Riddick: Pitch Blacker

In 2000, a tight little under-the-radar scifi action thriller graced cinemas.  Pitch Black introduced the character Richard B. Riddick, his gravelly narration revealing a bit of a poet undergirding the faux-cold heart of an interstellar convicted felon on the way back to prison.  The ship transporting him would crash, stranding him with a motley group of survivors who would be forced to turn to him and each other when the unique conditions on the place their ship was resting would find themselves under siege by vicious alien predators.  This film also introduced many of us to the lovely Claudia Black as Sharon "Shazza" Montgomery, a geologist.  Other pertinent characters included were Imam Abu al-Walid, Rhiana Griffith as Jack/Jackie and Cole Hauser as Johns, a guy who at first appears to be a cop bringing Riddick to justice.  Well, it all went down and lots of people died, but most of the above characters joined Riddick in the sequel, The Chronicles of Riddick.  That movie went far more in depth into the elements of Riddick's universe, his origins, some of the factions operating in his universe and so on.  But it was so huge, and so...so...that some thought this epic (or bloated, depending on your perspective) vision got to far away from the taut efficiency that marked the first film.

So, Vin Diesel and director David Twohy moved heaven and earth and used their own resources to make this third film.  It is clear that they both love the material and the character.  Also, Vin Diesel, if you know anything about him, is the fanboy of fanboys and loves the imaginative genres.  Riddick is one of his personal quests to make a contribution to genre film.  For both men, the Riddick stories are very personal, and they show a lot of heart both in the making as well in the supporting.

Well, TCoR did introduce a very intriguing backdrop upon which Riddick was operating.  At the end of the second film, Riddick was the Lord Marshall of the Necromongers, the crusaders of a particular faith in Riddick's universe.  They do touch on Riddick's ending in that film, even so far as to bring back Karl Urban as Vaako.  But...it seems they can't get away from all that complicated metaphysical foofery and want to retreat back to the leanness of the first film.  They arrange for Riddick to leave the Necromongers and strand him on another planet.  With another zeno-predatorial problem.  And another crew to share in the slaughter, this time, two competing teams of mercs/bounty hunters who have shown up to collect Riddick's scalp (the bounty is higher if collected dead).  We meet the father of Johns from the first film, who has a personal stake in this, wanting to find the final fate of Riddick.  We also get introduced to a character played by Katee Sackoff (Dahl).  She is competent, lethal and it is implied she is a lesbian, but more likely bi, as at least badboy loners do twang her guitar strings.  Oh, and she also has very lovely bosoms, for the record.

Riddick is a decent flick.  It is fun to watch Vin Diesel playing this character he loves and it is great to see this series continuing (rumor has it that Dahl, Ms. Sackoff's character, may get her own film).  However, apparently feeling chastened from the departure that was The Chronicles, they ran all the way back to the well and submerged themselves and made a film that was almost beat for beat the first one.  That is not a step in confidence.

This one is purely for Riddick fans, of which I am one.  It is great to see this universe again, too.  Just don't be afraid to show more of it.  Riddick has a great playground to play in and...let's play.  But keep it in moderation.

This Is The End-Hollywood Shallowness/Bromance Is Surprisingly Good Apocalypse...

 

 

 

2013 was a year that apocalypses (lypsi?) turned out in bunches.  You could not go to your local theater or movie store without seeing the end of civilization screaming at you in one flavor or another.  Generally, I like those kinds of films, but with that many, some are destined to be stinkers.  It is just a matter of numbers. Sometimes, though, you need to monitor the reviews just to make sure a good one doesn't slip below the radar.  Case in point, This Is The End.

 

The premise, let's cram Seth Rogen, James Franco, Craig Robinson, Danny McBride, Jonah Hill and Jay Baruchel in a posh Hollywood pad.  Let's throw a bunch of other mostly young familiar Hollywood faces in with them and then drop the Biblical apocalypse on there.  Rapture of righteous souls and the beginning of various blights upon the Earth and let them deal in their own ways, letting their personalities go to town.

 

The trailers made it look a bit indulgent and annoyingly inside baseball, like you were looking at a party that you weren't quite invited to...except for this one...

 

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sW67OiY7xVw

 

 

 

But even then, as clever as that was, it still appeared more gimmick than anything else.  But then, I saw this film pop up on more than one "greatest film of 2012" list, alongside The World's End,  a fellow apocalyptic epic and one of my favorites for the year.  So...with that kind of recommendation, stumbling upon it locally, I picked up the Blu Ray, and I'm glad I did.  Yes, it is Hollywood insidery, but in a way that it is making fun of itself.  It is clear that these guys even read their own press and used it as a mine to produce nuggets to make fun of themselves.  They even took shots at Hollywood culture and it's perception.  This was not a vanity piece AT ALL, and that was both a relief and refreshing.

