Lucas, you are going down: Settling the score with Star Wars

A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away...


...George Lucas was god. He made the best movies ever! And I mean that. Star Wars (or A New Hope as it is often called now), The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi are legendary. Well, people argue that the Ewoks are out of place. I think they are alright. Definitely not as bad as the stuff in the new trilogy.

Why do they rule so much? First off they have great characters. I mean who doesn't want to be Han Solo, or Luke, or Chewy, or even that blue long-nose-beady-eyed monster that plays the funky keyboard in Jabbas palace like an out-of-space Ray Charles.

Second the special FX. Seriously, the movies are timeless. Even today you can still watch them and there will be very few moments where you will say that something looks bad. Actually I will mention some the worst moments right now:
The lightsaber duell between Vader and Obi in Star Wars
The bluescreen fall in Cloud City of Luke after his hand was chopped off in Empire
The Rancor blue screen scene in Return.

But mostly they still to this date look really good. The space battle at the end of Return is just amazing.

Third the mythology. It is the ultimate battle of good vs. bad. Then we have the force which connects all things. A mythical power only accesible to a few to uphold the balance in the galaxies. Yet it can corrupt you if you stray too far from the right path and lead you to the dark side. Just hearing that gives me the shivers.

Star Wars is the beginning and the setup for an epic saga. The Empire Strikes Back is the highlight in the Star Wars universe and improves on the original. We meet Yoda, see jedi training, Han Solo is captured and frozen (who doesn't remember the scene where he tries to shoot Darth Vader in Cloud City), Luke loses his hand and finds out Vader is his father. Furthermore it doesn't tie up in a happy end but leaves you with an uncertain future. Return finally seals the deal proving that there is good even in the darkest of villains and also has the best space battle of all times.

I was so psyched to see the new movies. I saw Meet Joe Black twice because at the end of it the trailer for Episode I was shown. I couldn't wait for those movies to come out. Boy, was I dissapointed. And I really, really tried liking the new ones.

Now let me come to something that many already know but some willingly ignore or fail to see:

Episode I, II and III suck.

Don't get me wrong. They are alright movies, just not good Star Wars movies. And if they are not that, they ultimately suck. Even if III is the best out of the new ones, it still is not as good as any of the old ones. Here are a couple of simple reasons why:

1. Jedi lingo
As soon as the Jedis arrive on screen in Episode I, everything sounds like a phrase out of the "Jedi lingo for Morons" book. Literally everything. While in the old ones, every once in a while some jedi wisdom was sneaked in at the right moment to form that bridge from real to mythological, all of a sudden everything needs to have a deeper meaning and be connected to some jedi insight. It just gets annoying. Sometimes less is more.

2. Funny droids
The same thing can be said of C3PO and R2-D2. They are good characters in the originals and just by being themselves are a funny coupling. Yet again, Lucas thought that by taking that slightly funny essence and turning it into a concentrate that will make you bite your cheeks and twist your eyes, he would improve the characters. But again he didn't. You can just tell how Lucas sat there, writing the script and giggle to himself "I am going to make you into Stan and Laurel. This will be so funny". Lucas is no comedian though. He just tried to hard to make sure that everybody gets that they serve as the comedic relief.

Unfortunately, Lucas had to make every other droid funny too. Except for the Droidikas which are pretty cool. We are talking a battle of epic proportions that involves many planets. The fate of the galaxy depends upon it. It is also a story that tells one mans rise and fall over 6 movies and all you can come up with is "Roger, roger"?! It just doesn't fit. There was absolutely no need for constant comedic relief. As soon as you establish that your all powerfull droid army in this epic battle of huge proportions is made up of idiots, you take away any threatening atmosphere. That sort of is like taking a pineapple and shoving it up your own ass and saying that feels good. Nobody will believe you. Not even George Michael.

3. Jar Jar Binks
Do I really need to explain why he is annoying and sucks? To quote Simon Pegg: "Jar-Jar makes the Ewoks look like fucking Shaft!". Seriously, if you don't see it, all hope ist lost anyway.

