Get Rid of The Devil Inside: "The Rite" Review

My day got off to a good start. I got up, met with a friend, went to get breakfast (which was surprisingly good), and went to the theater to watch a movie about exorcists. I'll be the first to admit how bizarre that last part sounds to those of you out of the loop about movies. As unusual as it seems, I'm normally not drawn to them either, despite liking horror movies. I guess what made The Rite look so interesting to me was the fact that it seems to capture something about exorcisms that not many movies (if any) have captured before: the risk the priest is put both spiritually and physically.

The Rite is about Michael Kovak, a young mortician who, to escape his father, goes to seminary with plan of dropping out before taking his final so he can get a free college education while tricking his father into thinking he's becoming a priest. This backfires when he finds out that the seminary would turn the funding into a massive student that he'd have to pay if he drops out. Instead, he gets sent to an exorcism school, where he constantly undercuts his teacher. In desperation to keep Michael in the faith, the teacher sends him to observe Father Lucus, an unorthodox Jesuit exorcist. What follows isn't so much a horror movie as it is a character study of Father Lucus and Michael while they struggle with exorcism of a young, pregnant woman, and then, the aftermath.

Most of the movie is filmed and acted very well. The framing and cuts feel appropriately at odds with the setting. Sir Anthony Hopkins, showing that he is a talented actor, gives a performance that is at first charming, then disturbing. Unfortunately, in the middle is a performance that seems comical as well, including an anatomical special effect that defies physics. Essentially, someone gets folded up, and looks flat. But, the worst culprit is Alice Braga, cast as a journalist, and is completely unaware that the movie isn't about her. I can count on one hand how many different expression she has that isn't smiling. Yes, I did that on purpose. I've seen her in three movies now, and in all of them, she was cast as a "young, attractive" character. Instead, she comes off as haggard and bland, yet it irks me more in this movie, mainly because her character's purpose in the end is pretty forced.

All of that doesn't hurt the overall movie's story, though. It's multilayered, and, dare I say, sympathetic. I went into this movie, as a Catholic, hoping to see a movie that would be just that. At the same time, I could see people of other religions, or atheists, enjoying this movie as a horror movie that doesn't rely on cheap scares. It's not visually stunning, but cerebrally interesting.

The Rite is a hard movie to classify. While it is horror, it's not the scary horror we're used to. It's dramatic, but not exactly a pure drama. What it is though, is a movie that's very good, but has some very bad elements in it. While a hard movie to classify, it isn't exactly a hard movie to suggest. Just imagine that Alice Braga isn't in it.

I give it 4.5 out of 6 Confessionals

It's Utterly Massive... And Still Costs Way Too Much: Mass Effect 2 (PS3)

I'm going to get a lot of gaff for what I'm going to say, but here it goes:

Like most every gamer in the world, I liked Mass Effect 2, despite the disappointing last boss, and Miranda. Seriously, I still don't know what the appeal of her is, especially when Tali is so damn awesome... *ahem.* Anyway, it was a great game that wasn't perfect. But, honestly, what game is perfect?

But. Mass Effect 2 had a big, big nagging flaw: Downloadable Content that was originally supposed to be on the disc, but the developers forgot. Zaeed? Okay, he's free. Kasumi? She was planned as DLC. Layer of the Shadow Broker? They give you the first few missions in the game, how did they forget the rest? And why did the Cerberus network become absolutely meaningless after two DLC's?

Last year, BioWare announced ME2 for the PS3, and I was tossed up. Why no original? That was answered by adding an interactive comic that let you make the decisions from the first game. While the PS3 version doesn't have this on the actual disc, it is free DLC when you activate the Cerberus Network on the PS3 version. When you download the Network, it also downloads the Terminus Pack, the Blood Dragon armor, bonus missions, Zaeed, and the comic. This is kind of disappointing if you happen to buy a used copy of the game and miss out on it, especially when the box says it's on disc. The only way I found out is buy browsing the Achievements and seeing it mentioned.

The other big reveal was that it would use the Mass Effect 3 engine. This caused fans to get excited that they as PS3 users would be the first to try a new game engine. Unfortunately, this falls flat, too. The major difference between them is lighting. Mass Effect 2 now has more shadows... and that's about it. The gameplay is exactly the same, and the graphics are mostly the same, but as far as a technical improvement goes, I personally don't see it, other than more shading. Of course, the game looked beautiful in the first place.

