gdp's Comments

http://markspoils.blogspot.com/ : Geeky Weekly Funtimez

Thu, 20 Mar 2014 18:49:52 +0000

That's cool. Liking problematic media and all the jazz that entails. As I said I'm hoping they had their say of their half baked Randian philosophy in the first one, and mostly focus on the bits I greatly enjoyed. But I wanted to primarily point out that you are not alone in seeing the elitism themes, and while I can personally let it wash over me, it's entire reasonable for that to be a deal breaker.

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Wed, 19 Mar 2014 21:07:40 +0000

Ah yes. Yakko yaks, and Wakko packs away the snacks. I should know that by now. ;)

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Wed, 19 Mar 2014 20:44:44 +0000

As someone who's memorized both of them, I've got to say the elements is way easier. The elements are grouped alliteratively for the most part, and the ones that aren't mostly have some other pattern. (5/6 of the noble gases are together, the ones named after famous people are together, etc.) And it was written before you got to the stupid ones like Ununpentium. Also it's shorter. Wakko's world is a lot more random. There's a certain level of geographic proximity, but not enough for me to remember in a mnemonic fashion, and I just had to brute force it.

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Wed, 19 Mar 2014 20:10:48 +0000

You know even when I first watched this movie the "if everybody's special nobody is" statement seemed like something that would be reframed by the end of the movie in a more positive way during the final confrontation, and then that never happened. Syndrome is definitely a classic Ayn Rand villain: A conniving, manipulative man who seeks personal gain without honest work or achievement, and actively begrudges those with abilities he doesn't have. We can argue about how if he channeled his intellect into something greater that would be different, but within the context of the movie he's too lazy to do anything but stand on the shoulders of his betters. I've had arguments with people over just how Randian the Incredibles is. There's definitely a sense of elitism throughout, and a recurrent despair at the celebration of mediocrity, but a true Objectivist superhero wouldn't waste time altruistically helping people. There's none of the whole "virtue of selfishness" with is certainly the most odious part of Rand's philosophy. Hell, Bob's arc ends with him rejecting his selfish desire to recapture the old days, and learn to rely on others, which is definitely an objectivist no-no. (Also I've had similar conversations about Ratatouille and it's a fountainhead parallels. Brad Bird had a Randian phase in college) I'm looking forward to an Incredibles sequel, but that's for the fun superhero adventure with characters I like, and interesting commentary on the changing of superhero eras. Hopefully given the Fantastic Four parallels, the next movie can be about a Galactus analogue with a moral about how there's always something bigger or something.

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Wed, 19 Mar 2014 18:05:28 +0000

