Call of Duty World at War: Replay Review

 

                         

                              Even though we're long gone with Veteran's Day moreover long passed Black Friday I figured I'd still talk about a Call of Duty game I've recently played a week ago and proceed to talk about it anyway, mainly because this is probably one of the best Call of Duty games set in World War II and sure there's some of its successors and predecessors but this is one of the few WWII games were you at least have a variety of enemy's to shoot at and well get to that later but yes Nazi Germany was the main enemy fighting with when it comes the second World War but it should be the same concept when it comes to making a WWII game, Hell it’s been quite a long time since the first Call of Duty was made and we still to this day haven't made a game set in the Great War besides the Battlefield franchise, so enough talk let’s talk about Call of Duty World at War.

                              Set in 1942 you play both Private's from both United States and Soviet Union, one fighting the Japanese in the Pacific Coast and the other bringing down Nazi Germany.

                               Why after replaying this great Call of Duty game, I consider this the best WWII game setting? Well the obvious answer is this, you at least get a variety in terms of enemies you get to fight plus expand the story of the second World War in a good way. Though sure I'm all for killing some Nazi's but let’s have different enemies to shoot at, because let’s be honest Nazi Germany wasn't the only enemy the whole world was fighting there was the Italians and Japanese that were allied with Nazi Germany, so in all honesty you can at least expand some story lines into the WWII history that we've never heard about in history classes or documentaries. What also makes this game great is that you have both Kiefer Sutherland and Gary Oldman playing leaders to your character you’re playing, moreover I think Oldman playing a Russian Sargent, all I can say is playing a Russian terrorist in Air Force One really payed off because I had no clue he was providing his own voice in the game. In closing I still say Call of Duty World at War is still the better WWII game because of its different enemies to fight so yeah people might have a different view point on that but I believe it shouldn't always be Nazi Germany because than we're becoming lazy when it comes to storytelling. 

     

November Recommendation: Stripes

 

          

                              My sincerest apologies in not keeping up on my movie reviews I guess Thanksgiving feast really does knock you out or but you’re through the bleeping wall. I guess there comes a time when so much is going on in the world and being over stressed at work I figured there comes a time when you have to put on a movie that can help you turn your brain off from the world. And since we're in the giving thanks mood of the month of November I figured what better way to give thanks to a movie that helps me get through life. The film that gave us a great dynamic duo of Bill Murray and late Harold Ramis. The film I'm referring to is Stripes, one of these over the top comedies that doesn't have a clear logic when it comes to story structure but yet we can still have a great sense of humor when it comes some of the topics that you really can't do in today's society or another way in putting it you honestly can't make this kind of film anymore let’s just say that. So, let’s give thanks and talk about Stripes.

                              Hard-luck cabbie John Winger (Bill Murray) -- directionless after being fired from his job and dumped by his girlfriend -- enlists in the U.S. Army with his close pal, Russell Ziskey (Harold Ramis). After his barely satisfactory performance in basic training, the irreverent Winger emerges as the figurehead for a ragtag band of Army misfits. 

                              A mist of all the story structure and using the same concepts of Caddyshack, Animal House and MeatBalls but I have to say the comedic pair of both Murray and Ramis are always fun to watch especially in moments were they're being interviewed by the Army enlister and are asked the question, if they're homosexuals it’s just pure genius to see these men look at each other like "can't help it must say something sarcastic", and see this film just proves that you really can't make a film like this anymore because you honestly can do that anymore, moreover I doubt the Army ever asks if your Homosexual anymore. A side from the great chemistry of both Bill and Harold, now watching this film again I had no idea both the ladies for both Murray and Ramis were Sean Young whose most famous for Blade Runner and P.J. Soles whose the famous call girl in the original Halloween. Now when it comes to Soles I was glad at least she was getting work plus being remembered for not just one movie role, but Sean Young on the other hand I was completely and utterly surprised she was in this movie until the the credits rolled because I always known her for was Rachel in Blade Runner, but then re-watching some of those scenes she was in she actually does a great job as the leading lady to Ramis character moreover she had a great sense of humor in the film as well, I have to say that the Ramis and Sean Young chemistry I actually liked plus Ramis was just a smooth guy when it came with her, I mean with that big nose he had, I mean there had to be so like smooth love song playing in when it came to their scenes together. The movie itself does have some puzzling moments for me moreover the story is just like Animal House or Caddyshack where the misfit underdogs take on the people that prove them wrong, I will say does get annoying a little bit but thankfully it’s one of those films where I can only watch once. But deep down this is still a good comedy to watch and be thankful of the comedic collaboration of Ramis and Murray duo and the direction of Ivan Reitman, and let’s face it we all should be thankful for these guys at least because without them we wouldn't have Ghostbusters.       

