Poets of the Fall’s new single from Alchemy Vol. 1

Spoiler Alert: It’s EPIC!

meredithmolinari-poeticramblings:

but it bleeds like a well.

So I suck.

My mouth fills with the mineral taste of iron.

Tannic on the tongue.

Pulsing,

my heart beats in my head.

These are my most anticipated games of this year. (Note: I left out LittleBigPlanet 2 because I already have it, and it’s brilliant.)

Runner Ups:

15. Killzone 3

14. Infamous 2

13. Batman: Arkham City

12. Alice: Madness Returns

11. The Last Guardian

10. Journey

From the masterminds behind Flower and Flow, this PSN exclusive looks to provide more enchanting and relaxing gameplay than either of thatgamecompany’s previous titles. You are a nameless drifter, on a Journey to a mountain. There are no enemies or consequences in your way. Just a huge open-world with plenty of obstacles standing between you and your destination. The game includes a type of “multiplayer” which is quite innovative. Multiple different players on PSN will be in any one open-world at a given time, but there’s no voice-chat or PSN name over their head. It’s a completely anonymous interaction. You must find ways to physically communicate with others if you want them to join you on your journey. It’s a very neat take on multiplayer that I’ve never seen done before.

9. Duke Nukem Forever

One of the few games that absolutely, 100% lives up to its title. This has been a LONG time coming. 14 years in the making. Now it’s (maybe) FINALLY coming on May 3rd. Duke Nukem Forever is the sequel to Duke Nukem 3D. That’s pretty much all that is know about the plot. That’s alright, because Duke Nukem games arent about the plot, they’re about violence, aliens, babes, cheesy humor, and… violence. Judging from what we’ve seen on the game so far, Forever will be delivering all of that, plus more, in an adrenaline shot straight to the brain.

8. Twisted Metal

Sweet Tooth is BACK! And in a big way. ‘Eat Sleep Play’ is FINALLY bringing the legendary Twisted Metal franchise to the current gen. Twisted Metal seems to be a reboot of sorts (note the title) for the “Twisted Metal” franchise, which I’ll assume means that ‘Eat Sleep Play’ wants this to be a fresh start for the series and draw in players that have never played a “Twisted Metal” game before. That seems to be a good idea, seeing as anyone who doesn’t know about Twisted Metal may be a bit weary jumping right into “TWISTED METAL 5: THE BATTLE CONTINUES.” But this game is looking like a crazy good time so far, with the inclusion of modes like ‘NUKE’, which looks ridiculous. It’s going to be one hell of a good time.

7. Portal 2

GLaDOS is back, and she still wants you dead. Especially after you tore her to pieces. And threw ever piece into a fire. You monster. Portal 2 takes places many MANY years after the events of “Portal”, and the Aperture Science labs are all but demolished. Your main goal is to escape, and that means lots of good ol’ portal puzzles. GLaDOS wants you dead, and she will try to make that a reality any way she can. You will meet a host of characters (robots) along the way who will flesh out the story (and attack your funny bone). Portal 2 adds a LOT of new elements to the original’s gameplay, such as different types of paints that change the way a surface reacts to you, and much more. It’s said to be two and a half times as long as “Portal”, and it includes a completely separate co-op mode that is apparently just shorter than that. Sounds great.

6. Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception

Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune was a great game with great characters. It was a joy to play, and still is. Uncharted 2: Among Thieves took everything great about Drake’s Fortune and multiplied it by 100. It was incredible. One of the best games this generation, and now Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception is looking to achieve that same status. This time Drake and the gang are searching for the ‘Atlantis of the Sands’, following in the footsteps of T.E. Lawrence (aka. Lawrence of Arabia). I can’t wait to see what Naughty Dog has in store this time.

5. Hitman 5

This may or may not come out this year. It’s supposed to, but there’s a chance that it won’t. That said, it would be a crime to leave it off the list. The Hitman series is one of the most consistently improved series’ there is. Each one just blows the last one out of the water. Hitman 5 is supposedly going to reboot the entire series and change things around, while keeping the basics the same. I’m incredibly excited to see what they do with it.

4. The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword

The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword is a prequel to one of the greatest games of all time (Ocarina of Time). Link lives in Skyloft, which is a group of islands floating in the sky. He is living an ordinary life, until he finds the Skyward Sword. The Skyward Sword transports him to a world below which just so happens to be ruled by evil forces. Expect awesome Wii Motion Plus controls, and some great dungeon crawling gameplay. It’s been a while since I played Twilight Princess, and yet it stays with me. Just like all the Zelda games. There’s something about them that makes them truly special to me, and I can’t wait for this one.

