Crysis WARHEAD

The sequel to the Game of the Year 2007 and the (in my opinion) best FPS to date.  For me, this sequel just...appeared without warning, and I was surprised at how quite the debut day was.  And then, there was the pricetag.  I put 5 bucks down to reserve it and the total came out to $30, which is, to say the least, underpriced for a game of this "caliber".  Delighted, I was.

100% Intstalled, as of now.  I'll post later with gameplay pix, and reviews on how I percieve it to be, to see if it lives up to it's predecessor.

...Instinct.

As the cliche goes, "go with your first instinct", I believe I may finally go with it this time.  All my life I've had so many instances where I regretted neglecting my first instinct.

My instinct and mind are independent things.

There are two instances with countereffects between Fruition and Failure:

Instinct>>>>Complementary Action = Fruition

Instinct>>>>Thought Process>>>>Delay/Doubt>>>>No Action/Clouded Reaction = Possible Failure

It's simple to look and see on paper that the first option is generally the best, but when faced with real-life situations, applying this concept becomes more difficult than one would think.

Out on a limb, with faith, and God guiding me; that is where He wants me.  Full trust.  And I believe, that first instinct comes from God, and all that follow are from your clouded consciousness.

Throwback.

http://xfphotography.blogspot.com/

go there. now.

But before you do, chill for a while and allow me to entertain you with some of my fun films from college.  they're all basically PG, with the exception of one brief PG-13 scene in "Unkut".

A New Beginning.

Well, I finally bought my first SLR. A Sony Alpha (a300k) and took some shots today(nite) and had some novice fun. :) Maybe I'll stick with it, maybe I'll go for the 14MP A350 or Canon's 450D XSi, cannot make that decision yet.

I bought the 300mm Sony lens while I was there, and got it for a steal. Also picked up the ultrafast Sandisk Extreme III 4GB CF card, heard it was the best, so I gave it a whirl.

This'll be fun to figure out. So, I took 101 pix tonite, messin' 'round with everything before I read the manual. :P

This could be a good thing. Hopefully, I can sell my prints.

I was quite pleased with the moon shots I can get now. :) Zoom is good.

Back to Skools..

Today, I start my 3rd semester a mi colegio. So, this should be "nice", considering it's thursday and i have no class till monday after today. wa-hoodles.

-sorry for not posting since, what, July?, I was...busy, lol-

In other news, this past Saturday, the big music event- Revelation Generation- happened...and I was there, along with my wonderful nueva familia.

Newsboys

Maximus.

Maximus

I had this "great" idea on my time off, and decided to do another "knock-off" photo. Well, I can't say my results are perfect, but they were satisfying. I had to custom-design the font, because there was no way I was paying 25 bucks just for the original font. So, I made my own. :]


I never saw the film Scarface, but that infamous front cover is something I couldn't forget.

Scarface

The Incredible Hulk

Edward Norton definitely seemed to pull it off better than the previous Hulk's Eric Bana, from the critically demolished Hulk of 2003. But, just like the last Hulk, this one left us hanging (by a moment) and it left me thinking, "Not again!"

Excellent cinematography, and the CG was better this time around. It was missing Jennifer Connelly, that's for sure, but overall, the film was composed quite well. With the same cameos including Stan Lee and Lou Ferrigno, plus at the end an added bonus, which you will find out.

By the way, there's no after-credits scene, I made sure.

Rated PG-13 for sequences of intense action violence, some frightening sci-fi images, and brief suggestive content

Got it on DVD.

7.2/10

Hancock

Hancock (7/02/08)

Hmm. Not the typical Will Smith movie, but it certainly has his full-effect true Smith character in it. I certainly enjoyed it though, even though the story seemed somewhat repetative, and it was slightly short running just over 1.5 hours.

It was certainly a great day off to see it though, with my buddy (Update: my woman as of July 17th) out here in Jersey. There are some great films out in theaters now.

Surprise, Charlize Theron!

She's all like SHAZAAM!

yeah, it upped my rating. ;)

Rated PG-13 for some intense sequences of sci-fi action and violence, and language

6.5/10

PreRelease Commentary 4

Leatherheads, starring George Clooney and Renee Zellweger kicks off as a classic comedy about the early forms of pro football. Mixed with the quick wittiness of Clooney and the equally sly Zellweger, Leatherheads boasts loads of laughter and eyebrow-raising talent.

