Spankingly good

Okay, I admit... This made me laugh :)

click here

THE Controller… and stress, stress, stress!

Well Nintendo have done it. They’ve final revealed their “Revolution” controller to the gaming community during Iwata’s keynote speech at the Tokyo game show.



The functions of this controller are as follows:

- Remote control design: constructed to appeal to a wide variety of potential players

- 3D Pointing: Sensors understand up, down, left, right, forward and backward.

- Tilt Sensitive: Controller can be rotated or rolled from side-to-side.

- Buttons Included: Has a trigger on its backside, face buttons, and a D-Pad.

- Multifunctional: Has an expansion port which can be used with different types of controller peripherals. Analogue stick with two trigger buttons planned for left hand.

- Wireless: Totally wire-free. Currently there are no details on the max distance, source or power, or otherwise.

- Rumble Built-in. Included standard in all the controllers.

My initial reactions are both of surprise and bemusement – similar to my initial reaction to the DS. To be honest my first thought was “what the heck”. The controller really is a lot more unconventional than I had imagined. My belief was that it would look generally similar to a normal controller with either or both gyro and touch screen functions. Instead was have a controller that looks very much like a remote control with gyro like functions, with much more beyond that.

Not that FPS are my favourite gaming type, but this controller really does sound ideal for this type of game. It’s a shame that Nintendo didn’t have any actual games to show, only demonstrations (which I am yet to watch), but I really do think that Nintendo have brought something new (and truly revolutionary) to the table.
Iwata’s comments:

"Firstly, we face the reality that within one family there are people willing to pick up a game controller, and those who would never touch one," he said. "Anyone will pick up a TV remote control, but not necessarily a game controller. Why is this?"

"We are not only going to offer small and simple games. Rather, with this controller, we are going to establish a brand new standard for game control," he said. "We needed to satisfy both the novice gamers, and veteran gamers who want big, deep, highly complex new games."

"I believe that it is the job of all of us who are creators of great entertainment to continue to surprise people, and constant innovation is the key," he concluded.

I am relieved that Nintendo has finally released details about their controller and I’m also extremely pleased that it is truly as revolutionary as they have been promising. I’m intrigued to see what types of game they come up with for the revolution and to see how this new controller is put to use. I can imagine that a Metroid Prime 3 would be a complete blast with this controller and knowing Nintendo, they still have a few tricks up their sleeves. Overall I’ve very excited at the prospect of playing games in a whole new way,

Also, like the DS, I think that Nintendo will be able to carve a significant slice of the gaming public and also non-gamers by offering something both simple to use and different from the norm.

Anyway, here are a few more pictures…

A had the afternoon off work this week, but strangely enough I spent a large portion of this doing nothing more than lying on the bed. The reason for this? The simple answer is stress, stress, stress (and a little pinch of depression). Yes we are still pondering and planning the flat below us and boy is it starting to give me a headache, what with mortgage applications, surveys and also keeping the peace with our neighbour. It’s gotten to the stage now when I just want it all over and done with.

At least I managed to get out of my slump, with both Roz and also the new Nintendo news helping considerably.

Vampires… Damn it!

I have just read on empireonline.co.uk that a new version of the excellent novel “I am Legend” by Richard Matheson is due to be filmed by the director of Constantine.

To quote, this is what they have said:

“The story has been filmed before – once with Vincent Price in 1964 (as The Last Man On Earth) and once with Charlton Heston in The Omega Man in 1971. Neither really satisfied fans of the book, however, who are hoping that this version will stick more closely to the novel's plot.This most recent version seems pretty faithful – it's set in Los Angeles after a biological war that has turned most of the human race into daylight-hating mutants.”

Faithful! Faithful my arse! The “daylight-hating mutants” should be damn vampires! In The Omega Man they were mutants, but since the whole book is a careful study of the realistic practicalities of vampires, I don’t see how making the creatures’ mutants again will turn this into a more faithful adaptation.

Come on, this has the potential to be a fantastic film. Make the damn book properly!

Controllers and Serenity (hurray)

First of all, I have to say a little “hurray”. The reason being that it looks likely that my local cinema “The Mallard” will be showing Serenity after all. In some respect this is a slight disappointment, as I was quite looking forward to return to Jersey in order to see the film, but then again I’m loath to spend too much money what with an impending property purchase still potentially on the horizon. This definitely has to be my most anticipated film at the moment, I’ve even recently re-watched the entire series of Firefly in preparation.