4. Killing Darth Maul
Out of all the villains in the prequels Darth Maul was the coolest one. He was dark, had a badass new lightsaber and just felt like a real threat. This is a guy that really could have evolved over the sequels. But what happens? He gets about 10 minutes screen time before he gets killed. Who do we get instead?

5. Count Dooku
An old guy with a beer belly. If Darth Maul is an evil version of Jack Bauer, then Count Dooku is the Pillsburry Doughboy.

6. Character names
George Lucas must think we all are really stupid. That's is the only reason why I would think anyone would give their characters such obvious names like Darth Tyranus, General Grievous and Nute Gunray. Very clever...

7. Medichlorians
This is one of the biggest mistakes in the new movies. And I ask myself: Just why?! There was absolutely no reason to analyze the force because Yoda already explained it in Empire Strikes Back:



"For my ally is the Force, and a powerful ally it is. Life creates it, makes it grow. Its energy surrounds us and binds us. Luminous beings are we, not this crude matter. You must feel the Force around you; here, between you, me, the tree, the rock, everywhere, yes. Even between the land and the ship."

And that was it. Everybody was happy and nobody needed another explanation. And bringing in little creatures in your blood by which the force can be measured takes away the mystery. It also doesn't add anything to the story. It is like lifting the foggy atmosphere in a haunted house and exposing the tricks in broad daylight. It really doesn't make the experience better.
Also it doesn't make sense in context to the original Trilogy. Instead of testing and training Luke they could have just taken a blood sample and checked how strong he is with the force. But that brings me to another point in the films:

8. Continuity
From a technological standpoint the prequels seem more advanced than the originals. And it is never explained why. People say that because of the war economics went down and there was no money for great technology. Yeah, that's why they build the most advanced weapon ever: The Death Star! Maybe the rebels' lack of technlogy can be explained that way but the empire should be thriving since they own everything.

Of course you can also say that nowadays people expect more effects but the whole issue could have been dealt with in a way which stays truer to the originals. Not making every command screen look like a holographic touchscreen would have been good for one.

Contuinity within the movies is also off in the prequels. In a space battle in the old movies you wil be able to tell right away which ships belong to the rebels and which belong to the empire. There are always familiar fighters that you already know from the sequel among the new ships. In the new movies, you will find new ships in every spacebattle and none of he old ones. Take the space battle at the beginning of Epidose 3. There is so much stuff going on with new fighters that weren't in any of the sequels that it is tough to figure out who is on what side. But I guess when you have to feed a chin like Lucas', you need all the money you can get from Merchandise.

9. Young Anakin and Boba Fett
Jake Lloyd playing young Anakin was no good. Actually he was horrible. I can't decide who is worse though: Lloyd Anakin or Christensen Anakin. They should battle it out in a big barf-fest. You know who would have been a good young Anakin Skywalker? Haley Joel Osment. The guy that was in the 6th Sense. At least he was a good kid actor.

Another one that really didn't need to be in there was young Boba Fett. Yes, it is nice to see Boba Fett in the film but let him be played by a kid that has some variety in facial expression. Or better yet, leave him out. Many times kids just don't act well. Same can be said for...

10. Hayden Christensen
He couldn't act to save his life. Some of the stuff he said just came out all wrong. This can also be attributed to the bad writing of the dialogues. I couldn't believe some of the lines he said they are just so bad. And not only could he not act, he just never came across as a likable or charismatic character. You might argue that because he will turn into Vader, you don't need to like him. But I think that is the wrong approach. Because he is the protagonist of the whole saga basically, he needs to be set up as someone that you like and feel for. Or at least come across authentic. Someone you can relate to. That way the audience is much more involved with the character and his fall to the dark side becomes more personal. But then again this is a problem with most of the characters in the new films.

And I do admit that Mark Hamill isn't a great actor either, he still did a better job than Christensen though.