I really hate to say it, but buying ME2 on the PS3 at full price is pretty much a waste of time. You're buying a game which is now $20, with DLC that's $10-$20 total, including some that was meant to be on the disc anyway, and a new engine that's barely noticeable (at least to me). I do have to mention that it has been a while since I played the 360 version, but even seeing comparisons at the game store, I still don't see the difference. I can't even suggest that PS3 gamers buy the game used because then they'd miss out on the complete story. Essentially, you'll be paying for a $20 game and a $40 tech demo, and I can't suggest it unless you don't have an XBox 360, or didn't buy the DLC on the 360 version and sold it. Even in the latter category, it's best to wait until the price drops.

Overall: B

+ Mass Effect 2 for the PS3!!!

+ The Complete Story, including interactive comic...

- ... if you buy it new

+ New technology...

- ... that really isn't that noticeable

- Not a good deal at full game price considering how old the game is

Miniscule VOLUMINOUS Review: The LittleBIGPlanet 2 Review

Over the past three days, I've been chased by a giant turkey, steered a robotic bunny, dog, and hamster, and killed a spider by force-feeding it cake, all in order to save the "dreamverse." To top it off, I was aided by little miniature versions of me, hearts in there eyes as they mindlessly followed me to their potential deaths. Yet, I was careful to keep all of them, my sweet little children, safe from any doom, running ahead to cover up any danger by either flipping a switch or destroying it. Along for the ride were an artist/inventor, a depressed robot builder, a cake-baking queen, and a disco/warrior Jonathan Coulton.

I did all of this with out leaving the comfort of my living room. I also escaped a siren while I was on a sinking ship, but, that's a different story. Before you all think I've gone even crazier than normal, know that the whole time, Stephen Fry was, in fact, cheering me on. Oh, and I was playing LittleBIGPlanet 2. That's probably a little bit important to know, too.

Yes, two years after the original came out, and millions of user levels later, Media Molecule has returned with another project for the little creatures made of fabric and cute: the Sackboys. This time, though, instead of making individual levels, players can do something even better: they can make their own games. The tools for this do take a lot of learning for new comers, but with patience, the possibilities are, literally, endless. For example, I raced rats, and threw my sack-bots like basketballs. I'm 99% sure that that's only scratching the surface of what the Sackboys and Sackgirls can do.

While the controls are still floaty, there is more to the game than that. The controls tend to lag at times, but, curiously, only when not playing online. This has only happened once or twice, and isn't game breaking. In fact, the controls are more than effective, especially when jumping around in a "robobun." In fact, the biggest issue I had with the game is trying to play online. It took 15 minutes for me to get connected because the servers were jammed. Considering that the game was just released, though, I don't expect that to happen every time.

MM has listened to their fans, and it shows. The community isn't the only thing expanded: so are the tools for the game. I mentioned the animal mechs. I didn't mention the gloves that allow you to grab and throw objects, the grapple gun, and the cakinator, a gun/helmet that shoots out cakes that kill enemies and give you platforms to jump on. The Creationator, though, stands out: it's a gun that... well, let's just say it doesn't do what you think it'd do. But, it is useful.

As fun as the gameplay is, both in the game and in the levels, I do have one nagging gripe. I am not a big fan of the story. In the first game, the story was told by characters during gameplay, and never broke you out of the game. This time, the story is bigger, and has cinematics, complete with voice actors speaking to Sackboy, instead of giving text bubbles and murmurs. Those happen in the levels, still, though. To me, the cinematics seem too forced, almost as if MM is trying to keep up with other games. To me, it feels like playing Half-Life 3, and getting to a point where Gordon Freeman is shown speaking, and sounds like Bozo the Clown. At least they didn't give Sackboy a voice. Mr. Pinkerton has no right speaking... Oh! *Ahem*

That aside, LittleBigPlanet 2 isn't exactly a sequel; it's an improvement over something that was an amazing feat in the first place. They've both made an accessible way to make entire games for people to play, and add to the all ready clever and cute single player campaign. It's hard to call LBP2 a game, because it's more like a game creation tool where the creators show you what could be done, and invite you to expand on it. It's great to see developers want to see what people can do, and not be afraid of the directions that could happen. It's even better to see that MM has a sense of humor about it ("Please refrain from taking pictures of your bottom. Or worse... mine"). Kudos, Media Molecule. You've broke the mold again, and made a sequel that is truly an improvement on the original. Considering the bar you set with the first one, that is an amazing feat.

