Why Critics Don't Make Movies
“In many ways, the work of a critic is easy. We risk very little yet enjoy a position over those who offer up their work and their selves to our judgment. We thrive on negative criticism, which is fun to write and to read. But the bitter truth we critics must face is that, in the grand scheme of things, the average piece of junk is more meaningful than our criticism designating it so. But there are times when a critic truly risks something, and that is in the discovery and defense of the new.
Last night, I experienced something new, an extraordinary meal from a singularly unexpected source. To say that both the meal and its maker have challenged my preconceptions is a gross understatement. They have rocked me to my core. In the past, I have made no secret of my disdain for Chef Gusteau’s famous motto: Anyone can cook. But I realize that only now do I truly understand what he meant. Not everyone can become a great artist, but a great artist can come from anywhere. It is difficult to imagine more humble origins than those of the genius now cooking at Gusteau’s, who is, in this critic’s opinion, nothing less than the finest chef in France. I will be returning to Gusteau’s soon, hungry for more.”
- Anton Ego, Ratatouille
I tried and tried to come up with exactly what I wanted to say here, but I think that this quote from Brad Bird’s masterpiece more than tells the tale.
Critics are often able to be harsh on their judgements. They don’t have to risk hardly anything, because they can say their piece, and are lauded as brilliant, when in fact they usually don’t have to do much. Now, even in saying this, I know I’m largely being hypocritical, because I review and critique things all the time.
But I feel that, especially when it comes to film critics, they largely base their own critiques on just their own opinions, as opposed to the quality of a film. A critique should be based on fact, not opinion.
“Now wait a minute, Kyle,” you say. “Critiques are opinions.” That’s not entirely true, or at least, it shouldn’t be.
Any film can be analyzed through the use of techniques that aren’t necessarily based on opinions. Every story, be it about a single mother, the rogue hero, or two young lovers, or an older man finding his way home – they all have certain things that qualify them as full, complete, and usable stories.
I once took a class on text analysis, with this specific goal mind – the analyzation of scripts and text. This class helped me immensely, because instead of simply saying that “I didn’t like” a movie, I could finally tell you why the movie didn’t “work” or even why it did.
My personal belief is that critics don’t make movies because they wouldn’t know how if they tried. There may be exceptions, but I would bet money that the average critic couldn’t tell you anything about story analysis. But you don’t need to take my word for it. Read a gamut of reviews of a certain movie, and take note of how many things are all about opinions.
“The acting was dull,” they say, or “I just wasn’t convinced.” It’s always about opinion.
From now on, I’m going to do my best to avoid, or at least, identify the opinions in my reviews and critiques. Please, help me out. I’ll still provide my opinions on movies and ideas, but I’ll also try to support it with actual analysis. If it all works out, then the critiques will be more informative.
But then again, I guess that’s just my opinion.
- Kyle
Graphic Design Theory
You know, it’s so interesting to me how many people don’t have aesthetic sense. Now, I don’t like to be immodest, but I’m a pretty good graphic designer. (If you want to take a look at my work, I’ve put up some examples on a page on the right.)
In any case, it’s really surprising to me how many people don’t understand the basic theory of design. As a film student, they introduce a system of balance based on dividing the screen into nine parts, via the use of two horizontal lines and two vertical lines. (Kind of like a tic-tac-toe board.)
Just like a teeter-totter, a screen has to be balanced. If you have something on one side, then you have to have a balanced something on the other side. Otherwise, it creates a vacuum that makes the viewer uncomfortable. (Which actually can be used to great advantage sometimes, especially in thriller or horror films.)
In this same way, any picture, graphic, or illustration follows that same sense of balance. Or, at least they should. There is balance in the subject, in the colors. There has to be a way to make the entire piece “fit” together. If not, then you’ve done it wrong, and need to fix it.
The most interesting thing is, though, that many people don’t have that sense. Sure, they understand that there are things that need to be done, but they don’t seem to get how to make it so. They can look at something that say, “Yeah, that looks good,” but they don’t know how it got that way. And then, when they go to duplicate it themselves, they fail.
Just by example – When I’m driving down the road, I’ll often see the compact cars with custom graphics and stickers, colors and accessories. My own car is white, but I’ve put some simple black stickers on the side, (mostly surf and snowboarding companies), but the entire motif works, because it’s simple and the colors blend very well.
However, I’ve seen a number of cars with large, outlandish graphics that don’t fit at all, yet the driver is immensely proud of his work. Why is that? Do they just glory in mediocrity? Can they not see that that white flame job does not go at all with the ocher color of their little Dodge Neon™?
Oh well. At least I can still keep going. I know what I like, and I know what others like. And that, my friends, puts me ahead of the pack. I understand that graphic artistry is a commercial art form. And because of that, you have to develop projects with the audience in mind. And the way to figure out how to do it is practice, practice, practice…
- Kyle
Growing Up With The Magic Kingdom
Growing up, my family and I traditionally went to an amusement park every year. It was just something that we did, and that we still do, actually, whenever we get the chance. For that, though, we would head down to Southern California. I’ve been to Universal Studios™, Knott’s Berry Farm™, Six Flags: Magic Mountain™, and Sea World™, a number of times apiece. But the one place that we seemed to go the most was Disneyland™, in Anahiem.
Now, the Magic Kingdom has evolved and changed a lot from year to year. I’m of the audience that I remember staying late to watch the Main Street Electrical Parade; I remember the People Movers, The Hall of Presidents, and even Captain EO when Michael Jackson was still cool. And who coudl forget the Skyway that passed right through the Matterhorn? I can also remember when Toon Town first opened, and was actually brand new, and I was there when the Indiana Jones ride was first passing out the cool little cipher cards.
I also saw the changes. I remember when they moved the Tomorrowland rockets from the roof in the center down to the front of Tomorrowland. I remember when the Swiss Family Treehouse was updated into the Tarzan Treehouse. I remember the brief stint of the Rocket Rods, and then the introduction of Astro Blasters.
The thing is, though, is that there have been a lot of internal changes at Disneyland as well. When I was younger, it truly was a place of magic. From the monorail, to the Pirates of the Carribean, to the Haunted Mansion, to the interesting animatronics that engulfed everything, it all just held a sense of wonder. But it wasn’t just that. The people who were working there, from the ride operators to the monorail drivers, to the garbage collectors, and even the guys driving the shuttles to parking at the end of the night, all of them were smiling, happy people who realized that this was a place of personal magic, where everything would and should contribute to the experience of each and every person who walked through the gates.
