The Descent

First things first, a thank you to my, I guess, existant fanbase, for recently giving me my 1000th page view! Alright! I do hope that you guys are readers and not just stumblers who quickly skim and move on because I put some thought into this shit. Nahh, anyway, I've been wanting to get around to this movie for awhile now. I'd heard a lot of good things about it, so I naturally wanted to check it out.

Well, my first complaint is the beginning. It's real slow. I think it's purpose was to let us get to know the characters before the movie picks up, which is naturally a good thing to do, but it doesn't do it well. The characters are mostly indistinguishable from each other and got them all mixed up anyway. Besides, it's not that important to know who's who, considering it's not a character driven story at all and I only ended up needing to remember two of them. The acting is what you'd expect from this type of movie... meh. It's not great by any means, but it does it's job and is just good enough so that it doesn't detract from the rest of the movie.

The plot is delightfully simple. A group of girls venture into an unexplored cave, get stuck and are attacked by monsters. For what it is, it's definitely more of a thriller than a horror movie (but thriller is just a subgenre of horror anyway). It's set up really well. You get glimpses of the monsters, they find old spelunking equipment and bones. Once the monsters come out, all hell breaks loose and the movie picks up a little. Unfortunately, just about all plot development ceases from there on and it's just about getting out but it's paced very well. It's like the director said, "[We didn't want to] take it up to 11 in the first few minutes and [not be able to] keep it up. We wanted to show all those terrible things in the cave: dark, drowning, claustrophobia. Then, when it couldn't get any worse, make it worse."

This movie is riddled with horror cliches, which, in turn, makes it pretty predictable. It's not like it'd be a feat to guess the ending from the beginning, I did. People venture off alone, there are jump scares, dreams; y'know, all that good stuff.

Another thing, I think the movie is too gory. It's not that I can't handle it or anything, but I think that the violence makes the movie feel a little lopsided. It's just too much for it's own good and it just doesn't feel scary. It would be better if the gore was more conservative and it relied more on suspense. This is a movie that could do really well and be terrifying if it were focused on that but it goes straight for the blood. I guess I shouldn't be surprised considering it was the same guys that made Saw and Hostel.

The cinematography is surprisingly good in this movie. The cave shots are all well done, and look very real. Apparently they were built at Pinewood Studios in London because filming in a cave is naturally, dangerous and time consuming, but you wouldn't know that just by looking at it, like I said, the sets are made very well. They effectively create the dark and claustrophobic atmosphere they were going for.

I really like the way the monsters look in this movie. They crawl around the caves, blind and screaming and look like bizarre goblins. They're quite creepy and they make a hell of a mess when they kill things.

The action in the movie is largely centered around fighting them and getting out and the action sequences are cool and all, but like I said before, I wished they'd gone for more of a suspenseful sort of approach. Maybe if they ran from them more often than they tried to fight them, for instance. Imagine scrambling through the cramped catacombs with those snarling beasts on your heels? That'd be a pulse-pounding sequence.

Well, anyway, for what it is, the movie is pretty good. It's not as good as the internet hype IMHO, but it's still entertaining. Not a very memorable movie by any means.

5/10 - Just your average film

My Thoughts On CGI

You may have noticed that I've complained about this before

That is you would if you existed, viewer. I warn you, this is going to be a rant and it'll probably get pretty long so, prepare your body. CGI stands for Computer-Generated-Imagery. What I (and most people) refer to when they talk about it these days, is it's use in cinema. Modern-day technology has allowed filmakers to enhance movies by editing images on-screen or editing in completely inorganic objects that never existed in the first place. I have strong opinions toward this technology and I've wanted to get it down on 'paper' for awhile now. This is a large topic, so I suppose I'll dissect it and approach the topic one point at a time. Let's get started.

It ages faster than Julian Glover in The Last Crusade

Star Wars is one of my all-time favorite movies. Many people would agree with me, I'm sure. Star Wars is a good example of a movie that ages well. It still feels relevant in today's society, the story is still compelling and the special effects, though a little dated, do not detract from the movie itself. I don't mind black and white or silence in a movie, but I admit that certain moments in old movies can be hard to watch when they were being a little too ambitious for the time (Watch any Alfred Hitchock movie that involves a falling moment). One of the big reasons I don't like CG, is the rate at which it causes movies to age. Movies made now have a much shorter lifespan than movies made several decades ago. Don't believe me? When was the last time you watched the movie I, Robot?