George Clooney is the man. I mean, this guy has the sly-est talent and witty humor that carries on to every film he makes. And yes, Clooney directed this one, and even if you didn't know that, if you're familiar with Clooney, you'll know anyway. Like Clint Eastwood, who acted then directed as well, George has definitely hit the bullseye with this film. It's entirely enjoyable to watch and laugh with.

I screened this just tonite, after watching part of August and completely choosing this over it, since the movie was going nowhere. The only thing August had was Josh Hartnett, big deal. I've seen it before, where they make some story then stick one or two big timers in it to sell it, but if the story sucks, then it looks bad on the actors/actresses rep. Nope, everything stayed the same with Hartnett. All I can think of is Pearl Harbor. Nuff said.

Rated PG-13 for brief strong language.

7.9/10

Autography

Copyright, lol, by Ryan Maximus Corneliusen. 2008

The Happening

M. Night Shyamalan's mind just totally "jukes" mine whenever I watch a film of his.

The Happening, came out in theaters this past Friday (the 13th). I screened it just tonight, and for an 80min (91 total) film, it felt more like a 110min film because of the interest it sparked in me.

The film starts off with an especially disturbing/sparking event that instantly grabs your attention, Ten Hut!, and now you need to see the rest. It kept me on the edge of my seat, it reminded me of the film, The Core. It was easy to watch this with the slick Mark Whalberg as main role; he definitely took charge, but also displayed a softer sounding side as opposed to the "sharp" Shooter.

Basically, without revealing too much, people start acting weird, I mean really weird, and then do even weirder things, and all because of the "wind" that spreads across the northeast.....e.g. My area, PA, NJ, & NY. This is the second film in the past few days I've viewed that takes place in my tri-state area.

Rated R for violent & disturbing images.

very disturbing images.

7.2/10

PreRelease Commentary 3

Drillbit Taylor. A Sandlot-ish comedy with Owen Wilson where high school freshmen hire a homeless desperate bodyguard [Wilson] to protect them from a psychotic bully who is seemingly above the law.

Fresh after watching Be Kind Rewind, I was in the B-rated-movie-mode, so I was all warmed up for this one. It's surprising, and has it's relatable funny moments, with Wilson and his typical performance and devilish good looks. (he inherited my advice, I see ;)

There are definitely engaging parts in the film where you'll be gripping your seat, sensing the way it seems it used to be, having flashbacks being in that position. Beware. I never had a bully, except the whole school on my back, but no one that stood out entirely, but it did make me revisit my high school days. Didn't like that.

That uneasy feeling will come up alot in this movie...even if you watch it alone.

PG-13 for language, crude humor, and crude slanguage.

6.5/10

PreRelease Commentary 2

After Kung Fu Panda, I felt like watching something more towards my heart. And I viewed the already classic Be Kind Rewind with Jack Black, Mos Def, and Danny Glover.

I quickly found out that this film takes place in Passaic County in my homestate of New Jersey, so I was instantly pleased and interested in watching the rest of the film, now reinforced by my curiosity.

Although the film seems to have an odd "flavor" to it, the more you watch, the more you feel connected to it, and by the end, everything feels sealed and complete.

The film debuted in theaters on January 25th, 2008, at which time I spent watching Rambo instead. The DVD is due to release in a week or so....commercially.

7.2/10

PreRelease Commentary 1

So, I watched (screened) Kung Fu Panda tonight, and found it to be quite entertaining. It's funny, engaging, and vibrant. As I watched it, I thought, "Wow, sweet fight scenes"....and this is an animated kid flick. But, Dreamworks pulled it off, and managed to get some intense fight scenes revolving completely and fluently around the martial arts film scene in animated form.

Likened as a Matrix/Every-good-martial-arts-movie kind of film, Kung Fu Panda is well worth the ticket at the theater.

8.0/10

Ah, Much Better.

Alright, so after giving the battery a full 5-hour charge at work, I came home and hooked 'er up. It seems all I had to do was give the mag a little smack and the bb's load just fine. :) Man, this thing shoots fast and hard. (high RPM and FPS) I tested it, prone from the living room to the kitchen hitting suspicious lemons and quad-fold aluminum foil. I adjusted the rear sight's elevation so we are very accurate at 30ft.

