Diablo II was released on June 29, 2000. I purchased it about a week or so after that at a Sams Club. It has been almost twelve years since I popped that bad boy in my PC and took off on an adventure that I still play to this day. For years, I've raided Uber-Tristram, killed countless Baal's, Mephisto's and Diablo's and probably a billion of their minions. I love Diablo II. Though it's not without faults, it's one of the few games that has captivated gamers like myself in such a way that Pac-Man and Mario did before it. And after 12 years of longing for a sequel, 12 long years of theory-crafting and being baited at every sequel post on forums and game sites, Diablo III is here.

Diablo III plays drastically different than its predecessor and the first notable mechanic revealed to the player is that of how smoothe and fluid the combat system is. It is not without its polish. There are countless abilities and thousands of skill/rune combinations to play around with. All of the classes feel unique and powerful in their own ways and play off of the group dynamic well. The horde of evil you set off against is vast and imposing. Diablo III's successes stem from its presentation. It's a well polished game that feels fluid straight down to every framerate (when the game isn't lagging due to server issues). So, the inevitable question is "Is Diablo III a worth successor?

No. It is not.

Could it be? Maybe.

Diablo III is not a bad game. Far from it. It is a great game. But it's not Diablo. Not really. It's a polished up action RPG in the same vein and it is a prime example of what greed does to corporations. Gamers should be used to getting screwed. Activision releases the same shooter every year, EA fucked up Mass Effect's ending so bad it's humorous, and now Blizzard has taken what made Diablo and Diablo II so fun and threw that out the window. It's a sad trend in video games lately and it will continue. Narrative is replaced with instant gratification and flashy carrots on sticks to entice the gaming populous and lead them down the dark path of consumerism.

One of the most disappointing things that hit me about the time I finished Act 2 is realizing how bad the story was. The story is shit. It is dumbed down and repetitive. Such intelligent dialogue as "The LORD OF LIES would never betray me!" and repetitive "Hey, I'm Azmodan, I am gonna kill you harder than the time I previously told you that I was going to kill you so yeah that's pretty hard!" Bad guys are forced down your throat, the twists you can see coming a mile away, and all of the villains are simple cookie cutter monsters. Belial is supposed to be "THE LORD OF LIES," yet he's so very bad at it. It's humorous how even your followers are like "Hey, you're lying!" Azmodan, the great strategist that he is portrayed as, simply uses a frontal assault to take out a well fortified castle. It's insulting to my intelligence. Diablo II had a foreboding sense of danger around every turn. Diablo III says "fuck it," and throws every cliche ever written straight in. The story doesn't completely fall flat; the three followers that you gain are a lively bunch, as well as old favorites like Tyreal, Cain, and Adria. The Scoundrel says things that literally make me laugh out loud and the Enchantress adds a lot of mystique to the lore. However, all of these characters can't make up for a half-assed story that falls flat on its face with mundane dialogue and poor antagonists.

The most glaring problem with Diablo III is it's difficulty curve. Normal, Nightmare, and Hell are all pretty easy. The Bossfights are a joke, and the only trouble anyone usually has are with elites and rare monsters with pre-fixes. Those pre-fixes are sometimes really stupid and occasionally make the game un-fun. It sucks to be farming out a random dungeon and come across a fire-chain-invulnerable-vortex-molten or something dumb like that. Named mobs are incredibly easy even though on latter difficulties they have a bajillion hitpoints. The difficulty spikes are sometimes unforgiving. Especially on Inferno. I find my character, after being able to solo an entire dungeon, being one shotted by some random rare that just happens upon me. The spikes in the curve are terrible. Inferno is hard for the sake of being hard, not for the sake of challenge and that takes away from the game quite a bit.

In Diablo II you had all of the tools you needed at your disposal to take down anything at anytime. The difficulty in Diablo III forces you in to builds and play styles that are a must to survive. It's not a game where you can play how you want. You are forced to use invincibility skills, or stuns, or buffs, you don't have the options to use them. You are limited to the spells on your action bar and that's ultimately where combat falls apart. The limiting of those strategic choices make the game boring and empty. It can be frustrating at times to know that you can't beat a certain mob without picking a certain ability. Blizzard's development team have insisted that this is the way the game is intended to be played and that is unfortunate.

