James

[font=arial][color=olive]For the sake of anyone who actually would seriously consider this idea, note DeadSeraphim's quote. lol For everyone else...well, I don't have much to say really. You might as well let your debate continue. The Anti-Terrorist Unit is failing miserably at the moment; I don't think you guys are going to win this round.[/font][/color]

[font=arial]Yeah, I agree that the [spoiler]helicopter may have been the reason for infection in France, but as Arcadia pointed out, we do see a shot of infected running through the Channel Tunnel toward Calais. So perhaps it's a combination of elements going on there, I'm not really sure. They seemed to make a specific point of showing the tunnel, so I assumed that they were indicating that this is how the virus spread to mainland Europe.[/spoiler] Also regarding the whole question of eating... [spoiler]I think the bites are just a way for infected to attack. I mean if you have no weapons and you're trying to kill/harm someone and you are running on basic motor functions, I assume that biting would be a natural way to harm someone. So I never viewed the biting as "feeding", more as a form of attack. Afterall, I don't think we ever see an infected person eating someone else's flesh.[/spoiler] I'm glad this thread has grown a bit - at first I was worried that nobody had seen this movie! :catgirl:[/font]

[quote]Ah but it's not meant for new members. Still as Desbreko already pointed out there are better solutions once you upgrade so I'm fine with that. The suggestion was based on my limited understanding of how things work. And I do agree, you have an excellent group of dedicated staff members that stay on top of problems. [/quote] [font=arial][color=olive]I think the main issue was that the proposed system would be relevant to [i]all[/i] new members rather than just spam bots. There's some validity to the idea of restricting new members so that they can't post new threads until they have a certain number of posts, but I am a bit concerned that this might further discourage the activity of new users. We'll see how it goes - it's not a closed subject as yet.[/font][/color] [quote]Personally I agree, a newsletter would be much more fun to do than the simple greetings I was thinking of. And I can guarantee that I'll do my best to keep one going. It is at least something I have experience with as my religion does what is known as a monthly ward letter. I've been involved in that sort of thing for well over a decade. And that includes making sure it's delivered to each person's door. Being part of a team that prepares a ward newsletter each month is where I got the idea from in the first place since it seemed like such an idea would work online as well.[/quote] [font=arial][color=olive]I'm actually really excited that you decided to head-up this project. I have great confidence in your ability to produce something amazing. At this stage we'll see how it goes but if everything goes well, I'm sure there will be lots of ways the newspaper can go in the future. ^_^[/font][/color]

[COLOR=olive][font=arial]On the first point, I just don't know. More restrictions on new members? It's interesting that just after this issue came up recently, where we were talking about OB being too restrictive, some are calling for even more restrictions. That point is just worth bearing in mind. In terms of my thoughts, at this stage I don't know how useful it would be to punish new members because we have a problem with bots. We should be focusing on how to eliminate the bots without restricting new members. Not producing intro threads is probably enough of a restriction. Unfortunately it is very difficult to stop the bots at the point of registration, especially for a mid-to-large sized message board. I am investigating the possibility of upgrading our software to assist with this but at the moment we have to rely on good Moderation - which, thankfully, we have. With the whole email thing, you know, having some email contact with members is great...but I really want to change the way we do that. Generic emails are okay for functional reasons (registration confirmation and such), but I think they are pretty useless for things like birthdays - they are too impersonal and every forum on earth uses them. I'm more interested in sending out email newsletters or something of the like, if we are to go down that route - something written by a human being, at least. When it comes to greetings, I [i]still[/i] want to be able to send a welcome PM to each new member with some basic info about the site and what they can expect. It's the best way to prepare new members for the way the site works rather than them tripping up by creating an intro thread by accident and then learning about it later. The alternative to this would be to include a welcoming message within the registration pages. The newspaper is a good idea but I have yet to see anyone keep a regular newspaper running. If you can do this, I think it would be a good service to the community. And it would be yet another unique way in which members could contribute their own work and ideas. This newspaper, if successful, could end up being used in some sort of email format in the future. There's no reason why it has to be entirely restricted to the forums themselves. If you would like the newspaper to grow to that point, you should definitely try to build something up on OB itself first. [/COLOR][/font]