Elliot has recently taken a liking to playing games on my Nintendo DS (mainly the Mario 64 mini games – which really are worth buying the whole game for). This got me thinking about console controllers. I think that most gamers (myself included) take for granted how complex modern controllers are, the reason being that we have grown up with controllers from Atari to the more complex controllers of today’s generation. It’s no wonder that gaming as a pastime lacks appeal to the non-gaming public, the controllers really must look quite daunting and PC games with their keyboard and mouse operation even more so.

It’s no wonder that the Nintendo DS (in Japan at least) is taking off so well with non-gamers and also female gamers. Using a stylus really couldn’t be simpler, after all if my 2 year old son can master it (and even beat some of my high scores) then I’m sure that anyone can!

Occasionally Elliot will sit on my lap and watch me play on my gamecube, although he rarely has a go himself (maybe every so often with Monkey Ball – which after all you only need the analogue stick to play). Instead he prefers to be spectator. His current favourite game is Mario Kart, to which he will shout “green shell”, “red shell” and “throw the shell” amongst other instructions!

I’ve heard rumblings on the internet that the Revolution controller may be shown over the next few days during Nintendo’s keynote speak at the Tokyo Game Show. Lets just hope that it really is as revolutionary as most Nintendo fanatics hope!

Jersey cinema & films

Whilst I was in Jersey last week, I was lucky enough to visit the truly wonderful Cineworld cinema on the waterfront. It is so refreshing visiting such a splendid cinema, I just wish that Guernsey would get into gear and build the proposed cinema at Admiral Park.

The Jersey trip was also significant because it was the first time that we took Elliot away on holiday (he's 2 years old). He really was a very well behaved boy, even on the long (delayed) trip home. It was also nice to see him enjoying himself so much in the hotel pool, which really was very well equiped for children.

Films watched:
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
Tim Burton must really have some issues with his father. First Edward Scissorhands (with Depp), then Big Fish and now Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (Depp again). Not having read any Rohal Dahl (although Roz is trying to persuade me) I can’t vouch for the sub plot about Willy Wonka’s father, but I suspect that this has been added.

Overall this is a fantastic kid’s film, I much preferred this to Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, but this is likely due to the Tim Burton touches that I have become accustomed to.
I really have to add that Johnny Depp really was quite impressive as Wonka, this and Pirates of the Caribbean really do highlight him as a fine character actor.

8/10

The 40 Year Old Virgin
I’m not a big fan of comedies, mainly I think because a joke is only funny once and this really diminishes any replay value that comedies have. Although there are still several comedies that I am fond of.

This film, was enjoyable viewing, although it did seem rather long towards the end for a comedy. Also the overall joke in the film seemed to wear a little thin at times.
It did have its moments and overall I would recommend that this film is worth watching at least once.

6.5/10

Red Eye
Sometimes a simple concept works very well. In this case two strangers meeting on a plane, getting along very well, then suddenly it turns out that the meeting wasn’t quite as coincidental as it would seem. A very tight thriller with a very confined space and with a very simple goal. My only gripe would be that I wished that the film remained set on the plane longer. The ending segment in the story set in the heroines home, really just seemed to “Hollywood” for my tastes.

Overall a very different and welcome change from Wes Craven.

7/10

Oldboy and Pirates

I’m not just adding reviews for new films on my blog, I’m also adding reviews / opinions for older films that I have recently revisited. As in this case:

Films Watched:
Oldboy
As mentioned previously, I love Asian cinema and to my mind this has to be the pinnacle of Asian cinema so far (yes – even better than the Ring).

No other recent film that I have seen has such a tightly woven plot, such a starting visual and audio style, such stunning performances and directed with such flair.

Vengeance is the central theme of this film, and boy is it driven home with a stake (not literally, no vampires in this film, just sick and twisted individuals). It really is such a simple premise, i.e. a man is locked away for 15 years, then released and given 5 days to figure out who and more specifically why he has been imprisoned. This really is a stunning film from start to finish and what a fantastic and utterly twisted finale it is.

I won’t go into the story too much, as it would be a true crime to spoil anything for potential viewers.

Absolutely fantastic, really… Well deserving the Grand Prix du Jury in Cannes 2004. It’s just a shame that it has not been recognised by other awards bodies.

I’ve heard rumours that this may be yet another Asian film which will be remade by Hollywood. I have no objection to this, having enjoyed the remake to The Ring. I just very much doubt that Hollywood would be brave enough to tackle the themes and intensity of the revenge undertaken in this film. We shall see.

