Slummin' In SoCal

New video up at KB Life: Belles of Bedlam

2011-04-11T13:02:00.001-07:00

Check it out here.

Presenting: Asian Ken!

2010-09-10T14:40:00.001-07:00

Check out my little blurb about Asian Ken over at Mediocre Minds!

The KB Life + Anime Expo 2010

2010-07-19T11:16:00.000-07:00

If you haven't noticed, The KB Life (of which I am one half of) has been putting out lots of Anime Expo 2010 content on our YouTube channel.

White Men Can't Jump: Remix Bloopers

2010-06-14T10:15:00.000-07:00

This is a blooper reel I made while editing an Intro to Video assignment. (More on that later this week.)

Honor and Glory

2010-05-12T11:45:00.000-07:00

Ok so everyone (or everyone who is "janky cool") knows about Undefeatble for the janktastic fight scene at the end of the film.
Not many people know about Honor and Glory though, which while not as good as Undefeatble is still decent for various (janky)reasons....

The rest of the parts are also on YouTube:

Features

Nonsensical, hard to follow plot? CHECK!
Numerous (visual) continuity errors? CHECK!
The villains name is JASON SLADE. Man. He's like Gordon Gecko + bad ass martial artist.
Black guy is JAKE ARMSTRONG. This is a guy I would hire to be my bodyguard. (He also looks like a young Eddie Murphy if he was trapped in terrible Hong Kong produced US kung fu movies.)
Pretty much the exact cast from Undefeatable but in different roles? (I think they reused some of the music too!)
Caucasians speaking as much Cantonese as I know! Too good.
Robin Shou / Liu Kang / Gen!
Asian guy getting screwed by a black man when it comes to a white woman? So much truth.

Quotes

"Ah the glamorous life of an FBI."
"Come on in we'll have a party."
"Do you know an atomic trigger from a Bulgarian dildo? Because I don't."
"Y'all have a bad day."
"TAPE."
"About 20 Japanese guys jumped me."
"Don't worry Mr. GQ, your hair's still in place."
"Only DEATH can retire Jason Slade!"

Things I learned from this movie?

Being thrown into boxes will kill you. Like instantly. It's like touching lava or something.
The way to a girl's heart is to stalk her and then have a chopsticks duel with her over food.
Old 80s arcade machines are explosive, so don't use guns in a warehouse full of them.
To be a bad ass villain in the 90s you need to slick your hair back and put out cigars with your hands.
The ability to bend coins is a great taunt! (See Elektra for another example of how coin manipulation is awesome.)

Also one of the Asians totally looks like my college buddy (and mediocreminds 1.0 founder) Vincent!
Finally this movie has one of the most anti-climatic endings I've ever see. But I guess we all learn a valuable lesson and that's what is important!
It's so weird to see HK movies set in America featuring Caucasians and Asians. Sort of sad we don't really have films like this anymore, seems things are more segregated now though I guess you can argue these are exploitative films.
I also like the HK action film movie trope where anyone who is anybody knows martial arts and people can fight in broad daylight in public areas and no one gives a f**k. AMERICA (as seen through HK eyes!)

Tiger Woods: Apology Fail

2010-02-19T15:03:00.000-08:00

I thought Tiger Wood's apology was terrible from a media/recovery standpoint and while professional (as expected from him) had numerous weak points:

Way too long: This is going to lead to butchering when it's cut down for media/audio bites
Total lack of emotion will turn most people off. Even Kobe "fake cried" when he apologized.
Too much talk about recovery / addiction / therapy...comes across as elitist (therapy is $$$ yo).
Mentioning Buddhism and not Christianity. (Do you even what country this is Tiger?!) Christianity offers way more forgiveness too IMO.
Way too much mention of his sponsors. This just reminds the cynical among us it's about the $$$.

Some neutral to good things:

Asking for his wife & kids to be left out of it is good, most people like.
Directly apologizing to families and kids, most people like that.
Plugging his charities is probably a neutral because cynical people will again point out it's about the $$$.

In short, I am no longer convinced he can make a Kobe-style comeback. Though it is golf so I think the environment is different (criminal and immoral behavior in the the NBA?! What a twist!).

KB Life Ep 07

2010-02-11T10:13:00.000-08:00

Yes we finally have a new episode out. Come see what we're looking forward to in 2010.

Netflix Streaming: Jank (and not Jank) Action Films

2010-02-02T12:58:00.000-08:00

I recently discovered Netflix streaming...it is pretty awesome though the temptation to veg out in front of my 360 is now huge.

My favorite about Netflix streaming is being able to watch janktastic action films. Right now the following are available and I highly recommend them:

48 Hours (Remember when Eddie Murphay was awesome?)
Air Force One ("Get off my plane!" The Pres as an action hero is too good)
American Ninja (classic jank that spawned what, 4 sequels?)
Bad Boys (One of Michael Bay's most underrated movies.)
Broken Arrow (so bad it's good)
Cliffhanger (John Lithgow as a villain is too hilarious to me.)
Conan the Destroyer (Governator in an honestly terrible movie.)
Desperado (this is like the popular version of El Mariachi, more action, less style)
Executive Decision (Steven Segal's best role ever?)
Heat (this is a must watch film if you live in LA)
Never Back Down (A new classic, this film is so ridiculous in how over the top it is.)
The Rock (Probably my favorite Michael Bay film) Speed (Classic Keanu and probably the beginning of the over-the-top 90s films)
Robin Hood Prince of Thieves (Kevin Costner as Robin Hood is lol, it makes me wonder about the upcoming Russel Crowe version)
Sniper (the "legit" film before 2 jank sequels)
Universal Solider II (this one has Van Damme and Dolph Lundren together again there's apparently a 3rd film too lol)

I am thinking of starting "Binkley's Virtual Jank Action Film Nights" on Xbox Live so if you are interested message me on Twitter or email me.

2009 in Films

2010-01-06T11:51:00.000-08:00

As I do every year, here is a quick look back at the films I saw in 2009:

The Spirit (01/02): 7
Slumdog Millionaire (01/10): 9
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (02/08):7
The Reader (02/21): 7.5
Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun-Li (02/28): 5.5
Watchmen (03/08): 7.5
I Love You Man (03/21): 8
Monsters vs. Aliens (03/28): 6
Fast and Furious (04/04): 6.5
Observe and Report (4/11): 6
Crank 2 (04/18): 8
Dragonball Evolution (04/26): 4.5
Death Note: L Change the World (04/29): 6.5
X-Men Origins: Wolverine (05/03): 7
Star Trek (05/09): 9
Terminator Salvation (05/24): 7
Up (05/30): 9
Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (06/24): 7.5
Year One (07/05): 6.5
Bruno (07/12): 7
The Hangover (07/22): 8.5
G.I. Joe (08/08): 6.5
Funny People (08/09): 6
Inglorious Basterds (08/22): 8.5
Rifftrax Presents: Plan 9 From Outer Space (08/20): 7
Gamer (09/11): 5
9 (09/26): 7
Surrogates (09/27): 5.5
Zombieland (10/02): 9
Adventures of Power (10/13): 7
Law Abiding Citizen (10/22): 5
Black Dynamite (10/24): 7.5
Astro Boy (10/27): 7
Boondock Saints II: All Saint's Day (10/30): 8
Ong Bak 2: The Beginning (10/31): 6.5
Men Who Stare At Goats (11/07): 7.0
Ninja Assassin (11/27): 6.5
The Road (12/05): 8.0
Invictus (12/13): 8.0
Avatar (12/21): 7.5
Sherlock Holmes (12/27): 7.5

High: 9.0 (Slumdog Millionaire, Star Trek, Up, Zombieland)
Low: 4.5 (Dragonball Evolution)
Average: 7.09

So I watched a total of 41 movies and the average feels about right to me. That is slightly less than last year but the average is slightly higher than that year. I've certainly come a long way since 2007.

KB Life Ep 05

2009-12-21T14:31:00.000-08:00

Just in time for the holidays, here is KB Life Podcast #5.

KB Life @ PMX 2009 Part 2 Cosplayers

2009-11-23T13:12:00.000-08:00

The KB Life Episode 4: Fourplay

2009-11-18T13:33:00.001-08:00

It's time for another episode of the KB Life!

The KB Life Episode 3

2009-10-30T11:18:00.000-07:00

So yup we're keeping to our twice a month schedule. Go here to check it out.

KB Life @ APE 2009

2009-10-21T12:31:00.000-07:00

It's me fanboying it up at Alternative Press Expo. More info here.

Bonus Footage from Long Beach Comic Con 2009

2009-10-09T11:09:00.001-07:00

Some non-cosplayer footage I shot at Long Beach Comic Con 2009.

The KB Life @ Long Beach Comic Con 2009

2009-10-08T17:16:00.000-07:00

A little video I did for The KB Life. It's me interviewing Long Beach Comic Con cosplayers.

Worst Movies Of The Last Decade

2009-10-05T09:47:00.000-07:00

Rotten Tomatoes has a list of what they consider the worst movies of the last decade.

I've counted and I've seen 14 of the 100:

A Sound of Thunder (#92)
Babylon AD (#93)
The Adventures of Pluto Nash (#79)
Yu-Gi-Oh: The Movie (#68)
In the Name of the King: A Dungeon Siege Tale (2008) (#49)
Bloodrayne (#48)
Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun-Li (#44)
House of the Dead (#42)
The Whole Ten Yards (#36)
Battlefield Earth (#27)
Crossover (#20)
Half Past Dead (#19)
Alone in the Dark (#15)
Ballistic: Ecks vs. Sever (#1)

While I'm proud to have seen #1 (Antonio Banderas and Lucy Liu wtf) I'm somewhat disappointed that I'm only at 14%. I guess my dislike of romantic comedies and the spoof genre is working against me.

I'll have to work harder for the next decade!

YouTube: SDCC 09 Twihard Interviews

2009-07-31T08:59:00.000-07:00

I did the camera and editing work for this vid...and it shows.

YouTube: SDCC 09 Twilight Line Walk Through

2009-07-29T11:36:00.000-07:00

I threw this together while working on some of the other video footage we shot.

YouTube: Coldstone Creamery Ice Cream

2009-07-28T16:25:00.000-07:00

Street Fighter IV: Ladies Tournament

2009-06-29T10:40:00.000-07:00

Over the weekend Arcade Infinity ran a ladies only Street Fighter IV tournament. It was an awesome event and there's a wrap-up here.

LOL Moments in X-Men Origins: Wolverine

2009-05-06T08:35:00.000-07:00

Over at Mediocre Minds, I've put up a hilarious list of LOL moments in X-Men Origins: Wolverine.

Twitter Trend: Wordplay Wednesday

2009-04-15T11:24:00.000-07:00

I'm trying to start a new Twitter Trend (TM): Wordplay Wednesday

Street Fighter IV Discussion Pt. 2

2009-02-27T11:08:00.000-08:00

Part 2 of our discussion on Street Fighter IV is up at Mediocre Minds.

I find it interesting that Sumir and I ended up on basically the same side...that usually does not happen for matters beyond bad films/tv shows/comics/games.

Street Fighter IV Discussion

2009-02-26T19:05:00.000-08:00

I'm part of the Street Fighter IV discussion Mediocre Minds.

2008 in Movies

2009-01-24T19:18:00.000-08:00

Just like last time, here's all the films I saw in 2008 and what I thought about them.

(01/01) Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story : 7.5
(01/21) In the Name of the King: A Dungeon Siege Tale : 5.0
(01/19) Momma's Man : 4.0
(01/19) Bottle Shock : 7.0
(01/19) Anvil! The Story of Anvil : 8.0
(01/20) Otto; or Up With Dead People : 3.0
(01/20) Reversion : 4.5
(01/21) Slingshot Hip Hop : 8.5
(01/21) The Wave : 7.0
(01/25) Rambo : 7.5
(01/26) There Will Be Blood : 8.0
(02/14) Jumper : 5.0
(02/16) In Bruges : 7.0
(03/01) Never Back Down : 4.5
(03/16) Semi-Pro : 7.0
(04/13) Horton Hears a Who : 8.0
(04/19) Forbidden Kingdom : 6.5
(05/03) Iron Man : 9.0
(05/09) Harold & Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay : 7.5
(05/10) Speed Racer : 7.5
(05/21) Death Note : 6.0
(05/22) Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull : 7.5
(06/07) You Don't Mess with the Zohan : 7.0
(06/14) The Girl Who Leapt Through Time : 7.0
(06/20) The Incredible Hulk : 6.5
(06/25) Get Smart : 6.5
(07/04) WALL-E : 9.5
(07/12) Hellboy II: The Golden Army : 7.5
(07/19) Journey to the Center of the Earth 3-D : 7.0
(07/23) The Dark Knight : 9.0
(08/03) The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor : 6.0
(08/16) Star Wars: The Clone Wars : 6.5
(08/19) The Happening : 2.0
(08/26) America, The Beautiful : 5.5
(08/23) Pineapple Express : 8.5
(09/06) Hamlet 2 : 7.5
(09/08) Step Brothers : 8.0
(09/13) Ping Pong Playa : 7.5
(09/27) Burn After Reading : 7.0
(10/11) Eagle Eye : 6.5
(10/11) Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist : 7.0
(10/16) Death Note: The Last Name : 7.0
(11/11) Role Models : 7.5
(11/15) Quantum of Solace : 7.5
(11/28) Australia : 5.5
(11/30) Four Christmases : 7.0
(12/13) Milk : 7.5

Random Stats:

Jan.: 11
Feb.: 2
Mar.: 2
Apr.: 2
May: 5
Jun.: 4
July: 4
Aug.: 5
Sep.: 4
Oct.: 3
Nov.: 4
Dec.: 1
Total: 47
Min: 2.0 (The Happening)
Max: 9.5 (WALL-E)
Average: 6.8

Compared to last year I saw more films (mainly due to Sundance 2008) and the average rating was slightly higher. That's definitely a good thing! It's interesting to note that the low was not as low as last year while the max was higher than last year. What can I say, I really enjoyed WALL-E...it might be my new favorite romance film, even better than Ghost or Mannequin.

"Getting to know your family and friends"

2008-11-25T17:10:00.000-08:00

Normally I would never fill out one of these things as I pissed someone off in the past by forwarding them something like this. But since I've been lazy with the blog and I have nothing to hide, I figure here's a chance for some easy content! The best part is I can reply without breaking my rule of not forwarding stuff like this.

