Arctic Sunburn - Video Game Reviews, Movie Reviews, Let's Play Series

Hugo Review

2011-12-13T00:35:13Z

While it is pretty rare for me to go to movies let alone watch movies these days, December seems to be an exception. I tend to spend more time visiting with family and friends, and generally have more free time away from work. Therefore, it stands to reason that more movies are watched this time of year than any other, at least for me.

Last night, I had the chance to see Hugo (in 3D) with some friends. In recent memory I've seen a few films that didn't really take advantage of the 3D aspect of things (Captain America comes to mind). Hugo, fortunately, right from the get-go, proved to the contrary. This movie did, and does, take advantage of 3D.

Hugo stars Ben Kingsley (the toymaker), Sacha Baron Cohen (station inspector), Asa Butterfield (as Hugo Cabret), and Chloë Grace Moretz as Isabelle, the toymaker's daughter.

The movie itself is set in 1930s Paris and is about an orphan boy (Hugo) who lives in the walls of a train station. After his father passes away in a tragic fire, his uncle "adopts" him and takes him to the train station where he maintains the clocks. Hugo is forced to steal in order to live. However, he is caught by the toymaker. The toymaker's daughter befriends Hugo, and Hugo begins to learn more about the toymaker's past.

This movie is essentially a family-friendly film. It is a heartwarming story about a man who wanted to forget his past, and doesn't believe in "happy endings". He is nevertheless recognized and rewarded for his work in the end. I highly recommend the film.

David Andrew Wiebe on Episode 97 of the Inside Home Recording Podcast

2011-12-06T18:25:05Z

I was recently asked to be on the Inside Home Recording podcast! This was a real honor for me, and a vision-come-true. Check it out!

Inside Home Recording | Episode 97 with David Andrew Wiebe

DAW Universal Update #2: December 3, 2011

2011-12-06T05:13:04Z

David Andrew Wiebe lets us know what's going on in his life and online world. Subjects include: blogging frequency, Inside Home Recording, current projects, and more.

I Can't Believe This Actually Exists...

2011-12-05T19:41:35Z

Tommy Wiseau playing video games. This is genius.

Warning: this video contains colorful language and simulated violence (it is Mortal Kombat, after all).

Anger Management

2011-11-30T21:53:49Z

Anger Management refers to the 2003 film in which a spineless business man (Dave Buznik, played by Adam Sandler) is wrongfully sentenced to an anger management course with a forceful instructor, Dr. Buddy Rydell (played by Jack Nicholson). In a surprise twist, it turns out that Dave's girlfriend Linda (played by Marisa Tomei) hired Dr. Rydell to put some spine back into Dave under the guise of managing his "anger problems".

Perhaps I am missing something with this movie. Having grown up in Japan, maybe there are some cultural conventions that I'm not familiar with. I say that because, in short, this movie is kind of weird. I mean, it kind of makes sense in the end, but it's still strange. Maybe it wasn't as strange as Be Kind Rewind (which was enjoyable in its own way), but nevertheless strange.

Dr. Rydell is a weirdo. It probably doesn't help that he is played by Jack Nicholson. His smiles are creepy; he makes esoteric references, and what is with the device he used to stimulate his hair follicles?

Don't even get me started with Heather Graham's character, Kendra. She's a freak! I mean, I get that she was a hired actress (by Rydell), but her mood swings are bizarre to say the least.

I suppose you could say it all pays off in the end. The twist was a little unexpected. It looked as though things were headed in a decidedly toilet centered direction for Dave, but as it turns out, all the events were orchestrated to put some fire back in the man. If you're in the mood for something quirky, this one might keep you satiated for a while.

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim

2011-11-29T04:51:05Z

I have been hearing an awful lot about Skyrim as of late. Have I played it? No. In fact, I have done very little gaming as of late. The last thing I played was Bad Company 2.

It's not hard to see why there is so much buzz about this game, however. Both Morrowind and Oblivion were phenomenal games in their own right. Morrowind, if I'm not mistaken, was really the first of its kind; in short, a sandbox RPG. Although there was a main storyline, you could do just about anything you wanted, up to and including killing off NPCs, stealing from people's homes, and travelling across the entire world.

Oblivion really took it to the next level in the graphical department. While familiar in most other respects, it did show signs of evolution as well.

And now Skyrim is out. I remember hearing that they reduced the number of dragons because there were too many roaming about. A student of mine recently told me you can marry a variety of people in-game, up to and including the emperor's wife (that fascinated me for sure).

Certainly, I would like to check this game out down the line given the chance.

