Beyond The Black Rainbow

Thanks to my friend, for suggesting this visually impeccable and emotionally compelling psychodelic horror show of a movie. Did not disappoint, 9/10 would trip again :) Reminiscent of Gaspar Noe's 'Enter The Void'.
This guy can explain the movie after you've watched it :)

The luxury of atheism

http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2013/dec/24/atheism-richard-dawkins-challenge-beliefs-homeless

"Soon I saw my atheism for what it is: an intellectual belief most accessible to those who have done well." The article distilled into one point worthy of contemplation.

How Frank Zappa told off Bowie

elephant blog: Anecdote #646 part 1: Uneasy Meetings with Gods part one. place: a Frank Zappa concert in Cologne, Germany 2/14/1978 my first tour of europe ever and as a member ...

The act of killing

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SD5oMxbMcHM
A surreal film, which gave me some insight into the nature of human morality and how people cope with actions that they deem amoral. A very surreal viewing experience from a westerners perspective. History is written by the winners and a genocide is made into a event of national pride, the participants molded into heroes. Everyone knows that it's bullshit, however the intensive propaganda will erode the public opinion, until the truth is what the government wants it be. Very recommended.

Gone Home

For a moment there I had the weirdest case of deja vu... as if as though I was playing Dear Esther again... but no, this is much more different. It tells a real story, a grounded story and most importantly a personal one. A true delight from out of the blue and I hope that I get to see more fine examples of interactive storytelling in the near future. I love the fact that I couldn't tell whether this was a horror game or just a mystery game that wanted to abuse the well established cliches in video games as a trap for the player. These forbes articles did a pretty good job of summing the game up.
Hope you are well Sam, XOXO.
http://www.forbes.com/sites/games/2013/08/15/gone-home-review-a-teenaged-girl-at-the-heart-of-a-grown-up-game/
http://www.forbes.com/sites/insertcoin/2013/08/22/what-gone-home-could-do-better/

Night of the Rabbit

It's pleasant to be surprised once in a while with a true fairytale game. In times of dark fantasy and zombie apocalypses, Deadalic Entertainment, one of the inheritors of Lucas Arts's legacy, comes out with Night of the Rabbit. This is a game that I would gladly let my kid play, as it's filled with the wonders of exploration, curiosity and adventure. The visual style is top notch - the environments are beautiful and imaginative. The animation on the other hand is mediocre and plagued with frame rate issues. The voice acting is very upbeat, though a tad too quiet at times. In addition the pauses between different sections of dialogue sometimes break immersion, whereas the music is fantastic and creates a perfect atmosphere for the game.  I'm sure there's at least one catchy tune to be found in the soundtrack. For a game that's supposed to be aimed at a younger audience, the puzzles are rather tricky at times, and a better hint system would have been welcome. The plot is well fleshed out, and has a few surprising twists which beg for a sequel. Thankfully the characters have unique personalities, that a younger audience is sure to appreciate, heck even I found them amusing. It's no surprise, that a game about a young boy's dream to become a magician itself  stands out as a bit magical. With that in mind, with a few tweaks it could have been a PAC classic.

Assassin's Creed

Well, in my new abundance of free time I have managed to burn though the last two AC games Revelations and AC III and here are my impressions. First of all, I was very confused as to why Revelations needed to exist as a separate game. The gameplay features only two evolutions in the hookblade, which admittedly is a welcome addition, and various bombs that you can construct. The variety of the bombs you can use is impressive, however totally unnecessary and feel just like a "Hey, here's some more shit you can do, but you don't have to do it" addition. The story is totally bland, and the characters drearily forgettable and Constantinople feels just like a color washed Rome. In my humble opinion, the story segment could have just  been presented in a cut-scene during the last game, or via some other means like a short film. This AC game is probably the least enjoyable one of all.
In contrast, AC III does feel like a game that stands on It's own. The setting is fresh, new and very expertly crafted. The frontier and the cities feel very vibrant and bustling, brimming with detail. The gameplay has It's ups and downs: the controls are simplified, but the context sensitive actions often misinterpret your input which results in moments of frustration, the combat is more static and less fluid. The ablity to freerun through the canopy is a nice touch, however the rooftop parkour has lost some of its appeal, due to the V shaped roofs and the reduction of housing density. Naval combat is a blast, which makes the fact that the missions are highly repetitive and lacking in imagination very noticeable and regretful. ACIII has a TON of things to do, but the developers forget that choice alone does not produce quality. Most of the sidequests are simple go and fetch/kill missions which are so dull they might as well not could have been omitted to prevent cluttering the game. The trading/crafting system is a disaster, mainly because the lack of need for new gear and cash and the user unfriendly interface and inefficient mechanics for example the lack of a 'sell all; option. One other aspect of the game really shines out though - the writing at certain points is brilliant, and makes you look past the shoddy pacing and Connor's lack of depth. The return to the Templar/Assassin philosophical dichotomy returns with great applause, a feature that I found lacking since the first AC. Connor is very much overshadowed by his father and as a result I found myself wanting to play a game with Haytham as the main protagonist. Overall I fell like ACIII is a step in the right direction albeit a very shaky one. A game with very high potential marred by terrible design choices and unappealing padding. I hope the dev's get their shit together... Shouldn't you have learned by now to avoid these rookie mistakes?

