Five Films for Your Lockdown!! (Pt. 4)

 

HERE IT IS! Part 4 of films to check out while locked down during these crappy times. I hope you enjoy watching them as I think all five are worth a watch for everyone. 

1.  An Elephant Sitting Still (2018)

The first and last film of the late director Hu Bo, An Elephant Sitting Still is a near 4 hour epic drama about four main characters trying to survive their own harsh experiences in the less fortunate side of China. All four characters are layered and fleshed out and you really feel for their need for more. They decide to go in search of the mythological elephant that simply sits still and believe that visiting this elephant will show signs of new days ahead. 

The film is beautifully shot with lingering tracking shots and long takes that really shares the character's perspective with the audience. The score is very memorable and the story goes in directions I didn't expect. It's another great film that shows an oppressive side of China that has never been fully seen. 

If you're not a fan of films that are quite the length, then you might want to skip this one but I would recommend checking it out anyway. 

2. Violent (2014)

Directed by the Norwegian band We Are the City, Violent is one of those movies I feel was made specifically for me. It's both atmospheric and immersive. The film is shot very well from the gorgeous landscapes of Norway to surreal images in the film. The story follows a young woman named Dagny who after the experiencing a disaster that kills her, we experience her relationships with the five people that loved her the most. 

The performances, the cinematography, and my favorite aspect, the music score really make this film worthy of a watch. After seeing it twice, I feel this is a movie that will stay with me for a long span of time. It's a truly memorable sensory experience. (Available on Google Play)

3. Her (2013)

What can be said about this movie that has already been said? Spike Jonez won the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay and it was rightly deserved. Her is a phenomenal film about the relationship between a man and his computer (yes, your heard me right). Their relationship and chemistry is involving, authentic, and emotional. Joaquin Phoenix once again is fantastic, Amy Adams, Rooney Mara, and Olivia Wide made for great supporting cast members, and Scarlet Johansson who is literally just a voice truly shines as the computer love interest.  

This movie also does probably the most accurate portrayal of the future I've seen in quite some time. In short, the future setting is timeless and accurate of what the future is and could turn into. The music is also excellent as it was composed by the band Arcade Fire. I'm personally not a fan of their music but I'd be lying if I said the scoring for the film wasn't perfection. If you haven't seen this movie yet I'd highly recommend it, and if you saw it once I hope you enjoyed it enough to want to watch it again. 

 

4. 4 Months, 3 Weeks, and 2 Days (2007)

Winner of the Palme d'or at Cannes Film Festival (highly deserving), this was and still is worth watching bar-none. It's about how a young woman who helps her best friend get an illegal abortion in 1980's Romania. The acting is perfect and also very physical as well as the cinematography which helps the experience feel both physical and kinetic. I personally love the shaky-cam tracking shots that really make you feel like your struggling to keep up with the gravity of the situation. The direction by Cristian Mungiu is energetic and immersive and I also recommend the film Graduation from 2016 also by Cristian Mingiu. Still, 4 Months, 3 Weeks, and 2 Days, also shows us a side of the world we don't usually see especially back then.

5. Thunder Road (2018)

This was a recent first watch but I believe it's the second easiest movie to recommend second behind the movie Her. Jim Cumming's directorial debut is one of the most impressive in recent memory. With a budget of only $200,000, Thunder Road is a great example of utilizing what resources you have to create a truly great film. It's a great story of a cop looking for redemption after the death of his mother by caring for his daughter the best he can. 

It's a fantastic blend of cringe comedy and serious to the point of dark themes. This is a funny, touching, well shot, and engaging piece of filmmaking and it's clear Jim Cummings shows signs of a bright future in the medium. 

Did you see any of these films? If so, leave a comment about them below!

Bioshock: Infinite's kind of Bad Ending

                    

                  Bioshock: Infinite is a 2013 first-person shoooter released by Irrational Games and has been showered with endless praise for its story, graphics, and themes involving history in the early 1900s. Unfortunately I played through the campaign only once and enjoyed it only once. Once I experienced the ending, my attempt at replaying the game stopped halfway through and I wasn't interested in re-experiencing it. After several years I started to understand why I didn't return to the game: and it was because there was nothing to go back to. Nothing genuinely mattered. Playing through the game again would mean there's no other angle to experience. That can be said for a multitude of games of this genre but this game attempts to bait-and-switch what it attempts to introduce to the gamer that can be deemed highly deceptive. This applies not only to the frustratingly senseless ending, but the illusion of choice in general. 

WARNING: SPOILERS!

1. Constants and Variables

The very first "choice" portion of the game already paves the way for the problems of this game, which is undoubtedly one of its biggest. The game gives the player the illusion of choice by not even providing much of a choice in the first place. When Booker first arrives in the nationalistic city in the sky, Columbia, he's provided the opportunity to throw a baseball at an interracial couple in captivity on a stage for the public to humiliate. But as soon as you're given the opportunity to execute that choice, the game pretty much stops you and railroads you through a transition of mindless killing. Now while I understand there's a story to tell, the developers pretty much show no trust in the player at all by snatching away the VERY freedom they hinted at. This is almost infuriating because it's borderline intelligence-insulting to the player. This distrust in the player is translated to not just the false choice-providing, but it also applies to  the two-weapon limit the developers give you in contrast to the six-weapon limit the original gave you followed by those upgrades instead of you upgrading weapons you'll most likely throw away in Infinite. 

