You know, Hollywood doesn't seem to be so bad after all. Well, at least in the superhero movies. Okay, corrections, in the DC superhero movies. Dark Knight was a fantastic supervillain movie. I've never liked Spideys or Batmans (except when Arnold played a cold bad guy), but this one sure was different. Well, truly because it was a supervillain movie, and Ledger gave a performance of his life indeed. Aaron also gave a convincing act. Well, not as much as I liked him in Thank you for smoking. And the whole Katie not playing is just a total bummer. Because....this sister just can't play Batman's love.
So that's +1 for Hollywood for making a great movie, and still -1000000000000000000 more to go.
Sunday, August 3, 2008
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
Cinematic.Experience.Plot.
Why can't Hollywood and all the other money-mongering institutes learn a lesson from Metal Gear Solid Series? Not that I'm idolising MGS, or the fact that MGS4 is bar none the best game I've ever set my eyes upon. Corrections.
It's not a game.
It's a cinematic experience. No movie has kept me more engaged than this latest epic sequel. Even with its 30 minute cutscenes, and 1 hour+ ending sequences, the FMVs just kept me wanting for more and more. And it's refreshing always.
Thought-provoking Plot. Please, stop throwing us with all of your money-making pointless movies. Give us a beautiful mind. Give us a big fish. Give us a matrix to crack. The plot breathes life into a movie, and its characters are the engines. The driving force.
Characters! Give us memorable characters! When was the last time a side-hero, or side-kick, or some guy who happens to pop up a few times here and there, was noted and analysed and strutinized for his or her involvement in the story? Hmm...I don't know...Matrix vanilla? Humans are three-dimensional beings. They can't always talk the same way. They can't always act the same way. We're no robots.
And give us scenes that will leave us amazed and shocked, forever remembering those instances in our dreams. Saving Private Ryan's Omaha. The Mist's ending. MGS 3's ending. MGS 4's ending. No Country for Old Man's second kill (let's also not forget Anton himself). Wanted's jumping out of the window scene. The Matrix vanilla's bullet time scene.
It's an age of Intellect and Awareness. We filter words and images the same way we breathe.
Let's hope what comes in has the same quality.
It's not a game.
It's a cinematic experience. No movie has kept me more engaged than this latest epic sequel. Even with its 30 minute cutscenes, and 1 hour+ ending sequences, the FMVs just kept me wanting for more and more. And it's refreshing always.
Thought-provoking Plot. Please, stop throwing us with all of your money-making pointless movies. Give us a beautiful mind. Give us a big fish. Give us a matrix to crack. The plot breathes life into a movie, and its characters are the engines. The driving force.
Characters! Give us memorable characters! When was the last time a side-hero, or side-kick, or some guy who happens to pop up a few times here and there, was noted and analysed and strutinized for his or her involvement in the story? Hmm...I don't know...Matrix vanilla? Humans are three-dimensional beings. They can't always talk the same way. They can't always act the same way. We're no robots.
And give us scenes that will leave us amazed and shocked, forever remembering those instances in our dreams. Saving Private Ryan's Omaha. The Mist's ending. MGS 3's ending. MGS 4's ending. No Country for Old Man's second kill (let's also not forget Anton himself). Wanted's jumping out of the window scene. The Matrix vanilla's bullet time scene.
It's an age of Intellect and Awareness. We filter words and images the same way we breathe.
Let's hope what comes in has the same quality.
Monday, July 21, 2008
A War economy
Sometimes I think the world revolves around a war economy. More war, more fundings. More war, more fuel consumption, more fuel production, more armaments production.
More profit.
Granted, usually it tends to lead to national downturn. But, there are always those that benefit from war. CNN, FOX, BBC. Check out their ratings during Iraq War. Suddenly they gave full coverage on the war. Doesnt matter the content. Doesnt matter whether it's biased.
