It's a dark and frosty night. The moon is full and I walked across a graveyard. It's time to start my blog. This is principally a place to put up all my writing about Exalted. I'll also be writing short stories, prose poetry, bitching about what I think is wrong with the world (starting with this damn template) and anything else of interest. 19/1/11
Navi
All original material is Copyright © John Hodson 2011-2012. If anyone wants to add any material to my Exalted section I''ll include their with name and copyright in the post notes unless they want to contribute anonymously.
The first section is basically my take on Exalted. Right now I'm just copying up my notes so everything's very raw while I put down my ideas. I'll work on editing everything and making it more coherent later. As a result things will contradict the in game canon and even be self contradictory especially since not all my notes are copied in chronological order. They've been typed up without editing to remain as close as possible to my original vision.
The first section is basically my take on Exalted. Right now I'm just copying up my notes so everything's very raw while I put down my ideas. I'll work on editing everything and making it more coherent later. As a result things will contradict the in game canon and even be self contradictory especially since not all my notes are copied in chronological order. They've been typed up without editing to remain as close as possible to my original vision.
Friday, 15 June 2012
Alchemical Exalted
Maybe in Exalted, Maybe in the Future
Nomenclature Changes: Charms- Systems, Charm Slots- Interfaces, Apostates- Defectors
Optimised <Attribute> Essence Augmentation
Efficient <Attribute> Essence Augmentation
Recalibrated <Attribute> Essence Augmentation
Integrated <Attribute> Essence Augmentation
<Attribute> Essence Empowering Augmentation
Imprinted <Attribute> Essence Augmentation
System title words: Formatting, reformatting, function, relay KID System, Algorithm, adaptor, fuse, transformer, drive, driver, logic, matrix
Categorisation of Systems
I had an idea for reorganising Alchemical Charms based on the idea of arrays. Instead of being a few Charms grouped together out of a pool of a myriad of standalone Charms, Alchemicals can group together their Charms into large arrays of suits (I had the idea from Mjolnir armour in Halo.) The great thing about this is it explains how Physical, Social and Mental Charms can be combined together into one device since the suit is attached to the whole body. If they want Alchemicals can make arrays into smaller items like a helmet, or signature gadgets. Grouping large sets of Charms into suits means that they can have a set of arrays tailor made for a variety of circumstances and can change the main part of their Charm loadout by changing which suit they use. This idea can extrapolate for high Essence Alchemicals who's Charms increase in size and become far larger than ones supported by human sized arrays. These suits are supported by External Interfaces.
On the other hand, some Alchemicals would prefer to keep most or all of their Charms internal. Rather than being components of arrays that can be rapidly changed to meet different needs these Charms are parts of the Alchemicals body in the fashion of existing Charms. Such Alchemicals are known as operatives and their Charms increase in power as their Essence increases but not their physical size. This idea is based on the opposite of a character whose power come mainly from their suit, in the form of Killy. These Charms are supported by Integrated Interfaces.
The advantage of this system is it allows a character to rapidly change a large number of Charms in order to suit requirements. The character could even use Integrated Essence Augmentations in the suit itself to meet Attribute requirements for Charms installed in it. The key feature of using a suit or another type of array is that they can be changed over quickly, one scene or more in a room full of technicians. Integrated Systems on the other hand would be much harder to change over since they form an integral part of the Alchemical's actual body. Since suits are external upgrades and Integrated Systems are components of their body, at character creation each Alchemical must have at least 4 Integrated Systems. Installing a System in a suit is a good way of avoiding high Essence commitment for a task specific System that they are not always going to need such as an Essence Shield Projector.
I'm not so sure about the advantages of using integrated Systems and what limits there should be on the numbers of them. Since the Exalt's body is in a sense an array, it could be possible to use any Integrated Systems they have in a combo.
Possible Integrated System limits are:
Essence x n Their Essence is multplied by a specific number to determine how many Integrated Systems they can install. They could also buy an expansion System Essence times that increases the factor by one. (This idea will need looking at.)
The character can have a number of Integrated Systems for each Attribute up to their Attribute level.
I'm not so sure about the advantages of using integrated Systems and what limits there should be on the numbers of them. Since the Exalt's body is in a sense an array, it could be possible to use any Integrated Systems they have in a combo.
Possible Integrated System limits are:
Essence x n Their Essence is multplied by a specific number to determine how many Integrated Systems they can install. They could also buy an expansion System Essence times that increases the factor by one. (This idea will need looking at.)
The character can have a number of Integrated Systems for each Attribute up to their Attribute level.
