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    Comix Zone Classic

    Comix Zone Classic

    Games, Entertainment and Stickers

    (0 Ratings) Rate It

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    Enter the Comix Zone, in SEGA's classic arcade-style beat 'em up, now available on mobile for the...

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Natasha Khan recommended Works 1965-1995 by Steve Reich in Music (curated)

 
Works 1965-1995 by Steve Reich
Works 1965-1995 by Steve Reich
1997 | Classical, Compilation
(0 Ratings)
Album Favorite

"I discovered him at university when I was 20. The first thing I ever heard was 'Come Out' which has a sampled voice that just keeps saying "blood, come out" and it just keeps beating, so this was Steve Reich's very early tape phase experiments where he stuck it on two tapes and would press play at the same time and they start off together and then gradually start to move apart. First of all you get an echo on the vocal, and then as the two vocals move away it starts to kind of [imitates the sound], and it's so trippy it's amazing. I feel like it's the earliest rap or something, it’s got this really amazing sample, this guy who's street, the way he's talking - his accent's amazing and authentic, and then you just have like the rhythm that's created through words. Percussiveness and then there's ... syncopation starts happening and it's constantly evolving, moving, different rhythms, and that's basically his thing. 'Come Out' inspired me when I was at uni. I made a tape and slide piece, which is this projected piece that you animate using different slides. [Reich]'s using really graphic, violent imagery and I got a little boy to talk about fights at school, he was like six! I was asking how he felt about the fighting, has anyone ever tried to punch him, how does it feel? And I put his voice along with all these images of men fighting, and I phased it and did weird things to it, laid them all on top of each other, just experimenting in my own way with that. But that really inspired me and I started to delve more into Steve Reich. There are some preachers which he did tape phase experiments with, like "it's gonna raiiiiin, it's gonna rain!", such a musicality to what he's doing even though what he was doing was very conceptual. Again, it was a very rigid, composer-y thing to do, which is to set up a tape experiment, but within that he chose words and expressions that are really emotional and move through all different phases, making you think about all sorts of things and culturally, politically, there's a lot behind it. And then on this [Works] there's 'Music for 18 Musicians' which I absolutely love. Eighteen musicians would sit round, play their rhythm and then the next person would start a fraction of a second after them so they'd be in sync sometimes all playing the same thing but with a slightly different time part, so it totally fucked your brain. But the sounds that come out: you get all these weird intervals, syncopations, harmonies, rhythmic counterparts that are happening but the key that he chooses is heartbreaking and amazing as well. There are certain notes and harmonies, certain two notes will just start to really vibrate together and it just starts to create an amazing cinematic, filmic burst of ideas in my mind. It's almost like meditation or mantras, Ravi Shankar or something for me, Reich has done a similar thing. Like it just keeps on going round and round and then you get drones and then other drones come in and then they create textures that are moving all the time, so it's almost like a meditative state that you get into."

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    Team Shake

    Team Shake

    Education and Utilities

    5.0 (1 Ratings) Rate It

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    Team Shake provides a technological and environmentally friendly way to choose teams for board...

Agents of Mayhem Day One Edition
Agents of Mayhem Day One Edition
2017 | Action/Adventure
Characters are amazing! (0 more)
Sandbox is crap (0 more)
A fun short trip through crazy Seoul!
I saw this game advertised and was immediately in love with the concept. I loved the G.I. Joe aspect of the 12 characters and how each one felt different to control. The over the top antics and crazy fighting was fun, but got repetitive towards the end, I did appreciate the boss battles at least having some variety. The game is pretty short, and I felt like the sandbox of Seoul wasn't as big on exploration as I felt it should have been, also after taking 20 mins to win over an enemy base, they'd quickly take it back over, and it felt like there wasn't really a point. I feel like it is a solid concept and I hope if they expand on the franchise that we not only get more amazing characters, but maybe a longer story mode or side missions where you actually accomplish something on the map.

I feel all games should have a realistic price point, I paid $60 and feel like the game was really more of a $35 venture. Totally worth having around if you just want to get lost in some mindless fun for awhile.


Also while I am not the biggest proponent for all games having online features (as I'm old and from the NES era of gaming where it was a solo experience) I feel this game would have benefitted from having more online co-op features, but again, this would rely heavily on Seoul actively reflecting the time you've put into carving out a piece of the map.
  
Underworld: Blood Wars (2017)
Underworld: Blood Wars (2017)
2017 | Action, Fantasy, Horror
Action (0 more)
Story (2 more)
First 3 minutes
Too much betrayal and backstabbing
Fun to watch, but story could have been better
The start of this movie was a little off putting. I started with a recap of the series so far. These work so much better in TV shows because you most likely have seen the previous episode within two weeks. Movies not so much, I haven't seen any of the Underworld movies in about 2 years, so the recap really didn't help me understand what was going on. I knew the story a bit and that got me through the movie.

After the first 5 minutes it started to make more sense, but the whole plot of the movie really didn't have much too it. Keep everyone one away from Selene's daughter. Which she didn't know where she was anyway.