One last note, most of the community levels can be played on LBP2. How's that for service?

Overall:

A-

+ Same Quirky LBP

+ Community Levels are mostly intact

+ Stephen Fry Returns!

+ New Inventions

+ Make Your Own Game

- Story Mode Cinematics break the flow

- Floaty Controls

+ But still better than the original's

- Some Connectivity Issues...

+ ...that most likely aren't permanent

A Series of Journeys

I've been having a pretty rough two weeks, ranging from a break up, to irritating my injured knee (and pretty badly, too), to having to drop a class because it wasn't being taught (not properly, it wasn't being taught at all, by the teacher). But, none of those are the worst of it. The worst of it hit in August, roughly the week before I started school. I had my drill weekend (oh the joy), but I had also gotten paid over $2000 for a student refund. Sure, I had to go to Columbus, a drive I hate no matter what time of the year it is, but at least I could afford to go, and it would be more money in my pocket. And, school was about to start, which I was excited for. Yes, I actually like school. Sue me.

Just when I thought everything was getting better, the news struck: my Grandmother had a stroke, and she wasn't regaining consciousness. Eventually, though, through out several months, she did start to wake up, but her health was still faltering. I want to avoid as many specifics as I can (due to personal reasons), but over the same course, my Grandfather ended up in the hospital with a different condition, while my Grandmother was in a nursing home. While these particular things were constantly in the back of my mind, I tried my best to move on with my life (within reason) because I couldn't do a thing to change them.

Last Friday, my Mom got a hold of me, and let me know some news: My Grandmother's condition had worsened. The simple act of breathing had exhausted her, and her heart rate was extremely low. Chances were slim that she wouldn't make it through the night. She was transferred from the home to the same hospital that my Grandfather was in.

Saturday, at roughly 8:30, she passed away.

I'm no stranger to loss. I've lost friends I went through basic and AIT with. I've been the crying shoulder for not one, but two friends when they lost their fathers (and one, her mother, as well). Even in high school, I lost a friend, who I still think of today, to suicide because "no one saw the signs." Roughly an hour after it happened, when I found out, up until this point, I've been fluctuating between depressed and emotionally numb. I felt guilty at first for wanting her suffering to end, but relieved that she wasn't suffering anymore. And then, it hit me: She died in the same building that my Grandfather was in. Due to his condition, they couldn't see each other, and yet, it worked out this way. As tragic as it is, I can't help but find a certain type of beauty to it. Everything fit in to place so that, somehow, she could say goodbye to him before she passed on.

This next sentence is going to be shocking, so make sure you're sitting: I am, while surely far from perfect, a believing Catholic. I know I don't act like it at times (you know... seemingly ever), but I am. I have been through too much, and seen to much for me to ever lose my faith. As painful as it is for my family right now, I don't think we can argue that this was truly a beautiful end for a truly beautiful person.

I'm not writing this to get people to say, "I'm sorry," or for any sympathy. I'm writing this for the fact that I felt the urge to tell someone, and other than those who knew what was going on, I really have no one to tell. What better way than to write about it. This is a practice of catharsis, but it still has a point, too.

I was working on my drawing homework (drawing eight shoes, no joke), while listening to my iPod. Evans Blue's "The Pursuit" started playing, and, retrospectively dumb, I turned it up. Sure, my ears were ringing afterwards, but it was worth it. The song is, ultimately, about a loss. Surprise, right? But, here's the trick. The last line of the song: "The pursuit begins when this portrayal of life ends." I just stopped everything right there, and thought about it. What I think it means is this: "Life is never over, it just changes meaning."

As people, we are constantly looking, pursuing our own meanings, wether its the meaning of life, or coping with a terminal illness, or even becoming famous. Does life end when we reach those goals? No. Our goals change. So what of those who died? My Grandmother lived to see her daughter married, with three kids, and happy. She died as close to her own husband as she could get, some part of her hoping to say goodbye to him. Did she get to her goals? I believe so. And now, she has another goal, to watch over her family.

Thank you, Grandma. Thank you for teaching me that there is no such thing as normal. But, mostly, thank you for the love and kindness you've shown your family and friends. When it's time, I will see you on the other side.

Ben's Top Ten Games of 2010

Same thing with movies, but with games.

10: Metro 2033: This game is truly an underrated gem. Many people that I've talked to dismissed this as a Fallout 3 rip-off. What it is is what licensed games should be: close to the source material that it keeps the original feel, yet, let you play as the main character. Metro 2033 does this properly, which is amazing, seeing as it's based off of a novel. If you find this 360 exclusive, do not pass it up. It is well worth it.

