How to Make Good Video Game Movies

Nerds on the Rocks

     Assassin’s Creed opened up this weekend, and despite all the highest hopes of gamers around the world, it sucked. Unlike other craptastic films, though, it’s not on track to do a lot of business, leaving many people to wonder if we will ever get a good video game movie. I mean, this year had so many opportunities and they all failed, so what hope do we have? Well, as a film lover and a huge gamer, let me just toss in my two cents.

Assassin’s Creed Review

20th Century Fox

     At the beginning of 2016, I was convinced that this was going to be the year of the video game movie. Three big budget game movies based on two games I love and Warcraft? What could possibly go wrong? Well, not being very good movies did (even though I enjoyed Warcraft myself), even though Ratchet & Clank got a great game out of their awful movie. However, the one that we all had our eyes on was Assassin’s Creed, produced by and starring the great Michael Fassbender and directed by the guy who did the last Macbeth movie (and did a pretty good job, if I might add). Pair them with a fascinating sci-fi premise and you should have a winner, right? Let’s find out.

Eyewitness Season 1 Review

SpoilerTV

     If you thought that remakes were just limited to the big screen, then you would be mistaken my friends. The wonderful House of Cards is a remake of a British show, as is The Office, while The Returned was Carlton Cuse’s rendition of the French Les Revenants and USA’s Shooter is a remake of… Shooter. However, none of these had me as intrigued as Eyewitness, a remake of a Norwegian show called Øyevitne. Promising to be a combination of a coming of age story and a murder mystery, I was excited to give it a shot. Did it hit those high marks? Let’s find out.

Rogue One Review

starwars.com

     Disney has been pretty intent on bringing back Star Wars, haven’t they? Not content to simply continue the saga of the Skywalker clan, standalone movies have now been planned to flesh out this great universe and explore corners and stories that can’t be hit in the primary films. The first of these films is Rogue One, based on a relatively minor plot point from A New Hope, and with Godzilla director Gareth Edwards promising us a darker and more mature movie. Do they succeed? Let’s find out.

Manchester By the Sea Review

Huffington Post

     It’s a really good time to be an Affleck brother. Ben, after a decade of being a joke of an actor, returned to prominence as one of the premier directors working today with hits like The Town and the Best Picture-winning film Argo. Oh, and he’s Batman, so there’s that. Meanwhile, his brother Casey has been rising up himself, taking smaller and more interesting roles like The Assassination of Jesse James By the Coward Robert Ford, Gone Baby Gone (directed by Ben), and Out of the Furnace. This year, while Ben is off battling Superman and making a pretty rad-looking gangster flick, Casey is in this film, a critical darling aiming to get a ton of awards. But is it actually that good? Let’s find out!

Moonlight Review

wikipedia.org

     There are certain films that come along every now and then that really shake you to your core and make you open your eyes to a way of life that you never knew about. They break your heart and widen your perspective on life, whether you agree with what you have seen or not. City of God is one of those movies, as are Do the Right Thing and Slumdog Millionaire. Now another one has come along, and this one is called Moonlight. Let’s dive in.

Dishonored 2 Early Thoughts

steam.com

     The first Dishonored game was a real surprise for me, and not in the way you’re probably thinking. Sure, it’s very unique in how it approaches level design and stealth gameplay, with  huge open levels that often have several paths to get to an objective, as well as the great incorporation of supernatural powers and steampunk technology into the cool Victorian-ish world it had set up. But honestly it was surprising for me to find a first person game that isn’t a shooter that I really liked! All kidding aside, developer Arkane is back with Dishonored 2, a game with twice the protagonists, creative levels, and all-around mayhem. Or at least that’s what they say. Does it live up to that? I’m sure that a guy who’s only played half of it can tell you!

Arrival Review

denofgeek.com

     Sci-fi has had a bit of a renaissance in the past few years. Whether it’s clever sci-fi action movies like Edge of Tomorrow and Inception or intense and thought-provoking dramas like Ex Machina and the Planet of the Apes remakes, it’s easy to find good quality films in the genre. Now up-and-coming director Denis Villeneuve, the man responsible for Sicario, Prisoners, and the maddeningly obtuse Enemy, is stepping in to provide his own take on the genre. Backed with an all-star cast and based on a very popular short story, does Arrival hit the mark? Let’s find out. 

Hacksaw Ridge Review

christianpost.com

     It’s been a long time since Mel Gibson directed a movie, with the 2006 movie Apocalypto marking his last effort behind the camera. He soon fell into his well-publicized troubles and became persona non grata in Hollywood, only able to take roles in tiny movies like The Beaver or villain roles that allowed the public to hate him. Now he’s behind the director's chair once more with the war film Hacksaw Ridge about a conscientious objector in World War II. Is the director of Braveheart back, or has he lost his touch while in the box? Let’s find out.