The game in the end, talks about constants and variables which can be said about any game that offers the same yet different experiences different players will have with the game. This is revealed when we learn that there are infinite worlds with infinite possibilities. But if you were to put a TV side-by-side next to player, or even play the game with a YouTube video of someone playing through it at the same frequency, by the end, there would be no different of an experience than your own. Again, this can be said about various types of games, but this game advocates choice, only to snatch that choice away or at best, let you choose but it meaning nothing in the end. 

This is applicable to both the coin toss with the Lutece Twins and the pendant choice with Elizabeth. My biggest gripe with the coin toss is the massive button prompt they give you, just to end up with heads for the 22nd time, despite the infinite possibilities of the coin ending up being tails because of the infinite universes this game establishes.  But the game outright, if accidentally, tells you that your choices don't matter solely by the number of times the coin has been flipped to end up being heads. That personally doesn't make a lick of sense to me. And it's also too much of a plot convenience for the reveal that there is a multiverse. Wouldn't it had made sense to vary the results so that there can be an established freedom of choice? Or do the developers think we're too dumb to realize there are multiple results of when the coin flips? That is about as plausible as anything in general that is considered plausible because there could be another world where Booker could obviously have the coin result on tails. 

The pendant choice also results in nothing despite your choices. Both pendants have obvious symbolism behind resulting in the Elizabeth character's journey but once again, the symbol of cage and a bird are pretty crystal clear if you've played the game, but neither matters because Elizabeth ends up wiping away her own existence anyway. What was the point? 

There are clear examples of games where your choices actually DO matter. The first Bioshock obviously gave you choices even if they were very limited. Killing the Little Sisters instead of saving them resulted in a bad ending while the opposite gave them a chance to live their lives to the fullest. Mass Effect 2 and Persona 5 gave you choices that resulted in how you interact with your teammates or confidants. It provided how they function in the final endgame.

2. "I'm both" 

Now the way the theme of constants and variables is implemented pretty poorly in this game, as the game attempts to shoehorn the reveal of the multiple worlds into how it shapes Booker and Elizabeth's identity. By the end of the game it's revealed that Elizabeth's tear powers creates more and more realities where there actions have multiple possibilities as there are multiple versions of them within those universes doing the same thing but could end up in different results. 

We learn by the end of the game that Booker and Zachary Comstock are the same person from two different realities. In a nutshell, Booker was guilt-ridden from his genocidal actions at the Wounded Knee Massacre in 1890, and because he was so overwhelmed with guilt there was a reality where he accepted being baptized and coverted, changing creating Zachary Comstock. In another reality Booker doesn't accept the baptism and instead remains Booker Dewitt. He has a child named Elizabeth (real name is Anna Dewitt) and his wife dies of childbirth. He's still full of guilt, and owes a massive gambling debt so to pay it off, his alternate, Comstock, makes a deal with Booker so he can have an heir so Booker gives Anna to Comstock. But because he regrets doing this, the Male Lutece decides to help Booker retrieve his daughter by going to Columbia to retrieve her, thus setting the game's events in motion. 

Note: The Lutece Twins are alternate versions of each other that are responsible for the technology that creates tears into multiple realities but their motives for doing this are not clear. 

(On my left is the details of the timeline I won't bore you with explaining, but what's important is what happens before the player starts the game.)

Once multiple worlds are revealed to Booker and Elizabeth, Elizabeth believes that to prevent the general existence of Comstock is to drown Booker at the baptism so Comstock will never be born in any reality.

The million dollar question is: Why? 

Let's break this down into three simple reasons:

1. There are already infinite possibilities where Booker and Elizabeth are experiencing different outcomes because there's no such thing as "some things being constant" like Elizabeth claimed. There are unknown possibilities that are countless and the player pretty much comes up with those possibilities on their own. 

2. Drowning Booker only results in a Grandfather Paradox. For example, if you go back in time and kill your grandfather, then you won't exist, not being alive to even kill your grandfather in the first place. This applies to Elizabeth as she drowns Booker, preventing her own existence and not being alive to drown her own father. 

3. Booker's transformation to Comstock was not a literal transformation. He changes his mindset, but no physical rebirth happened. In the Christian practices, you're reborn spiritually. This game uses that as a reference for Booker's transformation, but the problem is, drowning present time Booker accomplishes nothing at all because of the clear outcomes that are different. 

The only way to end the circle is to either go back to either Lutece twin and kill their parent(s) since they're responsible for giving birth to the Lutece and preventing their exploring of quantum mechanics in the first place.

3. Waddup with Comstock? 

 

This is a personal flaw I noticed and it has to do with Booker's transformation in general to Comstock. Booker feels overwhelming guilt about his actions at Wounded Knee and his baptism to Comstock ultimately causes him to create a new religion and perspective.

Ultimately this makes me wonder what as the point of having a baptism if he's pretty much returning to the exact same mindset he had when was slaughtering Native Americans. Logically Booker was guilt-ridden for a good five minutes before going back to being a racist which defeats the purpose of a baptism in the first place. If seems like the baptism was a plot device but it doesn't serve a logical purpose except to create the multiple worlds plot. 

What are your thoughts on the game? Did you enjoy the story? Leave a comment below! 

Devil May Cry 5 - Beginner tips for the The 3 Warriors

As a Devil May Cry newcomer, my first experience with the recent game in the series left me with a lot to process gameplay wise. I'm very much familiar with the action genre, mainly action associated with the developers Platinum Games. I've never explored the depth of the other DMC games and they were never a drawn of interest for me. I had no doubt they were bad games, but throughout my growth as a gamer they were never priorities of exploration.