9: Alan Wake: While I wasn't particularly impressed with Alan Wake's story (and bad lip synching), I would a discredit to myself if I didn't give the game credit where it's due. It was fun, and the concept was clever, and very, very well executed. Where it shines (pun intended) is the lighting and in game graphics. Alan Wake has some of the best lighting effects, and most gorgeous vistas ever seen in a video game. Though, I'm still miffed at the ending (and haven't played the DLC yet, since I'm still waiting to get it back), I can't deny that Alan Wake was a true ray of light of a game.

8: Medal of Honor: Take notes on this game. The combat is damn close to what the Army teaches, including 5 second rushes, and slamming against cover. The missions are breath taking (props to the mission where back-up is cancelled to save the back-up), plain and simple. Oh, and you don't get shot by a guy with an epic mustache. But, I digress...

7: Mass Effect 2: This is on the list, but it's low for a reason. Was it impressive? Yes. Was it awesome in its depth? Yes. Are the new characters awesome. Mostly, yes (Thane is awesome, Jack, while I found her useless, was well written, Miranda... why are you here?). Is Tali still awesome? Hell, yes, and so is Garrus. But, if I liked it, why's it so low? One big reason: That was the last boss? That's it?! Oh, okay, two: Bioware "forgot" to put a series of missions in the game, and sold it as DLC... to people that joined a club to get DLC for free. DLC that should be free for everyone because it should've been on the disc in the first place, no less...

6: Battlefield: Bad Company 2: I'm surprised that no one has any love for Haggard, Marlow, Sarge, and Sweetwater this year. I loved the original Bad Company. This one upped the ante with more humor, a more desperate story, and new, clever objectives, such as trying not to freeze to death. Did I mention the fact that it's purely tongue in cheek, yet very appropriate for today's times?

5: Castlevania: Lords of Shadow: Castlevania: Lords of Shadow does a lot of things right. It has colossal bosses (pun, again, intended), an interesting story, and Patrick Stewart goading you along. Again, it's low on this list because of control issues. But, admittedly, I found the story very hard to stay invested in, but unlike a lot of other games (Halo), I can see why people like it.

4: Rock Band 3: Give me shit if you must, but Rock Band 3 follows the law of "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" gameplay wise. They made the menus more manageable (though a learning curve is needed). They added a keyboard, finally. Most tracks are forward compatible. But, the added bonus? Pro mode, where it teaches you how to play the actual song on an actual instrument. Sure, the guitar will be expensive (the new one with strings being $300), but it doubles as a control and actual guitar.

3: Deadly Premonition: "What is a low budget game with bad acting, bad graphics, and terrible controls doing on this list?" you may ask. My answer? "Yes, the graphics and voice acting sucks, and the controls are a little clunky. But, the story is genuinely well written. It's scary at points, funny at others, and the end ties everything together very well. Oh... did I mention you play as an FBI Agent who may or may not have a dissociative fugue personality that fights zombies?" Yeah... that's what it's doing on this list.

2: Splatterhouse: Critics be damned (or paid off by bigger companies), this game belongs here. Was the story deep? No. Did it need to be? Are you kidding me?! All you need to know about Splatterhouse is that your girlfriend is in trouble, you need to save her, and a mask made you into the bastard child of the Hulk and Jason Vorhees... with five times the killing capacity of both of them. If you're expecting art from that, don't blame the game, blame yourself for not figuring out that a game called Splatterhouse is about mindless, violent fun.

1: Heavy Rain: How was this game passed up on so many lists? It's a work of art both visually and narratively. Never, in any game, have I seen characters that are as relatable to actual players, so much so, that in more than one part, I was genuinely concerned about the characters' well beings. This is one of the few games where I had to get up, and just stop before I had a panic attack because I did something to a father trying to save his own son that is more disturbing than any Jigsaw trap could do. Part human study, part psychological horror, and part drama, Heavy Rain shouldn't be passed up. "Professional" game critics should be ashamed of themselves for ignoring this game as of late. (No, I don't call myself a professional. I am a gamer. I play games for fun and entertainment, which is more meaningful that playing a game to nitpick flaws... unless they're glaring.)

Note: Red Dead Redemption would be on this list, I'm betting... except I'm not that far in it. I'm savoring it, but keep that in mind. I do love RDR.