Analyze That

2011-11-25T05:43:47Z

Analyze That, of course, is the 2002 sequel to Analyze This starring Robert De Niro, Billy Crystal, and Lisa Kudrow. The movie is about mobster Paul Vitti who fakes mental illness to get out of prison and is released to the care of Dr. Ben Sobol to whom he is no minor inconvenience. Sobol, as result, discovers some of his own issues having inherited his family practice.

I suppose the only way to spice up a movie about a psychologist is to add mafia into the picture. I'm being facetious, of course. Analyze That definitely has its moments, and is not a terrible to watch. Certainly the cast is terrific.

You might be wondering why I'm talking about a sequel before I talk about the original (though I'm pretty sure this wouldn't be the first time). Basically, I'm just going through my movies in sequential order and making some notes about them. My movies are actually sorted in alphabetical order (who does that, anyway?) Furthermore, I don't actually own Analyze This.

Anyway, I don't have much else to say about this movie. Check it out if you had the chance to see the original. This one is not as good, but it still has its moments for sure.

August Rush

2011-11-22T05:24:45Z

It seems like a rarity, but sometimes you really connect with a movie in a way that you don't or didn't with any other movie. I suppose the same could be said for love - you love someone because you connect with them in a special way that you don't or didn't with anyone else.

Don't misunderstand - as I talk about this movie, I'm certainly not planning on getting carried away with the sentimental. Nor am I about to suggest that it's a masterpiece, that it is one of the best moving pictures ever to grace a theatre. Well, maybe it is the former, but probably not the latter.

I guess what I'm saying is this; there really aren't any other movies that upon watching, I weep all the way through. August Rush, for some reason, tugs at my heart strings every time.

Perhaps it is that sweeping sense of destiny that Evan has - determined to find his parents in a cruel and unforgiving world. Only that world is a place of wonder and providence through Evan's eyes. I love his childlike faith and sense of purpose in his world. He doesn't listen to people that try to pull him down.

It's a shame how this movie got panned by some circles. It's weird how you can find it in bargain bins across the country. People may doubt and scoff and laugh at the implausibility and romanticism of a story like this. Personally, I think it is closer to real life than many of us seem to think it is. That is why it resonates with my heart.

Additionally, it may have something to do with the fact that I'm a musician and this movie certainly channels the power of music in a way that other cookie-cutter, cut-and-paste, "sweeping" soundtracks other composers like to pass off as unique or original don't.

Am I crazy or fanatical? Decide for yourself. August Rush will remain a special movie in my library.

3:10 to Yuma

2011-11-18T19:11:14Z

3:10 to Yuma is a story about a rancher who agrees to escort a captured outlaw to his train bound for court in Yuma. The movie stars Russell Crowe, Christian Bale, and Ben Foster.

As you might expect, the acting in this modern western is pretty good. With a cast like that, you wouldn't expect any less. The storyline, while simple, is relatively effective.

However, at 122 minutes, I found it to be a bit of a slow moving film. There isn't enough happening to keep your interest for that long, at least not in my opinion.

And, to be honest, I wouldn't consider myself a western fan. I realize this is an area of great subjectivity, but if I'm going to be swept away on a great adventure, I'm not sure why I would want to be summoned to dry lands and desserts to learn about a cowboy who tried to do the right thing but lost in the end.

Perhaps I have a low attention span. I don't think that's the problem, but I will at least concede to that possibility. I realize that many of today's movies are represented by flashy CG and adrenaline pumping action scenes. However, I can generally accept a slow moving movie for what it is if it is a good movie.

Am I saying this is a bad movie? No. It may be worth watching once. I'm not sure why you would want to watch it twice. That's about it.

Let's GET!! Episode 3

2011-11-18T06:33:55Z

In Episode 3 of the Let's GET!! Podcast, Eric and Andrew discuss modern games from the perspective of a retro gamer.

I suppose you could say Arctic Sunburn is already very much in this vein. My first gaming experience was a Nintendo Famicom in Japan (essentially a NES). When I really think about it, I guess it's possible that I played arcade games before I ever went to Japan, but frankly I don't remember. Anyway, I didn't really play on any Atari systems or anything like that before I got to the NES, so I guess you could say I got to the good stuff first.

My memories from those times are a little scattered at best, but I do remember that Super Mario Bros. had a pretty major impact on me. I watched in wonder at other players who knew all the secrets and exploits; could get infinite lives, and beat the entire game in a matter of 15 to 20 minutes or less.

I remember Excitebike, Donkey Kong, Contra, Punch-Out!!, among others. I remember when I first played Dragon Quest. It was several years down the line before any of those fangled RPG games made any sense, but once they did, I was hooked.

Regardless, this would be a fun subject to discuss in more detail down the line.

You can check out the Let's GET!! Podcast at their blog or on iTunes. Warning: the podcast contains some colorful language.