The rest of the story line really didn't make much sense either, so much un-need betrayal and backstabbing, I feel like vampires just can't get along with each other. At this point we should start seeing them as the bad guys and the werewolves as the good guys. But I am sure that will never happen.


Really the only good part of the movie was the action and fighting. It kept me awake and engaged in the movie.


I see they are making a 6th Underworld Movie, hopefully someone with a good story telling background can pick up the script and make a better story.


If you like Underworld, see it. Just to keep up with what is going on. Otherwise, just watch it for fun without looking to get something out of it.
  
Forget You Know Me
Forget You Know Me
Jessica Strawser | 2019 | Fiction & Poetry
7
7.5 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
I have to hand it to Jessica Strawser--not sure what's happened to her in her life (ha), but she can come up with some tangled plots. As always with her books, you have to go in expecting more women's fiction than suspense/thriller, and that helps set expectations up front. Still, I have to say, that there are a surprising number of suspects for the black-clad figure who pops up on Liza's web cam. For a suburban neighborhood, it sure is a tangled web of secrets and lies out there!

So I found the plot on this one kind of baffling at first: I think it could have done without Liza and Molly's fight, honestly. Their fighting was awkward and uncomfortable and didn't seem really necessary. But I quickly warmed to Molly and Liza, who were very real characters with flaws and genuine traits. For Liza, much of her life is ruled by her anxiety, while Molly's by her chronic pain. I felt for both of them. Despite being best friends, they are on separate tracks for most of the book, making you wonder where things are going to wind up.

With everyone keeping secrets, telling lies, and basically just being dishonest--both to others and themselves--the book really does keep you guessing about what happened that night. As it does, you're treated to a very realistic look at marriage and friendship. I felt parts of it were overblown and it was a very different sort of read, but I enjoyed it overall. The descriptions and portrayals of Molly and Liza are what really drew me in. 3.5+ stars.
  
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Madbatdan82 (341 KP) rated Gotham in TV

May 3, 2019  
Gotham
Gotham
2014 | Drama
Literally everything! (0 more)
The mad hatter (0 more)
Batman Begins
I wanted to wait until I had watched the series finale to do a full review of the whole show. I can honestly say that in my opinion this is tied with Game of Thrones for the greatest TV show ever made...telling the story of a pre Batman Gotham this show focuses on James Gordon's rise from GCPD detective to Captain and eventual police Commissioner. It also tracks Bruce Wayne's journey from young child who sees his parents gunned down to crime fighting vigilante...what makes this show so good is its attention to detail in the shows characters in particular the villains. We get versions of the classics like penguin, riddler & scarecrow but it's the inclusion of lesser known villains like professor pyg, Solomon grundy & azreal that means theres something for fans of the comics as well as casual viewers. There really aren't any bad series and also no really bad episodes. All the stuff with the mad hatter gets a little slow but that might just be coz I didnt like the character - but maybe that's the point as hes not supposed to be likeable!!!...it all builds to a crescendo in the last season where sometimes so TV shows fall down trying to tie a bow round everything. In Gotham the wait pays off and it the ending feels like watching for all those seasons has paid off...simply put this is not just for comic nerds, it is a quality TV programme the likes of which we may not see again for a while. WATCH THIS SHOW!!!
  
A Prayer Before Dawn (2018)
A Prayer Before Dawn (2018)
2018 | Action, International, Thriller
There will be blood
#aprayerbeforedawn is a relentless, hard hitting, dizzying trip into the world of addiction while incarcerated in a #notorious foreign prison. #prayerbeforedawn is the true story of #english #boxer #billymoore who is sent prison in #thailand?? & the film uses real #prisoners as cast. More like an experience than a film prayer is exhausting, relentless & at times a tuff watch. Everything intimidates here & with most of the dialog spoken not being in english or having subtitles we are made to feel as alone, frightened & intimidated as Billy. #violence is kept mostly off screen but to good effect giving it a more raw, savage & disturbing feel leaving the worst to your imagination. Sound design is incredible too be it the dread filled #soundtrack or the seemingly ramped up unnerving volume of #prison life around Billy everything seems to make you #anxious & under threat. Billy is #strong physically but his mind is #damaged/tortured & its almost as if #fighting & #drugs are his only escapism. Its depressing seeing him go from seemingly untouchable to a weak/#scared kid & with physical danger everywhere his mind starts to become more & more unstable. #joecole gives such a mesmerising performance here, you feel his #pain, #fear, paranoia & torture & admire what little #fight he has left in him. Infact whats going on in the prison could essentially be a metaphore for the stuggles going on in his head. Visually depressing but stunningly #gorgeous its almost like the director took inspiration from #nicholaswindingrefn #onlygodforgives & even uses some of its talented cast too. I really cant recommend this film enough it truly is a remarkable film & such an incredible, sad & powerful #truestory. #odeon #odeonlimitless #thursdaythoughts #fighter #boxing