Tomorrow, I'll take her outside for a field test (literally), and we'll see the distance on this thing

350-380 FPS

1000RPM

Maybe after tomorrow, I'll decide what type of scope to put on it (red dot or rifle) and bipod, and then some upgrades (M120 spring + hi-output NiMh batt)

We'll see.

My first AEG is turning out to satisfy quite nicely. :)

[can't wait to get into a game]

G&G M14 First Glance

So, I recieved my G&G M14 today. The box was long, and decent weight. I opened it, to find a beautiful black M14 with nice trademarks engraved in the metal reciever. The first thing I noticed, though, was the plastic part (barrel cover)...which, to say the least, disappointed me.

The weight, and loads of metal parts outweighed that problem. It honestly feels incredible to lock and load this thing.

It barely, but perfectly, fits into my 48" rifle bag.
All metal hi-cap mag.

Hmm, i gave it a quick charge to figure it out and get it working, but I couldn't seem to get the bb's to load....

Darth Nader for Prez.

This election is a load of crap. I've never seen or heard of worse. It really makes history.

First African American & woman battling it out.

Never will you find me voting for O(s)bama or that friggin' woman who got totally owned a decade ago... No, sir, I don't like this kinda crap.

Nader actually has a chance this time.

And I know who will win, but this is total crap and I'd actually like to see Nader win, and see what he does, since he's been running forever and should have a heckofa lot of ideas by now.

Just accept the fact that Norris always wins in the end, so just stop resisting and succumb to the undeniable power of Chuck Norris.

The Revolution has begun

Yep, I finally got(ordered) my first primary airsoft gun.

A G&G M14.

Why M14? Because I like rifles; the Garand, M14, M21, M24, but I'm not too big on assault rifles....unless it's an M14.

The M14 is the perfect hybrid between a sniper rifle and an assault rifle.

Shooting 350-380FPS stock, so it's not too bad, but the point is that it has great internals and is able to be upgraded.

The features are as follows:

-G&G Full Metal Aluminum Receiver.

-G&G Zinc Full metal and fully upgradeable reinforced gearbox.

-Built in precision tight bore barrel for maximum accuracy. Superb accuracy.

-G&G Steel high power full metal gear sets. (Newest version)

-Fully tuned up and upgraded internal.

-Uses all G&G / Classic Army compatible M14 series magazine and drum magazine.

-G&G 25000 rpm High torque G&G ultra power motor.

-G&G Metal Bushing

-G&G High seal full metal hopup chamber.

-G&G Nylon/Fiber Reinforced Piston.

This thing spits bb's out at a ridiculous 1,000RPM!

This'll be my project when I'm not at work.

One thing at a time, next week I'll prob pick up a scope and mid-cap mag.

Until next time..

Flame On!

Man, Far Cry 2 is gonna be so tight. It takes place in Africa, the safari part, and I see this image...and all I can think is, "You drop a match in Africa, and now we know what caused global warming....and I see a flamethrower, what now?"

This Fall, things are gonna burn.

In other news:

I just got the new Iron Man game, for kicks, and the small (2.3gb) filesize.
So, if the installer can ever get past DirectX 9c installation, maybe we can see what this game is like. (it sucked completely, goodbye Iron Man.)

8 Tracks

It's time to get of the old 8 Track Player.
Stereo Recording! Radical!

MGS: Philanthropy Trailer 2

Metal Gear Solid - Philanthropy Trailer 2 from Hive Division on Vimeo.

MGS: Philanthropy Trailer One

Metal Gear Solid - Philanthropy Next Gen Trailer from Hive Division on Vimeo.

Airsoft Will Be Revived

Yes, tis true, I will make sure that by the end of the year...there will be some sort of airsoft organization/group out here on the East Coast. I just need to find some people around here that are enthusiastic enough to spend a little money to have a lot of fun. "How hard could it be?" Right.

Well, the next in the armory, for the end of this year will be this bad full metal Echo 1 M14 RIS shown below.

Features:

• Full metal frame, stock, receiver and barrel.
• 4 position collapsible stock with rubber butt pad and height adjustable cheek piece.
• Functional rotating bolt. This is strictly cosmetic but still fun to play with.
• Fully adjustable rear peep sight functions just like the real one.
• Removable front sight is also adjustable for windage.
• Metal RIS system with three 3.75 inch rails and one 10.75 inch rail.