Happy Gilmore

2011-11-17T05:43:54Z

When I think about the funniest movies of all time, this is what instantly comes to mind: Happy Gilmore. I must have been watching the tube a while back (something I rarely do anymore), and on the program they were surveying people what they thought the funniest movie ever made was. The #1 answer that came back was Happy Gilmore. For a moment, I felt enlightened. It wasn't just a casual observation, it was more of a "huh" moment.

Sure, there are plenty of funny movies out there. Meet the Parents was pretty funny the first time (and mostly just frustrating the second time). Monty Python and the Holy Grail had plenty of quotable moments. If you want to talk about quotable moments, though, there's This is Spinal Tap, Wayne's World, and Zoolander. Certainly some of the movies I've just mentioned wouldn't make a top 10 list (well, not many top 10 lists), but they all have their moments.

And yet, Happy Gilmore stands out. I had to think back to the first time I ever watched the movie. I was still living with my mom at the time, probably sitting in the basement with the TV on. A movie about a hockey player who plays golf!? The concept seemed too awesome to pass up.

Sure enough, the movie did not disappoint. I laughed all the way through, especially at the part where Happy curses up a storm and is being censored on the TVs. I don't think I heard a word of the dialogue in that part because I was laughing so hard.

I realize that everyone has their favorites, and there are plenty of great comedies out there. Even Leslie Nielsen movies have their place (well, sort of). But when I thought objectively about the movie that gave me the most laughter, I came up with Happy Gilmore.

Bangkok Dangerous

2011-11-15T05:23:30Z

I wouldn't necessarily call myself a Nik Cage aficionado. However, I would consider him a good actor in the genre of movies he's generally cast in. Gone in 60 Seconds, for example, was thoroughly enjoyable from my point of view.

I think I mostly picked up Bangkok Dangerous on a whim. All you have to do these days is walk into a store like HMV to find a myriad of bargain DVDs. Not that they were hard to find before, but it seems now more than ever there are sales everywhere you go.

These days, I rarely find myself watching movies. I had a Netflix subscription for about a month and a half, after which I decided it was too much of a distraction. Truth be told, I don't mind sitting down to watch "bad movies". Some of my favorite movies aren't the most polished in the world; think Wayne's World, or the Bill & Ted series. So I found myself watching one bad movie (or mediocre movie) after another, only to find that there were very few that actually endeared themselves to me.

However, I'm getting a little off track. Bangkok Dangerous is about a man who works as an assassin. The movie begins with the assassin contrasting his life against the "normal", stating that he doesn't mind the pay, but that he would like to settle down and find a significant other.

His next job is in Bangkok, so naturally that is where he is headed. Once there, he finds a remote place to stay, and blends in best he can. In the process, he mentors a young but talented protégé, and successfully carries out assassinations, until he comes to a cross road.

In case you hadn't figured this out from the subject matter, this is a relatively violent movie. I don't generally make recommendations for or against movies that have suggestive subject matter, so I am leaving that decision to you.

In any case, if there was one thing that impressed me with this film, it was the cinematography. The sights and the scenery are beautiful, the colors are vibrant, and the action scenes aren't littered with shaky handheld chaos. While it is entirely possible that they used CG to enhance some of the colors, there is no denying that it looks great.

Everything else in this movie is all around solid. The acting is good to excellent, the plot is conceivable and based (mostly) in reality, and there weren't any major plot holes that I could point out. In all, it seemed to me like they actually spent a solid chunk of time on this film, ensuring that the little things wouldn't get in the way of the big things.

The underlying moral of the story is that a cold-hearted killer still has a heart and can warm to others. Ultimately, he finds himself fighting for good rather than just for his personal gain. His life was the price to pay.

Secret of Mana

2011-11-12T00:40:18Z

You've heard me talk about how amazing the music in Seiken Densetsu 2 (Secret of Mana) is. Have a listen to the title theme below. Right from the get-go, the game establishes itself as a heavyweight in the video game music realm.

Let's GET!! Episode 2

2011-11-11T07:10:09Z

In episode 2 of the Let's GET!! Podcast, Eric and his friends interviewed a couple of video game or chiptune inspired musicians. I think it is somewhat trendy in today's music culture, but I think it is a cool movement regardless. I would love to work on a video game inspired music project myself. What are your thoughts?

You can check out the Let's GET!! Podcast at their blog or on iTunes. Warning: the podcast contains some colorful language.

DAW Universal Update #1: November 8, 2011

2011-11-10T07:59:54Z

I just recorded a bit of bonus material for my podcast. This time, I talk about all the projects I've been working on recently. Check it out at the link below:

DAW Universal Update #1: November 8, 2011