Speaking of development problems, itemization is broken. It's really annoying finding a rare barbarian only belt with .07 spirit regen  (monk only passive). I understand what they were going for with the extreme randomization of stats but they failed to see the point. We want loot we can use. It's as simple as that. We want to pick up a badass legendary item that owns bosses in a few shots. It's a reward for our time, it's bragging rights, it's a "LOOK AT ME!" kind of thing. There's something about being a character with a really unique sword or armor that is rewarding to me.

All in All, Diablo III is a shadow of what it should be. I know Diablo II had its problems, and it took a long time to fix those problems, but the core gameplay mechanics were sound. Diablo III doesn't have this going for it. I don't think it can survive the wait. Drastic changes need to come in order for Diablo III to stand up beside its predecessor, it just doesn't seem like Blizzard is taking that seriously. It really isn't a bad game, but I fear that it will be a wasted opportunity for Blizzard, a wasted chance in place of something wonderful.

7 out of 10.

yes. we're dumb.

We are a distracted people. Humanity has finally overcome the little things with more and more little things. When I think about how much I rely on technology, it kind of scares me. For instance, how often do I check my phone daily? 15-20 times? How often do we log onto Facebook just to see if someone has replied to our posts or liked our status? People are craving more and more social recognition online than in person and I believe that may be the moral decay of our society. Indoctrination to the vast world that we know little about.

Everyone knows I can talk about anything. I talk too much.  Sometimes people give me odd looks like I'm super smart and they just don't get it or that I'm super dumb and they just don't get it. I think I'm interesting. I think part of that comes by taking advantage of humanity's weakness: face-to-face interaction. I have a loud, obnoxious personality sometimes but other times, I can be very engaging. I know my social weaknesses, but I still have a great strength in language that most people lack. People can say anything they want in written form, I used to be that way too. I only wrote what I felt and let my pen do the talking... I have since learned to make my words poignant and visceral. I get a lot of odd looks when I say what's on my mind, partially because I'm weird and partially because people are not used to forwardness in conventional conversation.

Social Networking is a bastardization of media, consumerism, and Psychology. On twitter, news of the London Riots reached 1.6 million people in less than four minutes, 28 minutes before any news organization had the story on air. Facebook games are a billion dollar industry, literally thousands of people pay money to buy things for an imaginary game world like farmville. Can you imagine if our efforts were dedicated collectively towards a real farm?

The positive aspects of the internet can be seen as well, I won't deny what a great source of information the internet is and the positive influence it has had over my own life. I spend a lot of time discovering things I do not know or have never heard. I'm able to study cultures I'd never even known about, learn about quantum mechanics on a basic level, get help with my math homework, and find out about local and national news in seconds. We take in so much information daily but unfortunately we use and apply very little of that information. We have a great social tool, we have a sociological melting pot and panacea at our disposal, yet we treat it as a great nepenthe, a parasite feeding off our distraction.

Instead of talking to someone, we text. Why? Because it's easier? No, more than likely it's because we are becoming more antisocial. People are getting dumber. Take a look at american politics or our media and their reliance on conservative or liberal one liners and twitter to see that happening before your eyes. We use lol, lmfao, and idk to form full thoughts and sentences. We have disregarded all of the benefits that come with going out and having a beer with friends, we can't even hold a conversation without checking our phones. I'm as guilty as anyone. No one truly writes anymore, they blog. No one talks, they texts or message each other. How well do we know our friends outside of their technological lives? At what point do we consider ourselves part of this mass machine as we lose our individuality? I can't say for certain what the future holds, but I do believe that as our communication becomes crippled, so will our world. If we were asked about the defining moment in history two hundred years from now, what would that be? For me, it would be the day everyone stopped paying attention.

Relationships.

When I think back to the girls I have been in love with, I realize they have all moved on with assholes, cheaters, morons and imbeciles. It's ironic that I felt I was not good enough or that I lacked something. I know that I have my flaws, and when you are trying to date someone, sometimes the flaws are all they try and see. But as long as I have felt that I was the problem, seeing the outcome, perhaps it wasn't me after all. They've surely had people they've compared me to let them down and cheat and lie to them. So, the question is, what, exactly, was I being compared to?  