               But I'd have to thank this current Covid-19 pandemic for the days I've spent inside my apartment to finally understand the appeal of the series. From the likable Nero and Dante (including newcomer "V"), to the engrossing lore and world building, to the over-the-top stylish action, and the gameplay that prompts constant exploration for creation by the player. Devil May Cry 5 is the most addicting game on my Playstation 4 at this point and I've played it so many times that while I'm not at the peak of skill to "S" Rank the "Dante Must Die" difficulty, I've learned quite enough of the game to share some basic tips of how to master all three heroes enough to prepare for the harder difficulties.

            Devil May Cry 5 was released March 9th, 2019, developed my Capcom and released on the Playstation 4, PC, and Xbox One. It's been heavily praised as a more than worth entry into the series. It brings its story and characters full circle in unexpected and satisfying ways. The central element of the game is its combat. The combat caught me completely off-guard when I first played it because I've never experience such limitation in its combat. This was only because I had to buy moves with red orbs. I was more used to the Bayonetta approach to combat where your variety of moves and combos were already set but just remembering them was the key. Bayonetta allowed experimentation in the loading screens before the next level and you could even press"Select" on your controller to halt the loading all together to experiment as much as you need to.

DMC 5 was an eye opener to what true experimentation can be in an action game. The limited move set you're given are not the limits you're subjected with. You have a specific amount of individual moves that can be put into a combination instead of re-occurring single strings like what I was used to. Before we get into the three protagonists' individual fighting styles, I want to acknowledge the general moves that I encourage exploring because it elevates the  skill ceiling so high that you can't help but want to explore the potential you can bring out through the combat system in the game.

NOTE: This goes more for Nero and Dante than "V" since "V"'s play style is intentionally vastly distinctive from the other two but in sense, equally as layered.

Tip #1 - Jump-canceling

Jump-canceling is what changed the way I approached combat in the game. This is also what helped me understand what the combat through me could be. Once you understand the idea of what it is, it leads to endless creative possibilities of what you can do. This pertains mostly to air combos as a character like Nero for example, is able to execute extensive combo strings in the air due to both jump canceling and his Devil Bringer (more on that later). The definition of jump-canceling is pretty self-explanatory, as when you jump, you can double jump off an enemy when continuing a combo. This can be come extensively when you want to reach an S-Rank. For example: in a single 3-hit combo, when finished you can jump off the enemy and do another 3-hit combo. Here's a simple example of jump-canceling in the video below:

Notice the second jump off the enemy. This can be done in a re-occurring manner with a character like Nero when incorporating his Devil-Bringer. Practicing the jump-canceling move can help you get a grasp on how beneficial it is when controlling your movement during air combos.

Now that we got that simple tip out  the way, let's get into each character and their functionality:

1. Nero

Nero is the starting character that you play mostly in the beginning chapters starting with the prologue. Beginning the game as Nero was a good start for newcomers to get a grasp on the general combat system of Devil May Cry 5. His moveset is basic enough as unlike a character like Dante, he only uses two main weapons (excluding the Devil Breakers):  His sword Red Queen and gun Blue Rose. As you can probably guess, his sword is short range and his gun is longer range. Despite those two central functions they can be mended to create creative combo strings that leave a lot of freedom for experimentation.

Nero has a 3-hit combo with Red Queen both on ground and in the air. When you stack up on Red Orbs you can purchase a ton of new moves. His increasing variety of moves still have a certain limitation while still experimenting the numerous ways you can combine them.

Both Red Queen and Blue Rose have a charge system as well. Blue Rose has a medium rate of fire but can be charge by holding the square button on the PS4 or X button the Xbox. You will eventually unlock the ability to charge a shot strong enough to emit an explosion at your enemy, while the remaining charge shots do massive damage. Using your Blue Rose, while in the air and charging the shot can keep an enemy in the air as well and support your combo strings. On the ground they can be used as a tool for juggling your enemy off the ground. Example down in video below:

What I tried to do are show examples of the Blue Roses's charge shot and how can support air combos. Frequent juggling with the gun can help with any form of air combos. It just takes frequent discovering and sampling.

Now the Red Queen is the main element of Nero's combat. As I said before, he has a variety of moves you can purchase and use. Nero's charge element is the same as it was in 4, which is Exceed. This is when he revs up his sword like a motorcycle, producing almost-heat levels of power from it that can be only used for a split-second time depending on what level your Exceed is revved up do. It makes the sword incredibly powerful and can be used frequently when kept charged during combat. Learning varied moves combined with keeping the Exceed charged adds an extra dimension to Nero's combat system. Example in the video below:

Notice how I'm using different moves when your sword is fully charged. Here I'm using the Taunt move while in the air which charges the Exceed completely. This took perfect timing to get right because you'll either only charge one more two levels, or none at all. You'll have to be quick when using the exceed so that you can the full amount of charge.

The second video involving the Exceed has me holding down the charge button which takes a little more time since I wasn't even able to charge it while taunting in the air. This is all about timing. I can't really specify advice of how to time the Exceed except to say for example, on the Playstation, a swing of your sword or an air taunt would need to instantly follow with a press of the Exceed button. This can either work or not, but it will take constant practice.

Lastly is Nero's Devil Breakers. When Nero's arm was ripped off from the antagonist (whom which I'm not spoiling, sorry!!) his friend and partner Nico uses parts from fallen demons to build a large series of Devil Breaker robotic arms with their own functionalities that can be highly beneficial in combat. I'll briefly go down the list. NOTE: I'm excluding the DLC Devil Breakers since they're not the already accessible ones.

Overture: Generates electricity and when charged, can be used as a ticking bomb that sticks to enemies. Great choice for beginner players.

Gerbera: Used for push-back attacks. The push-wave ability can be used to maneuver in the air. When charged it can become a massive energy cannon but leaves you stationary and vulnerable for attack so use it wisely.