Included with the rifle are two 300 rd high capacity magazines, tactical 3 point sling, custom 9.6v 1500mah NiCad battery pack and 300mah trickle charger.

Operation: Electric
Fire mode/s: Semi / Full Auto
Muzzle velocity: 315 fps w/ .2g
Effective range: 150 feet
Rate of fire: 950 RPM
Ammo type: High polished .2g - .25g
Hop Up: Adjustable
Weight: 12 lbs
Magazine capacity: 300 rds
Locking slide: No
Open ejection port: No
Length: 35.25 – 39 inches

I'm basically fanatical about it because it's full metal (12 pounds!) and pretty bad lookin' with a not so bad price tag. And, I keep hearing how Echo 1 is really giving the high end companies a run for their money, so I wanna try one out.

MGS Philanthropy

Metal Gear Solid - Philanthropy Prologue [ENG sub ITA] from Hive Division on Vimeo.

Tax Day

bla for taxes.

On another note:
Vegas 2 is great, and i'm about to beat it before it officially releases on PC. woohoo.
I'm going to review this game "The Club" and see how it is tonite and tomorrow, so we'll see how that goes. It may very well be a flop, but I won't know until I try it.

Heegar Deengir Dargin
Happy Leif Ericcson's Day.

Rainbow Six Vegas 2 PC early release

Yep, I got it nearly a week early. It plays great in HD and nice and smooth on my Machine at max specs. looks nice, and it utilizes the Xbox 360 controller for Windows. So, once i get it workin'...i'll have lotsa fun with that.

ah
dee
ose.

Blogging May Lead to Death

Posted on 07.04.2008 at 14:41 in Tech News by Martin from RLSLOG.net

It’s a real shame we couldn’t publish this article earlier - it would be an awesome April Fools’ prank together with a message about the end of the RLSLOG. Some of the blogging community are worried that blogging could be bad for your health. The constant need to publish new and exciting facts is putting stress on successful bloggers, and the recent deaths from heart attacks of three popular writers is causing something of a rethink in the industry. “I haven’t died yet,” Michael Arrington, founder and co-editor of TechCrunch, told The New York Times. “At some point, I’ll have a nervous breakdown and be admitted to hospital, or something else will happen. This is not sustainable.”

Arrington claimed that he has gained 30 pounds and developed a severe sleeping disorder over the past three years as a result of his job. Two other technology bloggers, Russell Shaw, 60, and Marc Orchant, 50, have died of heart failures. While blogging has not been directly linked to their deaths, the stress of churning out thousands of words a day may have been a factor. “There is no time ever, including when you’re sleeping, when you’re not worried about missing a story,” said Arrington. “Wouldn’t it be great if we said that no blogger or journalist could write a story between 8pm Pacific time and dawn? Then we could all take a break. But that’s never going to happen.” You don’t have to worry though, RLSLOG is going to continue in bringing you hot news about latest scene releases no matter what…

Drama Club

i just thought this was funny and relative to most of us.

Older movies that make you think..

Cast Away

(2000)

Cast Away (2000). I hadn't seen this film for a few years, but...after much anticipation and patience, I got it on HD and watched it today, and it was spectacular just like the first time I viewed it. I absolutely love this movie.

"After FedEx systems engineer Chuck Noland is ripped out of his hasty life by the clock in a plane crash, he finds himself alone on the shores of a tropical island. First, frustration gets to him and then he realizes how little his chances are to ever get back to civilisation. Four years later, Chuck has learned very well how to survive on his own: mending his dental health, catching fish with a spear, predicting the weather with a selfmade calendar. A photograph of his girlfriend Kelly has kept his hopes alive all these years. Finally, Chuck takes the opportunity to take off for home: He sets off on a wooden raft with a sail that has washed ashore." -IMDb

It currently rates at a 7.4/10 on IMDb from 68,283 votes.
But I put it at least an 8.6/10

720p HD 1280x720

----------------------------------------------------------

I, Robot

(2004)

Another excellent film. Sci-Fi Thriller. This is also another film I haven't seen for a while, so it felt pretty new to me when I watched it last nite. It looks excellent and crisp in high definition.

