I got my totem right here.

Here's a piece of work I've done that's slightly work related. In that it relates to a system to help you organize your work, while at the same time, it has unicorns and mermaids. Also elves (elfs?).

Last week thursday there was a short at my house, which resulted in me not having any electricity for the weekend. It was awful. I couldn't watch television! Or check my email! From the comfort of my house!

It was like living in the dark ages (ha HA).

I did manage to catch up on a lot of sleep though. The slack thing is, that the power came back on on Sunday night, and I kind of freaked out and decided to stay up until two in the morning doing things. Which resulted in all that sleep I had accumulated being wasted.

Also, finally got to see Inception! I was amazed that the comic I drew about it was actually pretty relevant. I liked it, the film I mean, but then again I'm a sucker for sci fi. Mr. Nolan did an amazing job shooting that thing, and everyone is raving about it for a reason. I will admit that I was slightly proud that I didn't get lost along the way when it came to the plot.

Other cool things that happened over the weekend include the Handover event for Rotaract which I attended. I kinda had to, seeing as how they made me Secretary. I even got a shiny new badge. Also, Kania Na Yalo Bula made it to the papers! How badass is that?

Unfortunately, the Online article doesn't have the fan-tastic photo of Wilson in it.

Interrupception

So, I didn't get to go and watch Inception yesterday, and now Mike is attempting to spoil the whole thing for me. The reason I didn't get to go involves the FEA, powerlines and candles.

Also, this is Awesome Cakes 400th post. Woohoo!

It's out! It's out! It's ooooooout!

I think it was because the movie was just that awesome. I can imagine the gang down at the FAVC, popping the DVD into the player and having their minds blown. They look at one another (the room is by now crowded with people, random passers-by and a trapeze artist) and decide, "Fuck it, I know the festival is in 3 days, but we have to share this with the world NOW!"

So, if you can't wait and have been salivating at the keyboard for days, here you go!

LINKS:
Here's the film over at the Youtube.

A link to Lawrence's blog.

And to the Facebook page (where you can find a nice HQ version if you're feeling like that...and become a fan)

And now, we wait for the festival. Rawr!

Fashion Concious

Yes, that conversation really happened. I like to think that my mum and I bonded a little bit over the weekend. And yes, we do gang up on the sister sometimes. Hopefully no one notices that there is no comic for the 27th of March, this is mainly because nothing of note happened to me on Saturday. Seriously, it's like a blank day for me. If possible, could I have that day back? I think if I got a second chance at it I could seriously kick some arse.

AWESOME NEWS FLASH UPDATE THING:

The trailer for the Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World movie is out. The comic is full of win. The movie looks like it will be full of win. Watch the trailer, you owe it to yourself. Also, if you have the chance you should totally read the comic.

Dilemma

No, not the shitty Kelly Rowland song (Sorry to all 3 of the Kelly Rowland fans out there, but Nelly was totally the best part of the song) but a serious problem I have.

My sister and I purchased this months Empire magazine, for two reasons. One, it had a big picture of Robert Downey Jr on the cover which symbolised the Sherlock Holmes feature that they had inside this month. Also, there was a kickass poster promised inside. The only fucked up thing, is that on one side, the poster is of Star Wars, it looks like this:

The other side is a poster of Jennifer's Body. It looks like this:


The dilemma, the conundrum, the very crux of the problem is...which side do I put up? Normally I wouldn't have a problem, but do I really like Star Wars more than boobies? And those shoes are kinda cute too.

Opinions people?

If I have to listen to Through the Trees one more time...

So John and I went to go and watch Megan Fox's... I mean Jennifer's Body last night. Very romantic, I know.

Anyway, here is a poster for the movie that I found using my Internet detective skills.

What did I think of the movie you ask? I think it was pretty good to be honest. At times I kept forgetting that it was a horror movie, and not just in the beginning, like you're supposed to in horror flicks.

And the writing! Oh, the writing is pop culture lingo laced with acid. I mean, it's not enough for the characters to call each other gay. Nope, they have to say "lesbigay".

If you've seen Juno you could probably tell that Diablo Cody wrote them both.