I remember liking this movie a lot when I first saw it. It came out in 2004 which is, now, just under a decade ago. It's an interesting take on the robot apocalypse whereas, rather than go for a Terminator style, all out war, it's about a one that almost happened. I rediscovered this movie last year, remembered how much I liked it before, and popped it in the DVD player with some friends. We ended up turning it off partway through because the CG was laughably poor. This movie way overdid it with the CG, and now, only nine years later, it's practically unwatchable because you're sitting there, trying to ignore it the whole time. It may be hard to see that, even just by looking at pictures from the movie, until you see it in motion.

 This blew my mind because I remember thinking this exact thing when I was first watching it.

"People say that someday special effects in movies like this will look bad, but there's no way that could be because the effects in this movie are so incredible!

Yeah, I was that naive. I knew that all movie eventually look dated but I never would've dreamed that that would happen within ten years. And movies like Watchmen, which came out in 2009, only four years ago, are already starting to show their years. That's depressing, because I really like these movies but I know that they'll all suffer the same fate.

Sure, other movies look dated, as I said before, but often those were only moments within the movie rather than a constant annoyance. I just don't understand, why would anyone make a movie that they know is going to look bad in just a few years?

Bad Vibes

There's something that needs to be said about the atmosphere of a movie that 'overkills it' with the CG. There's a very different feeling that you get from a movie like that versus a movie that is more prudent with it. A movie that only uses CG when it needs to, feels more organic, more geared towards an adult audience and it feels like there was more time and effort put into it. A movie that overuses CG often feels more childlike, unrealistic and shoddy. There's a big difference in a movie that had a lot of thought, time and detail compared to one that was just, made. It's just a whole different feeling when the crew actually went on site, did all kinds of stunts and used innovative special effects.

Quality over...?

If there's one thing about CG it's that, to be pulled off, it has to be done well. What I mean is, movies that just don't have the budget shouldn't try. But yet, many still do. Take any sci-fi B-Movie and you'll see what I'm talking about. CG is very expensive and it can be painful to see a movie with no money attempt it.

Ever seen this movie?

Not that necessary to begin with

The thing I hate most about CG is it's lack of pure necessity. Take a series like The Lord of the Rings. Most people I know like those movies and even if you don't, you cannot deny that they were very well done. The true secret to the success of those films is the detail. Sure, you need CG for the trolls, the fiery volcanoes, dragons, enormous cities and armies, thousands of soldiers strong. That all makes sense to me. CG is a good substitute for animatronics, puppetry, minis, and thousands of extras. Other than that, the films built sets, shot on site, costumed... all sorts of things. The orcs for instance wore masks and makeup and every piece of armor in the films was hand made (fun fact: all of the chain-mail in the movies were linked by hand by the crew). All of that work was what made those movies legendary. People may argue, "What if you don't want to do all of that work?" My answer is that you should. People always bitch about movies today and how they suck. Wanna know why? Well, there are dozens of reasons, but one big one is the lack of such effort. Movies should be made with detail and care because that's what it takes to make a great movie.

A matter of morality

This kind of goes along with my previous point. This is probably the most frivolous of points I will make but it still holds true to an extent. When you watch a movie, old ones in particular, it's almost like a cinematic magic. You see incredible wonders executed flawlessly on screen and you just sit there and think, "How in God's name did they do that?" Movies like the 30's King Kong are a great testament to that sort of work. They invented new techniques for that movie and now it's all CG. I'll see a trailer for a movie that includes scenes that, I guess, are supposed to make me go "woaaaah" but I never do anymore because I know it's all CG. I know every trick. It's like the magicians always say, "It's no fun if you know how it works." Contrary to that, there are still plenty of movies that use conventional means of  special effects that go unnoticed because anyone who saw them assumes it's just CG. Take Inception for instance. The scene with the water shooting into the building, the crazy gravity in the hallway, the exploding street and several other memorable moments were not CG, but you wouldn't know that.

I've mentioned before about how in LOTR, the Hobbits were made to look smaller by way of crazy forced perspective shots whereas in the new movie, The Hobbit, they're just superimposed via CG. Yay.