Friday, 1 June 2012
Kamikaze Girls
Shimotsuma Story Original Soundtrack
01. Flashback Waltz 1:27 Yoko Kanno
02. Hola Hola 2:37 Lyrics Valerie Hohn, Voc. Dany Vasnier
03. I Love Shimotsuma 2:01 Yoko Kanno
04. Momoko, The Stars Shine Bright I 2:03 Yoko Kanno
05. Punch Perm Funk 0:52 Yoko Kanno
06. Lucie Est Amoureuse 3.04 Lyrics & Voc. Valerie Hohn
07. Sweet Home Ryugasaki 0:58 Yoko Kanno
08. Parceque C'est Toi 2:12 Lyrics Valerie Hohn, Voc. Danny Vasnier
09. Fukuin Step 1:39 Yoko Kanno (Hukuon Step according to the Kamikaze Girls official site)
10. Momoko, The Moon Shine Bright 1:29 Yoko Kanno
11. She Said 2:43 Lyrics & Voc. Oikawa Rin (from Saboten-willy) Music by Yoko Kanno
12. Oikaze Fukumichi 2:16 Yoko Kanno
13. Jitsuroku! Himiko Densetsu 1:50 Yoko Kanno
14. Honey You 3:04 Lyrics Shanti Snyder, Voc. Shanti Snyder & Bito Isao
15. Meatball 1:56 Written & Performed by Fogs
16. Momoko, The Stars Shine Bright II 0:44 Yoko Kanno
17. Une Belle Histoire 2:24 Lyrics & Voc. Valerie Hohn
18. Negligee Mary Jane 1:22 Yoko Kanno
19. Ikenai Kankei...Immoral Nikki 0:33 Yoko Kanno
20. A Place For Me And You 3:00 Written & Performed by Alan Brey
21. Don Quixote 0:52 Yoko Kanno
22. The Daddy's Zingi 0:19 Yoko Kanno
23. Last Sasurai 0:44 Yoko Kanno
24. Television Killed The Shine Stars 0:31 Yoko Kanno
25. Strawberry & Peach Pie 1:18 Yoko Kanno
26. Momoko, The Stars Shine Bright III 0:45 Yoko Kanno
27. super "shomin" car (short version) 3:41 CECIL (written by Ohira Yukichi and Ohira Taichi)
28. Taimu Mashin ni Onegai 4:19 Browny Circus (written by Matsuyama Takeshi and Kato Kazuhiko)
Hola Hola: The French music on this albums is surprisingly listenable.
Lucie Est Amoureuse: I prefer Valerie Hohn's music on this album. This one's rather jaunty and upbeat. I whistle this one sometimes.
Perceque C'est Toi
She Said: I wanted this song to be longer as it's one of the most important in the film. The singer sounds a bit breathless and amatuerish but it still gets me.
Honey You: A rather cheezy song you don't hear much of in the film. Most of the singing is by Bito Isao and sounds like something sung in the lounge of an ocean liner.
Meatball: Ichiko's intro song.
Une Belle Histoire: A more heavy pathos song.
A Place For Me And You: "Don't be afraid of the dark" You'll probably recognise this one from the film.
super "shomin" car: One of the two closing songs. Both of them completely lack taste and yet are deeply listenable. Heaven help you you might even end up becoming a fan like me... On the Cinema Scope album
Taimu Mashin ni Onegai: Harder and edgyer than the previous song, I like this one a bit more. From Super Surf Jet Girl, one of the band's albums.
The two songs that aren't on the soundtrack are Roller Coaster Ride and Hey My Friend from the Hey My Friend single by Tommy heavenly 6 (Kawase Tomoko) who had a previous alter ego Tommy february 6 and is lead singer of The Brilliant Green.
Thanks to the people at the official Kamikaze Girls website for translating the tracklist (I think you got 09 wrong through.) www.kamikazegirls.net They've got interviews with Anna Tsuchiya, Fukada Kyoko and Yoko Kanno and cultural info on Lolitas and Yankis.
Track by Track
27. and 28.: Stick Two Fingers Up At Good Taste And Kiss Dignity Goodbye
For those of you who are too sensible to know, Browny Circus played the last song in Kamikaze Girls. It sounds even tackier when you listen to it on CD. Objectively this song sounds terrible, but thankfully we are not objective beings. It sounds like the perfect accompaniment to Momoko's lifestyle. The irrepressible positiveness of this song (much like Super Shomin Car by Cecil) makes it one of those dirty little things you secretly like but want no one to find out about. You would never admit to liking it in public but you love it. I am now Browny Circus fan. I encourage all of you to forgoe your self respect and join me.
Novels
The two Shimotsuma Monogatari Novels are by Novala (Nobara) Takemoto. The first one has been translated into English (the hardback cover is cute, with an embroidery title on the front and tapestry between chapters.) The second one Shimotsuma Story Final hasn't been translated to my knowledge but if you know Japanese you can buy it from www.novala.net I bought mine through an intermediary since I don't know how they handle shipping overseas. It's best to work with people you trust on these things.
27. and 28.: Stick Two Fingers Up At Good Taste And Kiss Dignity Goodbye
For those of you who are too sensible to know, Browny Circus played the last song in Kamikaze Girls. It sounds even tackier when you listen to it on CD. Objectively this song sounds terrible, but thankfully we are not objective beings. It sounds like the perfect accompaniment to Momoko's lifestyle. The irrepressible positiveness of this song (much like Super Shomin Car by Cecil) makes it one of those dirty little things you secretly like but want no one to find out about. You would never admit to liking it in public but you love it. I am now Browny Circus fan. I encourage all of you to forgoe your self respect and join me.
Novels
The two Shimotsuma Monogatari Novels are by Novala (Nobara) Takemoto. The first one has been translated into English (the hardback cover is cute, with an embroidery title on the front and tapestry between chapters.) The second one Shimotsuma Story Final hasn't been translated to my knowledge but if you know Japanese you can buy it from www.novala.net I bought mine through an intermediary since I don't know how they handle shipping overseas. It's best to work with people you trust on these things.