On my last visit there, however, after a three-year sabattical, I had a slightly different experience. The place was crowded, but I sort of expected that. Disneyland’s fame has sort of out-grown it’s landscape. But what seemed to bother me was the role shift that many of the workers had experienced. Because there was just such a large volume of people, many of the workers had changed in their roles from “Cast Members” to “Crowd Control.” As night approached, they would be there, with their little light-sticks, waving us to go this way or that, and telling us to keep moving, without regard to the fact that some of us were actually there to enjoy the experience.
Just by example, we had a group of fourteen people that we were trying to keep together. I was walking along, when we were sort of “swept up” into the rope-tethered river of people that was being directed to go a certain direction. It was no use fighting the current, and since we were going that way anyways, we didn’t really worry about it.
But as we were going, our group became seperated, and I only had three others of our party with me. So, we found a wide path in front of the Frontierland gate and stopped to wait. Immediately we were surrounded by three workers with their little sticks, telling us that we couldn’t stop there. Now, there wasn’t anyone else around us. I specifically picked that spot because the path was wide and there wasn’t a lot of traffic.
We explained that we were waiting for the rest of our group, and that we would stand out of the way. He protested at first, saying that we were blocking traffic flow, but I just looked at him strangely, and indicated that we would stay to the side. I could see the frustration on this little worker’s face as he realized that his little glowstick wasn’t going to get me to move. So, what did he do? He turned around, and started manuvering the few stragglers in his line around us, as if we were some traffic hazard. Within two minutes, the rest of our group arrived, and we walked away.
It was a very different story at some of the food counters, who hadn’t forgotten that customer service is what counts. They had a smile on their face, so why not the others? I can understand that doing the same job every day can be a little boring, but working at an amusement park is a job in the entertainment industry. It’s a show.
Every time you work anywhere, you’re putting your skills on display. Sure, you might not be the best in your field, but you can certainly be the most cordial, and the most polite. You can smile, joke and laugh with the guests, and provide help to those who ask. Were I in the same situation as my young frustrated friend, I would have found a place where the group could stand where we wouldn’t have caused a problem. If that didn’t work, I would have kindly told them why I was treating them as a road hazard, or would have found a better solution altogether.
But to simply wave a little stick at me and tell me to move is not a good idea. All it does is make the guests feel like cattle, and treating people like cows is never a less-than-demeaning solution.
- Kyle
Dan In Real Life
I prefer to go into films without knowing very much about them. I helps me to judge them a little more fairly than if I had any “previous biases.”
With that in mind, I went and saw Dan in Real Life this past weekend with a friend of mine, with the only thing that I knew about it being Steve Carell’s role as the main character. I’ll tell you right now that I recommend this movie. It’s really one of the best films that I’ve seen in quite some time.
Carell plays Dan Burns, an advice columnist for a local paper, who is struggling as a single parent to raise his three daughters after the death of his wife four years ago. He and his family are on their way to the family reunion in Rhode Island, at a family cabin. It’s obvious that Dan a break from his daughters, and that his daughters need a small break for him, and so Dan’s mother (Dianne West) sends him out to get the newspapers.
At the local bookstore, Dan inadvertantly meets Marie (Juliette Binoche), and the two strike up a great conversation. It’s obvious that Dan is interested, and Marie as well, but the “date” suddenly ends as Marie gets a phone call wondering why she’s late. Dan is able to get her phone number, however, and elatedly tells about his little adventure as he arrives back at the cabin.
Dan is wordless, however, when his brother Mitch (Dane Cook) introduces his new girlfriend to everyone, and she just so happens to be Annie “Marie”, the same woman Dan had met at the bookstore! This sets the stage for some of the most interesting, hilarious, and heart-touching scenes ever filmed.
Carell is amazing. I’d seen him The Office, as well as Bruce Almighty, Anchorman, and even Evan Almighty, but I don’t think I ever fully realized his full acting scope. He has an earnest quality in him that you can just easily relate to. He’s stuck in a situation where the woman that he’s fallen for is with someone else, and that someone else just so happens to be his brother. He’s struggling to raise his daughters without a mother, all the while just striving to keep himself afloat. You just feel for him, and you want him to succeed, despite his own failings.
Binoche, as Marie, plays the part so well. She’s an easily likable character that you can easily see either of these brothers falling in love with. With the situations that they get into, its amazing how she can pull off not only the poise of a smart and sophisticated woman, but also the easy-going personality of a human being who can appreciate the absurdity of each situation. (Think about the “shower scene”, and you’ll know exactly what I’m talking about.)
I could go on and on about each of the characters, but the bottom line is, you have to see this movie. Your personality needs it, and your heart needs it. This is a film that will make you laugh, at least make you want to cry, and will help you to look at love in a whole new way. And who knows? Maybe you’ll know your soulmate’s identity in just three days.
- Kyle
Pandora Radio
For those of you who haven’t heard of this yet, it’s pretty awesome. An extension of the Music Genome Project©, Pandora Radio lives by the idea that every piece of music has a identifiable “type”, or a unique “style”. It would be best to describe it as a “Musical DNA.” Pandora radio takes songs and artists, and identifies their unique DNA, and then matches them with other music of a similar “strain.”
So what do you get? Say you want to listen to music like Mandy Moore’s, but you don’t know where to go. Hit Pandora, and create a Mandy Moore station, and bada-bing, you’ve got other songs lined up. Don’t think it matches? Vote it down, and the radio will skip it to the next one, and won’t play it again.
A friend of mine introduced me to it recently, and though I know it’s been around for some time, now, (almost 8 years), I just knew I had to pass it on. So get listening, and hit some of the best online radio on the web.
- Kyle
The Office
Last weekend, I was working on a project that took a lot of hand-work, but not a ton of head-work, and so I borrowed Seasons Two and Three of The Office from a buddy of mine. I’d seen a couple different episodes before, but my friend insisted that I watch them, and since I’m going to be working on a similar project soon, I kind of needed to “get into the mindset.” I’ll tell you right now that I haven’t laughed so hard in a really, really long time.
There’s plenty of other places where you could go to find out what the office is all about, but my personal opinion is that it is one of the most clever and well-written shows on television today. Yeah, it can be a little irreverent at times, but Steve Carell leads a cast of the most unique and interesting characters ever conceived, and the mixture is just absolutely hilarious, and extremely memorable. You won’t forget any of these people.
