my take on God.

God of War that is.

Thanks to Geeks of Doom, the ever ensuing drama surrounding the God of War movie has been brought to the surface once again. The new drama involves Brett Ratner casually letting it slip that he might direct the long rumored God of War big screen adaptation.

Now...it's worth noting that (thankfully) this is not at all confirmed yet unlike Mr. Ratner's upcoming Miley Cyrus music video project. So with that in mind, allow me to offer you my own take on how this should go down.

On the directing end I'll give you a couple out there, probably never going to happen ideas, as well as a more realistic idea. Ideally, I would like to see Guillermo del Toro at the helm. We've seen what he did with Hellboy and Pan's Labyrinth, so he obviously understands a few of the absolutely necessary components of GoW, mainly being epic and mystical, not to mention the interaction between worlds. With that said, I suppose you could tack Peter Jackson in as a fantasy, but there's no way that's happening.

I will take a second to deviate from what I've been reading in other articles though, as I may be the only person in the world not begging for Zak Snyder to jump on this project. Sure 300 was vivid and definitely epic in scale, and as much as I enjoyed it, I don't want to see another one, and I especially don't want to see GoW turned into 300 part II.

So for more realistic options? I suggest Andrew Adamson. He's no A-lister just yet, but his Narnia films manage to really take in the scale of a book series that is larger than life. Sure, they aren't as tough and gritty as God of War is, but I'm willing to make two assumptions, 1) Adamson is probably not incapable of making a tougher movie, and 2) it probably doesn't matter, because no matter what, this is still a video game movie, and video game movies never work. Has Hollywood seriously not learned this yet? Anyway, for my other slightly realistic option, I'd say Danny Boyle, who is coincidentally the opposite of Andrew Adamson. Boyle is dirty and gritty, experienced, but we've never really seen him deal with anything quite as epic as GoW.

My thoughts on the man himself, Kratos, are much easier to sum up. For one, it seems like everyone is saying that Honsou is your man, and I can see how that could work, but I can't say he would be my first choice. Honestly, my first choice would be Dominic Purcell. I've loved him since I watched John Doe, he's a bit of a "rising star" with his work on Prison Break, and once again...this is a video game movie. That doesn't mean that the actor should be talentless though. I see people talking about how they should just get (insert wrestler/fighter name here) to play the part...no they shouldn't. I don't care who it is, you won't convince me.

So, other than Dominic Purcell? How about Billy Zane? He'd need to bulk up a bit, but at least he's Greek, and he's no stranger to video game movies either.

So there you go. I pose you three questions: Who do you think should direct? Who do you think should star? and Is there any way to bring Telly Savalas back to life so that he could play the part? Because as we all know, Telly was Greek, bald, and definitely a badass.

niiiiice

Ok, so it's been a few days since the last post, and I've been doing my best to infiltrate the online community to make my presence known. I don't know that friendfeed or socialthing seem to really help out the cause as much as I expected, but I'm still rolling along.

I love that socialthing automatically loads in your friends from other accounts and allows you to respond directly, rather than creating a new tier of communication, but I hate that as of right now it only supports 3 services I actually use. friendfeed on the other hand offers an amazing amount of accounts, but doesn't load anyone in automatically, so I'm looking at a whole night of loading my friends in. Not excited about that. I suppose the largest difference is that friendfeed offers you a chance to meet new people with similar interests, which is really what I was looking for in the first place, but it offers no GOOD way of digging through them...at least not that I've seen.

Anyway, I'm still enjoying me.dium, although I haven't really been able to convince my close friends of it's greatness just yet. However, I did watch the new video that me.dium put out, and noticed that 1) they seem to have a much more awesome facebook interface coming and 2) towards the end, you can see my blog's name on the friends map! check the video at about 2:06 and you'll see that someone was on my blog when the video was made! Thanks me.dium!

edit:
forgot i was going to embed the video...my bad.

One of the Many Uses for Me.dium from Peter Nocchiero on Vimeo.

the internet dilemma aka the conclusion of my nerderiffic trifecta

I think it was 1994 or 1995 when I really started getting addicted to the internet. Growing up, I was fortunate enough to have a family that embraced the concept of computers, although it seemed like I was the only one who really ever took the time to figure out how to use them, so at age 11 I convinced my mom that AOL was worth trying...after all, it had a free trial, might as well right?

Now, as I sit here at age 25, the "free trial" concept is not nearly as enticing, and the internet as I've known it is a completely different place. Those early days were filled with hours of time in pointless chat rooms, plenty of online video games, and of course a fascination with discovering new information. These days, I realize I have more abandoned profiles than ex-girlfriends, I'm a member of a billion different sites that each promise some unique feature that I can't live without, and most importantly, I feel like I have to work to find new things that interest me. If you're anything like me, by the time you finish visiting each of your different sites you get this suspicion inside you that maybe, just maybe something new has happened on one of them so you start the process again. Before you know it, you've spent a few hours to only discover a couple of interesting tidbits.

