Essays, Not Rants! 351: Exploring Worlds I have a complex relationship with open-world games. On the one hand, it’s real neat to get to go explore a big world and do stuff. On the other, I really like the more catered, narrative experience offered by more linear games. On the other other hand, open-worlds are kinda the genre du jour for single-player video games, so I’m gonna end up playing them no matter what. But first, a definition of open-world games. The idea here is that rather than h
Essays, Not Rants! 255: Experiencing Life I really really liked 2013’s Tomb Raider. I wasn’t much of a Tomb Raider fan prior; Lara tended to be a little too sexualized for my tastes. Too much like if Indiana Jones had T&A than, well, an adventure story. The reboot, though, was more interested in Lara as a character than her figure. Plus, y’know, I’m a sucker for survivalist story on an island with crazy fanatics. Gameplay was a lotta fun too. So yeah, I really liked the game. Hence my di
Now kindly unclaw yourself from my cork and let me at my Inspiration Juice*. Filed under: Creative Uses for Skull Spiders *TMD's Creatively Named Blog does not support the unwarranted use of Inspiration Juice for paper-writing as it is a delicate practice and takes a great deal of skill to arrive at the optimum level of Inspiration.
Essays, Not Rants! 226: Excuse Me As I Geek Out About Rogue One A new teaser of sorts for Rogue One dropped and it’s the sort of behind-the-scenes sizzle reel that I go nuts for. You’ve got folks on sets, folks in costumes, folks with prop guns; all that good stuff. ‘cuz when you combine Star Wars with moviemaking stuff, you’re really going right up my alley. It also helps that I’m incredibly psyched for Rogue One. Right off the bat, there’s the obvious thing that I love the cast’s diversi
Essays, Not Rants 026: Everyone’s Story If you meet me in person, chances are at some point I’ll ask you what’s your story. Who you are. What brought you from wherever you’re from to where you are what now. Because whatever the reason, it’s your story and tells a good amount about you. So naturally, when I watch/play/read something, I’m looking for a character’s story. What made them who they are? Sometimes, you don’t need a particularly deep story (Dr Horrible wants to be inducted into the
Starting Monday I'll be starting work at the Just Salad on 8th St. I think they sell salad. On the one hand, this might mean so long to bunches of free time and stuff that that entails (like Daily Show trips, long late night conversations, too many video games, Cookies and Coloring Club). But then this means money. Which means I can buy stuff. Like the Iron Man 3 sets, ME3 DLC, a black tie, alcohol, movie tickets, gloves, and so on. Heck, I may be able to eat out now and then. But yeah.
My brother's a big fan so I asked her to hold up my notebook so I could send it to him. Which I did. I also saw Andrew Garfield, Daniel Mindel, and Marc Webb. Film sets are cool, man. Anyway. I need to go edit my film now. The one that I shot in Grand Central and stuff.
Essays, Not Rants! 262: Emerging Exploration Mass Effect: Andromeda is a magnificently glitchy game. I have seen a crewmate go through osmosis while talking to him, I've fought an alien dinosaur that suddenly stopped moving its body (but still glided along the jungle floor and attacked me), and, through cunning manipulation of my space-car's six wheel drive and boost functions, have successfully driven up a vertical cliff face (though arguably that's a feature, not a bug). Of course, there are
It's been eleven years since I joined BZP. Woah. That's over a decade. I was in Peru, the day after Christmas — or was it late Christmas night? — looking for stuff on 2004 sets when I decided to go back to BZP and register. Actually, I registered Christmas night but decided I wanted a more contemporary username so, um, I registered again (this time not capitalizing what came after the Ta-, oops) on the 26th and now here I am. Did a lot those first couple years. Made Metru-Nui Adventures
I mentioned in my last entry that I've been running a Star Wars: Edge of The Empire RPG with some friends over the summer. Which is great, 'cuz I love tabletop and I've got a good group. So I'm gonna be rambling about those games on here. Let's start with the players; the crew of the Flying Flask. Character creation was a lot of fun back in June. First up, we have Tengen'benwen'henfen, a Chiss Pilot/Commando who, uh, pilots the Flying Flask. Ten's ex-Imperial too and, as such, has an anti-es
Essays, Not Rants! 053: Earn Your Ending Did you see Warm Bodies? Because you really should. It’s a great movie (and has zombies). And I mean a really great movie. We’re talking that sucker gets added to my BluRay collection the day it comes out. Of course, the comparisons to Zombieland are inevitable and rightly so: both have the same ‘genre’ and tone: zombie films with a level of comedy and romance. It’s their themes, however, that set them apart. Warm Bodies is overflowing with heart. Se
A movie I really wanted to see came out. Sadly, it wasn't showing in Florence. naturally, I figured I'd make the hundred mile trip to see it in Charlotte. Totally worth it. I really liked Blue Like Jazz. If/when I start making movies, and if I ever make a film that can remotely be titled 'Christiany', I intend it to be in the vein of that movie. That is it was a film about faith that focused more on characters and the plot then sermonizing. And it was funny. Real funny. And had a lot of heart.