Doctor Strange, Or How I Learned to Stop Settling and Loathe the Formula

comicbookmovie.com

     With the smashing success of Doctor Strange, Marvel Studios has had its fourteenth consecutive film to win its opening weekend and has once again proven that they can put anything on the screen and people will watch it. Despite some criticisms from reviewers (such as myself) about the formulaic plot and some other shortcomings, people went to the theater and said with a resounding voice that they didn’t care. Marvel definitely has a winning formula, but is that really a good thing? How long can they possibly keep this up before it all goes to crap? Well, let’s explore that, shall we?

Doctor Strange Review

wikipedia.com

     There are few heroes in the Marvel catalog that are weird as the Master of the Mystic Arts, the Sorcerer Supreme himself, Doctor Stephen Strange. As a character that favors magic over brute force and more mind-bending stories over traditional action-adventure, I was beginning to wonder if we’d ever get a proper adaptation of his story. Now, just as I’m starting to get sick of superhero movies, Marvel Studios is releasing his story at last, helmed by Sinister director Scott Derrickson. Is this film Marvel magic, or is it another boring retread? Let’s find out.

A Quick Update

nyulocal.com

     Hey guys, sorry to not have anything up this week. It’s been a busy week with school and work, and a little competition going on that you may or may not know about called the National Novel Writing Month challenge. It’s basically where you sit down and write a novel in a month, and it’s something I’ve been looking forward to all year. Last year I wrote the novel I was deep into editing for release, but now I’m writing the sequel to my first book, Red Steel. Have you heard of it? Some guy on Amazon called it “An American V For Vendetta,” which is an insane compliment that would give me hives were I able to get hives. I hope you guys can pick it up, either in Kindle version or in the paperback one. Also, don't forget to subscribe to my podcast Discoverography on iTunes, if you would be so kind.

     Basically, I’m letting you guys know this because there may be periods of time where I might be a bit sparse on here. I’d been planning on writing a bit about the Titanfall 2 issue, but given that I’ve been so busy hitting the ground running with this book I’ll just link you to this video that talks about it (conversation starts around the 30 minute mark). Friday I will definitely be back with a review for either Dr. Strange or Hacksaw Ridge, and Sunday I will absolutely have a commentary article for one of those. Just please be patient with me during the week, especially since bankruptcy homework is still a thing that will be with me until December. Anyways, I hope you all will bear with me as I get accustomed to this new workload and that you’ll stay tuned!

My Top 5 Horror Movies

moviepilot.com

     Happy Halloween, folks! It’s that wonderful time of year again where we all get together and purposefully scare the crap out of each other as much as possible! While we love our dressing up (not as clowns, though), one of the main staples of the holiday season is horror movies, something I’ve talked about once or twice. I’m not a big fan of horror movies, but there are plenty that have really affected me over the years, so I thought I’d share them with you all in the spirit of the season. Let’s dive right in!

Editor’s Note: Not being a huge fan of horror, I haven’t seen a lot of the classics or more famous films. This is just a list made out of what I have seen. If you have any suggestions please leave them in the comments below! 

Amanda Knox Review

dailymail.co.uk

     If there’s any genre that came back this year, it’s the true crime genre. From O.J. Simpson, who got an Emmy-winning FX series and a well-loved 30 For 30 documentary, to JonBenét Ramsey, who got her own four hour CBS special that dug into her case, to Charles Manson, who got a show no one watches on NBC, we really love our horrifying and brutal crimes. One other crime story that has been overlooked for a bit is the Amanda Knox story, which was finally resolved this year. Now Netflix is stepping in and throwing their own hat into this ring with a documentary based on her case. So, does this live up to the other great works we’ve seen this year? Let’s find out.

What I Want From Red Dead Redemption 2

 

youtube.com

   Last Thursday was a pretty busy day for entertainment, with the first trailer for Logan and the first footage of the Nintendo Switch (my article on that located here) being shown, but another big trailer was dropped that had me excited: the first teaser for Red Dead Redemption 2. While it didn’t show much, looking more like a teaser for a movie than a game, I saw quite a few things that got me stoked and have me excited for the 2017 release date. Now, as a huge fan of the original Red Dead Redemption, I have some things that I’d like to see from the next installment. So what do I, a lowly blogger who will buy the game anyway, want from Rockstar? Well, let’s find out!

So, Should We Be Excited for the Switch?

polygon.com

     Hey guys, welcome back to The Glovebox! Today I’m going to be discussing the recent reveal of the Nintendo Switch, the long-secret project that we got our first taste of last Thursday. There have been a lot of reactions to this, positive for the most part, but I realized that I alone do not have the knowledge to really discuss this in an intelligent way. So, to that end, I decided to talk to a good friend of mine (and diehard Nintendo fan) and transcribe our conversation for your benefit. Without further ado, let’s talk about some games, folks!

