Welcome To Silent Hell

Movies that are inspired by video games are rarely worth it. The story usually required to make a good movie is beyond the scope of a video game, even a great one. I haven't played the "Silent Hill" game, but the movie manages to evade most hints about video games, at least to unsuspecting viewers. That said, it still is plagued by some of the stereotypical flaws of such movies : mediocre acting, unexplained plots, shallow emotions. Even so, this is a horror film and it is quite succesful at conveying horror. The transition from the silent but creepy deserted town into a screaming, dark hell is impressive. The gruesome, disfigured not-quite-human creatures are horrible enough to make you indifferent to their unexplained origin, and that can also be said about the demonic presence of the Pyramid Head pictured above. A most disturbing character that could have his own horror movie series. The bloody climax of the movie is a very violent one but it is so entertaining I think it could be longer.
In the end, Silent Hill is quite entertaining if you are not looking for more than visually stimulating horror scenes. If you enjoyed "The Cell" despite Jennifer Lopez's presence, then you will probably love Silent Hill movie.

Showdown Draws Near

WARNING - SPOILERS AHEAD.

Don't read below if you have not seen last Monday's "24" episode.

The 5th season is quickly becoming a favorite one. What is ultimately at stake this time is not human lives at the mercy of terrorists, but the integrity of an idea. The show has always presented its characters with terrible moral dillemas that could drive a normal person crazy at the short time they have to be resolved. Jack Bauer, of course, is the guy of right and fast choices. But let's see things in more detail.
Hendersson slashes Audrey, slowing Jack down as he has to stop her from bleeding to death. He is also slowed though, because he has to deliver the recording to a safe place. It is his security against any attempt by President Logan to use him as a scapegoat. I should mention here that the transformation of Logan from an apparently dependent and weak person to a subtle mover of strings was handled convincingly and smoothly. It appears that Logan is again supported by a previously unseen cast of people which is consistent with his flawed personality. Their appearance suggests that something is on the move that hasn't happened yet. This is also supported by the diplomatic flight where Jack is led to when following the recording. Something of international importance is happening that is at the heart of the whole buisness and which will finally explain the high risks Logan has taken in this season. Other highlights of the episode was of course Heller's sacrifice, but I have a hunch he may have survived, and Karen's change of sides when her suspicions are verified. 5 more episodes to go for the finale and I'm sure the surprises will not stop.

The Office Of Strategic Influence Is Free

This is the second album for the project of Kevin Moore (ex Dream Theater, Chroma Key), Jim Mattheos (Fates Warning), Joey Vera (Fates Warning) and Mike Portnoy (Dream Theater). If you are familiar with the members, you know the worth of the band. You may not know the origin of their name which refers to a subdivision of the USA department of defense which focused on propaganda. This short article on wikipedia has all the details. About the album itself, I will post my review which should appear soon on Behind the Veil webzine.
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The supergroup of O.S.I. follows up their succesful debut with "Free". It becomes clear that the person who is in charge is Kevin Moore (keyboards, vocals), as the mood of the album is a lot like Moore's Chroma Key project. I still wish they had brought Daniel Gildenlow (Pain Of Salvation) as was originally planned, since I find Moore's voice somewhat tiring. Of course, the man remains a most inspired song writer and keyboardist. Things go a bit more to the electronic and drum'n'bass side this time. Don't be alarmed though, this remains a metal album as Mattheos offers some quite heavy riffs. Mike Portnoy finds a chance to prove his versatility as he adapts to quite a different style of playing. "Free" is an album for demanding listeners and probably there's nothing like it in the whole scene. With a vocalist like Gildenlow however, it would be a masterpiece.