3. Deus Ex: Human Revolution

Deus Ex. Oh yes. Every time I hear the name I want to play through it again. Such an incredibly innovative game, that still isn’t paralleled in it’s genre. Deus Ex: Human Revolution is a prequel to Deus Ex. In 2027, 25 years before Deus Ex, Adam Jensen witnesses an attack on the company he works for and is seriously injured, and requires augmentations to save his life. These aren’t the nanotech augmentations from the first two games, as they weren’t around yet. These are biomechanical augmentations, which should be an interesting diversion from Deus Ex and Invisible War. If the first two games are anything to go by, expect a first-person action RPG with a story full of twists and turns, betrayals, and conspiracy. I doubt that Human Revolution will live up to the first game, but I would love to be proved wrong.

2. Max Payne 3

I never thought this game would ever come. Ever since Rockstar bought the rights to the series years ago, I thought it was done. Max Payne is my favorite game series of all-time. And you cannot measure how much I am anticipating the release of Max Payne 3. We don’t have much info on it as of yet, but what we do know is that this is a very different Max Payne. Set in Sao Paulo, Brazil; this is a much different setting than the first two games (snowy Manhattan). 12 years after the events of Max Payne 2, Max has hit rock bottom. He had to get away from New York, and leave that life behind. But in Sao Paulo, it doesn’t take long for Max to return to diving and gunning and painkiller popping. This, and my number one choice are pretty much tied. I can’t choose one over the other. The reason I have this at number two, is because, with the amount of delays it keeps receiving, it may not actually come this year. But like with Deus Ex, it would be a crime to leave it off the list.

1. LA Noire

Rockstar’s Grand Theft Auto III revolutionized gaming forever. It introduced the idea of ‘freedom’ to gamers. Now Rockstar and Team Bondi’s LA Noire, is on track to revolutionize gaming, yet again. But not in the same way as GTA III. LA Noire is a film noir detective thriller, set in 1947 Los Angeles. As Cole Phelps, a WWII vet, you will rise through the ranks at the LAPD as you solve crimes around the city. LA Noire uses a brand new technology that can map everything about an actor’s performance, into the game. This means that the whole uncanny valley thing goes straight out the window, and everyone you interact with in the game is REAL. Every nuance is captured and put directly into the game. This is very important to the gameplay, because you will be doing plenty of interrogations. And you must pay attention to how the other person is behaving, and decide whether they’re lying, hiding something, frightened, etc. and use that to figure out how to react to them. What they are doing with this technology is sure to change gaming, as more and more developers make use of it. That’s not all you’ll be doing though, there’s crime scenes to investigate, rooftop chases, shootouts, etc. The city is totally open to explore, and it’s a nearly one to one recreation of 1940’s LA. This is without a doubt the biggest game of 2011. I can’t wait.

You are the King of Britain. Your father died, leaving the throne to your brother, who gave it up to marry a divorced American, and now you are King.You don’t want to be King. You must go on the radio and deliver a speech to all of Britain, and half the world, declaring war on Germany. You— have a— stammer.

This is Bertie’s dilemma.

His whole life (or as far back as he can remember) Bertie has had a stammer. He talks in— strange— bursts of tense— words and torturous moments— of silence. His father was the King of Britain, before dying and passing it on to Bertie’s brother, Edward. Edward is in love with an American who is said to have been divorced three times. He is so in love with her that he gives up the throne to Bertie, so that he can marry her. This is the last thing that Bertie wants. His debilitating stammer hinders his speech at all times, and that just isn’t suitable for a man who must speak for an entire nation. So he seeks help, hoping to cure his speech impediment. After a series of failed attempts, including the old ‘marbles in the mouth’ trick, Bertie gives up hope. That is, until his wife, Elizabeth, gets him an appointment with Lionel Logue.

Lionel is a failed Australian actor turned speech therapist. The first appointment is about two steps up from a complete disaster. Bertie is repelled by Lionel’s unorthodox methods, and leaves. Eventually he returns though, and over time, they build a friendship. This is one of the truest ‘bonding between two characters’ I’ve seen in years. It’s a joy to watch Bertie and Lionel interact as the film progresses.

The performances in The King’s Speech are all winners. Colin Firth as Bertie, Geoffrey Rush as Lionel, and Helena Bonham Carter as Elizabeth. They are each played to perfection. The direction is incredibly innovative, and wonderfully inventive for a period piece. Tom Hooper, the director, has a bright future. Nearly every shot in the film is unique, and works in ways you wouldn’t think at first.

