Things We Don't Get #1

What the hell is it with the prices around the world? Of course this is a pretty old topic but I'm still not resigned with the situation. And after what has just happened to me, or better saying, what I have just discovered, I'm in revolt!

Many might know the online bookshop with free shipping worldwide called "The Book Depository". There you can find tons of books and at least for those who live in other countries rather than the United States, the prices can be really advantageous.

The issue is that I've been keeping a link for a book on this site on my "want to buy" list for a while and now that I finally got my international credit card and therefore I'm able to buy it, I realized that I can't. Something's going wrong with my purchase and I'm pretty sure there's nothing wrong with my credit card. 

Frustrated and on the other hand, kind of relieved for not being able to spend more money, I searched around literary blogs about the website and found an interesting commentary which informed me of the existence of the English version of it, which is bookdepository.co.uk.

"OMG, what if I finally get to conclude the payment via this other site?!" - I thought, drenched with excitement. Of course I first needed to find the book through their awful search system. And when I found it, I instantly noticed the difference on the price area. In the American shop it was $17.07 and on the English one it costs $19.79. I don't care if the difference is small, it is still a difference! And I want to know why is that. 

Any ideas? 

As if it wasn't enough, I have the slight impression that I would be able to buy it without problems on the English site. That's how it works. Or, second thought, doesn't work ¬¬

Oh, and by the way, the book I want so desperately to buy is "Miss Peregrine's School for Special Children" Hardback edition. If the site stops trying to turn me off and I get to buy it, maybe I can post a review :D

Symbols We Love #1

How can someone not be attracted by the mysterious aura that comes from the NERV sign? Even who doesn't like animes and mangas, it's one of the coolest images ever created! And how can I show this symbol and not talk about Neon Genesis Evangelion and its bizarre hidden messages? 

Since I haven't finished reading the mangas nor watched the anime I won't be able to give spoilers or detailed information, but I always find myself excited when "talking" about Evangelion. First of all because the characters are all so human: so weak, so undecided, so... Depressive! Besides that, the story is definitely not suitable for all ages. Although the premise is kind of usual, if you look into it with attention, it is not. A son ignored by his father is recruited by his secret organization to help saving the world from "Angels", evil creatures in all colors and forms which are creepy as hell if you, once again, look closely. 

Besides the protagonist, Shinji Ikari, we have other three characters that in my opinion keep the story even more interesting. They are Rei Ayanami - a non-emotive, cold and robotic girl who has difficulty to interact with people, except with Shinji's father, Gendo Ikari.

The other character is Misato Katsuragi, the operation commander of NERV, who is also Shinji's tutor. Throughout the story it is possible to notice a sexual tension between them, which makes things complex, even more because they have similar problems and different ages. All that.

The last character I really enjoy is Asuka Langley, a hateful girl with a more than strong personality. Yes, she is hateful, but her moments of weakness are the best! She also has a thing for Shinji and whenever she tries to demonstrate it in her own way, it never works out.

The figure of Shinji's dead mother, along with other mysteries hidden behind NERV's doors, are all complementary elements to the symbol that, most of all, protects everybody from the shock of the unknown.

There Should've Been a Sequel #1

I hadn't read The Golden Compass when I went to the movie theater to watch the movie, although I knew the story was cool because a friend of mine had finished reading the trilogy and told me several things about it. I highly anticipated it and was really happy with the quality of the production in all senses, from the cast to the soundtrack.

As the great movie it is, I can't write about adaptation because I still haven't read the book. Despite that, I acknowledge this is one of the main reasons why it just didn't work out. I have no idea what's the percentage of audience that checked it out because of being fans of the books and the ones who went for curiosity as me, but I can speak for those last ones and emphasize the movie is awesome for everyone who doesn't know the book. Now, if you read the book, you probably don't think the same way.