Ideas Are Bulletproof

It is usually a compliment to say that something has left you speechless, but it is much less than a compliment for someone who says so about "V For Vendetta". Indeed, the movie's purpose is, more than anything else, to encourage you to speak, no matter what it is you have to say.
In a future Britain, this isn't possible; speaking against the government may get you killed. In a society nurtured with fear and lies, the masked hero simply known as V will try to change the world. The parallels with George Orwell's "1984" are obvious, especially when the Chancellor is played by John Hurt who was the lead in the film with the same name. Even though V is pursuing a very personal vendetta, the "hero" title could not suit him more. Everyone who tries to better society at personal cost should bear it. V may be violent but he is also noble. His portrayal by Hugo Weaving is more reminiscent of the elven authority of Elrond (The Lord Of The Rings) than the cold and self-centered artificial intelligence of Agent Smith (The Matrix). Weaving's performance makes V's mask come alive; you almost see the expressions on it. It'd be no wonder if the terrorist label put on the romantic and brave bringer of justice confused some people. But does this really suggest a thin line between terrorism and justice or that our definitions are in serious need of reevaluation? A most important and timely question out of the many raised in the movie.
Evey, played by Natalie Portman, represents the crowd, society, everyone. She must overcome her fears and this cannot happen before she realizes that what she believes in is worth more than her life. V uses deception to achieve this but he claims the freedom of the artist who uses lies to tell the truth. Like Evey, society must overcome its fear and change. There will always be short-sighted people who will think that this movie glorifies terrorism, but how can V's masterplan to remove society's fear be called terrorism when it is the exact opposite? Taking a building to give hope seems like a fair exchange but V, in a beautiful symbolism, leaves the decision to Evey.
There are many more things to be said but I would only like to ask a few questions as food for thought. Is reality at all similar with the movie's universe? If it is, and the authorities perceive its messages as harmless when they are not, what are the mechanisms that render them so? If it's not, why would western democracy's apparent success inspire such a story?
I should note here, as closing line, that the inspiration belongs to Alan Moore and his comic with the same name. I haven't but I plan on reading it soon.

Blogging And Other Memes

The idea of blogging, once conceived, was quickly spread and adopted so that we can safely name it today a cultural phenomenon. You may even say it was an idea that was good in self-replicating. The analogy with the biological self-replicators, the genes, was not lost to Richard Dawkins who first coined the term "meme" in his innovating "Selfish Gene" debut. The concept of cultural or otherwise units of information that can replicate in human minds and be subject to their own natural selection was an attractive one and a lot of people worked on it. Some of them produced comprehensive studies like Susan Blackmore in "The Meme Machine" (on my to-read list) and the terms "meme" and "memetics" (as in genetics) officially entered the dictionary. I was reminded of the topic when I came across a few blogs that used the term and I realized it was a lot more popular than I thought. Unfortunately, memetics does not fare as well in its respective field. The inherent difficulties that come with the vagueness of meme's definition and the vast complexity of human culture make memetics' future as a science doubtful. Indeed, it is hard to conceive of a science that will be able to make predictions or provide some kind of solutions about culture. This does not mean that it is impossible, though. Memetics deals with a subject that is connected with areas we know very little about, such as the origin of language or the nature of consciousness. As it is naturally abandoned these days, I still believe it will be revived in a future in which our knowledge will allow it.
If you are interested for more information, you can take a look at this thorough Wikipedia article.

More Long Days For Jack Bauer

The news come directly from Fox's "24" website : Kiefer Sutherland has signed for 3 more seasons of the popular show. Am I happy about it? You bet. Few shows have managed to glue me to my seat, episode after episode, disregarding bodily protests about something called sleep. One has to wonder though, how will the writers manage to come up with enough ideas so that they won't repeat themselves. I mean after assassinations, nuclear weapons, deadly viruses and traitors in the White House, the options for terrorism plots run thin. Of course, Jack Bauer is quite a versatile action character and I can speculate, even at this early point, that we may see him spending his long day away from CTU. Hard to imagine how the "24" factor will fit if the bad guys aren't terrorists but let's hope the writers will be resourceful whichever way they choose to go. It's also hard to not feel sorry about Bauer's character. He's too busy saving the world that personal life is out of the question. It took a few kidnappings and betrayals for Jack to learn the lesson and the 3 more days that await him show that he learned it well. Of course, alongside Jack, Kiefer Sutherland feels somewhat tortured as well. It's all on this Rolling Stone article. Well, good luck to everyone involved so we can enjoy the show for 3 more years!

