Who can turn that down?
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
Friday, November 19, 2010
Will Winnie the Pooh Be the First Film I See WIth My Daughters on the Big Screen?
Next summer Disney's newest version of Winnie the Pooh will make its appearance in theaters. From the looks of the trailer, it appears that it will be a wonderful presentation of the classic children's character. I cannot wait to see the film, and my twin girls should be ready to sit through an entire feature by next summer. What a wonderful graduation present from my MBA a theater experience with all of my ladies would be.
Thursday, November 18, 2010
Wizards of the Coast Makes Virtual Table Announcement
Just prior to the release of the 4th edition of D&D, Wizards of the Coast promoted a number of computer based tools that would go live shortly after the release of the game in support of play. It was one of the most exciting things about the build up and announcement, and the failure of Wizards to "deliver the goods" was one of the things that most fed into the Edition Wars that flamed through internet forums after 4e's release.
I have been a big fan of 4e since the get go, and run the Encounters program for a local game store, but even I have succumbed to the disappointment bug from time to time. I wanted all those cool toys that Wizards "promised" me.
Today they sparked hope that they would be delivering the goods on one of the most anticipated of the gaming tools they promoted, the Virtual Table. This computer application will help to speed up play at real tables and expands play opportunities for those who live far from other gamers.
From the initial screenshot, this is looking good.
If I could just get in on the beta...
I have been a big fan of 4e since the get go, and run the Encounters program for a local game store, but even I have succumbed to the disappointment bug from time to time. I wanted all those cool toys that Wizards "promised" me.
Today they sparked hope that they would be delivering the goods on one of the most anticipated of the gaming tools they promoted, the Virtual Table. This computer application will help to speed up play at real tables and expands play opportunities for those who live far from other gamers.
From the initial screenshot, this is looking good.
If I could just get in on the beta...
Ryan Reynold's Green Lantern Preview...Two Words -- "Kilowog Woot!"
Some of my fondest memories are night time readings of the Giffen/DeMatteis Justice League back when I was proving to her how wonderful comic books could be. The wonder of the Giffen/DeMatteis issues is that they presented the lives of super heroes in a way that comics had never done before, and hasn't really done since. We got to see the day to day dynamics of a super hero team. The Giffen/DeMatteis work was a combination comic book, sit com, action movie, and drama.
Wonderful stuff.
Among the joys of those books was a Green Lantern named Kilowog. Someone had the good sense to put him into the upcoming Green Lantern movie.
Wonderful stuff.
Among the joys of those books was a Green Lantern named Kilowog. Someone had the good sense to put him into the upcoming Green Lantern movie.
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
A 70s Chevy Van Mural Come to Life? Or...a Film Representation of a 70s D&D Campaign?
I just saw the Red Band trailer for Your Highness. The Danny McBride and James Franco fantasy follow up to Pineapple Express. Like Pineapple, Highness is a fusion of stoner jokes and genre film making -- in this case Fantasy.
I don't know what to think of this kind of movie. I've never been big on the Cheech and Chong style of comedy, even when well done. As amusing as parts of this film look, the pot joke in the film's title, like most stoner jokes, is as stale as hard tack left over from the Civil War. Get it? "Your Highness?" ahuh ahuh
I like comedy aimed at shock value a great deal, but I don't like stale comedy. After all of the anti-Prop 19 editorials published this year, I've had enough stale pot jokes. Hopefully this film will have something more to offer. There are glimpses that it might.
That said... I have a compulsion to watch every Fantasy film ever made and I have a crush on Zooey Deschanel.
I can say that this trailer reminds me of the gaming sessions that one of my best friend's older brothers used to have in the late 70s and early 80s. Those sessions were a gonzo fusion of Led Zeppelin, Tolkien, and Thongor.
I don't know what to think of this kind of movie. I've never been big on the Cheech and Chong style of comedy, even when well done. As amusing as parts of this film look, the pot joke in the film's title, like most stoner jokes, is as stale as hard tack left over from the Civil War. Get it? "Your Highness?" ahuh ahuh
I like comedy aimed at shock value a great deal, but I don't like stale comedy. After all of the anti-Prop 19 editorials published this year, I've had enough stale pot jokes. Hopefully this film will have something more to offer. There are glimpses that it might.