What happens when there's no war? let's see...well it's the dream of many people. But think about it. No war leads to unemployment. No war leads to lax. No war means longer life spans. And in a world where death and taxes are certain, I dread seeing a time when 1 working adult has to support 10-20 retired persons, just because everyone's living to a ripe age. The pyramid will be totally inverted.
So does that justify small wars? Does it justify large wars? Hey, without WWs, you wouldn't have all these technological advances. And imagine if the world remains in a perpetual Cold War. No global war occurs. We build up, build up, build up.
Imagine the power of the dormant War Machine, waking up one day to give a nudge to the world.
Boom.
More profit.
Granted, usually it tends to lead to national downturn. But, there are always those that benefit from war. CNN, FOX, BBC. Check out their ratings during Iraq War. Suddenly they gave full coverage on the war. Doesnt matter the content. Doesnt matter whether it's biased.
What happens when there's no war? let's see...well it's the dream of many people. But think about it. No war leads to unemployment. No war leads to lax. No war means longer life spans. And in a world where death and taxes are certain, I dread seeing a time when 1 working adult has to support 10-20 retired persons, just because everyone's living to a ripe age. The pyramid will be totally inverted.
So does that justify small wars? Does it justify large wars? Hey, without WWs, you wouldn't have all these technological advances. And imagine if the world remains in a perpetual Cold War. No global war occurs. We build up, build up, build up.
Imagine the power of the dormant War Machine, waking up one day to give a nudge to the world.
Boom.
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
Recommendations - Metal Gear Solid
Once in a while I'll write this short column on the things I recommend to you. Well, mostly they'll be stories or games. But anyways, today's edition is on Metal Gear Solid series.
To those who are non-gamers, MGS is a Playstation 1-2-3 (and dating back to old-gen consoles) game revolving around the concept of stealth and espionage. Most games (well, most from the Western developers anyways) deal with you being the hero and just rushing in ala Rambo and kill everyone you see. Well, this Japanese game instead introduces the concept of 'don't kill if you don't have to'.
Anyways, I won't bother with the technicalities of the game and such. What I find mostly fascinating is Kojima Sensei's ability to flesh out a story and portray it in a game as if it were a movie. The storyline is just brilliant. The whole series is actually about purpose, liberty and what you fight for, and your belief in what you fight for.
For example, The Boss - the strongest fighter in history (it's a she) - has always been loyal to the US government, carrying out Her missions with pride and honour. Suddenly, she turns rogue and joins a mad group during the Cold War era. With nuclear threats and hostages, our eminent Hero - Naked Snake (who would later on become Big Boss, the other antagonist in the series..or not) rushes in and saves the day, killing his beloved mentor and friend - The Boss.
What he doesn't know is that The Boss's defection was orchestrated by the US, and she willingly did it, to save her country (plot analysis, please read metal gear wikia or any guide our there). She was 'Loyal to the end'. Big Boss, who having realised this, was outraged by the world's treatment of soldiers - merely expendable assets. He would later on found Outer Heaven and control Zanzibar Land, with his one and only ideal - his mentor's ideal.
MGS thus also revolves around POVs, perceptions, loyalty, purpose, and the reasons why you fight for something. As I discussed previously, who's really evil and who's really good?
If you fight for something, and you believe in it, then fight it with pride.
To those who are non-gamers, MGS is a Playstation 1-2-3 (and dating back to old-gen consoles) game revolving around the concept of stealth and espionage. Most games (well, most from the Western developers anyways) deal with you being the hero and just rushing in ala Rambo and kill everyone you see. Well, this Japanese game instead introduces the concept of 'don't kill if you don't have to'.
Anyways, I won't bother with the technicalities of the game and such. What I find mostly fascinating is Kojima Sensei's ability to flesh out a story and portray it in a game as if it were a movie. The storyline is just brilliant. The whole series is actually about purpose, liberty and what you fight for, and your belief in what you fight for.
For example, The Boss - the strongest fighter in history (it's a she) - has always been loyal to the US government, carrying out Her missions with pride and honour. Suddenly, she turns rogue and joins a mad group during the Cold War era. With nuclear threats and hostages, our eminent Hero - Naked Snake (who would later on become Big Boss, the other antagonist in the series..or not) rushes in and saves the day, killing his beloved mentor and friend - The Boss.