 

It was also a pretty good take on the Biblical style apocalypse.  The way the Rapture was done was actually pretty striking and unlike, say, Rapture-palooza, it actually was a bit thoughtful about it's subject as well as using it as a full on METAL stage set.

 

Good flick.



Civilization IV, Or At My Heart, I've Found Out I'm Just Not A Warmonger...

...at least I don't enjoy beating up computer opponents.

Ok, strike that, I do enjoy wargames.  But I'm kind of an unusual beast when it comes to my choice of martial merriment.  The ones I do enjoy are ones that either are very tactical in nature and go into lots of detail about the weapons, vehicles and technology being used.  Also, I love a roleplaying element, not only the feel of individuals and their decisions as they conduct the business of war, I like seeing the effects and limitations of the era, technology and circumstances shown in the game.  I like a "feel" that I'm doing something more that calculating odds and rolling dice and looking at the results on charts.  I want an immersive experience.  I want to "be there" and have a sense of a story unfolding before me.

What does all that have to do with Civilization IV?  Well, I can't comment on all of the Civilization series of computer games, but they come from well regarded game designer Sid Meier and depict civilizations starting out in prehistory and struggling to survive, advance and reach for the stars.  Along the way, they don't only improve their scientific acumen and their ability to make war, they also pursue art, culture and spirituality.  Very abstractly, mind you, but it does play a role in the development of your civilization.  Also, the civilizations interact with each other, trade, establish boundaries and every now and then, conflict.

Now, playing this game, after starting out and sucking, being roundly beaten by the computer opponents on the easiest level, I've gotten to the point where I can routinely win on more difficult levels.  I've won many points victories, some of the starship launching victories and even recently won my first diplomatic victory, which is done when you put yourself up for victory at the United Nations and your fellow civilizations agree you win.

Here's the thing.  When you have "won", you do have the option to play on, deploy your technological terrors and beat on your computer opponents.  That might be kinda fun if you are playing humans, but I've found that against a computer, that is when the limitations of the game as a simulation for climbing out of the primitive darkness and reaching for the stars leap out and scream.  When your civilization is establishing itself, exploring the world, investigating what is possible, the illusion is there that that is just what is going on.  It FEELS right, if a bit abstract (for example, your American nation, other than the name of your leader who never dies, the names of your cities and a signature military unit, in this case, Navy SEALS are really all that is "American" about that nation).  But when it becomes time for war...there comes a point where throwing stacks of units at your rival's stacks and cities becomes...underwhelming.  Yay.  I won.  Got lots of people killed and now I have this new city to rebuild. 

Which is ok, when you have to fight.  But I've found that in this game, unless you have to, I'd rather not.  Not only does it become repetitive and tedious...there's a vague sense of futility and even...guilt (for similar reasons, I don't play "evil" characters in roleplaying games.  I love a well crafted villain, but I won't play "evil" characters just to have an excuse of being "evil", which is what most "evil" campaigns, especially early in the career of a roleplayer are).  The first time (and only time) I actually used nukes in the game?  As silly as it sounds, I felt vaguely guilty.  Most of the time, I either avoid developing the Manhatten Project (how you and everyone else can get nukes), or as soon as I do, I get the UN going so we can vote on a ban against the use of nukes.

Kind of ironic, considering one of my favorite old school games is Flying Buffalo's Nuclear War.  But in that game, nuking is both satirical and critical of the Mutually Assured Destruction mentality.  In a game about civilizations evolving and reaching for the stars?  Like in reality, such a thing seems a terrible crime.

Yeah,  I know it is just a game.  But unless I've got a really good reason for it, and I haven't seen such in the game itself...nukes are wasted resources that are best spent elsewhere, unless circumstances force the issue.

But like most dillemas where science was key in making them...you kinda brought it on yourself.  To quote Jurrassic Park, "Your scientists were so concerned about whether we could do this thing, they never stopped to ask themselves whether they should."

When it comes to launching starships, though, to leave the cradle and seek that next civilization.  No guilt, just joy and awe, contemplating the day when it happens for real.

That is the mark of Civilization.

The New Year-No Resolutions, Just Plans

Just ruminating a bit here in between reviews and what not.  2014 is going to feature the biggest changes in my life since...well, about 14 years ago, since I rejoined the Army.  Then, I was seeking to continue forging a career as a broadcaster, specifically radio announcing and performing.  When I attended the Defense Information School, where the US military trains broadcasters, print journalists, photographers and the like, I also received extensive training in television.  Not what I sought work in, but extra skills are never a bad thing.  Since then, I have worked extensively in my chosen field of radio in many different countries and am convinced I am on the right course. 

However, since reaching my current rank (Staff Sergeant), seeing decisions being made at upper levels that seem to give radio less credence, questioning editorial policies from the top and generally having less fun, and seeing fifty close in...I've decided that I'm not reenlisting and now is time for change.