Tomboy: Adds extra power to your sword but leaves you unable to target enemies when using it to attack. You're pretty much wildly moving around with the sword attacking. Its alternate ability is using it as a long range weapon. Use this wisely as well.

Ragtime: Can stop enemies in their tracks. This can be used for air attacks as well. When charged, it stops time in the entire area, stopping every single enemy.

Punch Line: You can fire a rocket fist that swirls around the enemy, multiply attacking them. You can also surf the rocket, flying around attacking several enemies. When charged, you can charge it and do a powerful uppercut that launches enemies into the air.

Buster Arm: A supplement for Nero's original Devil Bringer arm. It has low durability but still manages to be a good use for grab attacks.

Rawhide: Features a chain that be swung around and attack multiple enemies at once. When charges, you can snag a single enemy and use it as a weapon itself against groups that leads to a finishing slam.

Helter Skelter: Can be used as drill. It works with enemies with strong guards to break through them. When charged, it turns the drill into a tornado attack that launches enemies into the air.

In the video I don't show all the display of the Devil Breakers but how you can utilize them in your combo by the few onscreen. NOTE: Devil Breakers are fragile and can break in an instant. You can either self-destruct them by  choice, they'll break after using their charge attack, or during their usage they can break mid-use when attacked by an enemy. The way you use them is up to you can how you use them is a strategy that is something to think about. In the video also are some combos you can use as you play as Nero throughout the game and begin to become familiar with his moveset.

2. "V"

"V" is the most distinctive of the three characters you play. Not only is he mysterious, strange, and difficult to read, but his fighting style is vastly different from Nero and Dante. In a nutshell, "V" summons three enemies from the previous game, (lower image, left to right) Griffon, Shadow, and Nightmare.













  A difference between V and the other two is that he doesn't actually fight. V uses his three demon counterparts to do all the fighting. This may seem like an easier style but despite its simplicity there's much more to how V actually plays.

Griffon's combat is longer range as his style is more about projectiles while Shadow is a ground fighter with aggressive close range attacks. Combining both their attacks creatively is a good way of bumping up our S rank in combat. They can however have spam-worthy assets to their gameplay but on harder difficulties, strategy is a massive must. Both Griffon and Shadow can be damaged and when they are, they're on the benches until they recover. Until then, V remains vulnerable, especially since he doesn't have any attacks of his own. You can purchase new moves from them such as charging their attacks and combining it into a single attack (which I do all the time). V is a slow mover since he's not on the physical levels of Dante and Nero. He needs Griffon and Shadow for evasion on ground and in the air. Without them, he struggles to evade alone and his widely open for attacks.

   V does have a finisher where only he can deliver the final blow on an enemy with his cane once his demons do enough damage. They'll turn a white color indicating V's chance to end them. This can be a gamble within itself as enemies that haven't been subdued yet can cancel out the finishing blow so knowing when to attack in the battlefield can come with smart decisions in how to do it. If you wait too long, subdued enemies will recover health so take the chance you have to take out an enemy.

Lastly there's Nightmare. Nightmare is V's own Devil Trigger. Nightmare is a massive demon that is pretty much a damage sponge. He physically strong, emits powerful projectile attacks, and can also be controlled by jumping on his back. The charge his Devil Trigger faster, you can read V's poetry book while simultaneously attacking enemies with Griffon and Shadow.

The above video is V's play style in a nutshell. Like I mentioned before, it's simplistic to an extent, but the higher difficulties require more understanding of the mechanics from a different angle.

The second video (below) is the usage of Nightmare, who is already flat-out powerful and is best used when the situation becomes overwhelming.

                                                                                                 








3. Dante

Last but not least, the one and only Dante. Dante's gameplay has transitioned from DMC 4. Out of the three, Dante's move set is the most complex and varied. He can come off as incredibly overwhelming because of his weaponry and style changes, but mastering his play style is the most rewarding of the three. This is probably going to be the longest section as we have to go over what he can do and how to work his gameplay into an accessible play for anyone not familiar with how Dante works.

Dante has a variety of 11 weapons. The majority of them will be familiar to DMC veterans of the franchise such as Cerberus, Rebellion, Ebony and Ivory, Coyote-A, Devil Sword Sparta, and Balrog's similar functions as Beowulf from the recent games.

His new weapons are: Cavalier, Dr. Faust, and Kalina Ann.

 Dante's style switching plays similar to in Devil May Cry 4. He's able to switch around 4 styles with the directional pad: Trickster, Royal Guard, Swordmaster, and Gunslinger. 

Gunslinge: Puts emphasis on the attacks of Dante's longer range weapons. 

Swordmaster: Emphasizes moves for Dante's closer range weapons.

Trickster: Allows quick dodging more movement around the battlefield or teleportation toward an enemy you target. 

Royal Guard: Dante's defensive move. You can block with this move and build your gauge, which can result in a counter that can do incredibly high damage if times successfully.

With Danet's style switching, this involves mastery as switching is a frequent must to not only build up your style meter, but to continuously have the upper advantage and remain in control when the fights get heavy, especially on the hardest difficulty. 

Back to the weapons, here's a quick clip of Dante's long-range weaponry:

They all have their own unique abilities and utilizing them in combat builds your S-Rank. 

Dante's close range attacks are also important in mastering since his weaponry builds throughout his levels in the game. Jump canceling, understanding style-switching, and switching weapons mid-combo are essential to getting those juicy SSS Ranks in battle. Dante may be hard to use at first, but over time he can be the most fun out of the three. 

