JCBaggee

[color=darkred][size=1]I ask this all the time, but find very few people who have: who has seen the beautiful, classic anime film "Grave of the Fireflies". Its an anime that's even on Roger Eberts list as one of the greatest WW2 films of all time. Its the tale of two Japanese children, orphaned by a bombing run and used by the only known relative, who resolve to survive on their own in an abandoned shelter. A gorgeous, heartwrenching anime film that anyone who claims to like anime should see. --Chris[/color][/size] [COLOR=SeaGreen][SIZE=1][FONT=Comic Sans MS]I merged your thread with the official Grave of the Fireflies Thread. Please remember to use the Official Threads Directory located at the top of the forum before making a new thread on a subject, it is likely that there is already one and we do discourage making multiple threads of a certain topic. ~Ikillion[/FONT][/SIZE][/COLOR]

[color=darkred][size=1]I don't really mind the CGI take on the series. The animation on the Turtles themselves looks really awesome, and it'll be great to hear some actual dialogue and see if they sound as good as they look. The sad news is Mako died!! He was scheduled to voice Splinter, which would have been awesome, but now I have no idea who they're going to use! Hopefully they'll knock the ball out of the park with this movie though. I'm really looking forward to forgetting TMNT3. --Chris[/color][/size]

[color=darkred][size=1]Yeah, Metallica pretty much owns you. I'm sort of a new Metallica fan, having only bought my cds in the past year. But I've gotta say, I really enjoy "Load" and "Hero of the Day". Also loving "Low Man's Lyric", "The Unforgiven II", "Whiskey In The Jar" and "Frantic". Now, if only Load wasn't being held captive by my CD player in my car....V_V --Chris[/color][/size]

[color=darkred][size=1]Eh, i've got it, but I rarely use it. Honestly, whenever I do listen to music, I've either got iTunes running Party Shuffle or I've got one song on repeat. So, the charts aren't really accurate reflections of my musical taste. But ho-hum, it is a freakin' cool idea. ^_^ --Chris[/color][/size]

[color=darkred][size=1]Uhm...did...did we skip FFIII in the re-release too? I mean, I'm thrilled that they're getting around to this, but they should release them in the right order. Poor FFIII. It just wants to be loved. --Chris[/color][/size]

[color=darkred][size=1]Actually Satan665, the Spider-Man 2 game had some deviations from the original storyline. Also, since the game was free-roaming and allowed you to complete story missions at your discretion, there really wasn't an issue of what happens next. --Chris[/color][/size]

[color=darkred][size=1]Anybody picked this up yet? I've got to say, I'm not as impressed as I'd hoped to be. Yeah, the new 3D inking technology is great. This matches the comic book source material wonderfully. Its great to see the geeky, big-head Spidey we all know and love in a game for once, and Venom looks great. The web swing mechanics look and feel the same as Spider-Man 2, but that's where it ends. The game starts out in an area full of low buildings, and you're there for a long, long time. You don't spend a lot of time in larger areas, so you're going to have to zip-line from place to place. Not even half as much fun as racing along NYC on a frail webline like in SM2. Combat is the same, with the added combo attacks. Tilt the left analog stick towards a different enemy for an attack that causes more damage. Enemies don't just KO and drop this time, though, they have to be webbed up. Which, by the way, why are there no webbing attacks? No web balls? Web gloves? Web domes? A stunning web blast that ties them up is all you can do. Granted, I haven't gotten very far in the game, but it seems he should have at least one of the abilities from the beginning of the game. Sound comes out crystal clear, and we get some great audio tracks. The voice acting is terrific, and there's not a lot of same phrase repetition throughout. The big mechanic everyone wants to know about, though, is "Hero Switch", allowing you to play as Spidy nemesis Venom. Be Legendary, Be Predatory, be Both....occasionally. The story missions alternate from Spidey to Venom. All city exploration is done with Spidey, until the game is beaten, at which point you can switch between the two at will. The problem is, this is Ultimate Spider-Man, so this is the Ultimate Venom. No Spider powers, just a big, black suit with tendrils and claws. Hardly the Venom we know and love. Yes, I know, its great that you're just not a bigger Spider-Man, but traveling that massive NYC is much harder with just a super high jump and tentacles that pull you to the closest building. One cool aspect of Venom is that the suit has to be fed. Bystanders and enemies can be grabbed and energy can be absorbed. However, this loses the cool factor when you learn you [i]have[/i] to do it. Venom's health slowly drains unless you feed him periodically. Its a nice concept that's very cool, but it also almost cost me the first boss fight. Its still a comic game at heart, and that's why fans will love it. With cameos including Human Torch, Wolverine, and many more, you're bound to find something you love. And the load screens this time around are nifty collages of USM covers art. The unlockables are pretty spiffy too. Costumes, production art, character renders, and comic book covers. There's also an X-Men Legends 2: Rise of Apocolypse game trailer unlocked from the get-go. Ultimate Spider-Man is still a fun game. You do still get to travel a larger NYC than before, and the web swinging (once you get into higher buildings) is still just as much fun. But its the small details that really set this one apart. Rent this one first, especially if you're a fan of Spider-Man 2, and you may find you enjoy it. It was a fun experience, but I think I'll hold this one off for the bargain bin myself. --Chris[/color][/size]