Sunday, 6 May 2012
Friday, 20 April 2012
Combat- Navi
Mass Combat
WARFARE
Might, True Might
MARTIAL ARTS
TERRESTRIAL MARTIAL ARTS
CELESTIAL MARTIAL ARTS
Hero Styles
Dark Messiah Style, Lunar Hero Style
Black Sun Princess Style (Perfidious Courtesan Style, Denied and Forsaken Widow Style)
Orgiastic Frenzy, Black Princess Form, Adjuration of the Impure Psyche, Graceless Chattel Abasement, Psyche Eviscerating Dominatrix
Snake Style
Octopus Style
Kraken Style
SIDEREAL MARTIAL ARTS
Sandglass
WARFARE
Might, True Might
MARTIAL ARTS
TERRESTRIAL MARTIAL ARTS
CELESTIAL MARTIAL ARTS
Hero Styles
Dark Messiah Style, Lunar Hero Style
Black Sun Princess Style (Perfidious Courtesan Style, Denied and Forsaken Widow Style)
Orgiastic Frenzy, Black Princess Form, Adjuration of the Impure Psyche, Graceless Chattel Abasement, Psyche Eviscerating Dominatrix
Snake Style
Octopus Style
Kraken Style
SIDEREAL MARTIAL ARTS
Sandglass
The Elemental Poles- Navi
THE SAVAGE LANDS
The Elemental Poles, Elementals
The Elemental Pole of Ice, The Elemental Pole of Water, The Elemental Pole of Fire, The Elemental Poles of Wood
The Elemental Poles, Elementals
The Elemental Pole of Ice, The Elemental Pole of Water, The Elemental Pole of Fire, The Elemental Poles of Wood
Nephwracks
I want your soul. I will eat your soul.
Influences: The Path of Shadowcrafting (Clanbook Tremere: p 53-56)
Thursday, 19 April 2012
The Underworld- Navi
WORLD OF DARKNESS
Shadowlands, iron, wards against the dead
"I See Dead People" GHOSTS
Neverborn, Whispers, Powerslaves- The Deathlords, Ghosts, Bakemono, Plasmics, Nephwracks
Shadowlands, iron, wards against the dead
"I See Dead People" GHOSTS
Neverborn, Whispers, Powerslaves- The Deathlords, Ghosts, Bakemono, Plasmics, Nephwracks
The Wyld- Navi
SEA OF MADNESS
Wyld Essence, Wyld Mutants, Gossamer, Freeholds
Pure Chaos; extra-dimensional roleplaying
Shinmas: Nirguna
The Fair Folk
Wyld Essence, Wyld Mutants, Gossamer, Freeholds
Pure Chaos; extra-dimensional roleplaying
Shinmas: Nirguna
The Fair Folk
The Elemental Pole of Wood- Navi
Welcome to the Jungle
Halta, Ata Beasts, San Beasts
Tamal Ylma
THE SCAVENGER LANDS
The River Province
Lookshy
Shinobi, Gunzosha Commandos
The Immaculate Order; Immaculate Monks
Sin City- Nexus
Halta, Ata Beasts, San Beasts
Tamal Ylma
THE SCAVENGER LANDS
The River Province
Lookshy
Shinobi, Gunzosha Commandos
The Immaculate Order; Immaculate Monks
Sin City- Nexus
The Blessed Isle- Navi
HEAVEN ON EARTH- THE BLESSED ISLE, HOME OF THE GODS
The Heavenly Mountain, The Palace of the Gods
The Heavenly Mountain, The Palace of the Gods
Wednesday, 18 April 2012
Terrestrial Exalted
TERRESTRIAL EXALTED
Dragon-Blooded Abilities
The Immaculate Dragons: Heavenly Mountain Crane, Raining Sky, 'Bountiful' Scarlet Tigress, Seven Colour Serpent
The Scarlet Empress
Dragon-Blooded Abilities
The Immaculate Dragons: Heavenly Mountain Crane, Raining Sky, 'Bountiful' Scarlet Tigress, Seven Colour Serpent
The Scarlet Empress
Lunar Exalted
LUNAR EXALTED
Castes: Lunar Caste Abilities
Lunars, moonsilver tattoos, Lunar Charms, Thousand Streams River, Spirit Shape, The Silver Pact, Lunar Exaltation, Beastman Transformation, Lunars and Solars
Characters: Mureken, Irontail
Castes: Lunar Caste Abilities
Lunars, moonsilver tattoos, Lunar Charms, Thousand Streams River, Spirit Shape, The Silver Pact, Lunar Exaltation, Beastman Transformation, Lunars and Solars
Characters: Mureken, Irontail
Solar Exalted
THE SOLARS
Zenith Caste: Performance Charms- Phantom-Conjuring Performance
Exaltation, Solars, First Age Exalted, The Great Curse, Anima
Solar Charms, Solar Essence Raising, Ability Essence Floe
Zenith Caste: Performance Charms- Phantom-Conjuring Performance
Exaltation, Solars, First Age Exalted, The Great Curse, Anima
Solar Charms, Solar Essence Raising, Ability Essence Floe
Abyssal Exalted
"There is no escape. No hope. Only hunger and pain."
-30 Days of Night
ABYSSAL EXALTED
Abyssal Charms,
Abyssal Castes
Dusk Caste: Melee Charms- Faultless Executioner's Strike, Efficient Butchery Assault, Foes Drowned in Blood; War Charms: Apocalyptic Spectral Slaughter
Midnight Caste:
Daybreak Caste: Lore Charms- Wicked Shade Harbinger
Shadow Caste:
Suneater Caste:
Abyssal Backgrounds: Avatar, Whispers
Slaves to Darkness: Abyssal Exalted Nature, Abyssal Virtue Flaws, Trappings of Death, Undead, Black Magitech
Characters: Ghost Walker, The Black Sun Princess, Ethereal Exalt, Chiaroscuro Nos Veresus
Sunday, 8 April 2012
Phantom-Conjuring Performance
Unlike the description of this rather useless seeming Charm, it should have an Essence cost, last one scene, and it's effects seem truly real, allowing the Solar to perform in a completely realistic setting, even without any props.