Hold on, I should probably grab the paper bag and start taking some deep breaths. If you don't realize by now, I'm having a mid-life social identity crisis.

It started with AOL, for me. I really bonded with my buddy list throughout my youth, and I used the "find a buddy" feature all the time to just find new people to talk to. After years of AOL use, I started seeing sites pop up that were designed to easily introduce you to new people. Whether it was rating the attractiveness of someone or shamelessly trying to get yourself laid, these sites were instantly addictive for me. I had a livejournal, a deadjournal, a blurty, I think even had one from some place with the word diary in the title, despite my hesitation to embrace the term "diary" as a guy.

In early 2004, myspace changed my life. For better or worse, it changed it in a big way. The term social networking developed, and I loved it. I went through the obsession stage, the self-obsession stage, the almost-delete-it-because-it's-ruining-my-life stage...I've seen it all.

I believe it was 2006 when facebook opened itself to my school. At first it didn't interest me nearly as much as myspace. I'm pretty sure the first couple of years I had a facebook, it was used mainly to find cute girls in my classes or in my own dorm. However, time (and intelligent development) has brought me now to a place where facebook is my go-to website, which presents an interesting situation for me.

Myspace for me was always for fun, whereas most of my facebook use was linking up with high school friends, classmates, etc. Myspace let me have visual control of my profile, so I've always felt that my myspace page showed my personality better than the stiff structure of a facebook profile, but now that I've seemingly "outgrown" myspace, I feel as though I'm in limbo. I really don't want to abandon either, but instead find a good way to streamline my online identity.

To try and accomplish this goal, I'll be trying a few new things over the next couple of weeks. I've already mentioned me.dium, and let me say as a follow up to that post, one of the best things about me.dium seems to be the people behind it. The morning after posting my review I was contacted by three different employees who were all very friendly. As a bit of a teaser, I have been assured that some new facebook related features are coming soon, and I can't wait to see what all that includes! Anyway, aside from me.dium, I am also trying Socialthing! and friendfeed. That is, in addition to making a true effort to utilize the networking features of sites I've been a member of for quite sometime.

If this doesn't work, I'll have to buy a red convertible and find some eye candy to take with me to all the social events I attend when I'm not busy writing long nerdy blog posts.

and thus, the separation from society deepens...

The good people over at me.dium are doing something that I am now absolutely fascinated with, and that is:

1.fluidly incorporating the awesomeness of social networking into your internet browser, rather than tying you down to a specific site.

2.furthering the concept of social networking as we know it by showing us new ways of pooling information between our friends.

and

3.giving me even less of a reason to go and "hit the bars"...and here's how.

I discovered me.dium tonight when I upgraded to the Firefox 3 RC 1 and began to look for which add-ons would still be functional. I had never heard of this specific service, but I had read recently that the concept of browser based social networking would be coming soon. As excited as I was...I really had no idea what it meant. Once I installed it and saw what it is capable of doing, I couldn't help but run over here to blab all about it.

The basic idea is that me.dium is an online social networking service, just like myspace or facebook, except this one runs in a fairly compact sidebar in your browser window. Rather than focusing on sharing personal media, me.dium plots you as a user on a figurative map of the internet. As your friends join up you will see them in an instant message style buddy list, as well as on your internet map. At this point people can see where you are at and vice versa. Don't worry...I know what you're thinking...maybe sometimes you don't WANT everyone to know what you're up to, and the folks at me.dium want you to know that's ok. A simple click can make you invisible or even log you out for those private internet browsing moments...you know...like...ordering an engagement ring? Yeah, we'll go with that.

Just those elements alone are incredible to me, but I haven't even revealed the ace in the hole. me.dium integrates your facebook friends list into that buddy list section, and links are provided for each one that allow you to directly message, suggest a link, or visit any of your friends. Your friends are not required to be a part of me.dium for you to be able to send them anything either, which makes this idea a slam dunk. Your facebook profile still contains pictures, videos, biographies with atrocious grammar and spelling, your wall isn't demolished...it's a beautiful thing. You will have to convince your friends to give the service a shot if you want to see where they're at on the internet and take advantage of me.dium's entire potential, but I think the popularity of social networking is strong enough to make plenty of people curious about this new concept.

So let me give you a brief rundown of pros and cons as I see them.

Pros - For one, the concept of sharing where you are at on the internet with your friends in real time just seems like a winner to me. The facebook integration is great, and the ability to quickly search through your facebook friends is wonderful.