Closet Monster Review

wikipedia.org

     There is no more played-out genre in cinema than the coming of age story. You know what I’m talking about: a young person (boy or girl, of any race, gender, sexual orientation, etc.) faces a challenge related to growing up and being an adult, and after some hardships and other things they learn something about themselves and life goes on. However, new director Stephen Dunn is here to add his own unique spin, and given that this (his first feature film, I might add) won the prestigious “Best Canadian Feature Film” at the Toronto International Film Festival last year my interest was piqued. Does this film break the mold? Let’s find out.

What Makes a Movie “So Bad It’s Good?”

tumblr.com

     This weekend I had the misfortune of watching Max Steel, a dull, lifeless and downright stupid attempt to launch a superhero franchise. In my review, I made an observation about the level of bad this film is, comparing it unfavorably to Gods of Egypt and The Room. While both of those are horrible films in their own right, those are on the level of “so bad it’s good,” which is basically exactly what it says: a film that is so incredibly awful that it rebounds and becomes entertaining again due to how bad it is. So, what makes a movie hit that category anyway? Let’s find out, shall we?

Editor’s Note: This is my opinion and my opinion alone, so take it with a grain of salt!

Max Steel Review

movietavern.com

     It seems like you can’t swing a dead cat these days without hitting a superhero movie. Marvel Studios has been dominating the scene since 2008. Fox is struggling to compete with the X-Men franchise and maybe utilizing the Fantastic Four as well, all in an effort to keep Disney’s hands off of them. Meanwhile, Warner Bros. has been putting DC Entertainment to work, releasing three commercially successful and critically trashed films to set up their own universe. Now, though, Mattel toys is getting in on the action with their very own superhero: Max Steel. Toy-based properties have worked before, but does Max Steel live up to the expectations we set on superhero movies nowadays? Let’s find out.

The Birth of a Nation Review

wikipedia.org

     In 1915, director D.W. Griffith made a landmark silent film called Birth of a Nation, a movie that used many groundbreaking filmmaking and storytelling techniques that were simply unheard of at the time. Unfortunately, it was also insanely racist, presenting freed African-Americans during the Reconstruction as mindless beasts that could only be stopped by the “heroic” actions of the Ku Klux Klan. That film has since faded away into history, while a new 2016 release of almost the same name has burst onto the scene to tell an entirely different story. Directed by a first-time director and with a relatively low budget, can The Birth of a Nation leave its own mark and meet the high praise coming from the festival circuits? Let’s find out.

So, About This Hiatus…

reddit.com

     Hey guys, long time no talk. Sorry to have been away for so long (life’s been hectic, to say the least), but I wanted to let you know that I’m going to be back soon, hopefully with a review for either The Birth of a Nation or The Girl on the Train, whichever one I see first. Since I’ve been gone this long and left you hanging, I figured I’d really sit down and talk to you about why it’s taken me as much time as it has to come back, especially given what week it is. So, let’s go ahead and talk about me, shall we?

The Magnificent Seven Review

comingsoon.net

     There’s nothing quite as American as the Western. Cowboys, Indians, bandits, shootouts, they all scream badass and quintessential American lore, but you don’t see very many of them anymore. In the post-Unforgiven era, Westerns tend to either be revisionist (meaning they deconstruct the genre) or updated to the modern day (Hell or High Water is a good example). However, Sony’s new film The Magnificent Seven seems poised to take us back to those good old days with a more action-oriented take on a very familiar story. Can this remake of a classic Western (itself a remake of Akira Kurosawa’s masterpiece Seven Samurai) recapture that Western magic? Let’s find out.

Mr. Robot Season 2 Review

foxtel.com.au

    One of the best shows of the last year was undoubtedly USA’s Mr. Robot, a hacker drama by way of psychological thriller that constantly teased audiences and challenged their view of what was happening on screen. Couple that with some great performances and a surprisingly interesting story and you’ve got great television right there. Of course, all eyes were on creator Sam Esmail to see if he could deliver with a second season. With Esmail directing each episode and the episode count increased to 13, does Mr. Robot still have that magic? Let’s find out. Spoilers for season one of Mr. Robot follow. 

Did The Blair Witch Project Ruin Horror Movies?

horrorfreaknews.com

     Given how the box office receipts look, it wouldn’t be surprising if you didn’t know that a new Blair Witch movie released this weekend. A direct sequel to the 1999 film (what’s a Book of Shadows, anyway?), this film followed the brother of Heather from the original and, well, pretty much copied the original to a tee. But it’s been seventeen years since the original, and horror has gone through quite a lot of changes, most of them inspired directly by the first film, so did this new film even have a chance of being successful?