naturalborndirector Reviews

Prometheus (I) (2012)

H. R. Giger is credited in the end

[10/10 · 31 May 2012]

Both Dariusz Wolski and Arthur Max are underrated. Both masters of their craft, both outstanding visionaries and their talents collide here guided by great Ridley Scott. Visuals are always stunning and 3D is used as a powerful tool to underline the mesmerizing sets. The critics as often have no idea what this movie is really about. They keep blathering about lack of philosophy (what philosophy?). Make no mistakes, this is pure Alien franchise (read the header). I really don't get how can anyone, let alone movie critic can miss this. That is why Scott succeeds here, he reprises the perfect combination, which he has pioneered many years ago of Sci-Fi and Horror genre. What philosophy? The summer has just started, you movie critics. This movie is closer to ALIEN than ALIENS ever was. Ridley Scott's direction here should be taught in film-making text books. It starts off as an adventure, progresses into the thriller and ends up a hard-core gore monster horror, all the three inside the science fiction genre. Never it is an action movie, like ALIEN and unlike ALIENS. Never it is boring or outdated. Some scenes are if not revolutionary then unique in their technique of execution as well as their dramatic impact. During the birthgiving scene, I actually was dangerously close to fainting. Basically, if you prefer ALIENS over ALIEN, then I got nothing to say to you, but if you don't, then you are in for a ride you will never forget. What philosophy?

Winnie the Pooh (2011)

a Disney masterpiece

[10/10 · 21 April 2011]

I was 8 when I first read Winnie Pooh, I had the book until recently I gave it to now 8 year old child. I would get into a fight with anyone who offends Winnie. I don't even think I will see Cars 2. I can't enjoy 3D computer animation. It feels so dead and distant, especially compared to cel animation which in contrast feels so alive and immersive. There simply can be no comparison. 3D computer animation ends with your popcorn, sweet, xxl, extra butter, ewwww. Hand drawn animation stays with you. Computer animation can amuse you, while hand drawn animation has ability to enchant you, mesmerize you, transform you to another world where extraordinary things happen. I don't mind employing Toon Boom as long as it doesn't overshadow the magic touch between the artist's crayola and the paper. What is done on this cartoon is pretty amazing. They capture the sense of Milne's original and translate it into array of frames brilliantly. It is an outstanding experience. I still remember the immaculate excitement I would get from reading the book, and this cartoon has brought me that feeling, it made me feel like I am 8 again and I take in the adventures of Winnie Pooh like oxygen. Disney has done a terrific job, I am so glad they still put out traditional animation to the big screens, nothing can substitute the feeling of a drawing come alive. If you still have that 8 year old kid in you, if you still remember that feeling of ultimate innocence, then go see this one and get the shot of the childhood serum, trust me, you won't get this kind at any other screening.

The Illusionist (2010)

The Best Motion Picture of 2010

[10/10 · 22 March 2011]

I've never been to Scotland, but I will be there, thanks to this film. This is what Cinema should be like, no dialogue, no storytelling, no plot, but the flow of intra-atomic magic. Yes, magicians do exist, and Sylvian Chomet is one of them. No illusion here, only the pure magic. It is not simply about the rural and urban sets, but how Chomet makes us move around them. The backgrounds are rarely static, we have characters moving around the city and then we simply leave the characters on the street and continue our journey through the city ourselves, the background becomes the foreground, the city becomes the character. Simply outstanding animation, brilliant and beautiful. Chomet designs most of his characters himself, and boy, are we in luck. This is when he gets a real cartoonist, every single character including the 'extra's has a soul behind their fantastical features, every single one of them looks like Chomet has put his horcruxes into them. They simply awaken the desire in me to collect them, like Pokemon creatures. And just when you think this is about the mesmerizing visual experience, you realize that the film is already inside you, you never noticed it entering, but it is there, filling you with the sensation only exclusively moving pictures can produce.

Chomet is the Exupery of Animation and I am off to the streets now.