A Home Gathering

Some may find the alien-like (?) creature on the cover uninviting, but those that are familiar with the name of The Gathering know better. It's been 11 years since the band, with the arrival of Anneke Van Giersbergen, changed the status of front-woman metal bands almost single-handedly. Since then, the atmospheric but undoubtedly metal music of the band gave way to experimentations and artistic explorations that would mean commercial suicide for most metal bands. With Anneke's enchanting voice and unique personal style, however, The Gathering found themselves gaining more fans than losing. The talent of the band's musicians was no small part of the success. In the process of going from an atmospheric metal band to an alloy of Pink Floyd with darkwave and gothic rock, the band's composers (Anneke among them) offered some excellent songs. "Home" is perhaps the band's most removed album from metal so far. Anneke keeps a lower profile, the music sometimes borders on ambient and sometimes on more mainstream stuff (a more depressing Cranberries maybe). I can't say it's their best album, but its notes in the air are a pleasant presence. A perfect background if you want to relax your depression away...

What is the Shrike?

Science fiction was never a genre that attracted me strongly. When it comes to fantasy literature I prefered the authors that were continuing the legacy of J.R.R Tolkien. These four books by Dan Simmons though changed my mind completely. "Hyperion" and "The Fall Of Hyperion" introduce you to a future of mankind, not far from the end of the millenium we just entered. Humanity has colonized part of the galaxy and Earth has been destroyed completely by human error (or has it?). Dan Simmons has done a lot of research on the latest advances on theoretical physics and the technologies he describes, while clearly as wondrous as television would be to the Pharaos, are not hard to accept as the technology of that age. Despite the technological advances though, mankind has a lot of lessons to learn still. On the planet Hyperion, lie the Time Tombs; monuments of unknown origin where time doesn't behave the way it should. But this isn't the end of Hyperion's mystery. The being called the Shrike, a giant four-handed metallic humanoid, appears and disappears at will, wreaking havoc in the process. Nothing can stop it; the Shrike seems to manipulate time. You can't kill something that impales its spikes on you in the past of your killing attempts. Humans on Hyperion evacuate cities to escape the Shrike, while others build temples in order to worship and appease it. The Shrike Cult believes that the being's purpose is the destruction of humankind. But humanity faces another perceived threat. In the process of colonizing there were populations that failed to find suitable planets. The desperate alternative was to adapt to unsuitable ones. Thus, genetically modified humans, beings of many shapes and forms, now have different agendas that threaten human civilization. On the verge of war, seven people are invited for a pilgrimage to the Shrike Temple. Each one is connected to the monster in different ways and one of them is a traitor to humanity. As their stories unfold, pieces of the puzzle come together to form a most unexpected picture.
"Endymion" and "The Rise Of Endymion" are the books that follow. In the aftermath of the story of "Hyperion", the seeds of a Messiah have been sown. Hundreds of years after the Hyperion pilgrimage, only one of the pilgrims is still alive. Their discoveries gave power to the dying christian religion who now dominates humanity once again. A power that comes with a terrible price. The post-humans continue to be a threat. New technological secrets are made available by the community of artificial intelligences who are fighting their own civil war. During this turmoil, the dying last pilgrim enlists Endymion to guide the Messiah as she emerges from the Time Tombs. Will she be able to uncover the deepest secrets of the universe to a humanity that isn't sure of who is its real enemy?
As I said, science fiction wasn't my cup of tea. Dan Simmons, however, writes with such skill and describes a world in such detail that is totally enganging and believable. Philosophical matters couldn't be missing in a book that deals with humanity's future and survival. Questions about ecology, society, science and religion are raised and let the story and the readers answer them. Nothing more to say than to declare my fascination with these books. Expect a review of "Ilium" and "Olympos" soon, a duet of books that describe a much more distant and weirder future of humanity.