1.	What is your occupation right now ?	"CX Web Programmer" @ Pitzer College...which generally means doing all sort of programming/IT related stuff.
2.	*What color are your socks right now?*	White with gray logos (go go Costco)
3.	*What are you listening to right now?*	Silence
4.	*What was the last thing that you ate?*	Tiramisu from the dining hall...my homemade one was better so I guess I'm not terrible at following a recipe!
5.	*Can you drive a stick shift?*	Only in video games
6.	*Last person you spoke to on the phone?*	My manager, he was running an errand off site.
7.	*Do you like the person who sent this to you?*	Sure
8.	*How old are you today?*	27
9.	*What is your favorite sport to watch on TV?*	BLOODSPORT (Yeah I don't watch sports on TV really)
*10.*	*What is your favorite drink?*	Black coffee, ice water
*11.*	*Have you ever dyed your hair*	Never
*12.*	*Favorite food?*	Anything unhealthy for you
*13.*	*What is the last movie you watched?*	Quantum of Solace
*14.*	*Favorite day of the year?*	Thanksgiving - The least commercial of all the major holidays, and it's something everone can get behind.
*15.*	*How do you vent anger?*	Hit something, I dunno, been a while since I've been angry
*16.*	*What was your favorite toy as a child?*	My NES.
*17.*	*What is your favorite season?*	Fall
*18.*	*Cherries or Blueberries?*	Cherries if artificial, blueberries if fresh.
*19.*	*Do you want your friends to e-mail you back?*	Nope, which is why I'm filling this out on my blog.
*20.*	*Who is the most likely to respond?*	N/A
*21.*	*Who is least likely to respond?*	Everyone - and I want it that way
*22.*	*Living arrangements?*	Sharing a place with my sister but right now it's just me
*23.*	*When was the last time you cried?*	Can't remember...probably after I read that Korean Animal Crossing comic
*24.*	*What is on the floor of your closet?*	Clear plastic containers filled with junk. No joke.
*25.*	*Who is the friend you have had the longest that you are sending to?*	N/A
*26.*	*What did you do last night*	Packed for my flight home for Thanksgiving
*27.*	*What are you most afraid about?*	The Uknown
*28.*	*Plain, cheese, or spicy hamburgers?*	I don't eat beef.
*29.*	*favorite dog breed?*	Corn
*30.*	*favorite day of the week?*	Saturday
*31.*	*How many states have you lived in?*	1 (I've lived in other countries for the summer.)
*32.*	*Diamonds or pearls?*	I can't afford the type of woman would want either...but I choose diamonds. They are a perfect representation of how insane humanity due to their artificial scarcity and ethical issues.
*33.*	*What is your favorite flower?*	Fake ones - I have allergies.

Reviews of Everything!

2008-11-14T17:48:00.000-08:00

A friend of mine has started a blog to review random things. A bunch of us are contributing, it should be interesting. I hope to have some reviews up there while I figure out what I want to blog about here (if anything).

Election Day '08

2008-11-04T10:11:00.000-08:00

It's election day. Go vote...unless you want my vote to count more!

Freebies today include:

Free cup of coffee at Starbucks
Free donut at Krispy Kreme
Free scoop of ice cream at Ben and Jerry's

I'll be mediocreblogging with the rest of the Medicore Minds staff here

Weekend Update 8/22/08 - 08/24/08

2008-08-28T11:42:00.000-07:00

Friday

I spent the evening at the Alhambra driving range. I really sucked it up. Who would have thought that not swinging a golf club for a couple of months would make you suck? What a twist indeed.

Saturday

I started off the day with a round at Azusa Greens Country Club. I shot 110 which is really terrible for me but I guess I should be happy since I hadn't played in months.

The evening saw me eating dinner at Shakas. (Cuban Bistro was super busy and packed so we didn't have enough time to eat there...but I made a note for next time.) I've eaten at Shakas before so I knew what to expect. It was also super busy, Methinks I need to avoid downtown Alhambra while the Summer Jubilee is still going on.

After dinner I saw Pineapple Express. This move is hilarious even if you are not stoned. I enjoyed all the 80s injokes and how the last 20 minutes is basically every 80s action film ever distilled into 2-3 sequences.

The night wrapped up with my friends and me watching Team USA win the gold medal against Spain. My favorite part was when Kobe taunted all the opposing fans after a 3 pointer where he was fouled. He made the "quiet" gesture with his finger in front of his mouth. He would go on to make it a 4 point play. So much dickery.

Sunday

I got in a much needed lesson at GolfTec. Masa came by and we played SoulCalibur IV a bit. We then ate out at a Mama's Lu, which is a dumpling place. It was decent and I'd probably go back to try different dumplings. I will say it was definitely cheap.

Weekend Update 08/15/2008 - 08/17/2008

2008-08-22T12:50:00.000-07:00

Friday

I spent the evening preparing for the garage sale on Saturday. It took longer than expected and I ended up eating dinner at Ohana Hawaiian BBQ...yes I went back on my promise. It was 9:50 PM and I was desperate.

Saturday

This was the day of the big collective yard sale I had with some of my friends. I did not sell that many items but I made $29. That tied me for the least amount of $$$ made on this, but it's not a big deal. Interestingly enough, the person that sold the most items did NOT make the most money as someone sold a golf set for $25. The maximum money received by one individual was $60.75 and all together we cleared $225 in sales. That's a lot more than I thought we'd do.

I learned that a table at Frank and Sons is only $50 or so and that I should be selling my stuff there as all the stuff I want to get rid off is technically "collectible". It also fulfills a part of my "Geek Bucket List" to become a vendor. I can't believe I'm saying this, but I am excited. (Clearly I live a sad, sad life!)

I spent the evening eating dinner at Tofu House. I've always wanted to eat here just because it's close by. I honestly can't tell the difference between a good Korean tofu place and a poor one, but this one seemed ok to me. The dishes they brought out at the beginning were a bit weird; they had the standard stuff like kimchi, fish, and pickled vegetables but they also had broccoli and seaweed. Additionally there was free desert from a soft serve ice cream machine. (?!) I ended up REALLY full after my dinner here proving once again that I am a glutton.

I caught an evening showing of The Clone Wars after dinner. The film was throughly mediocre. It really was watching a tv-pilot in a movie theater. The animation was jerky for the humans but good for everything else. The dialog was honestly terrible, but for Star Wars it was quite good. It was certainly no Attack of the Clones. The film is also aimed at kids, so be prepared for some cute humorous scenes between newcomer Ahsoka and Anakin.

I'm definitely a fan of Ahsoka though; the Star Wars universe definitely needs a scrappy rookie character. I'm also glad we have a non-evil female lightsaber user though Ahsoka is the same race as Shaak-Ti. I guess everyone loves female Togrutas.

Also I think this film is worth watching because of Ziro the Hutt. He is everything Jar Jar should have been. That's all I'm going to say about that, but he really is super awesome.

Sunday

This was a pretty lazy day. I played Altei and SoulCalibur IV. I also got in a lesson at GolfTec. I cooked dinner and ate at home.

I LIVE

2008-08-07T18:08:00.001-07:00

I am alive. I have internet. I just am trying to unpack before I get distracted by things like this blog, Alteil, and Soulcalibur IV.

On Hiatus

2008-07-23T00:48:00.000-07:00

Yeah, moving is just about as much of a beating as I remember it.

I'll update this blog post Comic Con / post move.

Anime Expo Part 4: Sunday July 6th

2008-07-18T15:50:00.000-07:00

Sunday

Sunday morning was spent wandering the Artists Alley. I did not buy anything (go go saving) but my companions did. I definitely enjoyed browsing all the artwork though. That's always great. It's great to see Ace Attorney / Gyakuten Saiban being represented in fanart!

I spent the closing hours of the con wandering the exhibit hall but not really buying anything. I'm pretty impressed with my newfound ability to not buy things. One can only hope I do as well during Comic Con.

After the con I had dinner at Tamaya, it's the new ramen place on Main / Las Tunas in Alhambra. I like the variety of dishes, but my ramen was a bit too salty. Still, I get a bit tired of Shinsengumi because you can only get 1 type of broth where at Tamaya you can get 1 of 3 and they have other dishes too.

My group managed to catch a showing of Hancock before calling it a night. I am a huge fan of Will Smith. I've seen him almost all his films including the likes of Wild Wild West. Hancock was throughly mediocre. The first half of this movie is awesome because it's Will Smith performing SuperDickery. The second half...not so much. I didn't like or buy the twist in the 2nd half of the film. Still the acting was good enough. I enjoyed seeing Charlize Theron and Jason Bateman reunited again after their Arrested Development arc.

All in all, I totally enjoyed the first Anime Expo held at the Los Angeles Convention Center. Hopefully next year's will be just as awesome!

Anime Expo Part 3: Saturday July 5th

2008-07-16T23:58:00.000-07:00

(I've replaced my normal weekend update with this report on Anime Expo. It's broken into four parts because of its length.)

Saturday

Saturday morning was spent in line trying to get David Hayter's autograph. It would have ended in disappointment but David Hayter decided to stay 1/2 an hour later so I barely got my autograph. Total time? 2.5 hours, I got to him at like 12:20. Too close! But I do have my MGS3 instruction book signed by Kojima AND David Hayter. Clearly one of my best pieces of fanboy created merchandise yet!

I spent a good time during all 4 days playing BlazBlue, the new fighting game by the team that brought us Guilty Gear. On Saturday I spent like 3+ hours in the console room trying this out. The similarities to Guilty Gear are many, and a comparison between the two is not out of the question despite BlazBlue having 1 less button than Guilty Gear. Faultless Defense, Recovery, Burst, and Roman Cancelling appear to be back, though they have slightly different names and activations due to the change in controls. The characters themselves borrow heavily from GG, with Iron Tegar having Potemkin's throw animations and Ragna the Bloodedge looking like Sol Badguy. It would appear Jin has Johnny's Mist Viper slashes.

I had dinner at The Pantry (yeah it's within easy walking distance)...this time around I had breakfast so things went a lot better. I guess it's hard to mess up eggs and bacon.

The main event for Saturday was Masquerade. First off, the Masquerade actually started on time! (With this and the AMVs starting on time, this was truly a broken AX!) Secondly, it finished well within the allotted time probably because there weren't as many entries this year (or maybe it was capped?).

I enjoyed most of the skits, though there were some lame ones. I think part of the problem is that the participants did not know how to cut their skits down to 2 minutes without losing coherence. (Oh fanboys/fangirls...) I particularly enjoyed the Kenshiro cosplayer. Yeah, his costume was low rent but he put so much guts into his performance! He inspired me with his obviously amateurish martial arts....and he totally won a prize for his performance.

Other good performances and costumes included various Naruto and One Piece sketches (of course) and not one but TWO Odin Sphere skits. I liked how the Mercedes decided to juggle. Classy! There was also some hilariously bad puns told by a Ryu Hayabusa. (What is Spike's favorite brand of paper towels? BOUNTY!)

By far the highlight was seeing the Orange County Anime Meetup group take the stage for a Smash Brothers skit. Oh, and they won BEST IN SHOW (as they should have)! Clearly I can never cosplay again around my friends in this group since they are on a completely different level from me.

Anime Expo Part 2: Friday July 4th

2008-07-13T23:02:00.000-07:00

(I've replaced my normal weekend update with this report on Anime Expo. It's broken into four parts because of its length.)

Friday

Friday was a nice and relaxed day. I got up early to get in line for David Hayter's panel. It was hilarious and worth the time. He talked a bit about his various voice acting roles through mainly it was a Metal Gear Solid panel. I liked his comment about how in his youth he wanted to be an A-list movie star but as he's grown older he's now content to be a screenwriter and voice actor.

The panel was followed by me lining up for 2 hours to try and get David Hayter's autograph. I didn't make it. (Apparently David Hayter is super popular, who knew?) Thought I got pwn3d, I did manage to take a picture with him. He was nice/kind enough to walk down the line and shake everyone's hand and pose for pictures. I appreciated that.

I spent the next few hours wandering around and spending more time on the exhibit hall floor. I enjoyed playing the Soul Calibur IV demo at BandaiNamco's booth even if there were only 3 playable characters (Mitsurugi, Siegfried, and Hilde).

I finally got to work a shift at the booth that hires con attendees to work retail for $10/hour in credit. I've never worked retail before in my life (spoiled I know) and let me just say I'm fairly terrible at it. From restocking to figuring out what went where and doing basic arithmetic, I was totally mediocre as an employee. The experience was humbling but I totally built character. I ended up using my store credit to purchase Dan-Doh!! because I have a hunch that the series isn't going to be reprinted anytime soon and will be hard to find.

Friday evening saw us eating at Harbor Cafe, the cafe that replaced Regent Cafe. It's pretty much the same place but the menu isn't as extensive...but I think the quality of each individual dish has gone up.

After dinner my group saw WALL-E. This film RULES. It really is an awesome love story; the fact that the romance is between two robots is irrelevant. The movie had a great mix of emotion/drama and humor. I also liked the fact that it wasn't overly preachy. Pixar rules...I even liked the short before the film. So much magical dickery!

Anime Expo Part 1: Thursday July 3rd

2008-07-11T16:30:00.000-07:00

(I've replaced my normal weekend update with this report on Anime Expo. It's broken into four parts because of its length.)

Thursday

This was the first day of the con. I enjoyed the fact that the venue this year was the Los Angeles Convention Center. The place was definitely spacious enough to accommodate everyone and never felt crowded. I suppose one downside to this is that it seemed there weren't that many people cosplaying though that is probably not the case. It was just that attendees were more spread out. Also, ticketed seating made event seating easy; no more queuing for HOURS just to get a ticket!

After picking up my pass in a record 5 minutes, I spent some time in the exhibit hall wandering around but not buying anything. I found Alteil, which is an online CCG. It's definitely an interesting concept and the game is popular in Japan so who knows, maybe it can gain some traction here. The underlying system seems simple yet complex enough to be fun.

We had dinner at The Pantry and I made the mistake of not ordering breakfast yet again. (When will I ever learn?) The less said about this meal the better.

Thursday's main evening event was the Anime Music Video contest. The videos this year were a good mix, there wasn't too much Lucky Star or Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya. I enjoyed the Gurren Lagan video with Be a Man from Mulan even if it belonged in the comedy category rather than the action one.

You can view a list of the winners here. My votes matched up with all the winners save for the drama (I'm not a James Blunt fan) and comedy categories. I threw my vote away on a Gundam 0083 comedy video, but whatever I enjoyed it and felt it was original. I love it when people take a non-comedic series like Gundam 0083 or Berserk and turn it into a comedy video. Of course this Haruhi video won the comedy category as well as Best Of Show, which is par for the course. (I can think of only 1-2 times where the Best Of Show was NOT from the comedy category.)