That said... I have a compulsion to watch every Fantasy film ever made and I have a crush on Zooey Deschanel.
I can say that this trailer reminds me of the gaming sessions that one of my best friend's older brothers used to have in the late 70s and early 80s. Those sessions were a gonzo fusion of Led Zeppelin, Tolkien, and Thongor.
Friday, November 12, 2010
Raging Phoenix -- Does it Rise to the Occassion?
Martial Arts films are continually attempting to push boundaries. Sometimes, especially in Wuxia films, the boundaries they are pushing are visually and narratively artistic. Typically, the boundaries being pushed relate to the sophistication of the choreography and the danger (perceived or otherwise) of the stunts being performed by the martial artists and stunt men and women working on the production.
A quick look at the final battle sequence in Five Deadly Venoms versus the end fight in Flash Point provides a nice demonstration of just how far martial arts films have pushed their performers to provide exciting viewing experiences. Five Deadly Venoms may be the more coherent and entertaining film overall, but the final fight scene in Flash Point is more than worth the price of admission.
Throughout the 80s and 90s, Hong Kong was the place to look for exciting and adventurous action. When some of the HK talent migrated into Hollywood, there were those who argued that HK had lost some of its edge and looked for new markets to find the next big thing in action and excitement. These cinephiles didn't have to look very far. Thailand has been producing entertaining action fare for decade, but the charismatic personalities of Tony Jaa and Jeeja Yanin have attracted an audience of loyal fans. Both Jaa and Jeeja have demonstrated a strong work ethic and a willingness to follow in the tradition of boundary pushing action. I would argue that Donnie Yen's past few films, with their breakneck pace, are a reaction to the fast paced action of the Thai productions.
While martial arts films are continuously attempting to push boundaries, there are those rare films that push them so far as to redefine genre expectations. Jackie Chan's performances in Wheels on Meals and Armor of God and Jet Li's Bodyguard from Beijing and Fist of Legend quickly leap to mind as just these kinds of films. Jeeja Yanin's latest film Raging Phoenix is attempting to be one of these genre redefining films. Raging Phoenix combines Muay Thai with break dancing and drunken fighting in an attempt to create a visually dynamic action style.
Raging Phoenix has a fairly straightforward plot. Young woman barely escapes being kidnapped by the Jaguar gang of human traffickers when she is rescued by an opponent of the Jaguar gang. The woman's rescuer becomes her martial arts trainer and she joins a rag tag band of people who have lost loved ones to the gang. The members of the band hope to put an end to the Jaguar gang's reign of terror and to rescue the fiance of one of the band's members from the clutches of evil. There isn't much new in the story's formula, but if well executed it can be an entertaining ride.
Sadly, Raging Phoenix -- at least in the subtitled American release -- doesn't convey the narrative of the film particularly well. Time jumps come at seemingly random intervals and the audience seems to be expected to fill in the narrative gaps in the story. This isn't a difficult task, but as in Ong Bok's American theatrical release, it can be annoying as it creates a stutter in the storytelling.
What was particularly frustrating about the stuttering narrative was that the film did in fact have an interesting twist on the main premise. The Jaguar gang is kidnapping women, not for ransom or to sell into prostitution or organ "donation," instead they are harvesting their victims tears in order to create a pheromone based perfume -- perfume made from the tears of the hopeless. It's not just any perfume either, the tears of the hopeless apparently add to the martial and physical prowess of those who use them.
The stilted transition of scenes is additionally frustrating due to the fact that the acting performances by Jeeja and Kazoo are pretty solid. Certainly the performances are theatrical and melodramatic at times, but when they need to be they are quite powerful. The actors portray their emotional losses well, and the film would have been better served if it had all the necessary filler scenes.
But enough of the narrative and its merits. How well does Raging Phoenix achieve its goal of pushing the boundaries of martial arts action through the inclusion of break dancing based techniques? In short, not so well. Overall, the martial arts in the film is quite exciting. Of particular merit is the battle between Jeeja Yanin and Marc Ngai Hoang. There are some great fight scenes in the film, but whenever a character inserts a "hip hop" move the fight seems to slow down and the choreography becomes readily apparent. The break dancing elements typically shatter the illusion that you are viewing anything remotely spontaneous.