[font=arial]Hm, strange work experiences, eh? Well, there are a few. For a while I was working for Warner-Village and I had to do a stint at Sea World. My office was right next door to the Seal Hospital! So every morning I passed the injured seals, who were always happy to say hello. That area of the park also contained enclosures for other injured or sick animals, including a large group of pelicans (they had a funny habit of staring at you when you walked past - it was a little odd, because they'd all go silent as if you had rudely interrupted them). When you were out of sight they'd get back to chatting amongst themselves. Another odd experience - wandering around the backlot at Warner Bros. Movie World and coming face-to-face with a two-storey tall Tweety. I had actually come out of a second floor office, which backed onto part of the backlot area and I was standing right in front of Tweety's face - he was actually a giant balloon that they were pumping up for a parade. So that was pretty odd, lol.[/font]

[font=arial]As far as I know, the twist with 28 Days Later was that [spoiler]they initially thought the virus had spread worldwide - this wasn't actually true. The military forces that remained in the UK (or at least, the particular squad we saw) basically lied about that in order to facilitate their little "re-population" idea. When the main character saw the aircraft from the forest, he realized that it was actually only the UK that was infected - the virus had not managed to spread further. But at the end of 28 Weeks Later, we can see that the virus has presumably spread across the Channel Tunnel to Calais and then eventually to Paris itself. At this point you can imagine that it wouldn't take long to cover all of continental Europe and most of Asia. Only other island nations as well as North and South America would be safe, being that the infected have no way to reach these places on foot.[/spoiler] So it'll be interesting to see how things go with that. In terms of the inter-species thing, [spoiler]I think the point there was that the apes are genetically very close to human beings - they presumably carried a human (or at least primate) strain of the virus that [i]could[/i] infect humans[/spoiler]. At least, this is what I presume without them being specific about it - I think this explanation makes sense though. Also, two other things. About the mother surviving, [spoiler]I also think this makes sense. The mother would probably have been able to survive for a few months by virtue of where she was - she could probably have eaten certain foods for that period of time (canned food and so on). I presumed that because she was a carrier of the virus, she would be invulnerable to Infected attack - although this was apparently not the case. However, in the area she was staying, all the Infected had died from starvation...so I suppose she didn't have much of a threat around her.[/spoiler] And with regard to the zombies needing to eat - I don't think I need a spoiler for this - we have to remember that the people in this movie are not zombies as such. They aren't the "living dead" who feed on humans to survive. In this film, the Infected are still alive, they are just infected with a virus. They attack non-Infected as a way of spreading the virus but they do not eat at all - this is why they all died. They died of starvation. And this is partly why I really preferred the story in these films as compared to traditional zombie movies.[/font]

[font=franklin gothic medium]If anything, Minako, this thread might give you some hope that your situation isn't the worst one you could possibly be in - we've all had difficult things happen in life but some things are worse than others. I usually try to think to myself "what is the worst that could happen?" In your case, education is your life, which is understandable. But even if you can't go to your current school, your education isn't over by default. You know? As others have said, this might be considered a wake-up call for you. It may also just be an example of how life can be unfair and difficult at the best of times - although I don't think these things necessarily happen for a reason, it's amazing how a seemingly bad situation can have an unexpected silver lining. :catgirl:[/font]

[font=franklin gothic medium]I should also mention that Star Wars 411 is the most replied-to thread in OB history (at least our history from v3 to v7), with 1,610 replies. So it is not only significant in its own right, but it's also a record-breaker for us.[/font]