I think what the office really has is a staying power that really makes you just want more. Because these are characters that have depth, and aren’t just a group of random people on a sitcom, you actually start to care about them. It’s hard to fully describe, but there’s a richness to the characterization as well as the writing that really pulls you in. I found myself just watching episode after episode, because I just couldn’t get enough of it all.
From the pranks that Jim pulls on Dwight, to Michael’s overall delusiveness, and the Jim/Pam romantic tension that has just continued to pull you in in every episode, this is an excellent achievement. Sure, there were outcries from fans of the “true” BBC version, but you know what? Who cares? It’s all about making entertaining television, and I definitely commend and recommend the American version. Now, all I’ve got is one more episode and I’m on track.
- Kyle
New Film in the Pipeline – The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian
According to IMDB.com, the sequel to The Chronicles of Narnia is due for release in May 2008. I really liked the first film and that it was pretty good. In any case here’s the synopsis so far from the site:
“A year after their first adventure in Narnia, Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy are pulled back in by Susan’s magic horn. They find that hundreds of years have passed, and Narnia is now ruled by the bloodthirsty General Miraz, uncle to the true heir, Prince Caspian, now in exile. Now the children must find Caspian and help him depose Miraz…but how will they get home after it’s done?”
I liked the first book, as well as the first movie, but I never went any further with the series, so I’m hoping as much care and craft is taken to put together this new one. But usually, most Disney sequels that go to theatres are pretty good, so I’m hopeful that this is going to be a worthwhile film. We’ll see, eh? Cool stuff.
- Kyle
Bee Movie
The commercials for Seinfeld’s new film seemed pretty interesting. If you haven’t seen the previews of Jerry and Chris Rock on the windshield in bug costumes, I recommend that you head over to Apple.com and check them out. They’re absolutely hilarious, and so I thought it’d be interesting enough to at least give it a chance.
So, I went over to the theatre to check out Jerry Seinfeld’s newest foray, Bee Movie. Let me tell you right off – this is a film meant to imitate the style of Pixar™, the wit of Dreamworks™, and the likability of Disney™. And on that note, let’s discuss why there were three strikes even before the first act was over.
From the beginning, we meet Barry B. Benson (Jerry Seinfeld), a bee in a hive who is, (surprise, surprise), unsure that he wants to fit in with the rest of the hive. He just isn’t sure that he wants to live the bee life, working every day until he dies. He’s portrayed as a dreamer, but with the deadpan and cynicality that only Seinfeld can portray.
Now the number one rule that the bees live by is that they are not supposed to talk to humans. It’s “Bee Law”. Which, of course, means it’s the set-up for the entire movie. The thing is, though, is that we’re hammered with it right off, and repeatedly so, enough that I wanted to say out loud, “Okay, we get it! He’s not supposed to talk to humans!”
So, on a venture with the “Pollen Jocks” into the outside world, he accidentally finds himself in a near-death experience under a human’s boot. But, he’s saved by a good-natured florist named Vanessa (Renée Zellweger), and placed outside of the apartment window. He agonizes over this, until he finally decides that he’s going to thank her. So starts this relationship as Barry and Vanessa become friends.
As time goes on, Barry finds out that the humans are “stealing” the honey from the bees, keeping them smoked in honey farms, and taking the honey from them. So what does he do? He decides that he’s going to file a lawsuit against the human race. Through a crazy amount of theatrics by both Barry and the opposing attorney (John Goodman), the jury finds in favor of the bees.
But then, after the bees stop working, apparently all of the world falls to their knees because nothing will grow without the bees’ pollinating. So, Barry and Vanessa have to fly to the Pasadena Rose Bowl parade, steal a float, transport it back by plane, and then get the pollen to New York. (Which is just ridiculous, because if they’d been thinking, they’d just have transported the bees all to California and just started the pollination there. But then you wouldn’t have a ridiculous scene with a florist trying to land a plane, and whole bunch of bees coming in to fly under it and save the day.)
And the magical pollen suddenly brings life to the whole world, and everything’s instantly happy again.
The whole thing is supposed to be fictional, and I understand it. But even fictional worlds are supposed to have rules. When anything can and does happen, it just becomes surreal, and you no longer care about the story. First you have a bee that can talk to humans. Fine. Then he can read, he becomes a lawyer, representing all of “bee kind.” He just lives this whirlwind adventure with no crime or consequence, and there’s no real repercussions for him at all in all that he does. Sure, he kills the world, but because bees are so amazing, they can fix it all in a second.
The weirdest thing is, though, is the characters themselves. They try to portray this sort of romantic tension between Barry and Vanessa, and it’s just plain ridiculous. I mean, okay, he’s a talking bee, but my goodness. She’d have to be the most ditsy person in the world to think that this was actually going anywhere. Then you have this Ken character (Patrick Warburton), who is supposed to be there for comic relief, but is really just a complete idiot. Barry’s so-called best friend, Adam (Matthew Broderick), gets only superficial screentime, but he too is just a one-sided character. And then you’ve got the token appearance of Chris Rock as Mooseblood the mosquito, who’s only purpose as a character comes about as a lame overtold joke about attorneys.
The whole movie was just a power-packed plunge that didn’t nearly live up to its potential. It was a cliché-ridden ride that I was only too-happy to get off of. I think that Seinfeld should stick to movie trailers, because that’s where his really talent lies: Short, witty bursts of emotion and cynicism. My advice? Stick with what works, because Bee Movie is most definitely living up to its punny namesake.
- Kyle
EA's NCAA 08
Alright. I’ve always wanted to play football. I didn’t really “make the cut” in high school, and I’ve admitted to myself that I’m never going to play college or pro ball, but I love the game, and I’ve always liked to play. But I’m not the kind of guy who memorizes the stats of certain players, or can tell you who played in the 1998 All-Star game, or even who the big rivals are. I just love the game of football itself.
I’ve played Madden™ before, as well as NFL Blitz™ and NFL Street™, but I was never really impressed. I mean, sure, you can play the big teams against themselves, and you can even track your scores, but it just never felt as immersive to me as I hoped it would be, so I kind of put the genre to the side.
Imagine my surprise when I, on a whim, rented NCAA 08 from Blockbuster™. Thankfully, Blockbuster lets you keep the game for a week, and I happened to have a few free weeknights. I found my college team, and started into the Dynasty Mode.