Killzone 2 (2009 Video Game)

kill, kill, kill... kill

[10/10 · 19 July 2009]

Finished it on Veteran. Started on Elite, but gave up. I need to take care of my nerves and make my doctor happy. No aiming reticle? That's too much for me. And they don't miss on Elite, ever, not even once. Apparently, they know how to raise super-soldiers at Radec Academy.

Anyways, this is not a game, this is something else, some unidentified new phenomena.

The looks: you haven't seen anything like this before. At 720p physics are so realistic, sometimes you actually get scared and call for your mom. It is unbelievably real, you can forget GTA, what is done here marks a new high for realistic video game graphics. You can shoot the Helghast soldier 25 times and every hit will have a different effect visually, depending on which body part you hit, from what distance and using which weapon. It looks almost too real to be a video game. The character physics are revolutionary. The rush of excitement you get from killing is intimidating, with every other kill, you want more and you will get your fill, make no mistake about that, spilling blood has never looked so real, beware of bad jolts. You will kill and kill and kill until your dreams will turn into nightmares haunted by the mutants with gas masks and illuminating eyes. Never before has a soldier design been so breathtaking, startling and beautiful. It will get stuck in your head forever like a Mona Lisa smile. So the atmosphere is properly set up: astounding character physics, thrilling character design. What about the environment? Guess what, it is just as remarkable, planet Helghan looks like it was created by a God on coke. Different relief, different landscapes, different patterns, different weather, different architecture, different civilization, even storms are different and fascinating. Visari Palace looks like it was built by Helghast Gaudi. I would like to live in one of those.

Gameplay: OK, boys and girls, this is a first person shooter warfare simulation, so basically this is about military combat, and what makes this combat ultra super mega exciting is that enemy is smarter than Beth Ostrosky and Tila Tequila taken together. The level of Artificial Intelligence is so advanced that the strange thoughts start crossing your mind: There Is No Spoon!? Their tactics are impeccable: force concentration, perimeter defense, force dispersal, false maneuvering, urban warfare etc. They actually react to your actions adequately, you make your move, they make theirs. This is not simply about shooting up bunch of troops, this is about intelligent warfare. Gameplay is pretty much astonishing, perfectly blending indoor positioning fights with urban guerrilla warfare with open field artillery combat. Sometimes you get to move around rooms and take out enemies one by one, and sometimes you get to be assaulted by never-ending streak of enemy soldiers where your finger stays on the trigger until you run out of ammo or kill every one of them.

Sound: absolutely amazing, the sound of shots is mind-blowing, listen and enjoy. Especially in intense battles with lot if different kinds of weapons firing at the same time, yeah, there's a shot, then a swishing as bullet cuts the air and then the hit. Triple delight. The orchestra music is great, written and performed exclusively for this game, perfectly matches the atmosphere.

Story: I don't really care about the story in this game.

KILLZONE 2 is about gaming experience, about the actual process of playing. You can't really describe it with the words, you have to experience it yourself. This game amazes me with its high profile technical achievements and its sheer gaming excitement. KILLZONE 2 is an absolute technical masterpiece, a game which takes a joy of virtual killing to a completely new level. Kill.

Burnout Paradise (2008 Video Game)

speed up & CRASH!!!

[10/10 · 1 November 2008]

this is a PS3 review

starting with the drawbacks: unlike previous installment, this doesn't have a local multiplayer. It's surprising to see that it becomes somewhat of a trend in the new generation era with the games like UNREAL TOURNAMENT & MOTORSTORM (although they fixed this with PACIFIC RIFT) lacking the local multiplayer option. Yes we have online & it's great & everything, but nothing can substitute good old splitscreen. Another drawback is video output which is limited to 720p. Plus, you can't restart the races instantly & the DJ Atomica's remarks on how much my driving skills suck every time I lose is a bit annoying really. & the biggest drawback is of course the absence of drivers in the cars, which I guess ESRB wouldn't allow for this game to get E10+ rating.