RIGHT?? I usually go with whatever my first instinct is, especially because there is almost always a choice that matches what I am actually feeling, and that is pretty fucking cool, you know? And even though I knew the best option would be to take the fall, like I said, those fuckers keep yelling at me like I'm the worst ever and stop it do you even know how awesome I am?? I also go with whatever my first instinct is. The way I see it, if I the impartial observer can be too angry to think rationally, then I don't see how Clementine could be expected to. It's interesting to balance the times when I want to use "I'm just a little girl!" to my advantage with the times I want to assert myself as strong and independent. The latter is beginning to win out already, although with strangers (like Matthew), I play the Little Girl Card. Playing as an 11 year old girl has been wildly different to any Usually in a game like this, the player avatar has an in universe title as the most important person in the room. (Lee, Bigby, Shepard, Hawke, The Warden, and Adam Jensen leap to mind in terms of recent examples). People don't take her seriously, and they talk down to her at times, and she's certainly a lot more limited in terms of physical capabilities. It's a refreshing change of pace. Absolutely. I felt bad that I hadn't stolen the watch before so I could give it to him. But I didn't want to make more trouble for myself then! Ugh I know. I didn't see any possible way that stealing a watch from this group of strangers who were arguing about my trustworthiness could possibly end well. Ahahahaha. She's growing on me. I feel bad for her and it would be nice to have a friend closer to my own age. I feel bad for her, but she still terrifies me. It is more than two years into the zombie apocalypse. She is fifteen years old, and she's completely helpless. Which is not her fault, but if Carlos had died in that room she would not be able to survive, and she has not done anything to show that having her around would be useful. That makes me nervous. I KNOW. Did you explain that Duck was his son? I just said, "Kenny..." because it wasn't my place to say. Well they already knew that Kenny lost his wife and son. It didn't occur to me that it might not be appropriate to share that, and didn't think Kenny was in the mood to be pestered for that information. I did not! I thought it was something more sinister, like Matthew was imaginary or a zombie or a Sasquatch or something. Interesting how both second episodes have recurring references leading to a reveal. The moment I called it was when Walter showed Clem the can of peaches and made the same comparison with girl on the can, immediately after mentioning his missing partner. Earlier I thought it was weird that the man on the bridge said he had plenty of food but only had two cans of peaches, and suddenly I put two and two together. This was a much better twist (and episode) than it's fist season counterpart. I knew something was up with the St. Johns, but cannibalism didn't occur to me because it was just so weird. They had the renewable ingredients to make biscuits.I don't know how long I would have to eat biscuits before I became so bored of them that cannibalism seems like a viable alternative, but I suspect it would be longer than three months. Also, considering they were killing people for food, their slaughterhouse looked like it was in terrible condition. I get that's it's supposed to be horrifying, but there's a reason butcher shops don't look like the setting of a slasher film. The whole thing just came off as cartoonish. I feel like if they brought Kenny back from the apparent dead, they've got to bring back Lilly at some point. Clem even brings her up in this episode. I don't know how I'd feel about that. I still like to think of Lilly as the same girl from the comics even if that's no longer true, but even so, I don't want this to become a season one reunion if we're presumably going to see Christa again.

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Wed, 19 Mar 2014 06:30:46 +0000

Your interactions with Sarah are identical to mine. When Carlos blamed me for using the camera all I could think before the prompts showed up was "You were the one who told me to distract her asshole". and then I realized that was not the smartest thing to say, but honestly I was sick of his bullshit. It's completely irresponsible for Sarah not to know how to shoot things at this point. And I too didn't understand the significance of the ornaments, but I wasn't going to replay the entire section just for that. I don't get anyone who chose to sit with Luke. Clem knew Kenny for almost a year, and he was presumed dead for the last two. She known the new group for less than a week, and it's still questionable how trustworthy they are. By this point in the first game, I already had my favorites, (Lee, Clementine, Carley and Kenny), but I still don't feel connected to the Cabin survivors in the same way. I'm really fond of Nick, fuckup as he is, he's a lot better than Ben in terms of his justifications and his contrition, and I feel a certain level of camaraderie with Luke, but I just don't have strong opinions about anyone else besides Sarah, and that opinion is stark raving terror. Also I kind of died inside when Kenny asked Duck to pass the beans. I'm worried that Ken might see Clem as a replacement Duck, which would be all kinds of unhealthy. And I totally called Matthew being the guy who Nick shot the moment they mentioned a missing companion. It's apparently possible to get NIck killed if you tell Walter he's not a good guy, but I'm still shocked at the level of moral fiber Walter displayed. Really bummed about his death, and if I could choose to save him over 90% of the cabin survivors, I'd pick him. (Also, while I generally think the Walking Dead game is pretty great in terms of representation, I'm not sure how I feel about the first explicitly gay characters dying in the same episode they were introduced.) The moment Bonnie started spinning her story about a family I was practically screaming "NO DON'T TRUST HER SHE IS LYING WHY DON'T YOU HAVE THE OMNISCIENT KNOWLEDGE I DO?" That was fun.