What he doesn't know is that The Boss's defection was orchestrated by the US, and she willingly did it, to save her country (plot analysis, please read metal gear wikia or any guide our there). She was 'Loyal to the end'. Big Boss, who having realised this, was outraged by the world's treatment of soldiers - merely expendable assets. He would later on found Outer Heaven and control Zanzibar Land, with his one and only ideal - his mentor's ideal.
MGS thus also revolves around POVs, perceptions, loyalty, purpose, and the reasons why you fight for something. As I discussed previously, who's really evil and who's really good?
If you fight for something, and you believe in it, then fight it with pride.
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
I've seen crazy stuff
I've seen crazy stuff.
People dyin', people trying to die, people not wanting to die but succumb to it anyways.
People shootin' at each other, people killin' each other.
I've seen crazy stuff.
Craziest thing is, no one seems to give a **** about it.
Turn on TV, change channel to highway chase LIVE, change channel to CNN report on latest Baghdad bombing, change channel to 'Accidents caught on tape' Show.
Woah...
Did you see that! Did u see that! Quick, Tivo it!
OH man that was awesome, the way that guy just blew up.
Eww...look at that old man...3 arms!?!?!
I've seen crazy stuff.
Craziest thing is, everyone thinks it's entertainment. Eye candy pleasure. More fun. More excitement. More amazement.
U seen any lately?
People dyin', people trying to die, people not wanting to die but succumb to it anyways.
People shootin' at each other, people killin' each other.
I've seen crazy stuff.
Craziest thing is, no one seems to give a **** about it.
Turn on TV, change channel to highway chase LIVE, change channel to CNN report on latest Baghdad bombing, change channel to 'Accidents caught on tape' Show.
Woah...
Did you see that! Did u see that! Quick, Tivo it!
OH man that was awesome, the way that guy just blew up.
Eww...look at that old man...3 arms!?!?!
I've seen crazy stuff.
Craziest thing is, everyone thinks it's entertainment. Eye candy pleasure. More fun. More excitement. More amazement.
U seen any lately?
Monday, July 14, 2008
POV
You see a man with a gun, taking hostage a shopping mall. He demands $100,000 in 2 hours. Police storms in, takes down the guy. 5 dead bodies lying near 'em. Next day, media blasts the incident.
'Terrorist act'
'Psychopathic killer'
Hey, how bout this instead?
............................................'A true tragedy'................................................
You see, he actually had a baby sister, and she was dying. The only way she could be saved, was for her to go through an operation. Her brother's only intention was for her to live. He didn't know things would escalate to a hostage situation. He didn't know he'd hold a gun and kill 5 innocent people. He didn't plan on going this crazy.
This won't apply to every rampage or act of terrorism or act of vengeance or whatsoever there is in this world, but just hear me on this.
Our points of views matter. They determine our perception of life and of others. The media says A, you believe in A. A man says a country has nuclear power, and you believe in him. A man kills people, and you label him terrorist. Mad scientist. Evil emperor.
Hey, stop right there. Before we (yes we, I'm not that perfect either) etch in our minds these percetions, why don't we take a step back and look at the big picture. Then look at the small picture: these people's lives, what happened to them, the situations that provoked or led or forced them to commit these acts.
What we deem as evil deeds may, to the acting person, be good deeds. Deeds for his family. Deeds for his life. The other way applies. The other person then may see our reactions to be evil deeds.
The basis of Cold War.
Of course, terrorists are terrorists. Serial killers are serial killers. But don't overgeneralise. Don't stick up those racist signboards. There are those whom are innocent. Take children in the Middle East as an example. Did they plan on growing up to be suicide bombers? No...their captors wanted them to. Did they believe America was Satan, that the fight against the wretched of the world is good? No...their captors wanted them to. They were born into this mess. So now you still call them terrorists?