Cons - I have a feeling most of my "cons" are things that will redeem themselves in the near future, as this tool is nowhere near completion, but I could stand a few changes. For one, the facebook buddy list is a bit big for my taste as there seems to be some wasted space if someone doesn't have a status set. The sidebar comes with 6 skins to choose from, and while they are decent, I would love to see customization as an option here. Oh, and one thing they try to sell as a feature is a "find similar pages" button which as of right now doesn't seem to offer the strongest suggestions. I don't know if this is compiled through the gathering of browsing history among users or what, but obviously the database needs to grow a bit.

Overall, I think this concept has some really awesome potential...imagine meeting a new friend because you were both on wikipedia at the same time, rather than bumping into someone new at the grocery store. As silly as it might sound, it's a true possibility.

So the real question is, how many nerds will find love on thottbot thanks to this? Only time will tell....only time will tell.

back to the nerdery.

So I've been doing some music reviews lately, (and there's plenty more to come) but my geeky heart went crazy today when I saw the following video. For over a year I have been excited about upcoming advances in multi-touch based computer environments. It's been awesome to watch Jeff Han's examples of what the future of multi-touch could be, and then today Digg gives me a look at the next step. It is apparent now that multi-touch concepts WILL be the future of computing, as now people are not only designing the basic workspace, we are now seeing fully functional applications that use multi-touch interaction to make massive amounts of information easily accessible. This is truly amazing...I cannot wait.

old 97s - blame it on gravity review

I more than owe it to Old 97s to dedicate a post to the review of their new album. As someone who grew up with these guys in his back yard, it's sometimes hard for me to understand that people who aren't Dallas locals still know and love these guys as much as I do...but there are still so many people unaware of their greatness...so for fans and non-fans alike, let's take a look at Blame It On Gravity, the brand new record from Dallas' own, Old 97s:

For those who may have never listened to Old 97s, allow me to explain the three levels that most of their songs fall into for me. I can honestly say that starting with Too Far To Care I don't believe there's a song I will skip. Even the weakest songs on the album are easily enjoyable and worth listening to. These level one songs include Borrowed Bride, Alone So Far, King of all the World, Streets of Where I'm From, to name a few. These songs are sometimes even favorites, just because they're so simple and still so good. From there we move to songs that step it up a notch. Level two is often reached thanks to Rhett's use of words, twisting stories around nice melodies and clever choruses. Past examples of level two Old 97s songs would have to include Niteclub, Rollerskate Skinny (inspired by one Winona Ryder...who I love way more than Rhett ever could), Busted Afternoon, Won't be Home, and plenty of others. Another guest in level two is bass player and king of heartbreak, Murry Hammond. Most of Murry's songs fall here for me, as I can't think of one that I don't love hearing. However, a couple of his songs creep on up into level three. Level three is reserved for the best, and for me, this band is at its best in songs like Timebomb, 4 Leaf Clover, Barrier Reef, Just Like California, and the list goes on. Also, Murry's Valentine as well as one of his Blame it on Gravity songs are definite level three-ers.

So now that you've got a few songs to listen to if you've never heard these guys before, I'll give you the run down on this new album.

Say what you want about Drag it Up, like it or love it, Blame it on Gravity does not follow in its footsteps. Drag it Up featured songs that were written by various members at various times in their lives, which--when assembled, sounded like a sampling of the different eras of Old 97s songs, however it never really conveyed that complete album feel. This album does a much better job of reminding me, as a fan, of the best moments of past albums while still being a new and fresh offering.

It should be noted that a casual Old 97s listener hears songs for what they are, while the rabid Old 97s fan has to also imagine how these songs will sound live, as the Old 97s are known for their excellent live shows which are always full of energy, as evidenced by the name of their live album Alive and Wired. If you are this type of listener, this album cannot disappoint you, as I can say that Salim Nourallah helped record this album with this quality in mind. Every single song on this album can be just as good (if not better) live.

So what of the actual songs? The album features a few new level three members for me, including Here's to the Halcyon, The One, Dance With Me, Early Morning and Murry's The Color of a Lonely Heart is Blue was a slam dunk into level three. Most of the album fits into level two for me though, as this album is full of addictive songs. It's hard to convey how each individual member of this band is so important to the sound of the band as a whole. It's this exact reason that although Rhett's solo offerings feel a bit lackluster to an Old 97s feeling. Rhett needs Ken squealing his way through some solos, he needs Murry's old soul to sing behind him, and he needs his drums pounding through some of the best "train disaster songs" to come along this generation. I think Rhett knows it, and The One is a great way to remind us that these are still 4 goofy guys who have a lot of fun doing what they are doing. This album is a joy to listen to, and I can't wait to hear these songs live for many years to come!