The first thing that hits you about this game is the depth that you get into as you play it. Not only are you playing a mild game of football, but you’re tracking the progress of your coach, the stats of your players, and the status of high school senior college hopefuls. You’re literally tracking just about every aspect of your college, down to the trouble that some of your college players get themselves into. Bowl bids, Pac-10 championships, rivalries… It’s all in here.
A good friend and I both have started another Dynasty Mode together, and it always comes up between us. We ask how the other is doing, even though we both can just check it on the machine. We know each other’s players, and when we play against each other, it feels like it actually means something.
Now, this may sound strange to be talking about a video game like this, but I think it has really helped me to understand what “sports guys” really go through. I know that if one of my key players was injured on a play, I’d be pretty upset. When one of my guys cheats on a test and I have to pull him out of the game, I feel not only the stress of the NCAA breathing down my neck to do something, but the fear that we’re going to be underhanded for next week’s game against USC.
It feels that real.
I believe that any sports game, or even any game for that matter, should be using this as a model. Gamers truly want this much of an experience. We want what we do in the game to actually mean something. Ever wondered why EverQuest™ or World of Warcraft™ are so popular? It’s because the actions in the game actually affect things. In NCAA 08, there’s no extra lives. There’s no continues. If you lose, you lose, and that’s all there is to it. If you win, then you progress. If your player gets himself into trouble, you really have to discipline him, or you’ll get into trouble with the league. You want to win the Division championship? Then you better put the work in and win, but not against just anybody. You have to challenge the big schools.
I’ve always been disappointed with games that show a definite lack of depth. Gamers want to be able to customize their experience. They want to not only have a character that is interesting, but one that you can make your own. You need to be able to change the look, accessories, the weapons, the abilities, and the actions. You need to be able to make the game yours.
Everything about NCAA 08 is about pulling you into this fictional universe. And it’s about the details. From the game’s tracking of unnumerable stats and rankings, to the fictional ESPN Magazine stories, to even the little blurb spots about which teams have won or are winning during the same game that you’re playing. It’s immersive, it’s addicting, and it’s fun.
I guess I’ve gone on long enough. In essense, if you want to play a game that really rocks your world, and you like the game of football, I would pick up NCAA 08. When I finish with it, (at least for a while), and I want to track my alumni players in the pro leagues, I’ll pick up Madden 08 as well. More on that to come, I promise.
- Kyle
The Age of Street Fighter™
Back in those ages where the arcade was the video game hotspot, and where the fighting game debates were about Street Fighter™ and Mortal Kombat™, and when a 3D video game was the talk of imagination, those were the times that gaming thrived. It was when gaming wasn’t just about holing yourself up in the basement for the night, but it was a social experience.
I remember putting quarters up on the Tekken 4 machine, and beating down several people in a row. About it really being a competition of skill. It was about bragging rights, and about seeing the look on your opponent’s face when you really served him hard. When you could take a big-mouthed hot-shot down right in front of all of his friends, and immediately make him shut up.
These were the times before online chat-room bull. Before the guy could curse you out with no repercussions. If you stomped a guy in the arcade, there was literally nothing he could do but challenge you again. What, is he going to try and fight you over a video game? He might have all kinds of insults and excuses in his head, but there’s no way to hack an arcade game. You’re both playing on the same machine, and so it’s all about who’s still standing at the end of three rounds.
I really miss those days. I miss the social atmosphere where arcades were actually places that you could go. None of this online stuff. The people you played against were real people, and it was as much smack-talk face-to-face as a game of street basketball. You couldn’t just sit in your room and feel superior on your gaming throne. You actually had to get out. You had to shower, clean yourself up, and leave the house in order to show somebody up. (What a novel idea.)
It’s this kind of social atmosphere that I feel is missing not only from the gaming community, but also from most other kinds of communities as well. I’ve complained before about the absense of pick-up sports. Here’s just another example. I see us as a culture, in a few years, just sitting in our homes with virtual everything, not really living life, but instead just pretending to. When that time comes, I don’t know what’s going to stop me from picking up my virtual gun, and shooting my virtual self in the virtual head. But that’s not real, is it?
- Kyle
PS – For those of you interested in what Zengief, Dhalsim, Bison, and the rest of the gang are up to these days, check out Street Fighter: The Later Years for a good laugh.
Homestar Runner
This has got to be about the most well-known flash animation in the world. In addition, it’s definitely the most clever. To be able to put together a website that is all about a cartoon, and then to make money off of it… How much more clever could you be?
For those of you who’ve been living under a rock, and haven’t seen the t-shirts, stickers, satchel bags or even the website, here’s a quick summary. Homestar Runner was created in 1996 by Mike Chapman and Craig Zobel, two students at the University of Georgia. (On another note, why is it that all the interesting things are created in college? Facebook was created there, too…)
It started out as just a kids’ book, but then through the use of Mario Paint™, was created into its first cartoon incarnation. As they started to learn Adobe Flash™, the brothers found the old book they’d created, and by the beginning of 2000, homestarrunner.com was up and running. They did the voices themselves, with the help of a friend, Missy Palmer, for the voice of Marzipan.
Fast forward to now, and you’ve got a site that averages several million hits a day, has been featured in a whole slew of magazines, and that has its own product line. The songs from the site have even been featured in Guitar Hero™. I mean, this is one freaking awesome pop-culture icon! You’ve got all these original characters, from Homestar himself, to Strong Bad, Strong Sad, Marzipan, The Cheat, Coach Z, Bubs, Pom-Pom, and several more.
I was introduced to the site in 2003, by one of my college instructors. He showed us one of the Strong Bad emails every day, I used to just laugh and laugh. Now, I still check it every once in a while, just to see if there’s something new up. Thing is, I still see people with shirts and hats and bookbags… Someday, I hope I might create something that cool. Something that really hits into the vein of viral advertising. Someday. Someday.
- Kyle
Viewtiful Joe
Yesterday I was walking through the mall, and stopped by GameStop. Now, I’ve been a gamer for who knows how long, but I’d like to think that I’ve tempered my “obsession” over the past few years. I have yet to get on the whole “next-gen console” craze, and so I only own a Playstation 2. But don’t let that fool you into thinking that I’m not a gamer. It’s just that I’m not done with the good games of yesteryear yet.
In any case, as I was browsing through the old PS2 titles, especially the used games that were in the “$9.99 or less” rack, I came across a game that I had played when I was in high school over five years ago. It was called Viewtiful Joe. It looked liked it was in pretty good shape, and for $5.99, I figured it would be worth a play. I mean, a rental at Blockbuster is around seven bucks anyway, so I figured if I didn’t like it, at least I could trade it in for something else later.