Saturday, 7 April 2012
Abyssal Virtue Flaws
Abyssal Exalted have a tendency to possess aberrant personalities. This is because each one of them has a fault in their psyche that allowed Oblivion to enter them. Some leave it relatively dormant, showing only when they perform behaviour that violates the reason they chose to become Abyssals. Others decide to foster this power, which simultaneously becomes a greater and greater part of them. Abyssals who do this are the ones who possess the Avatar Background. Although they may be the chosen weapons of the dead Primordials and their servants, they are beholden to Oblivion, not the Neverborn.
Abyssals do not gain Resonance in the way that other Exalted gain limit. Resonance does not rise from resisting unnatural mental influence or a dominant virtue. Instead each of them has a Virtue Flaw that is what allowed Oblivion to become lodged in their soul at their time of death. In some Abyssals it was always present. In others it only occurred the moment they died, possibly as the result of treachery.
Whenever an Abyssal violates the behaviour of the Virtue Flaw, roll one dice for each point of that Virtue and add one to their Resonance for each success. Also, if they possess the Avatar background, they suffer an immediate Resonance eruption equal to it's value.
Abyssals do not gain Resonance in the way that other Exalted gain limit. Resonance does not rise from resisting unnatural mental influence or a dominant virtue. Instead each of them has a Virtue Flaw that is what allowed Oblivion to become lodged in their soul at their time of death. In some Abyssals it was always present. In others it only occurred the moment they died, possibly as the result of treachery.
Whenever an Abyssal violates the behaviour of the Virtue Flaw, roll one dice for each point of that Virtue and add one to their Resonance for each success. Also, if they possess the Avatar background, they suffer an immediate Resonance eruption equal to it's value.
Abyssal Backgrounds
For a long time I've wanted to put more of a distance between the Neverborn and Oblivion. In The Abyssals they are intermingled, especially in the Charm descriptions (due to the Neverborns' goal of entering Oblivion.) In V3 the Neverborn and Oblivion are more exclusive and so, considering my development of Dark Messiah Style, I've split their influence into two Backgrounds.
Whispers is still a connection to the Neverborn manifesting as Jack Walters-esque visions, hallucination-like fever dreams and other phenomena. Unlike the Background in the book, Abyssals so not bear the direct influence of the Neverborn, although the Deathlords do, bearing fragments of their souls.
Avatar: A Background possessed only by Abyssals and Nephwracks and perhaps a few aberrant persona. I'm going to have to reconstitute some lost material about I wrote during a moment of insight but Avatar is related to the Abyssals' Virtues. It's a measure of Oblivion within the character, hence it's importance to Dark Messiah Style.
Whispers is still a connection to the Neverborn manifesting as Jack Walters-esque visions, hallucination-like fever dreams and other phenomena. Unlike the Background in the book, Abyssals so not bear the direct influence of the Neverborn, although the Deathlords do, bearing fragments of their souls.
Avatar: A Background possessed only by Abyssals and Nephwracks and perhaps a few aberrant persona. I'm going to have to reconstitute some lost material about I wrote during a moment of insight but Avatar is related to the Abyssals' Virtues. It's a measure of Oblivion within the character, hence it's importance to Dark Messiah Style.
Tuesday, 20 March 2012
The Black Sun Princess
Name: Xian Li (Hidden Identity- The Black Sun Princess)
Caste: Shadow
Attributes
Strength: 1, Dexterity: 3, Stamina: 5
Charisma: 3, Manipulation: 3, Appearence: 5
Perception: 2, Intelligence: 2, Wits: 3
Abilities
Dusk Caste: Martial Arts 4
Midnight Caste: Integrity , Performance , Presence ,
Resistance , Survival
Daybreak Caste:
Caste: Shadow
Attributes
Strength: 1, Dexterity: 3, Stamina: 5
Charisma: 3, Manipulation: 3, Appearence: 5
Perception: 2, Intelligence: 2, Wits: 3
Abilities
Dusk Caste: Martial Arts 4
Midnight Caste: Integrity , Performance , Presence ,
Resistance , Survival
Daybreak Caste:
Tuesday, 13 March 2012
Thaumaturgy
One crucial difference in Thaumaturgy between 2dn Edition and Version Three is it's dependence on external sources of power which is what allows it to be accessible to mortals. Exalted and other supernaturals cannot circumvent this restriction. Thaumaturgy depends on use of esoteric materials and objects. Powering magic through inner Essence is called sorcery. Unlike sorcery it's effectiveness is somewhat limited and cannot perform totally supernatural feats, although it is significantly realty bending, being able to restore the dead to life under carefully controlled circumstances.
On the material requirements for Thaumaturgy mere resources are not an accurate indication of the objects needed to perform a ritual. Objects for a ritual are often very specific and may even be unique requiring a small quest to acquire them (such as the Heart of Dambala in Bride of Chucky.)
On the material requirements for Thaumaturgy mere resources are not an accurate indication of the objects needed to perform a ritual. Objects for a ritual are often very specific and may even be unique requiring a small quest to acquire them (such as the Heart of Dambala in Bride of Chucky.)
Thursday, 8 March 2012
Meta Existence
How can anything be greater than perfection? Be more expansive than limitlessness? The Primordials were such things. Their transcendental Essence allowed them to be so. But they could also not be less. As mighty as the Incarnae were, the Exalted were made to do things they could not. The Warstriders, especially Royal Warstriders, may be something more than as simple and almost vulgar as a means to might, but a way of entering Yu-Shan, confronting the Primordials and striking them down. Creation was too confined for beings that werre greater than existence itself. No mortal mind, not even a god's, could fathom the Essence of the Primordials. The Unconquered Sun was the apogee of existence but even he was limited by the constraints of reality. He was made to be master of the world but could not understand the things that lay beyond it. The Primordials desired a place where they could exist outside the Wyld and in Yu-Shan they created it. Protected by the planes of Creation, beings of such power they exceeded the concept of size could exist in safety. Yu-Shan, like it's creators, is a realm greater than any mortal mind's ability to fathom. As such it is maddening as the mind constantly warps in an attempt to understand it's surroundings. Only the sleeping mind of Luna could understand such a place for she sees nothing except in her dreams.
