Smashbomb

"In 2000, I went into the shop and I bought some jazz that I knew I wanted to get, and I said to the guy, "what else can I get?", and he pointed out this album with camels on it. I thought, I'll give that a try, and it was this Nubian music, which I got really into and also I bought another one, which was an Algerian CD. I listened to that for a bit and then I just kind of stopped and didn't really listen to world music for 10 years. Ali Hussan Kuban was the doorway to all the rest of them. I heard that in 2011 and I've basically been searching ever since for anything else that feels that way. A few years later, one of the things I found was this track 'Baba Ramdev'. It's just so incredibly joyful and it feels like an epic adventure. There's something absolutely epic about it, to me. It sounds like they're outside. How you seen any of those YouTube videos of the Gypsies of Rajasthan, the colourful dresses they wear and the dances they do? It's pretty incredible. And they're always in some really remote-looking rocky outcrop, somewhere in the desert. And the cover of this album as well, the guy with the amazing moustache. I love that whole spirit, really wild and free - that's what the song feels like to me."

Source

Kudos

LoganCrews (2861 KP) rated Fearless (2006) in Movies

Sep 21, 2020

Fearless (2006)

2006 | Action, Drama, International

7.3

(4 Ratings)

Movie Rating

*Director's cut*

If this really is Jet Li's final wushu martial arts epic, it ain't too shabby of a one to end on. Sprawling, a bit messy, classical (often to a fault) - but Li is such a masterful performer that he virtually negates the abundance of flaws this movie does have. He encapsulates both extremes of this character's life with such a mesmerizing grace - he literally actualizes the transition from cocky little shit to anguished, sage older gentleman right before our eyes; when it's revealed that he killed his last adversary, and Li reacts as if he's been socked in the chest with a blunt object. A lot of pretty generic story elements in here (how many times have we seen the 'guy who becomes so obsessed with something that he alienates his family and friends' arc) but it's kind of nice to see an action epic that is more focused on interpersonality and doesn't turn into countless dry battles where the fighters are reduced to indiscernible specs on the screen a la 𝘒𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘥𝘰𝘮 𝘰𝘧 𝘏𝘦𝘢𝘷𝘦𝘯. But the fights are out of this *world* holy hell, the pretty much magic choreography alone makes this worthwhile. Still don't think this leans into the bombast *quite* enough, and the (forgivably) melodramatic middle section cuts from scene to scene far too often - but this whole thing is Jet Li's dancefloor, and we are merely privileged enough to be able to witness it.

Kudos

Red Otter (340 KP) rated Tiny Epic Zombies in Tabletop Games

Jun 24, 2019

Tiny Epic Zombies

2018 | Collectible Components, Horror, Zombie / Survivalist

7.3

(7 Ratings)

Tabletop Game Rating

Another in the Tiny Epic series, this one take the trope of co-op zombie survival games and turns it into a small package. The component quality is great, with sweet looking motorcycle and car that your Meeples can fit in, as well as each character Meeple able to hold weapons.

Gameplay wise, the object is for the human players to complete three randomly objectives while the zombies (either controlled by an automa or another human player) tries to eat the civilians/players while running around 8 different rooms around a central courtyard. Combat is done with either rolling in melee, or spending ammo for ranged. There's a great risk vs. reward with ranged and melee, with ranged being consistent, but spends a resource every time, while melee can potentially lose health, but can also go on a zombie killing rampage. The health system is a balance between health and ammo. If your ammo is ever less then the damage you've taken, you get eaten instantly.

I found that playing can be a little bit finicky, especially if the zombie is an automata instead of a human. The pieces are tiny (appropriate) and the gameplay can be stressful ( appropriate for a zombies coop). The missions can be a bit annoying at times and aren't equally fun or challenging.

All in all, tiny epic zombies is a serviceable co-op game that fits its theme very well and definitely looks great.