It's easy to look at the situation they are in and revel in it. To some degree I do, but I don't feel any better about the bad things that have happened to them. And the ones that I have "loved," I think the same is true for anyone: I carry little pieces inside of me that cut like knives (I know what you were talking about, Bryan Adams!) when I see them or hear them. I tend to avoid them for that reason. I'm not sure that I'm really out of love or in love. But there is something that bothers me about my past, still.

It's difficult for me to love. It has to do with how things turned out, or the things that were said that eventually got back to me, or the harsh realities that were set in, or finding out that I was just kept around as a backup plan. My love life has been a terrible mark on my past. I've never been able to hold a relationship long or impress someone enough during a date. As a result, I have an emotional disconnect from humanity, which makes it even harder to do anything more than go through the motions. Complicated by the fact that I purposely stay busy to avoid such decisions or impulses, I think I wont ever get it figured out.

Now, it may sound like I blame the women I dated or tried to date. I don't. The blame is in the mirror. There are a lot of things that I would do differently but that boils down to the fact that I am different. I still keep my imagination, I still hold on to child-like qualities. I have no intention of ever being deemed an outstanding member of society. I enjoy the mischief I occasionally get into. I don't fit into the molds women have set for me. I'm not handsome, I'm not a cowboy, and I'm not James Dean. But like James Dean, I am a rebel, someone that sees things for what they are and I have a brutal case of honesty. This is all a result of my past and my failures that have made me who I am. I am a decent guy who just happens to be devoid of a lot of societal bullshit.

I've spent a lot of my time in life observing people. There are a few reasons for this: I don't trust them, I don't like them, and I am just that curious. What makes me most curious about their lives is how they conduct their own relationships. I see intelligent, mature women fall into the same pitfalls as a young, naive girls for little reason other than they just want to be told that they're beautiful. And I see guys taking advantage of this...because...well, it's easy to do. Tell them what they want to hear, it's the oldest trick in the book. You can be in bed with anyone in as little as 3 months. Tried and true.

This is all because people have made their relationships into a game they play. Scores are tallied both positive and negative. And few people are willing to wake up. Time doesn't make things better. I see a lot of women who hold off dating someone for months if not years because the last relationship didn't work out, only to end up going down the same road. Guys have this "warrior" culture when it comes to sex. Peer pressure and stupidity seems to have a huge influence over today's young men. Our pop culture doesn't make it any better.

I don't wish ill on the women I loved. I do wish them the best, despite how I was made to feel or what was said. I won't lie and say I'm happy with how things ended up...but I am happy with other things in my life. I'm not prince charming, I'm the first to admit that and a couple of you wouldn't let me forget it. Attraction plays a huge role in the beginnings of a relationship and that's a part that I do tend to fail...yet, I have no desire to play the game as you would have expect me to play it. If you want honesty, just ask for it and hold yourself to a higher standard, albeit a rationally thought out one.

As I said, I'm no Prince Charming.... but I am King Arthur. I have my kingdom, that's more than some of you can say. This is all more than I wanted to say.

All Heart.

It wasn't easy for her to care: In fact, it just didn't come natural. Her hair slipped behind her sunglasses and made her eye twitch. She saw that she was doing 80, but it didn't feel a bit over 55; a firm believer in driving fast with he windows down and it was a great day for a drive.

There were no cars on the road. Small town life is easier lived than thought of, or so it seems. The radio was playing some old Tom Petty song and her fingers reacted accordingly on the steering wheel. She kept thinking how warm it was tonight and that in a mere hour she'd be clubbing it up with her girls. The thought of the binge nudged her curiosity. Where would she end up tonight? Oh, the possibilities.

The tire wobbled before it blew out and sent her car into the guard rail. The windshield cracked as the car spun around seemingly from nothing. The steering wheel pulled a hard left against her hard right and her wrist snapped. The spinning car gained speed before settling comfortably over an embankment and her mouth smacked the steering wheel as a conclusive kiss upon arriving to her surprising destination. She tasted blood and couldn't move her arm. The door opened and she rolled out.