"It's 2035 A.D., where robots are everyday objects and are programmed to live alongside humans. Detective Del Spooner (Smith) is called out to investigate the apparent suicide of the scientist behind these robots, Dr. Alfred Lanning (Cromwell). Spooner suspects that the death might not be a suicide, but the result of one of the robots. All robots are programmed by three laws, but Spooner starts to wonder if a robot can in fact feel emotions, and possibly murder. But if Spooner's suspicions are true, he is going to have a hard time convincing everyone." -IMDb

IMDb rates it 7.0/10

I rate it 8.2 out of 10.

720p HD 1280x720

Far Cry 2, '07 & '08

Far Cry 2 Release Date Narrowed Down
-an article from softpedia.com by Andrei Dumitrescu (March 2008)

"And the teasing never stops. Some game publishers are really fine tunning the art of dropping a date here, a new feature there, a new character name over there, while only serving their deep desire to make gamers so excited about an upcoming game that they begin counting the days until release. And then, the hours. And then, the minutes. And then... I'm sure you know how it feels.

Ubisoft is one company that's getting dangerously close to perfecting the "make a gamer psychotic" routine. Their Far Cry 2 game, one of the most expected games of the year, was subject to numerous rumors that alluded to it being pushed to the spring of 2009. Only now, after the rumors made their way across the globe, has Ubisoft stepped in to announce that the company is "confident" that Far Cry 2 will ship in the Autumn of 2008, simultaneously on the PC, the Xbox 360 and the PlayStation 3.

The game is the direct successor to the first Far Cry game, which was developed by Crytek and published by Ubisoft. The two had a falling out over the next game and so Crytek parted ways and went on to make graphical wonder and system hog Crysis while Ubisoft created an internal studio to develop Far Cry 2.

The game takes place in Africa and offers the player a wide open world which he can explore to his liking. The graphics as seen so far are really breathtaking and trees seem to regrow foliage after it's been shot off. Also, the game will lack a story in its traditional sense. The only limitation to what you can do is your own morals and the way you approach the game.Ubisoft also said it planned on putting together a demo for the game, to encourage gamers to see for themselves if all the features are in place and the game really looks as good as advertised. There's no release date for the demo at the moment."

source:
http://news.softpedia.com/news/Far-Cry-2-Release-Date-Narrowed-Down-81807.shtml

--------------------------------------------------------------

Far Cry 2 Screens & Interview
Posted by Steve on Thursday, August 23rd, 2007 at 9:06 pm

"Coming out of the wealth of new gaming info from the 2007 Leipzeig Gaming Convention are new in-game screenshots from Far Cry 2, developed by Ubisoft Montreal.
I had my doubts about this game due to the Far Cry IP being pawned off by Crytek. Also supporting my doubt was knowledge of Ubisoft Montreal’s choice to design a completely new engine for Far Cry 2. The developer of Splinter Cell and Prince of Persia games tackling a wide open lush environment 3D shooter? That’s quite a jump in game complexity. But wait, there’s more. Ubi is also dumping the Far Cry storyline and characters. Yep, no more Jack Carver (RiP). Oh yeah, I almost forgot… no tropical island paradise either. Ubi wants to take us on safari instead. Bloody hell! What are they smoking?
It doesn’t take a rocket scientist’s broker to see that Ubisoft just wanted to buy the Far Cry IP for the name. I guess we’ve gotten to the point where originality is so hard to sell that we have to try to trick people into buying it? Marketing for the win… (/rant)

Regardless, the new screenshots available have somewhat negated most of my doubts. For now, Far Cry 2 doesn’t look to be a Crysis-killer; however, if these screens are any indication, I’d bet this game can hold its own in the graphics department. Ok, Ubi, you’ve got a good looking game. Now, the real question is can you make something other than just another pretty game? To back that up, CVG scored a pretty good interview with Far Cry 2’s producer and creative director. The interview covers most of the things I’ve already mentioned; however, there are some note-worthy Far Cry 2 features worth mentioning:

• African setting (safari baby!)
• new custom engine
• 50 sq/km open world
• 650 meter distance views
• new LivePosture animation system
• dynamic environments (destructable vegetation and reactive elements)
• dynamic weather system (time of day, rain, storm, procedural clouds)
• real fire propagation (every flammable element can burn)
• more than 30 weapons (with weapon wear)
• 14 vehicles with 40 variants (glider is back!)
• completely unscripted AI
• drama-management engine to drive a non-linear story (think GTA)
• joinable factions (think S.T.A.L.K.E.R.)
  more features coming…

Ok, now I’m even more interested. I must admit, Far Cry 2 is sporting some realistic looking fire there (which probably looks ten times better in motion). I can just see it now. Light up a cigarette. Toss it into some random straw house. Walk away and watch a whole village burn to the ground. Oooh, pretty fire. Oh how you glow with delight.

