Category Archives: Reviews
World of Warcraft: Cataclysm – Thoughts so far….
Apologies for my lack of articles on the site the last few weeks, this is due to two things, first one is the release of World of Warcraft: Cataclysm, the third expansion pack to the most widely played Massively Multiplayer Online Roleplaying Game in history. The second one is the arrival of my baby daughter who kindly gave me 10 days of playing Cataclysm before making her entrance to the world.
This will not be a generic review as in my mind WoW is a game that can be played in so many ways and attracts people for so many reasons whether you are a hardcore raider, a PvP maniac or a die hard roleplayer there is something for everyone and it would be impossible to cover everything. Instead I will go over what I have experienced so far and how it measures up to the hype.
“I Dreamed a Dream” – Thoughts on Les Misérables
There are many things that people often don’t admit to enjoying. Showtunes is one of those things.
I, on the other hand, believe in flaunting that particular geeky love. Loudly. In public. As often as possible.
Just a few moments ago I had to stop what I was doing at work and listen to a song that came over the speakers. It’s one of my coworker’s radio days and I brought in a cord to hook her ipod to the system. Well, she’s a woman after my own heart and has a ton of Broadway on her playlist. This particular song was from Les Misérables and is called “Drink with Meâ€. If you’ve ever sat with me and gotten me talking about musicals you’ll know that Les Mis is one of my absolute favorites. From the moment I first listened to it after learning we’d be doing a marching band show to it my sophomore year of high school I was in love with the story and the music.
Now, like many musicals Les Mis has several different versions out on CD based on what cast is recording them. I own the Broadway, French, London, 10th Anniversary (Dream Cast) and Complete Symphonic Recording albums. Each one has cast members that I like and dislike and some even have different songs though they mostly have the same version of the music.
For example:
Halo Reach: Noble Map pack Review
Even though the Halo Reach popularity has had a slight drop off, the first map pack for Halo Reach has given the Halo community a shot in the arm well needed. Apologies for the late review I had planned on just giving impressions, but I found myself loving them and sinking more time into these maps than I anticipated. I also wanted to play multiple sessions, with multiple game-types to really test the balance of game play for each map, so with out further adieu here’s the review.
“The Eyre Affair” – The first of the Thursday Next novels
Recently (when not knitting Jayne hats like crazy) I’ve been sucked into a new book series. They’re called the “Thursday Next†series by Jasper Fforde. The first three were loaned to me by my friend, Jessica, and I was hooked from the start of the first one, “The Eyre Affairâ€. The books fall cleanly into the mystery genre but with a twist.
The main character is a woman named Thursday Next who works as a Literary Detective. The world is an alternate version of the mid 1980’s where cloning extinct species is normal, ducks don’t exist, time travel is quite real and books are a source of extreme joy and crime. Imagine a world where so many folks want to change their name to their favorite author that they end up having to be numbered. (Like Edgar Allen Poe 897) Imagine a world where fictional characters can jump out of their books for a short time and into the real world. Imagine a world where you might find yourself part of a special literary police force that trains you to jump in and out of books to keep the plots on track and arrest those who try to disrupt the narrative flow.
Sound interesting?
It sounds like my kind of world. As a bookworm myself, this series highlights so many things that I’ve dreamed of being able to do.
I’m currently on the third book in the first series, “The Well of Lost Plots†and I’m already looking forward to the fourth book. After that there is a second series that already has a first novel with a second one in the works. It looks like this is another series I’ll have to start collecting!
If you’ve never read them, go ahead and snag the first book “The Eyre Affairâ€. You don’t have to be well versed in other literature to enjoy these novels (though it adds a fun dimension to the reading). Once you’re done with it, drop me a line and let me know what you thought!
“And then they fled from the roof on flamingos.” – Syfy’s “Alice”
Last night I got to introduce a couple of friends to the Syfy miniseries “Alice†at our weekly Stitch n Bitch. I know I’ve mentioned this show in passing a few months ago but I wanted to go into a bit more detail on it and see if I can entice you guys to give it a chance.