[color=darkred][size=1]No, no, its just you. Most of these characters are 5-10 years old anyways, so the timeframe doesn't really fit for them to be replicas. --Chris[/color][/size]

[color=darkred][size=1]Its a shame the Friday line-up isn't getting changed up more. Only half of it is new anyways...the re-air the first half from 10 to 12, which means the AS time slot is [i]wasted[/i] in my opinion. ...especially since their target audience passed out sometime between 8 and 9:30. --Chris[/color][/size]

[color=darkred][size=1]Oh dear God, original Adult Swim. Back when it was only on Thursday and Friday. Those were beautiful days. I really got hooked when they moved to Saturdays. Yu Yu Hakusho: Ghost Files, Cowboy Bebop, Gundam 0083, Pilot Candidate...all shows with ups and downs that couldn't help but captivate me. In all honesty, I think CN has done a lot to get people into anime. I got started in Anime back in 93 when they ran Vampire Hunter D at about 1AM. Not to mention G Force, Speed Racer, and all the other great anime they've shown in between. Oh, yeah, and that show about the little yellow balls. What was that called again? I can't seem to remember, CN rarely airs it... --Chris[/color][/size]

[color=darkred][size=1]Poor Jason David Frank. Years and years trying to be taken seriously as an actor. What did he get? One season of MTV's Undressed and then a glorious return to Power Rangers Dino Thunder. I'd give him a hug and a cookie; he deserves one. Tommy was always my favorite, anyways. --Chris[/color][/size]

[color=darkred][size=1][font=verdana]Well, what can I say? This will the [i]the[/i] must see movie. Its going to be fantastic. Johnny Depp is clearly a first choice when casting an eccentric, socially withdrawn billionaire. But can they cast the other kids with such wonderous appeal? All the other roles are given to unknowns, and this film could be the launchpad for several great careers. I guess we'll just have to wait and see... And while this may be off topic, is it just me or is this summer shaping up to be a good one for movies? With "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory", "Batman Begins", and "Sin City", it looks like the quirky movies are finally taking over. --Chris[/color][/size][/font]

[color=darkred][size=1][font=verdana]Squall was not a God, but he wasn't an whiny teenager either. He was a stunted loner who'd been treated fairly bad in what little of his youth he can remember. I loved that. I can relate to it. On to the cliche' thing. 1) [b]16 year old super kid saves the world!![/b] Why are all my heroes in video games 16 years old? Because its a marketing thing. They feel we will relate better to someone our age. I'm 20 years old, I don't see me using my Summon Monsters to conquer a demon lord anytime soon. Howzabout a Final Fantasy game that doesn't use teenagers. Auron was fantastic, and he was well into his 40s. More Aurons. Yes. 2) [b]Surprise! I knew you back then/We're really related!![/b] I'm sick of people being related in the past somehow. Edea [spoiler]raised Squall, Rinoa, and the rest of the gang.[/spoiler] Zidane and Kuja [spoiler]are of the same race[/spoiler] and so on and so on. Not every hero needs to be related to the ultimate evil they're about to stop. 3) [b]Will You Collect The Overused Cliche Key?[/b] Can we just stop running through the 30 floor mansion to find the Red Key needed to open the Door to proceed into the Garden so we can obtain the Super Secret Ultra Rare Ammo Clip? Honestly now. Its ok if we can do that on the side, but too many games require me to run through stuff I really don't want to go through again. Cut me some slack. (The only exception to this rule is Castlevania. Its at least moderately fun to do so in a Castlevania title...well, usually is at least.) 4) [b]Bet ya didn't know....[/b] Oh, look, the hero has latent super powers that weren't tapped until a tragedy triggered a memory lapse or he was in an extremely emotional situation. Can't everyone know they have super powers before they set out to save the planet? 5) [b]But its just so cute!![/b] Finally, cute animals are starting to wear on me. And yes, I'm glaring at Moogles. Ok. I think I'm done overly ranting. I think I may have went a bit far, but...oh well. --Chris[/color][/size][/font]

