Ramblings Of An Insomniac

So it's 5:00 A.M. and I can't get to sleep. Here's a video. Watch it, it's cool.

Happy Birthday To Me

July 22nd

While sometimes employing unorthodox approaches, you are capable of handling large scale undertakings.

You assume great responsibility and work long and hard toward completion. Often, especially in the early part of life, there is rigidity or stubbornness, and a tendency to repress feelings.

Idealistic, you work for the greater good with a good deal of inner strength and charisma.
An extremely capable organizer, but likely to paint with broad strokes rather than detail.
You are very aware and intuitive. You are subject to a good deal of nervous tension.

Cool stuff that happened on July 22!

The Dark Knight Impressions

I must honestly say that this feels like the first time I have ever seen a "true" comic book movie. The Dark Knight was perfect. The suspense, the themes, the visuals, the characters, everything. I actually felt like I was watching a graphic novel play through on the screen. I would also have to say that this film is probably the most ambitious Batman film to date as it is the first to really get into the darker side of the comics. It wasn't afraid of moving away from the more comical style we've seen in the previous movies and entering a grittier and more realistic one.

Also, this was the first Batman movie that fit together without having to focus on just one person or event. It didn't need the half-baked "doomsday plan" structure most comic book movies go for. It didn't require that we follow Bruce Wayne all over Gotham in his attempt to establish himself as a "defender of justice." Sure, we saw him grow, but we also saw the growth of a number of other characters as well. We saw the rise and fall of Harvey Dent. The moral struggle between Gordon and his unit. The coup d'etat lead by the Joker on Gotham City's criminal underworld. One of the biggest mistakes made by movies these days is the belief that the action needs to focus on the protagonist to hold the attention of the audience.

Two thumbs up for all of the cast, but I must say that Heath Ledger stole the show this time around. His rendition of The Joker was flawless. Now Jack Nicholson did an excellent job of playing the Joker in the first Batman film, but Heath's Joker made Nicholson's seem sane. He was truly sadistic and frightening. It's a shame that he won't be able to reprise the role. Aaron Eckhart also did an amazing job as Harvey Dent/Two-Face, and he was a much better fit for the role than Tommy Lee Jones was in Batman Forever. These two are probably the best comic book villiains I have seen in any movie, actually. Followed closely by Jack Nicholson's Joker, Willem Dafoe's Green Goblin (sans the crappy suit), and Jim Carrey's Riddler.

I am awarding The Dark Knight a well-deserved 5 stars out of 5 for being the biggest and most spectacular Batman film I have ever seen, as well as the best movie I have seen this summer. (And I have seen A LOT of movies this summer.) More like this DC!!

Jesse's Dance Craze

"It's sweepin' the nation!!!"

This is the result of a lot of free time and a little Rick Astley. Video by my good friend Jesse. Laugh and enjoy!

Original page here.

Watchmen Trailer Actually Looks Impressive

Watchmen, a short comic book series turned graphic novel, showcases a much darker side of DC. The story takes place in an "alternative history" United States on the brink of war with the Soviet Union where the "superheroes" are much more gritty and realistic. I won't go any further into the story, but you can be sure that Zack Snyder, who directed the artistic masterpiece that was 300, will try his hardest to make sure the downbeat, Cold War era, comic maintains its rough feel and tragic storyline.

Though I am only familiar with the comic in passing glance, and not too keen on DC, I am really excited about seeing this film. I will definitely have to check out the graphic novel as soon as I can and hopefully it will be brought to life before my eyes, and all of yours, when the film drops on March 6,2009.

Please feel free to go here for a better version of the trailer, because apparently blogspot is not that great at video uploading.

Penny Arcade Sums Up E3 Conferences

This made me laugh so hard when I first saw it! While I will concede that there was a bit more to each of the briefings, it still doesn't mean that this strip was any less hilarious. For all those who can't tell, the strip goes from left to right with Microsoft first, Nintendo (haha look at Reggie!) second, and Sony last.

Credits to Penny Arcade for the strip.

Final Fantasy XIII To Be Released On 360

For all you crazy people out there who didn't know this, E3 kicked off today with Microsoft's briefing conference. While I found the majority of the briefing to be lackluster, Resident Evil 5 slated for March '09 and Gears of War 2 to be released whenever, the heaviest hit came when Square-Enix head Yoichi Wada stunned the crowd by announcing that the upcoming Final Fantasy XIII would be releasing on the Xbox 360 as well as the Playstation 3. This is huge news. HUGE. This would be the first Final Fantasy from the main series to be "released" without Playstation exclusivity since Final Fantasy VI, which was adapted to the Playstation from the original Super NES version.

Now I'm not exactly sure how this happened... well that's not true, I know exactly "how" it happened and it rhymes with "wuge wums of woney." What I really want to know is how Sony allowed this to happen. Final Fantasy has always been a big seller for the company in the past, and this news coupled with the Xbox 360's recent price cut could mean big trouble for them. I suppose we'll just have to learn more before we can make any true predictions as to how this will play out, but I fear Sony isn't going to like the result.

Anyhow, below I've included the new trailer for the game, and I must say that I'm fairly impressed. I'll report later when more of the actual gameplay for FF XIII is shown. For now, however, just enjoy the trailer. Nintendo and Sony's briefings are set for tomorrow around 9 A.M. Pacific. It will be interesting to see what they have in store, respectively.