[font=arial]Speaking of breathing life into the Art Studio I've had an idea lately that I want to launch here soon, so watch out for that. It isn't a new idea but it's something that has tremendous potential and it will carry my own twist, which should be interesting. So I might test it out soon and see how it goes. I'm really happy with what's been happening in the Art Studio lately - lots of great threads and lots of new art being produced. It's all great stuff and the forum definitely feels more alive when members join in and come up with ideas![/font]

[font=arial]I'd bought this game for the PC a little while ago but I was a little frustrated - neither of my laptops can run the game with higher graphics settings (understandable I suppose). But as a result, the game slowed down far too much and was too frustrating for me. So I took a chance and bought the Xbox 360 version. Reviews had been positive and the control scheme seemed pretty good by all accounts (I had also been able to comfortably play Red Alert on the PSX ages ago so I figured this wouldn't be any worse). Turns out I'm extremely happy with the game. Not only is the Xbox 360 version gorgeous (running beautifully in 1020p on a large screen) but the controls are surprisingly good - certainly not a replacement for a mouse and keyboard, but a damn good substitute nonetheless. Some of the menu options that are built around the pad are truly clever. I was always a big C&C fan (particularly Red Alert 2 and Generals, both of which I?ve played to death ? Warlock and I used to play co-op online pretty regularly). I have to say, C&C 3 really manages to completely outshine Generals ? not only does it maintain the core ?feel? of C&C but it expands on the formula in several very interesting ways. One of the more interesting aspects of this game is probably the introduction of a mysterious third faction ? the Scrin. As yet I haven?t seen them in campaign mode (I only bought the game a couple of days ago) but I have played with/against them in skirmish. On the whole I?m very impressed ? the Scrin are incredibly well-balanced and feature some truly amazing (and visually stunning) capabilities. The ability to pair-up certain units is particularly cool. And there are few things cooler than the blue-purple shimmering shields that appear over some Scrin units when you research that technology. So far I?m finding the difficulty to be reasonable; the A.I. is definitely more sophisticated in C&C 3 when compared to even Generals. On skirmish mode you can basically set different types of A.I. (Rusher, Steamroller, Balanced, etc). I think my favourite is definitely ?Balanced?, because balanced opponents seem to be less predictable and they will use multiple tactics. I found the enemies in C&C 3 to be significantly more varied and clever than before, for sure. Other than that the interface is great and the video clips, while generally pretty cheesy, are still good fun. The video production in C&C 3 is definitely improved over Generals, although it?s still got that very B-movie feel about it. One thing I do have to credit the developers with is including a real Australian character ? one that actually has a proper Australian accent like most of us down here! (In other words, not a Steve Irwin clone played by an American who can?t mimic our actual accent). So they got points there, lol. Anyway I?m unfortunately still not on Xbox Live ? I am now having trouble finding a wireless adapter (apparently the previous model is being phased out for a new one that is ?more compatible? or something), so I can?t play it online yet. That?s the only big drawback at this stage. Does anyone else have this game (for PC or Xbox 360) and what are your impressions?[/font]

[font=franklin gothic medium]I'm going to have to forfeit "Ouch!", I've been fiddling with designs for a while and I haven't come up with anything I like! So please, someone can feel free to try that one.[/font]