Note: The idea of Luna never being awake is not very good. The Unconquered Sun rules Creation during the day. When Luna sleeps and night falls that powers becomes hers.
Note: The idea of Luna never being awake is not very good. The Unconquered Sun rules Creation during the day. When Luna sleeps and night falls that powers becomes hers.
Labels:
Luna,
Meta Existence,
The Primordials,
The Unconquered Sun,
Yu-Shan
The Savage Lands
Life in the Savage Lands is often difficult and quite frequently perilous. The four regions around the Blessed Isle were designed to be lethal to invading Fair Folk, the Elementals had the power to command their surrounding and use them as a weapon. Demesnes attract powerful supernatural creatures that make the realms all the more dangerous.
A Note on Elemental Power
The four elemental Crafts (excluding Earth) were used by Elementals, and the Elemental Dragons, not to build objects the way people use Craft (this may require some reworking of the definition of Craft) but to control the element they lived in and use it against the Fair Folk.
A Note on Elemental Power
The four elemental Crafts (excluding Earth) were used by Elementals, and the Elemental Dragons, not to build objects the way people use Craft (this may require some reworking of the definition of Craft) but to control the element they lived in and use it against the Fair Folk.
Artefact Weapons
Weapons made from the five magical materials don't just cut objects but cut Essence itself since they are made of Essence.
Sunday, 4 March 2012
Tuesday, 28 February 2012
Departures
Oscar Bait 4/10
Definitely not a tear jerker like some people think. It seems a bit lame to say this but the film doesn't give you much to get your teeth into and the scenes where they prepare bodies for departure are a bit of a one act play repeated over and over again.
Definitely not a tear jerker like some people think. It seems a bit lame to say this but the film doesn't give you much to get your teeth into and the scenes where they prepare bodies for departure are a bit of a one act play repeated over and over again.
The Fountain
Pretentious Rubbish 0/10
I didn't think it was possible to project diarrhoea directly onto screen. Miraculously Aronofsky seems to have found out how.
I didn't think it was possible to project diarrhoea directly onto screen. Miraculously Aronofsky seems to have found out how.
Three Colours Red- The Ginger Snaps Trilogy
Ginger Snaps 8 1/2 out of 10
Ginger Snaps Unleashed 7 1/2 out of 10
Ginger Snaps Back 9 out of 10
Ginger Snaps Unleashed 7 1/2 out of 10
Ginger Snaps Back 9 out of 10
Monday, 27 February 2012
Child's Play 2
Black Comedy/Horror 6/10
"I Hate Kids." Chucky
In this film he has more reason to than ever. Although you may think it's mystifying if you haven't seem the first film yet, they actually do quite a good job of explaining what's happened so you can pick up on all the important information. Andy speaks at normal human speed in this film and has a charismatic, female, blond-but-not-stupid (in a refreshing change to horror movie cliches) sidekick and Chucky possesses an evil charisma. More entertaining than the first film it has one of my favourite horror movie endings. You don't have to be a fan of conventional black comedy, laughing at bad things happening to people for no reason, to like this.
"I Hate Kids." Chucky
In this film he has more reason to than ever. Although you may think it's mystifying if you haven't seem the first film yet, they actually do quite a good job of explaining what's happened so you can pick up on all the important information. Andy speaks at normal human speed in this film and has a charismatic, female, blond-but-not-stupid (in a refreshing change to horror movie cliches) sidekick and Chucky possesses an evil charisma. More entertaining than the first film it has one of my favourite horror movie endings. You don't have to be a fan of conventional black comedy, laughing at bad things happening to people for no reason, to like this.
Child's Play
Firstly I have no idea what Stephen Watson (another reviewer) is talking about. His review sounds like an extremely skewed version of the film's story he heard from someone else. Conversely I don't know why so many people gave it five stars.
The first scene is rather cliched and might make you think you're watching a low-budget movie late at night on ITV 4 (which may in fact be the case.) The special effects aren't the best I've seen (it was made in the eightees after all) and Andy (the child) talks so slowly it sounds like he has a speech impediment. I still watch this film but I think the best thing about this movie is the sequel it spawned. All the stuff that showed up in Child's Play 2 is here but it's been improved in the mean time.
The first scene is rather cliched and might make you think you're watching a low-budget movie late at night on ITV 4 (which may in fact be the case.) The special effects aren't the best I've seen (it was made in the eightees after all) and Andy (the child) talks so slowly it sounds like he has a speech impediment. I still watch this film but I think the best thing about this movie is the sequel it spawned. All the stuff that showed up in Child's Play 2 is here but it's been improved in the mean time.