That night, after my last class, I put the disc into the system, and was immediately blown away. Not exactly by the graphics, because though they were unique, they were about as far from “realistic” as possible. It was a very cel-shaded look, akin to the style of The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker. To me, it looked as if the characters had been pulled right from a comic book. All the proportions were cartoony, from the big heads and small bodies to the accompanying “SMACK” and “POW” feel of hitting your enemies.
And this isn’t a 3D game, though you’d really be hard-pressed to notice. This is a side-scrolling, fast-paced brawler akin to Double Dragon on thirteen double-latte cappuccinos. The action is fast, furious, and sucks you right in, even if it does get a little too wild for me to handle at times. (I mean, there are moments when there are over thirty little baddies all over the screen, and I’m just struggling to keep the hero alive.
But it’s the unique, tongue-in-cheek story that really sets this game apart from the crowd. We’re introduced right off to Joe, just an average movie-loving guy, and his girlfriend, Silvia, who clearly doesn’t want to spend her date night at the movie theater, again. But, just as Captain Blue, Joe’s favorite superhero, falls to the the movie’s antagonist, Joe is busy trying to get Silvia to take the film more seriously.
Then, as cheesy as it may sound, the antagonist reaches through the screen, kidnaps Silvia, and takes her back into movieland. Joe, the wisecracking little film nut that he is, gets pulled right in, and ends up entrusted with a superhero “V-Watch”, courtesy of Captain Blue’s “essence”. As soon as you can say “Henshin-a-go-go, baby”, Joe is off to defeat the Jadow, the group of villians who have kidnapped Silvia, and get his girlfriend back.
Now, I never played the game all the way through, and I’m only on the beginning stages, but man am I having a great time with it. More games need to be given the care and time and creativity that I’m sure this one was given. There are countless references to pop-culture, especially old movies and video games. The entire story is riddled with little jokes and references, along with the constant barrage of Joe’s personal dialogue.
So, if you’re up for some laughs, and want to get lost in one of the best Playstation 2 games every made, or even, one of the best games ever made, period, see if you can track down a copy of Viewtiful Joe.
- Kyle
Facebook: Better than MySpace
While most of the world has latched onto the wild world of MySpace, I’ve found that I actually prefer Facebook instead. MySpace allows you to contact all kinds of people all over the world, creating your own “virtual network” of a whole lot of people that you might not even know. To me, it just seems like a place where you’re bound to find trouble with creeps who try to take advantage of others.
On MySpace, you don’t have to tell anyone who you are, but can pretty much look up all kinds of information on other people. The pages are wide open, and you can change the layouts, pictures, and information to whatever you want. There really aren’t any limits, and therefore some of the pages can get pretty nutso. (I’m talking everything from full-flashing animated GIF backgrounds to uncomfortable pictures.) It seems that the sites aren’t really moderated at all, and that the “community” around it isn’t usually the best crowd.”
Facebook, on the other hand, seems a lot better regulated. Many of the features are disabled, such as backgrounds and CSS formatting, which keep all of the individual user pages fundamentally identical. You’re welcome to add a whole lot of widgets and enhancements, but they’re just enhancements, and allow only a limited amount of customization. This helps to keep down the larger images that might offend someone who accidentally “stumbles” onto a page.
The key difference between the two systems, however, is in the way that you approach each one. While on MySpace you can be pretty much whomever you please, and you never have to reveal yourself in order to connect with whoever you like, the Facebook community is run differently.
It attracts a mostly college crowd, stemming from its original goal as a method for college chums to connect with one another. Originally, you were required to use a college email address in order to log in, but that was changed after a good number of potential members who were no longer in college, or who were already graduated. Now, it’s more of a tool to network with friends, as well as former college and high school friends. As such, the community is generally of a more educated and professional quality than that of MySpace. As a result, most of the society seems to be less “extreme” in their approaches.
In any case, I’m actively on Facebook, but I avoid MySpace completely. Why is that? Well, I prefer the clean-cut, and overall simplicity that Facebook provides, while I’m kind of annoyed by the entire MySpace system in general. Is it fair? Is it right? Eh, I just feel that it’s my not-so-humble opinion.
- Kyle
That's What She Said
While widely popularized by The Office, the phrase “That’s What She Said” has been around for quite a long time before that. It’s been a catchphrase among teenagers for years, along with such gems as “Your mom…” and “You’re so…that…”
I think that only recently, however, in the past 10-15 years, has innuendo become such a commonplace practice when it comes to jokes and humor. Obviously, dirty jokes have been shared privately for quite a long time, but there was a time when I was younger that you’d never hear that kind of a joke from anyone, and frankly, if my mom were to have heard me say that, I’d have probably gotten the belt. (My mom was also completely against The Simpsons, saying that it was a bad influence.)
Now though, it’s so commonplace that jokes such as “That’s what she said” are actually fairly mild, when compared to the more blatant references that are placed in the faces of anyone who dares to turn on a television. If you compare The Simpsons to The Family Guy, you can understand what I’m talking about. While The Simpsons has plenty of subtle innuendoes and more than enough irreverent humor, it’s also a great look at the way that society works at large. (I had a history professor once who hailed Simpsons as the most accurate portrayal of American life on television. You be the judge.)
Shows like The Family Guy use sex as their main vehicle for humor and laughs, and after a while, it just gets annoying. When a joke is clever, it’s funny. But when it’s just blatantly perverse, it crosses the line from funny to disturbing, and you don’t get as many laughs.
I think that’s why, while The Office offers plenty of off-color humor, it stays mostly in the innuendo level, because that’s what makes people laugh. Sorry, didn’t mean to go off on that, but it kind of struck me as a good topic, and it always makes me smile.
…That’s what she said.
- Kyle
Sydney White
I love watching movies. (Now let’s hear a collective “duh” from everyone.) Something that has always bothered me, though, is that theaters tend to only show the “popular” or seemingly “well-advertised” films, in order to guarantee a large initial audience, regardless of whether the film is actually worthwhile or not. I remember walking into the theater, and looking to buy tickets to Ressurecting the Champ, which I’ve read some really great reviews for, but it wasn’t shown anywhere near my zip code. The same could be said for King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters, or a number of other films with original thought.
