Or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb

I considered myself a real fan of Stanley Kubrick, right about when the credits rolled for 2001: A Space Odyssey. Kubrick's weird creative direction and unique vision combined with entertaining film making has not been matched to this day. Now, with that said, Dr. Strangelove in the first movie in the Stanley Kubrick Limited Edition Collection(on blu-ray, mind you:D) that truly felt like a Kubrick movie. It has that dark, cynical sense of humour like A Clockwork Orange or Full Metal Jacket and if you didn't realize how ridiculous the concept of nuclear deterrence was, this movie will probably change that. In fact, just watch this one little part, let this set the tone for the rest of the movie. I don't like to set high expectations for people when they go to see a movie but I will say that for me personally, this is one of the funniest movies I've ever seen.

I think I'm gonna continue on my Kubrick marathon tomorrow and go down one of my favourite rabbit holes with 2001: A Space Odyssey.

P.S. Oh, I've been playing Skyrim as of late. That game's alright. Had a few troubles early on with the framerate really dropping after I played about 3-4 hours straight. But once I restart my PS3, it's fine. Goddamn, there's so much too see and do in that game.

Alright, so if anyone knows anything about my gaming habits: it is I never play PC. I've pretty much been strictly a console gamer for my whole life. Well, yesterday I went out an bough a new PC that serves as upgrading my crappy laptop and functioning surprisingly well as a gaming rig. So, far I really only have Left 4 Dead 2. I picked up the Fallout Classic Collection but that was a while back. So, yea, I'm gonna try my hand at PC gaming.

So far, I actually really like it. The fact that the PC always offers the superior version of a game 9 times out of 10 was a really appealling to me. Everyone always talks about how much better mouse and keyboard is for control and I partially agree with that. When it comes to FPS or really any shooter, the mouse is superior in every way to an analog stick, no contest. But I find the keyboard to be harder to control then a controller. Mostly because every key on the keyboard feels the same, while on a controller the layout is very easy to remember and get used to. I'm sure the deal with the keyboard is just a matter of me having to get used to it. I did find myself getting more and more used to it as I was playing the Half Life 2 demo. Which BTW, I've pretty much done nothing but play demos, just giving the machine a test drive. I know HL2 is a 7 year old game by now but goddamn, it looks impressive on max settings. Speaking of Half Life 2, Valve was one of the reasons I felt like getting into to PC gaming. Steam is just amazing, what else could I say? The games on there are super cheap especially compared to their in stores, console counterparts AND they have constant deals going on. So once I have a means to buy things off Steam, many dollars will be spent.

I suppose now's the time I show off my PC specs, I didn't want anything too expensive but after taxes, it came to about $900 including a $140 monitor. Anways, here they are, it's an Acer Aspire M5910 BTW:

Intel Core i7 processor 860

8GB DDR3 memory

1.5TB hard drive(for all my sexay pr0nz:P)

DVD-Super Multi Drive

Blu-ray ROM drive

ATI Radeon HD5570 1024MB

That's what it says on the side of the case so, that's all I know :P If you can't tell, I'm kinda not all up on the super techy side of things. But what can I do, I'm a console gamer through and through. Which basically means I'll still likely do the majority of my gaming on my PS3 but maybe with certain multiplat releases I'll get the PC version. Of course, in the near future I'll have to upgrade the graphics card. Anyways, I'm off.

These are what I think should be consider for the greatest movie of all time. Now, this isn't necessarily my favorite movies of all time(though they both rank up there), this is objectively what I feel embodies the greatest aspects about films. Both of these two movies are truly masterful in their execution and they are both made by masters of filmmaking. Either is deserving of the title "Greatest Movie Ever". You'll probably find a lot of similarities between the two along with some very key differences. So without further ado...

The Good, The Bad and The Ugly(1966)

Sergio Leone's spaghetti western masterpiece. Leone was way ahead of his time with The Good, The Bad and The Ugly. Set during the American Civil War, it tells the story of three gunslingers after Confederate gold and each man is for himself. It's a story that is rooted very heavily in the life of the American south west during this time period. Clint Eastwood reprises his role from the two previous "Dollars" movies as The Man with No Name or nicknamed Blondie in this movie, he's The Good. Lee Van Cleef plays Angel Eyes, the cold blooded mercernary who always sees a job through, he's The Bad. And finally, Eli Wallach plays Tuco, a quick talking bandit who's words are louder than his gun, he stands as The Ugly. All three main characters are superb. Clint is well known for his westerns and this is his greatest work, the subtle facial expressions he has, the way he moves around the scene and that iconic squint. Eli Wallach is great as Tuco, he's such a despicable character yet you can't help but root for him. And Lee Van Cleef absolutely grabs your attention as Angel Eyes, he's a great menacing character, he has the kind of eyes that just pierce into your soul.