Film Review Index
Cruel Intentions II
Horror
Child's Play
Three Colours Red: The Ginger Snaps Trilogy
Japanese Films
Kamikaze Girls
Horror
Child's Play
Three Colours Red: The Ginger Snaps Trilogy
Japanese Films
Kamikaze Girls
Saturday, 25 February 2012
Upon the Importance of Magical Materials
Not only the highest end of the scale but also the lowest needs to be revised in terms of artefacts. In case I didn't say it earlier, in order to correct the contradictions in the artefact scale and the N/A category of artefacts I created a new Background called Wonders. Sources openly admit the disparity between artefacts as mighty as a Warstrider sharing the same artefact rating as a Grand Daiklave for example. The Wonder Background was made to counteract this. Essentially Wonders are a continuation of the scale of lesser artefacts. Simply put they represent the artefact level that would be expressed as 6-10. Since I haven't used this rule myself it's up to Storytellers to decide whether the artefact 4-5 cost for bonus points, or experience if it's used for Backgrounds, is enough or whether they require something more. The importance of Wonders is they go all the way to the top of the Artefact scale including things such as the Eye of Autochthon, the Five Metal Shrike, and other such legendary creations.
Back to the subject, at the lower end the importance of artefacts needs to be recognised. Even the lowest, level 1, artefact is an object of such power that it deserves a Background in it's own right. Even though it is the least of objects made from magical materials it exceeds the power of any similar item that could be made through conventional craft. This should go further in that the power of such objects is not measured in the same way as conventional items but intrinsically possess unusual powers that are their defining feature. A Short Daiklave or Artefact 1 martial arts weapon would easily outstrip anything made by mundane craft. Thaumaturgy is a slightly contentious issue since it involves magic without necessarily creating artefacts. The powerful items it creates (far more powerful than anything listed in the rules so far which do not give justice to the vast amounts of money and effort needed to make them) are covered by the Resources used in the construction. So people with Resources 4 and 5 could purchase master level thaumaturgical services. However in terms of power they do overlap with artefacts since thaumaturgy can be a powerful supernatural force as well.
One issue that bears consideration is whether artefacts possess powers relevant to the Background level as an intrinsic characteristic or whether such powers would increase their Background score. Personally, having a grander idea of the scope of the game, I favour the former. As such the characteristics of weapons listed in the back of the rulebook are an indication of the supernatural powers they would possess. If the latter idea was used, in combination with the idea that all artefacts possess such powers, it would cause a universal increase in their Background ratings, categorisation of artefact 4 and 5 items as Wonders, and quicker approach to the sky limit for artefacts. This would mean people would have to chose between an immediately physical powerful artefact such as a Warstrider that gave the character much greater strength, and an artefact with more mystical powers. Storytellers who favour the former approach could use it to emphasise how rare and how powerful artefacts really are. Wonders would be truly astronomical as befits their status and difficulty to create.
Back to the subject, at the lower end the importance of artefacts needs to be recognised. Even the lowest, level 1, artefact is an object of such power that it deserves a Background in it's own right. Even though it is the least of objects made from magical materials it exceeds the power of any similar item that could be made through conventional craft. This should go further in that the power of such objects is not measured in the same way as conventional items but intrinsically possess unusual powers that are their defining feature. A Short Daiklave or Artefact 1 martial arts weapon would easily outstrip anything made by mundane craft. Thaumaturgy is a slightly contentious issue since it involves magic without necessarily creating artefacts. The powerful items it creates (far more powerful than anything listed in the rules so far which do not give justice to the vast amounts of money and effort needed to make them) are covered by the Resources used in the construction. So people with Resources 4 and 5 could purchase master level thaumaturgical services. However in terms of power they do overlap with artefacts since thaumaturgy can be a powerful supernatural force as well.
One issue that bears consideration is whether artefacts possess powers relevant to the Background level as an intrinsic characteristic or whether such powers would increase their Background score. Personally, having a grander idea of the scope of the game, I favour the former. As such the characteristics of weapons listed in the back of the rulebook are an indication of the supernatural powers they would possess. If the latter idea was used, in combination with the idea that all artefacts possess such powers, it would cause a universal increase in their Background ratings, categorisation of artefact 4 and 5 items as Wonders, and quicker approach to the sky limit for artefacts. This would mean people would have to chose between an immediately physical powerful artefact such as a Warstrider that gave the character much greater strength, and an artefact with more mystical powers. Storytellers who favour the former approach could use it to emphasise how rare and how powerful artefacts really are. Wonders would be truly astronomical as befits their status and difficulty to create.
Friday, 17 February 2012
Friday, 10 February 2012
Playing the Field
Celestial Power and Martial Arts
For a while I've been wondering what are appropriate prerequisites for learning Sorcery. As I've said before the minimum Traits needed are unusually low making it possible for players who haven't been at the game long to access Solar Circle Sorcery. The need for players to be able to access sorcery with starting characters is important, so Terrestrial circle sorcery must havve low prerequisites. 3 for Essence is certainly appropriate, 3 for Occult may seem a bit low but it fits if other circles of sorcery have high Essence levels.
On that note, I've decided to increase the minimum levels of Essence and occult to 6 for Celestial circle sorcery and 9 for Solar circle. This also raises the question of where the Terrestrial Exalted fit in. And the threshold for increasing Essence above the metaphysical boundary where it becomes a major challenge which currently stands between three and four as well as the limit of Essence for Terrestrial Exalted.
In their current state, the Terrestrial Exalted and their associated martial arts, are both underpowered and very boring. Repeating my previous post, the key to the Celestials' power does not need to reside in the fact that their powers are vis-a-vis to the Terrestrials greater, but that they have access to higher Essence Charms and for a very long period if they live out their whole natural life span.
One important point to address is the apparently arbitrary cut off point of the Terrestrials' natural age, about 350 years, limiting them to a maximum Essence of 8, and then only for a short time. Normally mortals do not live beyond 99 years and so, even if they can wield Essence, are unable to increase it or their other traits above 5. This may prove to be an appropriate lifespan for the Terrestrials too, as it would mean that their powers are not weaker or any less interesting than the Celestials, but mean they cannot rise to the same heights, which is what marks the Celestial Exalted out.