Oh, and Adam Brody plays the most evillest lead singer of an indie band ever. That's also what I found interesting, the "bad guys" were evil band members, which made me hate that damn song "Through the Trees" just that much more.

Also, I don't think this movie hinges on the fact that Ms. Fox is in it. As John pointed out, if you were to replace her with another attractive young woman, the movie still would have been alright. Ms. Fox happens to the Hollywood Hottie of the now, if the movie were released in like, 2015 we'd have someone else as Jennifer.

But! I must say that the role seemed to be written for her, she plays the evil best friend a little too well. And she acted! It wasn't just running across the sand in slow motion for her this time, oh no.

Although is playing yourself really acting? Not that I pretend to know Ms. Fox (she has to stop calling me at home, it's just getting embarrassing now), but either she's very very very talented or the role wasn't much of a stretch. If ya know what I mean.

Also, I think I've written too many words about this film, so now for a moment of fail on Village Six's part. Have you heard of Run Fatboy Run? Well, it's a 2007 film starring Thandie Newton and Simon Pegg and was directed by David Schwimmer. Yes, Ross directed a movie.

Yes, that's a pretty bad photo of the poster, but the more important part is this one.

That's right, it starts today. Quantum paradox? Or are we just running out of flicks to show?

Zug zug

Went to go and see Year One last night. It was a bit difficult to get around to it because there was one screening at 5:20PM and the next one after that was at 9:20PM. WTF Village 6?


Anyway, the movie was good! Better than I was led to believe by reviews. I mean, it wasn't District 9 or anything, but it was funny. The only slack part is it's not particularly well thought out. There are funny jokes, (the foreskin one comes to mind for some reason) but as a whole the movie feels a bit strung out sometimes.

Also Michael Cera has been typecast. Looking forward to Youth in Revolt to see if he can break out of it ^_^

And I really like buddy movies. Every time I watch one, particularly ones that are crap, I get this strange urge to write more Nameless and Aimless. Weird, yes. I know.

You're the man Miyazaki! The Maaaan!

This might actually be the happiest, most magical film I have ever seen.

I would write more, but I am still in magical happy overdose from it.

That is all.

He's a Ghost Huntin' Man

Done for this weeks Remake/Remodel, which i've found an awesome excercise for drawing. I had a lot of fun sketching out Hoku and his bottles. I've also found that using textures is good fun! The way i see it, you can have a boring gradient as a background, or you can make that shit a textured gradient, son!

I also saw Transformers 2 today. I would like to talk about it, but... I don't want to spoil it for everyone. Just three words then, that sum up my opinion.

Fuck Michael Bay.

The Importance of being Idle

Yes, i've been pretty idle lately. No work, well, no paying work. Those comics aren't going to write themselves. I went to USP recently, to get an admission paper. I know for the last few months I've been going on about how i'm leaving the country and all that, but well... shit happens. 

So, as Brian (both my brother and the Monty Python film) has taught me, always look on the bright side of life. 

So i went to the USP, right, and saw all these kids sitting around and chatting or studying. And i thought to myself, this is nothing like real life. It's like a strange bubble you can step into. Also i am incredibly tired, so my writing isn't very coherant. 

Is a good flick. I dunno, i haven't been agreeing with critics much lately, since Terminator Salvation, and now this one. It didn't score very high with the critics, but i liked it. Plus! main boy is Chekhov in the new Star Trek film, and he really gets to act here. Theres one bit where...ahh feck it, if you liked Juno you'll like this film. 

Heck if you like movies in general you'll like this film. Oh, and look! it has Robert Downey Jnr in it! 

Watchmen Review

Review that appeared in Fiji Times yesterday, written by me :D 

Comic book adaptations are the new black. Relying partly on nostalgia for already popular characters to sell tickets is kind of cheap, but it does make for entertaining cinema. Watchmen, written by Alan Moore and illustrated by Ben Gibbons is a Hugo Award winning graphic novel. It has been praised for its depiction of superheroes not as gods and goddesses, but as superbly flawed people who have to make difficult decisions. While wearing spandex.