But it's not just the characters that are the star of the show, it's the cinematography and music as well. The cinematograpy is absolutely stunning. It really gives the movie it's epic scale. It's one of Leone's trademarks to have wide swapping shots of landscapes then extreme close up of the characters. It works so well especially towards the climax of the film. And what can be said of Ennio Morricone's score that hasn't already been said: it's flawless in every single way. Morricone's musical score adds so much to the film's nature, I mean just listen to THIS or how about THIS? It's really when you look at the quality of the cinematography and score, that you realize this is true treat for the eyes and ears.

The Good, The Bad and The Ugly is an audio-visual masterpiece. Leone's method of filmmaking is so unique to this day that still nothing is close to the level of craft this movie was filmed from. Leon's filmmaking would even go on to influence another of my favorite directors, Quentin Tarantino. This movie is a legend and gives true meaning to the word "epic".

2001: A Space Odyssey(1968 )

A science fiction cla.ssic? The ultimate trip? What the hell did I just watch? Stanley Kubrick made movies like no one else. The Shining's a horror movie, Full Metal Jacket's a war movie but they're all completely different from any other movie in their genre. 2001: A Space Odyssey is arguable the greatest accomplishment in special effects and science fiction movie history. Made in 1968, the scenes of space and the space ships are just as realistic as the most advanced CGI today, even more so because they don't have that fake CG look to them. I only saw this movie for the first time around last Christmas and besides being bewildered, I was utterly impressed at how good the special effects looked. This is honestly probably the most realistic movie that portrays space accurately. During the space scenes, no sound is heard at all beyond the cla.ssical music score, the lighting is very accurate for it's time keeping in mind that we hadn't even landed on the moon at the time this movie was being made. The movie just as a "feel" or atmosphere to it like no other. It's really hard to describe 2001, it's like trying to describe the color "green", you just have to see it for yourself.

The movie starts with the Dawn of Man and then jump cuts to the year 2001 where humans have colonized the moon and avidly exploring the wonders of space. The movie is very much open to interpretation which only adds to wonderment and totally makes me understand why people swear by this movie like the Bible. It has a lot of themes in it, the main one I find being evolution. It starts with humankind's ancestors then jumps to when we've finally started exploring space and then it goes "beyond the infinite". I won't ruin anything for anyone but suffice to say that the last 20 minutes or so will blow your mind, I guarantee it. The reason this movie is such a superb contender for "Greatest Movie of All Time" is because it, as well as The Good, The Bad and The Ugly, combines the music with the picture so well and also makes you think about humans as a species, our past and wait lay before us.

At this point, 2001 has become such as huge part of pop culture it's likely you know something about it, whether it's the opening of the movie to Richard Strauss's "Also Sprach Zaranthustra" or the AI system known as HAL or the "Stargate" sequence near the end of the film, one of the most bizzare moments in cinematic history. This movie solidified Kubrick for me as one of the most important people in movie making and indeed, the 20th century. It's an extrememly important film and one that no one, film buff or not, should miss out on.

So those are the two movies that I feel as are most deserving of the title "Greatest Movie of All Time". The Good, The Bad and The Ugly and 2001: A Space Odyssey. Both considered cla.ssics and "epics" of their respective genres. Both made by masters of the art form and both influenced a generation of film makers. And both are extrememly unique and unlike any other movie experience you'll ever have, so please, appreciate films at their finest and watch both of these movies. :)

I finally beat Bayonetta on Non Stop Infinite Climax :D

It was the last trophy I had left for my Platinum. I'm usually not into trophies that much, the only reason I have quite a bit is because I own around 30 games. But this game just totally brought out the completionist and perfectionist in me. I actually ended up finishing NSIC with an overall "Platinum" rank which this game's equivalent of "S" rank in Devil May Cry. I was surprised to see that but at the same time I was kinda aiming for it too.

I can whole heartedly say at this point I feel Bayonetta has virtually perfected the hack n' slash formula. Now, I'm not that big on hack n' slash games but DMC was only one I could really. I enjoyed God of War always found it to be too much "flailing" and none of the attacks felt like I was connecting with an object. I know a lot of people love Ninja Gaiden but I really didn't care for it, the difficulty seemed to rely on cheap enemies and poor camera angles. Bayonetta takes the formula I love from DMC and evolves it to a whole another level. Why has it perfected the hack n' slash formula? Because:

- it's very accessible to anyone of any skill level yet will truly test even hardcore gamers on the higher difficulties

- it recollects so many different games from Resident Evil to Space Harrier yet manages to completely avoid the trap of being derivative and totally stands on it's own

- the most ridiculous and insane action I've seen in a game thus far: a British dominatrix lady who uses her "hair demons" to fight twin headed dragon angels with upside down faces while on the side of a church, and that just barely scratches the surface