Thankfully, the hip hop insertions are minimal and when the fights get really rolling the fluidity of drunken Muay Thai take over. The flying elbows and knees are impressive, and the damage they deal to opponents is believable.
Had the film eliminated the hip hop, focused on the action, and added some narrative filler scenes, this could have been an instant classic. As it is, it is a film that I will fast forward to a couple of fight scenes just to experience them again. None of those fight scenes come close to matching the brutal dynamism of Flash Point.
A quick look at the final battle sequence in Five Deadly Venoms versus the end fight in Flash Point provides a nice demonstration of just how far martial arts films have pushed their performers to provide exciting viewing experiences. Five Deadly Venoms may be the more coherent and entertaining film overall, but the final fight scene in Flash Point is more than worth the price of admission.
Throughout the 80s and 90s, Hong Kong was the place to look for exciting and adventurous action. When some of the HK talent migrated into Hollywood, there were those who argued that HK had lost some of its edge and looked for new markets to find the next big thing in action and excitement. These cinephiles didn't have to look very far. Thailand has been producing entertaining action fare for decade, but the charismatic personalities of Tony Jaa and Jeeja Yanin have attracted an audience of loyal fans. Both Jaa and Jeeja have demonstrated a strong work ethic and a willingness to follow in the tradition of boundary pushing action. I would argue that Donnie Yen's past few films, with their breakneck pace, are a reaction to the fast paced action of the Thai productions.
While martial arts films are continuously attempting to push boundaries, there are those rare films that push them so far as to redefine genre expectations. Jackie Chan's performances in Wheels on Meals and Armor of God and Jet Li's Bodyguard from Beijing and Fist of Legend quickly leap to mind as just these kinds of films. Jeeja Yanin's latest film Raging Phoenix is attempting to be one of these genre redefining films. Raging Phoenix combines Muay Thai with break dancing and drunken fighting in an attempt to create a visually dynamic action style.
Raging Phoenix has a fairly straightforward plot. Young woman barely escapes being kidnapped by the Jaguar gang of human traffickers when she is rescued by an opponent of the Jaguar gang. The woman's rescuer becomes her martial arts trainer and she joins a rag tag band of people who have lost loved ones to the gang. The members of the band hope to put an end to the Jaguar gang's reign of terror and to rescue the fiance of one of the band's members from the clutches of evil. There isn't much new in the story's formula, but if well executed it can be an entertaining ride.
Sadly, Raging Phoenix -- at least in the subtitled American release -- doesn't convey the narrative of the film particularly well. Time jumps come at seemingly random intervals and the audience seems to be expected to fill in the narrative gaps in the story. This isn't a difficult task, but as in Ong Bok's American theatrical release, it can be annoying as it creates a stutter in the storytelling.
What was particularly frustrating about the stuttering narrative was that the film did in fact have an interesting twist on the main premise. The Jaguar gang is kidnapping women, not for ransom or to sell into prostitution or organ "donation," instead they are harvesting their victims tears in order to create a pheromone based perfume -- perfume made from the tears of the hopeless. It's not just any perfume either, the tears of the hopeless apparently add to the martial and physical prowess of those who use them.
The stilted transition of scenes is additionally frustrating due to the fact that the acting performances by Jeeja and Kazoo are pretty solid. Certainly the performances are theatrical and melodramatic at times, but when they need to be they are quite powerful. The actors portray their emotional losses well, and the film would have been better served if it had all the necessary filler scenes.
But enough of the narrative and its merits. How well does Raging Phoenix achieve its goal of pushing the boundaries of martial arts action through the inclusion of break dancing based techniques? In short, not so well. Overall, the martial arts in the film is quite exciting. Of particular merit is the battle between Jeeja Yanin and Marc Ngai Hoang. There are some great fight scenes in the film, but whenever a character inserts a "hip hop" move the fight seems to slow down and the choreography becomes readily apparent. The break dancing elements typically shatter the illusion that you are viewing anything remotely spontaneous.
Thankfully, the hip hop insertions are minimal and when the fights get really rolling the fluidity of drunken Muay Thai take over. The flying elbows and knees are impressive, and the damage they deal to opponents is believable.