      The film is extremely faithful to the novel. Much like in 300, Director Zack Snyder seems to have used the book for his storyboards. Visually stunning with a gorgeous washed out palette, the film is high on the eye candy meter. The scenes set in Vietnam (which America wins thanks to its superheroes in this alternate timeline) is particularly well done, with vibrant colors and a wonderfully framed camera.

      Without revealing too much of the plot, the murder of a superhero called the Comedian leads vigilante Rorschach to a conspiracy that could threaten the world. All the other heroes are retired due a government act that requires them to hand in their masks or face prison time. Rorschach is one of the last heroes still active, and he begins to warn other heroes who may be next for the “mask killer”. Thus, we are introduced to our cast of dysfunctional heroes.

      Dr. Manhattan, the only technically “super” hero, who through a scientific experiment gone wrong (do they ever go right?) has the power to manipulate matter on a molecular level. However, he has started to distance himself from humanity and finds it hard to fit in with normal people.

      Ozymandias, who after the government act revealed his identity to the world, has made millions in the merchandising of his and his fellow heroes images. Nite Owl, who overweight and retired, tries every night to convince himself that he doesn’t miss being a hero. Silk Spectre, Dr. Manhattans girlfriend, who is watching her lover fall more and more out of love with her. Finally, we have Rorschach, described as a sociopathic vigilante who has no mercy for those who prey on the weak and a moral code as rigid as steel.

      As a fan of the comic, seeing these characters on the silver screen is a dreamlike experience. I was particularly worried about Rorschach, but when he spoke for the first time I was sold. If you haven’t read the novel though (and I urge you to) you probably have no idea what to expect. Don’t go in expecting something along the lines of Spiderman or Ironman. It isn’t an action flick, more an exploration of flawed people who have to save the world. The closest thing I can compare it to would be The Dark Knight Returns, with added pathos and two parts dysfunction.

      And please don’t take your kids to see it. Watchmen was based on an adult graphic novel and pulls no punches. Coarse language, sexual content and some extremely disturbing imagery (you can tell that it’s the same director of the Dawn of the Dead remake) mean you should leave the kids at home for this one.

      In closing, I appreciate the faithfulness to the original novel, but for someone who knows nothing about these characters, it may be hard to get into. Give it a try though, immerse yourself in this alternate depiction of 1985, where blue men walk on mars, people dress up as owls and patrol the city streets and where heroes aren’t so much super but human.

The Great Divide

Well, Lawrence has seen Watchmen, John has seen Watchmen and so has Wilson, and i'm worried about my opinion. I've written my review (which will be up after it's published) and it's not a glowing one. I know the film is inaccessible to people who aren't comic book fans. I knew John would love the action bits. But yeah...is it a good movie? From a film point of view, it has its ups and downs. It's visually stunning, yet it drags on a bit.

From an adaptation point of view, i would say is about 90% faithful. Making something like watchmen means you can't take huge liberties without pissing someone off. Case in point, i have no quarrel with the ending. (Spoilers up ahead, uh-duhhh) I actually think that it makes a bit more sense. Also, i'm sure the giant explosion made John all a-quiver. I do however, have an issue with Rorschach hacking someones head in with a hatchet when in the comic he just tied him up and left him to DIAF (die in a fire).

Sure, i can see how it would be really similar to Saw. So? Watchmen came first, its an integral part of Rorschach becoming who he is, and instead of delivering justice he murders the fucker. I was not a happy camper.

Lawrence... was disappointed. I mean, we all have our own way of looking at things, i like how i can argue with him about things like this though. It makes it much more interesting than just agreeing on everything and shit.

Watchmen, for me personally, is about what it would take to unite the world. How people who are supposed to be heroes can let millions die for the sake of world peace. It's about how its less about the super, and more about the human.

But thats just me :)

Quis custodiet ipsos custodes?

So i watched Watchmen. I don't think i've ever had to seriously think about a film review as much as i will have to think about this one. It makes you think about so many things at the same time it actually made me a little depressed. Which was probably the point and a testament to Alan Moores writing and the gang who adapted it for the screen.

More on this as it develops. Watch this space.

Hey...hey Bill?