Here's a solid demonstration of me switching through my weapons mid-combo: 

The best way to get a grasp on Dante's move set and weaponry is to remove some weapons so you can practice switching between them. More weapons equals more combos and the goal to keep your S Rank. 

Conclusion: Devil May Cry 5 is a rewarding gaming experience that can be replayed over and over again. It remains accessible as well as revealing what you can do with these characters once you know the ins and outs. I hope these tips helped anyone interested in playing the game. 

Have you played the game? Leave a comment and share!

On this day: The Blair Witch Project - The Power of Imagination

The Blair Witch Project released on this day in 1999. The story revolves around 3 student filmmakers, Heather, Josh, and Mike, that go on a camping trip to Burkittsville, Maryland to make a documentary on the legendary Blair Witch myth, hopefully validating its existence. The film terrified when I first watched it on home video, as the mere concept of people being lost in the woods is enough to nearly petrify me. It's a great concept that spawn endless imitators that don't match up the simplistic quality and impact the original had.

1. The Marketing 
How the the film was marketed was the largest element of what made the film successful and crashing box offices with the making of $248.6 million.
Directors Daniel Myrick and Eduardo Sanchez took advantage of the early enigma which was the Internet and created newsreel footage and missing persons articles pertaining to the three college student's missing whereabouts. Even at Sundance where it premiered in 1999, flyers were sent out the anyone participating in seeing the film encouraging to come forth with any information on them. Both directors kept everyone in the mindset these actual events are real.
 Much like other websites involving missing people, police reports, updates on the investigation, and their background was posted as well as the actors' actual names to keep everyone in loop of the convincing realism. At a young age I thought this was so real, I wanted no part in visiting the woods and even watched the woods at night to pray something doesn't come after me. The marketing gimmick for the film defined the word "viral" and spawned the possibilities of what the internet could do and be, while also becoming.

The legend itself was also made up by both Myrick and Sanchez, who created the story of a woman named Elly Kedward, who lured children in her home to draw their blood in 1785. She was also accused of being a witch by the local children in the town. After she was banned from the Town of Blair, this led to chain of disappearances, killings, and pandemonium. From 1785 to 1994, the Blair Witch's influence shook the Northern Maryland location. To read the entire timeline I'll post a link below.

The Blair Witch Timeline: https://www.blairwitch.com/mythology.html

2. Into the Woods

The Blair Witch Project displayed the power of imagination and suggestion like no other. While there were found footage films before this, this one created a movement. Once the three student filmmakers go into the woods, their fates are already sealed.

The film uses the setting itself as a monster, while the central villain controlling the strings is titular. One of the best aspects of the film is how all three characters slowly but surely deteriorate mentally from the sheer isolation of the woods. Characters do and say things that they usually wouldn't to each other strictly due to their own humanity. As a species we are highly reactive and the film exemplifies this through naturalization of the actors themselves, who show such phenomenal natural display emotions throughout the experience.   

The film successfully escalates through pure atmosphere. Strange and disturbing noises, threatening stick figures, and a complete manipulation of the world itself. All of this surreal terror is subtle and well structured, leading to a very satisfying ending. The characterization is also under-mentioned, as we begin to see the true elements of the three main characters from where they started to where they end.

3. Conclusion
On the 16th of this day, this film proved that the power of simplicity, imagination, and internet can do to create a new line of found footage cinema, even furthering the revolution of what the internet has become today.

I personally love the film to pieces and to this day it remains my favorite horror film. I still find it unnerving, yet fun to experience the feeling of being lost in the woods and hunted by an evil entity that never reveals itself. And while the sequel The Blair Witch (which I'll rip to shreds in the future) doesn't even remotely live up or even understand the power of the original, The Blair Witch Project will always be an experience I'm tempted to revisit again and again.

Have you seen the film? What are your thoughts on it? Leave a comment below!

Recommending: The Wonderful 101

 The Wonderful 101 is a 2013 action/adventure game developed by Platinum Games under the direction of the legend Hideki Kamyia (Devil May Cry, Bayonetta). It was originally released on the Wii-U and has been re-released this year as a remastered for the PS4, The Switch, and PC.

The Wonderful 101 is a game that I heard from word-of-mouth. My interest in the game came originally from my love for Platinum Game's recent other titles such as Metal Gear Rising, Vanquish, and Bayonetta. The majority of these games I love for their to-the-point high-octane and over-the-top action and set pieces. My first experience with the title was one that caused me to see something instantly special that I'm shocked out of my mind that no other's saw. The gameplay may have been drastically distinctive especially with it's debut release on the Wii-U, but this was a truly special game in my eyes. 

1. Background

The Wonderful 101 was originally supposed to star Nintendo's iconic characters such as Mario, Link, and Donkey Kong. But this would've clashed with the gameplay mechanics that were going to be integrated into the core idea. The idea was to give the player the control of a large number of heroes at once to form massive weapons by drawing it based on various shapes. After development halt in the game for a year, Director Kamyia decided to implement the henshin theme which is Japanese for "transformation".  Power Rangers and Viewtiful Joe are the more familiar examples of henshin themed Japanese superhero shows. This was led to the creation of original characters mixed with elements of American comic books.  While this game did not have a strong selling record in 2013, the remastered version would create the opportunity reach a much wider audience. This success of the remastering was caused by the surpassing of the Kickstarter goal.

2. Gameplay
The game is an action game in the same vein of Hideki Kamiya's other titles. It's a hack-n-slash/beat-em-up with heavy emphasis on epic scale over-the-top self awareness. The initial appeal of the game is its concept of drawing shapes to create weapons. On the Wii-U, I used the Wii-U gamepad the entire campaign. This was before I discovered based off several video reviews on YouTube that the  right analog stick is the easiest way to draw weapons. The original release might have been to prioritize selling the Wii-U but Kamyia himself has said that the original intent was for the right analog stick to be used for weapon drawing. Anybody who is experiencing the re-released version will have a much better have a greater time playing on a normal controller instead of worrying about using your finger on a drawing pad.