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Sat, 1 Mar 2014 07:03:44 +0000

I just want it 100% on record that just because I see Gravity as a purely cinematic film, does not make it an insipid empty spectacle. When Cinema can take you on such rhythmic emotional journey (I don't get people who say that the movie is "a ride" like it's a bad thing) that needs to be fucking celebrated. There is not a single wasted moment in Gravity, and it always knows exactly which feeling it wants to hammer into you in this particular way that works for this particular way, and I honestly don't know what the people complaining about a lack of depth actually want out of this movie. It can't flashback to earth because that would remove the audience from the visceral terror, but it also knows to avoid getting complacent by hitting you with lulls of solemnity along the way, and then the terror comes back. Gravity is perfect machine, and I literally cannot conceive of how to give this movie the convoluted plot that would check off people's boxes of what constitutes "depth" without subtracting from what the movie actually is. (I don't think that was aimed at me, but seeing the same phrasing in my writeup made me a little defensive)

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Fri, 28 Feb 2014 06:16:11 +0000

If 55 songs is not enough, then you are way too much of a perfectionist. It's still damn amazing no matter how you cut this.

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Thu, 27 Feb 2014 19:48:25 +0000

I said retroactively. I like Shakespeare in love. I've never seen Dances with Wolves. It's just the discussion around awards completely changes the context with which we view certain movies and you can't really have a conversation about either of them without starting from a defensive position about them stealing an award from a more deserving movie.

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Thu, 27 Feb 2014 04:30:03 +0000

The problem I have with Silver Linings is that it feels massively dishonest. The movie spends the first two thirds making absolutely clear that Bradley Cooper has very important problems that can only be solved by accepting them. It's hammered over and over again. Every bit of character progression, every comedic beat, and every piece of conflict comes from someone doing something doing something in place of "normal" behavior that they have to stop making excuses for. The character lie to each other, and only make strides when they are honest. So when the time comes for he movie to end and make this point absolutely clear...and the characters all get into a room, invent a bunch of stakes for the third act, and the rest of the movie devolves into a happy times dance sequence leading to a happy ending for the two damaged leads with no hint of sobriety, or acknowledgment of the previous themes. It abandons it's identity and message for a happy ending that doesn't feel real. As for Hustle. it won big at the globes, and it's very likely to take best picture. Which would allow it to join the ranks of movies retroactively taken down by winning an award it didn't deserve (Shakespere in Love, Dances with wolves, etc)

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Thu, 27 Feb 2014 04:12:04 +0000

5. Nebraska: Didn’t really know anything about this movie before walking into it, but I was pleasantly surprised. It’s a little uneven, but it’s a wonderful examination of human dignity. It is at times utterly bleak, and genuinely hilarious. Dern and Forte are wonderful, and the black and white cinematography fits perfectly. 4.Gravity: I have to wonder how much I’d like this movie if I didn’t actually see it in a theater, and I can’t imagine watching a movie like this on my ipad. If cinema is about the power of experience, then this movie is definitely…experiential. This movie imparts on you both the utter wonder of the cosmos, and the pure unbridled terror that can bring and every single moment is perfectly designed to propel you in a very specific emotional state. Perhaps that makes it simple, but nothing is wasted, and it feels like the most pure form of cinematic artistry there is. 3.The Wolf of Wall Street My last three are basically a tie, and it’s really depends on whatever mood I’m in, but I just want to say that I absolutely did need a scene of him trying to drive in a cooked up state, because everything from the steps down is an amazing piece of physical comedy. DiCaprio gets better with every movie, and this is his best one yet. I’ve spoken before about how angry this movie is with its characters, but going back to the American Hustle for a moment, which outright worships its con-artist, Wolf of Wall street is an outright condemnation of not just the characters, but of the audience too for being so enamored with this level of excess. The Wolf of Wall Street is still Scorsese’s best in 20 years. It’s confident, hilarious, and utterly scathing. He’s 71 years old and he’s still making masterpieces. 2.12 Years a Slave: I don’t know what to say about this movie, and nothing I say feels like it’s doing this film justice. Northup’s story is a Kafakaesque nightmare where every reasonable action is met with cruelty and violence, and the only way to survive is to become complicit in his own subjugation. The scene where Northup breaks down and starts singing with the slaves in a final moan of agony felt like a knife in the heart, and it’s not the only one. It’s a unflinching movie that doesn’t hide behind metaphor. It merely presents slavery as a cancer that destroys everyone involved. I cannot imagine this movie working without Ejiofor, who starts out wide eyed and happy, and over the course of two hours is left utterly drained. It’s an incredible performance, and the one I’m rooting for. Really, everyone in this movie is brilliant. Lupita Nyong’o puts in what of the most courageous performances I’ve ever seen,. Fassbender is thoroughly hateful, but he’s also human. It’s an incredible movie,that demands to be seen. 1.Her: So the movie where a man falls in love with his computer connected with me on a greater level than any other movie I saw that year. If anyone but Spike Jonze had made this movie, it would’ve been a superficial argument about how we need to unplug from our computers, but Jonze is one of the best filmmakers of our day. This is Sci-fi at it’s best, as both a glimpse into the future and holding a mirror up to the present. Her is a strange love story, but it is completely and utterly genuine. It’s a film that highlights how we change over time, both together and apart from each other, and how it feels to really connect with someone else. It’s personal, yet universal. Her made me feel more human than any other movie this year, and there’s nothing else I could ask for. As an aside, I am strongly rooting for The Act of Killing to win best documentary, and I’m more than a little miffed at the complete shutout of Inside Llewyn Davis. If I had to rank my favorite movies of the year, then both would be some where between 4 and 3.