To set the record straight

I don't despise any use of CGI, not at all. What I'm against is the overkill of CG in the interest of not having to put out as much effort. That's being lazy and yes, I know CG is difficult to animate and yadda yadda so is anything, but that's not the point. Conventional special effects are dying out, and that's a sad thing to me and to cinema in general. CG should be used as a tool, not a crutch. It's great for touching-up, adding in sequences that would've otherwise been impossible and other such things, but it should never be used to the extremes that it is. I can't even get excited about new science fiction movies these days like Oblivion, because I know it'll look more like a videogame than anything else.

And you don't want that.

My only hope is that because CG is indeed new(ish), that this is only a passing trend in modern movies, that will eventually die out. I'll just keep crossing my fingers.

Top 9 Movie Trailers

Movie trailers, these days, are a form of cinema themselves. They're not like the trailers we saw 20, 30, 40 or 50 years ago. Now, movie trailers are done in a very unique style that is, interestingly, only made to get you to watch the movie. I love a good movie trailer. I love it when I get goosebumps because a trailer is so awesome. So, here is a list of trailers like that. My favorite trailers. Do note that what I feel about the trailers, in no way reflects how I feel about the movie. Enjoy!

9. The Day the Earth Stood Still

Funny thing is, I didn't even like this movie. In my humble opinion, it was a poorly executed remake that only used the name, The Day the Earth Stood Still, as a ploy for advertising which is sad because the original is one of my favorite movies of all time. It came off as just way too preachy. But hey, the trailer rocks.

8. 9

I apologize in advance for the poor video quality, it was the best I could find.

It seems to me that nobody saw this movie which is unfortunate because I thought it was very good. It's a great and very unique post-apocalyptic action/thriller that's hard to forget. Moviegoers should be in no way turned-off by the fact that it's computer animated, this movie panders to an older audience anyway (it's PG-13 and everything). It's also funny to note that, yes, it did release on 9-9-09.

7. Prometheus

Let me first start by saying that I'm a die-hard Alien fan and when I first saw this trailer, I just about shit myself (I recall there were, honest-to-God, tears in my eyes). This movie got a lot of mixed reviews (I even gave it a poorly-written one a few months ago), but I was very impressed with it, on the whole because, while there were no shortage of special effects, it went for the 'less is more' sort of style and I very much like to see that in a modern movie.

6. Resident Evil: Afterlife

Despite what the fanbase of the Resident Evil game series says, the Resident Evil film series is quite good, if you ask me and could be enjoyed by a fan too, especially considering that it hardly has anything in common with the games anyway. This is the kind of movie where you "check your brain at the door," and just enjoy it for what it is, an awesome action movie, not to be taken seriously and, for what it's worth, I think we need movies like this. Some people hate this kind of movie, which is weird to me. You like comedies right? Who doesn't like Airplane or Austin Powers? Why can't you let yourself go into an action movie with the same mindset? Don't forcibly limit yourself.

5. Watchmen

This trailer serves as a great hook for the three-hour spectacle that is Watchmen. Being a huge fan of the book, as I am, I love the movie. I thought it was great. Very true to the book, never felt slow, always engaging and just as serious as the source material. The movie is gritty, gory and has (I think) five sex scenes in it (which is a sex scene every 37.2 minutes, on average). It's my personal favorite comic-book adaptation. Not my favorite comic-based movie, but my favorite in reference to the adaptation aspect. It looks just like the comic did and it was pulled off rather perfectly.

4. The Thing

I've talked about this movie before. The trailer is badass, but it's unfortunately better than the movie. The movie itself was okay, but it was just a reboot of the 80's version which is one of the best sci-fi/horror movies ever made. It seems that a lot of trailers these days are doing that loud bass with to accompany a cut like that... Not that I mind. I think it's absurdly badass.

3. The Crazies

This movie actually surprised me. I didn't have very good expectations for it, y'know, I expected just a run-of-the-mill zombie flick, but what I got turned out to be, what is IMHO, the best zombie movie of the decade. One of two reasons I decided to pick it up, is because Timothy Olyphant is the lead role and I've liked him in every movie I've seen him in. Of course the other reason is because I wondered how so much of the incredible things depicted in the trailer could happen in one movie. I wasn't disappointed and I recommend this film.

2. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

Holy fuck is that trailer badass as all hell. I'm fairly certain that most people would agree, seeing that trailer for the first time, in the theatre, was better than sex. Of course, the excitement of seeing this, coasts mostly on the fact that by this point, you were so emotionally invested in these characters after six movies and ten years, that it wasn't even funny. The motion picture event that defined a generation? A worldwide phenomenon? No offense, but if you missed these movies, you're an asshole. You missed out on this generation's Star Wars.