Ubi, if you can pull this off, the inner-pyro in me wants to say “You had me at burn”."

source:

http://news.filefront.com/new-far-cry-2-screens-interview/

-------------------------------------------
From Me

steve lotto

I am excited.

There are only few games I play anymore and only like once every 2 weeks, so I'm actually kinda proud of it, but when a game gets my eye like Far Cry 2 and Crysis, I can't really resist, especially when I have The Machine to play it on. I enjoy a beautiful game. A game that makes me think of how it must have been to create it. A game that is no longer just a game, but an experience. Something you can get lost in. Something worthy of an Academy Award.

• Halo 3
• Crysis
• Far Cry 2

Those are really the only ones that really struck a chord with me. (I'll also add in Call of Duty 4, but take out Halo 3 because it didn't quite do it for me besides the story.)

So, it's basically just Crysis. Hats off to it and the creators.

But, Halo 3 was an excellent story that had me anticipating it ever since I beat Halo 2 back "in the day". I loved hangin' with my bro Mark "the Sharkus" playin' H3 co-op thru the story for the first time.

As far as Crysis' storyline. It was hardcore and gripping, but the end.....oh my buttery goodness, the end. It wasn't the way to end a game. You might as well shoot me. I had honestly been anticipating this game for over a year by this point, and had even bought the X Faktor Machine to play it the way it should be played, put through all the crap with the Machine, the delays and such....and the game had a glitch where I could not get passed a certain level.....had to start over...and then at the end....it just ended. Abrupt, just like Halo 2. Now, I cannot begin to express how I felt at that moment. I had a relapse to my Halo 2 days. Fury.

All I know, is that if the developers don't want to be hunted down and shot, they better get working on the sequel real soon, or at least throw some believable rumors that it's coming.

When we'll know, nobody knows.

Japanese Film

3 flicks recently I viewed....

Kagemusha

"When a powerful warlord in medieval Japan dies, a poor thief recruited to impersonate him finds difficulty living up to his role and clashes with the spirit of the warlord during turbulent times in the kingdom." -IMDb

Kagemusha means "Shadow Warrior". This totally threw me off, since I watched this film assuming it had a ninja that flipped out on everyone. Nope. No ninja(s). No fun for anyone.

The 1980 film by acclaimed Japanese director, Akira Kurosawa, nearly put me to sleep. I have never wanted a refund for the 1.5 hours of my life spent viewing a film, until now. I quit after half of the film was over, I just couldn't take it anymore, especially since I had Sword of Doom ready to be watched. If you have nothing better to do but wash your dentures, and desire to hone your patience skills, then this movie is for you!

Apparently, IMDb gave it an 8.0 (7.9 after I voted, lol)....maybe they hung in there for the other half of the film.

According to IMDb, I gave it a 6/10, meaning, it's good & long enough to fall asleep to on a nice Saturday afternoon.

the Sword of Doom

"Ryunosuke is a sociopathic samurai without compassion or scruples. When he is scheduled for an exhibition match at his fencing school, the wife of his opponent begs Ryunosuke to throw the match, offering her own virtue in trade. Ryunosuke accepts her offer, but kills her husband in the match. Over time, Ryunosuke is pursued by the brother of the man he killed. The brother trains with the master fencer Shimada. In the meantime, however, Ryunosuke earns the enmity of the band of assassins he runs with, and it becomes a question of who shall face him in final conflict." -IMDb

The film was great. Plus, it stars Toshiro Mifune, who is friggin sweet, in my opinon.

8.0 on IMDb, and the same from me.

2hrs long.

Zatoichi (2003)

"Blind Zatoichi makes his living by gambling and giving massages. But behind his humble facade, Zatoichi is a master swordsman, gifted with lightning-fast draw and strokes of breathtaking precision. Zatoichi wanders into a town run by sinister gangs and a powerful samurai. He's destined for violent showdowns when he stumbles on two beautiful geishas avenging their parents' murder... Duels, wit and a touch of zen! Cult anti-hero Zatoichi is back in a sword-fighting adventure written, directed and starring Takeshi Kitano." -IMDb

I loved this film, and I have no idea why it scored lower than the previous mentioned films. (7.6/10) Maybe, because it is, in fact, only 5 years old....and for some reason, new films don't get the respect that they should until they get to be at least 30 years old. Sad day. Oh well, I enjoyed it, that's for sure.