Her thoughts first wandered to "I'm gonna be late to the club," before finally setting upon "Holy Fuck." She felt her teeth: All there. Her wrist wasn't so lucky. The bone etched its way through the skin. She clutched her forearm with her left hand and held the wrist in air. Blood trickled down her arm. She threw up on herself and worked her way from her knees to her feet.

The Mustang was busted. Candle Apple paint littered the side of the bank as she made her back up to toward the road. In an act of conceit, she brushed the dust from her jeans and shirt while sacrificing her comfort to a sharp pain emanating from her wrist. There was dust in the wound and it felt like a thousand small fires.

Two directions presented themselves to her as new found options: "The way I came or The way I'm heading."

Given her trip toward her destination wasn't really working out, she headed back towards town. It wasn't long before some kind stranger pulled up and offered her a ride to the hospital. She smiled then collapsed onto the ground.

She woke up surrounded by doctors. It seemed as if all was a split second dream that made no sense. Like any newly woke person, those few precious seconds that blend our dreams with reality felt so wonderful. And then of course, throbbing agonizing pain. Words were tossed around above her in the confusion: scalpal, parents, awake, hear, parents again. She was finally able to pick something coherent out of the barrage being hurled to her.

"Everything will be OK."

She was overcome by sleep immediately. She had no dreams, it was a state of black. If she was aware, then it was surely death to her. She awoke, not long it had seemed, to the news that she'd been asleep for days hailing from the mouth of a young nurse. A Doctor who smelled of cigarettes and stetson entered not long after to ask her some questions.

"Any family?"

None.

"friends?"

Not really. None that would care enough to come out.

"Boyfriend? Someone that could stay with you?"

No.

Three questions made her feel like the loneliest person in the world and it almost brought her to tears.

"Anyone that you could call?"

Maybe.

"We had to amputate your hand."

And the world stopped. She cried and screamed and struggled. The bed did not give, nor did the straps. She was now a freak and made to feel like one. A beautiful twenty something that had the world in her....well...."hands."

She'd been called superficial before. She brushed it off as being chatter from some jealous bitch out to steal her thunder. When she spoke, people listened. It's what being young and beautiful meant. She abused every second of it.

The usual questions came to mind in the moments after: Why me? Does god hate me? What did I do to deserve this?

"You're gonna be here for a little while, we need someone we can call to let em' know you're here. I promise, I'll take good care of you." He said, smiled, then left the room as if he'd delivered the line that would make everything ok.

She always thought doctors were smug but now she had her proof.

The next few days were difficult to say the least. The lacerations that were inscribed on her face were bothersome. She couldn't put her make up on. Her "girls" wanted pics, probably to discuss and pity among their clicks she thought. It was hard enough putting her makeup on. At least she still had her teeth.

Eating breakfast in her room, she noticed the wheelchairs and beds going down the hall. It helped pass the time, that and Oprah. Sometimes people would come to chat, she shooed them away in disgust. These were the lonely days. The best was yet to come.

I'll finish this later. I just had to write something.

Super 8 Review

When I was a kid, I used to watch a lot of horror movies. To some extent, I still do. However, the movies I watched and loved like "The Monster Squad," and "My Science Project" all had a team thing going on. They were kids uniting and fighting a greater threat but also sharing a bond, having that story to tell when we were older. After I moved back from Delaware, I didn't have a whole lot of friends to hang out with. I dove into those movies of that nature to fill the void of living in an excluded area.

"Super 8" is one of those movies that reminds me a lot of my childhood. They come around every so often, but given the nature of studios pumping out crap and torture porn in the Horror genre, you don't really get to see camaraderie all that much in film. A lot of people have tossed around examples of "Jaws" and "Close Encounters" as inspirations to the film. I honestly never got that vibe at any point in the film. Super 8 is much more "Monster Squad" and "Stand by Me" than anything. The story is more about the relationships of the kids than something sinister going after townspeople. While "Super 8" does have a neat looking monster and a nice twist on its sentience, it is not solely focused on that part of the story.