In spite of the fact that it's just 720p, the graphics of this game are spectacular. Being an avid follower of the series & thus being able to compare, this one clearly displays how much the transition to HD has actually advanced the video games in terms of visuals. Perceiving the urban/rural environment sets on ultra enormous speed gives an immense graphic pleasure.

BURNOUT is all about speed & crashes. In terms of speed they have gone very far with this one, so that it actually blows your mind away. On maximum speeds is where you can really comprehend the uniqueness of this game. They have increased the sense of gravity slightly in this one, so that you still break the laws of physics but this time it has better feeling of danger. The balance between the realistic & cartoonish is perfect.

Don't believe those who complain about the crashes being monotonous. In the beginning levels when the speed of your cars is low, the crashes look indeed boring & lookalike, but once the speeds go higher, the crashes become extremely spectacular & totally diverse, make no mistake about that, as this aspect is perhaps the most essential in BURNOUT games & they have done a terrific job, really.

In Showtime Mode (just press R1+L1 in the middle of the heavy traffic, & then jump around by pressing X) you can witness 100+ cars crash in one single take.

The soundtrack is awesome, Rock oriented, which is proper for the game which involves so much materials made with metal. So you are racing on a high speed with Jane's Addiction playing in the background & then suddenly you CRASH!, the music mutes instantly & there is complete silence so you can fully enjoy the sound of smashing glass & metal screeching on the surface of tarmac.

This game has an awesome update which you can download FOR FREE. It adds bikes & now you can drive at night, when the traffic is not as heavy.

It also has a great online multiplayer. Especially one option, when you take down the opponent you get his mugshot (which can be uploaded with PS eye) as a reward, like a scalp.

to sum up: BURNOUT PARADISE is an extremely exciting gaming experience & a perfect transition to HD for this cult game series.

A Colour Box (1935)

A Cradle of Direct Animation

[10/10 · 3 July 2007]

Direct Animation (further referred as DA) is by far the most eccentric of all the animation techniques & undoubtedly the rarest. The very concept of it is so absurd that it still remains a puzzle to me how these monsters of DA like Norman McLaren, Stanley Brakhage & Caroline Leaf were able to make it work. But it all was later, until then there was Len Lye & his groundbreaking COLOR BOX. Any DA is always an experiment & COLOR BOX is no exception. The trick is how to make this experiment prevail & generate some artistic/production value. DA is totally about abstraction & viewing experience is the key point. When you watch COLOR BOX you can feel its affect on your 'sentiment, memory & imagination'. To me watching its texture construction draws very strong similarities to having sex with an alien.

For the note: the post office/card commercial in the end of this cartoon doesn't belong to Lye. It was added later by some other guy who bought the ownership rights & used it as a queer marketing device.

I think mentioning the level of Historical Importance of this cartoon would be superfluous.

Komposition in Blau (1935)

5 minutes of amazement

[10/10 · 3 July 2007]

Have you seen Fell in Love with a Girl, a video by The White Stripes, with all the Legos & stuff? It is called Brickfilm Animation & is considered a new type of Animation Technique, which is true, but the concept surprisingly similar to it can be found in COMPOSITION IN BLUE a Fischinger cartoon, which is made like 70 years ago. I mean this guy has multicolored bricks too (not Lego though) & he too animates them. Impressive, isn't it? But nevertheless the main advantage of COMPOSITION IN BLUE is in its use of colors & their composition. Blue is dominating (see the title) & red & yellow are extensively used with some other strange colors, the effect is very bright, lucent & bricky, what makes it look like some old arcade game. I wonder if Fischinger had a time machine & used his time-traveling experience in making this cartoon.

