Assassin's Creed 2, Dawn Of The Dead, 500 Days Of Summer and Fucking Portsmouth

So as I predicted just two days previously Assassin's Creed 2 has managed to dislodge Fahrenheit from my 360. I'm sure if the game had any realistic human emotion it would be prompting me to press X to cry. AC2 throws you right back into where you left off in the last game. You know proudly rubbing your hands together because you just got 100G or something for doing Eagle Vision on your bedroom wall. Feel sorry for the ones that didn't do it. If there's any. Is there any? Anyway, the disclaimer at the start says that the game was ruthlessly researched to be completely historically accurate. Which made it all the more cringe worthy when it only took three levels for someone to say "It's a me, Mario!". My face was firmly in my palm. But where the game fails in voice-acting (it does, massively, even the bizarre appearance of Danny Wallace is crap) it makes up for it in being fun. Although it's a little boring at first not being able to stab people, which is blatantly where the fun is to be had. The game eases you back in and chucks a few new bits at you as well. Thoroughly enjoying it thus far then and shall happily awake tomorrow afternoon (yes, afternoon) and continue my dagger plunging, historical learning.

A quick mention of Saturday night where new life was breathed into Romero classic Dawn Of The Dead through a rather harsh drinking game. When one of the rules is "drink every time you see a zombie die" you know you're in for a messy night. Good fun was had by all. Then went on to have a hilariously awkward movie session with a few friends watching 500 Days Of Summer today. Awkward because two of them are in a relationship which shares many parallels with the film. Suffice to say I was called a cunt before the end for choosing it. Worth it though. Oh, and cheers to Portsmouth for voiding my accumulator before anyone had even kicked-off. I would have lost anyway, but that's beside the point.

2009 - Anticlimatic & Somewhat Predictable Lists

That title can only mean one thing! Not quite as snappy as it could have been but hey, I don't get paid to write this. In fact I only do it to amuse myself and that title fulfilled that role for me. So I'm just going to bash them out like a thirteen year old home alone with the internet. Charming.

Top 10 Films

1. Where The Wild Things Are
2. (500) Days Of Summer
3. Up
4. Watchmen
5. Star Trek
6. Adventureland
7. Harry Potter & The Half-Blood Prince
8. Fantastic Mr Fox
9. Avatar
10. Drag Me To Hell

Top 10 Games

1. Fifa 10
2. Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare 2
3. Batman: Arkham Asylum
4. Left 4 Dead 2
5. Halo 3: ODST
6. Borderlands
7. Resident Evil 5
8. Red Faction: Guerrilla
9. Prototype
10. Halo Wars

Top 10 Artists/Albums/Songs (Via Last FM)

1. Radiohead (643)
2. Biffy Clyro (396)
3. Frightened Rabbit (336)
4. The Maccabees (331)
5. LCD Soundsystem (316)
6. Future Of The Left (315)
7. Dananananaykroyd (206)
8. Blur (169)
9. Bloc Party (151)
10. Tubelord (150)

1. The Maccabees - Wall Of Arms (256)
2. Frightened Rabbit - The Midnight Organ Fight (241)
3. LCD Soundsystem - Sound Of Silver (230)
4. Dananananaykroyd - Hey Everyone (188)
5. Biffy Clyro - Only Revolutions (164)
6. Future Of The Left - Travels With Myself And Another (161)
7. Radiohead - Amnesiac B-Sides (133) *
8. Karen O + The Kids - Where The Wild Things Are Original Soundtrack (131)
9. The Dodos - Visiter (115)
9. Bon Iver - For Emma, Forever Ago (115)

1. LCD Soundsystem - All My Friends (77)
2. Frightened Rabbit - The Modern Leper (53)
3. LCD Soundsystem - Someone Great (52)
4. Frightened Rabbit - My Backwards Walk (51)
5. The Maccabees - Young Lions (47)
6. Biffy Clyro - That Golden Rule (42)
7. Frightened Rabbit - Keep Yourself Warm (40)
8. Blur - The Universal (37)
8. LCD Soundsystem - North American Scum (37)
10. Radiohead - Worrywort (36) **

So there you have it. Amazing how little of my music is from this year, but that's the truth it seems. Good job there isn't a similar program for the 360. That one would be all out of whack too then. Bloody Blue Dragon would be in there too. Anyway, roll on 2010 and that.