9/10

Pirates of the Caribbean
I won’t go on about this film too much, other to say that it really is one of the most “fun” films in recent years. A truly rip-roaring adventure which takes you along for the ride. It’s just amusing that it’s based upon such a poor and tedious Disney real life “ride”

A swashbuckling adventure of grand proportions, bring back memories of Errol Flynn and age old black and white matinee movies.

My only complaint would be that it tends to drag a little towards the end, at least 20 minutes or so could have been cut out to keep the pace up. It’s not that it has ant boring moments, it just feels that some of the action is repeating itself a tad.

Just hope the sequels matches or surpasses this quality.

8/10

The Invisible Dragon

The first few lines of this poem came to me whilst I was driving home yesterday. I wrote the remainder last night and finalised it just before.

At the rate that I’m writing poetry recently, I’ll have to add another poetry collection document to voiceoftheocean.org soon…

The Invisible Dragon

The invisible dragon roars no more.
Its dying body lay on the floor.
As fire and blood erupts within,
Its life, once legend, begins to dim.
People roam around this death
Oblivious to its dying breath.

The invisible unicorn is all alone
Its graceful figure turned to stone.
Absence of love, joy and trust
Has turned this creature into dust.
As time goes by we forget its name
A blanket of apathy hides our shame.

An invisible world of magic and myth,
Hidden within the world we live,
Is fading slowly before our eyes,
Its marvel concealed by vicious lies.
The world is much more than it seems,
The magic lives on within our dreams.

Next Generation Console War

I thought that I’d spend a few minutes to post my thoughts on the next generation console war between Sony, Nintendo and Microsoft.

Microsoft X-Box 360

First of all – What a daft name. Why 360 (apart from the fear that calling it X-Box 2 would potentially give customers the impression that it is a generation behind Playstation 3).

Now, I must first admit that I’m no fan of Microsoft, but even I have to admit that the X-Box did surprisingly well (apart from in Japan). It certainly served its purpose and managed to grab a fair percentage of the gaming market, even if it did lose several million pounds on hardware sales.

On an aesthetic level, the X-Box 360 does look extremely appealing and I’m sure that the fact that you can swap face panels will appeal to many people. It certainly seems like a powerful beast as well, but to me at least, it feels as if it isn’t a significant jump from the X-Box and in reality seems more like an X-Box 1.5 than a significant generation jump. The games also echo this, really only seeming marginally better than current X-Box games.

It’s good to see HD supported, both 720p and 1080i. Also I believe that the X-Box 360 will continue to be the platform of choice for online gaming, following on from the relative success of X-Box Live.

Sony Playstation 3

Well the technical demonstrations at E3 as well as some of the trailers certainly pushed this platform as the “true” next generation. Certainly they were keen to demonstrate that this was a far more powerful machine than the X-Box 360. I’m not entirely convinced that this will be that apparent when playing the games released on the console, but time will tell.

Of the 3 consoles this is by far the ugliest, although it is far from hideous, it lacks the sleekness of the X-Box 360 and Nintendo Revolution. However, this has the potential to be a true multimedia hub, boasting BluRay support, various memory stick inputs and wireless from the box. It’s a shame that Sony have not provided any details of the online structure, as at present it is hard to judge how this will compare against the X-Box 360 and Revolution. The Playstation 3 also supports HD, being capable of outputting 2 1080p – although I seriously doubt that many games will make use of this function.

The launch date for this is Spring 2006. Although it has not been specified whether this was worldwide or not, judging by past Sony consoles, I’d imagine that this would be for Japan only. In order for the Playstation 3 to succeed in Europe and the States, it would really need to launch by Christmas 2006. Giving the X-Box 360 not just 1 but 2 Christmas seasons, could be disastrous.

I’m hoping that the Tokyo Game Show in September may give some actual feedback from the actual games on the console, as at present there is no indication of how these perform.

Nintendo Revolution

I have always been a fan of Nintendo and have owned every single home and handheld console produced by them (with the exception – surprisingly – of the NES).

Of the 3 companies, they have been the vaguest in releasing details and specs, but this is typical of Nintendo, they prefer to let the games do the talking. Unfortunately, at present, there is no footage of anything running on the Revolution to compare. It has been indicated that this will likely be the least powerful console of the next generation, the fact that it has no HD output only emphasises this.