[font=franklin gothic medium][b]OMAR LENDS A HAND[/b] The elevator rose quietly through Xanadu's various levels with its three occupants on board: Zero, Havoc and Proteus. All three sincerely hoped that Warlock had been able to find a suitable location to dock the [i]Impact[/i]; its presence in the city - especially with its numerous battle scars - would be sure to raise suspicions. When the elevator?s doors opened, a rather ordinary office appeared in front of them. Desks with paperwork punctuated the room and there were several posters displaying Omar at various stages of his life ? these were presumably old advertisements for Xanadu. Despite the amount of paperwork, the office was almost empty. Behind it, the trio could see a second office with blacked-out windows; its door was now opening slowly, revealing a rather tired-looking man. Proteus glanced at the posters and then back at the man who had emerged from the rear office. There was no mistaking it; this was Omar himself. However, he had clearly aged since the posters had been produced. Either that, or he had lived a very stressful life. Proteus could not decide which thought made more sense. Omar ? despite his somewhat withered appearance ? was a purely unique character. He wore large round glasses with deep purple lenses and he sported a well-manicured goatee. His skin was a deep shade of olive and he wore an impressive mane of deep black hair on his head. At any rate, he was certainly nothing like the people Proteus had become accustomed to in the Maverick Hunter Headquarters. Omar approached Zero first, his hand outstretched. ?Zero, my man,? he said casually as he shook the reploid?s hand. Zero simply winked and gestured toward Havoc and Proteus. ?So these are your comrades, eh?? Omar grinned broadly and shook their hands briskly. ?Any friend of Zero is a friend of mine. Join me in my office, fellas and we?ll see what we can do.? [B]AN HOUR LATER?[/B] Omar looked at his watch. ?Well, that was quite a story,? he said with a smirk. ?And that was the short version,? said Zero, ?if we?d gone into detail you would have been sitting here much longer.? ?So you want to get into the HQ,? said Omar, as he rubbed his goatee thoughtfully. ?Why come to me? I know I owe you a favor, Zero, but I?m not a miracle worker.? Zero nodded knowingly. ?I understand ? and I would never ask you to risk your freedom or your life for us ? but there [i]is[/i] something you can do to help us.? It was at this point that Zero stood up and looked down at Omar?s desk. A slight whirring sound emanated from Zero?s head and Proteus noticed that his irises were widening and changing color. Zero?s eyes were now a vivid orange and as their brightness intensified, a three-dimensional schematic appeared before them. It looked like part of the Maverick Hunter HQ. ?Do you recognize this place?? asked Zero to no one in particular. Havoc nodded immediately. ?Yeah, that?s one of the Barrier Gates. Those gates are the only way in or out of the HQ.? ?Correct,? said Zero, ?but there is something unique about this gate.? ?It?s a civilian gate,? added Proteus. Zero nodded. ?Maverick Hunter HQ, as you know, has a permanent population of around 100,000 people; all of these people are employed by the organization on some level. This number does not count reploids, who are considered HQ property as opposed to employees.? Zero paused for a moment as if to emphasize this fact. ?Most human employees are classified as military personnel. However, a limited number ? maybe 5,000 or so ? are classified as civilian workers. All civilian workers enter through this one gate, to the east of the facility. Like all gates, this one is secure; all staff must go through a checkpoint. Unlike military gates though, there is no bio-scanning equipment here.? ?Why is the security lower on one gate?? asked Havoc, ?that makes no sense.? Zero sighed. ?Unfortunately it?s a political thing. Civilian contractors didn?t want to face rigorous and time-consuming screening?and many of them wouldn?t submit to biometric implants. The UN wanted to facilitate their ?comfort?, apparently.? ?What a joke,? huffed Havoc, ?what if there were ever another Maverick outbreak?? ?I suppose political interests come before security for some,? said Proteus quietly. ?So this gate has lower security; are you suggesting we enter through here?? ?Yes.? Zero nodded. ?But we will need to disguise ourselves as humans ? this will involve a little creativity on Omar?s part. And of course, we?ll need one of your cars, Omar.? All three reploids looked over at Omar, as the schematic of the gate dissolved into thin air. Omar simply grinned. ?You never ask for anything small, do you, Zero??[/font]

[font=arial]I checked the other pages to see if anyone took it, but I don't think they did... Can I please take #45, Ouch! ?[/font]