1. Terminator: Salvation

I've gotta say, this trailer right here is my favorite of all time. It's just so, and I hate this word, epic. I don't know what it is about that text booming on to the screen like that, but it's just so damn cool. I think a lot of people hated this movie, but I would disagree. I liked it. It was certainly better than the precursor Terminator: Rise of the Machines, which, while being somewhat better than it's reputation, is still the undisputed worst of the series, so any improvement at all is good. While the other movies go for a more subtle plot where there's only one Terminator hunting them in the normal world, this movie just says 'fuck it' and goes hard with a full on war against machines. It was everything I expected it to be when coming into the movie and it met my expectations.

I think that about does it

But, knowing myself, I'll probably add a few over time because I'm sure I forgot some. Hey, I'm only human.

When is the Present Timeline?

I've got a pretty weird theory going on.

Okay, so y'know how in movies people are always going to the "future" and stuff? Well, I got to thinking, when is the present? Where is the timeline that is currently happening? Look at technology, I can ask a question to a handheld computer and it will shoot a beam into space and back and have my fucking answer. Now if that's not mind blowing technology, I don't know what is. We have robots and holograms... all we're missing are flying cars and hover boards.

Not to mention those fucking shoes, but we'll get there.

Now, I think it's pretty obvious that this is the future. Seriously, we're only two years short of being the time that Marty McFly traveled to in Back to the Future 2.

Two years, Nike, you have TWO YEARS.

So, I got to wondering, if this is the future, when is the present? IGNORING the obvious, 1985 because of Back to the Future, I started thinking of human history in relation to Dragon Ball Z. Now, if you think of human history like that, then I guess you could say that B.C. is Dragonball, right? It's drags on for a really long time and it's kind of boring.

So, then if you consider A.D. DBZ, when does GT start? Well, look for a climax in human history. When in time did the human race experience the most epic conflict ever that will almost certainly not be topped?

WWII

Yeah. World War fuckin' Two

Refer to this image if you have any doubts.

Then that would mean that the height of WWII, say... the 40's, is the present timeline. That means that anything after that is GT. Now, in GT, everything is insanely overpowered. We got nukes at the end of DBZ which was supposed to be so amazingly strong that it blew our minds (pun sort of intended). Now warfare is so strong that it's stupid. That's GT! We already hit the climax and now this timeline sort of feels like it's just tacked on. Like, why does it even exist? It's just a useless addition to an otherwise complete storyline?

I'll tell you why, just to extend the plot. Same reason GT existed in the first place. To make money. But pretty soon they'll figure out that GT sucks and it's not working and Rapture will happen or some shit and it'll all be over.

I'm fucking prophesying here, take notes.

Alright then, if GT was only to make money, then what does that say about all of human history? Is it just some sort of plot-line constructed by someone or something else? If that's the case than there must be many more plot-lines. But Dragon Ball Z is considered the greatest anime of all time that countless people have relished in the awesomeness of, so at least humanity has the solace of being nominally important if not, badly written.

Hey, I just single handedly proved, Rapture, intelligent-design and the multiverse-theory.

What've you done with your afternoon, huh?

Not that.

Well, the least I can hope for is that we hit 2015 before Rapture happens. I want those mother-fucking shoes, man.

Don't fail me, Nike.

Most Anticipated Releases of 2013

Hey, it's a new year!

2013? That's kind of a sucky year name, isn't it? It doesn't exactly roll off of your tongue. Not like 2012 or twenty-twelve. There's just no easy way to say 2013 (twothousand-thirteen? Twenty-thirteen? No, just give up). But hey, regardless of how the year sounds, a new year means, new releases! I am, of course, talking about movies and games. I've been looking ahead into the new year (with my crystal ball n' shit) and I've compiled a list of my most anticipated titles. Of course, I couldn't find everything that's going to be coming out in 2013, not everything is yet announced and I may have missed some shit (geez, I'm only human). But anyway, it's a good sized list nonetheless. I'll try my hardest to give a review of all of these and at the end of the year, I'll reflect upon this list and see if everything met my expectations. This list, of course, is in no particular order. So let's begin!