The film is immensely entertaining, and charming on an unprecedented level. I smiled almost the whole way through. It’s so much fun to watch these characters interact with each other. I felt like I was there with them, in the moment. I wasn’t just watching, and waiting for the inevitable finale when Bertie gives the big speech. Though when that moment comes, and everything is it couldn’t be more powerful. Everything leading up to that moment pulled me in so much that I became a nervous wreck as the climax came creeping up. It felt like I was marching into that room, to give a speech to half the world. I felt as if I was King George VI, and the weight of the nation was on my shoulders. And that is a grand accomplishment in filmmaking.

Charming, engrossing, authentic, original, and fun as all hell. A new classic.

———

9/10

Let me start off by saying that I do not watch bad films on a regular basis. These are the worst films that I’VE seen this year, and I can almost guarantee that some of these wouldn’t be on here had I watched some of the films I have avoided (Grown Ups, Yogi Bear, etc.). So here we go, the 5 worst films I’ve seen this year.

5. A Nightmare on Elm Street

This film is just fucking stupid. Another Hollywood remake that tarnishes the name of the original in every way imaginable. Nothing new or interesting is introduced (except for ‘micro-naps’, which I’ll admit is neat), which leads to the big question. What the fuck was the point of making this? And, of course, the answer is the same as it always is with remakes. Money. A lot of the film doesn’t even make any sense. Like, at one point, Nancy is on the internet, looking for other kids that went to her preschool, who may be having the same nightmares that she is. She keeps finding articles of their deaths. Well eventually she comes across some Asian guy on the list, who has a personal blog. He has been posting videos, documenting his experience with the nightmares. In the last video, he dozes off, and is killed (by Freddy). Okay… so after he was killed, he somehow found a way to upload the video (of himself DYING) to his blog? This film is filled with nonsense like this. The characters are as one-dimensional as it gets. The only thing that I found relatable about the characters, is that while watching the movie, I was also fighting as hard as I could to stay awake.

4. The Expendables

Hey bruh! It’s The Expendables! FUCK YEAH! Oh, wait. Fuck no. Do you want to watch something that you will almost certainly forget that you even saw by the next day? Check out The Expendables. It’s an orgy of homo-eroticism, starring many of the greatest action movie stars from the past 30 years. The poster for the film has an endless list of ‘stars’, though only 3 or 4 of them appear enough in the film enough to even be considered a lead. But that doesn’t matter, if they’re at least in the movie kicking ass, right? Well look at Mickey Rourke. He’s in the movie for all of 5-6 minutes. And even that is split up between multiple scenes, like ya know, him drawing a tattoo on Stallone, and crying. Yes, crying. At least there’s one good scene. It includes Sylvester Stallone, Arnold Schwarzenegger, and Bruce Willis meeting in a church. And then you blink, and it’s over. Now you must endure over an hour more of nonsense.

3. Predators

Okay, you’ve seen this movie tons of times. It’s as formulaic as it gets. You know from the very beginning who’s going to live (see picture), and who isn’t. It’s just a matter of who goes first, and how? It’s a dreadfully predictable experience. Why is it so fucking difficult to make a ‘Predator’ movie? The original was decent, and then everything that bears the name after that has been complete shit. It’s an interesting universe, but its potential is always just completely wasted. Also, with a title like Predators, any person would expect a fucking LEAGUE of predators to be fucking shit up. But there’s only 2. Or 3. I forget. I had completely forgotten about this movie, until I started doing this list.

2. Kick-Ass

Kick-Ass is the longest movie I have ever seen. It’s under two hours, yet it feels twice as long as Titanic. It just goes on and on and on, and never feels like it’s going anywhere. Then it ends, and you realize it didn’t go anywhere. The main flaw with this film is that it’s just so mind-numbingly boring. Nothing interesting happens, AT all. When Nicholas Cage, in a supporting role, is the single decent thing in a film, then holy shit. I don’t remember anything that happened in any of the action scenes, at all. Not only because they’re forgettable, but because I never saw them in the first place. There are so many quick cuts in each fight scene that it makes you wonder why they even bothered having the scene in the first place. You can’t tell what the fuck is going on. You just see a bunch of blurs, with the occasional scream, gunshot, or blood squirt sound effects. I’m exaggerating, obviously, but not by much. I don’t see how anyone can like this, but I hear some people LOVE it. If I could love it for anything, it would be to cure my insomnia.