Had the film eliminated the hip hop, focused on the action, and added some narrative filler scenes, this could have been an instant classic. As it is, it is a film that I will fast forward to a couple of fight scenes just to experience them again. None of those fight scenes come close to matching the brutal dynamism of Flash Point.
Monday, November 08, 2010
D&D Essentials Continues to Impress -- Heroes of the Forgotten Kingdoms
Last week I picked up my copy of the latest D&D Essentials book, Heroes of the Forgotten Kingdoms. Like its predecessor, Heroes of the Fallen Lands, Heroes of the Forgotten Kingdoms is meant to be an evergreen starter book for people interested in playing the Dungeons and Dragons role playing game. Where Fallen Lands featured rules for characters who fall within the four "classic" D&D archetype classes (Fighter, Cleric, Wizard, and Thief) and major races (Human, Halfling, Elf, and Dwarf) that made up the core of the Moldvay Basic Set when D&D was young, Forgotten Kingdoms introduces "classic" archetypes from the pages of the Advanced Dungeons and Dragons (Paladin, Ranger, Druid, and Ranger) game with one addition -- the Hexblade -- as well as a host of new races (Dark Elves, Half Orcs, Dragonborn, and Half-Elves).
Both Fallen Lands and Forgotten Kingdoms are excellent products that accomplish the tasks they are attempting. The first three chapters of each book is identical and provides an overview of the basic mechanics of the D&D game system. If someone wants to play D&D as a player, all they need is one of these books and they are good to go. Their taste in archetypes can be used to determine which book they wish to buy, or they can buy both books which is my recommendation. None of the class builds in the books exist in other books and the classes are presented in a way that is easy to understand and learn.
But one question lingers at the back of many players brains.
What exactly are the Fallen Lands and Forgotten Kingdoms that are referred to in the titles and how do they relate to the characters and races presented in the books?
This is where the books truly shine. While the information is only hinted at in the flavor text throughout the books, after reading The Mark of Nerath I had a bit of an epiphany.
The "Fallen Kingdoms" are the recently fallen kingdoms of man, chief among them the Empire of Nerath. The Empire of Nerath was a strong empire that once ruled the dangerous area that makes up the Points of Light setting, but which fell victim to a curse due to a bargain that Nerath's founder, Morgath, entered into 500 years ago with Orcus the Lord of the Undead. As a recently memorable kingdom, having "fallen" within the past century, the character archetypes and races depicted are of the more mundane sort. Nerath was less fantastic than the kingdoms of the past and was filled with Fighters, Mages, Clerics, and Thieves. Elves (both Woodland and Fey), Dwarves, Humans, and Halflings walked its streets. These are the classes and races that the book presents to the characters.
The "Forgotten Kingdoms" of Arkoshia and Bael Turath collapsed long ago and their origins are lost and filled with mythical imagery. The Dragonborn Empire of Arkoshia was founded by those who sought to glorify Bahamut the Drakonic god of Honor and Duty. The land was filled with the stoic (in the philosophic sense) and sturdy Dragonborn and its Paladins are things of legend. Bael Turath was an Empire founded when a band of humans made a pact with Asmodeus, a pact that magically cursed those humans to become Tieflings, in order to attain glory. The events that collapsed these great empires are "forgotten," but their legacy remains. "Forgotten Kingdoms" presents classes and races that are more "magical" and alien to the world, or that echo those ancient empires. For example, today's Essential Paladins are no longer able to summon the wondrous and magical Holy Steeds that Paladins of the ancient kingdoms could summon. The modern Paladin can only summon an echo of that great ability by channeling the spirits of those glorious Holy Steeds into the mundane beasts they and their companions ride into battle. The powers of the epic Paladins are lost to time, but the residual essence remains.
I am mesmerized by the presentation. My only critique is how this relationship must be trepanned out of the text rather than openly stated. I remember the old AOL Greyhawk group, where we would mine for minor details in each D&D module to find a kernel of information about the World of Greyhawk. These two Essential rulebooks are filled with nuggets that hint at the glory of the Points of Light setting and the Nentir Vale.
I hope they give us some more explicit information, as I am enjoying the subtle hints.
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