Weekend Update 6/27/08 - 6/29/08

2008-07-02T17:45:00.000-07:00

(In an effort to increase the regular content on this blog and in order to figure out just what I do with my life, I've decided to start keeping records of my activities on the weekends. This is sure to be more boring than a Physics/English lecture for the three of you reading this blog, so feel free to skip this entry. These are mainly for me.)

Friday

This was a fairly mild night. I finished watching Dexter Season 1 while doing my laundry. The series reminds me of a live action Death Note. There are a lot of similarities between Light and Dexter, and they both have ridiculously homo-erotic relationships with their rivals too. (Light has L and Dexter has the Ice Truck Killer). All in all I enjoyed this season and am looking forward to getting season 2 on DVD.

Saturday

I played Azusa Greens Country Club in the afternoon. My front 9 was terrible but I made up for it on the back 9, almost breaking 50. My game was totally pw3nd by sand bunkers. Those things easily accounted for 5+ strokes. I will have to figure out how to deal with these obstacles someday....

I spent the evening eating dinner at Twohey's. It seems like I'm here quite often, probably because it's close to where one of my friends lives. They also have something for everyone though I think I would rather go to an Asian cafe if we are going to "satisfy everyone" route.

I caught an evening showing of Wanted after dinner. The film was good but not great. However, it was much better than the comic, though this isn't a hard feat. The comic has such a terrible ending that any sort of mediocre ending (which the film has) would be better.

Sunday

I looked at a bunch more apartments/condos/houses with my sister. Unfortunately we only found one really good place. We're applying for this place, hopefully we get it as I feel it has just about everything we're looking for. Admittedly the kitchen is not that big but I don't think that's a huge deal because neither of us are hardcore chefs. There are also parking issues but honestly neither of us have guests over that often.

I treated my sister and her boyfriend to lunch at JJ Cafe which was followed by some Dungeons & Dragons 4th Edition. It was fun role playing a bit even our party is teetering on the edge of collapse due to conflicting personalities and alignments. (All this despite no one being evil.)

I had dinner at Diner on Main. I enjoyed their turkey meatloaf and tapioca pudding. The pudding had way too much gelatin in it but for some reason I still enjoyed the texture. It was odd but delicious.

Summary

Golf Courses Visited: Azusa Greens Country Club
Golf Score(s): 106 (Azusa Greens)
TV Shows Watched: Dexter Season 1
Movies Watched: Wanted
Restaurants Patronized: Twohey's, JJ Cafe, Diner on Main
Overall: A thoroughly mediocre weekend, but I hope I get that condo. 2/5

Weekend Update 6/20/08 - 6/22/08

2008-06-26T19:06:00.000-07:00

(In an effort to increase the regular content on this blog and in order to figure out just what I do with my life, I've decided to start keeping records of my activities on the weekends. This is sure to be more boring than a Physics/English lecture for the three of you reading this blog, so feel free to skip this entry. These are mainly for me.)

Friday

I caught an early evening showing of The Incredible Hulk. The film was quite mediocre but I enjoyed it more than the Ang Lee version. I'm not a huge fan of Edward Norton but I think he did a good job in this. I am a fan of Liv Tyler though so she was a nice addition. I particularly enjoyed all the comic book references. The fanboy in me totally loves how Marvel is making these films take place in the same universe; seeing Tony Stark make a cameo is AWESOME.

I had dinner at Subway (Eat Fresh!). Nothing exciting to say here except I got a combo meal and drank ORANGE BANG. So janktastic, yet so good! I went to bed early because I had to get up on Saturday.

Saturday

I got up early for a 7:30 AM tee time at Whittier Narrows. It was an LA Golf Meetup group event. I had fun even though I sucked it up. The day started so well too, with a birdie and a par...and it went downhill from there.

I spent the evening having some people over to watch Fists of Righteous Harmony. (Dinner was pizza from Shakey's.) Yes, this is a truly janktastic film but my actor friend is in it. He's POINTMAN. How can you go wrong with that? A lot of fun was had making fun of his terrible Mandarin. I am looking forward to the (planned) sequel.

Sunday

I drove out to Spoon House for lunch. I love this place, it's a Japanese-Italian diner/pasta bar. It's everything I look for in an establishment: non-pretentious with good food and quick service. Every time I go I always want to try a Western styled pasta but instead end up with an Eastern styled one. The next time I visit I'll get the natto pasta and gross my friends out.

I had lunch in Gardena because I had to be in Torrance at the Comic Cult for a Marvel Universe release event. I sucked it up. The less I say about this the better. I'm still trying to figure out the exact # of characters to play at each slot in a sealed deck. Every time I try for the "pro" curve I seemed to get destroyed 1-2 games because I miss my 5/6.

I had dinner at Shakas which was followed by some Dungeons & Dragons 4th Edition. I've never played 4e before. There's definitely a huge Japanese RPG and MMORPG influence at work here. It's streamlined and simplified, but I like that. The best parts of pen and paper RPGs for me is the actual roleplaying and character interaction as opposed to the combat and stats. I will say that 4e has made more interested in combat though. I also like how we have a couple of players who are new to the experience, it makes it a lot of fun.

Summary

Golf Courses Visited: Whittier Narrows
Golf Score(s): 114 (Whittier Narrows)
Movies Watched: The Incredible Hulk, Fists of Righteous Harmony
Restaurants Patronized: Subway, Spoon House, Shakey's Pizza, Shakas
Overall: I enjoyed Fists and D&D 4e. 4/5

Weekend Update 6/14/08 - 6/16/08

2008-06-19T08:26:00.001-07:00

Golf Courses Visited: Upland Hills Country Club
Movies Watched: The Girl Who Leapt Through Time
Restaurants Patronized: Langer's Deli, Au Loc, Happy Family
Tasks Completed: Laundry
Overall: It was my sister's graduation AND Father's Day. 5/5

Weekend Update 6/6/08 - 6/8/08

2008-06-11T11:47:00.000-07:00

(In an effort to increase the regular content on this blog and in order to figure out just what I do with my life, I've decided to start keeping records of my activities on the weekends. This is sure to be more boring than a Physics/English lecture for the three of you reading this blog, so feel free to skip this entry. These are mainly for me.)

Friday

I deviated from my normal AJAX studying to have dinner at Twohey's and go to Edgeworld for a Marvel Universe sealed event. It was super nerdy but I had fun even if I did get back home at 1 AM or so. Once again, I am amazed at how close the OC is when there's no traffic.

Saturday

I got up late and ended up going into work just to use my workspace. I still couldn't debug my AJAX/PHP/MySQL error though. It was beatings. On the plus side, I was only minutes away from a co-worker's graduation and birthday party + BBQ. The chicken there was pretty good, and it was only marinated in oil + balsamic vinegar. I will have to try that sometime.

After dinner I made it back to the SGV and looked at some rooms for rent. I am tempted to upgrade my lifestyle and rent a master bedroom but I know I probably shouldn't. After all, I am currently doing fine with my current sized room (about 110 sq ft.) and sharing a bathroom. I should leave the upgrading for when I actually buy property (if that ever happens).

The night was capped by watching Adam Sandler's latest film, You Don't Mess With the Zohan. I wasn't going to see this film at first but then the latest trailer had Zohan's ridiculous Israeli commando moves and I was sold. The film turned out to be decent and quite entertaining; I can safely say that it had everything I wanted in a spoof/satire film about the Israeli-Palastinian conflict in the Middle East.

Sunday

I started the day by doing my laundry. Then I went to Almansor's driving range. I really suck at hitting balls now, I'm not sure why, part of it might just be because it's been a while since I've played/practiced. I will have to bring my rampant slicing up at my next lesson.

I had dinner (take out) from Senor Fish and watched the Lakers' game at a friend's place. They were getting beat down so I left during the fourth quarter...big mistake. The Lakers proceeded to go on a crazy run and make the game a respectable loss rather than a beating. I guess I'll keep watching games until the end from now on.

Summary

Golf Courses Visited: Almansor
Movies Watched: You Don't Mess with the Zohan
Restaurants Patronized: Twohey's, Senor Fish
Tasks Completed: Laundry
Overall: Zohan was better than I thought it would be. 4/5

Weekend Update 5/30/08 - 6/01/08

2008-06-04T22:39:00.000-07:00

The number of people who are curious and/or enjoy line dancing is staggering. (I believe most of these people were from non-West Coast states.)
I LOVE fried pickles. Frying does indeed make everything better.

During the whole convention I played a lot of The World Ends With You before going to bed each night. This game is really addicting. I'm glad SquareEnix can make an original game for once.

Saturday

The bulk of Saturday was spent at the conference and traveling home. I had lunch in Nashville at The Rainforest Cafe. This chain is only one step above Chuck E. Cheese.

The flight from Nashville to LAX was delayed but we made it up in the air. (My flight to Nashville was also delayed but recovered in the air.) I must say I'm quite impressed the airlines making up their delay while airborne.

When I got back to LA I wanted some ethnic food, so I hit up Versailles with my friends. I enjoyed it as always...I love their pork dishes and plantains.

Sunday

This day was spent organizing and cataloging a lot of my belongings for sale on Craigslist. I'm moving in August so right now I am in the process of paring down all my possessions. Having to go through all my stuff has really made me think more about what I spent my money on and which items I keep/store. It's definitely an eye-opening experience that I recommend everyone do at least once a year (Spring Cleaning?) regardless of whether or not one is moving.

Summary

Games Played: The World Ends With You
Restaurants Patronized: Versailles, The Rainforest Cafe, Wild Horse Saloon
Tasks Accomplished: Cataloged DVD collection and part of comics/manga collection, posted items on Craigslist.
Overall: A work filled busy weekend. 2/5

Weekend Update 5/23/08 - 5/26/08

2008-05-27T16:45:00.000-07:00

(In an effort to increase the regular content on this blog and in order to figure out just what I do with my life, I've decided to start keeping records of my activities on the weekends. This is sure to be more boring than a Physics/English lecture for the three of you reading this blog, so feel free to skip this entry. These are mainly for me.)

Friday

More time with my AJAX book. I wrote a simple page that grabs data from a MySQL database and populates it to a field upon the user clicking. I found a weird error with this on FireFox. It works fine on IE and Opera. I spent the rest of the night trying to debug this. I'm still working on it.

I had dinner at Shinsengumi Ramen. This is a place that I always enjoy going to.

Once again, I managed to get in some The World Ends With You before going to bed. This game is really suited for playing a little bit each day. The designers were quite clever in how they implemented various systems to make the user want to play the game daily. Also, the music has totally grown on me and now I dig it.

Saturday

Another weekend at Azusa Greens Country Club. The course was not that crowded because it rained early in the morning and people were scared off. Cool beans. I shot a 109 which is ok; my putting and driving was good, but I simply lost too many balls to bad drives. The front 9 was 51 whereas the back was 58. I played from the blue tees this time though.

I spent the evening at the driving range over Monterey Park Golf Course. I hadn't been to this place in a while. I've really been trying to improve my iron shots and I am beginning to some progress. My main issue is being able to hit a good iron shot after a good drive. If I can master this I can totally get on the green in two for courses like Azusa.

I had dinner at Ohana Hawaiian BBQ, the mochiko chicken was way too salty. I really just wanted some Spam musubi. Next time I will just stick to that...or go to Shakas which while mediocre is still better than this place.

Sunday The day started with a golf lesson at Golftec. Afterwards, I played a game at Monterey Park. I shot a 38, which is good for me. I've gotten a lot better since I last played this course.

I watched a few more episodes of Yama Onna Kabe Onna. Almost near the end and I have to laugh at some of the plot twists. This show is a weird mix of Japanese style humor and psuedo-legitimate drama.

Monday

I spent Memorial Day attending a BBQ and playing board games. There was some Rock Band in there as well. I had a good time and probably ate too much. I'm not sure how this honors our fallen soldiers but I suppose the BBQ is American.

Summary

Golf Courses Visited: Azusa Greens Country Club, Monterey Park
Final Scores: 109 (Azusa), 38 (Monterey Park)
Games Played: The World Ends With You, Rockband
TV Shows Watched: Yama Onna Kabe Onna
Restaurants Patronized: Shinsengumi Ramen, Ohana Hawaiian BBQ
Overall: Not a bad weekend...there was an extra day! 4/5

Weekend Update 5/16/08 - 5/18/08

2008-05-22T12:13:00.000-07:00

(In an effort to increase the regular content on this blog and in order to figure out just what I do with my life, I've decided to start keeping records of my activities on the weekends. This is sure to be more boring than a Physics/English lecture for the three of you reading this blog, so feel free to skip this entry. These are mainly for me.)

Friday

A throughly boring but necessary day. I spent the evening after work reading more of my AJAX book and then went home for dinner. I spent some time at Almansor...there was a disgusting number of bugs at the driving range. I had no idea it got like that at night. I think it's just like that at the beginning of summer, but I guess we'll see.

I managed to get in some The World Ends With You before going to bed.

Saturday

I'm not going to lie, I stayed indoors for most of the day because it was hot outside and I felt lazy.

I watched a bunch of episodes of Yama Onna Kabe Onna. I'm going to finish this series just so I can say I watched a more female-appealing J-Drama. Yeah the whole emphasis on breast size is a gimmick/hook but hey, it works for me. (I guess that's all it takes to watch a more female targeted show...I bet Gossip Girl and other such shows use this strategy.) The show is janky but at the same level of a show like Sushi Oji and I watched all 8 episodes of that. (I'm looking forward to the movie.)

The evening saw me watching Raiders of the Lost Arc . (My plan is to watch all 3 of the films before Kingdom of the Crystal Skull comes out.) This movies rules and is by far my favorite Indiana Jones film. It has so many great lines and the best characters (Marion, Belloc) of the film franchise.

I had dinner at Kam Hong Garden, it wasn't bad. I always enjoy hand made noodles and they have different types, I'll have to come back here and try some more dishes.

The night ended with my friends and me going to the UCLA Recent Grad Party. I had fun and won a plastic water bottle. Some of us also went to karaoke at White Karaoke in K-town afterwards. It was noisy and I'm somewhat disturbed by the songs one of my friends apparently knows. O_o

Sunday

The day started with a golf lesson at Golftec. Afterwards, I spent some more time at Almansor. I wish I could say I feel my confidence increasing with practice but I don't think it's happening.

I did some grocery shopping and made lunch (sandwiches) for the week. I watched Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom before going to bed. The film really is racist but I do love me some Short Round, too bad Willie is such a bitch. She really ruins this film.