I got a bar! As in, a bar to shoot in. An affordable one. Also, Mr. Robot was just shooting there recently. Go figure. Also got a diner. And it's the diner I go to almost weekly. Woo! And a stunt coordinator has signed on. He's worked on Daredevil, Jessica Jones, Zombieland, and a buttload of other stuff. Paperwork is almost done. Woo! Also totally cast. And I have a Facebook page. Which you should like.
Essays, Not Rants! 009: Doth Mother Know You Weareth Her Drapes? Yes, another entry about The Avengers. I’m fully aware it came out two weeks ago and I should probably stop going to watch it every so often, but, well, no. The movie is, simply put, great. It sets a new standard for comic book/superhero movies and, more than that, proves that a movie of this nature can be of the same caliber and quality of those dainty arthouse dramas. ‘cause yes, the script is exceptional, acting top notch, and
Essays, Not Rants! 235: Do Spoilers Spoil? Darth Vader has Luke Skywalker on the ropes, cornered, defenseless, and missing a hand. But rather than killing the Rebel, Vader offers for Luke to join him. Luke refuses. Undeterred, Vader throws doubt on those Luke trusts and utters one of the most famous lines in cinema: “No, I am your father.” It’s shattering, throwing everything Luke knows into disarray. But Luke doesn’t join Vader, choosing instead to cast himself into the abyss below. Als
Essays, Not Rants! 198: Diversity: It’s That Easy! Claire Temple, played by Rosario Dawson, shows up in the last episode of Jessica Jones, providing a quiet link between that show and Daredevil. She tends to a wounded Luke Cage, because it takes a special kind of doctor to treat an (incredibly hot) man with unbreakable skin. Malcolm, Jessica’s neighbor, shows up too and the three share a scene. And suddenly there are more (important) people of color interacting on screen than in any other M
Essays, Not Rants! 295: Diversity in Middle-earth The Lord of The Rings is at once both one of my favorite books and one of my favorite film trilogies. And I don't really feel the need to write another sentence justifying that. In any case, I reacted with some consternation upon finding out the Amazon was, having attained the rights to Tolkien’s world, developing a new series set in Middle-earth. On the one hand, we get to return to that world. On the other, it's hard to top Peter Jackson’s
Essays, Not Rants! 206: Differently Normal I’m currently in the middle of my second game of Subterfuge, a wonderful mobile strategy game rife with cunning, manipulation, and, er, subterfuge. Within the game our Specialists, special hires which essentially let you bend the rules of the game. While most everything in the game is depicted abstractly, the Specialists are all given little portraits. And here’s where the game’s art design shines: LOOK AT THAT DIVERSITY! For a wonderful change, ‘whit
Essays, Not Rants! 070: Dialogue in Fight Choreography Did you see Man of Tai Chi? Don’t bother; the acting’s questionable, plot is tenuous at best, and the dialogue is stilted. And that’s just the surface. The one thing that makes the movie remotely remarkable is its choreography: more so than in many other movies, the fight scenes seem to convey not only the growth of the protagonist but a sort of dialogue between the characters as well. Let me explain (and I will spoil everything because
So my RPG group (Well, Sasha/Leesi) wanna do a prison break. So tomorrow we're doing a prison break. And I'm working on the adventure now 'cuz I've had a busy week. First things first, they gotta get in prison. So during a brief stint on Cato Nemodia, they'll be given a parking ticket. Knowing the group this should spiral nicely out of control. Now I'm working on a prison. I figure I gotta find weak points for them to exploit, but really, these guys are creative. I think I'll throw in a guy
