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nclogan2000
Reviews
Motocross Championship (1994)
An ugly game overall.
We had this on the Sega 32x after my Dad bought a bunch of games at a fire sale in 1995. I finally got around to playing it and it's just sad.
You know something is wrong when it plays as bad as it looks. Why do the graphics on 8-bit racers like Pole Position and Out-Run look better than this? Why does the practice game have eight competitors jammed in at the start line when four would do the job? Why do they take up a fourth of the screen (yes, a fourth!) with the lower third where the time and lap numbers are? Technical limitations? It's totally unnecessary.
The 32x may get a bad rap, but there are better games on there than this. Just avoid.
Computer Chronicles: Compatibles (IBM Clones) (1985)
First episode I ever saw of Computer Chronicles
Somehow, YouTube steered me toward this after I stated watching Halt and Catch Fire. This episode is a great primer on IBM clones from back in the day and a great introduction to the series as a whole.
Even a computer novice like myself was fascinated by topics like:
-How makers of these compatibles had to make a BIOS that IBM couldn't sue them over
-Who were the players in this IBM Compatible market (Compaq, Tandy, etc.) and how did they sell themselves to the greater public
Granted, this is now a historical episode and not a current one as IBM is no longer in the PC business, but it is fascinating nonetheless.
It almost makes you want to go out and build your own PC!
Assault on Precinct 13 (1976)
One of the best films of its kind.
"Assault of Precinct 13" is a superb example of the roller-coaster suspense thriller. Like "Jaws," "Alien," "Aliens," and many others I can't think of right now, "Assault" is a film where the enemy's presence comes and goes, growing more ominous and scary with each successive return. Then it's presence is thrust upon the main characters, and there is no going back.
There are a couple of flaws with the film: For example, a couple of the climactic showdowns aren't as crisply edited as they could be, and some of the acting is a bit wooden. However, that doesn't matter when you are watching a film that fully knows and understands fear and the unknown, and shakes you to the core.
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)
"Eternal Sunshine" is Overrated
I was really looking forward to seeing this film more than a year ago, and when I did, I thought it was alright, but not brilliant. In the coming months, critics and audiences had lauded praise over the film. I do agree that it has some brilliant writing, and the concept is quite an original, but there was one thing it lacked: magic. Maybe I'm the only one, but the movie didn't click with me. I didn't like Kate Winslet's character, and I especially didn't see why Jim Carrey's character was so in to her. Also, the twist ending, about how the beginning of the movie was really the end, I saw coming a mile away.
One last thing, I think Charlie Kaufman is getting way too much attention. I loved Adaptation and Being John Malcovich (sorry, if I've spelled it wrong), but each successive Charlie Kaufman movie is paying more attention to the fact that Charlie Kaufman wrote and not whether the movie is any good.
Constantine (2005)
Constantine is a decent action film.
Constantine stars Keanu Reeves as the title character. He's a man with the ability to see half-demons, half-humans, and all other strange supernatural doings, fighting them with screeching beetle boxes and a holy-cross shaped shotgun. Rachel Weisz is a detective who needs Constantine to find out if her half-sister really committed suicide, or if the devil made her do it.
Now, the previews led me to believe that they were going to take the premise and run with it, making every attempt to mine the suspense, fun, fright, and cool special effects out of it as much as they can. However, trailers always make you think that way, because they always include the best parts, edited for maximum impact.
The movie itself is decent. It creates a somewhat-complex character out of the two-note Keanu Reeves (which isn't an insult, he can play two notes very well), where his chain- smoking not only represents his way of not dealing with his fate, but also his subconscious desire to bring his life to an end. The special effects are good, especially with the car crash in the beginning. The story gets muddled toward the end, but it still kept my attention. I recommend it as a modest time-passer.