Summary

Golf Courses Visited: Almansor
Events Attended: UCLA Recent Grad Party
Games Played: The World Ends With You
TV Shows Watched: Yama Onna Kabe Onna
Movies Watched: Raiders of the Lost Arc , Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom
Restaurants Patronized: Kam Hong Garden
Overall: Not a bad weekend 3/5

Weekend Upate: 5/09/08 - 5/11/08

2008-05-13T21:10:00.000-07:00

(In an effort to increase the regular content on this blog and in order to figure out just what I do with my life, I've decided to start keeping records of my activities on the weekends. This is sure to be more boring than a Physics/English lecture for the three of you reading this blog, so feel free to skip this entry. These are mainly for me.)

Friday

This was a special weekend because I flew up to the Bay Area for Mother's Day.

I spent most of Friday with my Mom. I managed to get a haircut as well. I had lunch at Shivas which was an Indian buffet. I enjoyed it, but I honestly know nothing about Indian food so who knows if it's actually good or not. I do know I like Indian rice pudding more than any other type of rice pudding!

After eating dinner at home, I caught a screening of Harold and Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay. It was definitely not as entertaining as the first one, but it has Neil Patrick Harris in an expanded role which totally adds +1.0 to this film. I would give it a 7.0/10.

I also got to try out Froyo?, the new froyo place at Cupertino Square. It's pay by weight style which I'm a fan of. I would say the toppings are Yogomo quality while the actual yogurt is closer to Cefiore or Blue Cherry. It wasn't bad but not great either...but hey it's a start and they had lychee as a flavor and a topping! Interestingly enough, a Coldstone is coming soon to the same mall. Both of these dessert establishments are near the box office so there will be a frozen dessert war soon enough!

Saturday

The day started with me driving everyone in the family to go see Iron Man. Yes, this film is so broken that I saw it a second time. Tony Stark is in the suit for probably like 25% of the film or less and yet the film is still awesome. Robert Downey Jr is a fan and it shows in his portrayal.

I had dinner as Cascal, which I enjoyed but once again it's an ethnic cuisine that I am not familiar with. I'm not really a big fan of saffron (which I guess is good considering how expensive it is), but the paella I had was palatable enough.

After dinner I managed to catch Speed Racer, which for a family film is quite decent. The janky CGI and unique look definitely work. There's also some cool shots that evoke a very animated sort of feel. I hate to admit it, but the Wachowskis are probably visionary directors. Also, Chim Chim alone gives this film +1.0. I would give the film a 7/10.

Sunday

I took my Mom out to dim sum at Fook Yuen. It was super delicious, I like this place a lot. The wait is long but it's totally worth it. (It turns out you can call ahead for a number too.)

Afterwards we did some light shopping and then it was time to return home to get packed and prepare to leave.

My flight was delayed 1 hour. I spent the timing playing more of The World Ends With You. I think I have totally leveled far too much and not advanced the plot enough. This happens a lot with me and RPGs, especially when I enjoy the combat system.

I got home at like 1AM and promptly went to bed. (It's funny how quickly I can drive to/from the west side when there's no traffic.)

Summary

Games Played: The World Ends With You
Movies Watched: Iron Man , Speed Racer, Harold and Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay
Restaurants Patronized: Shivas, Cascal, Fook Yuen
Overall: Any weekend I get to spend with my family is awesome. 6/5

Weekend Update: 5/02/08 - 05/04/08

2008-05-06T19:22:00.000-07:00

Golf Courses Visited: Azusa Greens Country Club, Almansor
Final Score: 105 (Azusa Greens)
Games Played: Mass Effect, The World Ends With You
Movies Watched: Iron Man
Restaurants Patronized: Yama, Twohey's
Tasks Completed: Laundry, Grocery Shopping, Cooking
Overall: Iron Man pretty much made this weekend! 5/5

VICTOLY!

2008-04-30T10:45:00.000-07:00

Since October of 2006, I've been participating in Fantasy Moguls. It's a site dedicated to playing a fantasy game based around movies, instead of sports. The rules of the game have changed quite a bit since I started playing, but it's always been a lot of fun to me. (I'm not sure why; it's probably because every round is an optimization problem with imperfect information.) It's actually pretty simple to play as well...it's not as complex as fantasy football/basketball/baseball.

There are basically two types of games: Box Office and Ultimate. In both of these you start with $100 million and each film costs some amount of money to buy. You can have up to 8 films on your slate. For Box Office Moguls, you are concerned with one thing: total box office revenue. For Ultimate, you are concerned with 4 categories: total box office revenue, per theater average, weeks in the top 5, and IMDB score. (The last criteria means if you field less than eight films you get a '0' for any empty slot on your slate.)

One of the running jokes about this game is how I've managed to finish 2nd 4-5 times in leagues with my friends. We have people who have finished 1st multiple times but I can't seem to close out.

Finally, that streak ends as yours truly won both full-year and half-year leagues for Round 2 of the Ultimate Super Leagues. What are the Super Leagues you ask? They are public leagues started by rabid fans / columnists of the site as a way to play the game against the maximum number of people. Each round sees the bottom 10/20% cut from the league whereas the top 5% win immunity from elimination for the next round. (It looks like this immunity will come in handy as I am not looking too great in Round 3.)

I should also mention that Ultimate is my game, if it wasn't obvious from nearly being eliminated from Round 2 of the full year Box Office league!

For those of you who are curious, here is my winning slate, I used the same one in both leagues:

(Note that the poster for Under the Same Moon is incorrect.)

Here's an analysis of the slate:

Title	TBO	PTA	Top5	IMDB
Hannah Montana/Miley Cyrus: Best of Both Worlds Concert Tour($16)	$65.22M	15	8	2.6
Jumper ($23)	$79.17M	4	9	5.9
The Bank Job ($4)	$29.21M	0	2	7.8
Dr. Seuss' Horton Hears a Who! ($31)	$144.42M	7	16	7.6
Under the Same Moon ($3)	$11.19M	7	0	7.7
Drillbit Taylor ($12)	$29.78M	0	3	6.1
The Flight of the Red Balloon ($4)	$127K	8	0	7.2
Forbidden Kingdom ($7)	$21.4M	4	5	7.7
TOTAL	$380.51M	45	43	52.6

I feel the major tech pick of this slate was Hannah Montana. At $16, not everyone had it but I believed in the power of Miley Cyrus and Disney. Yes, the IMDB is terrible but the TBO and PTA points more than make up for it. I also have three cheap picks with good IMDB (and PTA) to balance things out. Jumper and Horton gave me the TBO and Top5 points I needed. Forbidden Kingdom was also a good pick and helped out by debuting at #1 in the relatively weak month of April. Drillbit Taylor is quite the dud, not even reaching its projections but at the $12 level I don't know if Run Fat Boy Run, Married Life, or two weeks of Where in the World is Osama Bin Laden? would be worth it instead. Judging from the performances of all these films, I think Married Life would be better simply for the IMDB rating.

So now the question becomes, can I do it again? And can I win a league among my friends? I guess we'll see....

Weekend Update: 4/25/08 - 4-28-08

2008-04-28T22:38:00.000-07:00

Golf Courses Visited: Los Robles Greens Golf Course, Almansor
Final Score: 103 (Los Robles)
Games Played: Mass Effect
Restaurants Patronized: Rick's, Pho 79
Tasks Completed: Laundry, Grocery Shopping, Cleaning, Cooking
Overall: A pretty mediocre weekend BUT the golf was good, 3/5

Weekend Update: 4/18/08 - 4/20/08

2008-04-23T17:02:00.000-07:00

(In an effort to increase the regular content on this blog and in order to figure out just what I do with my life, I've decided to start keeping records of my activities on the weekends. This is sure to be more boring than a Physics/English lecture for the three of you reading this blog, so feel free to skip this entry. These are mainly for me.)

Friday

A bunch of us went to Twohey's to gorge on the all-you-can-eat rib special. I ate 21 ribs, which is not as much as I ate about two years ago. In my defense I'm older and wiser. Also I did eat lunch; I wasn't super hungry by the time dinner rolled around.

Afterwards we tried to watch Forbidden Kingdom but there were only front row seats left. The same thing happened with Forgetting Sarah Marshall. I ended up going home to sleep early because of Saturday's main event.

Saturday

I participated in the 1 club 1 putter golf tournament held at the Arcadia Par 3 Golf Course. Shot a 69, which is my 2nd best score. I totally could've beaten my best score but I choked it away at the end. I finished like almost exactly in the middle, 11 or 12 out of 23. This is about right in terms of my skill level. The really sad part about all of this is it clearly shows I almost always choose the wrong club for a shot.

The afternoon was spent watching the first playoff game between the Spurs and the Suns. It went to double overtime; I was cheering for triple overtime and near the end it looked like it would happen. Alas, I was robbed of my desire in the last seconds of double overtime. Still, I got to see Tim Duncan hit a 3.

I played Army of Two with my friend. We totally sucked it down with our lack of team work and FPS ability. It was rather sad and more of a comedy of errors.

The evening saw dinner at Savoy and froyo at Yogomo. A member of our group appreciated their lack of tartness, convincing me that Yogomo has a niche in the SGV froyo war.

The night was capped by Forbidden Kingdom. I'd give it a 7-7.5/10. I was entertained, though I had low expectations.

Sunday

This day was spent on maintenance tasks. I did my laundry, played Mass Effect, and hit up the Alhambra Golf Course for the driving range and practice facilities.

I also went grocery shopping and cooked my lunch/dinner for the upcoming week: turkey chili. (So janky, yet so good.)

There was an been an hour or so of TV as well. I watched reruns (but the episodes were new to me) of The Simpsons and King of the Hill.

Summary

Golf Courses Visited: Arcadia Par 3, Almansor
Final Score: 69 (Arcadia, PW + PT only)
Movies Seen: Forbidden Kingdom
TV Watched: The Simpsons, King of the Hill
Games Played: Mass Effect, Army of Two
Restaurants Patronized: Twohey's, Savoy, Yogomo
Tasks Completed: Laundry, Grocery Shopping, Cooking
Overall: Not a bad weekend, 3/5

2007 in Movies

2008-04-14T12:11:00.000-07:00

Because I have borderline OCD, I save just about every ticket stub from a film. Usually these end up stored in a junk drawer for years before I finally get rid of them during a fit of cleaning. However, I realized that I can totally justify hanging onto my stubs in order to do a quick retrospective on all the films I've seen over the course of a year.

What have I learned from this?

I see a LOT of films...and I'll see ANYTHING. Seriously, I have no taste and it shows. I don't know why but I can't really get into watching films on DVD or more than once so a movie ticket is about the same cost for me. (I also don't like the clutter so if anything I would Netflix.) I suppose the main issue is when I'm at home I'd rather play video games than watch a movie. (TV shows are a whole different thing though, I totally buy those season sets since I don't have cable/satellite.)

Here's the list of films including dates I've seen them. I've rated the films on a scale of 1 to 10 with 10 being super perfect awesome and 1 being beyond craptastic. I've allowed myself 1/2 point precision. Keep in mind I've built up a huge tolerance for bad films so some of these lower ones are probably unwatchable for the uninitiated among you.

(01/02) Night at the Museum : 5.5
(01/12) Children of Men: 8
(01/14) Stomp the Yard: 3.5
(01/27) Smokin' Aces: 2
(02/18) Ghost Rider: 4
(03/10) Black Snake Moan: 6.5
(03/17) 300 : 7
(03/30) TMNT: 6.5
(03/31) Blades of Glory: 6.5
(04/07) Grindhouse: 7.5
(04/21) Hot Fuzz: 8
(04/28) Condemned: 5
(05/04) Spider-Man 3: 7.5
(05/27) Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End: 7
(06/09) Ocean's 13: 7.5
(06/15) Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer: 6.5
(06/17) Knocked Up: 7.5
(07/03) Live Free or Die Hard: 7.5
(07/06) Transformers: 7
(07/07) Ratatouille : 9
(08/03) Harry Potter and The Order of the Phoenix: 6.5
(08/17) Rush Hour 3: 6
(08/18) Superbad: 8.5
(08/19) The Bourne Ultimatum : 7.5
(08/31) Balls of Fury: 1.5
(09/07) 3:10 to Yuma: 7
(09/09) Shoot 'Em Up: 6.5
(09/22) Resident Evil: Extinction: 5.5
(09/26) Lupin III: Castle of Cagliostro: 9
(11/03) Lust, Caution: 7
(11/11) American Gangster: 7
(11/18) No Country For Old Men: 9
(11/23) Beowulf: 5.5 (3-D version) otherwise (4.5)
(11/24) Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium: 5
(11/25) Hitman: 4.5
(12/08) Juno: 7.5
(12/22) National Treasure: Book of Secrets: 6.5
(12/27) AVPR: Aliens vs. Predator - Requiem: 3.5
(12/29) Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street: 7
(12/30) The Golden Compass: 6

Random Stats:

Jan.: 4
Feb.: 1
Mar.: 4
Apr.: 3
May: 2
Jun.: 3
July: 3
Aug.: 5
Sep.: 4
Oct.: 0
Nov.: 6
Dec.: 5
Total: 40
Min: 1.5 (Balls of Fury)
Max: 9 (Lupin III: Castle of Cagliostro, Ratatouille)
Average: 6.4

So from this we can tell I watch a lot of movies during the summer and winter seasons, which makes sense since these are the big seasons in the film industry. I will note that the high number of January through April films totally means I watch quirky/crappy films. Interestingly enough, I saw 0 films in October. I blame this on the fact that no one wanted to see Saw IV with me and I never got around to seeing Michael Clayton.

And yes, I am saving my stubs for 2008 so this will be a yearly thing. Hopefully I'll be able to post this in January rather than April.

15 More Seconds of Fame

2008-04-01T12:32:00.000-07:00

Today is the day that justified my job at Pitzer College. Those of you (Sumir) who started reading with my first blog post are probably aware that I am an avid listener of the Kevin and Bean morning show on KROQ. I listen on my way to work and continue via online streaming.

I'm sitting at my desk working on stuff when I hear the mention of Pitzer College on the show. I was shocked as this is a small college that doesn't get much attention. It turns out one of the students started a club called the "Masculinist Coalition". Needless to say, dickery and bickering ensued on campus.

You can listen to the whole segment here and here.

I wrote an email during the segment and Bean read it when they came back from break, right before going to calls. The segment as a whole brings up a lot of good points and Phoebe from the Feminist Coalition pretty much gets pw3nd on air which only adds to the entertainment.

There's a digg post here for those of you who have accounts.

I think with this and some recent CCG forum features, I'm down to only 10 or so minutes of Internet fame. I better make the best of it...time to start a side project!

Wired's Top 9 Sidekicks Revised

2008-02-28T09:55:00.000-08:00

So in next month's issue of Wired there's a list of top sidekicks as voted by readers...which is truly jank. Here's the list with apparently no order (though top to bottom seem reasonable)...keep in mind the readership of Wired.:

Samwise Gamgee from LOTR
Mr. Spock from Star Trek
Robin from Batman
Chewbacca from Star Wars (R2-D2 / C3PO would be better for this universe)
Dana Scully from X-files (Isn't she really Mulder's partner? Oh nerds and women...)
Smithers from Simpsons (more of a cronie isn't he?)
K.I.T.T. from Knight Rider (I thought Michael Knight was the sidekick?)
Willow from Buffy (yeah that's like saying Jayne from Firefly is Mal's sidekick)
Beaker from the Muppets (lolz)

I'm sure people can come up with a better list. Dr. Watson, probably the most classic sidekick, isn't there? Boo urns. Where is SHORTROUND? I guess Asians don't read Wired! XD I thought about it some more and here's my top 9:

Dr. Watson from Sherlock Holmes
Robin from Batman
Samwise Gamgee from LOTR
R2D2/C3P0 from Star Wars
Agent 99 from Get Smart (a rare case of the sidekick being more legit than the main character)
Luigi from infi Mario Nintendo games
Shortround from Indiana Jones (Is this my Asian bias?)
Otacon from Metal Gear Solid (he's like The Oracle of the MGS universe!)
Ace from Doctor Who (she's the most popular companion right?)

I left off people who I felt weren't really sidekicks because they developed as characters on their TV shows (Spock, Data, Weldonverse characters). I'm sure I've forgotten some good ones, so if you have any better suggestions, you know what to do.

C.A.R.: In Bruges

2008-02-26T13:56:00.000-08:00

Sundance Wrapup

2008-02-01T16:50:00.000-08:00

A couple weeks ago I had the opportunity to go to the Sundance Film Festival in Utah. It was an enlightening experience. I love traveling out of state because I get to see how other people live and what the climate is like outside of California. (All this while everyone still speaks English.) What I learned was it's cold in Utah...and they have real snow. But whatever, I'm sure you're more interested in the films I saw and my thoughts about them. I'll even summarize the plot for each film without hyperbolic film student speak.

Animation Shorts

Plot: A bunch of animation shorts. Many of these can be seen via the Internet, iTunes or (oddly enough?) the Xbox Live Marketplace.

Thoughts: Madame Tutli Putli is up for an Oscar for best animated short. It's both a technical and artistic marvel and I highly recommend seeing it. Some of the shorts were darkly humorous and disturbing (Peare Sisters and For the Love Of God). My favorite is probably Chonto because the story was of such caliber that I didn't notice how sparsely animated the short was. It reminded me of a good anime. I also enjoyed History of America for its janktastic appeal even if it was a bit too long.

Conclusion: You should at least watch the shorts I mentioned. They aren't very long; what have you got to lose?

Anvil: The True Story of Anvil

Plot: Anvil is a Canadian heavy metal band that was big for a brief moment in the 80s but never quite made it. That didn't mean they stopped and broke up the band though. This documentary follows the band in modern times and sees what became of rock stars that neither made it big nor quit. Needless to say, hilarity and heartbreak ensue.

Thoughts: This is totally a breakout documentary like King of Kong. It's like This is Spinal Tap, but NOT a mockumentary. That's how hilarious it is. Seeing 50+ year olds rock out is encouraging, and you really feel for the band members as things never really quite go right for these guys. Pathos + comedy: the new winning formula in today's cinema.

Conclusion: Go see this film, you won't regret it. It proves how real life is infinitely more entertaining than fiction.

Bottle Shock

Plot: It's 1976 and Napa Valley is trying to prove to the wine world (France) that it's legitimate. An international blind wine tasting competition between France and America serves as the battleground. We follow the story of Chateau Montelena as it struggles to not only succeed in the wine business, but to take its place in history. Based on a true story.

Thoughts: This films is like "You Got Sideways'd!". It's pretty much a live action food anime. ("This..THIS CHARDONNAY...has a SECRET!") It was one of the more mainstream films at the festival as it had real production values and real stars including Bill Pullman, Alan Rickman, Dennis Farina, and Eliza Dushku.

Conclusion: You should watch this if you like food anime or want a more mainstream version of Sideways. On the plus side, this film does not feature Sandra Oh.

Momma's Man

Plot: A man has a nervous breakdown while visiting his parent's loft in NYC. Deciding not to return to his wife and kid in California, he instead stays in the place he grew up. Will he find the courage to get his life back on track?

Thoughts: This is really a film about the double edge sword of familial ties. Unfortunately, this film has all the negative characteristics I expected from a film playing at Sundance. It was way too long, the plot went no where, and all the characters had no real purpose. This should have been a short. I will say I enjoyed the directing and camera work.

Conclusion: Don't see this film. Not even for free.

Otto: Or, Up With Dead People

Plot: Otto is a recently resurrected zombie wandering the streets of Berlin. He gets cast in an independent, avant-guard, gay zombie prono film. It's clear from the beginning that there's more to this situation than it seems. Is Otto truly a zombie? Or is there another explanation for his zombie behavior?

Thoughts: This is a true modern day grind house (exploitation) film. The production values are pretty low budget, and the film was made in Germany so the accents get in the way. There are a also a lot of seemingly random characters / montages that apparently only make sense if you've seen the previous films of writer/director Bruce LaBruce). This film is definitely graphic and would be rated NC-17 (or X?) if it came out here...so you should know what to expect. Overall, I thought the idea was good but the execution was lacking. There are a lot of good lines that are obscured by German accents and the film definitely has an interesting political take. I probably could have done without the gratuitous gay sex but it is an exploitation film.

Conclusion: I sincerely doubt this film is coming out here, and I would only recommend this if you want to see an explicit gay zombie film and everything that entails.

Quid Pro Quo

Plot: A hard-boiled modern noir film, but with a twist. Issac, a parpelegic radio host, is investigating an incident in which a healthy man walked into a hospital and demanded his leg be amputated. During the course of his investigation, he meets the mysterious Fiona. Together they uncover the world of "wannabees", perfectly healthy people who want to be paralyzed.

Thoughts: This was a good film. It follows all the standard noir tropes and I enjoyed the twist at the end. I also enjoyed the idea of Ira Glass as a hard boiled detective. I particularly enjoyed the character of Fiona. I'd say more about the film but I don't want to ruin anything.

Conclusion: I'm not sure if this got picked up, but if you have the chance to see this I would recommend it if you like thrillers.

Reversion

Plot: In the near future, mutants are born without the ability to sense and perceive time. These mutants live their whole lives nearly simultaneously, seeing possible and probable futures and past all as one. We follow the life of one such mutant as she meets and falls in love with another mutant. The only problem? They both know she is destined to kill him...or is she?

Thoughts: This film is a mess. The idea is certainly interesting but there are no less than two side plots with scenes that have very little to do with the main plot. None of the characters are sympathetic and worth caring about. I can care for unsympathetic characters (American Psycho comes to mind) but not in this film. It reminded me a lot of the comic book mini series Wanted: everyone is a villain, and the ending is a letdown.

Conclusion: Don't watch this...it's a trap!

Slingshot Hip Hop

Plot: This documentary follows the lives of Palestinian rappers in Israel, Gaza, and the West Bank. It's a look into a non-violent way of resistance/protest.

Thoughts: I enjoyed this film even if it made me feel extremely ignorant about what is going on in the Middle East. These artists have a great sound and unlike most other hip hop artists, their lyrics carry actual meaning and are relevant to their situation. It's interesting to see how the rappers are all inspired by American hip hop while still producing a unique product with their own specific voice. These artists live with the very real fear that they could die or be homeless at any moment.

Conclusion: I would recommend watching this if you get the chance. It's a very interesting film and not as depressing as you may think. It shows you a part of the world you probably know very little about.

Sunshine Cleaning

Plot: Down on their luck sisters start a cleaning business. The twist? Their business cleans up after crime scenes, accidents, and suicides...after the body has been removed, of course.

Thoughts: This is the Amy Adams film that everyone was talking about. It's a very female-oriented film. The main characters are both female and it's written and directed by a woman (Megan Holley) as well. The plot is more about relationships and familial ties than it is about starting a business from scratch. Despite this, I enjoyed it, probably due to the fact that the film is a dark comedy. Mary Lynn Rajskub (Cloe from 24) also shows up in the film proving to me that she's totally typecast in a certain role.

Conclusion: This is going to be a successful film. You'll probably have no problems finding a theater to watch it and I'd recommend it. I see it as a good date movie because I actually enjoyed the plot despite the fact that I'm a guy and this film appeals mainly to women.

The Wave

Plot: In modern day Germany high school teacher Rainer Wegner is appalled that his students do no take fascism seriously. He decides to start a social experiment called "The Wave", a cleverly disguised fascist movement and recruits his class. The organization soon grows into something much bigger than anyone expected. With the experiment spiraling out of control, can Rainer end the experiment before anyone gets hurt? Will he even want to? Based on a true story.

Thoughts: This is based on the book The Wave which was made into a tv movie in the 80s. I remember hearing about this experiment because the high school where it occurred was in the neighboring town (Palo Alto). The real life event took place in the 60s and this film updates everything to modern day Germany. I thought this would be a heavy handed film but I was pleasantly surprised. The characters are somewhat archetypal but there's a broad cross section at work and I agree with the director that we can all identify each of the characters as someone we knew in high school. I particularly liked the ending; it's definitely more modern and makes sense for today's society.

Conclusion: Worth watching if you like the idea, it was a lot better than I expected. It's significantly better than the ABC family special film from the 80s.

In Memoriam: Nov. 22nd, 2005 - Jan. 4th, 2008

2008-01-15T21:54:00.000-08:00

We are gathered here today to mark the passing of Mr. Xbox 360. Like many others, he has finally joined his brothers in the after life. Mr. 360 would not have wanted us to cry over his demise. Indeed, he would want us to celebrate the better times. I shall honor his wishes. I remember when Mr. 360 and I first met. It was a cool day in December of 2005. As much as I would like to say we got along swimmingly, I have to be honest. (Xbox would have wanted that.) It was a rough few months.

We played mainly Dead or Alive 4 back then. We also had a lot of fun with the new Live service, and playing Live Arcade games like Geometry Wars. I honestly cannot remember us doing much more than that.

Dead Rising changed everything. With the release of this excellent zombie game, Xbox and I spent tons of time together. Dead Rising also gave Mr. 360 his first fit of red lights. He ended up taking a trip to Texas for treatment and then came back in working order. (I think deep down we both knew that this was the beginning of the end, but we never said that to each other.)

Things were not meant to last. I noticed small things soon after Xbox returned from his trip. He would have to power on two or more times in order to function. Sometimes he had another fit of red lights, but a second boot would always fix it. One time his graphical display failed spectacularly. I wanted to send him back, but he refused. I think he wanted to make the most of his remaining time here.

Rock Band was the game that broke him. He couldn't handle the marathon sessions and moving around. It is truly heartbreaking, but at least he went out with the best game of 2007. We should all be so lucky.

My only regret is that we never got to finish Assassin's Creed. We were two-thirds of the way through that journey. I do hope to complete it in the future, and when I do, I'll dedicate my victory to Mr. Xbox 360.

Goodnight, sweet prince...may you rest in peace.

I Am Legend

2007-12-20T09:08:00.000-08:00

First things first, I am Legend is a legit film. I'm as surprised as you are. I know it's barely fresh (60%?) and some of the critics say it derails around the 3rd act but I disagree. This film is solid from start to finish. Will Smith is not really a Denzel-level actor but he gets the job done here. I was actually mildly disappointed the film didn't collapse like Saw, but I think my enjoyment of the film outweighs my disappointment.

The plot is almost the same as The Omega Man, the 2nd film based on the novel by Richard Matheson. Robert Neville is (as far as he knows) the last normal man on Earth. This is the end result of a lethal virus that killed over 90% of the World's Population. Those the virus did not kill turned into zombie-vampire like beings. Neville searches for a cure in NYC while fighting off the infected as well his increasing loneliness and isolation.

My main problem with this film is that the infected are all CG. It made it look like a video game but I guess to the average person this is "cool" and they don't think about video games. I felt the infected would have worked better if the film had stuck with actors in makeup but I suppose CG is the wave of the future and whatnot. At least I got to see what Resident Evil would be like if Will Smith starred in a game.

The only thing that could've made this film better was if Will Smith uttered his trademark phrase. I would also have accepted a music video / rap song about I Am Legend; it totally could've been the next Thriller!

Joking aside, I would definitely recommend seeing this film. The third time's the charm (sorry Vincent Price and Charlton Heston.)

Also, while there is a Dark Knight trailer before the regular version, if you go to an IMAX screening you will get the first 6 minutes of the film. You'll get to see the Joker's henchmen rob a bank. Needless to say, hilarity ensues! This film looks great and I'm already psyched for this summer.

C.A.R.: Juno

2007-12-14T17:38:00.000-08:00

C.A.R.: No Country For Old Men

2007-11-28T23:57:00.000-08:00

(Capsule Arthouse Reviews are my attempt to better myself and practice movie snobbery by watching less mainstream movies and more independent films. Not a true review, they're mainly my thoughts on various small run films. I still give an opinion about whether the film is worth watching or not, but keep in mind my cinema taste is janky at best. You can also expect mild spoilers so beware.)

No Country For Old Men fills me with a lot of conflicting thoughts. On one hand, this film is currently one of the highest rated movies over at IMDB. It's definitely a good film, but I'm not sure it warrants the 9.0 or so it currently has over there. (Keep in mind that I have not read the book this film is adapted from.)

Like Lust, Caution, this film does a great job at transporting the viewer to a different time and place, namely 1980s Texas. It actually took me a while to realize this film is even set in the past, due to the fact that I have never been to modern day Texas. The film is set in what appears to be smaller town/cities located near the Mexican border.

What I found particularly interesting about this film is how (like American Gangster) it encourages the audience to emphasize and root for individuals on the wrong side of the law. I suppose you could argue that the protagonist of the film, Llewelyn Moss (Josh Brolin) wasn't truly on the wrong side of the law. However in taking the drug money he clearly crosses the line. The assassin, Anton Chigurh (Javier Bardem) is portrayed as a strong, virtually unstoppable force in clear contrast to the aging, increasingly powerless Sheriff Ed Tom Bell (Tommy Lee Jones). On a certain level you have to admire Chigurh for sticking to his (twisted) ideals of fate and murder. He is the only character in this film who refuses to compromise.

Texas slang and accents aside, there are several times during the film in which I felt pretty lost. Chief among them is the motel confrontation scene when Ed Tom Bell may or may not have been in the same room as Anton Chigurh. I guess I could chalk this up to not having read the book, but I feel a good adaptation should not require reading the source book. The Harry Potter series of films are excellent in this regard, but they do not revolve around adult themes like No Country For Old Men.