11. Charismatic characters
In the old ones there was Han and Chewy, Obi and Luke, Lando and Leia, R2-D2 and C3-PO. Just to name a few. They all in their own way charismatic and likable. In the new films everybody just seems so bland. Or in case of R2-D2 and C3PO was changed for the worse. Obi-Wan sort of is like a cross between Luke and Han and at least is one of the better characters of the new films. I just don't see the man that would grow into the wise and likable Obi Wan played by Alec Guinness.

12. Romance in Episode II
I have nothing against romantic films or scenes. But they need to be done right. Episode 2 showed how not to do it. The growing love between Padma and Anakin and the whole thing on the planet with the fat, wobbly, cow aliens was just painful. Seriously, that was worse than some of the stuff you see on afternoon soap operas. I know that the love between Anakin and Padme needed to be shown but it could have been handled better. Seriously, throwing up on yourself on the subway is less embarassing than the romance in Episode 2.

And no, the romance between Han Solo and Leia is nowhere near the same universe of shittyness.

13. Special Effects
The problem is, that there are just too many of them. I mean basically Lucas filmed the whole thing in front of a bluescreen. And you can just tell, because it is so obvious. You can see it everywhere. It is OK to use special FX but again, less is more. I am sure Lucas would have had no problem getting more money to build sets. After all, the SW prequels were the most anticipated trilogy ever. Sets just look better. Take Dagobah in Empire Strikes Back for example. It feels and looks a lot more realistic.

Same can be said for Yoda. Puppet-Yoda seems more real and doesn't stand out as much as CGI Yoda. I understand that puppet Yoda couldn't have done everything CGI Yoda did, but it would have been better to use CGI Yoda for some situations and puppet Yoda for the rest. Hellboy 2 is one of the movies that perfectly proves that masks beat CGI any day.

14. Anakins fall to the dark side
Seriously, Episode 3 started off good. And it is the best film out of the new ones. But Anakins fall to the dark side can be summed up to this:

Anakin: Palpatine! We know you are a Sith Lord who wants all the power in the universe. Surrender or die!
Palpatine: Betray all your best friends, kill Mace Windu and join me to maybe, maybe save your girlfriend.
Anakin: OK!

I mean, him going over to the dark side is set up nicely but the whole moment where he ultimatley does fall to the dark side happens to quick and feels rushed.

15. Padme dying and Darth Frankensteins awakening
She just loses the will to live... What a lame explanation. Who came up with that stuff? Oh yeah, Lucas did...

And Vader getting out of his restraints and screaming "NOOOO!" with his arms held up was just ridiculous. I actually laughed in the theatre when that happened.

16. Death Star plans
Yeah, the Death Star, the ultimate weapon in the universe that is so advanced it can destroy planets, is constructed by insects that live in earthholes and have gladiator fights. Very believable..... NOT!!!!!

17. The emperor hiding in plain sight
So we have te whole jedi council there, especially with Yoda who is able to notice the slightest changes in someones personality and is one of the greatest jedi of all time but they and he fail to see the conspiracy involving a huge army of Storm Troopers?!

People argue that Palpatine biggest force power is to disguise and mislead. Again, to me that seems like an excuse to justify the story. But that one I will let fly if you will.

18. Music
John Williams Star Wars Theme is probably one of the most memorable scores ever. But in the old ones there are many more "tracks" that are recognizable and famous. The Imperial Attack, the Imperial March or the Cantina Band for example. In the new ones the music isn't bad, but again it is pale in comparison to the old ones. The theme of course sticks out but the rest of the movies lack a score that is memorable.

So there you have the major reasons why the films are not that good and can't measure up to the original trilogy. But still, people defend and come up with excuses for them. Here are two:

They are kids movies just like the old ones were!

Wrong. Anakin gets his legs cut off, decapitates someone and kills children. Not really kids stuff. The old ones weren't kids movies either. In none of them will you find such childish elements as Jar-Jar or "funny droids". A PG-rating doesn't make a film a kids movie. It just makes it a film also appropriate for kids.

Your views are blurred because you saw the films when you were younger and therefore don't have objective insight.