[QUOTE=Boo][size=1]You can very well read it as a metaphore, dear James. And I think it's so much more helpful to bring a metaphore or advice in an entertaining way than in a depressing "aww, you're so sad" way (if they aren't already attacking the person for something he never said), as what seems to be the case a lot. It's not like I would be of much help telling him about my traumatic childhood with my insane, near-suicidal, stalking father, either. Personally, I prefer the hamburger tale. I dare say that I didn't mock anyone in my post, a McDonald's employee at most for making such fragile burgers.[/size][/QUOTE] [color=slategray]Yeah that's cool, I don't think you intended to be offensive. What I'm saying is that when someone talks about something that is actually bothering them in a fairly serious way...it's probably not a good idea to essentially compare that to a sandwich. lol I know you didn't intend to be rude, but a few people did think it was a bit odd to make light of the situation. I can see what you were trying to do, it just didn't come off quite as intended is all.[/color]

[color=slategray]Er, Boo...I don't know if you're trying to be funny, but it isn't working. It's usually not a good idea to mock someone when they are actually upset about something of substance. Minako, I don't quite understand your situation. Are you saying that if you get kicked out you return in a year? I might be misunderstanding something there. I guess my only question is, what is causing your grades to suffer? If there is an underlying problem, it might be worth examining that - I know that my work in general can suffer if I'm not happy about something or if something is going majorly wrong in my life. If it's simply a question of not being able to keep up, well, I think there's no harm in asking for help from those around you. :catgirl: In terms of my world falling apart...well, I have certainly been in that situation. Kind of. A couple of months ago my younger brother was in a serious car accident. His best friend died and another friend of his was in rehabilitation for several months. The accident happened on a Saturday night and I remember getting a phone call from my sister just after I came out of a movie...she said that my brother had been in a serious car accident and was in intensive care. She didn't know any more than that. I can tell you, I've never heard anything like that on the phone before - I felt like my heart literally stopped. I think I was in shock at the time. I literally just ran from the cinema to the car, drove home to pick up my sister and got to the hospital as soon as I could. That night was very difficult because only my parents could stay with my brother, there wasn't enough room and his condition was very delicate. They had to replace something like 3/4 of his blood that night and nobody was sure whether he'd die or have a serious disability as a result of the accident. I remember going to bed that night and just staring at the ceiling, waiting for my phone to ring. I haven't really mentioned any of this on OB but it was definitely the worst time of my life so far - the unknown element was the worst part. Luckily my brother recovered and is now home. I went to his best friend's funeral (who was very much like a brother to me) and that was very difficult. He was only 16. In terms of how I coped with that...well, it was really just a matter of surrounding myself with people I cared about. I always loved and appreciated my siblings but that night, we were all even closer - my two sisters didn't leave my side. We were all stuck together like glue for a long time afterwards. So I think that, for me, I managed to cope by completely involving myself with other people. I know this is a different case to what you are dealing with currently (it's probably on the more extreme end), but still, I think we all deal with bad news differently. I don't know if my suggestions help you at all but hopefully something in my post makes sense![/color]

[color=slategray]If this forum were only about posting and critiquing art, I really think it wouldn't last very long. Although it's great to have people critique your art and stuff...it's not terribly interesting reading and it doesn't really engage many people. I think the key is to think about the medium we are using right now - a message board. The beauty of this system is that it's interactive and allows for collaboration. The biggest successes here, without doubt, have been the Graphic Worms, tournaments and other "group projects". These types of threads are popular because instead of simply prompting comments from people, they encourage friendly competition and collaboration. It's a lot like the difference between collaborative writing (RPGs) and posting your own fan fiction. The latter will [i]never[/i] be as active, because it's largely about presenting something for people to look at...with relatively little reason for people to actively respond. The former is more exciting and active because it encourages everyone to put part of themselves into a greater whole. I don't ever really contribute graphics to this thread (partially for time reasons and partially because I don't really think anyone is terribly interested in seeing my work). But I just now submitted a piece for the 50 Themes thread - I thought it was a really cool idea and it's easy to produce one small piece of work rather than have to hold up an [i]entire[/i] thread on your own. So yeah, to make a long story short...threads that involve collaborative art and design are absolutely the way to go in my opinion. These threads tend to grow on their own steam, they snowball and become popular because everyone gets to be involved and their involvement isn't a massive commitment. I think if you can involve people without them having to spend hours and hours on a project, you'll end up attracting more activity. Most people don't have the time (or sometimes the attention span/interest) to focus on one thing for a very long time. Little submissions in between other tasks are a great way to generate interest (and I really like watching the Graphic Worm grow because the whole idea of melding one image into another is very interesting - most people have approached that in very unique and unexpected ways).[/color]