First: The movies

Monsters University - June 21

If there's one thing I will never get tired of in this world, it's Pixar movies. Pixar has this magical method of appealing to all ages. Their movies are always crafted with painstaking detail and are notorious for having hundreds of little 'inside jokes' often in the background. While I'm not so crazy about them making sequels, largely because it shows that even they must succumb to marketing (thank Disney for that), I can always count on the next Pixar movie to fulfill my expectations, regardless of my early impressions.

Man of Steel - June 14

I'm not a huge Superman fan, but I enjoy the movies and I must say, the trailer for this caught me by surprise. It sounds like a super-hero fan's wet-dream. Produced by Christopher Nolan, scripted by David S. Goyer, score by Hans Zimmer and directed by Zack Snyder. Looks rad. Rumor has it there's going to be a Justice League movie so this must be a precursor of sorts. I'll be in the theatre on June 14. See ya there.

World War Z - June 21

I'll admit, I never read the book but I love zombies like a motherfucker and I've heard good things about World War Z. While I'm pretty neutral towards Brad Pitt, he's certainly a good actor and I'm glad they got a legit guy for this movie, I was scared that'd it'd be a mediocre, low budget film. Of course, just having a big actor doesn't mean necessarily anything towards that end, but it's certainly hope.

The Tomb - September 27

Wondering why I'm excited for this one? Those two names above the title is why. I don't even care all that much what it's about I just want to see Slyvester Stallone and Arnold Schwarzenegger kicking ass in a movie together.

Ender's Game - November 1

Unfortunately, they've got that annoying kid from Hugo as the lead role in this film, but I can stomach that easily enough. Ender's Game was a badass book, so as long as the movie is faithful (and not over CG'd although there's little to no hope of that being the case) it'll be good.

The Hunger Games: Catching Fire - November 21

Despite all of the hipsters bitching about The Hunger Games, I thought it was quite good (sorry for not doing a review of it), therefore, I have high expectations for the sequel The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, the book which I thought was better than first anyway. My only initial complaint is the title. Why do they have to prefix it with "The Hunger Games:"? Books don't do that shit, the book was just "Catching Fire". Do they think that moviegoers are so retarded that they can't discern whether or not it's a sequel? This is a really common trend with movies. They do it every time they're not tacking a new number to the end of the old title. I just don't understand cinema some times.

The Great Gatsby - May 10

I can't wait for this one. The Great Gatsby is one of my favorite books and Leonardo DiCaprio is a great actor. It's unfortunate though that they threw Toby Maguire into it, because he sucks but I have pretty high expectations for the movie regardless.

The Evil Dead - April 12

I highly doubt that the tagline is true there, considering the original Evil Dead didn't try to be scary at all. Despite my complaints about remakes, this is a movie that could use one. It's dated and updating could be pulled off very well. It's hard to walk that fine line from being too faithful to the original and too different, but for some reason, I have faith in this film. I can't wait.

A Good Day to Die Hard - February 14

Like any man, I'm a big fan of the Die Hard films. I wouldn't be as excited for this as I am if Live Free or Die Hard hadn't impressed me as much as it did. My expectation and hope is that it's done in the same style. Lots of stunts with a plot that doesn't revolve around trying to fit as many explosions as possible into an hour and forty minutes. Also, Bruce Willis is badass.

Video Games

Dead Space 3 - February 5

Dead Space is a great over-the-shoulder, survival-horror series. If you've played it, you know what I mean. It's as scary as it's gory. So gory in fact that Dead Space 2's advertising campaign was called, Your Mom Hates This. Anyway, yeah, Dead Space 3 is gonna rock.

SimCity - March 5

Oh, how I love the SimCity games. I'm not sure what the deal is with not having the 5 at the end there, but who really cares, right? I'm a long-time fan of the series and SimCity promises to be a great improvement over the previous titles. The fifth SimCity game since 1989. Quality over quantity people.

Deadpool - 2013

I can't believe that game companies sat on their asses so long without making a Deadpool game. A game based entirely on kicking ass as Deadpool? It sounds too good to be true, therefore, I'm being prudent with this game and I'm following the production carefully. If this game meets the fans' expectations, then it'll be one of the best titles of this year.

Grand Theft Auto V - Spring

What? Were you worried I would forget this one? Your fingers itching in contempt to get into the comments the moment you were done skimming and tell me how much of a fool I am? Well, of course not. There is no doubt in my mind that this game will be a show-stopper. GTA always delivers hundreds of hours of amazing gameplay and I'm counting down the moments until spring.