Seriously, if you don't see some of the obvious things described above than you really are fooling yourself and just don't want to see the faults. ;-)

But critics see it the same way. The originals were very well received while the new ones got very mixed reviews because of soe of the reasons I posted. But of course it is all a big conspiracy and professional critics can't distance themselves enough from source material...

So there you have it. The reasons why the new films are bad. Some of these reasons are more important than others. But ultimately if you look at the films and compare them, you should be able to see all of this since I didn't make any of it up. It is there, right in front of you.

It would have been better anyhow to make Episode VII-IX. But my vision of those sequels, I will tell some other time.

The new Coen, the next Lebowski? Burn After Reading. A review.

I love the Coen Brothers. They are like Stanley Kubrick or Wes Anderson: Their movies have a unique style that you will always be able to pick out. Rather than special FX, they rely on a good story, strong characters and dialogue. Burn After Reading is very Coen.

The Coens have done quite a bunch of comedies by now. Raising Arizona is a classic, while films like O Brother and Ladykillers dissapointed me. The Big Lebowski is in my opinion one of the best not only in the genre, but also one of the best films of all time. The love of detail in that movie is extraordinary. Yet, Lebowski had too many interwoven plots which was confusing for many people. Also Lebowski was a follow-up to an Oscar winning, more serious, film so expectations ran very high. This is also something that can be said of Burn After Reading.

I fear a lot of critics will have the same problems with Burn After Reading.

Where the film really differs from the Lebowski is, that it doesn't really have a central character. Or at least one that is that obvious. Which actually fits perfectly with the whole spy/agent theme of the film. So here is the plot in a nutshell:

Osborne Cox (John Malkovich) works for the CIA but gets the boot from his current assigment. Because of that he quits his job altogether. Unfortunately his wife Katie (Tilda Swinton), is not too happy with the situation because she is having an affair with womanizer Harry (George Clooney) and ultimatly wants a divorce. She secretly recovers all data from her husbands computer, which also contains his memoirs about working at the CIA, to give to her divorce lawyer. All this data however, ends up in the hands of fitness trainer Chad (Brad Pitt) and his co-worker Linda, played by Francis McDormand, who needs money to get some plastic surgery done. So they put a plan in motion to blackmail Osborne. And of course, that's where all the trouble starts.

As I mentioned earlier, the biggest problem of the film is, that there is no obvious central character that takes you by the hand throughout the movie. But that really remains the films only problem, if you will call it that. Other than that, I have to say this is definitely one of the best Coen movies so far. And that says a lot. Every single person you see in this film, and I really mean that, is so perfectly cast and detailled. The dialogue is incredibly funny and smart. Seriously, if you like Coen films, you will laugh your ass off at some of the things being said on screen. This movie also showcases the formidable acting of all the participants. The performances drew me in and didn't let me go.

Burn is a gem. Many people will not get it, just like the Lebowski, because the humor happens on many different levels and doesn't hit you blunt in the face. And while being funny, in that Coen kind of way, it also has dark and brutal moments, also in that Coen kind of way, that remind me of Fargo. Once again, the Coens prove that they are the masters of showing the human tragedy. Burn After Reading is not as heavy as No Country but you can definitely watch it more often. I know I will. This is a Coen Classic.

If there's something strange in your neighborhood

Who you gonna call? GHOSTBUSTERS!

I went to visit a landmark of one of my favorite films of all time. The Ghostbusters HQ is in New York and can be found here:



View Larger Map
Inside the firstation, they actually have a Ghostbusters 2 sign. And outside a Ghostbusters/Fire department logo painted on the street. Check out my pics:


While I was there, five other people came to take pics. And this is almost 20 years after Ghostbusters 2. Pretty damn cool. Of course everybody knows Vankman, Ray, Egon and Winston are not going to walk out of that firestation. But when you are there, you still hope they really would.

The saddest place on earth: Las Vegas

I went to Vegas for the first time in my life last weekend. "Wow! Vegas! Awesome!" That's what I thought. The city you always hear all these crazy stories about. When people go somewhere to go nuts, where do they go? Vegas of course! Or at least, that's what a lot films out there tell us.