"Super 8" throws a lot of surprises in with a unique perspective on the lives of children. The story begins with a young boy named Joe on a swing set who has just lost his mother in an accident. You immediately get a sense of wonder about the child and understand his loneliness. His father, played by Kyle Chandler, seems a harsh and angry man due to the nature of his wife's death. After this point, you eventually meet Joe's friends who happen to be his one saving grace. All of his friends are characters in themselves, Charlie and Cary especially.

Charlie is my favorite. He's a wannabe film director and writer who was inspired by the classics such as "Night of the Living Dead" and "Halloween" much like myself. He really reminds me of me at times and his dialogue with Cary is a treasure. The scene at the table in the restaurant is classic and literally made me laugh out loud.

Then there's Alice. Elle Fanning, Dakota's very talented sister. I gotta say, the acting in the film was great, especially Alice's character. I thought all the kids were great but she really stood out. Dakota fanning has quite the reputation and is quite the accomplished actress herself but Elle looks to surpass her in many ways. She can carry a scene by herself, even at such a young age. It was quite amazing.

The turning point in the story involves a massive train wreck in which many of the previews have already given away. Yes, there's something on the train and it escapes. The creature itself is very unique. It has been abused by humans doesn't like them very much, its sole reason to survive is to get off this rock. It also uses the populous as the occasional snack. Although, I really do like the creature and effects, he's not the biggest part of the story. There's some disappointment there because you never really get the full "Alien vs. Army" vibe, although the creature does lay the smack down on some soldiers in a severely harsh way.

"Super 8" is a film that may not live up to the hype surrounding it. But that's not to say it's not a great film. I loved every second of it, but it really was made for a guy like me. It reminded me of all the times I spent fantasizing about being one of the characters fighting evil with my friends. Nostalgia is a very potent drug. I do recommend the film if you like Spielberg or Abrams, or want that "Stand by Me" feeling. Movies aren't made for that audience anymore, which is a shame, but those movies are persistent enough to remain a part of those that love them for many years. It helps pass the time until something like "Super 8" comes along.

8 of 10.

The Dark Knight Rises- Geek Talkin'

Well, let's see....What do we know about TDKR so far?

....Not Shit really.


We know Anne Hathaway is Catwoman.

"Meow."

We know Tom Hardy is Bane and yes, we've seen bane. He looks like he'll destroy someone.

Not "Meow."

There is in face a Lazarus Pit.....

"The thumb wrestling incident...."

And Ras Al Ghul has something to do with the plot....

"Like a bat outta hell, I'll be gone when the mornin' comes!"

Bane is one of the best villains of all time. Despite the abysmally bad "Batman & Robin," there's a lot of potential in Bane. He's a dominant personality, a physical and mental genius, and despite all of the other villains in the rogues gallery, he has been the one that has physically destroyed Batman. He has deduced Bruce Wayne's Identity, destroyed Wayne Manor, and broken Batman's back. And I do believe he's killed a Robin somewhere in there as well. 

It's no secret that Nolan's films are exceptionally dark, but Nolan has a chance to go where no Batman film has ever gone before....Into Frank Miller territory. Frank Miller's synonymous with the darker side of story telling. Batman's weaknesses are not known to his foes, other than The Joker (But the joker doesn't care about his weaknesses) and Batman has always come out unscathed in the film world. The Dark Knight changed all that with the loss of Rachel Dawes. Bruce/Batman had lost something dear to him and it exploited his weakness severely. While The Joker had been playing a mere game for his own amusement, Bane is a much more focused adversary. 

Bane is a calculating and dominating force in the Gallery, and like the examples above, he goes all in. I believe Batman will be making some huge gambles and will be doing a lot more detective work. The shadows can conceal him for only so long. 

And what part does Ras Al Ghul play? Mentor to Bane? Does he introduce Bane to the Venom?  Or is that what the Lazarus Pit is? In the comics, The Lazarus Pit is the source of Ras' supposed immortality and power.  It is a secret that has kept him alive for hundreds of years and allowed him to amass a great following. Whatever role he plays, I feel it will not be an expected one. 