Let's take a step back and really look at who's the real evil. And rather than saying 'I hate you all', instead, know who's really at fault, and have the mindset of wanting to save the person who's 'supposedly' at fault.
Someone has to break the vicious cycle of action and reaction, of mindsets and perceptions. It's a staring game.
So let's be the first to smile.
'Terrorist act'
'Psychopathic killer'
Hey, how bout this instead?
............................................'A true tragedy'................................................
You see, he actually had a baby sister, and she was dying. The only way she could be saved, was for her to go through an operation. Her brother's only intention was for her to live. He didn't know things would escalate to a hostage situation. He didn't know he'd hold a gun and kill 5 innocent people. He didn't plan on going this crazy.
This won't apply to every rampage or act of terrorism or act of vengeance or whatsoever there is in this world, but just hear me on this.
Our points of views matter. They determine our perception of life and of others. The media says A, you believe in A. A man says a country has nuclear power, and you believe in him. A man kills people, and you label him terrorist. Mad scientist. Evil emperor.
Hey, stop right there. Before we (yes we, I'm not that perfect either) etch in our minds these percetions, why don't we take a step back and look at the big picture. Then look at the small picture: these people's lives, what happened to them, the situations that provoked or led or forced them to commit these acts.
What we deem as evil deeds may, to the acting person, be good deeds. Deeds for his family. Deeds for his life. The other way applies. The other person then may see our reactions to be evil deeds.
The basis of Cold War.
Of course, terrorists are terrorists. Serial killers are serial killers. But don't overgeneralise. Don't stick up those racist signboards. There are those whom are innocent. Take children in the Middle East as an example. Did they plan on growing up to be suicide bombers? No...their captors wanted them to. Did they believe America was Satan, that the fight against the wretched of the world is good? No...their captors wanted them to. They were born into this mess. So now you still call them terrorists?
Let's take a step back and really look at who's the real evil. And rather than saying 'I hate you all', instead, know who's really at fault, and have the mindset of wanting to save the person who's 'supposedly' at fault.
Someone has to break the vicious cycle of action and reaction, of mindsets and perceptions. It's a staring game.
So let's be the first to smile.
Final Fantasy XIII
/facepalm
Yes, at E3, it was announced that not only would FFXIII be released on 360 as well but...get this...yes...get this...
Both versions will pop out on the same day.
Sigh....finally Square Enix is giving in to the realities of today's world. PS3 isn't really the king anymore. Well, in Japan it is, but not overseas, not in USA (where they said they wanted to break into).
Nvm though, my loyalties to the end. Playstation 3 shall rise above the other 7th Generations in year/s to come.
In the meantime, enjoy MGS4.
Yes, at E3, it was announced that not only would FFXIII be released on 360 as well but...get this...yes...get this...
Both versions will pop out on the same day.
Sigh....finally Square Enix is giving in to the realities of today's world. PS3 isn't really the king anymore. Well, in Japan it is, but not overseas, not in USA (where they said they wanted to break into).
Nvm though, my loyalties to the end. Playstation 3 shall rise above the other 7th Generations in year/s to come.
In the meantime, enjoy MGS4.
CBR, NAR, and all things unknown
CBR. Well that's part of the title of this humble page. The first letter...
C
Crimson. Rage. Passion. Spirit. Endeavour.
This is not an abbreviation.
This is a resolution.
This is CBR.
NAR it is.
C
Crimson. Rage. Passion. Spirit. Endeavour.
This is not an abbreviation.
This is a resolution.
This is CBR.
NAR it is.
Live big or survive long
Be a businessman already!
No no an accountant's the best.
Nah man...be a teacher or something.
You heard 'em countless times. Be something so long as it allows you to have a steady income, a steady job, a steady health, a steady life.
Problem is, it's TOO STEADY.
Since when is life all about surviving? Do we eat to live or live to eat?
Go be somebody that you want to be, not the guy in that $3000 suit, unless of course that's who you want to be. Cause who you want to be, determines the course of action that you will take, and that determines your human self.