One thing I found surprising about this film was the high body count. I suppose I'm stereotyping arthouse films, but the body count in this film easily reaches the double digits. While certainly not a focus of the film, the weaponry Chigurh uses adds to his appeal. Most of his victims fall to a silenced shotgun, something I have not seen in films for quite a while, though the film IS set in the 80s. In a super cool and original touch, Chigurh also uses a captive bolt pistol to not only kill people but blow out deadlocks to gain entry to rooms.

A lot of people are complaining about the ending to this film, but I think it's fitting. The whole point to this film is that there's really little to no point in life and getting old only highlights that. Ed Tom Bell discussing his dreams at the very end reveal the central themes of the movie though I felt his conversation with another old guy was more poignant.

Would I recommend seeing this film despite my doubts about its IMDB rating? A resounding yes; this is a good film. It may be over hyped, but that doesn't mean it's not worth watching. A friend of mine pointed out to me there is no soundtrack to this film, and that alone is amazing because I certainly never noticed this during my viewing. That this film can convey its characters and theme without any music whatsoever speaks volumes about how highly crafted it is. I can totally see why people are fans of the Cohen brothers now.

Pacific Media Expo

2007-11-19T22:36:00.000-08:00

My article on Pacific Media Expo is up at Flippersmack. It's shorter this time around because I only went for one day and PMX is a smaller con.

C.A.R.: Lions For Lambs

2007-11-09T17:45:00.000-08:00

(Capsule Arthouse Reviews are my attempt to better myself and practice movie snobbery by watching less mainstream movies and more independent films. Not a true review, they're mainly my thoughts on various small run films. I still give an opinion about whether the film is worth watching or not, but keep in mind my cinema taste is janky at best. You can also expect mild spoilers so beware.)

I recently attended a free screening of Lions For Lambs because several scenes were filmed at Pitzer College. It's been a while since I've seen a film that has left me so conflicted. Lions for Lambs has a lot going for it, but it also has some serious flaws. I'm not sure what to make of the finished product.

Lions for Lambs is political thriller that ties in with the War on Terror. It's about three seemingly separate story lines that end up interweaving with each other. Journalist Janine Roth (Meryl Streep) interviews up and coming presidential hopeful Senator Jasper Irving (Tom Cruise) on a new offensive in Afghanistan. We see the results of this military plan firsthand through Arian (Derek Luke) and Ernest (Michael Peña). Meanwhile, college professor Dr. Malley tries to convince a slacker student to be more politically active like Arian and Ernest (his former students) did.

Robert Redford directs, stars, and produces this film based upon his belief that college student activism is in a state of crisis. The film definitely reflects this idea, with the central theme essentially boiling down to "You may not change anything, but it's better to try and fail that not try at all." The realist in me finds issue with this, but upon thinking about it more I find it quite profound.

There are several things I like about this film, chief among them the fact that the film is actually non-partisan. I walked into this film expecting a super liberal, pro-Democratic film that would demonize Cruise's character. Imagine my surprise when this turned out not to be the case. I'll admit the film probably skews slightly liberal, but it is made by Robert Redford so that's probably unavoidable.

Another great aspect of this film was the casting. Streep and Redford turn in good performances but Tom Cruise is perfectly cast as the super slick, charismatic Senator with a possible sinister side. It's a role that really meshes with him due to (unfortunately?) his personal life. (A life that seems to bleed onto every project he gets involved in.) Regardless, he's still a solid actor and his performance here is worth watching.

My problem with Lions for Lambs is that the film feels somewhat disjointed. The plots are inter weaved but it's somewhat jarring jumping back and forth in time and space. Other films such as Pulp Fiction have done this well, but unfortunately Lions for Lambs lacks cohesion.

I also take particular offense in college students being portrayed as "low rent Stifflers" (from American Pie). I'm fairly certain not every Southern California student is like this, but at least the student in this film has "potential". He's easily the most cliche character in the plot.

Finally, the message of this film is downright depressing. For a film that is supposed to inspire people to take action I was actually inspired NOT to take action. The ending, while based wholly in reality, inspires a sense of hopelessness. I wonder whether or not the ending should have diverged from reality. Still, I have to admire a film that has such a bleak message and factual ending.

I suppose Lions for Lambs is one of those films that I feel everyone should watch, even if it's not great. I suggest renting this instead of seeing it in the theater though. I'm fairly certain most of my age group is going to avoid this film like a cinematic plague and that fact alone says a lot about why this film is necessary.

C.A.R.: Lust, Caution

2007-11-04T23:32:00.000-08:00

(Capsule Arthouse Reviews are my attempt to better myself and practice movie snobbery by watching less mainstream movies and more independent films. Not a true review, they're mainly my thoughts on various small run films. I still give an opinion about whether the film is worth watching or not, but keep in mind my cinema taste is janky at best. You can also expect mild spoilers so beware.) The controversy over Lust, Caution (Se jie) which is rated NC-17 for hardcore sex scenes reminds me of the controversy over Manhunt 2. The media is hyping this up way more than the actual movie goers and gamers are. (I don't know anyone who is excited about Manhunt 2 in this crazy holiday season of AAA gold titles such as Halo 3, Rockband, Bioshock and the like.) At the matinée I went to the audience was easily made up of people over twice my age. They didn't seem to mind the sex scenes at all.

I find the whole brouhaha over the sex scenes interesting. I think we all know that if say, Uwe Boll put in such graphic scenes in one of his films there'd be no way he could get away with it. I suppose such is the power of being a "legit" filmmaker. I only wish Ang Lee could have convinced me that this film NEEDED these graphic sex scenes. The whole thing feels like a publicity stunt to me. People say Ang Lee sold out on the Hulk (or even Brokeback Mountain) but I'm convinced he sold out on this film.

Like every Ang Lee film I've seen, Lust, Caution is too long. It's over two and a half hours and the film drags in the middle. It's almost like the sex scenes are there just so you don't fall asleep (people in my theater did anyways). I'm also willing to ignore the fact that the plot is super hackneyed because great films have been made with hackneyed plots (Reservior Dogs and The Departed, both American remakes come to mind).

That being said I did enjoy some parts of Lust, Cuation. The costume and set design is top notch. There are parts of this film that play like a black comedy, one of my favorite genres. It's also one of those great, "Bitch got me again!" films (watch it and you'll see what I mean).

I'm not certain if all these positives can outweigh the one big negative in this film: the rampant misogyny. I'm not sure if this is just because something was lost in translation or if it's because I'm simply too Westernized, but I found the treatment of women, especially the main character really disturbing. Like Saving Private Ryan and Lions for Lambs the message of the film seems counter to what you would think. Apparently, raping a semi-willing woman is the way to her heart. Who knew this film would even up being like an Asian prono? (Remember, it's not rape, it's surprise sex!) Or perhaps I'm just too sensitive and prudish for an NC-17 arthouse film?

All this adds up to a throughly mediocre film. I expected better from Ang Lee and unfortunately I can't recommend seeing this film. Thumbs down indeed.

E For All Parts 2-4

2007-10-30T08:24:00.000-07:00

Parts 2, 3 and 4 of my E For All Article are up.

E For All Part 1

2007-10-26T08:38:00.000-07:00

I wrote an E For All article for Flippersmack, you can check it out here. I believe it will be about 4 parts or so. Hopefully I'll be able to write articles for other conventions in the future.

Fogo De Chao

2007-10-14T21:13:00.000-07:00

Recently I dined at Fogo De Chao, a Brazilian all you can eat BBQ-place. There are quite a few around in Southern California but according to Yelp, Fogo is supposed to be the best. It should also come as no surprise that it's the most expensive.

After dining there I emailed a total of 9 people in my party and asked some questions about their opinion of the place.

Here are the questions I asked:

Did you like it or dislike it over all? (This is a binary question; pretend this is Rotten Tomatoes and you can only choose thumbs up or thumbs down)
Would you go back?
Any other comments?

As of this post here are the results:

For question #1 the tally is: 4-4-1, so there are definitely mixed opinions.

For question #2 the tally is: 5-3-1, with a clear majority not willing to go back.

There was a lot of agreement in that the desserts were good though...so I guess the night wasn't a total bust. And hey people had my sparkling personality and Terry wearing a dress shirt instead of a basketball jersey to entertain them the entire evening.

Most of the responses were brief but there were some choice comments I'd like to share:

Warren Wrote:

"The beef was some of the most delicious stuff I have ever eaten. The sides were also very good and the dessert was tasty."

Ainsley wrote:

"The meat was salty. However, I've read that adding salt to the surface of meat pulls out a layer of protein, allowing you to make that crusty outer later that is the best part of the beef. However, the way that they serve it (just the outer pieces) makes it even more salty, since you don't have the unseasoned center meat to balance it out. The choice pieces were quite good, and I was willing to wait for them to come around (sirloin = lose).

I thought the salad bar was awesome. It went a long way to mellowing out the saltness of the meat. The sides that came to the table had a similar effect for me. Plantains!

I thought the service was good, but that is to be expected from a $60+ meal.

All that said, it's unlikely that I would go back. I just don't feel very good after eating that much meat, and for that price I think I would be much happier ordering a 12 oz $40 dollar steak plus sides at a nice steakhouse. The quality of the meat will be even better and I won't be left feeling slightly sick after. I pretty much feel that way about every all-you-can-eat place now though."

Wei wrote:

"What I found memorable was the cheese bread and desert. I am not going back just to eat those two. The wine was okay, nothing so special I can't get from Trader Joe's. For the price paid and factoring in atmosphere and presentation, it was not impressive. Now considering logistics, the location was inconvenient and the parking accommodations were mediocre at best. I would not suggest to go there, there are other Brazilian places in our area, why drive out there?"

Finally Masa gets the food snob / Haterade (TM) reward for the most negative review:

"1) Disliked it. 10000% of your daily allowance of sodium for the loss. They never give you the raw part of the meat, and try to give you the shitty scraps nobody wants. That's the kind of treatment you should expect at a $8 a plate place, not when you're spending over $60 on a meal.

2) Never. If someone else offered to pay I would just suggest another restaurant, like Gyukaku next door.

3) Yeah it was an experience to say the least, and I'm still glad I went (and was able to do so with good company). I seriously wonder about people who keep on coming back to this place, though. "

Here's my response:

"1) I thought it was ok. Not particularly worth my $$$ since I don't eat beef...in other words THUMBS DOWN.

2) I would NOT go back unless someone else paid for me.

3) This place really is a beating if you're a vegetarian or don't eat beef. I find it extremely sad that the side dishes were better than the meat. I'm reminded of the Phantom Console and how the controller was the high point of the system!"

All in all, it was an interesting experience and I'm still glad I was finally able to go. Next time I'm in the area though I'd rather check out The Stinking Rose. That name is jankalicious!

Halo 3: Finish the Hype!

2007-10-04T23:47:00.000-07:00

Well, I finished the fight; I beat the Halo 3 single player campaign over the weekend. It's about what you would expect. The Halo games have never really been known for their single player experience and I feel that's accurate. This time around there's 4-player on and off-line co-op. That's a good addition. In terms of an overall plot arc, I guess Bungie delivered even if the plot as a whole was jumbled and hackneyed. But hey, Master Chief and the Arbiter have a TEAM UP just like Charles Bronson and the Stupid Chief (TM) in Death Wish 3! What more can one truly ask for in a sci-fi FPS?

Ok so Halo is really about the multiplayer experience. I can dig that. Halo 3 definitely delivers in this regard. This time around there are whole new game modes, weapons and vehicles. That's to be expected though, as Halo 2 did the same thing.

The crown jewel in Halo 3 is the addition of a mode similar to YouTube. Basically, every game you play is automatically recorded for playback later. You can watch these saved clips later and edit them. The editing tools are quite good for a console. Even better, you can upload your videos and share them among the community. I've already downloaded some of my Internet friends' videos and they're great for learning or laughing at. Good times indeed. (Of course the machinima possibilities are endless as well.)

There's also a new mode called "Forge". It's essentially a real time map editor. You load up maps and can spawn items or other things and dick around with them. (Each item deducts from the total "funds" of a given stage; when you run out of funds you have to destroy items to get more.) You can save these custom maps you create and share them. It's definitely unique for a console FPS and I'm curious to see how much the community utilizes this.

It's clear that Bungie spent a lot of development time figuring out ways to promote the Halo community, and that's definitely a smart thing. I can't think of any other franchise that appeals to such a large and diverse fanbase besides Halo. Final Fantasy, Metal Gear Solid, Dragon Quest, they all don't even come close. I think Madden is probably the only thing that can beat Halo and even then I think Halo has more hardcore fans. There has to be someone out there buying all the ridiculous merchandise right? I mean not everyone is buying Gamer Fuel for the taste right?

Now that I've got all the praise out of the way, I can get to the problem with Halo 3: it's not that original. It really feels like Halo 2.5. The graphics are great in places (like the lighting) but I feel games like Gears of War and Bioshock look better as a whole. (Though Halo obviously has to support multiplayer and with more players than Gears of War.) The whole Halo YouTube feature is great but it really doesn't add to the core gameplay. Halo 2 added duel wielding which was a good twist on Halo 1. Halo 3 doesn't really add anything on the same level. The game is still great, but I feel like Bioshock is easily twice the game Halo is just because it's more original despite being a spiritual successor to the System Shock series. I'm reminded of Diablo 2, which is easily Blizzard's weakest game because it didn't really feel like a true sequel to Diablo. Halo 3 is still good, but not great. I truly feel that Bungie focused on the community aspects simply because they couldn't come up with any more innovations like melee attacks and dual wielding for the core gameplay.

Perhaps I expected too much from Bungie? They really are only known for Halo at this point. It's clear the hype machine was in hyper ultra over drive mode too for this game. I'm reminded of all the hype around Neon Genesis Evangelion and how the anime completely failed to live up to the hype. Maybe this is just how things are; nothing ever truly lives up to its hype?

Or maybe I'm just a gaming snob now and I dislike Halo 3 because the franchise is so popular?

Castle of Cagliostro

2007-09-27T13:55:00.000-07:00

So on Wednesday Fathom Events had a special screening of one my favorite anime films, Castle of Cagliostro. Yes, it's a Lupin III film but more importantly it was co-written and directed by the awesome Hayao Miyazaki. The film may be old (1979) but it's definitely worth watching. What I really like is how you can know next to nothing about Lupin III and still enjoy the film, which is quite different from nearly every film based on an anime TV series these days. (The Naruto films are pretty much just "let's take 1-2 of the most popular characters and make a film starring them and Naruto.") I suppose some Lupin III fans object to Lupin's somewhat sappy portrayal (he's much more pre-Leia Han Solo in the TV series) in this film and that's definitely valid. That still doesn't mean this film isn't awesome though.