Well, I went there and thought it was a sad place. So sad, I felt sorry for the people living there.

Seriously, Vegas is not a good city. The first thing you will see when you get off the airplane at Vegas airport, are slotmachines. As you may know, gambling is legal in Vegas. And pretty much that is all you do.

The airport / The hotel lobby-casino / Slotmachine in bar

Normally when most people go on vacation, they don't really spend time in the hotel because they are out and about exploring the place they are visiting. Well, in Vegas, everything happens in the hotel. So if you are not in YOUR hotel,then you are probably in one of the OTHER hotels. Why? Because that's all there is in Vegas: hotels. The hotel also is a casino with machines bleeping and blurping all day long already starting in the lobby. The hotel also always offers some kind of show like Barry Manilow or Siegfried and Twoface. The hotel also has several restaurants. And most likely, the hotel will also have some kind of nightclub and shopping area. Of course the hotels are quite fancy and some are so luxurious, it will blow your mind. Furthermore some of the restaurants are amazing and offer incredibly good food. But it all is overshadowed by the fakeness of it. Seriously, Disney World feels like the ancient cathedral of Notre Dame compared to Vegas. The city has absolutely no authentic atmosphere since everything happens in the hotels. When you go to an Italian restaurant everything is made to look Italian but it just doesn't feel right. In NYC there a little cozy restaurants in red brick houses, that are naturally run down and have an authentic atmosphere. In Vegas they try to capture that too, within the hotel, but it just doesn't work. I mean, just take a look at the pic of that Italian square. That was inside a shopping mall, with a fake painted sky and the smell of chlorine in the air. "Hallenbad"-atmosphere is what my buddies Roeb and Wollny called it. And there is nothing classy about that. The city has so little style, they have to rebuild other cities with style into it. Like Paris, Venice or even New York. Just look at the pics. It is white trash Disneyland. Everything is so unbearably fake! Even the women are! Since prostitution is somewhat allowed in Vegas, hookers are everywhere. The problem is you won't be able to tell which women are and which aren't prostitutes since they all look alike (fake boobs galore) and you can't really tell whether they just want your money or not.

So what do you do in Vegas? Gamble for one. But in my book, sticking a dollar into a slotmachine isn't really gambling. Blackjack is. Or Poker. But, if you are not into that or low on cash, you really shouldn't try. And even that is without a special flair since it is done in huge halls where you feel like cattle. Shows are another thing. You will find many a famous artists in Vegas: Cher, Elton John and all other kinds. Why are they out in the desert? Because in Vegas, they get paid way more than anywhere else. And why is that? Because there is nothing to do and only a huge amount of money could get someone to come out to live there! Drinking is a good thing to do. Again because that's really is not much else to do. Sports you can forget about. It is so hot there that you will get a heat stroke in no time. My friends and where close to going nuts and going at each other because of the heat after only being outside for about 30-40 minutes.

To me, Vegas is like a one-legged 50 year old prostitute, trying so hard to pass herself off as a prima ballerina from the Russian ballet. Underneath all those bright lights, this city has no style and glamour and seems rotten to the bone. You can really feel how people have pissed their whole live away and the city is full of scum and failed existences. Vegas might have been something at some time but I believe, the words of Ace Rothstein do it justice:

Today it looks like Disneyland. And while the kids play cardboard pirates, Mommy and Daddy drop the house payments and Junior's college money on the poker slots. In the old days, dealers knew your name, what you drank, what you played. Today, it's like checkin' into an airport. And if you order room service, you're lucky if you get it by Thursday. Today, it's all gone.

Still had a lot of fun though because I got to see some friends of mine that I hadn't seen for quite some time:

Cheers to you guys!

I sure am glad to be back in the real city of New York.

Don' bogart that joint: Pineapple Express Review

Ever since I saw the trailer to Pineapple Express, which is perfeclty edited to MIAs Paper Planes, I had wanted to see that film. But trailers can often fool you and when you see Pineapple Express you might get a lot more then you bargained for. And that is not necessirally a good thing. What I mean is, that Pineapple Express isn't just an ordinary stoner comedy, it is actually more of a stoner action flick.