The seven Unite Morph weapons you can primarily draw are Unite Hand (circle), Unite Sword (line), Unite Whip (squiggle line), Unite Gun (90 degree line), Unite Bomb (circle then line at the end),  Unite Claw (zig-zag) and Unite Hammer (line then question mark).  (Below Image: From right to left, Wonder-White, Wonder-Black, Wonder-Green, Wonder-Red, Wonder-Blue, Wonder-Pink, and Wonder Yellow).

With these Unite Morphs, the bigger the drawings of the weapons, the bigger the weapons when uniting more heroes. You'll be able to purchase more abilities at the Wonder Mart, such as being able to Multi-Unite and speeding up your Unite Morphs as well as using them as an attack. You can also purchase dodge and Wonder Tomb which are Unite Morph moves that are necessary in battle. The most essential move you need is the Wonder Guts, which the Wii-U version doesn't tell you. The remastered version gives the you currency after the prologue to purchase the Wonder Guts which is a block and parry move for most attacks (you can also upgrade this to Unite Spikes which is MUCH more effective).

One of the key elements of mastering the game is not just purchasing abilities, but also executing combos the same way you would with the Devil May Cry  franchises. You can juggle, switch weapons mid-combo, and also replay missions since Platinum Games LOVE ranking you. The game fortunately starts from "very easy" to the normal difficulty and also during the "game over" screens, you restart midway through the battles which is helpful to keep you trucking along through the campaign. There's gameplay footage from my recent playthrough(above) that shows some of the combos you can learn. This involves using multiple other unite morphs simultaneously to keep an enemy in the air. You can also use the Light Attack to restrain an enemy, then follow with a launch ability called "Wonder Rising" then juggle the enemy. I originally thought this was impossible  on my first few playthroughs but it took some understanding of the mechanics to realize that's the complete opposite. Once you begin truly honing the game's combat system, you'll strive and even be addicted to doing better and improving your ranking. 

The game has a madly huge variety of enemies
that have a color-coded circle shape when they appear to notify which Unite Morph would be best to use. This is a great way of communicating the degree of strategy that you can use. The boss fights them selves are more spectacle than the fights with minor enemies (especially the final boss, like wow) but they still prompt a sufficent amount of strategy. 
The Prince Vorkken fights (bottom right image) are the boss fights that require the most

amount of skill since you're also fighting enemies that as well consist of 101 members and have Unite Morph abilities. The difficulty of these fights rev up with every encounter so be prepared for that.

3. Story
This will be a non-spoil segment since I believe to spoil the story is to rob the experience. Very rarely does an over-the-top action game have such a weighted narrative and a more than solid script to back it up. Granted, the story is nothing crucially deep and it has a childish and cartoonish element followed by self-aware cheesiness, but there was serious effort in the writing that holds a certain level of passion and love for the world the developers created that is a rarity in the gaming industry.  The cast of characters are incredibly likable, including the central chemistry between Wonder Red and Wonder Blue, who both have admittedly the most development throughout the story but everyone else still contributes in keeping the narrative entertaining. The game's pacing is perfect as the level of escalation leads to one of the most memorable climaxes in gaming history right behind Metal Gear Solid 2 if you were to ask me. It's an unforgettable moment in gaming that cannot be topped to this day.

One of my only complaints with the story is the character of Luka. He comes across as the "annoying child" in most stories of this type but has a solid arc that despite still not being too crazy about him, I appreciate that he plays a significantly large part in the story that gives him some redemption. I'd like to also add that Prince Vorkken's arc is almost the same as most of the "rival villains" of any Platinum Games title you've played. I won't go into spoilers because luckily there's some mild subversiveness but you can see where the majority of his arc is going soon after he enters the plot. Still, The Wonderful 101 has one of the best stories in any action I've played and the lengthy campaign is filled with moments that never slow anything down. 

4. Presentation
 If you noticed the graphical and visual aesthetic based off the screenshots and video footage, the game has a toy-like feel to it. The character models themselves look like little action figures as well as the world itself having an exaggerated depth-of-field to its level design. Some players will find this unique and others won't be on board. There was a plan to approach the game with a child-like design and it was pulled off very well.

During gameplay, the models have little less quality when up close compared if the camera is pulled back, but considering that there numbers of characters you control at once, there's only so much detail that can be implemented in the models in-game. The 101 models themselves are greatly varied with so many different-themed Wonderful Ones that you collect through the compaign. It shows a surmountable level of effort that you don't witness in other games.  The level design itself is fantastic as the game takes you across the world, keeping the visual variety fresh and new. The enemy designs in particular the bosses, are very original and well designed giving them all distinctive set pieces that can be fun to look at as well as purge yourself in during battle.

The music in the game is also fantastic. Composed by Hiroshi Yamaguchi, he injects a level of heroism and hope that compliments the tone of the game itself. During the parts of the game when the Wonderful Ones have the upper hand during boss fights, a the score fits to reminisce superhero themes of both Japanese and American. The score during the final act is the one I'm unable to shake out my head because I've never heard anything like it before.

For the main theme itself, Yamaguchi was inspired by 60's tv show superhero themes, particularly the tokusatsu show Captain Ultra (link posted below for anyone interested in taking a listen). I can't describe the words of the power the score emits during the battle but I say listen to it for yourself. There was such much effort in making the music spirited and heroic that proves how important music is in any game or film.