The film reminds me of films such as The Goonies and National Treasure. It's an adventure film that focuses on finding a treasure but at heart it's a character driven story. These kind of films usually end up being really goofy and campy (see the above examples) but there's a certain undeniable appeal to them. A story like this works out a lot better in anime than in live action because of the lack of realism. There are certain sequences of National Treasure where one's suspension of disbelief is sorely tested. (I guess I should say the same for the Goonies, but I saw that film as a kid and thus I truly believed that anyone my age could survive death traps as long as they had a group that included a fobby Asian kid with crazy gadgets. )

All the ridiculous sequences of Castle of Cagliostro work a lot better simply because it's an animated film. It's hard for me to imagine the sequence where Lupin drives up the side of a mountain being plausible in a live action work. I'm apprehensive about the rumored live action Lupin because I feel the characters and typical plot are so well suited for an animated series. (Though I'm interested to see who would be cast as Lupin and Fujiko.)

Regardless of my musings, I enjoyed watching the film on the big screen and I hope to see more anime classics brought to the big screen...or maybe just the Naruto films, because as much I make fun of them I'd totally watch them on the big screen. Believe it!

Happy Birthday to Me

2007-09-23T22:40:00.000-07:00

Why have I been lazy about blogging for the last week or so? I don't really have an excuse, but I'm just going to say it was because it was my birthday. It was also Talk Like a Pirate day as well, so my Wednesday was filled with rum and wenches and thus I had no time for blogging.

On Friday I went to the Magic Castle. Apparently one of my new friends is a magician and I didn't even know it. (Cue Final Countdown music.) Not only did I not know he was a magician, but I had no idea he was also a member of the Magic Castle. Apparently he goes there often enough that the women working coat check recognize him on sight. It was a lot of fun having him guide us around and tell us what to do. He was an awesome host and he even did a small performance for us. I must admit I really do enjoy magic and weirdly enough I don't particularly enjoy trying to figure out how it's done. I guess I'm a kid a heart when it comes to magic.

Saturday had me heading into downtown LA to watch a matinee show of Avenue Q. I'm not a a big fan of musicals but I throughly enjoyed Avenue Q, because it's written for 20-somethings like me. It's also ridiculously cynical and sarcastic so it clearly is my favorite musical production I've seen so far. To be fair though, the only other musical I've seen is Phantom of the Opera. This fact could change in the future. Maybe I'll watch Sweeny Todd if I like the film. I'd totally go watch My Fair Lady but I fear what other people might say if I actually go.

After Avenue Q we went to Fogo de Chao for a Brazilian meathouse buffet experience. I enjoyed it even if all the meat is pretty much flavored with just salt but I'm not sure if I would go back and pay the $55+ it is for dinner there. Of course, I don't eat beef so that might explain it. Their salad bar is pretty cool though and their plantains and fried polenta are great. Too bad that's all just filler.... Also apparently our payment came up $17 short which is pretty odd considering we counted the money several times before leaving. Bad beats indeed.

To cap off the night I got everyone to go see Resident Evil: Extinction. The less I say about this the better, but I will say it definitely follows the standard sequel rule of dilution. That is to say, they saved the worst for last. Fortunately for me, it was janky enough for me to be entertained.

Backwatch '07: Status Update

2007-09-17T12:05:00.000-07:00

This weekend was the ultimate test for my back.

On Saturday I went to the LA County Fair with a couple of my friends. We ended up spending 8 hours there. I had no idea the fair was so huge, I saw the fire safety area, the garden, and a rock wall among other things. A good deal of the time was walking and while my feet hurt since I'm flatfooted I'm happy to report that my back held up admirably. No pain there at all, though I did strongly consider getting a foot message. We ended up walking all over the place and checking out a lot of the buildings which are mainly the same booths selling the same products and services over and over again. I must admit I particularly enjoyed the California State Lottery booth where my group spent some time playing scratchers. I ended up ahead by $11 which was good enough for me. My friend also bought some jank dvd films and we ended up watching one that night. More on that in a future blog post.

On Sunday I played Los Verdes Golf Course and walked the whole thing. This turned out to be quite a beating despite the fact that I had a pull cart. It was a nice course in terms of the view as well as a super good value; I can see why it's so hard to get a good tee time there.

The end result of all these excursions is that I'm actually aching in almost every part of my body BESIDES my back. I suppose this is good, but it clearly indicates how much of a beating my body took over the weekend and is a sad comment on my health. Still, it beats super-agonizing back pain.

Also, I really need to get more sleep. I'm fairly certain the 6 hours or so I get isn't enough for my body to really heal. I definitely want to be rested for this weekend too so I can celebrate my birthday without falling asleep half-way through.

Mediocre Minds Fall TV Shootout

2007-09-13T08:40:00.000-07:00

Fall TV season is almost upon us. It seems like only yesterday we had new summer shows like Greek as well as new episodes of Monk and Psych. Alas, their time is over and we're heading into the season of infinite jank and maybe (hopefully?) a few hits.

Sumir and I wrote up our thoughts on the new fall shows for all the major networks including the CW. I like how we're predicting a lot of cancelled shows. To be honest, I'm guessing we're going to end up way off on our predictions because Mediocre Minds totally does not represent the American people. (I predicted Dancing with the Stars would be canceled in under 1 season.)

Anyways, check it out if you're interested.

Backwatch '07: A Brief Update

2007-09-10T22:58:00.000-07:00

Thanks to all those who expressed concern over my back. I'm pretty much fine now.

My back still bothers me when I stay in one position for too long, but it's not really pain so much as it is a tightness. Older people I've talked to tell me they have this problem but it's still pretty sad that I'm like this and I'm not even 30 yet. Clearly such is the effect of neglecting my body and leading a stereotypical nerd/geek lifestyle. I guess I'll be working on taking better care of myself from here on out.

One of the more annoying things is that I can't sleep in one position that long, I have to either get up and stretch or change positions in the middle of the night. It's not super annoying but it's not like I get a great night of sleep either. I suppose I could try painkillers before bed every night but that doesn't seem like a great idea. It might be time to get a better mattress but that is pretty expensive. I'll have to see how I'm feeling in another week or so.

I guess it could be worse. I could still be in pain and walking abnormally.

Let's All Go To The Chiropractor

2007-09-03T23:12:00.000-07:00

As I alluded to in my previous post, I've been visiting the chiropractor. It's been an educational experience to say the least. I've never been able to comprehend why some people are scared of visiting the dentist. The guy just works on your teeth. If he messes up the worse that can happen is you have a crappy smile and some pain. The stakes are much higher with a chiropractor. It seems to me if he makes a mistake during adjustment I could end up paralyzed at worse and in more pain at best. Fortunately, the chiropractor I saw was great. I'll admit I picked him because he was the one that was closest to work and accepted my insurance. I liked his emphasis on stretching and preventive measures instead of just painkillers and other drugs. I've never been injured like this before (since I'm the stereotypical stay indoors and get fat geek) so I've been learning a lot about what to do to avoid injuries as well as first aid measures when I do get injured. The guy I'm seeing is a wanna be anthropologist. I think he has a masters degree in it but he said he's told old to go for the PhD and a teaching position. It certainly makes for interesting conversation especially since I'm Asian. We talk a lot about China and the Eastern world and American culture. I think it's great because it takes my mind of the fact that he is going to be moving my body and producing scary sounding cracks. Seriously, the noise my body makes during some of the adjustments are totally the Foley sounds in games and movies/tv when someone snaps some poor sap's neck. It's freaky. Still, I enjoy the heat and massages as well as the adjustments. According to my co-workers I'm much improved but there are still issues. I can't really sleep for more than 6-7 hours although that could be a good thing. I also have to get up and move around as well as stretch out after I've been sitting for a while. I suppose this could be for life but I guess we'll see. I've been told it takes on average about 8 visits to "fix" a problem (if it every really is fixed) and I'm coming up on the halfway point. I certainly feel better, probably more than just 50% better. Here's hoping I can heal up. The chiropractor seems optimistic since I'm so young. On a complete side note, I found it extremely ironic that I injured myself during vacation travel rather than golf or on my way to work. (Have you seen the freeway entrances in Monterey Park?) The chiropractor said it's fairly common to get injured while traveling because one is doing things outside of their normal routine. Often times one is carrying luggage and hustling to get from place to place. I guess that makes some sense.

Back Pain

2007-08-29T23:17:00.000-07:00

I alluded to this in my previous post, but I really jacked my back up at PAX (Penny Arcade Expo).

I believe I stressed my lower back on the flight up to Seattle by sleeping in an uncomfortable position. (I really should have lowered that seat.) Then Thursday night (before the con!) I bent down with my back and not my knees. The end result? PAIN! Things went downhill from there.

Friday and Saturday were pretty painful. I've never felt pain like I did on Friday. It made sleeping difficult and just moving around sucked. Yet, when I stayed relatively still there was still pain. It totally ruined my plans for the convention but at least I didn't die. On the upside, I now know why people pass out from pain. I had pain spasms that would travel up my spinal cord to my brain; it felt like someone was squeezing my head at times.

I suppose it's only fitting that I got jacked at PAX this year though. Last year it was Comic Con and the most horrible food poisoning of my life. Back then I learned firsthand how people can die from food poisoning. I guess my con going experience every year is going to include a lesson in being physically owned? I love how it always happens BEFORE the con too, not during or after. Irony indeed.

So what have I learned from all this? Recline the damn airplane seat. Bend with your knees, not your back. Figure out when your back is stressed and give it a rest when it is.

On the plus side, I'm doing much better now. I'm not in that much pain and I can actually sleep through the night. I've been seeing a chiropractor because I feel it's more productive than the prescription drugs (muscle relaxant + painkillers) that my doctor recommended. It's also because I was walking funny. People at work were like, "You're @#$@# up dude, you need to get something done about that."

(We'll cover my visit to the chiropractor and subsequent healing in a future blog post.)

PAX 2007: Video Games

2007-08-27T23:17:00.000-07:00

I didn't really see as much of PAX as I wanted to because I jacked my back...but I showed guts and went to the exhibit hall despite the pain.

There were a bunch of games I paid absolutely no attention to, like Bioshock (PC), Gears (PC), Conan MMO, Warhammer MMO, etc. (Mainly PC stuff)

Naruto: Rise of Ninja Multiplayer Demo (BETA)

This is basically the Gamecube game's (Gekitou Ninja Taisen / Clash of the Ninja) fighting system but with 360 graphics. One of the neat features is that you can do "justus" (supers) by squeezing the left trigger and then using the thumbsticks to simulate your hand motions. Then you can bust out a level 1, 2, or 3 super depending upon how long you charge. These are all the signature moves for a character: Naruto has Sexy no Jutsu, Kakashi has Sharingan, and Neji has his Byakugan.

Each character had multiple supers in the demo, and Neji's other super (64 Palms) actually leads into a mini-game of sorts. When you use it, the Neji player sees a silhouette with Chakra points on it. The Neji player then attempts to strike the points with his cursor while the other player controls the silhouette and attempts to dodge. At higher levels Neji's cursor is bigger and there are more points on the silhouette. It's actually a pretty cool gimmick; I certainly can't fault the game's flavor. Hell, I didn't even know Rise of A Ninja had multi-player so I'm hoping this game turns out to be better than expected.

Culdept Saga

This is a 360 sequel to a PS2 game. It's basically Monopoly + Magic the Gathering with a Japanese flair. I'm fairly certain that your die rolls aren't totally random either, there's some sort of "balancing mechanism" that hinders/helps your die rolls when you are far ahead/behind. Combine this with the luck factor in drawing 1 card a turn and being only able to hold 7 (or so) cards and this game is way too luck based for my liking. Still, it's got online play for up to 3 (or was it 4?) players so there might be a market for this.

Virtua Fighter 5 (360)

This looked awesome on the 360, and the booth had Hori sticks to play the game with. The real kick in the nuts is this was setup right next to the PS3 version. The load times were like 1/2 as long as the PS3 version. When you add in the online play it's total beatings and proves that Sega or whomever did the port didn't just phone it in.

Puzzle Fighter HD

Same thing I saw at Comic Con, but I have to comment that it looks really awesome. Sirlin balanced the X' Version of the game so I'm looking forward to that. It comes out this Wednesday on Xbox Live Arcade.

Eye of Judgement

Also seen at Comic-Con, it's still my reason this year to buy a PS3. I have clearly gone crazy.

Penny Arcade Adventures: On the Rain-Slick Precipice of Darkness Episode 1

There was an announcement at this PAX that this game is coming to the 360 via Xbox Live Arcade. The demo was for the PC version though.

They only had the character designer up; there aren't that many options but there are enough to make a decent looking and unique character. It's certainly no Oblivion or City of Heroes/Villains. Your character is inserted right into the comic book style cutscenes which is a great touch.

The opening sequence has your character's home destroyed by a huge Fruit Fucker. Gabe and Tycho then run by in hot pursuit and you join them, armed only with the rake you were using outside the smoldering ruins that was your homestead.

Rockband

This game lives up to the hype. The concept is simple: four instruments for four players. There's lead guitar, bass guitar, drums, and the microphone.

The guitars are setup just like Guitar Hero, except the instruments have an extra set of frets closer to the strum button for solos and difficult hammer-ons/pull-off segments. The bass player can naturally raise his multiplier to 6x as opposed to the 4x multiplier for the lead guitarist.

The drum controller and screen setup is a lot like Drumania. The Haramonix guys said that the drum is the hardest instrument which makes sense since it's so close to actual real life drumming. Supposedly if you can drum on hard or expert you can drum in real life.

The microphone is setup almost exactly like Singstar or Karaoke Revolution, right down to the freestyle portions of a song. You can activate starpower by shouting into the mic. I was impressed with the level of singing ability that the average PAX attendee possessed. Though it's quite possible everyone picked easy or the game is not that strict for singing.

There's a lot of customization in the game and before each song the game has a cutscene that shows you each band member's avatar, name, and instrument. At the end of the song, each player gets a rating and title so you can totally see who is dragging your band down. I sense future dickery and trash talking!

I had a total blast playing with strangers. I can only imagine how cool and exciting it would be to play with your friends. I played bass on the OK Go song "Here it Goes Again" (there were 20 demo songs) because I didn't care what I did. I liked how you can bring a failed band member back by activating your Star Power. I must say that playing the bass was pretty boring on medium, I think I should have picked hard. That being said, I easily had the starpower to help my band out.

