Edward's August 2019 Mix

I hate to say it, but Google's Blogpost is being seriously stupid. I had a really difficult time trying to post this. The numbering system has gone completely bonkers. Everything changes. I get that. I ate lead paint as a kid, I rode in the back of pickup trucks, I waited in the car at the store while my parents shopped in the grocery store. I walked a mile from school in first grade. You can't do any of these things anymore. I understand. Change must occur and it's never for the better. We're all idiots and the powers that be know better than we do because we're stupid. Keep believing it, it's what they want. G. Orwell, I salute you. Rant over.

1.      Three Kings on Blu Ray: A compelling story involving three soldiers at the end of Operation: Desert Storm defying orders and going on an excursion to steal gold bullion owned by Saddam Hussein. George Clooney, Mark Wahlberg and O'Shea Jackson (aka Ice Cube) head the cast as the trio going after the gold, one Special Forces officer and two National Guardsmen. At first I thought this was going to be a comical farce like UP Periscope! or Kelly’s Heroes, and it is in some aspects, but as the story progresses the men face a moral dilemma of going for the gold or helping the Iraqi citizens that were coaxed into rebelling against Hussein suddenly abandoned by a withdrawing US Army, and left to the merciless remnants of Hussein’s army. Walberg takes the prize for best casting. There’s a torture scene involving him, bound and fixed with electrodes. To make the scene as realistic as possible Wahlberg actually asked for live electricity to surge through the electrodes so he could play the scene to the hilt. So, the scene isn’t just acting! Filmed documentary style, this is a gritty and stark depiction of something that could have authentically happened in Iraq in the early nineties.

2.      Body of Lies on Blu Ray: Ridley Scott in prime form. This is the story of an American operative working in the Middle East to thwart an Al Queda terrorist leader. Leonardo DiCaprio pulls this off magnificently with Russell Crowe being his stateside contact, the holder of the big picture. So compelling, I watched the movie and then watched it again with the creator commentary, which had Ridley Scott (worth the price of admission alone) paired with David Ignatius who wrote the original novel. You know the scenes in the movie depicting the satellites being able to zoom into a person’s face and read vehicle license plates? Well, according to Ignatius, who was a correspondent in the Middle East for decades, not only are these capabilities true, these satellites can also hear the change rattling in your pocket. To all my conspiracy theorist friends, you were right.

3.      Hitman: Codename 47 on PC: I hate admitting this. I really do. I’m using cheat codes to get through this whole game. As a veteran pc gamer this is like breaching a code of honor. I mean, yeah, there are hackers and crackers out there in the realm of gamers. There are griefers who are only in it to cheat others out of fun. These people are schadenfreuds at best. But I’ve always considered these types of people not gamers at all. Pariahs. But it would be impossible for me to have completed this game without cheating. It’s just that difficult. I suppose I’m taking the grand tour of the game simply because I’m intrigued by the series and I’d like to play the other games that succeed it. I just wish I didn’t have to cheat to start the ball rolling. Despite my insidious method for playing the game, I enjoyed the scenery. The developers took this game seriously, and it’s hilarious to take in the game’s dialogue and some of the set pieces. “We have a very nice room for you, sir. May I have your name?” “My name is Tobias Reiper.” Tell me that’s not funny, especially when you hear the titular assassin say it. Or watching him step out of a closet of a hotel dressed like a bellhop complete with a Shriner’s Murat hat with a dangling tassle. There is  some stuff in this game that is just ludicrous, even made moreso by the degree of seriousness the game implies. The graphics and the no-save mechanics are all par for the course: welcome to 2000. I “beat” the game in 29 hours, despite cheating and still having to look up let’s plays on YouTube. The game exacted a bit of revenge on me because I actually got motion sickness on the last few levels. Worst gaming experience of 2019.  

4.      Star Trek: The Animated Series on DVD: I finished this fine little one and a half series based on an unofficial fourth season of the original series we all know and love. D.C. Fontana actually declared it “the fourth season the fans didn’t get.” This aired as a Saturday morning cartoon (though the writers and producers never ever one time referred to it as a cartoon.) The LA Times declared this serial, “a Mercedes Benz in a Soap Bob Derby.” The series one an Emmy, the first of its kind. We were introduced to Spock’s home planet, and we also got the very first look at the Holodeck. If you’re really into Star Trek and its canon, you see, kids, this is why this is a must watch.

5.      Rush Rush on FLAC: CDs are created at 44.1kHz/16 bits. As you know I’m a fan of high resolution music. I picked this up on HDTracks. Recorded at 124kHz/24 bits, this album sounds incredible. Rush’s debut album released in 1974 runs the gamut of influences, or maybe it’s the other way around, maybe the bands coming to mind got their inspiration from Rush. I’m hearing traces of Led Zeppelin, Nazareth, and a whole lot of Joe Perry/Aerosmith and a little bit of David Gilmoure-ish Pink Floyd. (“In the Mood” sounds like a direct steal of a Ted Nugent tune in an alternate universe.) I guess this is no surprise most of these bands started around this time period. I’ve met a few Rush fans over the years who only liked their early stuff. I can see why now. These songs are about youthful angst and mad love. This is pre-Neil Peart. Peart was an avid reader of all books. He penned the band’s (usually philisophical) deep lyrics. This record is far different than any other Rush I’ve heard, and of course it’s the first album I’ve heard sans Neil Peart. Geddy Lee’s vocals are unbridled and throaty. He’s far more growly than his later high pitched vocal sound. Alex Lifeson is searingly raw on this album, yet his nascent style is there. The back and forth clock pendulum rhythm of “Working Man” is a testament. This album absolutely will rock your socks off. High resolution files are pricey, but man, is this album worth it. Like the site’s tagline says, You can hear the difference.

6.      Bearskin by James A. McLaughlin:  It's obvious James McLaughlin has married his MFA with his talent for fictioneering. His descriptive passages of the woods in which this book takes place were so engrossing I felt as if I were there, feeling the crunch of dead leaves under my boots, the fecund smell of the forest and even the far distant sounds of a dog barking. McLaughlin's characters were finely drawn to where I began to know them as real people. The plot was a little jarring at times, but I was always able to find my way. This is a really good book and an exceptional first novel. Don't be surprised if two years from now you see this in the trailers of your local movie theater.

7.      Driving Blind by Ray Bradbury: Consider this a collection of songs that would be labled as B sides, outtakes and other rarities. I imagine these are stories Bradbury got rejected from the mainstream rags back in the early days. That said, however, there are some real gems in this book. “Someone in the Rain.”  It concerns a man taking his wife to a vacation cabin his family frequented when he was a kid. It’s raining, his wife is miserable, and he’s seeking something, one thing, anything, that will rekindle his fond boyhood memories. And when he eventually sees it for one fleeting moment, well, I’m just glad nobody was around when I read it. That story has become my new favorite. If you’re a fan of Bradbury, it would be remiss of you to pass this one up.

8.      Doom (2016) on PC: I’m trying to hang onto both handrails as I’m making my way through this fast and fierce dark adventure ride. The game is definitely what to Doom 3 was that Doom II was to the original Doom. Some of my friends think the game is just too over the top and miss the more eerie backdrop presented in Doom 3. And I definitely get that. This one is much more a test of one’s reflexes, but the main star of this show is Mars itself. As Mars seques into Hell I can’t help but marvel. The weapons pack a wonderfully fun punch and discovering secrets which award upgrades and perks make exploring a compelling activity. At 10 hours in I’m probably ¾ of the way through. There’s a chance to play on Nightmare Difficulty once the game is beat. I just may attempt it.