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Thu, 27 Feb 2014 04:11:43 +0000

9. American Hustle:I've heard people say this movie "Out-Scorsese's Scorsese". and I have to assume they're talking about low angle camera shots or something, because otherwise I have no idea. This movie can be boiled down to the "Live and Let" die sequence whereJennifer Lawrence just dances while cleaning her house. It's fun. Jennifer Lawrence is charming, as always. But it has fuck all to do with anything. To quote Filmcrithulk:"THERE IS ALMOST NO REAL CHARACTER SEQUENCING OR MEANING OR IMPORT OR THEMATIC COHESION OR DIRECT PURPOSE TO MOST OF THE SCENES IN AMERICAN HUSTLE." This film washes over you like a massage. It encourages you to enjoy it with it's pleasant tone, and good actors, and it's style, but it's all a ruse, the audience is being hustled. Now there's nothing wrong with being fun and purposeless, but when combined with Silver Linings Playbook, it feels like David O Russell is saying. "This is what you want out of entertainment? Fine. Here's what you want even though it's bad for you. Who cares what you need. Be placated. Don't think about any of this, and just enjoy the dancing." And he's getting far more acclaim than he ever got out of "I heart Huckabees or Three Kings, and that just bums me out. 8. Philomena: Philomena is a perfectly fine movie. It's feel good in all the ways you know it's going to be feel good. Coogan and Dench play off each other well. The story is interesting, and occasionally goes places that a fictional one wouldn't be able to get away with. It's just not all that thought provoking, and I'd be surprised if I'm thinking about this movie a year from now. 7. Dallas Buyers Club. I expect Matthew McConaughey and Jared Leto to win their respective awards for this movie. Generally if you want to predict these things, replace the word "best" with the word "most", and Hollywood voters love being able to point to obvious physical transformations for roles as the best actors. And while I do think there are better candidates for best actor , It is my sincere wish that Matthew McConaughey never star in a shitty romantic comedy again, because he is way too good for that. It's not a perfect movie. It treats the FDA with about as much nuance as the EPA gets in Ghostbusters. The little title card at the end saying that the lower dosage of AZT saved numerous lives feels odd when the movie spent two hours telling us it was exclusively toxic. But it felt a lot more personal than these sorts of movies usually do, and it was even moving at times. 6. Captain Phillps. I’m really glad that this movie humanizes the pirates as much as the sailors, which is mostly unexpected in this sort of thriller. At no point does the filmboil down the situation to “Young Black men with guns against old white men without them” despite how much easier that would be. We understand the desperation of everyone involved, and the performances of the two leads are great. In particular I hope Abdi has a career after this, because he’s too good to just disappear.