Your persona.
Your core beliefs.
Live BIG.
No no an accountant's the best.
Nah man...be a teacher or something.
You heard 'em countless times. Be something so long as it allows you to have a steady income, a steady job, a steady health, a steady life.
Problem is, it's TOO STEADY.
Since when is life all about surviving? Do we eat to live or live to eat?
Go be somebody that you want to be, not the guy in that $3000 suit, unless of course that's who you want to be. Cause who you want to be, determines the course of action that you will take, and that determines your human self.
Your persona.
Your core beliefs.
Live BIG.
What if...
I remember back in the good ol' days of primary school in Singapore, there was this talk in the hall (a not too shabby hall I might add) held by a big fat guy (let's call him BFG). Well, BFG showed us how to write a story. He began by saying this:
"What if?"
What if the universe is but a miniscule member of a larger, grander multiverse?
What if a spider bites you and you are able to shoot spider webs (and shoot them up in the sky at who knows what)?
I guess that was my very first foray into the world of storywriting, or as I like to call it - Granding. You know, as in...making grand things.
PS. I call for the word to be an official word by 2012!
And I bet you, reader, feel the same way too. 'What if?' is a really compelling question. It beckons the unknown. It searches for the curiosity within us. It acknowledges who we are: that we are seekers of truths, of something out there. And of what we are:
A speck of dust.
In our quest of granding, be it in business, in art, or in filmmaking, or...
Well whatever it is we are gonna do in our lives...
Just remember that simple yet potent question.
What if I don't succeed?
But what if I do?
The next step is to then ask ourselves, 'How?'
Break that shell of ours.
Games are not Art
HMMMMMMM....
Coming from the person who's virtually the Gaming Industry Guru, Master, Virtuoso ( or whatever title those people that make dictionaries decide to add onto the list)...it's strange to hear that games are not art.
Kojima-Sensei, I do agree with you in one aspect: that which relates to many, is not art. Art is at its very core, a relationship between a person and the object that he or she is interacting with. 100 people pass by a painting, and if 1 person stops and gazes at it, that's art right there.
Well...I also do think that such a special and unique relationship can't just be the definition of art.
Video games are art.
OR, the style of interaction between gamer and game is art.
It's that articstic brilliance of being able to lure the gamer to play for hours on a game, only to be hit by a huge plot twist, that makes video games not just a medium of entertainment but a pure living art.
Well yes...video games have to reach out to the masses. But that can't hinder the experience of each individual gamer to not be called art. And that's something that I want to achieve too:
Creating a story that reaches out, yet keeping itself pure just for that one person...you.
Whatever your views may be Kojima-Sensei, you sure are doing one brilliant job.
Create art.
Coming from the person who's virtually the Gaming Industry Guru, Master, Virtuoso ( or whatever title those people that make dictionaries decide to add onto the list)...it's strange to hear that games are not art.
Kojima-Sensei, I do agree with you in one aspect: that which relates to many, is not art. Art is at its very core, a relationship between a person and the object that he or she is interacting with. 100 people pass by a painting, and if 1 person stops and gazes at it, that's art right there.
Well...I also do think that such a special and unique relationship can't just be the definition of art.
Video games are art.
OR, the style of interaction between gamer and game is art.
It's that articstic brilliance of being able to lure the gamer to play for hours on a game, only to be hit by a huge plot twist, that makes video games not just a medium of entertainment but a pure living art.
Well yes...video games have to reach out to the masses. But that can't hinder the experience of each individual gamer to not be called art. And that's something that I want to achieve too:
Creating a story that reaches out, yet keeping itself pure just for that one person...you.
Whatever your views may be Kojima-Sensei, you sure are doing one brilliant job.
Create art.
New Age Beginning
Ah yes...here lies the beginning of a new story. After 1 or 2 years of inactivity, here I am back!
For starters, what does K3 or even CBR mean?
For starters, what does K3 or even CBR mean?
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