Watch Dogs - 2013

This one might be my most anticipated game out of all of them. The trailer very much impressed me and it looks like an Assassin's Creed game set in the modern day (and I fucking love Assassin's Creed). It seems strange that Ubisoft would go and make this game. Why not save the concept for a future Assassin's Creed game? I don't know, it looks awesome nevertheless.

Aliens: Colonial Marines - February 12

If you've read some of my previous posts, you may have already gathered that I'm a huge Xenomorph fan. The Aliens and Predator games alike are notoriously bad, but hopefully they can get one right this time and deliver a badass horror experience.

Pikmin 3 - Spring

I don't know if I've ever experienced quite the emotional roller coaster as I did when I saw this game announcement. First was the initial excitement over "holtfuckingshit a new Pikmin game." which then became "fuckfuckingass why does it have to be a Wii U exclusive? Why, God, why?" I adore Pikmin and I've been waiting nine years for a new Pikmin game. Finally, one is coming out and while it is unfortunate that it's on the Wii U, hopefully I'll be able to play it at some point. I have no interest in purchasing a Wii U, but I'll be honest, this game almost convinced me. Dick move Nintendo, dick move.

Metro: Last Light - March

Metro: 2033 was an indie survival-horror game that came out in 2010. Three years later we have Metro: Last Light. It's gonna be scary as hell and I love the post-apocalyptic gas mask shit. Plenty of late nights for me in March.

Amnesia: A Machine for Pigs - 2013

A veteran of Amnesia: The Dark Descent knows what they're getting into with this game. It's almost a dread when I know I'll have to buy this game at some point and it'll ruin my sleeping pattern for a month or so. Amnesia: The Dark Descent is the scariest horror game to ever be released (an arguable point, but it's what I think). So, I can't wait to get into the follow up.

South Park: The Stick of Truth - March 5

Finally a South Park game that's gotten some attention from the show's creators, Matt Stone and Trey Parker, who've generally remained unaffiliated with the previous mediocre South Park games. My only hope for this game is that it's as funny as the show, in which respect, I haven't a doubt in my mind.

Cyberpunk 2077 - ?

Since no release date has even been spoken about yet, I have doubts that this game will release this year although I can only hope that it does. The short trailer looks stunning and while we don't know much yet about the game, we do know it'll be open world and it's being made by the guys who made The Witcher games. I have very high hopes for this game. I'd love to be playing it by the end of the year.

Top Painfully-Short Animes

There are many animes that go way beyond their expiration and their episodes go well into the hundreds. But then of course there is the exact opposite spectrum that I think is actually worse. Those are the shows that are, simply put, too short. You get really involved in the plot or the characters or whatever and then it just ends, often with many questions still unanswered and plot points unresolved. It's not uncommon for a show like this to have a continuation series come off of it. That's fine. It's no inconvenience. But often this is not the case. Now, there are shows that are quite short but resolve itself perfectly in the time it has. Death Note is a good example of an anime that matches that description. It never feels rushed and everything comes out without a mystery in the end. But I'm going to talk about the ones that don't. These are the animes that I think most desperately need to be continued, not necessarily because I like any one more than the other, but because it's story line just begs for it. Let's begin. (Spoiler free!)

4. Elfen Lied

If you actually had the balls to watch the horrific 13 episodes that compose this unforgettable show, then you know what I'm talking about. Shocking as though it may be, Elfen Lied had a lot of morals behind it and many intentional deeper meanings. The manga boasted an impressive 107 chapters, but for various reasons, had to be condensed to just 13 episodes. That's leaving a hell-of-a-lot out. The plot of this show is fairly complicated as well as touching and multi-faceted. The ending is a cliff-hanger, which was obviously intentional, but this show is far too interesting to allow those 107 chapters go ignored. Those should be adapted into a new series. I'd love to see Lucy in action again.

3. Claymore

I've talked about this one before. It's one of my all-time favorite animes, and is brimming with the best sword fighting action you can get.

My one and only complaint about this show is the ending, which doesn't conclude much. This series is just begging for a follow-up. Seriously, just search "Claymore: Season 2" into Google to find one of the many online petitions to get one started. The manga ran much farther than the show, so there's no shortage of content or story basis. In the actor commentary on the DVD box-set, they hint-hint at it by saying something along the lines of, "I'll be looking forward to playing this part more in the future." and an interview with the show's creator also included some hints at it. Allegedly, he had said at one point that if an official petition was started in Japan that received more than 10,000 votes, they would make another season. Well, that petition was started in 2009 and has well over 10,000 votes now. The world is ready for more Claymore.

