Archive for May, 2009

Metal Gear Solid: Guns of the Patriots was a stelular game. The story and game play were fantastic as always . The graphics were some of the best seen on the PS3. And the cut scens should have had their own blu ray. Since then we’ve been wondering what would come next from the mind of  Hideo Kojima. For the pass week we’ve been given a count down twice with no information. the countdown continues with a picture of none other than Big Boss himself. What the game is or exactly what system it may be released on is unknown. Most likely it will bee something for Sony.

The sequel to the blockbuster first person shooter has it’s release date. Shipping to both PS3, and Xbox 360. Set to release on November 3rd. One of the first games that will be under the Christmas tree for a lot of people.

Transformers was a revolutionary step in movie making. For years those of us that grew up watching the cartoons and begging for the toys for Christmas and our birthdays dreamed of what it would be like if the transformers were “real”. July 2007 Michael Bay made that dream com true. Now yet again he brings that vision of spectacular wonder to movie screens this summer. Revenge of the Fallen looks to be even more amazing than the first film. More Autobots. More Decepticons. More of Michael Bays explosive action. And yes…MORE MEGAN FOX.

Opening on June 24th everywhere in conventional theaters and Imax. This film is sure to be as entertaining as Star Trek. And hopefully better. With the release date for the third film already set, you can bet that transformers Revenge of the Fallen is going to rock. I for one will be ordering my bluray as soon as it is available an amazon.com. Reserve your tickets A.S.AP. This movie is sure to sell out.

Anime is one of the most expressive animated formats around. And Blood the last Vampire is on of the best animes to date. This summer will see the release of the anime turned into a live action feature film.

Similar to Blade and Vampire Hunter D, Saya is a vampire the kills other vampires. It’s a nice turn around that the lead is a female. And she is also the strong silent type that is usually portrayed as male roles. The mythos is deep and rich with new things not seen in other “vampire” films. Blood the Last Vampire has been a manga a short anime film, an anime tv series, amd now a live action film. Feast your eyes on this.

     The trailer speaks volumes for this electifying PS3 exclusive. pick it up this week.

Books are one of my favorite hobbies and pass times. This is just a small sample of what I’ve been reading. Sci Fi Fantasy is some of the best stuff out there…if you know what authors to pick up and which ones not to.

The Sword of Truth by Terry Goodkind. Eleven books in the series. Book one is Wizards First Rule.

Dragonlance Chronicles by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman. The trilogy can be found bound together in one volume.

Star Wars Legacy of the Force by Aaron Allston, Karen Traviss, and Troy Denning. The series is nine books. Book one is Betrayal.

Robert Jordan is my favorite writer. I enjoy quite a few but he is hands down the BEST. He makes Tolkien look like second string. No lie. Robert Jordan has passed away and was unable to finish his series The Wheel of Time. At the time he had been working on the last book: A Memory of Light. Unable to finish the novel, his wife Harriet has hired Brandon Sanderson to complete it. And wow this guy is awesome. Every fan of Jordan was speculative, and we all had a right. I met Robert Jordan in Huntington Long Island at the Book Revue. The man was astounding. But Sanderson is a good stand in. I’m almost done with his first book of the Mistborn. And it’s great. Any how,the novel was deemed TOO BIG. And thus had to be broken down into three more books. AMAZING!!!!!! The first book of Memory of Light will hit book stores on November 3rd 2009. Titled The Gathering Storm

Sitting in the theater with my pretzel bites and hearing the old Terminator theme play behind a new score was just the begining of a awesome ride to the movies. McG did an outstanding job of taking us to the world we’ve dreamed of since Kyle Reece told Sarah Connor “Come with me if you want to live”. Nothing was left out.

Some may believe this film to be a little dated and predictable. Compared to the future we saw in the first Terminator, with laser guns and crushed skulls under foot. Terminator Salvation was closer to today’s standards. Hyped up assault riffles,  jet fighter planes, and cars that are driven not flown. Coming closer to Mad Max than the original Terminator.

Today is the year 2009,and the film takes place in 2018. To give us a clearer view of this war. And the rise of John Connor we’re set in a more realistic environment. Even though the robots (created by Skynt) are hyper advanced, the  people only have access to conventional firearms. That is until Connor can hack them and give humans a fighting edge.

Although Terminator Salvation is a sequel it is also the beginning of another story. Judgment Day has come and the resistance fights for the hope of humanity. But John Connor DOES NOT lead the resistance. This story is about how he comes to that position and just why humanity sees him as a savior. For so long everyone, including Connors mother wondered why he would trust a robot to protect himself in the past.. Sam Worthington’s character, the hybrid cyborg Marcus Wright is the true catalyst for that.

Terminator Salvation is a film of  fear and desperation. But also of hope, growth, and understanding. Humanity can fight fight against the machines. They can fight and they can win.

Acting: Christian as Connor and Sam Worthington as Wright were excellent. All the supporting cast were also right on point. And carried themselves in step with their leads. Anton Yelchin was a nice suprise as Kyle Reese. Good to see him going the extra mile. If you missed it, you can also see him as Chekov in Star Trek.

SPOILER…………..We can’t forget Mr. Universe himself Arnold Schwarzenegger. I guess he was right when he said “I’ll be back.”.

Story: Being a bit of a book worm I look deeper into movies than most people. I didn’t have to look very deep with Salvation. The story was engaging and well paced. A strong emphasis on character development. And more than enough action for any summer blockbuster.

9.5/10

The old series V is being re imagined for a new generation. I was  fan of the show, and I hope it does the original some justice. Glad to see Morris Chestnut, Joel Gretsch and Laura Vandervoort. It  looks promising. “Embrace Change”

This look like it’ll be a wonderful CGI animated film. Nothing has been created like this. I love to see new and original things like this. Kinda reminds me if Little Big Planet, but not with the overly cute characters. Created as a short film with no dialouge. I was picked up at Rogue pictures and given the big buget treatment. Truly a film for the imagination. Releases in theaters on 9/9/09. You have to love it
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Alot of people don’t know who Donnie Yen is. But if you watch kung fu films you should be some what familiar with him. I must say, although not as strongly mainstream as Jet Li or Jackie Chan he is no doubt just as good as they are. In his martial arts and acting he has proven to be one of Hong Kong’s greatest movie stars. One of his newest films Ip Man is a masterpiece. Not a U.S mainstream kung fu film, you’ll have to dig a little for it….or just purchase it at yesasia.com. And it’s based on the life of someone all kung fu fans would want to know about. Take a look and enjoy.