Blog, Blog, Bloq

 The time to write has come once again. And I was really unsure of what to tackle. With so many different interests and no real direction, I was kind of stumped. But then as I was looking at some music to listen to, I remembered Street Fighter III: Third Strike. Not in the sense of like an old friend, but because I had recently gotten to see some Third Strike, in-person, being played for money. It makes me happy each time. Even with my limited knowledge, I can enjoy the game for the technical skill and decision making that goes into each match. Like, the way people play each character, and how they approach each situation with them differs based on the player. You never see two Kens play the same way in a mirror match. No amount of sitting back and gaining meter through whiffed normals is gonna speed the game along, because at some point you have to make a decision. And that's where a lot of the excitement comes from. That quick reflexive nature makes each punish matter.  So, ...

 The Metal Gear brainworms, or nanomachines if you will, have persisted. This has all culminated from the fact that I have finished the main story for Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain. A game that I never want to play again. The issues far outweigh any joy for me. It lacks that fun videogame feel that I loved in previous titles. The limited loadout in the most expansive title just didn't work for me. MGS: Peace Walker could get away with this because that's a PSP game at its core, and not an over-budget console title. Not to mention, the story beats just didn't work for me. Skull Face was a terrible villain, and then the game fell even flatter in his absence.  While I think the problem starts with MGS4, I find MGSV to be a big nothing burger of a game. None of the character conflicts really matter, and none of the new characters are of any worth. This was a prequel game, and the knowledge of the future just negated any hope for a future appearance from any newbies. But ...

 With the release of Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater, I've felt compelled to continue my journey into the series. So, I have recently finished MGS 4: Guns of the Patriots and MGS: Peace Walker. And my thoughts are mixed. On the one hand, I like the gameplay of MGS4 for the most part but not the writing. Yet with Peace Walker, I was satisfied on most fronts with some minor issues.  Like, the problem with MGS4 has nothing to do with the long cutscenes. The problem lies in the rewrites of previous game knowledge in order to make this game work. These new revelations even made other characters worse off. What makes this funnier, is that Peace Walker seems to largely ignore any information from that game. To be two years removed from each other and share little to no DNA is one of the best bits in the series. Peace Walker feels like the follow-up to MGS 3: Snake Eater, while MGS4 feels like the alternate reality that others want to ignore.  But, I am not here to just shit ...

 The time has finally come for another Mononoke Movie. A series that I can't get enough of. There's nothing out right now that matches the creativity and chaos that makes Mononoke so unique. Even when looking at contemporaries like In/Spectre or Mushishi, Mononoke manages to take everything a step further. Where In/Spectre feels like a more violent and less complex version of Mushishi when it comes to the investigations of Spirits. Mononoke takes a more fantastical approach. A key aspect that has made the TV Series and Movies pop that much more. But this isn't a catch-all for Mononoke, this piece is about my thoughts on the second film, The Ashes of Rage.  A surprise sequel that expands on the Ooku (The Harem of Palace of Lord Tenshi) after the events from Phantom in the Rain. With the first film focusing on the Lower Rank Maid Activities and the stress that comes with the service, the second film delves into the Upper Rank Concubines. And what better way than to put the fo...

 I watched a couple movies recently, with two of them being the Until Dawn adaptation and the other being Alfred Hitchcock's The Birds. While I enjoyed them for what they were, there was another film that I enjoyed more. And that was Alfred Hitchcock's Rear Window. A movie that can be boiled down to the idea of "People Watching." Learning where and what your neighbors are doing during each day because you just don't feel like doing anything else. While I think some of the things can feel invasive, overall the film nails a lot of writing beats for me.  The cast is likeable, the side stories are intriguing, and the concept is so unique. Not many films are willing to confine themselves to a single room like they do in Rear Window, and that's a big draw for me. I didn't need to look deeper into any other apartment because that air of mystery let me put the pieces together. A perfect storm of a film that I can't stop thinking about. So, I am going to go int...

 I was kind of at a loss for what to talk about this time around. Lot of ideas bumping around, but nothing too concrete. As a result, I am gonna talk about the recent Horror Media I have been engaging with. For what it's worth, this might just be about Sinners. But we'll see where this goes.  What else is there to say about Sinners that hasn't already been said? This film from Ryan Coogler and crew goes above and beyond the expectations for any movie. From the score headed by Ludwig Göransson to the cinematography from Autumn Durald Arkapaw to the script from Ryan Coogler himself. These pieces along with many others combined to form a film with a lot of heart and passion. Not to mention some great performances from Michael B. Jordan (Plays Smoke & Stack), Miles Caton (Plays Sammie Moore), Wunmi Mosaku (Plays Annie), and Delroy Lindo (Plays Delta Slim) to name a few. It is truly remarkable how so many elements culminated here.  Now, I am going to go into some spec...