2. Highschool of the Dead

H.O.T.D. was the anime of 2010 that everyone was talking about. It had fantastic acting for a dubbed anime, very well-written and believable characters, a joyously simple plot and it's incredibly addicting to boot. It currently stands at a tragic 12 episodes. The last episode left off with a cliffhanger. Y'see, while the anime was a huge success over here in America, in Japan, the eternal struggle against the undead, just isn't that exciting. Zombies aren't a staple of pop-culture as they are over here. That being said, it's no great surprise that the show didn't do so well. And if a show doesn't do well at home, it's unlikely that it'll be continued. That's a tragedy. All of the anime forums agree, this show is great and it needs to be finished. I hope that we'll one day see those characters in a new episode, but for now, we'll just have to keep crossing our fingers.

1. Deadman Wonderland

The fucked up, sadist's wet-dream that is Deadman Wonderland was to 2011 what H.O.T.D. was to 2010. In other words, amazing. I could easily label this show as the most twisted and bizarre anime I've had the privilege to watch. It's dark, it's gritty, it's gory and it'll make you feel a bit like a crazy person.

This show only has 12 episodes. You might say, "Well, hell that's no worse than H.O.T.D.", but you don't understand how wrong that is until you've watched the show. Cramming everything they did into those 12 episodes was a bad idea. This show needs to be something like 50 episodes long. Not 12. It ended with many questions unanswered, characters, still undeveloped and an extremely continuable storyline. If you've watched this show, you know what I'm talking about. The ending didn't feel finished. They made me leave the Wonderland way before I was ready. I'd love to see more, and I'd be more than willing to return. Matter of fact, I'm desperate to. It's gonna drive me insane.

Top 6 Racing Games

Hey, I haven't done any game reviews yet, have I?

This is so exciting! I'll preface this article by saying that I don't play sports games. Racing games are not sports games. That's just how it is. Racing games are all about how fast you can react. Games about not thinking and just doing. I love it. So let's run down my personal favorite racing games in no particular order. These are the games that I still plug in when I have some buddies over and provide an experience that will never get old. Be sure not to miss these titles.

6. San Francisco Rush - N64

I don't care who you are, you've gotta love this shit.

In this game, you just pick a car and go. The maps are complicated and send you soaring through the air over city streets, buildings, you name it. Crashing causes your car to burst into a brilliant fireball and exploding like the fucking Death Star before the Lucas edits. The maps are littered with all kinds of shortcuts and intersections with other racers, causing hilarious collisions.

If you happen to get tired of the normal game (which you wouldn't), go off road and find one of the secret playgrounds. One of these playgrounds, is a huge loop-de-loop and the other, is more like a skate park, only in the side of a mountain.

This game has got hidden keys, a great over-the-top narrator and a killer soundtrack. Seriously, listen to this shit

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fm0Mg0T2Sl0

Witness the origen of dubstep.

5. F-Zero X - N64

Another one for the Nintendo 64, the greatest console ever made in my opinion.

Look at that shit. I know you want to play it.

F-Zero was a great game. It was amazing for the time and the races are fun to this day. F-Zero X is what you get when you give that game steroids. Now in stunning 64 bits, F-Zero was better than ever. Crazy flips, jumps, loops and everything in between, F-Zero X is as fast as it is mind blowing. You'll spend more time in this game than you thought possible trying to figure out which way is up.

Oh, God, is this safe?

You already cruise at a cool 800 mph on average, but if that's not enough, you have to have boosts as well! Yeah! And just like in San Fransico Rush, if you crash in this game, you crash hard.

Welcome to Driver's Ed. Lesson 1: driving on an incline.

I've never played another racing game that made my head spin so much as F-Zero X and for that, it deserves a solid spot on this list.

4. Need For Speed III: Hot Pursuit - PC

Most people don't seem to remember the earlier Need For Speed games. Need For Speed III: Hot Pursuit, was the first one I played. This was the breakthrough game. The cops are back and they're smarter than ever! The police AI had received dramatic changes since NFS II, and now, they'd attack you during a race.

We're in the middle of nowhere! Why do you care!?

I played the shit out of this game. I remember I used to be scared by the cops, so I would just inch along the track hoping my detector didn't go off. The cops had spike strips at their disposal. Three times pulled over and it's ARRESTED for you motherfucker!