But every once and a while a film will be released quietly, and sheer word-of-mouth will help to spread it. It happened a few years ago with the classic My Big Fat Greek Wedding, where it was only shown in a few selected theaters, and the sheer unique nature of Tom Hanks’ film allowed it to generate quite a following. (And I still wonder if Windex sales were affected by it.)
Recently, I read a review about a film called Sydney White, explaining that it was just such a film. I searched throughout my area, and there was no showings, and I feared I might miss yet another interesting piece. But I was able to find a single screening about 30 minutes up the freeway at 6:50 PM, which was one of the most awkward times to hit a movie. Regardless, I’m glad that I took the time because this movie was definitely worth the effort.
Amanda Bynes (Hairspray) is Sydney White, a tomboyish college freshman who was raised by her father, a plumber, and the construction crew that he works with. As such, she has a much more practical view of life, especially compared to the social ladder-focus of her peers. Through a wonderful turn of events, though, she earns a scholarship to the same university that her mother attended, leaving a legacy at Kappa Phi Nu, the most popular sorority on campus for her daughter Sydney to follow.
Through a twist of events, however, she denounces the sorority, and is taken in by a lovable group of seven guys who are by all definitions of the words, dorks. Each unique and memorable in his own way, you’ll quickly draw the parallels in this adaptation of the classic tale, Snow White, as Sydney and her friends attempt to usurp the control that the “greek society”, led by Rachel Witchburn (I wonder who she could be?), has on the campus.
While it’s obvious that the filmmakers drew much of their inspiration from the Disney version, as opposed to the Grimms’ version, the references do nothing but enhance an already robust and well-written story. (Besides, its so interesting and fun how the writers used each reference.)
Bynes does an amazing job as Sydney, playing the part of the lovable tomboy so well that you can’t help but like her. There was one part of the film where Sydney is talking with Tyler Prince, (again, can you figure out who this character is?), and the subject turns to sports. Where most girls would have been lost in such a conversation, Sydney knows the subject intimately, and makes an obscure reference. Immediately, Tyler’s eyes widen, and he exclaims, “Marry me.” I’d have to agree.
It’s kind of hard to explain what exactly it was about the film that I loved so much. Each of the characters was played so well, they were unique and interesting, and the dialogue and one-liners were simply amazing. I don’t know if you’ll always be able to find it, but if you can, I encourage you to definitely track down Sydney White.
- Kyle
Wall•E – The Frog Princess – Toy Story 3
Pixar, the Disney partner and contender for best computer animation storytellers in the world, has announced its newest project. The teaser, which can be found at apple.com/trailers, identifies the newest film as Wall•E, about a small little trash-collecting robot who has been working for hundreds of years, but dreams of the stars.
The movie looks to be a little different from Pixar’s usual style. Apparently, Wall•E is the last of thousands of garbage-collecting robots that were sent to Earth after we, the humans left the planet for space because we ruined it. The robots were to clean up the planet, but after hundreds of years, all have broken down except for Wall•E, and it’s obvious that he won’t be able to do this job by himself.
Not a lot else is known about the film except that Wall•E has a little cockroach friend, and there is some sleek robot who Wall•E falls for somewhere in the plot. That’s it so far, though, aside from the short teaser trailer that Pixar always releases. (Remember The Incredibles and Monsters, Inc?)
—–
I just learned after some Google searching, that The Frog Princess is Disney’s newest animated film project, in the traditional hand-drawn style. As far as I can scope out, it involves a black princess (an awesome Disney first), a soulful alligator, and a setting in New Orleans. Other than that, the story is pretty sketchy.
It was John Lasseter, of Pixar fame, who spilled the beans on it. The details on the story and everything, however, are still pretty sketchy. I wonder if Disney even knows the whole story yet. The script is set to be written by Michael Arndt, the Oscar-winning screenwriter of Little Miss Sunshine, with music being written by Randy Newman, who is intimately familiar with just about every Pixar project to date. (His songs include You’ve Got a Friend in Me from Toy Story and It’s The Time of Your Life from A Bug’s Life.)
I’m not sure exactly what to expect, as I really don’t know much about New Orleans. (I’m a west coast-er.) As well, Lasseter didn’t confirm whether the film would feature the story of the Frog Prince (where the frog is kissed and turns into a prince), or some new source material. My guess? It’s a twist on the Frog Prince story. Disney has been notorious for mining fairy tales for their sources, as well as history and fiction in the past, and that would be right in line. But we’ll just have to wait and see.
—–
I know I’m a little behind the bandwagon on this one, but Toy Story 3 is back up and running, with a planned release date of 2010. Originally, during the struggles between Pixar and Michael Eisner in 2005, Eisner commisioned a Disney-based group called Circle 7 to write the original treatment. However, after Eisner finally stepped down in late 2005, and Disney purchased Pixar in January 2006, John Lasseter was brought into Disney as head of Disney Animation. His first act was to cease production of Toy Story 3 and shut down Circle 7.
In February 2006, Disney CEO Robert Iger confirmed that Disney was in the process of transferring the production to Pixar. John Lasseter, Andrew Stanton, Pete Docter, Joe Ranft and Lee Unkrich, (the original creative talent behind the first two Toy Story films), visited the house where they first pitched Toy Story and came up with Toy Story 3 story over a weekend. Stanton then wrote a treatment.
Circle 7′s original treatment involved a product recall of all Buzz Lightyear toys, which meant that Buzz had to get shipped to Taiwan for repairs. However, I personally believe that Buzz’s plot dynamic has been very well explored. I would think that another character might get put into the limelight, aside from Woody and Buzz. But that’s just my personal opinion.
I don’t know what’s going to happen, but I know that it’s going to be a happinin’ time for Disney over the next few years. Lots of new stuff coming our way!
- Kyle
Wicked
A couple weeks ago, I went down to Hollywood and saw the musical Wicked at the Pantages Theater. For those of you haven’t seen it, I’ll tell you right now that you should save up some money and go as soon as you possibly can. To be perfectly honest, I’d go again and see it in a second if I had the chance – it’s that good.
The story is about the “behind-the-scenes” look at the characters of L. Frank Baum’s novel, The Wizard of Oz, especially the good witch Glinda, and the Wicked Witch of the West. For someone like me, going in with only the film as a reference, it was infinitely accessable, but also really makes you reconsider the entire story. You come to understand why The Wicked Witch of the West is so obsessed with the ruby slippers, the origins of the scarecrow, the tin man, and the cowardly lion, and the “true” tale of what happened all during the time that Dorothy was prancing along the yellow brick road to the Emerald City.