Pre-prison Flashback

Finally, a different episode for Prison Break. This much-needed flashback will make you like Michael's team in Fox River, even T-Bag (ok, a little). If you thought that freeing criminals as a part of the whole thing is questionable, you may change your mind. You will also learn what motivated Michael to pursue his elaborate plan and how he designed it. Finally, new information about Dr. Tancredi and Captain Bellick provide an updated context and some possible future plots that could prove very interesting. Let's hope it will be so when the series returns to the present, where things are quite grim for our escape artist. In the photo, the moment of inspiration for Michael's tattoo.

Last Seconds Shock

Both "24" and "Lost" are shows which are enjoying huge fanbases that I am sure are overlapping to a large percentage. While the format and setting is very different, both shows use the technique of the "last seconds shocker" to great effect and there is a reason it works well for both.
"24" with its continuous action and fast pace can actually turn a single trivial moment into one of suspense just by the sound of the seconds ticking away. The conspiracies and intrigues that surround terrorism plots can certainly provide a variety of shocking moments that are perfect for closing episodes.
"Lost"'s elaborate background and tons of characters, on the other hand, has a vast wealth of details that can be revealed. The writers have proved very skilled in their ability to prepare and present these moments just at the right time.

The question is who does it better?
I don't want to venture a general answer, so I'll just comment on the latest episodes. On "Lost", we get the first glimpse of a new major character's background, Libby. It is shocking for two reasons. First, it is the first direct connection between two characters after the countless indirect connections between them. Second, Libby is proved to have lied on at least one occasion which raises questions. The shocker's value is undiminished since the viewers don't have much information.
On "24" the things aren't nearly so good because the shock is too big and the viewers do have some information that could make them call shenanigans on the writers. The previously helpless, indecisive and weak President Logan appears to have worn a mask and now the writers have work to do to convince us of their plot consistency.
No matter what, both shows have lots of people waiting anxiously for the next episodes. If you are not one of them, you should think about joining them!

The Root Of All Evil

Richard Dawkins has written quite a few books that are well known for their clarity, persuasiveness and innovation when it comes to the theory of evolution. He is also well known for his atheism, as he is actively demonstrating in the two-part documentary of the title that aired on the british Channel 4. It is clear that Dawkins's background in zoology and evolution is what mainly brings him to oppose religion but it is also the reason why I think his effectiveness is less than it should be. Evolution clearly disproves the bible stories about human origin but this can hardly mean much when you are out against ancient world-views that are massively established. Dawkins tries to be polite with those he interviews but his tone, his questions and his general approach is not well received, and this should be expected from fundamentalists. No interview goes into any depth, usually interspersed with Dawkins's own comments, and sometimes without even supplying a much needed answer to the interviewed. In the end, the documentary is sadly preaching to the converted and is even frustrating at points.
Of course, the viewer is shown religion's dark side, but who doesn't know about it? What the viewers really need to see is that there is no bright side, at least not one that we can't do without.

Hail Xenu!

As Tom Cruise gets in the closet and refuses to come out, many people less wealthy than him are robbed of their money in order to stop the evil alien overlord Xenu from making them unhappy. When the concept of faith is met with unquestionable respect, absurdities like scientology are free to brainwash and take advantage of people. Southpark has been one of the most extreme and succesful cartoons of the decade, and despite the quality dropping recently, it still remains a voice of reason and a strong supporter of freedom of speech. Apparently, the criticism is too much for the american actor who is trying to ban the episode. You can read the story here. The question we should be asking, however, isn't whether or not Tom Cruise is in the closet but whether he is gullible or not. Considering the ultimate goal of the cult which is money, I am leaning toward the first.
Some may think the story about "cartoon makes fun of cult, celebrity cultist gets upset" is trivial but the point is hidden between the lines and it is the concept of faith. Hiding in the realm of faith, where nothing can be proven, con men flourish and get rich. And if it can happen on a global scale in such short time, what hints can we take about our large, ancient and untouchable religions?