Taking martial arts as a case in point, since it involves all Exalted in a comparative structure, current Celestial martial arts, many of which are animal styles suited to the new theme of Terrestrials, would prove to be good Terrestrial martial arts. The Form Charms universally have an Essence rating of 2, which would be within the grasp of a starting level Terrestrial character, and the high level Charms never exceed Essence 5, making the whole style available to Terrestrials. This may make players of Celestials baulk but remember that at such levels they are only beginning to develop their powers.
Sidereal martial arts mark the opposite end of the spectrum and have one major limitation. Despite supposedly being the epitome of martial arts and the Sidereals' area of greatest prowess, only one of them reaches Essence 8 in the post Form Charms and does not go beyond that. Since Celestial Exalted Essence can go all the way to 10, this should be the limit of the Sidereal martial arts styles, not 7 as is typical for many of them. In their current form many of the Sidereal styles look like templates for Celestial styles, giving access to transcendent powers that their unnaturally high Essence allows them. Sidereal martial arts however should go all the way to the top, the highly unusual nature of Border of Kaleidoscopic Logic Style, which often exceeds even the constraints of being a fighting style, is a good indicator of what Sidereal martial arts should be.
For a while I've been wondering what are appropriate prerequisites for learning Sorcery. As I've said before the minimum Traits needed are unusually low making it possible for players who haven't been at the game long to access Solar Circle Sorcery. The need for players to be able to access sorcery with starting characters is important, so Terrestrial circle sorcery must havve low prerequisites. 3 for Essence is certainly appropriate, 3 for Occult may seem a bit low but it fits if other circles of sorcery have high Essence levels.
On that note, I've decided to increase the minimum levels of Essence and occult to 6 for Celestial circle sorcery and 9 for Solar circle. This also raises the question of where the Terrestrial Exalted fit in. And the threshold for increasing Essence above the metaphysical boundary where it becomes a major challenge which currently stands between three and four as well as the limit of Essence for Terrestrial Exalted.
In their current state, the Terrestrial Exalted and their associated martial arts, are both underpowered and very boring. Repeating my previous post, the key to the Celestials' power does not need to reside in the fact that their powers are vis-a-vis to the Terrestrials greater, but that they have access to higher Essence Charms and for a very long period if they live out their whole natural life span.
One important point to address is the apparently arbitrary cut off point of the Terrestrials' natural age, about 350 years, limiting them to a maximum Essence of 8, and then only for a short time. Normally mortals do not live beyond 99 years and so, even if they can wield Essence, are unable to increase it or their other traits above 5. This may prove to be an appropriate lifespan for the Terrestrials too, as it would mean that their powers are not weaker or any less interesting than the Celestials, but mean they cannot rise to the same heights, which is what marks the Celestial Exalted out.
Taking martial arts as a case in point, since it involves all Exalted in a comparative structure, current Celestial martial arts, many of which are animal styles suited to the new theme of Terrestrials, would prove to be good Terrestrial martial arts. The Form Charms universally have an Essence rating of 2, which would be within the grasp of a starting level Terrestrial character, and the high level Charms never exceed Essence 5, making the whole style available to Terrestrials. This may make players of Celestials baulk but remember that at such levels they are only beginning to develop their powers.
Sidereal martial arts mark the opposite end of the spectrum and have one major limitation. Despite supposedly being the epitome of martial arts and the Sidereals' area of greatest prowess, only one of them reaches Essence 8 in the post Form Charms and does not go beyond that. Since Celestial Exalted Essence can go all the way to 10, this should be the limit of the Sidereal martial arts styles, not 7 as is typical for many of them. In their current form many of the Sidereal styles look like templates for Celestial styles, giving access to transcendent powers that their unnaturally high Essence allows them. Sidereal martial arts however should go all the way to the top, the highly unusual nature of Border of Kaleidoscopic Logic Style, which often exceeds even the constraints of being a fighting style, is a good indicator of what Sidereal martial arts should be.
Celestial Powers
The Celestial Powers are ways to change the world, sicne that is what the Exalted were made to do.
The Solars have their indomitable will and change Creation through sheer force.
The Sidereals have insight gained through martial arts, a discipline focussed on understanding the world, which the Sidereals excel at.
The Solars have their indomitable will and change Creation through sheer force.
The Sidereals have insight gained through martial arts, a discipline focussed on understanding the world, which the Sidereals excel at.
Thursday, 9 February 2012
Lunar Caste Abilities
Changing the paradigm of Terrestrials to the Lunars' animal emphasis and realigning the Lunars' own background to one closer to the Fair Folk, Attribute-based Charms may suit the Terrestrials more and I decided to allocate Abilities to the Lunars. The following do not have specific Castes such as Full Moon etc. yet. The pattern of the Lunars' Castes may change in time.
Warrior: Archery, Martial Arts, Melee, Thrown, Dodge
Traveller: Athletics, Ride, Sail, Survival, Stealth
Communicator: Performance, Presence, Socialise, Linguistics, Integrity
Mastermind: Lore, Occult, Bureaucracy, War, Investigation
Survivor: Awareness, Resistance, Dodge, Larceny, Medicine (admittedly this is just stuff that didn't fit into the other categories but I think survivor is a good designation.)
Obviously these aren't Caste names but archetypes.