The setting of this version of the story puts us in modern times but in Wonderland approximately 150 years have passed since the Alice of Legend was there. The main character of this retelling, Alice Hamilton, is often asked if she is The Alice but she continues to deny giving the story a plot that doesn’t feel like a reincarnation story or a sequel. It was presented on Syfy as a 2-part series but if you nab the dvd be prepared for a full three hours of awesome visuals and story. There is no break in the middle so you may find that it’s later than you realize when you finally make it to the end credits.
The cast is a mix of actors and actresses that I know well (Kathy Bates, Colm Meaney, Tim Curry) and some that I hadn’t seen, or at least I hadn’t been aware of, before watching the movie (Caterina Scorsone, Andrew Lee Potts). For me, such a mix tends to make me sit up and take more notice of a movie. I can now claim to have a bit of a crush on Andrew Lee Potts as Hatter. If you’re interested in sets, costuming and other visuals you won’t be disappointed. Wonderland is presented as someplace that looks real enough to believe it might exist.
The storyline is different enough from other retellings and reimaginings that I actually found myself caught up in the story. Last night the girls were watching and making guesses about how certain things would turn out and were pleasantly surprised to be wrong. This version of the story brings the characters to life as more “human†and at the same time with less “humanity†in many cases. There are many elements that have an “American McGee’s Alice†feel to them, name the dark tone of Wonderland and many of the characters. Yet at the same time we’re given a heroine who is believable. We’re not even asked to believe that she’s related to the original Alice in any way.
Heck, she’s even a Judo instructor and uses that to kick butt in Wonderland when push comes to shove. Who wouldn’t love that?
There are some awesome and memorable characters and moments in the series. The Hatter in general is awesome (because when is the Hatter not awesome?), the White Knight is so loveable that you’ll want to hug him, squeeze him and call him George, and Alice manages to not always be a damsel in distress. Wait until you meet the Walrus and the Carpenter and discover the “Oystersâ€. Those and the Tweedles reach some serious levels of creepy.
If you’re a fan of any of the Alice in Wonderland incarnations but haven’t seen this one (even I put off watching it for months), go ahead and give it a try. Then come back and let me know what you think.
Even more music to make you feel epic – Beetlejuice
Well, this music might make you feel more manic than epic but it’s still some awesome music.
There are some composers whose work is extremely recognizable. For me, Danny Elfman is the one that I can pick out usually within a few notes. While I’d heard his stuff with Oingo Boingo growing up I don’t think I sat up and paid real attention to his music until I watched Beetlejuice. I remember being young and knowing that just the opening chords of the main title, complete with the creepy sounds of “Daylight come and me wan’ go home…†scared me even then but I loved the music.
Must Watch TV – Misfits
This is one of my shows of the year without doubt. For anyone unfamiliar with the show it was described as Heroes (before it got crap) meets Skins, season one aired in the UK last year and was just 6 episodes, season two is on air at the moment and is apparently set for 7 episodes in total. The story is basically a group of youths on community service get caught up in a weird electrical storm. After the storm they begin to realise they have developed strange and unique powers. We follow the group as they encounter others who have been affected in different ways and we see them coming together as a group as they learn more about each other. The first season uses a lot of flashbacks to life before community service for each of them; this gives you a really deep insight into each of the main characters.
Given this is a British Channel 4 TV series you can fully expect foul language, fairly graphic sex scenes, violence, drug use and borderline inappropriate humour. The only one of these I have an issue with is glamorising drug use (in this case Ecstasy) but it is not a major part of the show thankfully, it just kind of happens in passing, unlike other C4 shows like Skins where all they do is get drunk, shag and insert any illegal substance they can find into their bodies.
As this is a recommendation I won’t spoil anything by telling you who has what power, I will however detail the cast of main characters below.
The End: The Incredible Hulk
When I first stumbled upon the comic series The End I was given a copy of The Punisher’s version. This turn into an obsessive and curious intent to know how some of my favorite marvel characters meet their end. One unlikely hero (in my personal taste) stood out amongst the rest was that Incredible Hulk.