Rogen plays once again the role he does so well: the likable underdog with flaws but is good at heart. Mostly stoned out of his mind, he goes about his everyday job. It all goes wrong though once he buys a special kind of weed called Pineapple Express from his dealer Saul (James Franco). As Dale (Rogen) smokes a joint in his car before he can call it a day, he becomes witness to a brutal murder and flees the scene. The only evidence left behind is the joint he threw out. In shock of what he just saw, Dale ends up at Sauls place. But as luck might have it, the people who Dale saw murder someone, happen to be supplying that weed to Saul. And since Saul is the only one selling Pineapple Express, they find out pretty quickly who to look for.

This film heavily relies on the two main characters. And they do have their funny moments. There are the typical stoner conversations that you will catch yourself chuckling at, though the acting at times can be quite amateurish. Franco plays the pothead a bit too over the top to be really believable. Overall, the relationship between Saul and Dale doesn't feel natural though. Their friendship seems too forced and therefore moments that show emotions are not really touching.
As I said in the beginning, Pineapple Express is also packed with action. Some of it is so gruesome that you can't help but laugh. The two killers played by Kevin Corrigan and Craig Robinson share some great onscreen time and even have more chemistry than Franco and Rogen. And then there also is Red played by Danny McBride - who certainly is the secret star of the movie - the middleman between Saul and the headhoncho Ted (Gary Cole from Office Space). A lot of the stuff that McBride delivers is just hilarious.

Besides some of the acting I felt that the editing of the movie wasn't that good. At times, the film feels chopped together without a right sense of direction. But that could also be attributed to the script of the film.

In the end Pineapple Express isn't the supergrow of stonerflicks it would like to be or could have been. It is more of a constant mellow trip. Too bad the trailer already shows some of the best parts. But besides the flaws I did feel entertained. Not laughing-my-balls-off entertained but entertained nonetheless. But if you are going to see only one movie this summer with Judd Apatow's name attached to it, I would make it Step Brothers.

Double Feature: Mummy 3 and Stepbrothers

Saw these two movies lately. I'm gonna cut straight to the chase and not waste too much time talking about the story of either movie.


Mummy 3
The first Mummy flick with Brendan Fraser was not too bad. It tried to follow the footsteps of Indiana Jones, but never reached the quality of any of the fims starring Harrison Ford. There were some good ideas but just too much CGI stuff. The second part didn't really improve the franchise and just got more ridiculous. And now part 3 is here...

...and sunk the ship once an for all. Rachel Weisz who played Brendan Fraser's love interest in the previous installments knew why she didn't sign on again: the script and story is just not good. First off, a mummy, for my part, is from egypt, lives in a pyramide and looks like it has a toiletpaperfetish. And I don't want to hear: "But other cultures have mummified their leaders too." When I go to see a movie like that, I don't really give a damn about history. And I bet when the word "mummy" is tossed into room full of people, they for sure as hell won't be thinking of an asian one made of clay.

Besides getting a mummy that's not really a mummy, Brendan Fraser and his "new" wife Maria Bello get in quarrels about rising their annoying meathead son. Most of the the jokes feel out of place and too constructed to really start a spark. Mummy 3 might not be horrible, it's just worse than the previous installment.


Stepbrothers
Will Ferrell and John C. Reilly meet in this over the top R rated comedy about two middleaged guys who all of a sudden become stepbrothers and end up living under the same roof. Of course they don't like each other and trouble ensues.

While many movies pick up a great idea but ultimately don't really execute it that well or are too tame. Neither can be said about this flick. This film would never have worked if it would have gotten a PG-13 rating. It is the the combination of Ferrell and Reilly not holding back yet acting like a bunch of mildly retarded idiots that makes this film so good. There are so many funny situations in this movie that it is hard to pick your favorite. You can actually tell they had fun filiming this one. It might not be as good as Anchorman but Ferrell and Reilly could be the new Sonny and Cher. And when they sing their tune, you will laugh you balls off.