get your weezer red album track by track analysis right here.

so, it has happened once again. life swept through and knocked me off course. but i am strong and valiant, and i have just enough time to post what i've been wanting to get to all week. rather than bore you with details of dead week, finals, grades, and of course my getting sick in the midst of it all, i shall enlighten you with what i think of the 8 currently leaked songs from weezer's upcoming red album.

let me preface this by saying that it is hard for me to judge an incomplete work. however, we have the first 8 songs of the album, so we are at least able to see how it starts, and where it goes from there...anyway, tracks also have to stand on their own a little, so let's get to that.

track one - "troublemaker"
my first instinct is to not absolutely love this song, but it seems to embody something very "weezer-esque" and that is this insane ability to make songs that aren't very great, but yet they are very listenable. the verse is steady, you shake your head, tap your foot, whatever and of course the chorus provides just the right amount of lift. i'm not saying the song is bad, i'm just saying it's nothing amazing.

track two - "the greatest man who ever lived"
wow. i could probably write a dissertation on this song, so a short review is probably going to leave something important out. let's be clear though, i can't imagine a longtime weezer fan finding a way to dislike this song. it seems to sample bits and pieces of their entire career, mixes in the sounds of a war hymn, an amazing falsetto segment, and even a little rap that doesn't sound that bad. did anyone else hear the obvious They Might Be Giants sound too? to me the best part of this song is that it really seems to solve some of weezer's unsolved mysteries. it's weird to put an album's punchline at track 2, but who cares where it is. to sum it up, it's probably not a joke. rivers just might think he's the greatest man who ever lived...and if you're a weezer fan, you are all he needs to prove his point.

track three - "pork and beans"
well in a bit of rick rubin genius, the first single from the red album is of course ridiculously overproduced and a bit cheesy. i find it particularly interesting that rivers says "timbaland knows the way to reach the top of the chart. maybe if i work with him i can perfect the art" when it seems to me that working with rick rubin was a similar tactic. overall, other than the terrible compression on the chorus (the chorus doesn't lift...i think it actually loses some amplitude) and the general "wackiness" of the production, i don't dislike much about the song itself. it's kinda cheesy, sure, but it's weezer.

track four - "heart songs"
possibly my favorite of the leaked songs. one, because it's not often that you get such a clear look at the artists that influenced someone throughout their entire lives and two, because i think it's just a good song. once again, the production fucks it up a little with the overactive hi-hats and other drum machine garbage...but the build is really cool both musically and lyrically. i even like the rasp that shows up in rivers' voice when describing the impact of hearing nirvana's nevermind for the first time. it's a well thought out song, and i know i'll be singing along with it for years.

track five - "everybody get dangerous"
it's almost as if rivers felt like he got too personal on heart songs and needed to be a little kooky again to keep his cred. I dunno, I have a feeling most people will love or hate this song. i don't really like the first half of the song, but once you get to the part about kids asking their parents if they can smash up the place with some new ninja swords a smile crosses my face, and almost all negative thoughts on this song float out the door. unfortunately the chorus comes back and i remember how much i didn't like the first part of the song. i dont know, maybe it will grow on me with time.

track six - "dreamin"
if this song doesn't remind you why you ever liked weezer, i don't know what could. this song could have easily appeared on any previous weezer album, it's just a great, fun song. even the silly little bridge in the middle of the song with the birds chirping and all that business, it's all great. plus anyone who knows me will vouch for my complete and total obsession with GOOD builds in songs. weezer is no stranger to this concept and they proved that they were not amateurs with the second half of this song.

track seven - "thought i knew"
until the time of writing this blog i was never able to get through more than maybe a quarter of this song. it's not that it's completely terrible or anything, it's just territory weezer has never really ventured into (and maybe matt sharp wished they had back in the day) as rivers is really the only voice you ever hear on lead vocals. if anything, this track shows why. nothing distinguishes this song as weezer, and that's not just because of brian being on vocals. other bands manage to split lead vocal duties and still show who they are, but weezer is not one of those bands.

track eight - "cold dark world"
make this the second track i've never been able to listen to entirely until now...mainly because i have to. there's pretty much no part of this song where i thought that i might actually like it at all. seriously? angel girl in a cold dark world? i don't understand what was seen as good about this song...at least in the past i have used the excuse "maybe if this song didn't have weezer's name attached, i would like it...because it's good...it just doesn't sound like them." (see entire maladroit album) anyway, this song just plain sucks to me...it may be worse than ozma's bad dogs...yeah, i went there.


so there you have it. exactly what i think of the first 8 songs on weezer's album. apparently there will be two more songs on the "regular" edition and 6 more songs in the "deluxe version" you will inevitably download. the album drops june 3rd. i think. buy it?