[color=darkred][size=1][font=verdana]I found this script a few months ago. >_> Its beautiful. The first half of the script is pure psychological with [b]no[/b] in costume work. This isn't the Tim Buron rehashed marketing machine we've been dealing with. This is the real deal, straight from the comics and very close to the classic "Year One" story, focusing more on the man that is driven to spend every night forgoing sleep to leap from rooftop to rooftop punching people for a cause that consumes him wholly. (It also runs into a nice opening for a sequel or two, which the WB is apparently pushing for ^_^) The trailers look great, I do wish they'd have a bit more action in them though. I understand they want to emphasize the fact that this is a restart for the series, and I love the psychological aspect of the film, but I want to see Batman hit things. Its just plain natural. The fanboys/girls are already talking, putting the film down, but trust me. We're in for quite a treat this summer. --Chris[/color][/size][/font]

[color=darkred][size=1][font=verdana]Well, the new GameBoy is [i]technically[/i] out, the Nintendo DS. Its ok, but I'm gonna hang onto my SP. I may get one in a few months, when the system has a bit more support, but the 8 games they have out right now don't interest me. Well...except for Feel The Magic....^_^; As for the other next-gen consoles, I really can't pass judgement right now. I've always been a big Sony fan, so I'll undoubtedly shoot for a PS3, but at the same time I'm about to get me a GameCube, and I'm looking for Nintendo to finally make some form of a comeback (if you could really call it that) and finally remind Sony and Microsoft who their poppa is. 'til then, my PS2 and GBA SP keep me more than happy. But it will be interesting when the end of this year rolls around and the XBox 2 (or XBox Next, whatever) and PS3 get closer to release. --Chris[/color][/font][/size]

[color=darkred][size=1][font=verdana]Mehr, its because.... [spoiler]...Teddy betrayed him. Teddy was using his disability (the supposed inability to create new memories) against him, pointing him in the directions of people who weren't really the John. G that Leonard thought was guilty of murdering his wife, then convincing Leonard that they were the killer by dropping false clues. Leoonard was killing someone who probably didn't even exist, and for a crime that was probably never really committed. Because Teddy used him, Leonard turned the tables by leaving himself clues that implied Teddy was John G., then slamming on the brakes at a tatoo parlor to distract himself and force him to forget everything Teddy had told him.[/spoiler] --Chris[/color][/size][/font]

[color=darkred][font=verdana][size=1]An OB thread search revealed no one has started a thread on the film "Memento"! The blasphemy! Anyways. Memento is the story of Leonard Shelby(Guy Pearce), an insurance agent who apparently lost his wife several years earlier when a man broke into their house. His wife was killed, and his brain was permanently damaged, resulting in his inability to create new memories. The film, which is told in reverse, has numerous twists and turns to the storyline that its going to take several watchings to really understand the beauty of the story. With fantastic performances by Matrix alums Carrie Anne-Moss and Joe Pantoliano, this is a great film for anyone who enjoys a great mystery movie with a hint of action. The films was by far one of the most unique I've ever seen, especially with the hints that Leonard [spoiler]may have created the Sammy Jenkis character in his head. Jenkis never existed and Leonard's wife, a diabetic, was killed when she did a similar test to him. The implications are there![/spoiler] --Chris[/color][/size][/font]

[color=darkred][font=verdana]I dunno, maybe someone could explain to me the concept of a forum solely for SPAM, please? It seems to me that habits formed while posting in that forum would eventually leak over into other forums. Its not like posts are that hard to write. They just need to be concise enough that we understand what people are saying. And that can be done, even if you don't have a complete grasp on grammar and the English language. I'm not an English teacher by any means, but writing a message that all can understand doesn't come that hard. --Chris[/color][/font]

[color=darkred][font=verdana]God, what a great show. So corny, so formulaic, but overall a lot of fun to watch. I stopped watching regularly about the time they switched over to the Ninja powers, when the movie came out. I picked it up off and on from there on, with Turbo, Zeo, etc. etc. I have to agree, in terms of series, Ninja Storm was by far the best. It really shook things up, and at the same time there were some nods to the classic Ranger days (Just check out the Green Ninja Rangers costume). Not only that, but the kids on this show could do one thing no other Ranger before them could: [b]act[/b]. I've caught a few Dino Thunder eps, and felt somewhat old. Seeing the legendary Tommy Oliver return did put a few things in perspective, when I realized that Jason David Frank was in the same place as I am: 10 years older and still stuck with the Power Rangers. The actors on this show also seemed to revert back to the corny, overplayed action, but all in all its a decent romp. Haven't seen or heard much of the new series, which I can't decide if this is a good thing or a bad thing. But I'm sure I'll see a bit or two of it. --Chris[/color][/font]