Not for a long time have I been so inspired by a play. From the very beginning, you’re interested in the history of this person that you’ve always known as simply the Wicked Witch. She’s introduced as Elphaba, the abnormally green-skinned student at Shiz (the school of Oz), who plays opposite of Galinda, the blonde haired, bubble gum-popping, most popular girl in school. Other characters include the handsome slacker, Fiyero, Elphaba’s younger sister, Nessarose, the shy but servicable munchkin, Boq, the school’s headmaster, Madame Morrible, and of course, the infamous Wizard of Oz himself.
(For those of you who want to read the whole story, I’ve included it on the site on the page “The Story of Wicked” to the right. Therefore, I won’t include it here in this post.)
As I said before, it’s been a long time before I was so pulled into a story. I remember becoming caught up in the world of the story, the music and the characters. From the most amazing sets, to excellent costuming, it was a visual smorgasbord of sights and visuals. Then there was the music. The songs that have touched the hearts of so many, from the effervescent “Popular”, to the smooth-sighted “Dancing Through Life”, and to the breathtaking “Defy Gravity”; each one caused a myriad of emotions. Highs and lows that anyone could relate to pulsed through the theater, and the live orchestra really did their job. And the vocals! It was just such an amazing display of musical power, that truly pulled you in and kept you there. I lost all track of time, and nowhere did I find myself wandering.
I’ve always found that the quality of a story can be measured by how “into” the performance I am. If I have to muscle my way through a book, I know that I’m not enjoying it. If I’m looking forward to the end of a movie, then I know it’s not done right. But if I’m still longing for more after the final curtain falls, then I know that this is something truly spectacular.
Some guys think of musicals, or even plays in general, as “wimpy” or “feminine.” They have the same attitude concerning love stories, or even stories with any measure of quality aside from fast cars and big explosions. For me, to label a film or any kind of entertainment as such limits your ability to appreciate the world around you. Wicked was most definitely a quality show, and I’d recommend it to anyone.
It’s a story that anyone can really relate to. Young children are able to see the “real” side of the Wicked Witch. Teenagers can easily relate to the plights of Elphaba as she struggles to fit in with her peers. You can see the twists that “government” might impose on the public for the good of the few. The way that society’s view is so heavily influenced by the opinions of a few individuals in “authority” is addressed. And you might even consider the answer to the story’s tagline: “Are people born Wicked? Or do they have Wickedness thrust upon them?”
I could go on. There are so many different levels to the show that I could elaborate more and more. But for the sake of space, I’ll just say that this is definitely one of the most amazing stories ever told, and I’m on my way to go find the books. And for anyone with a heart, go and have yours touched by a modern classic.
- Kyle
Nickelodeon Classics
As I was surfing on the web the other day, I kept trying to find some old TV episodes for sale on DVD. I remember, back during my childhood, watching some of the most interesting shows ever. I’ve complained a little about the quality of cartoons now, but I can recall some classic shows, especially on networks like Nickelodeon, that you just don’t see anymore.
For example, does anyone remember Doug? How about Hey Dude? Or maybe Salute Your Shorts, or My Brother and Me, or Are You Afraid of the Dark? These were shows that I used to watch all the time when I was a kid, and to compare them to today’s “kid fare” is just unfair. These were classic shows that were entertaining, usually quite clever, very kid-oriented, but not just a mishmosh of flashy animation, some CG wizardry, and cliché dialogue.
The most interesting part was that often times, they even had… (hold your breath) …values! They would actually have a lesson hidden amongst the humor and hijinks. Honesty, integrity, loyalty, and friendship were actually shown to be good things, as opposed to just ways of manipulating people. There were unique characters that had unique personalities, and whose actions actually had consequences that they had to deal with. We watched as these characters dealt with the pressures of life, including acceptance, vanity, family and peers. And we actually cared!
Well, after searching, I stumbled across a site called nickclassics.com. I don’t know where the company is based, or what they do, exactly, but they’ve managed to find and format every episode of the seasons of “The Golden Age of Nickelodeon.” These DVD sets include a good number of classic shows that most any child of the 90′s television age would recognize. As for me, I’ve already ordered the Doug DVD set. (It was always one of my favorites.) I’m pretty excited.
- LATER EDIT – I got the DVDs, and they’re great! Broadcast quality, pulled right off the TV. Fun stuff.
- Kyle
Off The Lot – Bad Ideas
I was talking with a number of film majors the other day, about a short film project that we’re working on, and I happened to mention one of the films from Fox’s “On The Lot.” I was kind of surprised when most of them told me that they’d never heard of it before. Pulling out my handy-dandy notebook computer, I pulled up onthelot.com to show them.
Imagine my personal surprise when the site with so much good video footage and quality short film examples was completely gone, except for a splash page that says “Congratulations to Will Bigham”, the winner of the show’s contest. I’ve since turned to VeohTV to download as many of the films as I can track down, but I still can’t find all of the ones that I liked.
Why would Fox make such a stupid move? They were generating business, advertising, and good filmmaking just by providing these kinds of quality examples. And in a puff of smoke, poof! It’s all gone.
For those of you who haven’t a clue what I’m talking about, On The Lot was a reality-based competition along the same lines as American Idol, So You Think You Can Dance?, and other similar shows. In a basic episode, three filmmakers would be called to the front to show their short films (generally no longer than three minutes), and then the judges would say what they liked, what they didn’t like, etc.
The judges consisted of Carrie Fisher, of Star Wars fame, the long-time laugh man, Garry Marshall, and usually a guest judge, who was often a highly-regarded director, such as Michael Bay, David Frankel, or Wes Craven. Viewers would vote on the films of the week, deciding the fate of the filmmakers as they went through the competition, and the winner would recieve a million-dollar development deal with Dreamworks Studios.
It was an interesting premise, and I actually liked the films themselves, though I could have really cared less about the actual directors. There were some truly interesting things in there, and some amazing ideas and unique concepts that were just amazing to watch.
If Fox was smart, they’d edit together a DVD of all the films of the first season, and strike while the iron’s still warm. I know I’d pick up a copy. Until then, though, I guess I’ll just keep looking on Veoh.