Wonder Showzen (2005–2007)

like space shuttle getting a speeding ticket

[10/10 · 9 December 2005]

The warning titles at the beginning say that some viewers may find this show offensive. & it's true cos the show which is based on the themes like perversion, sadism, nihilism, satanism, masochism, racism, pedophilia, necrophilia, profanity, discrimination, Nazism & outrageously relentless graphic or content violence simply can't be not offensive to some viewers. So, if you are middle age catholic priest, don't watch this show! It is a direct descendant of old violent MTV shows like Beavis & Butthead and Jackass. It is absurd and senseless nut intentionally so. It is an unconventional humor, politically, morally, ethically incorrect, like a guided missile which has lost all the guidance and cruises loose at the risk of striking the innocent. And at last Wonder Showzen is a mind-bending chaos the effect of which is something like lysergic journey or ether euphoria. five jokes in five seconds. War of the Colors. playing the first half backwards during the second half.

result is FUN+SATIRE+MINDBENDER – the mix that makes Wonder Showzen the cocktail you have never experienced before.

& KIDS, WATCH THIS SHOW!

Doom 3 (2004 Video Game)

being loose on the Moon with a big shining chainsaw

[10/10 · 15 April 2005]

To me, Video Games are an Art, because it's about creating new worlds with their own new rules and laws, the sensations experienced with Video Games appear to be different from anything you can ever feel with any other sentiment stimulator's such as some products of various types of Art or drugs. therefore Video Games are very unique achievement of humanity.

First things first. I think it's impossible to talk on Doom III and not to mention Graphics, the key element to make Doom III a cult game. Making Doom III with revolutionary game engines, graphics workstations and some other advanced technologies, in which I understand very little, turned it into truly marvelous and brilliant visual experience, which is really unique. Compilation of red (blood) and black (darkness) is something worth seeing. I think in the aspect of graphics, Doom III is a flawless game and it obviously deserved its award on MTV Video Games awards received in nomination of best computer graphics of 2004. And one more thing: I think the sound mixing in Doom III was really the best ever.

Horror aspect in Doom III: I'm saying yes, it was scary and creepy as Hell, I have never been in such harrowing atmosphere of horror and fear since those Resident Evil worlds. I think It was achieved by manifold factors: monsters design was really awesome, they looked indeed scary, their unpredictable and versatile movements made my heart beat faster every time I was facing them. I kept having them in my nightmares long after I finished Doom III. As for discontents of some gamers about too many so called 'cheap shocks' (unexpected appearances of monsters from corners, sudden sounds of absorbing screams etc.) in game, I'd say that it's quite normal in such type of games. It's not a movie, it's a game and shocks can't be cheap in here. the effect of unexpectedness can be manipulated endlessly in the Video games. Another factor is the genre of the game: mixture of Science Fiction and Horror. Such combinations always work, at least it helps to create the proper milieu. Didn't really like those mystic elements attending the game though. All those esoteric and mysterious things like ghosts and souls and flying heads seemed a bit out of place. The setting and storyline were a huge contributor to the horror aspect. wandering around various facilities on Mars and constantly being attacked by various kind of monsters from zombies with chainsaws to giant unidentified dreadful objects was scary.

There is a lot of graphic violence in Doom III, which thanks to great graphics looks realistic, but in context it is mild. The perfect example of difference between graphic and content violence is GTA. In GTA you decapitate a passer by with a chainsaw and the next few seconds the only thing you can see on the screen is streams of gallons of human blood in slow motion gushing from the headless body, and that is as violent as it gets but graphically it looks cartoonish and unreal. In the case of Doom III, every drop of blood, every human organ so cautiously partitioned from the body has a very realistic look and it affects, but you can't argue that in context despite the graphical depiction, killing hundreds of ordinary people in the streets without any reason using several tools from medieval weaponry to modern rocket propelled grenades is much more violent than terminating the army of evil creatures in order to save your own life and Earth. but, still, I enjoyed turning those baby face angels into pile of bloody flesh with my big shining chainsaw.

Doom III is a great Video Game. I loved it from the very first frame. I have some kind of illness and I am restricted by my doctor to play the Video Games for more than an hour per day, but in the case of Doom III I couldn't resist myself and I spent nights traveling through the marvelous world of truly impressive experience. Doom III might not be the best game ever, but it definitely is one of the best.