1. The Human Centipede (First Sequence)

Okay, I’m ashamed to say that I have indeed taken the time to watch this. As with any film on this list, I do not recommend seeing it (obviously). But with The Human Centipede, I need to flat-out say it. DO NOT FUCKING WATCH THIS. It is not worthy of anyone’s time. For those who don’t know what this is, it’s a film about a nutjob surgeon who kidnaps 3 annoying dipshits and surgically transforms them into a ‘human centipede’. I won’t go into anymore detail on what that means, but lets just say that you don’t want to be in the middle (see picture). The film is despicable. I would be afraid to meet someone who actually enjoys this film. The acting is atrocious. Annoyingly so. I was actually anticipating the ‘human centipede’ surgery, because at least then two of their mouths would be sewn shut. When it actually happens though, it turns out that they put the most annoying person in the front (meaning the only one who’s mouth isn’t sewn into an asshole). It’s an Asian guy who doesn’t speak a word of English, and feels the need to scream non-stop in a language that I’m not even sure is real. This whole film is a dreadful experience, but the worst part is that it isn’t over yet. In 2011, get ready for The Human Centipede II (Full Sequence).

RUNNER UPS

15. TRON: Legacy

14. Machete

13. Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World

12. Easy A

11. The Kids Are All Right

THE TOP 10

2010 has been a great year for cinema. Below are the top 10 films I have seen this year, and each one is destined to become a classic in the coming years. (Please keep in mind that I have not seen ‘The King’s Speech’ or ‘127 Hours’)

10. Hereafter

Hereafter is the latest film directed by the legendary Clint Eastwood, and it is the story of three individuals from around the world, whose lives come together in an unlikely series of events. What comes after death? Is it just an eternal void, or is there some sort of hereafter awaiting us? These are the questions that we ask ourselves as we watch this film, and the film doesn’t attempt to answer them. Clint Eastwood has a very distinct style in his direction that is hard not to adore, and all of the leads play their part incredibly well (especially Cécile De France). The film effortlessly intrigues by exploring the different theories of what will be waiting for us after death, without shoving any religious or anti-religious nonsense down our throats.

9. Inception

An action thriller set within 4 different levels of the human subconscious. Inception is the latest film from Christopher Nolan, and it does not disappoint. This script has been 10 years in the making, and it shows. Nolan got an awesome ensemble cast together, including: Leonardo DiCaprio, Michael Caine, Tom Hardy (who was incredible in Bronson), Marion Cotillard, Cillian Murphy, etc. The list goes on. Everyone is terrific in their roles (especially Cillian Murphy and Marion Cotillard) and Nolan’s direction is good (except for a few nauseating action scenes). It’s a great story, with a great ending.

8. Black Swan

Watch Black Swan, and then tell me that YOUR life sucks. This is one film that is NOT short on dread. It’s extremely unsettling, and in the 3rd act there were times when I had to remind myself to breathe. That’s part of what makes it so great. Darren Aronofsky isn’t a stranger to directing films that leave you exhausted and depressed. Natalie Portman puts on the performance of her career as the obsessed ballerina, Nina Sayers. Nina is a fascinating character, that you feel like you get to know a little, and then she pulls the rug out from under you later on. Vincent Cassel is great as well, playing the director of the ‘Swan Lake’ show, but the person that stood out the most (even more than Natalie) was Winona Ryder, who played Beth. Beth is the former dancer that was fired, and replaced by Nina. Every scene she’s in (not many, sadly) she steals. I’ll be disappointed if Winona Ryder isn’t nominated for supporting actress at this year’s Oscars.

7. Winter’s Bone

This little indie flick is doing very well for itself. Winning awards left and right, and for good reason. Winter’s Bone is the bleak tale of Ree Dolly (Jennifer Lawrence) and her quest to find her father. He must show up to court, or Ree and her family will lose their home. On her journey she encounters the surprisingly creepy, and dangerous folks in the community that may know of her father’s whereabouts. Is he dead? Is he on the run? This film really gets under your skin, and couldn’t be more engrossing. The tension, suspense, and dread that is accomplished in this film will catch you off-guard. It’s a great experience.

