds one of a police dispatch - Ellroy rarely uses the word "I" or "this" or "that", sticking to just the facts as we follow Klein's plunge into the darkest depths of 50's Hollywood. This is an engaging read told in a fascinating style, but is not for the squeamish - Klein is a murderer, a racist, a dirty cop and an all-out bastard. Enjoy the ride.
Quote of the Day
"You could be a writer!"
-- My boss, in another backhanded compliment, to me in front of my supervisor.
Here I am in my 8th day of work this week, and after working through my weekend on a variety of events at what was treated as the institutional version of the Second Coming (the inauguration of our new president), I can say with confidence that WORK SUCKS. Only cool thing to happen all weekend was when the video presentation I had worked on for 3 months was falling apart at the last minute, to hear myself introduced to others as "the show's producer." That, and seeing the thing come together with the live music after nearly dying on me 15 minutes before the gala. Whew.
But I'm not here to bitch - much - but rather to share with you the utter obsession I've developed over Call of Duty: United Offensive and Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War. Dear GOD man, what an amazing pair of games. CoD: UO is hands-down the coolest shooter I've played since the first CoD was released last year, and makes a fun game even more entertaining with the additions of LMGs, bazookas, new carbines, flame throwers, tanks, jeeps, satchel charges, a sprint function, new multiplayer maps and 4 new multiplayer modes. The new single player is hard, which I like too. Many hours will be sacrificed at the alter of Grey Matter's triumphant expansion. Look for SodomyShotgun on West Coast servers and you'll find me ;^)
Just as cool is Dawn of War, which brings 4 armies from the 40k universe (Marines, Orks, Eldar, and Chaos) to the computer in what is hands down the best Warhammer 40k game ever made, and one of the best RTS's I've ever played. Developed by Relic Entertainment (the geniuses behind the Homeworld and Riven series), this game shows an incredible familiarity with the material, as well as a keen eye for what makes RTSs cool and what makes them suck. Changes to the basics include: you only typically need 1-2 builder units the whole game (!!); there's no resource gathering - rather the infantry units take 'strategic points' and 'critical locations' both of which provide you with greater resources as time passes, and act as victory conditions to boot; unit upgrades and casualty replacements happen in the field, and each unit has an upgrade queue similar to a unit producing building, allowing you to outfit and reinforce a squad in the midst of combat; a simple but logical tech tree; time slowing and zooming to watch the gore fly; unit behavior control to determine their preferred method of attack; and an army painter to develop your own unique paint schemes and army logos. Plus, gameplay is fast and furious - a great feature for a guy like me who rarely has 5 hours at a time to get a tabletop game in. Great stuff.
Gerry
On the film front, I got to see Gus Van Sant's Gerry for the first time yesterday. God, what a weird movie. Basically, 2 college kids get lost in the desert. They lose their way and don't stop to get their bearings. They are stupid and fuck themselves over. They walk fast everywhere. They don't talk much. The end. What fills the other 100 minutes I didn't cover is loooooooooooooooong tracking shots of the ruggest Soutwest landscape, quiet moments of clouds forming and evaporating as the sun rises, and incredibly oppressive periods of silence. I think the script of this movie might fill 20 pages. Maybe. Not recommended.
On the other hand, I saw the last bits of Carlito's Way the other day. That movie, I liked a lot. It's a great 70's period piece without being overly 70's, if you catch my drift. Al Pachino's not terribly believable as a Puerto Rican, but Sean Penn is killer as the scummy Alan Dershowitz-like lawyer, and the rest of the supporting cast is good too. Highly recommended for crime film/gangster movie buffs. Look for the Return of King Mortensen as a wheelchair bound, whiny crook...oh how far you've come, Viggo.
Now to convince my paramour to see Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow...
White Jazz
And speaking of great crime stories and great period pieces, I also finished James Ellroy's White Jazz a few days ago, and man what a story! This book is part of Ellroy's "Los Angeles" series of books, which includes the much more popular L.A. Confidential, American Tabloid, and a few other titles I can't remember. At any rate, those of you who have seen or read L.A. Confidential will recognize a few of the characters - particularly some that you wouldn't expect to see. The story is about 1 Dave Klein - a slumlord lawyer, corrupt detective, and former hitman for the LA Mob. Klein is about as dirty as one can get; intimidation, payoffs, torture, legal maneuvering, bribes, and murder for hire are all part of Klein's bag of tricks. Despite his utter contemptability as a human being, however, the book does a fascinating job of making him a believable person. The book is written first person, in a brutally stuccato inner monologue that reminds one of a police dispatch - Ellroy rarely uses the word "I" or "this" or "that", sticking to just the facts as we follow Klein's plunge into the darkest depths of 50's Hollywood. This is an engaging read told in a fascinating style, but is not for the squeamish - Klein is a murderer, a racist, a dirty cop and an all-out bastard. Enjoy the ride.
Quote of the Day
"You could be a writer!"
-- My boss, in another backhanded compliment, to me in front of my supervisor.
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