[font=arial] [center][URL=http://img407.imageshack.us/my.php?image=popmusictj2.gif][IMG]http://img407.imageshack.us/img407/6753/popmusictj2.th.gif[/IMG][/URL] [b]POP MUSIC[/b] Direct Link: [url]http://img407.imageshack.us/img407/6753/popmusictj2.gif[/url][/font][/center]

[font=arial]I'll have a go at pop music if nobody else has taken it.[/font]

[font=arial]Well, using a template means that the page would be like the OB Rules and FAQ pages - in other words, the data would be contained within OB's layout. If we are going to put the OB Graphic Worm up in an official capacity, I want to do it well. Linking to the image itself would be okay but wouldn't really be worthy of an OB Network listing. Instead we could have a small page within our template that includes some further info about it and then we could link to the image which would open a new window - this way it won't matter how long the image is. I like the idea of putting the contributors' names on the actual image itself. That way we avoid dealing with constant site updating - it's easier to just do that as part of the worm image update. [b]Edit:[/b] Ack! Posted at the same time as Des, haha. [/font]

[font=arial]Okay, so here's the deal: If you can make an OB template page to incorporate the graphic worm, feel free to do so. I would like the left nav link to link us to a page that contains a link to the worm image itself and then we can also have some other details on that page - perhaps some info about the worm, its history, a member list of who is involved, etc. If you work with Retri to produce a layout that suits you and contains the info you need, that'd be great. If it's at all possible to create a login screen within that template to allow uploading of updated graphic worms, then by all means, go for it. When everything is complete just PM me with a preview before you create a left-nav link for public access.[/font]

[font=arial]Yep, I had thought about giving the graphic worm its own home since it has become a fairly large project. I like Desbreko's idea quite a bit - simply using a template might be the best way to go. I will come up with a format that I'm happy with and we'll get it going. Alan has suggested that we could create a system where you can log in and update the worm yourself (Retri) but I don't know if that can be done from [i]within[/i] an OB template. Alan/Des, any thoughts on that?[/font]

[font=arial]Would you just want a link to the graphic worm or would you want extra information (i.e. the names of all the contributors)? Also...I assume the worm isn't finished. By that I mean, I assume you will continue to want people to add to it? We might be able to work something out. If I produce a page for the worm to sit on, one of you can be responsible for updating it as people contribute and then sending the updated worm to me so I can upload new versions. Perhaps this could be done weekly or monthly? We can use this thread to discuss the idea, if you like.[/font]

[font=arial]I just think it's funny that he doesn't take his own arguments to their logical conclusion. I mean, if putting Wii in people's homes is a delivery method for Manhunt 2...then that's like saying you shouldn't ever have a DVD player in a home with children because it's a delivery method for porn. If you follow that line of thinking to its logical conclusion, you could only really say that children shouldn't be anywhere near computers, DVD players, books, posters, television...etc etc... At least this guy is losing just about every ridiculous lawsuit he brings forward.[/font]