Watched The Thing at Johns house yesterday, and surprisingly it holds up really really well. The reason for this is mainly the story, since it's all about human nature, mistrust and above all, fear. Anyone of your friends could be...the thing! 

The special effects are also still pretty good, because they used stop motion and prosthetics and things. So basically we're watching real props on-screen and nothing is faked. 

An interesting note that Lawrence made was the similarities between The Things in The Thing and the necromorphs in Dead Space, how they split apart and form seperate organisms and all that. It was a pleasure watching the daddy of dead space, so to speak, strut its stuff :)

Ho ho ho, and all that

So it's christmas time again. You eat too much, and you drink a little bit too much, stay out until 2 in the morning on Christmas eve and then show up for church at 9. Good times. I personally love the holiday season, except for the commercial bits, but you have to take the good with the annoying i suppose. This is the first year in a long while where i'm not in the advertising business during Christmas, and i tell you what, some of my cynicism has been worn away. 

Also, presents are nice. 

To escape the heat today, my mum, sister and i went to see Valkyrie. I honestly wasn't very interested in it, but it was the only thing that was on at the right time. It's basically a historical thriller, and some of it is very very slow. And i mean sloooow, i can't say much without spoiling the plot, but bear with it. It was also interesting to see the German Resistance to the Nazi movement, as opposed to the American and British perspectives that we see a lot in world war 2 movies ( and admittedly, videogames). 

Tom Cruise was alright in it, he seemed very American though, which i thought detracted a bit from the film. Half the cast is also British, and their German accents were sometimes pretty laughable. But all in all, i was a little choked up at the end. After all, the film is based on the true story of the German resistance and all that. Real people gave their lives to fight evil, and paid the ultimate price for it. 

I also really don't like Nazis. I'm part Gypsy, and yeah, the Nazis didn't like them much. All in all, if i were to rate Valkyrie, i'd give it 3 slices out of 5. Which is a lot of slices of cake to eat. 

You sa deserve to be punished sara ga

Spent the day with the little brother today, he is quite articulate now. Also, tall. For an eight year old. Mucking around town with him, i was kind of reminded of a younger me. We talked about vidjagames, cartoons, all sorts of stuff. And girls of course. He's at that age where girls are still icky though, i remember that too. 

I went and dropped him home in the arvo, and then took a stroll around the old neighbourhood. I had some good times up there, like the time i got in trouble for tagging that wall with a mate of mine, the first time that the same mate showed me the dog at number twenty five. Now this dog, barks like mad whenever you go past. And not the typical bark too, but this crazy, slobbering, i'm-going-to-rip-your-throat out bark that never seems to disturb you. It also always seems to wait until you are halfway past the gate, and then jump out and start it's thing. 

Anyway, we were walking past one day, the dog jumps out, makes us jump and my friend stops. Turning to me he asks "you want to see something funny?"

He turns to the dog, and makes a little spinning motion with his hand, and the dog stops barking, and runs around in a little circle. I swear to xenu, it was the funniest thing i had ever seem. Since then, everytime i would walk past number 25, i'd stop and wait for the dog to jump out, so i could make the motion and watch that dog spin around. The dog wasn't there today though, but i laughed anyway when the memories hit me. 

The reason that the punisher is up there is because John, Arjay (or Arc as he likes to called lately) and I went to see Punisher:Warzone. It was much better than i expected it to be. From the trailer, i was expected a mopey film, with a little bit of strange chandelier spinning action in it. Admittedly, the film had both those things, but it also had some brutal action, and a couple of cheesy one liners. If you're not doing anything, give it a shot. Hehe, i made a pun there, coz The Punisher shoots a lotta people you see? 

What is that? is that the color of magic?

So Lawrence took us to a DVDer shop yesterday, and Eagle-eye John spotted it. It was just lying there, a DVD with a note attached to it. The note read "story like harry potter, 2 discs". I was a bit skeptical, having not heard that they were making a live action adaptation of Terry Pratchett's Color of Magic (the first book in the Discworld series, which i absoloutely love) and was actually slightly worried that it might be porn. I mean i dunno, when it comes to picking DVD's i usually manage to pick really bad B-movies, a skill i have inherited from my father. 