That is really a matter of... Not sure. Luck, maybe? The first Harry Potter wasn't a perfect adaptation either and we are all aware of the huge success it was until the last installment and still is. Box office? Yes, that totally influences the future of a cinematographic series. But once again, Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events has had really positive results in theaters and it still didn't won the totally deserved sequel many have waited for.

So in the end, what does it come up to? Oscars? Harry Potter has never won any and got through all those years while A Series of Unfortunate Events won for Makeup and that didn't mean part 2. The studio behind production? I don't really understand about the technical issues but I'm sure this must play an enormous part when it comes to giving the green light for a sequel.

It is said everywhere that we won't see The Subtle Knife or The Amber Spyglass because of the box office results of the first movie. Or even them both mixed in one movie, like the rumors around that time suggested. And this, in my humble opinion, is SO unfair! From the moment I paid for my ticket until the last minute of projection, they have a commitment to let me know the end of the story! Come on! Would someone go check it out if they informed in the movie poster "it finishes without letting you know what's next"? That's ridiculous! And the worst thing is that all the other first movies based on book series - at least the ones I can recall - have a kind of "and they went on for another adventure", which gives a tone of "ending", something that doesn't happen in "The Golden Compass", since there are tons of unfinished business.

I won't be happy if they release the follow-up some years from now. The actors will be all grown up! What's the fun in that? I wish they would stop ruining the series we love on the big screen!

We Love Remix! #1

Now that the Harry Potter movies have finished (in an incredible way, I must add), it's time to find other ways to keep it alive and entertaining us. As October gets closer, so does our chance to finally take a look at Pottermore, the yet exclusive site that promises to re-invent the way we all know Harry Potter, we need to look for other things while we wait.

One that caught the attention of the fans is the authentic Re-imagined classic album covers featuring our beloved characters.

Can you recognize all the references?

The creation is, of course, from Next Movie.

The Sims Social

The new fever that has just struck Facebook is The Sims Social, a facebook gamish version where you interact not only with your sim, but also with everybody's sims and houses in real time. It looks that everyone on the social network has already his own character and is having lots of fun!

But... Like all the other games, how long will it last? Will they keep new ideas coming and estimulating gamers to play? They are charging real money like other companies that develop social games, although I haven't found anything to buy with the "yellow" and real money until now. Maybe it is a sign that in this game one will only spend money if he wants things faster, and not if he wants "special" things. That would satisfy me. 

For now, customization of your Sim is limited, but I believe in the near future the options will be infinite. Since I've never played it before, and I am referring to the conventional computer version, I can't say if it at least maintains the vibe of it or if it is a total inferior experience. But I like it.

The controls are simple: you have a panel with colored buttons indicating that your Sim must have fun, or/and needs sleep or even take care of his hygiene. You gain points for visiting your neighbours (friends) and interacting with them, and you can also do things in their houses! One of my favorites is that you can make a prank call! How cool is that? I mean, make a prank call without using your telephone number? 

It is still a beta version and that means it will crash sometimes and you will face problems, but in the end, it comes up to a very, very good game that wins for the tradition of its name.

Movie Disappointment #1

I waited so SO long to watch this movie and I had such high expectations for it! And when I finally watched it... Well... Damn!!!!!!! Maybe I should have watched it before checking "Atrocious" out. 

When "The Silent House" was first promoted, it soon caught my attention because it was said to be a super thriller filmed following an original idea, poorly explored in the horror area: a real time story, shooted with no cuts. Supposedly based on true events - yeah, ok *rolleyes* - the eighty minutes promised to take the spectator through a living horror experience.

First of all, the movie has "the" tone. The production is good and the scenario, perfect. (So much for a creepy film - waste). The actors are good, but the script made them look dumb, and here the problems start. As soon as the suspence began, I heard myself cursing the stupidity of the protagonist. The more she acted, the more it looked like I was watching someone playing with her as in a videogame, instead of watching a movie.