5. Conclusion
The Wonderful 101 is one of my all-time favorite games and game I can return every now and then. It's a testament to high levels of imagination and quality design in unique ways. Platinum Games have shown clearly that it's a special game to them and thanks to the transfer to other consoles, others can finally see what this game has to offer. Rarely have I been so stricken by something so creative and original that compels me to go back to it and master its gameplay mechanics, or experience the story itself over and over again. I've always considered Platinum Games to be one of the very best developers in the industry due to their out-of-the-box ideas and focusing on involving the player as much as possible in their games. A high recommendation from yours truly. It goes without saying, that this game is truly Wonderful.

NOTE: I believe my thoughts don't do the game as much justice. If you want a better take on the game, I will post a link(s) to the youtuber Matthewmatosis who gives a great and detailed non-spoiler review while still giving some good tips on the combat system that helped me as well.

Have you played the game? What are your thoughts? Comment below!

Captain Ultra Theme: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XVPSaXL0bnM

The Wonderful 101 Theme: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HvHKxnMv04k

The Wonderful 101 Matthewmatosis Review: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hYEb19dBGzc

Matthewmatosis: How to Enjoy The Wonderful 101: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pqAAdrSlwws&t=1618s

Matthewmatosis: Recommending The Wonderful 101: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rysBiZmYshk

What Lies Under the Silver Lake? (Part 1) Looking at Sam

       WARNING: MINOR SPOILERS!!! 

       Under the Silver Lake is a 2018 Mystery/Noir written and directed by David Robert Mitchell. This has been a film that has been heavily polarized, followed by a very short theatrical release, then followed by a transition to Amazon Prime shortly after.

The first time I saw the film, it left me empty and confused. It engaged me for most of the film's 2 hour and 20 minute run time, until its resolution which left me wondering what was the point of it all. I let the film sit with me for a while and it became one of those movies I ended up thinking about with no control over its impact it had on me. I eventually re-watched it a second time, and the film manifested a whole new meaning for me, followed by a new found appreciation for it. So what I want to briefly discuss is what I believe truly lies under....the Silver Lake.

        Under the Silver Lake introduces us to the main protagonist Sam, (Andrew Garfield) a 33 year old slacker that falls for a woman living in his same apartment complex named Sarah (Riley Keough). They share one brief night that nearly leads to something, until the next day when Sarah completely disappears. Sam goes on a extensive quest to find her as the film becomes a very bizarre and surreal noir mystery in Los Angeles, California.

            One of the first things to understand about the film is that it's full of details. Some details are flat-out blatant, and others are in very different places. The beauty and enjoyment of the film is to know which details actually matter and which ones don't matter at all. This is the strategy of the film that I didn't catch on my first viewing. My first watch had me in the mindset that I knew everything that was going on as the film went on. My interest was glued into the obvious details clearly giving answers of Sarah's disappearance, only for the film to tell me "You're not as smart as you think you are, watch the film again".

1. Stay Quiet

 
     When Sam enters Sarah's now-empty apartment, he sees the double-diamond symbol on the wall which means "Stay Quiet".  He goes to who can be only named the "Comic Man" (Patrick Fischler) who interprets the and numerous other symbols that were used for homeless people years ago to communicate during The Great Depression (Note that in 2011 which this film takes place in, there was an economic recession in the US. I'm not sure how deep that parallel goes but I thought it was worth bringing up).

      How this connects with Sam is the question that has been lingering in my mind for some time. Around the film's first act, we learn that Sam hasn't been paying his rent. Throughout his entire trek for Sarah, he still hasn't paid his rent and has been given fewer and fewer days to do so or he's going to be kicked out of his apartment. Slowly and surely this seems to be more and more apparent. First, his car is towed because he's unable to make the payments, and then there are also several homeless people that either pass him or he briefly encounters.

Lastly there's the Homeless King who he encounters and takes him where he wants to go, and at the end of the film, demands the answers why dog biscuits are lingering in Sam's pockets (we'll get to that later).  By the end of the film, which also marks the final day he was supposed to pay his rent, the "Keep Quiet" when he is in another apartment with the older woman with the birds.

     Before I go further, it's not fully clear, but Sam states that he thought he was going to be something important and feels like he messed up at certain points in his life. He's was most likely a has-been of some sort and whatever life he had earlier, it was much better than what he currently has. It seems like he was destined to be homeless no matter what. His original life is gone and he seems to still be fighting for relevance and purpose but his impending eventuality cannot be escaped from. And he hasn't fully accepted that whatever purposeful path he had, is gone completely. It's only until the end that he seems to understand this and realizes after everything he pursued throughout the film wasn't even worth it and that he's better off homeless and at the very least, free from constraints that he fighting to keep at the expense of dissatisfaction in his life.

Note: He also talks about how much he hates the homeless and thinks they're not good people. He doesn't realize he's becoming the very thing he detests.

2. I Can See Clearly Now and the "Dog Killer"
Another element of the film involves Sam's ex-girlfriend on the billboard (left image) and the legend of the "Dog Killer". This was a very frustrating mystery of the film to solve but it becomes clearer and clearer over time. The Dog Killer is considered apparently a big problem in California as this Dog Killer is heavily responsible for the killing of dogs.

    Sam reads a comic book written by the Comic Man that he visits after Sarah's disappearance. The comic is titled the same as the film. He reads about the failed actor that blamed his failings on dogs, taking out his frustration on dogs by simply killing them saying "No one will be happy until at the dogs are dead".


