TV Reviews #13 - The X-Files Season 8 (2000-2001)

             Season 8 of this series marks a big changing point. Mulder spends most of it being abducted by aliens. A new agent, Doggett (played by Robert Patrick – Terminator 2), joins the X-Files to replace him. The tone of the show in general gets darker, there is a real feeling of hopelessness.

The dynamic between Scully and Doggett is interesting. Scully has now become the believer and Doggett is the skeptical one. It reinvigorates some new life into the series but on some occasions Doggett is too skeptical, even more than Scully was in the first season, and it can get to be too much. Seeing is believing and if you see a man survive an explosion unscathed, you need to start believing in the paranormal a little more.

The alien conspiracy becomes much more confusing this season. I thought the whole thing was made clear enough in seasons 6 and 7, but in season 8 they add all these new aspects that I can’t even begin to explain. Alien/Human hybrid babies, government super soldier program, these are some of the elements brought in that seem to complicate the show just for the sake of keeping it running.

The season is not bad by any means. In fact there are many great character moments where Scully comes to terms with how she has changed over the past 8 years and becoming a mother. Doggett has an unexplained past I would like to learn more about. However, it does feel like the show is trying hard to come up with ideas to keep itself going.

Score: 7/10

Wednesday Night Ramblings - February 23 2016 - A New Day

           Ok, so I’ve done this a lot but it goes again. I’m changing format, again. I’m still going to call it Wednesday Night Ramblings, but it could be on any night. I’m hoping to write good articles and then posting them. They’ll also be chock full of achievement and trophy updates. Not much else to say right now. The goal is to have an article about every week, but I’m not making any promises. I want quality over quantity. 

Lego Star Wars III

Okay Clankers, suck lasers -10G - Complete Ambush

WWE All-Stars

Reversal of Fortune -15G - Performed at least 5 grapple reversals during a match

Born to Fly  20G - Performed 10 successful regular aerial moves in a single match

Last Man Standing - 15G - Won a fatal 4 way elimination match

Punch Drunk - 20G - Landed at least 100 strikes in a single match in any mode

Slobberknocker - 25G - Won a match without using any grapples

Man of 1000 holds - 25G - Won a match without using any strikes

Layeth the Smacketh Down - 20G - Won a match in under 2 minutes

Five Moves of Doom - 20G - Execute 5 signature moves in a single match

Comeback of the Year - 20G - Won a match when your superstar is at zero health

Over the Top - 15G - Won a Steel Cage match

Mega Powers - 20G - Won a Tornado Tag Team Match as Hulk Hogan and Randy Savage

He's got a chair - 20G - Landed at least 10 successful strikes with an object in a single match

Betting the odds - 15G - Won a Handicap match

Totally Extreme -15G - Won an extreme rules match 

The next WWE superstar - 10G - Made a created superstar

Legend Killer - 15G - Completed all Fantasy Warfare matches as a WWE Superstar

Suck It - 20G - Won a Tornado Tag Team match as Triple H and Shawn Michaels

Booyaka Booyaka - 10G - Defeated Andre the Giant and Big Show in a Handicap match as Rey Mysterio

Attitude Problems - 10G - Got disqualified in 3 consecutive matches

Old School - 15G - Completed all Fantasy Warfare matches as a WWE Legend

I`m your Papi - 10G - Defeated Rey Mysterio in a Steel Cage match as Eddie Guerrero

The Pride of Scotland - 10G - Won a Tornado Tag Team match as Roddy Piper and Drew McIntyre

God of War: Ascension

Prison Break - Bronze - Free Kratos from his imprisonment

Unleashed - Bronze - Throw, Slam and Ram a grappled enemy

Gotta Hand it to you - Bronze - Defeated the infected Hand of Aegaeon

Tell me how you really feel - Bronze - Kill 25 enemies using the Rage of the Gods

Open Minded - Bronze - Win the Buttonless Minigame against a Juggernaut

That`s gotta leave a mark - Bronze  - Spill 500 buckets of blood on Kratos

Round and Round - Bronze - Solve the Rolling Crusher Puzzle

Big Spender - Bronze - Upgrade any Magic to the next level

Tools of the Trade - Bronze - Use all 5 world weapons in combat

Snakes on a Train - Bronze - Ride the snake back to the Tower of Delphi

Hot Lunch - Bronze -Win the Buttonless Minigame against a Manticore

Gateway Gas - Bronze - Breathe the toxic gases within the Oracle`s Temple

Biting the hand that feeds you - Silver - Defeat Magaera and the Titan Hecatonchires

Quaid!!! - Silver - Defeat Pollux

Movie Reviews #48 - Brooklyn (2015)

Plot: A young woman leaves her native country of Ireland in order to start a new life in Brooklyn.