6. The Social Network

I had mixed feelings about The Social Network when it was first announced. “A Facebook movie? Really?” I knew that David Fincher was directing, and Aaron Sorkin was writing, but something still felt a little off. The rave reviews started pouring in leading up to the release, and got me excited to see it. When I finally saw it opening night, I was floored. It was sensational. Everything from Aaron Sorkin’s sharp and zippy dialogue, to Fincher’s incredible direction, to Trent Reznor’s great score; everything meshed together to make one incredible film. The film is loosely based on the true events that led to the creation of one of the biggest websites in history. Maybe you’ve heard of it. Mark Zuckerberg is a very interesting character who you can’t quite decide whether you love, or hate. He is played brilliantly by Jesse Eisenberg, and he is joined by the likes of Andrew Garfield, Justin Timberlake, Armie Hammer, and Rooney Mara who are all brilliant as well. This film moves at a break-neck pace, with blogging/hacking scenes playing out like intense action scenes, betrayals left and right, and morally ambiguous characters interacting in surprisingly intriguing situations. This is one great film.

5. The Ghost Writer

In The Ghost Writer, Ewan McGregor plays a man (he is never named) that is hired to be the (surprise) ghost writer for former British prime minister, Adam Lang’s autobiography. Soon The Ghost begins discovering secrets that could get him killed. This intense, political mystery thriller is Roman Polanski’s best film in years. The direction is flawless, and the script is terrific. Ewan McGregor is on top of his game, giving the best performance of his career. There’s not a dull moment to be found here. It is intriguing as hell from the very beginning, to the incredible final shot. There’s even an awesome cameo from the legendary Eli Wallach.

4. I Love You Phillip Morris

I know that this came out last year in every other country, but it finally received a US release this year, so it’s fair game. I Love You Phillip Morris is one hilariously fun film to watch. Why are nearly all great modern love stories about gay men? The chemistry between Jim Carrey and Ewan McGregor in the film is wonderful. On more than one occasion I was on the verge of crying. Jim Carrey puts on the performance of his career as the con-man Steven Russell, who falls in love with (guess who?) Phillip Morris, in prison. The film is a fast-paced chronicle of Steven Russell’s life as a con-man, and his relationship with Phillip. This is one smart comedy, and it never fails to charm and surprise you. Most of the things that you see happen in this film will seem preposterous. “Like THAT could ever happen.” But everything in the film DID really happen. It really did.

3. Buried

Buried is one of the most suspenseful films to be released in years. It is about a truck driver in Iraq named Paul Conroy. After his convoy is attacked by insurgents, he blacks out and wakes up buried six feet underground, in a coffin. This is where the film begins, a few moments before he wakes up. We never leave the coffin throughout the entire film. Paul has a lighter, a flask of liquor, and a Blackberry phone. He is running out of oxygen, and doesn’t have much time to get out. It is incredible how much action and suspense director Rodrigo Cortés is able to inject into 95 minutes of being in a coffin. This is the definition of an ‘edge-of-your-seat thriller’. Ryan Reynolds isn’t someone I typically enjoy to watch on-screen, but he is phenomenal here. Putting on a one man show, in a coffin, for 95 minutes is a daunting task, but he pulls it off completely. The ending is phenomenal, as well.

2. Shutter Island

Martin Scorsese, oh how I love thee. He is the director of so many all-time greats, that it’s hard to think of him as human. Shutter Island is his latest work, and of course, it is phenomenal. This is a psychological thriller starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Mark Ruffalo in the greatest performances of both of their careers. Teddy Daniels (Dicaprio) and Chuck Aule (Ruffalo) are U.S. Marshals sent to a mental hospital (for the criminally insane) on ‘Shutter Island’ to investigate the mysterious disappearance of a patient. When they arrive, they meet with Dr. Cawley, played by the terrific Sir Ben Kingsley, and as their investigation progresses they begin to see that there may be something sinister going on on the island. This film is as unsettling as it gets. It is made with such a wonderful and unique visual style, combined with Scorsese’s masterful direction and ability to fully engross the viewer into what they are seeing. This is a film that not only warrants a viewing, but demands a second and third at least.

1. Toy Story 3

I don’t even know where to begin. This film is absolutely incredible. From start to finish this film is as entertaining as it gets. It is expertly crafted and plays off of every emotion you could possibly think of (joy, sadness, excitement, loneliness, regret). Toy Story 3 is the perfect film to end the greatest trilogy of all-time, and it is the best in the trilogy. It’s hilarious, it’s sad, it’s exciting, it’s heartfelt, etc. It is one of the very few films that I deem to be perfect. It is perfection. There is not one flaw. The ending is one of the greatest I have ever seen. I’ve never felt so many emotions erupting inside of me at once. It’s not just the best film of the year (by far), it is one of the greatest films of all-time. You have to see this film.

Goodfellas on Bluray, obviously.