I’m glad that Nintendo have decided to jump on the online bandwagon (about time), as a large proportion of Nintendo games have great potential for online gaming (Mario Kart, Tennis etc). It’s also good to know that the Revolution will be fully backwards compatible with the Gamecube and also past consoles (via downloads).

The real secret with the Nintendo Revolution is the controller. They are yet to reveal this for fear of it being copied by the competition, I just hope that they don’t hold onto this too long, as Nintendo desperately need to distract people from the Playstation 3 and X-Box 360.

I really do think that Nintendo will continue to be a niche console, appealing to Nintendo fans and a younger audience predominantly and not the mass market. However, if they also launch at a low price point, the revolution could become an appealing second console for many, especially if they are able to offer something unique when compare to the Playstation 3 and X-Box 360.

Well there you go… My thoughts and views on the matter.

Bargain games

Firstly, on a non-gaming topic (as this entry is mainly about games), I’m pleased that I have managed to write a few more pages of my latest story “Cry of Xenotaph” the other day and I will be trying to fit in a little more writing over the next few weeks. Also, I have had a few very good idea’s for my next project called “The Marilyn Project”. This is a story idea which has been floating my head for several years now, but I had not formulated a fitting ending for the story. The other day, out of the blue, and ending to this story suddenly occurred to me. Sometime I find that rather than force a story, this will come naturally to me of the course of time, even if it does (in this case) take several years.

A local Computer Store (Southside computers) will be closing its doors soon, so I popped in for the clearance sale to see what was available yesterday. It’s a shame I wasn’t shopping for a new PC or a laptop, as there were a few bargains around (not that I have the money for such expenses items), instead a treated myself to 3 games, for less than £10 per game! These were as follows, together with my initial impressions of each:


Games playing:

Half Life 2 (collector’s edition)
I was a big fan of Half Life, years ago but was reluctant to pick up this game for fear that our PC would not handle such a new game. I (stupidly) picked up a second hand copy in a car boot a couple of months ago for a couple of pounds, not realising that each copy needs to be registered online with a specific code, as such I was unable to play the copy I’d picked up cheap. But less than £10 for the collectors copy seemed worth paying to see how it ran on our PC. I’m happy to say that after a lengthy installation and update of my PC, it doesn’t run too badly at all – not as smoothly as a console game, but still good enough to be perfectly playable.

So far, I’m hooked. It plays very much like its predecessor, which is no bad thing at all. The immersion in the game world is fantastic, I just hope that the rest of the game lives up to the initial stages…

The Legend of Zelda : The Minish Cap
A Zelda game that I didn’t already own!

I know, surprising. This is a GBA game and plays very similar to my second favourite game of all time, The Legend of Zelda : A Link to the Past on the SNES. So far this is looking very promising and since The Twiglight Princess won’t be coming out now until next year, this will just have fulfil my Zelda craving.

Killer 7
This is a game that I have considered buying on many occasion, but I simply could not resist at this price. I have only taken the briefest look at this game, but I can say that visually it really is stunning and boy is it weird (hence I should like it). Looking forward to having a proper go at this some time in the future. I’ll reserve this until I’ve (hopefully) finished Half Life 2.

Well, this will certainly sort out my gaming needs for the next few months, especially when you consider that I’m also still playing Harvest Moon. Now if I could only find more gaming time…

The Isle and asian cinema

Films watched:
The Isle
Okay, ever since watching the Japanese version of The Ring (Ringu) several years ago, I have been very interested in Asian Cinema. The best films that I have seen so far have been: The Ring (of course), Oldboy, Dark Water, Battle Royale and The Eye.

Now I was interested in seeing The Isle after reading a few reviews. I know that the UK release was cut slightly due to animal cruelty (to fish in the film), but the rest of the film is intact. This without a doubt one of the most gut wrenching films that I have seen. It is certainly not a film I would recommend to those with a weak stomach for blood and disturbing imagery. It had me cringing at several scenes and trust me, I’ve seen my fair share of blood and guts in the movies.

Anyway, the film itself, while interesting, was by no means outstanding. It was an interesting study of the two main characters, but there was really little to no plot, and also little to no dialogue. If I were to compare it to another film, it would probably be David Cronenbergs Crash, as this is another film which deals with sexual deviants who are strong and somewhat unusual characters. If there is one thing that this film has taught me, it’s that fishing hooks (when inserted in the most bizarre places) can cause all sorts of unwanted damage.