Lots of CG blood. "The blood in the film has been described by many as being "too CGI". Kitano did this intentionally, wanting to "soften the shock to the audience" due to the high body count. Kitano told the CGI artist he wanted the blood to "look like flowers blossoming across the screen."'

Good film, watch it.

New Muze and Reruns

i busted out some of the 'ol 8-tracks

Our 10th ANNIVERSARY today! I love you Kyla!

Just got the new albums from Flame (Our World: Redeemed) and Pillar (For the Love of the Game). Very good albums, lots of deep bass with Flame.

Just watched Juno tonight. I had no idea what it was about going into it, but it wouldn't be a movie I'd buy or even consider renting. I only got it for my buddy, Cdub. I won't even post a review on it. just a rating: 5.4/10.

And that's it for now.

adios.

New Classic

The Air I Breathe 720p HD

"A drama based on an ancient Chinese proverb that breaks life down into four emotional cornerstones: happiness, pleasure, sorrow and love. A businessman (Whitaker) bets his life on a horse race; a gangster (Fraser) sees the future; a pop star (Gellar) falls prey to a crime boss (Garcia); a doctor (Bacon) must save the love of his life." (IMDb)

When I first started this movie last nite, I honestly felt like I was watching a Crash spinoff; All in all it reminded me so much of Crash, and it was an excellent film. I wouldn't recommend it to any friends of mine, due to it's graphic nature, but if you happen to stumble upon this film, you won't be dissappointed.

720p HD

I give it 4.5 out of 5. By the way, like always, it looks spectacular in HD.

IMDb gave it an 8.0/10.

----------------------------------------------

EQUILIBRIUM 720p HD

I saw an HD version of this low-budget film, which I haven't watched in a while, and I had to jump on it. Equilibrium takes place in a future where emotion has been eradicated by a drug, administered from the corrupt government. Rebel groups who possess "emotional content", ranging from art to music, are eradicated as well. Until, a cleric inside the killing force slips up on his drug and slowly sways toward his emotions and against the corruption.

Christian Bale (Batman Begins) stars along side Taye Diggs in this high-action/low-budget flick from 2002. In fact, the film budget was so low, that the narrating voice in the intro is actually the director, Kurt Wimmer. Although, it was nominated the American Choreography Award for Outstanding Achievement in Fight Choreography...and the PFCS Award for Overlooked Film of the Year.

I gave it a 4.0 out of 5 just because I love the action choreography, but from a film critic point of view, I'd have to give it a 3.6.

I have it in 720p HD

IMDb gave it a 7.8/10.

Mandarin

And I'm not talkin' about the oranges.

House Of Flying Daggers

Another excellent "Dynasty" film.

Transporter 2 -720p HD

The movie needed less CG reliance, but looked spectacular on HD.

In other news:

-I'm workin' on Hero 720p and The Air I Breathe 720p...woot woot.

-Happy Friggin' St. Patty's Day!

-Great day to cut relations...lemme tell ya.

Babaganoosh!

Just got the ridiculously awesome TV series Most Extreme Elimination Challenge....seasons 1-4!

boo-friggin-ya!
-MXC

The Roundup.

The Boondock Saints

"Fraternal twins set out to rid Boston of the evil men operating there while being tracked down by an FBI agent." (IMDb)

What an awesomely hilariously violently vulgar film! The only thing I kept hearing before watching this film was "Don't take it too seriously, just watch it and enjoy." And I did just that, and loved it.

I have a standard defnition version.

I gave it a 6.2 out of 5, lol.

IMDb gave it a 7.8/10

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1408

"A man who specializes in debunking paranormal occurrences checks into the fabled room 1408 in the Dolphin Hotel. Soon after settling in, he confronts genuine terror." (IMDb)

More people liked it than I did, but this film really went crazy after the first 30 minutes, I was about to go psycho. HD really brings out the insanity of it, have fun.

John Cusack

Samuel L. Jackson

I have it in 720p HD.

