The Hunters are in Atom-city primarily for materialistic or hedonistic reasons. Money, adventure, excitement, really wild things — stuff like that. It’s only natural that, people being the kind of beings that people are, that some would seek out the spiritual side to running over hundreds of zombies and making other cars explode. Especially after lucre loses its luster, and they hit the rock bottom of seriously considering taking off their sunglasses for eventual suicide-by-car.
After the jump, the purpose-driving life Continue reading →
I should state up front that this isn’t a real movie. It’s a documentary, directed by and starring Eric Bana (above, right) and his Ford Falcon Coup. You know who Eric Bana is from his role as the jerkwad husband in Funny People. You know who the Ford Falcon Coup is from its role as the last of the V8 Interceptors in Mad Max and The Road Warrior.
Bana got the car as a beater when he was a kid and he ends up pouring his movie-star money into it and then racing it in a 5-day endurance rally in Tasmania. Twice. Bana doesn’t come out looking very good in Love the Beast. Spoiled, privileged, a bit full of himself. But the cool thing about this documentary is that it’s not about Bana and it’s not even necessarily about the car. It’s about his attachment to the car.
And because Bana is a movie star, he draws some Hollywood into his little documentary. He gets into Jay Leno’s obscene inner car sanctum. He subjects himself to a therapy session with Dr. Phil. And he refrains from punching Jeremy Clarkson in the face when Clarkson says, “All muscle cars are crap”.
The best parts of Love the Beast are the parts that reminded me of Shift 2 or Dirt 2, including footage of Bana and his navigator tearing through pastoral Tasmanian scenery in a gorgeous 70s muscle car. I don’t know enough about racing to watch an actual race — I mean, really, how dull would that be? — but I know enough about caRPGs to understand a man’s attachment to a car. I can relate when Bana interviews a driver who talks about the primal need to pass a car that has just passed you. And I can certainly appreciate a little 70s muscle car porn. So hot. I don’t think Bana has ever had a more attractive co-star.
Love the Beast is available on Netflix (instant watch here).
Typically, the early part of a character’s career in Mount and Blade is spent building up. Since you start with little more than the clothes on your back, a weapon, a horse and a small amount of gold, it’s important to start earning money, gaining renown and honor, getting better equipment, building a small army and currying the favor of the lords of the realm. Exploration is encouraged so that one can see the various realms they can potentially join later in the game, and to gradually learn the locations of important cities and potential battlegrounds.
However, I already know exactly who I want to work for, and he just showed up right outside the capital.
After the jump: just another one of the guys Continue reading →
My planes, trains, and automobiles screenshot was going to be even better, but like much of Motorstorm, it’s a cool idea with a lousy execution. I love it when games let you take your own screenshots, but Motorstorm cripples the feature by failing to include a replay mode. That cool thing that happens on lap three? Good luck anticipating it on your first time through the course and then pausing it at just the right moment to capture it, and you can just forget about commemorating those serendipitous moments that you can’t plan for or recreate at all.
After the break, I try to figure out of the trade-in value of Motorstorm will get me a copy of Split/Second. Continue reading →