Have we met before, officer?

Despite it's datedness, this game is still a blast. Not to mention, there are the cheat cars! There was the Spider-Car, the mini, the invisible one, and a host of others.

The maps are lavishly animated and diverse. The races are fast paced and intense and it's only heightened when the cops get involved. A great throwback to great times.

3. Mario Kart 64 - N64

Mario Kart was back and this time better than ever! With the standard racing mode, the battle mode, eight different characters from the Mushroom Kingdom and a ton of crazy maps, gamers had their hands full with this game. I'll never forget Wario's losing shout "Next time, Imma gonna weeeen!" Awesome.

Asshole time.

Battling with your friends never felt so gripping with all sorts of randomizing items to send their controller across the room in anger. The infamous Blue Turtle Shell is a favorite of course. Dodging the attacks from your fellow players can be just as challenging as surviving the perils of the map itself. With falling boulders, Thwomps, perilous cliffs, trucks on the highway, dickbag snowmen, fireballs, lava and a fuckton of other things, your eyes are never off the screen. I also enjoy the hidden Peach's Castle on one of the maps. It's fun to drive around on the same place you'd be running if you played Super Mario 64 (which you did).

It's all about being on top. Take beloved characters and give them karts. Great formula, great game.

2. Need For Speed: Most Wanted - Xbox

The thing that sets this racing game apart from all the others was that it was the first I remember coming out that actually had a story line. I'm guessing some fag will try to argue with me, but I don't give a shit, this was the first racing game with a plot that I played.

You're some douchebag racer who loses his car in a rigged race, and now your only way to get back to the top of the food chain is to defeat all 15 members of the Blacklist in a one on one race. They're organized by their wanted level and how hard they are. The guy on top, Razor, being the tool that took your ride. This game is interesting because it uses real people for it's cutscenes, but it doesn't look weird like those old Sega CD games...

But fuck all that, let's talk about the game itself! The racing is fast as hell and never feels repetitive. The vehicle customization is perfected in this game, providing countless performance and visual combos. But the way this game truly shines can be summed up in one word.

Pursuits.

Anyone who has played this game can attest to the heart-stopping epic that is a five-star chase. With the more absurd ones lasting for up to an hour if you're crazy enough, and hundreds of totaled cop cars along the way. This time, they don't stop with just cruisers and spike-strips. They've got road-blocks, helicopters, SUVs, corvettes and tactics up the ass. Sounding a little unfair? Don't worry, in this game, your car is not only an escape machine, but a weapon. Crashing through road-blocks at close to 200 mph sends cops flying through the air like toys and you can ram into hundreds of structures around the expansive, free-roam map to rain hell down on the cops behind you. And that never gets old. You haven't lived until you've knocked a giant novelty donut onto six or seven cops.

It's one of those, "this one time," games, where everyone who's played it has a unique story to tell about their joy-rides. It's an experience that is totally unmatched in the world of video gaming.

1. Burnout 3: Takedown - Xbox

Anyone who has played this game just said, "fuck yeah."

The fastest, most explosive racing game of it's time, Burnout 3 has no contest when you're talking about an epic multiplayer experience. It was a huge leap from the Burnout 2 that everyone was used to. Now you could blast through the worlds at unimaginable speeds, while battling your fellow racers the whole way.

As far as multiplayer goes, there's always the standard racing gametype, and then there's stuff like Road Rage, where the whole point is to wreck as many enemies as you can. I'll never get tired of slamming a friend into an oncoming car or a street divider. The wrecks are an amazing spectacle that will never get old. Cars explode into fireballs, they fly into the air and take down street-lights, they shatter into millions of pieces, they get crushed, they roll, they skid, you name it. The destruction is endless.

If you don't like that, then you can team up and play one of the most memorable gametypes of the generation.

Crash.

Oh, yeah. A game where the whole point is to launch your car into the traffic at high speeds and cause as much damage as possible. And the damage is of cataclysmic proportions. How can you go wrong? You can't. This game is amazing. Your score is measured by the amount of damage you do and you can play cooperatively, or competitively.

I swear, they thought of everything for this game. There's even a slow-motion button when you wreck where you actually can lean your car in specific directions in order to crash other racers trying to sneak by.

You don't know competitive, fast paced racing until you've played Burnout 3: Takedown.