Start saving your money now...the game comes out in November.

Packing

2007-08-22T21:41:00.000-07:00

My flight to Seattle for the Penny Arcade Expo (PAX) leaves tomorrow. I'm packing tonight.

I've got the packing before a convention down to a fine science, yet I always feel anxiety whenever I'm packing. I don't think I've ever forgotten anything important, but yet I always make a checklist and go through it multiple times before I leave. I guess I really do have Type A blood. (Maybe that Japanese belief that your blood type imparts personality traits is true?)

One thing that is coming in really handy are the small containers I bought on Sunday. They are super tech! I love organizing my belongings like this...I think the next time I go back to the container store I'll really load up and get even more small travel containers. With the TSA regulations being what they are, I need all the small containers I can get for my precious liquids.

I'm bringing my camera so hopefully I'll have some pictures if I remember to take them. I'm also bringing my DS and am looking forward to getting relieved of my two pins in no time.

Hopefully I can actually make the concert this year and see the Minibosses. I'm also hoping to hit up the Sam & Max panel (where they create an episode of the game in front of you!) as well as the Penny Arcade panels (always a blast). I may even work in King of Kong and/or getting drunk at/around Gameworks. I'm hoping for at least a 50% success rate in terms of what I actually achieve.

Good times indeed.

Wandeing Pasadena

2007-08-20T13:19:00.000-07:00

I went to The Container Store on Sunday to pick up some travel containers among other things. (I'm going to PAX this weekend.) Apparently there is one somewhat nearby in Pasadena. This was all the excuse I needed to head down there and wander around Old Town.

I enjoy a place like The Container Store way too much. It totally appeals to my OCD/Type A desire to organize and classify everything in my life. I could probably spend far too much money in a place like that.

Somewhat ironically, everything I did after my planned visit to the store was spontaneous. Since I foolishly parked at a flat rate lot (should have read that sign more carefully!) I decided to wander around Pasadena on foot.

I ended up walking quite a bit down Colorado Blvd. I went as far as Famima!!, a Japanese convenience store. (Yes, the exclamation marks are part of the name.) I wandered around the surrounding streets as well. I found that I'm quite poor at measuring distances by both car and on foot. Landmarks in the Pasadena area all slurred together as I walked the streets. Still, I suppose it was decent exercise. It was so warm out that I ended up pretty sweaty.

I ate at thaitalian solely for the kitsch value and the fact that it's on Eater LA's DEATH WATCH. The restaurant truly is as janky as the concept: Thai + Italian food = a truly mediocre experience! You won't hate it, but you won't love it either.

On my way to Famima!! I passed by the massive Paseo Colorado complex. This is an outdoor mall type structure, with numerous restaurants and shops as well as a "Gleason's the Super Market!". (I've never heard of it either and once again the exclamation mark is part of the name.) More importantly, there was a theater so I FINALLY got around to seeing the third Bourne film, The Bourne Ultimatum.

Like my experience with Inside Man, I found the theater surprisingly full with most of the audience composed of elderly people. Sunday afternoon truly is when old people go to the theaters. I have no idea why people with walkers and canes find Jason Bourne such a draw, but if I had to guess I would say that it's probably because they've read all the books and want new stories with the same character.

I've always enjoyed the Bourne films, and this one was definitely better than the second film. (Once again living up to my theory that in a trilogy the 2nd film is usually the weakest unless it's Star Wars.) I'm not sure if it's better than the first one though, because I really love that Mini Cooper car chase. The plot was definitely the most interesting of the 3 films simply because it reveals Bourne's true origin story.

The awesome action sequences (complete with shaky cam) return as well. This is the film to watch for good and appropriate use of the shaky cam, as opposed to Transformers. (Though I did find it odd that the shaky cam is used in non-action scenes as well...reminds me of Bay in Bad Boys 2.)

I couldn't help thinking throughout my viewing that the film could have been titled "Listen to Bourne or Get Pw3nd!" as that sums up the majority of the action sequences and plot twists. Interestingly enough though, one of the assassins successfully metagames against Bourne. So I guess you shouldn't listen to Bourne all the time. What a twist indeed!

What I enjoyed about this film was how it doesn't have an outright summary of what happened in the previous two films. Rather, your viewing/remembering of the 1st two films simply enhances the plot of this film. I felt this film had the best plot beyond the origin story quest. I enjoyed the villain this time around even if he was a bit cliche and I really liked how the film takes place in various locations all over the world. It's only fitting for what is essentially a spy film.

I'll also admit to liking Julia Stiles' character in these films. I find it hilarious that whenever she crosses paths with Jason Bourne her whole life is endangered and turned upside down. Nicky Parsons must be like "@#$@# not him again" every time she runs into Bourne. This film is no exception; she ends up in the most danger in this one after crossing paths with Bourne. What can I say, Jason Bourne can totally manhandle the future Princess of Denmark.

After finally seeing Bourne, I can attempt to rank all the 3quels for this summer:

The Bourne Ultimatum
Pirates of the Caribbean : At World's End
Spider-Man 3
Ocean's 13
Rush Hour 3

(Unfortunately, I didn't see Shrek 3...but I pretty much saw everything else!)

Oh and did you know they made a sequel to the Prince and Me?

Xbox Live Demos

2007-08-15T23:41:00.000-07:00

So lately all I've been doing on my Xbox 360 is playing demos I've downloaded over LIVE. There are a lot of good ones out: Beautiful Katamari, Blue Dragon, Bioshock, Dynasty Warriors Gundam (aka "Gundam Musou"), Eternal Sonata, and Stranglehold just to name a few. While I haven't played every demo on the previous list, I have played enough of them to comment on a few.

Bioshock

This FPS totally has a Dues Ex feel, which shouldn't be surprising since this game is being touted as the "spiritual successor" to System Shock 2 and Thief 3. What surprised me the most about this game demo was how well it sucked you into the game world. The game takes place in a 1960s underwater city that has become a dystopia. There are a lot of creepy characters around and the lighting is pretty dim to invoke tension. You have both "magic" weapons due to altering your genes (shooting fire and electricity out of your hands) as well as more mundane weapons like a wrench or pistol. For some reason the pistol feels really solid and real to me. It's a lot of fun to fire. I also really like old school music in this game as well.

This is clearly a must buy game now. I'm glad it lived up to all the hype (for me at least).

Dynasty Warriors Gundam

There are really only two groups of people this game appeals to: those who enjoy Dynasty Warriors despite the massive, mindless repetition of slaughtering numerous virtual enemies, and those who are rabid Gundam otaku.

Unfortunately, I fall into BOTH categories. This demo isn't great in terms of graphics or game play and the music is pretty much non-existent. However, it has a cross section of some of the most popular Gundam characters (Char, Master Asia, Heero Yuy, etc.) and they are voiced pretty much by all their original voice actors. (Or at least this is the case when you select the Japanese language option.) This makes it a pretty legit game for a Gundam otaku.

I would advise about buying this game unless you are crazy about either franchise like I am. (If you look at my Gamer Card, the only game I have 1000/1000 in is Dynasty Warriors 5: Empires.) I'm looking forward to utilizing the custom soundtrack feature of the 360 to play songs from the various Gundam series/films during the game.

Stranglehold

You might as well call this Hard Boiled 2: The Game. From Midway, this 3rd-person Max Payne-esque action game has you controlling Tequila from Hard Boiled as he stars in an original story. Both John Woo and Chow-Yun Fat contributed to this game, meaning that you get Woo's style as well as CYF's likeness and voice for Tequila.

I didn't really enjoy the demo at first, but as you beat it you are rewarded with additional 'Tequila Bombs' (special moves) and difficulty levels. I think medium is too easy, while hard-boiled is pretty difficult in some sections. I enjoyed the stylish gun play and the interactive environment. I must say shooting people in Tequila Time (slow motion / Max Payne style) never gets old.

This game also features "standoffs" where Tequila will be surrounded by a bunch of enemies. You play a neat mini-game as you face off against each opponent in psuedo-slow motion. Tequila moves quickly (in real time) and has to dodge incoming fire by leaning left and right while shooting his gun. During standoff mode, all the bullets (including yours) fire slowly. Once you are done with one enemy, it moves to the another one and so on until either Tequila or everyone else is dead. (The order you move through the enemies is random so no memorizing!) You are heavily encouraged to use the environment to dispatch the enemies in these sequences.

Tequila also has 4 "Tequila Bombs". One heals him, another one kills an enemy in one shot (with a spectacular cinematic), and yet another one allows him to become nigh invulnerable, have unlimited ammo and rapid fire for a short duration. The final one kills every enemy on the screen (only damages bosses though) by having Tequila spin around and shoot while doves fly everywhere. Once again, popular media proves to me that spinning is broken.

Oh, and did I mention the aimed shot special allows you so shoot enemies not only in the throat, but the GROIN as well? Hilarity!

How could one NOT buy this game based on that? Oh yeah, it's got multiplayer too...that seems interesting.

Convention Center Nostalgia

2007-08-13T12:36:00.000-07:00

So I was at the Anaheim Convention Center (ACC) last Saturday for the World of Warcraft CCG Fires of Out Land Sneak Preview. (Yeah I have no life, but I still lucked my way into a playmat that's going straight to eBay.) I've attended other CCG related events there before and I always end up feeling odd.

I guess I just expect the convention center to be filled with people cosplaying. After attending Anime Expo (AX) so many times, I feel that the convention center is sorta like Disneyland. I only go there once a summer and when I do I expects crowds of people in various anime/manga related costumes. It's rather creepy being at the place when it's mainly empty and filled with "normal" people attending a trade seminar or whatnot. It's sorta like visiting your old school during summer or something. On the other hand, I had no problem figuring out parking and food though I packed my own lunch.

I feel the same way about the San Diego Convention Center. That place IS Comic Con. I've never been to the place when Comic Con isn't going on. San Diego to me is basically Masa, Comic Con, and where the original Game Empire is. I guess they filmed Veronica Mars there too.

After 4+ years or so of going to cons, these convention centers have become ingrained in my head as hosting these events. It's difficult for me to separate the convention centers from ther respective events. I definitely associate them more with events than locations. I expect cosplayers and crowds whenever I'm at them. It's definitely a form of nostalgia right?

And yes, I know Anime Expo has been held in Long Beach and other locations in the past. I missed out on this year's but I'm looking forward to next year's at the Los Angeles Convention Center. We'll see if I can make it, if only to break this location nostalgia.

Boiling Point (Restaurant)

2007-08-08T12:03:00.000-07:00

Man what is it with hot pot and mediocrity? It seems like all the hot pot or shabu shabu places here in Monterey Park aren't great but aren't bad either.

Boiling Point gets high marks for value. For like $10 or less you get your own individual hot pot that comes with an assortment of stuff. You can also order dishes a la carte. I got some stinky tofu but to be honest I've had much better.

The service was pretty non-existent, but to be fair a factor might be that I'm not enough of a FOB to warrant attention. I'm used to it. Wei on the other hand, should have fit in. I guess I brought us down?

Oh and the food? It was ok. Not too bad, but not too good either. The sauces they have are easily the best part. I guess I'm 2 for 2 now in terms of mediocre hot pot.

Rating: 2.5/5 I'd recommend going to Little Fat Sheep (or whatever it calls itself) instead.

Boiling Point

153 Garvey Ave Monterey Park, CA 91755

(626) 288-9876

OC County Fair

2007-08-05T18:09:00.001-07:00

(Yeah I know how it's the "OC Fair" but my friends and I always call it the "OC County Fair" because it sounds better to us. This phrasing makes it similar to the "LA County Fair".)

So yesterday I went to the OC County Fair with some friends. This was my first time going, but I've gone to the LA County Fair twice. The OC County Fair is exactly like the LA County Fair, just smaller, which I guess makes sense since Orange County is smaller as well.

There were all the usual assortment of fair things: rides, stage shows, animals, crafts, arts, ribbon winning food related items & collections, etc.

Of course the real attraction for a glutton like me is the hilariously unhealthy food. I love how just about everything can be deep fried or put on a stick, or better yet, BOTH!

I showed some restraint so I wouldn't pass out from my gorging but I still ate (and spent) quite a bit. The highlight had to be deep fried coke...which, like the Krispy Kreme Chicken sandwich, tastes just like you think it would. It's basically just batter that has coke syrup and is well, deep fried. It is ever so delicious, but they sorta skimped on the whip cream. I'm hoping that same stall is there at the LA County Fair so when I go I can get it again. Another highlight was this salt-water taffy I bought, but then again I haven't had salt water taffy in a long time so I think I would praise even a mediocre piece. I also enjoyed the "Australian Battered Potatoes"; I'm definitely going to convince people with me to get them when we go to the LA County Fair. They have a texture between that of a deep fried potato chip and potato wedge.

Want to know what I didn't enjoy? Caramel Apples. I used to love these as a kid, but now the magic is gone. After consuming one, I'm just left a sticky mess and wondering if my fillings/teeth are going to be pulled out. It's totally a sad comment on how old I'm getting.

Despite my enormous stomach, I managed to miss out on quite a few things. I am looking forward to trying a Turkey Leg, Egg Roll on a stick, and maybe fried frog legs or a Texas donut at the LA County Fair.

15 Seconds of Fame

2007-08-03T12:23:00.001-07:00

Why are people in my demographic (18-34?) so obsessed with fame? Apparently fame is the #1 desired thing based on surveys. I can't believe that, because I'd much rather have money than fame. Then again I guess you can parlay your fame into money. Maaybe that's why? Or maybe it just goes back to the fact that it's human nature to want to be recognized? I guess I find it so hard to believe since I don't really like being in the spotlight; I'd much rather be the person behind the show.

But hey, I got my 15 seconds of fame on the Kevin and Bean radio show the other day. Ralph read my email for his running "Rock Me Amadeus" gag yesterday for the 9:00 Showbiz Beat. It was about Comic Con and how at the con Paramount revealed Zachary Quinto is the new Spock for the upcoming Star Trek prequel. "Spock will make him famous!" W00t.

So am I officially Internet-level pathetic now? I think so. I guess I wouldn't have it any other way.

(For those of you keeping track at home, when you add this bit to EVO and PAX 2004, I should have like, 12-13 minutes left of Internet fame.)

First Post!

2007-08-03T11:48:00.000-07:00

So the purpose of this blog is more for reviews (food? golf?) than anything else. I suppose I could just type stuff up at Yelp but I want to see if I can make a blog entry every other day or something. I guess to be honest I should shoot for 3 times a week.

That being said, I think I'm just gonna post random stuff most of the time and have this degenerate into a basic brain dump or something. I barely know how this interface and stuff works.