*I made a compendium album of the b-sides and labelled it thus. Can't believe it made it to be honest.
** It was a three way tie but I went for the one that wasn't by Frightened Rabbit

500 Days Of Summer

Reading back through some of my posts I realised that the majority of the updates of late seem to be around three in the morning. No wonder my sleeping pattern is so out of whack. I would have left this till tomorrow but its still very fresh in the mind. This is the last of my little romance binge and probably better for it. If I watch one more romantic film I think I may unwittingly swap genders. I'm pretty sure I'm generating a large quantity of oestrogen at the moment already. No wonder I can't grow a beard. Anyhow, the aforementioned film is something rather special in my eyes. Quirky, individual and very warm-hearted. I found it a genuinely touching movie with the two leads both absorbing you in from the off. It helps that Zooey Deschanel is beautiful. I mean stunning. But, restrained lust aside, its just the kind of romantic comedy you don't get enough of these days. There's a few staples of the genre in there, and it does stick to the blueprint in its own way but it really is just a lovely little film. Although, I think I might give it a little while before I watch it again. Overall I found it a fantastic little gem. I really can't stress that enough. Right, probably time I shot some civilians in the face on Modern Warfare 2. I can almost hear my sperm count dropping with every positive I lavish upon this film.

Adventureland

This may well be turning into an indie film binge at this rate. 500 Days Of Summer is lined up next as well, might try and save it though. Anyway, Adventureland is apparently "by the director of Superbad". Luckily this film only shares a few surface characteristics, this film is more a slow burner than an in your face laugh fest. Or however Superbad professes to be known. I must admit I was rather taken with the movie, this film is very charming. Although the film begins by putting our lead in a rather unlikely setting, it slowly distills him over the film showing him to be a much likable person. There's a pretty fantastic soundtrack throughout as well, but you expect nothing less in an indie flick these days right? It may not be radical in its formula but before you get to the somewhat predictable final third you're already too deep in to notice. I think I'll be making some amendments to my favourite films of the year. Its definitely the best romantic comedy I've seen since Juno. Which feels like a long, long time ago now.

The Prestige & The Invention Of Lying

Its pretty much officially Autumn now here in cold and windy Cornwall. I've taken to swanning around the house on my many free days in a dressing gown and pyjama bottoms. Like some buffoon living off an estranged ancestors inheritance. Still, its a shame I'm comfortable to live with. Cosy and warm shame. Which very tenuously leads me to The Prestige. It is very much a film for the twilight of the year, the colours are dulled somewhat and the dress code is all coats and top hats. Not that top hats are more common place in the colder months, its more a necessity of a period piece like this. The film shares the many twists and turns of Christopher Nolan's earlier classic Memento and in some ways a similar narrative structure with past and present mingling often. I enjoyed as a whole, the performances were enjoyable and the general plot interesting. There is the complaint that there is perhaps one twist too many, the ending being a little hard to stomach given the way the film progressed before. However as an Autumn warmer for the mind its not a bad choice. The use of Thom Yorke's Analyse over the credits has also stuck with me afterwards, although maybe because the film's score was so forgettable.

I had a little trip to the cinema tonight to see Ricky Gervais' latest effort. Its not often I go to the cinema. Even though the one here is an independent one, I'm sure some people have bigger screens in their houses. Its best to point out now that this film isn't bad. The main problem with it is that the basic idea doesn't really have the legs to carry it. Which is why the film is such a hit and miss affair. The plot basically revolves around the ridiculousness of religion. Lambasting God, Moses pretty much the whole deal. The only thing that escapes ridicule really is Noah and his ark. Although that one is perhaps to easy a target anyway. These scenes work well, with the old Gervais comedy shining through. The scene in which Gervais appeases the fear of his dying mother is also surprisingly touching. But there is also a fair bit of filler with more than one clichéd and boring montage and a romantic storyline that may be too sickly for some (me included). Spotting the many guest stars also proves fun, Ed Norton, Tina Fey, Rob Lowe, Jonah Hill, Christopher Guest, Phillip Seymour Hoffman, Jeffrey Tambour, Jason Bateman and of course Barry from Eastenders. Admittedly some of those were in starring roles. Just wanted to make the list a bit longer though. There are worse films showing, many of them here in Cornwall but if your cinema chooses to ignore 500 Days of Summer, Adventureland and Zombieland then you're better off watching this than pre-ordering your tickets for the industry circle jerk of Jacko's freshly buried corpse.