The Dark Knight Rises is a little over a year off. I'm happy with the casting...but Hathaway has the most to prove here. I love her in Devil Wears Prada, Becoming Jane is also good work from her, however.....She really hasn't proven herself on any other level. She makes forgettable films like Valentines Day and Bride Wars....She really doesn't challenge herself enough. But I have full faith in Nolan and his vision for the finale. I think she's talented enough and I hope she pulls out a great performance, one that I hope she is capable of. I think it will open up a lot of doors to her, especially if she dials in something spectacular. 

TDKR is the movie that I've waited my entire life to see. I hope I live to July 2012, but I know there's no guarantee. Let's hope that we're in for something wild. 

Review: The Hangover Part II, kinda....Then SUPER!

I have two goals when I write reviews: One: I love to read my opinions about films at later dates and see if it still holds true...and Two: I want to see how my friends felt about said films if I can coerce them into watching those films. I love a good movie discussion. Between Justin and I, we've had a few epic wins at the movies and we're diehard comic geeks. My buddy Jon has also been my movie going compadre the longest out of anyone and we both share a love of cinema that has led to a lot of good times. So, in essence, I just love all things film and cinema. So...Without further...Ehh, no cliche. Here...we...Go!

The Hangover was about 3 friends and a guy they're forced to bring along to Vegas and the hilarity that ensued after drug induced shenanigans. The Hangover Part 2 is the exact same film. That's not a bad thing. It's hilarious, most definitely, and so wrong in all the right ways...but it's almost disappointing that they didn't try a different approach. If you loved the first one, you will love the second one. That's really all I can write about


And the next film review....IS SUPER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

SHUT UP, CRIME! 

When I first got wind of James Gunn, he was writing a little movie called Slither, which happens to be one of the most fun horror movies in the last 10 years. It starred a relatively unknown actor(unless you were keeping up with Joss Whedon) known as Nathan Fillion. The movie ended up sparking my interest quite a bit but then I never saw anything James did after that...as a matter of face, I believe he dropped off the face of the earth.

That is, until Super.

I had odd expectations coming into this film. All of the trailers had it looking like a comedy mocking superhero films starring Dwight from The Office and the Juno girl, otherwise known as Rainn Wilson and Ellen Page. I figured I'd be in for a few laughs and it would be an alright watch. I was very wrong. 

Super is a lot of fun. Surprisingly, it's a movie with a lot of heart and it's quite sad in a lot of ways. Super surprised me by coming out strong and building into a movie that really had an uplifting and unlikely plot. Most notably, Rainn Wilson can ACT! And not just ACT! I was really quite taken with his character, as he grows from a rather unlikable loser to a very sympathetic hero. There are several scenes that just blow my mind with how well Wilson keeps a straight face. Especially those scenes with Ellen Page..

Ellen Page, hands down, steals every scene she is in. Her gleeful laughter as she cuts up a bad guy during the film had me laughing so hard my rib cage was hurting. She was wonderful. A huge step up from Juno, which I also loved, and she creates the perfect companion for Rainn in Bolt-Girl. 

Make no mistake, Super is a very harsh film. There is a lot of Violence but not really in a distasteful way. Super puts you in the judges seat, you see these bad people and you're the voyeur. They go down and you cheer. It's really hard not to when you see the likes of the people that are represented in the film. Even a welcome presence of Kevin Bacon is marred by how unlikable he is ultimately portrayed. There are no real people to root far as the film starts. Everyone has their weaknesses and flaws...but that's what makes Super so damn interesting. It's a character piece on the realities of humanity. Yes, it's done in jest, but it's a parody of life, not simply comic book and crime films. Some of the harshest moments involve emotion more-so than violence. I almost cried near the end of the movie because of a lot of unexpected yet excellently staged events unfold. 

Super has to be one of my favorite films of all time. I was struck by the imagination and gritty realism that is portrayed on screen. There are some excellent performances by Liv Tyler, Keven Bacon, Rainn Wilson, Ellen Page and a most welcome cameo by Nathan Fillion. This is a movie for movie lovers, you MUST see it if you love cinema at all because it has a lot of the best parts of it. Now, excuse me, I think I'm going to go watch it again.