       

  As I mentioned in the previous section, Sam claimed that he used to be something important in life when discussing it with a friend of his. We learn that he's just a slacker that lives in a apartment he's eventually going to get kicked out of. Another element of the film aside from the dog killer aspect is that he projects the sound of barking onto several woman. One is Sarah, the other is some ugly distorted version of Sarah as it seems, the other is a group of woman in the bathroom just wildly barking at him while he's on the floor after getting kicked in the groin.

With these three strange encounters barking humans what exactly does this mean? How does the Dog Killer connect to Sam and his ex-girlfriend?

 Sam tells Sarah when they first meet and he gives her dog a treat that he had a dog once that recently

died. We also learn that Sam was bitten by a dog when he was a child. The important detail that we learn at the end of the film is that had an ex-girlfriend that he hoped he would get back through the dog.

Could these encounters mean that he's projecting his past failed relationship onto his ex? As we see he sleeps with any woman he can find on the daily. As he blames his ex, he covers this failing by lustfully pursing other woman he encounters.

This could also be subconsciously what he wants to avoid is a failed relationship since Sarah herself has a dog as well. He doesn't want it to end the same way it did with his ex. The element of the Dog Killer ties to the film.

3. The Coyote 
Another key element in this film is the presence of a coyote that is around trash cans a couple of times. As the Hobo King guides Sam to his next part of his investigation, he points out a coyote they come across. Sam asks if it will hurt him and the Hobo King responds that he should follow it instead of running away.

Now a coyote symbolizes several things. One meaning in particular is revealing the truth behind the illusion or chaos. When one crosses a coyote in his/her path, that would mean that there's no need to keep worrying and that a new beginning awaits you.

Sam does follow a coyote that happens to be at his apartment complex and it leads to yet another party. This one has his ex-girlfriend involved and she has a new fiance. They have what seems to be a civil exchange despite how much has changed between them.

I interpret this as the coyote leading Sam to the reality that there's no going back to his previous relationship. The one that he most likely held onto for longer than he needed. She seems happier and more at peace, realizing there's not a future with him and the harsh reality is that there's no future with her. It also notes that a coyote is a type of canine so even though the element of the "Dog Killer" lingers in play, the coyote shows that a new and different path awaits Sam.

4. Smells Like Skunk
When Sam's booty call (Riki Lindhome) visits him after a role she
asks "What's that smell?".

This is a reoccurring part of the film and it's probably the most apparent part of the film. Every women Sam encounters wonders about his "smell". One woman says it smells like skunk.  He responds that skunks are common in LA. Even the Hobo King says that he doesn't have a good smell on him.

One interpretation is that the skunk represents his infidelity and that he pretty much reeks of it. The moment (seen above) where the skunk walks next to him confirms the degree of his infidelity. But one thing that stood out to me was when Riki Lindhome's character lends him loads of tomato juice in the bathroom and tells him after their conversation that he smells very bad. She also adds that she'll be back when the smell goes away. She doesn't ever return though but that's for the next part since she is strictly "The Actress" in this film.

This stood out to me because it tells me that Sam might've possibly had a chance to have a relationship with her but because he has such a lustful sexualization of women, that the smell of his sins drive ones that truly care about him away. I may be looking too deep into this but it's a part of the film that's been on my mind.

5. The Paranoid Protagonist

Sam has been known to have a massive obsession with codes and believing in conspiracy theories. He believes that there are things that more important people know that they hide from the lesser important. He's known by many fans of the film as very paranoid. He tells the Topher Grace character that he feels he's being followed.  The Topher Grace character tells him that's the "Modern Persecution Complex".

The Modern Persecution Complex is a real thing. It simply means that you believe that someone is constantly after you. After the 1950's during the Cold War, psychologist Brooke Cannon recorded that the patients believing they were followed increased five times the rate than normal.

Another study by psychiatrist Borut Skodlar (bottom left image) and his researches concluded that "Demons, ghosts and witches as sources of influence and persecution were replaced by radio waves, television and computers,". Topher Grace's character says this

same thing only wording it differently by saying "Who needs witches and werewolves when we have computers?"

What does any of this have to do with Sam? Sam is under the impression that 's being targeted, and he also believes that important people know things. This is also incorporated by his believing to decipher codes and find hidden meanings. Is he trying to rediscover his meaning in life? Is he trying to find answers that aren't there and believes something/someone is trying to rob him of his journey for answers of himself away? It's a pretty vague element of the film but I believe Sam is narcissistic enough to think that he's able to find the answers to what went wrong in his life by resorting to deciphering complicated codes when the answer is much more simpler but he denies the more harsher and face-value truth. He uses his deciphering
to find out where Sarah is, and it leads to only seeing her one more time before he never sees her again. But instead to confess to the Hobo King that he can't let go of his past and that he hoped his ex-girlfriend would go back to him.



6. In Conclusion

        By the end of the film, Sam learns that Sarah is in her tomb and that he's never going to see her again. His entire journey led to no real answers and at the very end of the film after he confesses his true internal struggle, he goes home and accepts that there is no real depth or meaning except what we create. Going back to his "smell", when he has an affair with the older woman in his apartment complex she asks if he's wearing a certain fragrance called "patchouli". He tells her "no". This type of plant can be a fragrance, an antiseptic, or an oil. It can cure depression, it has a naturally sweet smell, and it can heal certain types of wounds. After confessing to the Hobo King of his mental dilemma, it seems as if he's  finally let go and has been taking steps to being true to himself. His infidelity seems to be gone and despite being homeless, he in my opinion, has a chance to start a new path, even if it starts with him living on the streets.

This is Part 1 of my thoughts on the film. If you have anything you want to add, leave a comment and follow my FB page!