- fantastic amount of replay value and as a fan of RE4, I love replay value

- some of the best music I've heard for boss fights like this

- it never relies on cheap or unfair tactics to be difficult, it requires timing and reaction to be successful

When you put all of this together, coupled with the responsiveness of controls and thousands gigatons of fun to be had, it's easily one of my favorite games this gen. I'm sure there's someone more suited to talk about hack n' slash games but as a gamer, Bayonetta is the best the genre has to offer. Anways, just wanted to share my own "Non Stop Infinite Climax" with everyone. Oh, that was terrible :P

This game's got it's hooks in me. I bought it a year ago and couldn't get past Mission 13 on Easy Mode. For the past week, I've basically been playing it non-stop. I can't help it, the combat is so fluid and satisfying and I love the soundtrack to death. I finally beat it last night on Normal and I decided to give Hard a try. Man, I never had my ass handed to so quickly in any video game before (except for Ninja Gaiden II on the NES, yes that Ninja Gaiden).

Yet, I keep coming back. I have no clue why, it's not like I'm actually having more fun on Hard than I was on Normal but the satisfaction of beating a mission on Hard is about 10x greater than Normal. Sure, at some points it essentially becomes a stress test that's out of control but I still end each mission with a huge grin of achievement on my face.

Now, why would I be angry at a game I love so much and can't stop playing? While it's taking me away from my precious Bayonetta! :(I was planning to beat that game on Hard also, but I starting playing DMC3 and you know how that went. Now, I pretty sure my Bayonetta skills(or lack there of) have been compressed or sent to my mental recycling ben so I could fit DMC3 in my head. It doesn't help the fact that they play so similarly yet, have VERY different key mechanics.

Hopefully I'll be able to beat both on Hard before Vanquish arrives on October 19th :) That game is going to kick some major mech ass! I must have played the demo about 10 times by now and it's just as awesome as the first time.

I just want to make it clear so that no one thinks I'm as sheepish and idioitic as my username suggests. It's probably one of the worst and most unoriginal username for anything out there, even including Xbox LIVE and PSN and I seen my fair share of crap names. It's as uninspired as those parody movies like Meet the Spartans or Epic Movie.

What can you do? (Well, obviously do jack all neither can I). I was 13 years when I joined up here on Gamespot and now I'm 16 and oh how my opinions have changed. For the record, I hate anime now (at least the ones I didn't grow up with i.e. DBZ, Gundam, Pokemon, Digimon) it seems anime is either extremely serious/emo/pretentious or extemely cutesy/schoolgirl/Japanese attempt at a sit-com with animation. Also, "gamer" is probably one of the most boring, unintelligent words you could put in an account nam on a GAMING site. You're on a gaming site, clearly you're already a gamer. There's no need to announce with every post (talking to self in third person, totally not insane ;)). And then, I slapped on "007" because I think I had just watched Casino Royale and I thought I was being cool or something.

Anyways, that's my rant on............me. Just wanted to make a few clarifications on my God awful username. Oh well, at least I picked a half decent PSN ID: LiquidRob. It's simply and I like it, besides it's pretty cool to have people calling me "Liquid". I always respond back with "BROTHER!!!!! IT'S BEEN TOO LONG!!" and they get freaked out and leave. I suppose, I could have picked a worse name like "assassin_ninja4827" or "HeroKen-ii" or even something like "Cyberendpunk"(that one's pretty bad).

Well it's been a while? E3 stuff went down and I must say I screamed like a little school girl for Portal 2 coming to PS3. Other than that I've started playing Fallout 3 again(probably the best RPG ever), continued on with my file on Final Fantasy 8 and have started watching more horror movies recently.

My personal favorite type of horror movie: zombie flicks, Dawn of the Dead, Day of the Dead, I even watched that crap The Crazies(not really a zombie flick). The Crazies really sucked in my opinion, it's seriously like they look at a book of zombie movie cliches and tried to fit as many as possible in 100 minutes. I saw the original 1978 Dawn of the Dead for the first time and as expected it kicked ass. Just imagine having a whole shopping mall to yourself? Sure the zombie apocalypse thing kinda sucks but hey at least their the slow ass zombies and not the fast, track runner zombies in movies today.

The remake of Dawn of the Dead is also pretty sweet but it kinda sucks I saw the remake first. I usually like to see the original film first so I can understand the idea behind it. The remake is definitely more serious than the original. It doesn't even play on the whole metaphor of comparing zombies to shoppers in a mall. I bet if I had seen the original first and then saw the remake I would have had an entirely different perspective on the remake. For one thing the set up is completely different, in the original the group of survivors are in a helicopter and have already travelled far from the big cities but are running low on fuel so they land on the mall, in the remake the survivors find it each and then head to the mall. Think about it now, it's a pretty stupid idea to head to a mall during a ZOMBIE apocalypse. Wouldn't that be where a ton of people would be? And have probably turned into zombies? Also in the remake there's nearly 3 times the amount of characters than in the original which means you see less character development and don't get attached to the characters as much. Not to say there isn't characters I like in the remake, the security guard C.J. is a pretty funny dude and badass at the same time. However, in the original I felt like the characters were all important and real people like the SWAT member Peter.