I gave it a 4 out of 5

IMDb gave it 7.0/10

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I Am Legend

"Years after a plague kills most of humanity and transforms the rest into monsters, the sole survivor in New York City struggles valiantly to find a cure." (IMDb)

This movie friggin' rocks in HD. The outline above couldn't say it better, so I'll leave it at that, and if you haven't seen it, try to watch it in HD first!

The only things I didn't like were the fact that the CG were too obvious and multiple and the theatrical ending didn't do the upcoming sequel any justice...yes, you heard correct, a sequel is on its way...but in order to understand that, you must watch the Alternate Ending! Don't miss it!

Will Smith owns the scene.

I have it in 720p HD.

I gave it a 4.7 out of 5.

IMDb gave it a 7.2/10

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Kill Bill Volume 2

"The murderous Bride continues her vengeance quest against her ex-boss, Bill, and his two remaining associates; his younger brother Budd, and Bill's latest flame Elle." (IMDb)

Awesome choreography, gorgeous gore, a climactic score, and ridiculous cinematography. A great sequel to an awesome film.

Uma lights up the scene once again on her rampage path to "kill Bill" in this final volume of Quentin Tarantino's Japanese-inspired film.

I have it in standard definition.

I gave it a 4.7 out of 5.

IMDb gave it an 8.1/10

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And others not worthy of a review:

-Boarding Gate
-Tom & Jerry Collection Part 1

Four Years of Spying on Americans

FBI admits to breaking own spying rules
Posted on 09.03.2008 at 14:04 in Tech News by Martin from RSLOG.net

The FBI has admitted that it repeatedly broke its own rules in spying on internet communications. FBI director Robert Mueller said that for the fourth straight year his agency collected information on people’s emails and web activity which was beyond its legal remit. However, Mueller claimed that this was partly the fault of telecoms companies which had provided the FBI with “too much information”. “We are committed to ensuring that we not only get this right, but maintain the vital trust of the American people,” he said.

The problems stemmed from the FBI’s use of information request letters which was made much simpler after the passage of the Patriot Act. “Everybody wants to stop terrorists. But Americans believe in our privacy rights and we want those protected,” said Senate Judiciary chairman Patrick Leahy. “There has to be a better chain of command for this. You cannot just have an FBI agent who decides he’d like to obtain Americans’ records, bank records or anything else and do it just because they want to.” Leahy added that the FBI had now reformed its practices since March 2007 and would stay within the law.

Ninja Gaiden

ninja fun

G.O.W.

I just got Gears of War for the Machine, and it is friggin' sick. High definition, 5.1 Surround and max specs, on my 22in screen, it looks friggin' awesome and runs a steady 30FPS. I get to use y wireless Xbox 360 controller with it, now that's tight!

I'm tired of breaking hearts, by the way.

Speaking of hearts, I wanna play cards.

Perfect Conclusion.

Some more memories I won't ever forget last nite. I watched Terminator 2 (bought for $5.50 @Wal-Mart) tonite, haven't seen it in years, darn good movie. The night before, I had a buddy over and we watched Letters From Iwo Jima.

Off to some good Chinese food tomorrow(day). Also, I these Bokken (practice katanas) came by UPS. Boo-friggin'-ya! (also got the Rambo R5) :) Darn fine week it's been... I got done with work early tonite. hehee, ;) So, I had time to play.

Did some research on firearms today. And I have concluded that by the end of the year I want to own a Smith & Wesson SW40SF Sigma pistol ($300). And overall, sometime in my life, I wish to own a S&W 1911 (SW1911) [Seen below]. Beautiful guns they are. Prices range from 700 - 1000 dollars. Not cheap...but then again, this is a "in my life" wish.

I Week To Remember.

I won't ever forget this week in my life. Those of you who know me, talk to me, I might give you a clue as to what's been goin' down. hehee

Aye.

Well, my best and most favorite girl on the East Coast, Erin, got engaged a couple nights ago. Well, it looks like I don't have to worry about her being taken care of anymore. I'm gonna miss her...well, I miss her already.

IN OTHER NEWS:

-My replacement 360 went berzerk and RROD'ed this morning after glitching again in RS Vegas. But, it's back on now....for now, anyway. Friggin' Microsoft.

-Toshiba has finally pulled out of the HD war. HD-DVD has officially lost the war to Blu-Ray. Toshiba has discontinued the production of any new development in the HD-DVD player line. Good. Sony wins...as usual.

I need help.

Help fending off women....like maybe a bod-guard, or a crowbar.