Overall, I’m glad that I watched it, but it would not be a film that I would choose to watch again.

6/10

Games playing:
Harvest Moon
Yep, still playing away on this.

Bessy my first cow, just gave birth to a calf called Barbara. I have also just found out how to make astonishing amount of money. The secret, selling the seeds for fruit trees.

Oh, I have also been given a new pet. A small kitten which I have called “Skimble”

Window to the soul

It is my belief that a person’s passion, i.e. the works of art, literature, music etc. that he or she prizes above all else, is as close as we will ever get to a window to someone’s soul. That is, by analysing what a person likes the best we can obtain an understanding of that person.

So as an experiment in personal psychology I have taken a look at my favourite film, book, music etc

Favourite Film:
Vertigo
Quite simply the nearest to perfection you will ever find in a film. Hitchcocks masterpiece with a plot that twists and turns and characters with whom you can sympathise and pity. I very much doubt that any film will topple this from the top of my favourite films.

This is a film quite simply about obsession. When I was younger (a teenager) I used to be rather obsessive in nature, although that is not so much the case now, this film still reflects a younger picture of me. Also I have found that I have found different themes and meanings in the movie as I transgress through different stages of my life.

Favourite Book:
The Day of the Triffids
I love all of John Wyndham’s books and admire his particular style of science fiction. This book stands out against all others – I just wish that they would make a decent film version (if I had the money I’d finance it myself).

The book tells the story of a society which has been blinded by a freak astrological event and is being picked off and overrun by an unusual species of plant. In reality the book is to a degree about isolation and at times I can be rather introverted and certainly do not like to socialise. Also, when I was younger I used to fantasise about being the last man left on earth – I guess this is why I also like The Stand and I am Legend!

Favourite Piece of Music:
Layla (Piano exit) by Derek and the Dominos
This is specifically the instrumental piece which I recognise most as being used in the film Goodfellas. I have always found this music to be both uplifting, reflective and yet somehow bittersweet. If I’m ever feeling a little low, this tune is always guaranteed to lift me up a little.

Favourite Game:
The Legend of Zelda : The Ocarina of Time
Well it had to be a Nintendo game and this is Nintendo’s greatest game by far.

It less easy to find meaning in a console game, I can appreciate it by its merits, but I really don’t know if it says a lot about who I am. Unless of course you take into consideration the fact that it is an epic story driven game, which requires patience, thought and skill.

Maybe it’s best that I never decided to become a psychiatrist!

Serenity premiere and Scarface

Yesterday the premiere for Serenity was held in Edinburgh as part of the Edinburgh film festival. Serenity is a film based on Joss Weadon’s (Buffy creator) short lived television series “Firefly”. This series is without a doubt one of the best shows I have ever seen – better even than Buffy and Angel. It was a crying shame that it was cancelled, so I am understandably very excited at the prospect of a film of this series.

Unlike most premieres this was open to the general public and a few weeks ago the tickets went on sale. My wife and I spent several hours trying to get hold of the box office by phone or online, by the time we finally managed to get through the tickets had been sold out.

A report on the Serenity premiere can be found here: http://www.empireonline.co.uk/site/features/festival/edinburgh2005/

Whilst I am disappointed that I could not make it to the premiere I am glad that the film is generating so much excitement. I just hope that people who are not familiar with Firefly give the film a chance. If Serenity turns out to be a success Joss Weadon has said that he would be happy to make further films (perhaps as a trilogy), although in my perfect little world the series would continue once again. Also, in the interim, Joss Weadon has a little film by the name of Wonder Woman to make.

I just hope that the Cinema here is Guernsey decides to show Serenity (although I’m not holding out much hope). If not I may be forced to go to Jersey to see it.

Films watched:
Scarface
I have not seen this film for several years, but managed to get the special edition dirt cheap on DVD from Amazon in their recent sale.

Whilst this is a gangster film it is by far the polar opposite of the Godfather films. Pacino’s character in Scarface Tommy Montana bears no resemblance whatsoever to the cool, calm, scheming Michel Corleon. This never comes close to the greatness of the Godfather films, but is still a very powerful film in its own right. The phrase “the world is yours” is used at several key times throughout the film and no other film that I can think off, aptly shows that owning and achieving everything you could ever want, simply isn’t enough.

I can now also see the huge influence this had on Grand Theft Auto : Vice City (together with of course Miami Vice), in both the setting, characters and also the soundtrack.

This film also has one of the most spectacular shootouts as an ending, together with one of my favourite quotes, namely “say hello to my little friend”.

7.5/10

Games playing:
Tales of Symphonia
I have decided to give up on this game.

It feels too much like a RPG which has been watered down and is catering for the type of audience that enjoy Smash Brothers. There is very little strategy involved in the battles and you can only control one character during fights, the rest are computer controlled. The animation and graphics really are quite stunning, it just isn’t the type of RPG that caters for my taste. I may have to return back to Disgaea for a good session of strategic roleplay.

The flat below... continued

Well things are currently in Limbo in regards to the flat below. We have let our neighbour know our interest and have given an offer of £198,000.00. However, she indicated that they would probably be unable to accept this. She intends to speak to the bank next week and also take a look at the house prices in general to consider what they may be able to buy. She has said however, that she will speak to us first before approaching an estate agent to place the property on the market.

It really has been an extremely stressful time for both my wife and me. We really would like to purchase the flat below if my neighbour does decide to sell, but we will be stretching ourselves financially if we do this. It is also very dependant on a survey of the property, as the surveyor would need to give an estimate of how much he believes the property can be let for. If this comes out significantly less than we would need to let this for, then we’re scuppered.

Part of me wishes that we hadn’t gone to Canada earlier this year as the extra money would have made it much more likely that we would have been able to purchase the flat. Then again, when we went on holiday we really had no idea of what the future would hold and besides it really was an excellent and very much needed holiday.

If only we could win the lottery (that is if the local lottery was worth winning!)

As I said, all very, very stressful.

psp post

Well just as an experiment I thought I`d try to enter a post on my psp. It works, but takes a long time to type. Phew!

Sin City

Films watched:
Sin City
Well I’ve just finished watching Sin City and I thought that I would take a few minutes before heading to bed to put my thoughts down in writing.

First of all a little background:

I absolutely love the Sin City comics, then again I tend to love pretty much anything Frank Miller is involved in (well maybe not the Dark Knight Strikes Again, but hey, everyone makes mistakes). So I was both exited and apprehensive to find out that Sin City was being filmed.

When the film was released, I resisted the urge to see it at home as our cinema is, well, crap. For the last couple of years I have managed to take a trip to London to catch all the big summer films in style (i.e. in a descent cinema), so my plan was to wait until London to see the film. Whilst in Canada I could have seen the film, but again I resisted the urge, again waiting until London. When I eventually reached London I arrived just as terrorists bombed the London Underground and a London bus. Hence, whilst I was thankfully lucky to be alive I did not have the chance to see Sin City (I did however catch War of the Worlds and Batman Begins). By the time I returned back to Guernsey, it was no longer showing at our cinema, so I was left to wait until the film came out on DVD before I could watch it.

Thankfully the Region 1 release wasn’t that far away, so instead of waiting for the region 2 release, I pre-ordered the region 1 DVD, which arrived yesterday.

Anyway, back to the film. I guess that what surprised me the most wasn’t how accurate the adaptation was, but that my least favourite Sin City storyline was by far my favourite section of the film.

The original story “Sin City”, or as it is now know “The Hard Goodbye” was good, but felt rushed. I also was not totally convinced by Mickey Rourke as Marv. At times his performance was good, at others it felt a tad pantomime. I think that problem with this story on film is that the original “Sin City” was split over around 9 issues of very short stories and the film also seemed a tad segmented and rushed in parts as a result.

“The Big Fat Kill” has always been my least favourite Sin City story, mainly because I always felt that the storyline felt a little flimsy when compared to the other stories. However, I absolutely loved the film version. It seemed just spot on, all the characters seemed properly realised and the pacing was just perfect. Clive Owen really was quite excellent as Dwight, I just hope he returns for the sequel.

“That Yellow Bastard” has always been my favourite Sin City story and I was very pleased by the adaptation of this. My only real complaint is that I didn’t buy Jessica Alba as Nancy. It’s not just because she refused to do the nudity for the film, it was just that at times she seemed too wooden. I will admit that it is quite a hard role to portray, i.e. a fragile and sensitive stripper, but I really think that someone else would have been better suited in the role.

Overall 8/10

Now I know that a sequel is in the works and that “A Dame to Kill For” will be one of the stories. I just hope and pray that “Family Values” makes it to the screen eventually, just to see Miho on rollerblade decapitating people left right and centre.