All the "horror game factors" check:

• absurdly courageous character;
• don't hide, keep showing yourself;
• don't keep quiet, make noise;
• walk with a lamp and a weapon;
• look for danger;
• explore a macabre place.
  

To tell more about it would spoil the already hard-surprisingly twists in the plot, so that's it. Seriously, it does looks like a game. Therefore, my conclusion is: it would work way better as a game. So someone please make a game of it, there even should be written on the cover: "more enjoyable than a movie!". For once, this promotion would be true.

Male Fatale Tour

Stephen "Spears" decided to post on YouTube his version for Britney's Femme Fatale Tour. Nothing really to comment about this. Watch.

The Movie is Better than the Book #1

While it seems that the books are always better than the movies, in some cases the situation is inverse. That is definitely the case of New Moon, the second book of the Twilight Saga.

The author, Stephenie Meyer, surely has no notable quality in her writing, but she knows how to keep the reader focused throughout key parts of the books. The thing is that not always she succeeds and this is the reason why New Moon is full of boring moments. 

In the other hand, those moments turned out to be incredibly beautiful and intense in the movie, which captured the tone of the book perfectly. Besides being a HUGE improvement since the crap that Twilight was, here we have decent special effects, better actings and an infinitely greater work with the camera angles - no disturbing shaking that makes us feel like we're watching The Blair Witch Project.

One of the only good things from the predecessor production continues marvelous here: the soundtrack. They chose depressive rock songs that also fit the vibe of the story. 

The photography contrasting to the dilemmas the characters face are so much interesting to be watched than visualized by reading. To add one more thing, I couldn't remember of any awesome part in the book that wasn't transcripted to the screen. They really did their best.

Watching the movie has always been an incomplete experience compared to reading the book, but in this case I'd easily suggest to just watch the movie.

Horror Games We Love #1

There are some fake but there are also some REAL scary games out there! I couldn't start this topic without at least mentioning Amnesia: The Dark Descent. It made me freak out a few months ago, when I first discovered it. The atmosphere developed by the sounds and the awesome graphics gets into you and there is no way that you can avoid getting deep into the story. And what a great story, I must add!

The creators of Amnesia did what - at least not that I remember - no one else has ever done: a TRUE horror game. Not some shooting nonsense that seems more like Action than horror. This IS real horror, and add to that a good amount of suspense, too. Not wanting to give too much away, because knowing stuff before playing spoils more than usual all the fun, in this case.

You play as the character Daniel, a man who forgot all important details about who he is and what he was up to in - if memory doesn't fail me - Prussia, or something like that. The environment is, of course, a dark and creepy castle, full of disturbing rooms and shadowy corners. Not to tell you about the thrilling flashbacks and unsettling events...

The thing is: you need to explore the castle in order to remember what you forgot, even though you know there is a shadow coming for you and that... Well... It was you in the first place who, apparently, chose to forget something too terrible to keep in mind.

Aware of that, you start your journey and go on by solving puzzles and figuring out how to get out of difficult situations, always with a sense of urgency and danger. Soon enough you discover why is that. Oh, and for the record: you can't fight. Just remember that. Running and hiding is all you have. (That's why I first elected this as one true horror game; even in other cool horror games you have to fight somehow, and this kind of takes away the point of real fear: hopeless.) To finish, you can't stay in the dark for too long, otherwise, you'll go insane. Nevertheless, there are times when you'll be forced to stay in complete darkness.

I really wish every fan of horror games try and BUY Amnesia, to support the awesome work those guys did. I recall they've won several prizes and awards and this was the game that made their company, Frictional Games, be able to maintain itself. They've also released a trilogy before their big Amnesia hit, but I'll leave these amazing three other games to be commented here in the future.

After The Dark Descent, they also released an extension to it, twice as cool and difficult, but this will also be a future topic here.

Sad enough to hear rumors that Frictional's next game won't be a horror one. Let's see how they do in an adventure, though.