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Wed, 26 Feb 2014 02:35:37 +0000

I missed my opportunity. When You started Case three I was going to post Xen Ihop over and over, and then posted in rot13 that that looks like Rot13 but isn't. This would've amused me and probably no one else. Also, has anyone shown you the jazz and classical orchestra CDs yet? At this point, I don't think there's any soundtrack spoilers. [youtube RaLhPCvcezY http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RaLhPCvcezY youtube]

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Tue, 25 Feb 2014 22:24:38 +0000

American Hustle is like Silver Linings Playbook, in that few outright disliked, audiences really liked it, while a lot of critics were just kind of "meh". So for people who are really into movies, it creates a sense of "Really? This is movie? THIS movie?" Anyway, This is the second year in a row I've seen all the movies, but right now I'm too busy to post my thoughts. Probably tomorrow.

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Sun, 23 Feb 2014 03:52:45 +0000

Cubravk: (Gur jnl rirelguvat raqrq... Jnf whfgvpr ernyyl freirq...?) Cubravk: (Gur zna jub evfxrq uvf yvsr gb fnir Znln vf orvat frag gb cevfba ol zl bja unaq...) Zvn: Bs pbhefr whfgvpr jnf freirq. Cubravk: Z-Zvn! Zvn: ...V'z cebhq bs lbh, Cubravk. Zvn: Lbhe qrsrafr jnf... gehyl oevyyvnag. Cubravk: O-Ohg V pbhyqa'g fnir Ze. Neznaqb! Cubravk: Gur zna jub pnerq fb qrrcyl sbe lbh... Zvn: Lbh'er jebat, Cubravk. Zvn: Lbh qvq fnir Qvrtb. Zvn: Lbh fnirq uvz va gur bayl jnl cbffvoyr. Cubravk: Lbh zrna... jvgu gung ireqvpg...? Zvn: ... Zvn: V guvax bar qnl, lbh'yy haqrefgnaq, gbb. V guvax guvf vf n Frirehf Fancr fvghngvba. Jurer gurer'f n qvffbanapr orgjrra ubj zhpu flzcngul gur aneengvir jnagf lbh gb unir sbe n punenpgre, naq ubj zhpu lbh npghnyyl unir.

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Sat, 22 Feb 2014 23:16:22 +0000

Lbh xabj, pbzcnerq gb zl hfhny fuvccvat unovgf, gurer vf n qvfcebcbegvbangr ahzore bs tnl pbhcyrf V fuvc va Npr Nggbearl. Gb gur cbvag V jnf npgviryl naablrq jura V fnj ubj zhpu Whavcre jnf pehfuvat ba Ncbyyb qrfcvgr gur gjb bs gurz oneryl univat orra va gur fnzr ebbz, naq V sryg yvxr gur tnzr jnf gelvat gbb uneq gb trg zr gb fuvc n fgenvtug pbhcyr.

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Sat, 22 Feb 2014 20:51:51 +0000

V gubhtug Zvn jnf unccl gung Cubravk znantrq gb "fnir" Qvrtb. V zrna, lrf, va guvf pbagrkg fnivat uvz zrnaf fraqvat uvz gb cevfba, ohg vg nyfb zrnag gung ur pbhyq svaq fbzr qrterr bs crnpr? V guvax? Vg'f ubarfgyl orra n ybat gvzr fvapr V'ir cynlrq gung pnfr.

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Sat, 22 Feb 2014 20:20:08 +0000

“Shpx lbh Cubravk, vg’f lbhe snhyg Znln’f va gebhoyr. Naq vg’f lbhe snhyg Zvn qvrq. Naq uryyb Senamvfxn, V’ir arire zrg lbh. Shpx lbh gbb, jbzna. Fgrc qbja naq yrg gur zra unaqyr guvf. Tbq, V ungr jbzra jub qba’g xabj gurve cynpr” Ur'f tbg n gentvp onpx fgbel, naq n ernyyl terng gurzr fbat, ohg ur'f nyfb n frkvfg naq pbaqrfpraqvat nffubyr.

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Sat, 22 Feb 2014 00:32:30 +0000

What's your Steam handle?

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Fri, 21 Feb 2014 22:35:59 +0000

The first episode starts at the end of all three plotlines, and then goes back to the beginning to explain how we all got here. Sort of like Pulp Fiction. Which is why I recommend Baccano when I find out someone is a Tarrantino fan.