Review: This movie was part of this year’s crop of Oscar contenders but isn’t quite the same. It’s more of a love story. Not that that’s a bad thing. It’s a story that makes you feel happy. You genuinely like the characters. The main character played by Saoirse Ronan has a great ark that takes her from shy frightened girl to confident woman who knows what she wants by the end. There’s not much else to say about this movie. If you’re looking for something that will cheer you up among the Oscar depressing films, check this out.

Score: 7/10

Movie Reviews #47 - Wes Craven's New Nightmare (1994)

Plot: Freddy ends up existing in the real world and terrorizes the actress from the original movie.

Review: I thought some of the earlier Nightmare on Elm Street movies were bad but holy crap this one is bad. You’d think that having Wes Craven back would improve things, but this movie is so into itself it’s crazy. And that kid just makes the whole thing unwatchable. He’s always screaming and being a little shit with his creepy voice. I cannot stand him.

            The story, where the Nightmare on Elm Street series is actually just a bunch of movies, ruins anything that the past films has done. It’s a huge slap in the face to anyone who was investing in them. You’ve just been told, hey it’s all pretend, but this is real.

            Freddy himself doesn’t actually do anything until near the end and it totally lame. When a child is part of the reason you’re defeated, you suck.

            I’m not one to advocate remakes, but after something like this there’s nowhere else to go. When you decide that going to do dishes is more entertaining than watching a movie, you’re really doing something wrong.

Score: 2/10

Movie Reviews #46 - Joy (2015)

Plot: A single mother invents a new type of mop and struggles to get it out into the world.

Review: its Oscar season, so time to watch some critically acclaimed movies. Joy is from David O Russell and as such has the usual cast that’s been following him the last few movies (Jennifer Lawrence, Bradley Cooper, Robert DeNiro). The story itself in this movie is a decent one, but I feel like the real life story of the main character would be a more interesting one. The movie falls just short of reaching that emotional point where you're totally invested. It’s not that it’s bad, but I feel it could have been better. It’s worth watching if you’re in Oscar season mode, but it won’t blow you away or be one of your best movie nominees.

Score: 6.5/10

Movie Reviews #45 - Hollywood Homocide (2003)

Plot: 2 cops try to investigate a case where a group of rappers were killed as well as trying to be successful on their side jobs.

Review: When it’s 2AM and you’re on Netflix trying to find something to watch you’ll make some strange choices. Now this movie is basically a failed attempt at a buddy cop movie.

Harrison Ford and Josh Hartnett do have some chemistry together, but the comedy bits fall flat. There’s some inside Hollywood type stuff going on here that just doesn’t entertain. Despite what you may think, the more interesting plot point is whether or not Harrison Ford can sell that house on Mt. Olympus. I will give this movie some praise though for actually ending with a decent action scene. Nothing looked CGI, no quick cut editing. So just because I hate those elements so much I’m willing to be a little more generous. Now don’t get me wrong, this is not a good movie. But it’s nowhere near the atrocity that most reviews made this seem to be when it came out. If you’re in a jam like I was at 2AM and need something to watch this will do. If anything, it will help you fall asleep.

Score: 5/10

Wednesday Night Ramblings - February 3 2016 - Why did I ever leave you New Girl?

               A couple of years ago on New Year’s eve my wife and I were home with nothing to do. We looked on Netflix to see what to watch and we came upon the show New Girl and decided to give it a shot. We spent the rest of the night plowing through the show and could not stop. It was one of the funniest things we had seen in a while. For one reason or another, we stopped watching it at some point.