The Turin Horse

Once in a while, when you least expect it, you see a movie which sucks out our soul and leaves you lifeless.... in a good way! That's what you get for watching a black and white film composed of only 30 scenes (meaning some scenes are 15 minutes of uninterrupted footage), practically without any dialogue and with a plot that revolves around a sick horse. Ok, that last part might not be entirely accurate...
The film is built upon the event of Nietzsche's mental breakdown - "On January 3, 1889, Nietzsche suffered a mental collapse. Two policemen approached him after he caused a public disturbance in the streets of Turin. What happened remains unknown, but an often-repeated tale from shortly after his death states that Nietzsche witnessed the flogging of a horse at the other end of the Piazza Carlo Alberto, ran to the horse, threw his arms up around its neck to protect it, and then collapsed to the ground". Supposedly it tells the tale of the horse and It's owner. Indeed the film pays homage to Nietzsche's philosophy by portraying the daily struggle to exist of a decrepit and pitiful farmer and his daughter at the end of days. This movie is brutal, it is existential, and totally worth it if you want a one of a kind experience in movie going. And check out the directors other movies!

Fargo

OK, first of all what is it with the Cohen Brothers and snowballing absurd dramas driven by crazy people. I guess It's some sort of fetish and so far, for me, It's been hit and miss. I've seen Burn Before Reading and The Big Lebowski before and only The Big L has proven to be worthy of all the praise thrown It's way. Fargo is supposed to be the CB best movie, though it leaves much to be desired.

I can see a lot of parallels between Burn Before Reading and Fargo. It's basically the same scenario, only in different settings and between a different group of people. The crime caper gone wrong... I find it amusing that so many people find this concept entertaining. Throughout the entire movie I felt bored, and didn't really care for any of the cast and even the story. However I acknowledge that each and every actor put on a stellar performance in their roles. I must admit that the atmosphere is amazingly done, the violence and the chaos beautifully clashes with the daily life of the quaint and rural Minnesota folk. Many people say that this movie stand out by being original, and it has the Oscar to prove it, but I just can't help but feel, that the internet has raised my expectations about what to expect from a movie in terms of concept. It's certainly a good movie all in all, however I just feel underwhelmed by the hyp and I must admit that the CB style is getting stale and predictable.

Metal Heaven

Just finished Brutal Legend. As always Tim Schafer doesn't fail to impress in his ability to create a fantastic world with amazing characters and atmosphere at the expense of actual game mechanics and playability. In this case, the content beats the grind. There's just something electrifying about riding the awesome Druid Plow through hordes of minions while listening various classic metal hits. One moment stands out, at one point during the main questline shit hits the fan and then Through the Fire and Flames starts blasting through the speakers, followed by a speedy escape mission. The plot is surprisingly good, and the cast of varied but entertaining and well designed characters keeps you wanting for more. Jack black delivers a superb performance as the lead, and he does an admirable job of both entertaining and making the player care about the world. Schafer's influence is clearly felt, however Jack Black steals the stage in this one. On top of that, the environment art deserves high praise. Most of the world feels like It's been ripped from classic metal album covers and evokes a feeling of both awe and reverence to the genre.
A thrilling ride through a tribute to metal music, when it's not weighed down by its gameplay. This game could make a j-pop fan turn to metal on a dime. Would recommend. Also, download the soundtrack, It's pure metal gold.
DECAPITATIOOOON.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zxnho1yTjRo
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IcVgQJoihlM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3pxEH-v7E5U