- Kyle
The Loss of Pick-Up Sports
About every wednesday, a group of us guys get together to play some basketball down at one of the churches in our area. I know that’s not really so unusual, and I really enjoy myself down there. (Even if I do get a little intense sometimes – I’ve been nicknamed everything from “The Train” to “The Brick Wall.” Thick skin, you understand…)
In any case, it occured to me that while organized games occur pretty frequently in the area where I live, (It’s mostly a large college town), there aren’t as many opportunities to just find a group of people already playing and just hop in. Does this make sense to anyone else?
Maybe I could give an example. I spent some time a year and a half ago in Hong Kong, which was quite an interesting experience, let me tell you. But one of the things that seemed most unique to me was the presence of numerous parks and sports parks all throughout the city. There were concrete soccer pitches, turf fields, as well as a large number of basketball courts. Just about every night of the week, you could find ten-fifteen kids out on the courts, shooting hoops or waiting in line for their team’s chance at taking the winner’s court.
Now, when I arrived home, I’ve often looked for pick-up games of… well, anything. They just don’t exist. There’s no one out playing basketball outside. There’s no spontaneous football games. The only way that you get to play is if you join one of the intermurals teams, and I simply just don’t have the time for that.
I’ll tell you right now that I love to play sports. Be it football, basketball, raquetball, or even my personal favorite, Ultimate frisbee, I just love to be out there, pushing myself, leaping for the catch, charging through the line, or trying my darndest to put together a give-n-go.
I just wish that there were ways that you could play without having to organize it all, and justify it to everyone by saying that it was “good exercise.” Why is it that growing up has to equate to such dullness?
- Kyle
Red vs Blue: What are we doing here?
I don’t know any gamer who hasn’t at least heard of the cultural phenomenon known as Red Vs Blue, or RvB. As for myself, I’d seen one of their “Public Service Announcements” a few years ago, and while I thought it was funny, it didn’t really strike me to go look up anything else about it. Instead, I just passed it off as one of those “funny internet things” and moved on.
Fast forward to the present, where I’ve had a brief liason with the series yet again. I happened to stumble across another film, this time one of the actual “episodes” of the series. I laughed so hard at it that I thought I was going to fall out of my chair. Quickly, I did some research, and tracked down the downloads for every episode that I could find, eventually putting together the entire 100 episodes, as well as a good number of PSAs. While that may be a dubious achievement to most, it was a fun little project to take up a few hours of my day and a few GBs of memory.
The “show” is essentially a story about the soldiers of Blood Gulch, one of the multiplayer maps found in the original game of Halo, for the X-Box. They question, ridicule, prod, misinterpret, and joke about everything and anything, including each other, military protocol, games (of course), philosophy, and society in general.
What makes it funny, at least to me, is that these are widely accessable, not only to gamers exclusively, but really anyone with a fun sense of humor. The characters are so well-portrayed, and extremely unique, that it makes for a fun show to watch, and you forget that you’re just watching a video game.
The series is made with a technique that has been dubbed “machinima”, which is the use of video games as animation tools for other entertainment. The characters are filmed through the use of an observer, matched to the voices and sound effects already recorded, and voila! You’ve got a very unique brand of entertainment.
The creators of RvB, a company known as RoosterTeeth, while obviously not the first to create films with video games, are arguably the most well known and influential group in the genre. Their work has really pushed them to the forefront of this questionably legitimate genre, and they have a good number of fans to prove it.
The series is definitely not for younger viewers, mostly because they simply wouldn’t get it, but also because there are a number of innuendoes and a good amount of language to deter any careful parent from endorsing such a title. However, if you can look past that, it’s some of the most clever hilarity on the internet, hands down.
- Kyle
Harry Potter, and the Age of Faceless Characters
Alright, I may be just a little behind the “cutting edge” bandwagon, but I’ve finally finished reading the final book in the series, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. I must admit that I spent a number of nights until 1AM or so in order to read “just one more chapter” over and over, so the book itself was rather addicting. I think what bothered me a little, though, was that much of the book was spent in a tent, and I could tell that it was dragging a little. While I realize that there were a lot of things to get done, loose ends to tie up, and other things to take care of, there really were a few times that I was sitting there, willing myself to turn the page. As I finally reached the end, I was just ripping through, racing to find out what was going to happen next. It was definitely a fitting end to the series. I was very happy with it, and offer Rowling my congrats. I know she appreciates it, I’m sure.
What was so much more interesting, though, was the phenomenon and craze that has gone on around this story for the past decade. Harry Potter has become the iconic character of the early 21st century. (A look at the lines to buy the 7th book at Barnes & Noble should have convinced you of that. Compare that to the lines for the PS3 or the XBox 360, or even the iPhone.) The character has truly embraced a wide range of group personas, from young kids in elementary school to college students, as well as seasoned intellectuals.
What I’ve noticed, however, is the lack of these kinds of characters in the stories that are told in the media that we view, read, or watch now. Growing up, I was wowed by the He-Man, Ninja Turtles, the Ghostbusters… Indiana Jones was my hero from a very young age. Star Wars, though it was a little before my time, also took away a good chunk of my childhood. I remember having all the toys and stickers and notebooks, and pencil cases.
The most interesting parts about all of these, however, were not necessarily the products. It was the icon that they represented. The TMNT logo, or the “no-ghosts” sign; a lightsaber, blaster; a whip, or a fedora – each of these have become American pop-culture icons, that have seemingly outlasted the original sources that they came from, and still seem to permeate our culture today.
Now, fast forward past the 90s into the 21st century. What do we have to show for ourselves? The only comparable icons that we’ve produced seem to be The Matrix, which was and is one of the most original ideas ever produced on screen, and Harry Potter, the literary phenomenon of an original outside-the-box thinker. I guess I should also mention Pokemon, which itself can account for the unholy amount of Japanese cartoons that our kids are force-fed on Saturday mornings.
When you go to the movies now, or watch television, you seldom see unique, interesting characters anymore. Instead, you get the “tough-guy” character who can do anything, the sexy female, (either the victim or the femme fatale), and teenage characters who are simply dim-witted horndogs.
In an attempt to give audience “empathy” with the faceless characters, they are thrown into unbelievable, cruel, or even grotesque situations, and the audience is forced to watch as they are battered and bruised purely from an external perspective. How sad is that?
This is mostly why I enjoyed Harry Potter. There was internal struggle. You got to know the character, not only because of what he could or couldn’t do, but also why he was in the situations he was in. There was a soul to follow, there was a face, whether he had a lightning scar on it or not.
So kudos to Rowling. May her works continue to put to shame the drivel that the mainstream media would have us wade through.
- Kyle