[color=darkred][font=verdana][b]"When you feel the world has turned its back on you, look around. You have probably just turned your back on the world."[/b], Unknown [b]"If there is to be trouble, let it be in my day, so that my children may have peace."[/b], Thomas Paine [b]"Funny thing about black and white. Mix them together, and you get gray. And it doesn't matter how much white you try to put back into it, all you're ever gonna get is gray."[/b], Lilah Morgan; [i]Angel[/i] Well, what can I say? They're beautiful lines that speak for themselves. I'll post up more when I think of 'em, assuming I can. --Chris[/color][/font]

[color=darkred][font=verdana][b]Angel: Season 1-4[/b]-- Tortured vampire with a soul Angel and his quest for redemption, featured in a weekly hour long format! Ok, love this series for two reasons. First off, I love vampiricism (is that a word?). Its such a wonderfully gothic notion, I can't help but let it entrance me. Secondly, the concept of redemption for past sins is a wonderful one that I can relate to. Mix 'em together and I'm in heaven. Wonderful writing and huge, expansive story-arcs. This was Buffy for big kids, with darker story lines and older, more mature characters. [b]Family Guy: Volume 1[/b]-- The best animated comedy for my money. And with Seasno 4 due out next year, perfect for re-living those wonderful moments we all can't seem to stop quoting. Not to mention select episode commentary by series creator Seth MacFarland, Seth Green, Alex Borstein, and a bunch of writers and producers we don't normally hear from. Its gold! [b]Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Original Series, Volume 1[/b]-- The [i]real[/i] Ninja Turtles from the wonderful 80s! The classic 4 part story that started the series, featuring the wonderful joy that is Shredder, Krang, Neutrinos, and of course our favorite Heroes in a Half Shell in the classic, hilarious cartoon that started the craze. The DVD version of this also features four episodes from the series' last season on CBS, which really shouldn't have been included. Oh well, ya win some, ya lose some. [b]Cowboy Bebop: Perfect Sessions[/b]-- Ok, guess this qualifies. Its a collection of Cowboy Bebop's best of the best of the best episodes. Remastered, uncut, and with both original Japanese and dubbed English versions, this two disc set features 3 Fan Favorite episodes ("Asteroid Blues", "Ballad of Fallen Angels", and "Wild Horses") and 3 Creator Favorite episodes ("Waltz For Venus", "Mushroom Samba", "Hard Luck Woman"). --Chris[/color][/font]

[color=darkred][size=2]Mm...I got "Katamari Damacy" after seeing the review on X Play and finally seeing a copy at work. Beautiful, wonderful game. Nice, bold graphics and wonderfully simple controls. Already at work is "Katamari Damacy 2"! I believe the official title will be "Everyone Loves Katamari Damacy", but I'm not sure. --Chris[/color][/size]

[color=darkred][size=1]Rawr, I just spent the week indulging myself in View Askewniverse-ism. Caught Mallrats, Chasing Amy, and Jay And Silent Bob Strike Back. I've seen bits and pieces of Dogma, so I decided to nix that one. The continuity stuns me. Smith is very thoughtful, and I cannot wait to see how Smith ties the previous films into Passion Of The Clerks. --Chris[/color][/size]

[color=darkred][size=1]Mmeh, I have to say I'm kinda disappointed. Since I own a GBA and not a GameCube (not all of us are home enough to bother with a console), I'd much rather have a collection of classic Mega Man games for the GBA. C'mon, surely they can make most of them fit. I've never played the GB titles, but please...tell me they're being graphically revamped! Anyways, I heard a rumor at school that the next NES Classics line-up would feature Mega Man 1. *Crosses fingers* --Chris[/color][/size]

[color=darkred][size=1]I was just wondering what you guys thought about Kevin Smith's announcement that he was now writing a sequel to the classic film "Clerks", tentatively titled "The Passion Of The Clerks". Personally, I have mixed feelings. Smith is a great writer, and I enjoyed the first movie (which I finally saw about a month ago...yeah, I'm late, so sue me), but honestly, do we need a sequel? And will Smith keep the style of the first film intact? Or will he ditch it to for the more traditional styles of his later films in the series? I'll be keeping a close eye on this one...what do you guys think? --Chris[/color][/size]