After leave from a DEA bust gone wrong, Mike Campbell is assigned to act as a mole in a small Texas town family’s life, acting as a body guard for drug peddling head Buck King. As Mike becomes closer with the King family, and a girl named Belle, he finds himself trapped in their downward spiral as he is confronting his own.

Written and Directed by J.C. Nelson

Produced by The Weinstein Brothers

Director of Photography Roger Deakins

Edited by Michael Kahn

Music by Hans Zimmer

Original Songs by J.C. Nelson

THE CAST

Mike Campbell Rupert Grint

Buck King John Goodman

Lee King James Franco

Belle Rooney Mara

Mama Suthern Viola Davis

Walt Mackie Michael Douglas

El Lobo Sanchez Danny Trejo

Yeah, if this was a perfect world!

Resident Evil 2 (1998, PlayStation)

Unlike the WWII shooter franchises I followed from the beginning, when it came to the Resident Evil series I came in second, but I found that sometimes second can beat first. Such is the case with Resident Evil 2, the first survival-horror game I ever played, only to learn later about other genre series like Silent Hill. I played this game at a friends house, in the dark, and remember being freaked-the-fuck out but having the time of my life dodging blood thirsty zombie and (still) creepy as hell hounds. Today the dialogue is even more cheesy than it was years ago and of course the graphics are outdated, but the story and thrills still hold strong. I always revisit this game thanks to my handy dandy GameCube edition (with barely updated graphics, but I’m not going to complain) at least once a year having just as much a good time as I originally did.

Sid Meier’s Civilization V (2010, PC)

Another series where I came late in the game, starting at Civilization IV. Still, all the same I admired the amount of thought and depth that had been put into these games (I have now played all five, and of course given the 100+ hours to V alone). Before I go into V, one of the biggest things my Civ friends and I agreed on was that the main menu track Baba Yetu for IV was beyond epic for a game. So, to much disappointment, when V was released the menu track could not live up to Baba Yetu. Luckily with some minor modifications (some call it modding) I was able to have Baba Yetu play during V’s main menu screen. There are many things that I can say about Civ V, but one of my favorite things would have to be the extensive growth of knowledge that may be learned by the player. The Civilopedia is the game’s official guide and a great well of knowledge about all the civilizations you may play as at different time periods among many cultural and social history and information. It’s on a level where I feel kids could play this in school and truly learn while they play.

Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 (2001, PlayStation 2)

The final on the list, but certainly not last. This was the first console game I ever owned, along with 007: Agent Under Fire, after my parents bought me a PS2, also my first console (remember I used my friends’ consoles, I was fortunate). Having played Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 & 2 the games had become two of the few, if not only, game that I could win against my console whisperer friends I would naturally take 3 out for a spin, naturally. So I did and I liked it…too much. At the time I was living in sunny California and could have been really skateboarding with my friends but instead experienced my first shut-in game. It is good, very good. The biggest improvement was the game physics and the smooth flow of the controls. Of course the graphics and soundtrack were top notch, though my favorite THPS soundtrack is the one for 2. And who didn’t love bailing just to see your skater become surrounded by his blood and get up like nothing happened? I feel that this is still the pinnacle of the series, and another game that I dedicate time to once a year.

Honorable Mention: Blizzard Entertainment

Why? Because it’s Blizzard!

Thanks for reading!

I can’t say that video games have played a major part in my life, but I have definitely experienced many games with attached dedicated hours of screen watching (i.e. 100+ hours on Civilization). I always go through “phases” where games become a bigger part of my life by not allowing me to have a life (irony can be a bitch), such a period is occurring now. So I decided to make a post of my top 5 favorite games from over the years and some reasons why. I hope you all enjoy. Note: my top 5 are on equal levels because they are all so different, so my choice for order will be alphabetically (thank OCD).

Conker’s Bad Fur Day (2001, N64)

This foul mouthed squirrel stole my heart and innocence at the age of 10. For those who don’t know, CBFD is a platform game where you play as Conker the Squirrel, trying to find your way home through a series of crude, hilarious and crafty puzzles/missions after a night of debauchery. The all over experience of the game was unlike anything I had previously played on a N64, and was one of the few titles with a strong M rating for the system. The charming cartoon graphics mixed with the outrageous dialogue (not to mention many odes to famous films) just added fun fuel to an already burning fire. The Xbox remake, Conker: Live and Reloaded, featured turn of the century graphics and was a well done remake, though nothing could have lived up to the original experience.

HλLF-LIFE (series) (1998-present, PC)

I began my gaming career as a PC gamer, being introduced to titles such as Quake III Arena, and I am one of the few people I know who played the original Battlefield 1942, Call of Duty and Medal of Honor when they first were on store shelves (so I think my say is valid when it comes to these franchises and their current directions). Another collection that blew me away was the Half-Life series, a big part playing on my intrigue of realism and sharp storytelling (which I am currently working on an adapted screenplay for Half-Life). Many people can state which game they prefer, if any, where as I see them as all products of their time keeping on the same story-line, though, let’s be honest that Half-Life 2 blew everyone out of the water, with it’s overall performance and well developed characters. I’m also in envy of the persistence and hard work that Valve put into each game, like most of their games (though no one can beat Blizzard).

More to come in Part II…

Stock footage from the snowfall last night in Portland, OR. Shot it with my friends Canon Vixia HF M30. Handy camera, and the video has not been cut or altered.

David Fincher directs the 2011 American version of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, and not only is it a strikingly visual piece that will make you laugh, cry, cringe, or smile, but it holds its own as an adaptation, separating itself from the 2009 Swedish film as a whole new approach to the material, much like the case with Let The Right One In and Let Me In. Daniel Craig and Christopher Plummer are two of the many other actors who contributed grade A performances in both major and minor roles, but no one stands out more than Rooney Mara, who takes a breakthrough role leap and delivers above what is expected, bringing even new layers to the character of Lisbeth Salander, the stories heroine. The soundtrack by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross alone as a musical collection is a great feat, but put it to this film with Fincher’s style and all will sync in beautiful, destructive harmony. ****1/2

(+) Rooney Mara’s performance alone, but also to the cast of amazing actors.

(+) Fincher’s unique positioning and use of the camera, and his direction.

(+) The soundtrack is a great album alone.

(+) The opening title sequence.

(-) At times can be a little slow and confusing, but it deserves many views.

Ratings: ***** (Classic) ****1/2 (Amazing) 

**** (Very Good) ***1/2 (Good)

*** (Pretty Good) **1/2 (Okay)

** (Merely Okay) *1/2 (One or Two Good Things)

* (One Thing Stood Out) 

No Stars (Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen)

Noomi Rapace steals the screen as Lisbeth Salander, a 24 year old hacker with a troubled past, who is hired to work for Mikael Blomkvist, a magazine publisher and author, to solve a series of murders. Dark and grimly shot, only to set the mood for this intense, heart pounding, and very well made film. This movie dares to take you on waters that even in the book may have been much, but unlike most films it is necessary so the audience can truly understand and connect with the characters. Even though Rapace’s Salander comes across as a rough razor by the end of the film I felt I could trust her with my life. ****1/2

(+) Rapace’s performance is groundbreaking.

(-) 15 minutes too long.

Ratings: ***** (Classic) ****1/2 (Amazing)

**** (Very Good) ***1/2 (Good)

*** (Pretty Good) **1/2 (Okay)

** (Merely Okay) *1/2 (One or Two Good Things)

* (One Thing Stood Out)

No Stars (Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen)