Apr
29
2010

The 10 Best Movies Of 2009

An finally here is my list for my favourite films of 2009. I know it is a bit late. As always the posters link to imdb where you can learn more about the film and see what others think. If you think I have missed anything leave a comment below. Also you will notice that Avatar is no where on this list. I hope to write a blog post soon explaining this in more detail but for now I will say I wish it had stole more from Dune instead of Dances With Wolfs.

Sherlock Holmes 10) Sherlock Holmes – I may be one of the few that enjoyed this. I thought the cast was as brilliant as you can get. I love how Guy Ritchie captures the look and feel of old London. Plus the score by Hans Zimmer is my favourite of the year.
Watchmem 9) Watchmen – Having not read the comic I cant judge this movie based on how well it was adapted. But I though the movie was very fun and interesting. I think it is important to support R rated comic book movies because forcing lower rating on films can really hurt the quality (think Die Hard and Terminator).
District 9 7) District 9 – Way better then Avatar at a fraction of the budget. I am not the biggest fan of documentary style cinematography but the original story well makes up for that.
I Love You, Man 8 ) I Love You, Man – Funniest film of the year.
An Education 6) An Education – Great Story of a young girl making mistakes and learning from them.  Plus it takes place in 1960’s London. Some really great character work, Carey Mulligan is an amazing up and coming actress which I look forward to seeing more of.
The Brothers Bloom 5) The Brothers Bloom – A Great Con film. Very Fun and Witty.
(500) Days Of Summer 4) (500) Days Of Summer –Instead of telling it in chronological order it tells it in 2 overlapping parts. The first is all about falling in love and the relationship the follows. the other part starts after the break up and is about dealing with the depression and eventually getting back on ones feet. This allows the question ‘why did they break up?’ to become a mystery that unfolds near the end. Plus it feature 2 incredible leads with Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Zooey Deschanel.
Star Trek 3) Star Trek – The first 10 minutes is the best opening of a movie ever. My only real problem with this film is that the rest of the film does not quite live up to the start. There needs more Kirk in the captains chair. Still this is one of the most fun Star Trek films ever. 
zombieland 2) Zombieland – A funny character driven zombie movie. Not really a horror film, instead they take all of the fun parts of living through a zombie apocalypse and throws in a nerdy Jew as the lead. Plus the cast includes Woody Harrelson who is always great and a the very hot Emma Stone (my newest crush).
Inglourious Basterds
Revenge of Giant FaceRevenge of Giant Face2Revenge of Giant Face3Revenge of Giant Face4Revenge of Giant Face5		 1) Inglourious Basterds – After seeing ‘There Will Be Blood’ Quentin Tarantino decided he needed to up his game. The result is amazing and perfect. This is not only one my favourite film of the year but my favourite film of the decade. The Acting and writing is top notch with an amazing job done by Christoph Waltz as Col. Hans Landa the Jew Hunter. Avatar was the big film from 2009, but even with its 300 million budget and state of the art special effect it is not as beautiful as Inglourious Basterds. There is a scene in this film where Shosanna is standing by a round window while David Bowie’s Cat People is playing that is one of the most beautiful things I have ever seen in a movie. I had to see this movie again in theatres just so I could see that scene again. The DVD for this film has joined the honour of There Will Be Blood and sits on the shelve with my Stanley Kubrick Collection.

 

2008
10) Valkyrie
9) Wanted
8 ) Vicky Christina Barcelona
7) Tropic Thunder
6) Slumdog Millionaire
5) Let The Right One In
4) The Reader
3) Iron Man
2) The Wrestler
1) The Dark Knight 		2007
10) 300
9) Sweeny Todd
8 ) Eastern Promises
7) Grind House
6) Baby Gone
5) 3:10 to Yuma
4) Stardust
3) The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford
2) Shoot ‘Em Up
1) There Will Be Blood 		2006
10) Crank
9) Talladega Nights
8 ) Borat
7) Mission Impossible 3
6) Superman Returns
5) The Pursuit of Happyness
4) The Departed
3) Marie Antoinette
2) Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang
1) Rocky Balboa
2005
10) Capote
9) Lord Of War
8 ) Batman Begins
7) A History Of Violence
6) The 40 Year Old Virgin
5) Sin City
4) Brick
3) Star Wars Episode III
2) King Kong
1) The Libertine 		2004
10) Spiderman 2
9) The Aviator
8 ) House Of Flying Daggers
7) Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
6) The Girl Next Door
5) The Incredible
4) Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow
3) Anchorman the Legend of Ron Burgundy
2) Kill Bill volume 2
1) Garden State

* in 2005 I did not do a list so I decided to make up for it here, just be aware that 2005 represents my likes as of 2010 unlike all the other lists which were made at the time*

By Mantz | Posted in Movies/TV | Comments (0)
Feb
26
2010

The 10 best TV Shows of 2009

Yes I know that I have not posted much in the last year and I could say that that is going to change but I wont make that promise. To stat the year right it is the return of my favourite blog topic the best of lists. I still have a couple of movies to watch before that list will be done so check back soon. For now here is the list for my favourite TV shows of 2009.

Best TV Of 2009 Top 10:

10) Fringe – almost exactly like the X Files but with direction. The show does start a little slow but as the series progresses the mysteries start to weave together to form something pretty great. I expect this show to inch higher up this list every year.

9) Community – my favourite new show of the last year is a comedy about a group of students at a community collage. The show has some amazing characters including one played by the amazing Chevy Chase.

8 ) Chuck – even if some of episodes are starting to get repetitive it is the brilliant characters that keep things funny and enjoyable. Plus sexy, cant forget sexy.

7) True Blood – I Love that the scope of the world is so much bigger then the first season. I did not think I could love a story about vampires this much but I do. 

6) Dexter – This show has never made my list before but that all changed this last season with the introduction of John Lithgow playing the trinity killer. This is easily the best season of the show and the actors are much deserving of their golden globe wins.

5) It Always Sunny In Philadelphia – Still one of the funniest shows on TV, well if you are in to that sort of thing. Don’t forget to check out there Christmas special ‘A Very Sunny Christmas’ where I think they do one of there worst things ever. Hint it involves a mall Santa.

4) How I Met Your Mother – before 2009 I had only caught one or two episodes of this comedy, but under great pressure from my friends I decided to give it a try. I don’t usually go for shows with laugh tracks but this ones different. Because the show is told in past tense it can take a lot of liberties on how a sitcom is structured. Plus it has NPH which is a automatic plus in my books.

3) 24 – Coming back from a one year break the show is better then ever. Plus Rena (or female Jack Bauer as I like to call her) is amazing. Is it just me or is there some serious sexual tension between her and Jack.

2) Battlestar Galactica – I was a little put off by the series finally of this great show and did not want to rank it as high as I did. But then I remembered that the last season did include the amazing civil war arc (the true climax of the series). Plus ‘The Plan’ was so amazing, a great ending for a great show.

1) Lost – If they don’t screw up the ending like they did with Battlestar this could be one of the greatest shows of all time. I know season 2 was slow but fight through, it is so worth it. Lost keeps the pressure on and does not let off.

Here is some lists form years past.

Best TV Of 2008 Top 10:
10) Skins
9) Venture Brothers
8 ) True Blood
7) Chuck
6) Californication
5) Lost
4) South Park
3) 30 Rock
2) Battlestar Galactica
1) Its Always Sunny in Philadelphia

Best TV Of 2007 Top 10:
10) Chuck
9) The Office
8 ) Heroes
7) 24
6) 30 Rock
5) South Park
4) Skins
3) Rome
2) It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia
1) Battlestar Galactica

Best TV Of 2006 Top 10:
10) Re Genesis
9) 30 Rock
8 ) Heroes
7) The Office
6) Scrubs
5) Veronica Mars
4) Venture Bros
3) Prison Break
2) 24
1) Battlestar Galactica

Best TV Of 2005 Top 10:
10)Family Guy
9)The Office
8 )Lost
7)Venture Bros
6)Scrubs
5)24
4)Gilmore Girls
3)Rome
2)Battlestar Galactica
1)Ghost In The Shell : Stand Alone Complex

By Mantz | Posted in Movies/TV | Comments (0)
Jul
17
2009

Loki

I know I have not posted in a while and I will try to correct this. I will try to post more frequently with smaller post sizes as I think that will encourage me a little more. So for starters here is some picture of my pet lizard named Loki. It is a bearded dragon that I bought back in April. As you can see from the picture it is growing very fast, the picture are spread out over a 3 month period.

DSC00181 DSC00186 DSC00190 DSC00193 DSC00199 DSC00206 DSC00208 DSC00213

By Mantz | Posted in Misc | Comments (0)
Mar
24
2009

Battlestar Galactica greatest show ever? Answered!

6 weeks ago I asked is Battlestar Galactica the greatest show ever. Having seen the final episode I can now answer that question. And the answer yes and no.

There is things that make this show greater then any show to come before it, like the effects and acting. The show also does an amazing job of examining our current culture in new and interesting ways. For instance when the question of allowing abortions comes up, when there is only 50,000 people left alive, it takes a very different spin on it. The show also has a amazing plot with so many twist and turns, just when you think you know where the show is going it goes in a completely different and amazing direction. “The Oath” and “33” are some of the best and most intense television episodes I have ever seen.

Now with all these amazing qualities how is this show not my favorite of all time? In order to answer I will have to get pretty heavy in to spoilers about the last episode. So be warned if you have not finished watching the whole series stop reading right now. In order for Battlestar to be the best show ever it has to have a earth shattering ending, but I felt the ending failed in this regard. Maybe its the atheist in me but resorting to god, heaven, and angles as a way of explaining all the crazy shit feels kind of like a let down. It would be like if Lost was explained as being purgatory (So glad its not). I was expecting something much more. But maybe there was no way to make it workout any better, I for one cant come up with a different plausible explanation. And what ever happened to the Cylons having a plan, because it feels like they made it up as they went alone (just like the writers).

So this leaves Lexx as my favorite show of all time. Even with its less then stellar acting and effects I still consider it the better show. And if you are wondering Lexx had a mindblowingly good ending that both made me cry and changed my view of the entire series.

By Mantz | Posted in Movies/TV | Comments (0)
Feb
20
2009

Top Ten Films Of 2008

I have finished watching all of the movies that I consider contenders for the best movies of 2008. This list is more a reflection of my movie tastes. Thanks to the power of web 2.0 I now have pictures to correspond with my choices and if you click the image it will bring you to the imdb.com page for that movie where you can learn more about it.

MV5BMTI3NTI4MDgyNl5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTcwNjM5OTU5MQ@@__V1__SX89_SY140_ 10) Valkyrie – The major flaw of this movie is that we all know that the plan fails. Where this movie makes up for this is in all the little details. 
images 9) Wanted – Like Shoot ‘Em Up, last years number 2, this movie is all about having a good time. It comes from the director of Night Watch and Day Watch. If you have seen those movies you will know that the director has a amazing eye for visual effects. 
vicky_cristina_barcelona 8 ) Vicky Cristina Barcelona – I don’t watch a lot of films by Woody Alan but I think I should start. The problem I have with him is always plays the same irritating little man but in this movie he is only directing. It also helps that the movie stars Scarlett Johansson, Rebecca Hall and Penelope Cruz. If you have any suggestions for Woody Alan films I should watch leave a comment.
MV5BNDE5NjQzMDkzOF5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTcwODI3ODI3MQ@@__V1__SX100_SY140_ 7) Tropic Thunder – Funniest movie of the year. I am so glad that Ben Stiller is back in the directing chair and not acting in those stupid comedy’s he has been in for the last 5 years. If you don’t know Ben Stiller directed the super funny Zoolander. The movie also features the very talented Robert Downey Jr. portraying a dude playing a dude disguised as another dude.
sd_ 6) Slumdog Millionaire – This film has won many award for best picture and is the top contender for best picture at the Oscars on Sunday. This is a very good movie, the problem that keeps It from going higher on my list is that I did not feel the emotional connection to it like I did with other films below. 
ltroiSY140_ 5) Let The Right One In – Instead of seeing that piece of shit Twilight go and see this film. It is similar to Twilight in that it is a story of love between a vampire and a mortal but it does not suck monkey balls.  In Let The Right One In vampires are actually vampires. The reason you have never heard of this film is that it was made in Sweden, but that should not stop you from trying to see it.
trg@@__V1__SX94_SY140_ 4) The Reader – This is the only movie of the last year that made me cry. This was a very hard movie for me to watch. Sometimes a movie connects with some people and not others. This movie deeply connected with me, to the point that I don’t think I can watch it again (But I still will). 
ages 3) Iron Man – This is the perfect example of how a superhero movie should be done. Its fast funny and has some amazing effects. Not only that, it also includes some great acting.
tranBnXkFtZTcwNDc2MzQwMg@@__V1__SX94_SY140_ 2) The Wrestler – The movie has many of the same plot points as Rocky Balboa (my favorite film of 2006) but has a very different theme. I cant give much away with out spoiling the film. Simply put go see this film you will not be disappointed.  
ages3 1) The Dark Knight – I have a very particular image of what batman should be. By the end of this film he became that image. I was not a fan of Batman Begins but this is something different. It is more then a superhero film, its a crime drama that happens to feature a superhero. And lets not forget Heath Ledgers amazing joker. I would tell you to go see this but chances are you already did, it did gross one billion dollars so far.

If you think I missed anything post it below and I will take a look or tell you why it sucked. As for the top ten games of the year there are still many games left un-played and I have been spending my free time programming.

By Mantz | Posted in Movies/TV | Comments (0)
Feb
15
2009

Project Refusal Returns!

As I have stated I want to get back to working on project refusal, for the last 6 weeks I have done just that. I forgot how much I enjoy programming. I find it interesting coming back to the project after that much time has passed and seeing problems in a new way. Its like having a fresh set of eyes on it. I continued where I left off, doing a major rebuild of the graphics engine which included a new naming convention and a major reworking of how I load in resources form files. This was followed by several weeks of working out all the new bugs that a rebuild of this size brings. I can now return to adding new features, this is where the real fun is. My next task was to add real time shadowing, starting with the terrain. I had already done some work on this problem a year before to no success. But with my new set of eyes I new I would prevail. Below is screen shot of real time terrain shadowing, It still requires some aliasing but you get the idea. It will be a simple task now to add shadows to every object in the game.

 Terrain-with-Shadows-001

In other news I only have 3 movies left to watch before I can post my list of top 10 films of 2008, look for that in the coming week.

By Mantz | Posted in Project Refusal | Comments (0)