                Fast forward to a week ago. We kept recording the show despite not watching it and had about 15 episodes. My wife decide to watch it while bored one night. And now we are back into it. The show is hilarious! All of the main characters are super funny in their own sense. At first Nick was our favorite with his unhealthy lifestyle and old man demeanor. But now I think Winston is our favorite. He’s so weird and innocent and that cat Ferguson is adorable. Here’s to finding an old love of a show and this time sticking with it.

Halo: Master Chief Collection

Junior Detective - 10G - H3: ODST: Find the 1st clue unraveling the mystery

Xenophobia - 10G - H3: ODST: Complete any level without using Covenant weapons

Two Places, Same Time - 10G - H3: ODST:I've got my eye on you marine

Deference of Darkness - 10G - H3:ODST: Complete any level without activating VISR mode

Tayari Plaze - 10G - H3: ODST: Complete Tayari Plaze

Listener - 5G - H3: ODST: Find the 1st audio log

An Ear Full - 5G - H3: ODST: Find the 2nd audio log

Investigator - 10G - H3: ODST: Find the 2nd clue to unraveling the mystery

Uplift Reserve - 10G - H3: ODST: Complete Uplift Reserve

Tuned In -5G - H3: ODST: Find the 3rd audio log

Do Tell - 5G - H3: ODST: Find the 4th audio log

Gumshoe - 10G - H3: ODST: Find the 3rd clue unraveling the mystery

Gruntmageddon - 10G - Kill 1000 grunts

Kizingo Boulevard - 10G - H3: ODST: Complete Kizingo Blvd

Son of a Gun - 10G - H3: ODST: Beat the par score on Kizingo Blvd

Hear me Out - 5G - H3: ODST: Find the 5th audio log

Eavesdropping - 5G - H3: ODST: Find the 6th audio log

Bloodhound - 10G - H3: ODST: Find the 4th clue unraveling the mystery

Fowl Hunt - 10G - H3: ODST: Kill 3 Jetpac Brutes with a shotgun on Oni Alpha Site

Oni Alpha Site - 10G - H3: ODST: Complete Oni Alpha Site

A Pleasant Trip - 10G - H3: ODST: Beat the par time on Oni Alpha Site

Auditor - 5G - Find the 7th audio log

Overheard - 5G - Find the 8th audio log

Wiretapping - 5G - Find the 9th audio log

Monitored - 5G - Find the 10th audio log

Hang Onto my Words - 5G - Find the 11th audio log

Give Heed - 5G - Find the 12th audio log

Private Eye - 10G - H3: ODST: Find the 5th clue unraveling the mystery

NMPD HQ - 10G - H3: ODST: Complete NMPD HQ

Get a Load - 5G - H3: ODST: Find the 13th audio log

Snoop Troop - 5G - H3: ODST: Find the 14th audio log

Secret Agent - 10G - H3: ODST: Find the 6th clue unraveling the mystery

Kilowani Station - 10G - H3: ODST: Complete Kilowani Station

Data Hive - 10G - H3: ODST: Complete Data Hive

Magic Touch - 10G - H3: ODST: Beat the par score on Data Hive

I got this - 10G - H3: ODST: Complete 100 missions or multiplayer games

BLAM Said the Lady - 10G - H3: ODST: Swap Dare's pistol for a Rocket Launcher on Coastal Highway

Coastal Highway - 10G - Complete Coastal Highway

Double Time - 10G - H3: ODST: Beat the par score on Coastal Highway

Urban Warfare Badge - 10G - H3: ODST: Complete every level of the game on Normal difficulty

Rookie - 10G - H3: ODST: Complete every level of the game on Easy difficulty

Lego Star Wars III

This is just the beginning - 10G - Complete Geonosian Arena

The pleasure is all mine my dear - 10G - Complete The Hidden Enemy

WWE All Stars

Chain Gang - 15G - Complete a combo at least 5 moves in length

The New Generation - 10G - Defeated a Legend with a Superstar

Showing Them How It's Done - 10G - Defeated a Superstar with a Legend

Five Star Rating - 20G - Achieve a 5 star rating while facing the CPU

Mark of Excellenc - 20G - Earned a gold medal while facing the CPU