I bought it anyway, took it home and put the first disc on. For the next hour and a half, my face was like this: 

:) 

Basically they made a made-for-tv movie based on the first two books in the series, The Color of Magic and The Light Fantastic. The story sticks very close to the plot of the books, so much so that i found myself quoting certain bits as the movie played. I have read those books many many times, and watching the actors go about their business was awesome. 

Complaints i have? well...none really, they omitted a couple of bits that might have been a bit tough to do the graphics for, such as the Temple of Bel-Shamaroth bit (and even then, they mention the temple like 3 times) and Rincewind the Inept Wizard is a little older than i pictured him in my mind. Okay, a lot older. This is mainly because i picture Paul Kidby's illustrations from The Last Hero when i picture him mentally, where he's a kind of skinny dude with a wispy beard in his late thirties, like the picture below:

Whereas in the Movie, he's played by David Jason, who looks like this:

I got used to it though, and Mr. Jason makes a pretty good Rincewind. I was also surprised at the amount of actors that were recognisable in it, like Sean "Samwise Gamgee" Astin as the Discworlds first tourist Twoflower, Jeremy Irons as Lord Vetinari (in a pretty small role admittedly) and Christopher Lee as the voice of Death. 

After watching it, i want to get my hands on the latest Pratchett novel that i haven't got yet. Also, i hope that they make a movie out of at least one of the Sam Vimes novels. Guard's Guard's! would be a great show. Or Thud! or Night Watch or the Fifth Elephant...okay basically any Sam Vimes novel would be good. 

Illustration from www.paulkidby.net who does most of the cover illustrations for the novels, check his work out, tis awesome 

Also, the story if you wondering, is nothing like Harry Potter. 

Quantum of Solace notes!

Because i am writing a review for the Fiji Times about the latest Bond flick, i had to make notes :P

here are my grossly misspelled notes.

I put on my robe and wizard hat

this will be a short post, merely a footnote to accompany the awesomeness that is the above design. i had an idea for a WoW comic today, but sitting down and inking it was tiring. i think i will shelve it and come back to it later. in the mean time, keep those magic missiles handy, for tomorrow, the dead will walk the earth.

also, quarantine (the american version of rec) is not as good as the spanish version. tis a shame really. went with the american friend and her man-friend to see it yesterday. can you say third wheel? :P

in closing, yes, i am a jason mraz fan.

you want to see a magic trick?

so, the dark knight aye? twas amazing.

now i'm not a die-hard batman fan. i appreciate the batman, and what his appeal is. i mean, he doesn't have any superpowers, in a world when men can fly, set themselves on fire, and create forcefields with an energy ring. yet batman is the one who pulls the justice league out of the fire more often than not. he's the man.

the movie was...well, you watch it and you don't think, "this is a superhero movie". if it didn't have a man in a batsuit it would be a detective film, y'know? at the end of the day though, i didn't leave the cinema thinking, man, batman is awesome. i left thinking, my god, the joker is crazy.

he steals the show. every single scene he is in is memorable, he has such stage presence, he does. Heath Ledger deserves a post-humous oscar for it, no doubt about it. in fact, if he doesn't get one, i will be very upset. i have never seen such energy and effort put into a role like the jokers. at the end of the day, he's batmans foil, he's anarchy personified where batman represents justice and redemption.

it's just such a shame that Christian Bale is a poor batman, not the worst batman though ( i still think that honor goes to George Clooney...uuurgggh) . that. voice. is. terrible. honestly, i wanted to give him a cough drop. clear your throat when you talk Mr. Bale! then maybe people will understand you!

Michael Caine and Aaron Eckhart were also amazing, as was Gary Oldman. in fact, just about everyone in the movie was amazing, except for Christian Bale. ah well, he tried >_<

i watched the movie twice on thursday, the day it was released. once with Lawrence, The Griff and John, and the second time with Ronron, The Griff and Arjay. and it was even better the second time. watch this movie.

also notice how i tried not to spoil the movie for you, why would i do that? you need to experience it for yourself!