Entertainment Weekly, The New Classics Part 2: Videogames

So here we go again. EW - The New Classics. But this time they picked videogames. Couldn't wait to read this one. Again, EW looked at the best of the last 25 years and picked 50 new classics. And again I will post the ones I don't really agree with. For my own reasons. But this time, I will go a little more into detail. Here you will find the full Top 50 list.

• Nr. 1: Tetris. Come oooon! That is so lame. Surprise me! That game has always been a classic. There really isn't anything new about this one. Will never forget the endless times I spent playing it on my Gameboy.
  
• Nr. 5: Guitar Hero. Sorry, I just don't like Guitar Hero that much. Never understood the buzz. Too hard for beginners to pick up at a party. Too unentertaining for those who watch it.
• Nr. 11: Halo 1. Halo was the first Shooter on a console that had excellent pad control and an awesome multiplayer... No wait! That was GoldenEye. Well, Halo 1 was that game with the great level design... No, not really either. Halo 1? Overrated.
  
• Nr. 18: Half-Life. Oh this one definitely should be in the Top 50. But ranked higher. At least Top 5. This is the first shooter that introduced an involving story and spawned great games such as Counter-Strike and Team Fortress.
• Nr. 20: Gears of War. Yeah, I know, the game does have great graphics. And I agree it is fun to play. Especially in coop mode. Yet it could have been more than cover-shoot-cover. Should be in there but I would give it a lower ranking.
• Nr. 24: Tony Hawk 2. Never liked the series. Maybe it is because I suck at it so much.
  
• Nr. 25: Shadow of the Colossus. This game is a piece of art. It is beautiful in every way. Tells a story with amazing pictures. Would be in my Top 10 if not Top 5.
  
• Nr. 40: Okami. Same as with Shadow of the Colossus. One of the most beautiful game experiences I have had. Too bad it was a financial disaster.
  
• Nr. 43: Psychonauts. A lot of people see this as an underrated game and hailed it as one of the best games by Tim Schafer. I just never got into it that much and could not understand the underground hype around it.
  
• Nr. 47: Oblivion. Yes, the game does have a lot of sidequests. Some are even very innovative and entertaining. But the world was just boring. Pretty much everything looked the same. It was one big green forest. And Monsters leveling with you? Crappy idea!

There are some more games I would not pack in there. All the 1 on 1 BeatemUps. Never cared for those. Also Wipeout, which to me is overrated. But some games that are absolutely brilliant were not in there. I was shattered. What happened to the following new classics?



There are probably more games, that I can't think of right now. Especially in the ShootemUp section. That to me really is the best genre. Gradius stands for all of the ones I didn't mention here. What do you think about the list? Let me know.

Entertainment Weekly, The New Classics Part 1

I love movies. So of course I do like reading about them. My weapon of choice this week was the Special Double Issue of Entertainment Weekly.


"The New Classics". The best movies of the last 25 years. Oh boy! Of course that got my movie-going-eating-salty-popcorn-with-lots-of-butter heart going. Who will come out on top? And which one of my favorites didn't make it? Instead of posting the whole list I posted the Movies that should not be in there. Why? Because I can!

• Nr. 3: Titanic
  
• Nr. 5: Toy Story
  
• Nr. 10: Moulin Rouge
• Nr. 19: Casino Royale
• Nr. 25: Shrek
• Nr. 29: The Bourne Supremacy
• Nr. 35: The Incredibles
  
• Nr. 42: Clueless
• Nr. 65: Dirty Dancing
• Nr. 80: Michael Clayton

Sorry, but none of these movies in my mind should be considered a classic. Some of these are just bad and others overrated. And since when does "good" or "decent" make a movie a classic? But what is worst of all, none of the following movies is in the list:

The Dude does not abide. In fact, he would like to take a poop on EW right about now. And baby Jesus doesn't like EW either.

Next time: The New Classics - TV-Shows.

PS: Pulp Fiction landet Nr. 1, South Park - The Movie Nr. 100. Can't disagree with that.