Free to Play Game Review – Elements The Game
Overview
I have been playing this game for the last few months and I highly recommend it for anyone who has ever enjoyed Magic The Gathering, Yu Gi Oh or other popular CCG’s. The game can be found at www.elementsthegame.com
Elements is an ENTIRELY free to play browser based Collectable Card Game. When I say free to play I actually mean free to play, not free to sign up for and join but to get all the good stuff you need to use an item mall to pay for the best stuff to pwn teh noobzors. In Elements everyone starts the same, the only way to expand your collection or upgrade your cards is to play the game and win matches. When you win a match you will get currency that can be used to buy more cards or upgrade existing ones, as well as currency you will also get to roll a slot machine style mini game which has your opponents deck in it. If you match 3 copies of a card in a row you win a copy of that card. When you lose or quit a match you lose a small amount of currency. You can play against the computer (AI), other players (PvP) and take part in regular community run leagues, tournaments and competitions at all levels from noob to pro.
Starting Out
There are 12 Elements to choose from for your starter deck. You will be provided with an overview of each Element before you make your decision during an excellent tutorial which will guide you through the early stages of the game. There is also a lot of fantastic starter guides on the forums which I will cover later on to help you on your way. You will start off using a mono colour starter deck but you can use multiple colours and customise your deck using cards from all 12 Elements if you wish as you collect them. The Elements and a brief description are detailed below:
“Mrs Hudson took my skull.” – Enjoying BBC’s “Sherlock”
I’ve had several folks pipe up lately and ask for new television show recommendations and normally I can only suggest either ones they’ve seen or some that are older and not as well known (like Due South). Now I can suggest a new show that I think many folks will enjoy.
 
Sherlock is a BBC series that takes the stories of Arthur Conan Doyle and brings them to life in a modern setting. No, this isn’t anything like the Robert Downey Jr. movie so don’t panic. Instead, it brings in some amazing actors such as Martin Freeman as Watson and Benedict Cumberbatch (who I’d never heard of) as Sherlock Holmes to bring to life characters that many of us have loved since we were kids.
I admit that I was hesitant to watch the first episode of this show. Perhaps it was the hype. Perhaps it was the length (an hour and a half per episode is definitely not for casual watching). In any case, I finally finished watching the first full episode this week and I have to admit, I’m now hooked and want to watch the other two episodes that are currently out. The first episode “A Study in Pink†is loosely based on the first Sherlock Holmes novel “A Study in Scarletâ€. The first time we encounter Sherlock Holmes is through text messages and it sets the tone for his character and the show.
Benedict Cumberbatch as Sherlock Holmes
They take the character of Holmes and don’t even try to make him warm and fuzzy at all. Instead he maintains that curious detachment and connection from other people’s emotions while still displaying bursts of his own emotions at socially inappropriate times. Even Holmes remarks that he’s not a psychopath. He’s a highly functioning sociopath. Watson has been updated to modern times as well but still keeps the basic nature of the character: a doctor, recently wounded in a war, and sometimes completely thrown by Sherlock’s actions. The actors in the series, Cumberbatch and Freeman, are completely and utterly convincing as Holmes and Watson and I find myself now picturing them when I think of the characters from the novels.
The effects in the series are very few with only the wording of text messages overlaid on the screen or the discoveries brought up in text as Holmes brings out his powers of deduction. Even with the text reminding you that it’s very much a television show, it’s still easy to simply look past that and get lost in the mystery itself. By the end of the episode I was dying to know which was the right pill (you’ll know what I’m talking about when you watch it) and I actually gasped at Sherlock’s ruthlessness to get an answer from a particular man. And don’t think there’s only seriousness in this show, there’s plenty of moments where I couldn’t stop laughing. The dialogue and interactions between all of the characters is so well done that they can go from hilarious statement to serious pronouncement and you don’t mind at all!
If you were ever a fan of the original novels, if you enjoy an excellent murder mystery, or if you’re just looking for a new show to try out, I suggest you try “Sherlockâ€. Luckily the first season (all three episodes) was just released in the US on dvd. So put it on your queue and let me know what you think!
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