Rifftrax: Plan 9 from Outer Space

 

                            Typical movie night, I recently subscribed to the Rifftrax's YouTube channel since they've been releasing free movies of their recent riffs on bad movies, long behold they just released Ed Wood's classic Plan 9 From Outer Space and as usual movie nights would go especially the boring kind when I can't find anything I want to watch I said to myself "what the hell". Well, in truthfulness this was my first experience of an Ed Wood film and I in a million years never thought I would experience a movie quite like this one. I may or may not have given a brief history behind Rifftrax in my last review of a movie they made fun of, so I'll give a little brief history behind Rifftrax. During the last three seasons of Mystery Science Theater 3000 Mike Nelson, Kevin Murphy and Bill Corbett we're a force to be reckoned with in TV comedy in fact these guys where my first introduction to MST3K, anyway a few years since the show ended they've been recently be releasing their own tracks on popular films that have recently been released via downloading them on MP3 style of software so anytime you watch a movie you can listen to them making fun of it. Then long behold these guys are still in business performing shows all over the country. So, with that brief history lets go ahead and talk about their latest movie victim.

                             The basic story is this Aliens are invading earth because of our stupidity they summon real life monsters such as Bela Lugosi reprising his role as Dracula and the United States of America are trying to stop the invasion from happening. Oh, and there's a lot of stock footage of stuff I should let everyone know.

                            Now, in fairness I've heard of Ed Wood I just never experienced one of his films and I swear to you watching this amazingly entertaining bad film was all I needed to know about the guy. They say films are a way of looking into the filmmaker’s mind, and to be honest Ed Woods mind would be nothing but egotism, insanity and well, let’s just say pure madness because I can't find another word to describe crazy. A side from Ed Woods craziness the movie is so entertaining from the bad set designs to the bad dialogue and even the stock footage that includes a lot of monster that have nothing to do with the movie itself and what makes the film great to watch is you have Mike, Kevin and Bills track playing over it which makes it even better because the amazing joke of all time for me is "Big Foot shaved, no that's still Tor Johnson". But to be fair I don't think I would really watch this film if it didn't have any of the rifftrax jokes because really I wouldn't have a whole lot of interest seeing it to begin with but now having watched this with the MST3K men, would I want to watch this film without them? And the answer is obviously no because they make this film look like a Oscar movie with their wise cracks and jokes. A fun fact I should add, is that Bella Lugosi died a year before this film was released and I could imagine that in his final minutes of his life he had to of seen the set of the airplane's cockpit and was like "yeah I'm going home and sleep with hope that God takes me away", because throughout the film it’s clear that it’s a double posing as Lugosi/Dracula. So, in short if you’re looking for something to watch I would highly recommend watching this and don't be afraid to find some exciting stuff on YouTube and despite the annoying adds there some exciting movies and documentaries you can enjoy watching.  

Last Night in Soho

 

                            So just when I recommended a great Horror movie to watch last month and thought I don't know if I can do any better, but along comes another great suspenseful scary type of a film and unfortunately I only saw the film in November so this is the best I can do. Last Night in Soho is a Psychological Horror story of "be careful what you which for". Or in a more reasonable, it’s more of a story of wanting to relive something that was so glamourous but had a much darker side to the life and glamour of the sixty’s era. I wasn't sure on what to think of it, when I watched the first teaser trailer for the first time. Though in all honesty, when I watched the trailer, maybe so many times that I lost count in, I had to admit I couldn't get enough of Anya Taylor-Joy in that pink dress she was wearing, now I know that sounds creepy but that's not the only thing that caught my attention. Okay serious note, I have to say that this was one of the most creative psychological horror films ever made, now I'm going to try and not say so much so let’s get on with the review.

                            An aspiring fashion designer (Thomasin McKenzie) is mysteriously able to enter the 1960s, where she encounters a dazzling wannabe singer (Anya Taylor-Joy). However, the glamour is not all it appears to be, and the dreams of the past start to crack and splinter into something far darker.

                            A side from the stunning beauty of Anya Taylor-Joy, this was one of these movies I wasn't sure of, but I just can't get enough of watching the trailer for which has so much stunning beauty, amazing direction and scenery you just cannot stop looking at it, I mean you could almost ask director Edgar Wright if his Titanic made ship is safe to travel on and he shouts "IT'S UNSINKABLE", and you in a confused state can just say "alright cool, I'll take your word". As a film alone this is one of the most visually stunning horror film ever made, it just felt like you were taking some kind of acid trip but in the most scariest way possible, and I honestly thought that I had this movie put together until I witnessed the surprisingly good twist that even I wasn't expecting and I honestly felt like James Bond in Casino Royale and Edgar Wright was Le Chiffre and he pulled out his final card and telling me how bad I sucked at life. Both Thomasin McKenzie and Anya Taylor-Joy give great performances and do such a great job in taking you on this journey of great wonder but pure madness along the way. I do love the fact that both Matt Smith aka Doctor Who and Terrance Stamp though I must say, the two of them do great work as playing the mysterious furthermore antagonists of the film. Anyway, I don't want to give so much detail away but if you’re interested in something new and different moreover getting tired of the remakes and superhero genre than I would highly recommend watching Last Night in Soho because this I would say a movie only the late Alfred Hitchcock would be proud of.