[center][url="http://www.foxinternational.com/28weekslater/"][img]http://www.think-silly.com/juno/wp-content/28weekslater.jpg[/img][/url][/center] [font=arial]We did have an older thread about this film but there wasn't a great deal there and it's pretty far back now. I thought it'd be a good idea to start a fresh thread (with some improved quality!) 28 Weeks Later came out in Australia this week and I've just gone to see it today. First of all, I have to get one obvious thing out of the way - if you liked the original at all, you will definitely like the sequel. Despite changes to director, 28 Weeks Later is about as ideal a sequel as you could imagine for the original film. I think the trailer probably makes the film seem like a fairly cliche sequel, but it really isn't. Not only is the resurgence of the virus explained brilliantly (and quite realistically), but the whole environment in the second film just takes things to a whole new level. I should also mention that I'm not a huge fan of zombie films (with the exception of the Dawn of the Dead remake, which I liked significantly more than the original). The whole concept of zombies has never scared me but moreover, I've just never found the idea compelling at all. This is especially true when you consider that most zombie films don't seem to have a particularly realistic aspect to them. What I liked about 28 Days Later was that, more than any other film in this genre I've seen...it seems to provide a pretty realistic sense of what might happen if a terrible virus infected the population. That the "zombies" have a scientific explanation and that the response to the problem is also largely imaginable, made the film far more palatable for me. This is in addition to the fact that the Infected were more horrific than zombies I've see in any other film - they were fast and they were portrayed in a more horrific manner in my view (especially with the way they actually seemed "sick" rather than "living dead" - i.e. the way they periodically vomit). For the uninitiated, 28 Weeks Later is basically what it says - it's a story that takes place 28 weeks after the initial outbreak. Obviously, most of Britain's population is dead at this point with the exception of a few thousand survivors who managed to flee the island and stay in refugee camps within mainland Europe. At this point in the story, the U.S. military has occupied England and is re-patriating survivors. This process seems incredibly realistic to me - the way the film handles it is just brilliant. There is something eerily realistic about the way British citizens are brought home and the way London operates under U.S. military control (especially the idea that only Zone 1 - inner London - is "sterile" with power and water and that the surrounding zones are still being sterilized). My first thought as I watched this film was that someone would naturally leave Zone 1 and somehow bring the virus back, which would start a new outbreak. But the reality was far more complex - and interesting - than this predictable concept. I won't spoil the film for anyone but I will say a couple of things. First, the story is brilliant - not only is everything (or mostly everything) explained logically, but the re-introduction of the virus is handled about as well as you could imagine. It's a completely logical and understandable situation given the circumstances. Second, the visual power of the film is [i]easily[/i] on-par with the original. In some ways, 28 Weeks Later is far more intense (my heart didn't slow down during the entire film), but it does contain plenty of those amazing deserted shots of London (and some of the new shots are simply breathtaking - and really quite horrific at the same time). And third...the story takes several twists that make it somewhat more complex than the original film. This added layer does not serve to convolute the story but it is, rather, a really intruiging element - and like everything else, it's an element that makes some sort of horrible sense. So, for someone who isn't terribly into these types of films, but liked 28 Days Later...I think I can safely say that I preferred 28 Weeks Later. It's essentially bigger and more horrific than the first film but it maintains the key elements that made the original so unique. And it injects plenty of incredible new shots and concepts that gel with the theme brilliantly. If there were any major negatives to this film, they would have to relate to the fact that there isn't as much emphasis on the characters - in some ways they are a bit more anonymous in this film. The movie is also somewhat "Americanized" - it emphasizes action far more than the original movie with fewer quiet moments. This is not necessarily a bad thing though; in some ways it possibly complements the original. This is definitely a rare sequel that is essentially better than the original in every sense (depending, probably, on where your preferences in films lie). If you're at all in doubt as a fan of the original, I'd definitely advise anyone to go and see this movie. [/font]

[font=arial]I wouldn't put people into intelligence groups, lol. I tend to think Forgotten Hero and BKstyles are pretty good contributors all-round. I don't know why some people get the impression that they're always at the bottom of the ladder, lol. 2007DigitalBoy can be cool, but he plays the victim way too much. 90% of the way he thinks he's perceived is in his head - and one has to be careful with that, because it can become a self-fulfilling prophecy. I never cease to be surprised at where people think they sit on the "ladder", lol.[/font]