Despite the awesomeness of both of these movies my favorite out of George A. Romero's "Dead" series is Night of the Living Dead. Not just because it was the first but because for a movie made in 1968 it has balls and I highly respect George Romero for that. As for my overall favorite zombie flick, it's hard choice between Night of the Living Dead and Shaun of the Dead.

I'll start off by listing the ones I have actually enjoyed:

Call of Duty 4

Battlefield Bad Company 1

Battlefield 1943

Killzone 2

And that's pretty much it. It's been a WHILE since I thoroughly enjoyed a multiplayer game, developers just seem to rush them now, knowing they'll sell loads just for releasing it. They also know they don't have to ship a quality product because they can simply release a patch a week or so later and still rack in the dough. Not to mention, they always seem to have some sort of issue that ruins the game for me. Of course, people say "Well no game is perfect" Very true, I always remind myself this because sometimes I forget these games are after all made by humans who are imperfect. Another thing I remind myself of are the 4 games I listed above. Each one of these games have flaws, some annoying (Fragx3 and Martyrdom) and some just there because not everything has to work out for you (Squad spawning into gunfire and immediately dying) but those flaws never made me just give up on the game.

I apologize for the mini rant but I needed to say this. I hardly every get angry at games unless I'm playing a multiplayer. There's just things in multiplayers that grind my gears. Anyways on a positive note, I've playing some PS1 games recently do to my sudden disinterest in PS3 games. I've started playing MGS1 again and am now conflicted on which one I like better MGS1 or MGS4. Speaking of MGS4, I recently got the Big Boss Emblem for it, no easy task I assure you but a fun one. I also started playing Final Fantasy 8 and I must say I'm really liking it. It kinda sucks I missed out on the PS1 games as a kid since I was such a big Nintendo fanboy :P

Oh and here's something for the South Park fans out there from the episode "Major Boobage"

Heavy Metal - Sammy Hagar

Okay so I lied. I'll be making one every 10 hours, not 5. 5 hours is too little for a game like this.

Anyways back to the game. It's awesome. I'm absolutely loving it with the only flaw being it's still quite linear and how dreadful those first few hours were. It doesn't even feel like I'm playing the same game because everything is 1000x more deep and challenging. I'm on Chapter 10 and I'm not gonna spoil anything, but I managed to defeat the hardest boss so far. He was such a tough fight. I starting to think he was impossible but that's when I learned the importance of the Sentinel role and juggling opponents in the air. The amount of strategy and tactics that can be put into the battle system is simply amazing, it can be a very challenging game but oh so rewarding. I have pretty much developed a set of rules and strategies I imploy in battle.

For example, in my Paradigm deck I always have 3 defensive Paradigms and 3 offensive Paradigms. At the top of the Paradigm deck is my most offensive set up (usually consisting of Com/Com/Rav) and at the bottom is my most defensive one (consisting of Med/Sen/Med or Syn). I've basically fallen in love with the Tri Disaster paradigm which includes 3 Ravagers. It totally decimates any enemy in a matter of seconds.

If I were to describe the challenge I find in this game, it would be somewhere between Portal and DMC3. Not in difficulty but in the way the game challenges you. Not only do you have to think in strategic ways but have to able to think up new plans right on the fly. This fine balance between reaction time and puzzle-like thinking that makes victory oh so much more rewarding. I've never felt such satisfaction from coming up with a solid battle plan and implementing it successfully in combat before. Those first 8 hours are a joke compared to what's going on now.

So far so good. The game is really sucking me in with the characters and the gameplay. I can finally say the battle system is getting complex and rather intricate. Even thought there's not much in the line of options when it comes to character progression I enjoy building up each character with their roles in mind. For example, I use Hope primarly a Medic and Lightning as a Commando. I sort of assign each character a role and spend the majority of my CP in that role. I'd also like to mention how tough Sazh's summon was. He was the biggest pain in the ass so far but I so how managed to beat him. The story is really picking up and I enjoy watching the characters interact with each other realizing that they're more connected than they thought as first.

Also graphics wise, the game is a masterpiece in my opinion. These are some of the best visuals I've seen technically and artistically. It was the first time since playing Uncharted I actually put the controller down and stared in awe. There was this one spot was just outside of Hope's home where there was a sunset that you could see as it went behind the building. A realistic suset is always impressive to me.

Overall, I'm really enjoy this game. I can really see me spending a lot of time with this game especially when it opens up in Chapter 11. Right now, I'm on Chapter 9. This might be the game that gets me back into JRPGS.