Have a good St. Patty’s Day! Make sure to imbibe some green beer, at least a very little bit, in the spirit of the leprechauns. (If you don’t, they will hunt you down and take your fingernails, they’re jerks like that.)

Let’s talk video games for a second.

These days, when it comes to the noble art of gaming, I’m more about the story than anything else. If it has a good story, but terrible gameplay, I’ll still probably try to finish it. On the other hand, great gameplay and a terrible story really bog me down.

Needless to say, this gent was very pleased with Heavy Rain. The story was good, engaging, and tense. Especially since there aren’t really “save points,” and your actions are pretty much final. If you screw up, the game doesn’t end, it just keeps going. And you live with those choices.

There were some interesting twists that I was not expecting, too! (ARI! Whoa.)

The downside was the voice acting. It was pretty bad. It’s like they got a bunch of foreign actors trying to speak english without accents. But not a foreign language I can recognize. It’s like their first language is gibberish, and english is a second. That’s the only way I can explain it.

If you own a PS3, check it out! Definite recommendation from this young guy. (Also, I apologize, that was much longer than just ‘a second.’)

Activate super late update!

It’s no secret to anyone that knows me that I like movies. Quite a bit, even. I’m pretty sure it was an early thing that my dear ol’ Dad instilled in me, a transferal if you will, of his own love of movies.

That being said, I didn’t even watch the Oscars. I really could care less about a show about movie awards, or really any award show. Matt Damon said it best when he suggested a ten year delay for the Oscars. Let us look back and then decide. These movies are too fresh, they’re babes, they’re new in our minds. Let them grow. But whatever. I’m just a gent who watches movies and decides himself if he likes them or not.

That, uh, second thing being said, I will still comment on the movies of the Oscars.

The Hurt Locker is probably one of the most tense, dramatic movies I have ever seen. I was on the edge of my seat, sweating it out, without really knowing it. I walked away from it thinking that it was an alright movie, until a few days later, when the true impact of it hit me like a rolling freight train. It was basically sitting down to a movie and trying to guess which guy was going to die.

Avatar was a movie I went and seen a whole bunch of times in Imax 3d, once by myself, by my lonesome, just cause. I loved it. The story was simple, the characters were pretty stereotypical, and there weren’t really many surprises. But I really liked the characters, and the story, maybe because it wasn’t trying to be The Dark Knight in complexity. Plus, I love science fiction, just love it.

What was my favorite movie of 2009? The Hurt Locker or Avatar. Ask me again in five years to narrow that down.

What was yours?

Rogues and Gents is going to be organized by what the literary world calls “chapters.” This was always the plan. I have Chapter 2 almost completely scripted out, and already have a solid title that I enjoy. Chapter 3 isn’t really a problem either, it’s currently only in my head, but I still have what I believe is a strong title. The tentative title for Chapter 1… is not that great.

Currently, this chapter is called:

Jack Namoes in: “Battling the Undead Always Impresses the Ladies.”

Not that inspiring. I’m still brain storming ideas to replace it. I plan on creating a title page too, I probably should have done that before I started this! Let me throw a couple of my other ideas at you, tell me your thoughts.

Jack Namoes in: “Obligatory Undead Story.”

Jack Namoes in: “Boy Meets Girl. Boy Meets Undead. Heroics Ensue.”

Jack Namoes in: “The Worst Date. Ever.”

Jack Namoes in: “Undead?! Why’s it Always Gotta be the Undead!”

I wanted to take some time to talk to everyone about a very important topic. Something that everyone should be concerned about, and at the very least, be aware of. Because plenty of people in our day and age are just ignoring this dang problem like it doesn’t exist.

The problem is zombies.

Do you read comic books? If so, I am obliged (not legally) to inform you of The Walking Dead by Robert Kirkman. It’s one of the best dang comics I’ve ever read, second only to Invincible. I won’t say much about TWD, apart from this. If you like zombies, you will like this publication. It doesn’t focus so much so on the living dead, but rather, it shines a spotlight on the survivors, and how they survive. And how it changes them. And the things they do to survive a zombie apocalypse (They do a lot of stuff.)

Check it out!

Also, Canada won the hockey game, the hockey game of the century.

Boom.

What follows is my review of The Wolfman.

It’s not a terrible movie, it’s even enjoyable… if you go in with the right attitude. I wasn’t expecting a blockbuster, or even a great plot. I just wanted to waste a Saturday and be entertained, and I was.

All the actors pulled their weight nicely, with what they had to work with. I heard a rumor that there was a director switch halfway through the movie, and it shows. There’s a point where the theme and mood of the movie seems to just change, and it’s a little jarring.

Oddly, the thing that really “wowed” me was the scenery and cinematography. I loved the shots of Talbot manor, and the old English town, and the countryside.

Not bad, not bad. Still need to see Shutter Island.

I’m a lot happier with this page than the previous one. I’ve been “off my game” as the announcers announce it, and couldn’t produce a single piece of art that I actually liked. The entire last page was me slogging through the panels, and it shows. Today’s page came much easier, and I’m more pleased with it.

HOWEVER. That’s not what’s important. I have a review for you, a novel review. Quick back story: I am a fan of Michael Crichton, and have been for quite some time. When he died, I was sad, but at the same time, the man had a great run, and put out some very quality books, movies, and a successful tv show. And then, I guess he went and wrote a book from the grave. About pirates. How fitting.

It’s called Pirate Latitudes. I’m going to keep this “review” short and sweet, shorter than the entire explanation above:

Charles Hunter is a pirate privateer in Port Royale who decides to attack a spanish stronghold and steal a treasure ship loaded with gold. He gathers his team of “invincible syndrome” heroes and sets out. It flows like a movie, with all the proper motions and action, and is enjoyable. However, in the end, I don’t think he was actually finished the book before he died – it feels like he was going to add quite a bit more small details, flesh it out, make it real. I’d still recommend it if you’re into pirates and reading and things.

Alas, matey, I am now without a novel. I require something to read, to soothe the brain. Any suggestions, knowing I enjoy adventures on the high seas, fantasy, and science fiction?

Man, I turned into a cat lady once. It was a harrowing, humbling experience. Thankfully, I got out alive. (Just barely.)