Ben's Top Ten Movies of 2010

All right, I wasn't originally going to do this, but I'm curious as to the reactions I'll get. This isn't going to be a Top Ten from Hell, just what I liked this year.

10: Machete: Very rarely do I put a movie that is political on a Top 10. Machete, while political, if purely mindless fun. How fun? Imagine if a movie was made about Brock Samson's greatest kills, and throw in some of the best looking women to boot. Okay, so, only one was really attractive, in my opinion (the mom... and she's a red head, too!), but it's still fun stuff. Also, I'm awaiting the sequels: Machete Kills and Machete Kills Again, which, according to Danny Trejo, is going to happen.

9: Smash Cut: Yes, Smash Cut was an HHMR. The trick was, while it was an incredibly bad movie, with even worse acting, it was a lot of fun to watch. It's gory, and repetitive, but never boring, seemingly embracing its terribleness as part of its ridiculous charm. The cherry topping has to be Sasha Grey's best line ever said: "I just kissed the severed head of my dead sister. I'm going to celebrate with some trauma counseling." Smash Cut is a must see for cheesy horror movie fans.

8: The Expendables: Stallone's latest movie had no right being as fun as it was, much less as emotional at points. Yes, it has mindless violence and jokes about Jet Li's height. It also has Jet Li fighting Dolph Lungdren, Sly Stallone fighting Steve Austin, and Jason Statham kicking the ass of a wuss who thinks it's a great idea to beat a woman. On top of that, David Zayas plays a surprisingly sympathetic villain, and Micky Rourke give an incredibly stirring speech about how violence can make you lose your soul. The Expendables is a very surprising movie: fun and it makes you think... but not much.

7: Predators: Predators is a sequel that is done right this much later in the series. It serves as both a sequel and a reboot. I was weary about Adrian Brody being cast as the main character, and even more about Topher Grace being in it. I was genuinely surprised by the homages to the first (including using the original soundtrack), and the multilayered storyline. This is also the second movie on this list that Danny Trejo is in. Unfortunately, they kill him in the worst way possible, but, they make up for it with Yakuza vs Predator melee action.

6: Repo Men: I'm one of maybe three people that actually liked Repo Men. The movie was nearly exactly the same plot as Repo! The Genetic Opera, right down to the "singer" character having fake eyes. Where Repo Men truly shines is with the way it embraces itself as it's own movie. It never takes itself seriously, but it never gets so funny that you forget what's at stake. It's a good balance of humor and twists and turns. Oh, and the ending is one of the more interestingly executed twists that has appeared in an action movie.

5: The Book of Eli: The Book of Eli can be described as Fallout: The Movie up until the last 15 minutes. After that, the movie takes what it's been building up to, and turns the entire movie on its ear. What's more interesting is that after watching it the first time, you see the subtle hints at the big twist in the end. It's one of the few movies that has kept me in my seat in some time.

4: Splice: I really didn't think I was going to like this movie at all. I'm hard pressed to even call Splice any genre. It's sci-fi, it's horror, it's drama... it's frightening, but not in the sense you'd think it would be. You aren't afraid of the monster (most of the time), but of the philosophy of what the humans are doing. Watching the evolution of Dren alone is one of the biggest reasons to see this movie. The movie evokes a strong emotional response that isn't what you'd expect to feel from it, and its always changing. Think of this as a spiritual successor to Cronenberg's The Fly.

3: Let Me In: I don't like vampire movies. I really don't. I think vampires are outdated and over done. And yet... I love this movie. Think about that for a while, and you'll know why this is so high on the list,

2: Black Swan: Black Swan is an unusual creature of a movie; its bizarre enough to repulse you, but beautiful enough to keep drawing you in. I've said before that every scene is designed to seem surreal, and every line of dialogue is written to alienate and intrigue you all at the same time. You'll be on the edge of your seat, but you'll still be in your seat, frightened, yet not able to look away. And not in that bad car accident (or Terror Toons) way.

1: Toy Story 3: Believe it. Toy Story 3 is really that damn good that it's # 1 on my list. I grew up with the originals, and I used to collect figures. I loved feeling like a little kid when I was a little kid. And this movie reminded me of why I did. By the end of the movie, I was both nostalgic about my own childhood, missing my time back then, and happy that I got to experience it all over again. It's very rare for me to want to sit in the theater for the next showing just so I can experience it all over again. Toy Story 3 is the movie that did it, and I still can't wait to see it again.

Ben