I'm getting out of the active service.  I'm staying involved in the  US military, but I'm changing services (likely the Navy), components (active to reserve) and career fields (the Chaplaincy).  I'm initially settling in my hometown but will likely branch out as I go into grad school.  I will be staying in radio broadcasting on the civilian side, but will be pursuing other professional goals, that is, building a voiceover business as well as writing.

Oh, and will pursue some other miscellaneous goals, like learning more about mixology and getting my pilot's license.

Plans...plans...plans...

On my way in 2014.

Elysium-In the Future, Trouble In Paradise and Snarky Robots

 

 

 

In a year where many were bemoaning the excess remakes, adaptations, etc, there were original works to take in, from the widely celebrated Pacific Rim to the much maligned After Earth.  You even had more independent voices in such films as The World's End and Europa Report.  In my opinion, one of the most interesting voices to be watching in modern science fiction cinema is Neil Blomkamp, the gentleman who brought us District 9, one of the best science fiction films of the last decade.  He stands out for two reasons.  First, he has some great technical skills but knows how to produce a beautiful, fully realized cinematic vision on a relatively small budget, a great thing to see in today's bloated billings.  Also, he is a guy who is interested in more than pretty visuals, spectacle and blowing crap up.  Mr. Blomkamp has things he wants to say, and science fiction is one of the best genres to make pointed commentary about the society we live in.  It presents a critique in a metaphorical sense, using the imaginative trappings to slip things to think about past idealogical defenses so in those quiet moments, you might have a moment of your own.

 

In this case, it is about runaway capitalism, no longer serving the population at large.  It is about the upper classes seeking to put as much distance between themselves and everyone else.  No normal gated community will do over one hundred years from now, no.  Now, it is Earth orbit in a space station where the uber-wealthy live in a paradise, while all others struggle in a crowded, polluted, poverty riddled mess down groundside. 

 

 

Max Da Costa (Matt Damon) a former car thief now struggling to make a living in a robot factory, is one day mortally injured on the job.  At that point, he finds himself in the middle of intrigue, as rebels have captured an exec of the company Da Costa worked for.  He possesses computer code that is the key to Elysium.  This exec was a key figure in a coup attempt up on Elysium, but is now the gateway to the station.  Da Costa accepts modification as a cyborg and membership on an infiltration team to the station, where the technology exists that can save his life.

 

Yes, the critics are right that the metaphors used here are much more ham fisted as compared to District 9.  Perhaps more attention was paid to spectacle and less careful care given to the script.  But that's ok.  For me, it still works and the issues in question, ultimately, we are all in this together, rich and poor and we need to make it all work for all of us  rather than think we can isolate ourselves in class structured hermetic seals.  That not only such a thing isn't right, it isn't sustainable, destined to fall apart at some point.

 

This was one of the winners this year for me.



 



Wolf: Not Sure If Nicholson Needed Much Added On Fur...

 

 

 

Jack Nicholson all hairy, wild and full of fury and attitude.  Is that really so much of a stretch?  Ok, Wolf came out in 1994 and was directed by Mike Nichols (The Graduate).  It stars Nicholson as Will Randall, the editior-in-chief at a publishing house.  One night, he hits a wolf while out driving, and when he stops to check on the stricken animal, it bites him, leaps up and runs off.  He goes home and finds out he is out a job, unless he accepts a posting to Eastern Europe.  The new owner, Raymond Alden (Christopher Plummer) is a ruthless tycoon type who does not like Randall's style.  His "friend" in the business, Stewart Swinton (James Spader) exudes crocodile tears, but turns out he's the guy up for Randall's job and was pushing for it behind the scenes.  Spader, btw, plays this with delicious slimy smarminess as only he can.  If it wasn't for his establishing the character of Daniel Jackson, you would question his range and his real skill as an actor.  But he does have serious chops.

 

Anyway, he meets Alden's daughter Laura, played by Michelle Pfeiffer, and the two fall into each other's orbits.  She doesn't care for her dad.  Neither does Randall.  Also, Randall's marriage is falling apart and he figures out, partially using his increasingly keener senses, that she's been swinging with Swinton on the side.  But when she ends up dead, savaged by what appears to be some kind of wild canine, he begins to question himself.  On the other hand, is increased savage nature gives him the chutzpah to stage an office coup that is rather delicious.

 

The savage spirit in the city, that is what kind of werewolf movie Wolf is.  It isn't so much about the supernatural, though that is there.  Not really that much about the gore, either.  This is about having to negotiate and suppress yourself to maneuver through modern culture and the film asks the question about whether submitting ourselves as much as most of us do to the modern world, suppressing so much of who we are, is really the best for us...or society in general?  It asks questions about mindless conformity vs seeing such and daring to break out.  Really, some of the similar territory The Graduate tread.

 

It doesn't give you an easy answer.  In fact, it says that either way, there will be trouble.  But at least go for the trouble on your own terms.

 

Good flick.