An important point here is that I've decided to break the usual Lunar affiliation with animals (an offshoot of their werewolf background that I've decided to abolish,) now the province of the Terrestrials in a much needed attempt to make them more interesting, and the Lunars' powers are not aimed at flexibility. Instead they deal with one specific role with a sledgehammer blow. Solars may possess multiple Abilities for one task, (the Zenith Caste have Performance, Presence and Integrity) but these Abilities are always spread over multiple Castes. A character with access to all Abilities involved in social combat would be a monster. Especially when given a different meaning to Socialise and Performance. The Warrior has the same Abilities as the Dawn Caste except for Dodge instead of War, which is a better skill set for personal combat.
Warrior: Archery, Martial Arts, Melee, Thrown, Dodge
Traveller: Athletics, Ride, Sail, Survival, Stealth
Communicator: Performance, Presence, Socialise, Linguistics, Integrity
Mastermind: Lore, Occult, Bureaucracy, War, Investigation
Survivor: Awareness, Resistance, Dodge, Larceny, Medicine (admittedly this is just stuff that didn't fit into the other categories but I think survivor is a good designation.)
Obviously these aren't Caste names but archetypes.
An important point here is that I've decided to break the usual Lunar affiliation with animals (an offshoot of their werewolf background that I've decided to abolish,) now the province of the Terrestrials in a much needed attempt to make them more interesting, and the Lunars' powers are not aimed at flexibility. Instead they deal with one specific role with a sledgehammer blow. Solars may possess multiple Abilities for one task, (the Zenith Caste have Performance, Presence and Integrity) but these Abilities are always spread over multiple Castes. A character with access to all Abilities involved in social combat would be a monster. Especially when given a different meaning to Socialise and Performance. The Warrior has the same Abilities as the Dawn Caste except for Dodge instead of War, which is a better skill set for personal combat.
Wednesday, 8 February 2012
Wrong About Japan, Peter Carey
Although this book has a promising start, after the first chapter it just reinforced my opinion that everything made by the West about Japan, with the exception of military history, is utter rubbish. Every time I read something about Japan people seem to be utterly gobsmacked by how foreign it is. What were you expecting? An example is how they are not allowed to see a sword on visiting a swordmaster's house because 'to see them in any profound way would take at least three years of constant study, not a one-hour visit on a Monday morning.' They seem to buy into the ridiculous stereotypes Japanese people apparently have about Westerners (given their source these are themselves somewhat dubious), such as 'We were gaijin, capable only of hurting the sword or ourselves.' In the first instance it would take Japanese people more than a one-hour visit to truly understand the sword, and in the second, anyone who possesses an ounce of delicacy and self-preservation would be able to draw a sword from it's scabbard and return it there without damaging the blade or themselves. Any discourse on the content of the three year's study to truly appreciate the sword on the part of the swordmaster or the author are absent.
This book is somewhat better informed than other works about Japan (namely film) but information hasn't translated into any improvement of understanding. They still possess the same damn tourist mentality everyone else exhibits when making any sort of work about Japan, with the exception of a handful of academics. After the first chapter I had no inclination to read any further, threw it in my bookcase and returned to language studies.
This book is somewhat better informed than other works about Japan (namely film) but information hasn't translated into any improvement of understanding. They still possess the same damn tourist mentality everyone else exhibits when making any sort of work about Japan, with the exception of a handful of academics. After the first chapter I had no inclination to read any further, threw it in my bookcase and returned to language studies.
Tuesday, 31 January 2012
Rated Films
MOVIES
Greatest Hits
Gia Angelina Jolie's Oscar arrived a year late. This film fucking rocks. At first I was worried. When I played the DVD I thought 'Oh my God, I'm actually watching a film about a fashion model.' That didn't last.
The Fifth Element
Fight Club
Natural Born Killers (Director's Cut)
Death and Rebirth
The End of Evangelion
General
American Pie: The Wedding Sweet love. And sexual misadventure.
A Scanner Darkly
The Astronaut's Wife An astronaut comes back from a mission that nearly ended in disaster and something seems 'wrong' with him. Watch this when it's nice and quiet. It moves slowly but it's well worth it.
Autumn In New York Directed by Joan Chen. Don't think Richard Gere = vomit. This film is good.
Avatar I thought this was just another bland blockbuster. Totally wrong.
Beetlejuice
Being John Malkovich
Black Snake Moan
Blow Dry A surprisingly obscure film starring Alan Rickman and Bill Nighy as rival hairdresers in Yorkshire and actually manages to be glamourous (not gay.) Written by the same guy who made The Full Monty but more upbeat.
Boiler Room Retrospective story about Giovanni Ribisi as a small-time card shark whose recruited by a firm of stockbrockers and finds he's in a world of cut-throat capitalism.
Borat ?!
Bound
The Boy In The Striped Pyjamas An interesting film about the Holocaust. The son of the commandant of a concentration camp forms a friendship with one of the prisoners.
Bruno
Cabaret
Charlie's Angels (1&2)
The Craft
Confessions of a Trickbaby
Cypher The less I say the more you'll find.
Dangerous Liasons
Dogma Who says religion can't be funny?
Donnie Darko (director's cut)
Duplicity This is what they should have done with Mr. and Mrs. Smith. A comedy romance across two sides of a corporate war. Unlike it's more well-known cousin genuinely exciting.
Femme Fatale Most critics hated this film. They can all go to hell.
Girl, Interrupted
Gone in 60 Seconds One of Angelina Jolie's 'trashy' films (thank you Mark Commode.) Nicolas Cage was practically born to be in this movie.
Heathers
Heavenly Creatures
High Art My introduction into extreme cinema. Now it doesn't seem so big but when I first saw it I thought it was seriously trippy.
Hot Fuzz
Leon
The Libertine A period drama for people who don't like boring period dramas, starring Johnny Depp amongst many others.
Live and Let Die I'm not much of a Bond fan, I think the whole phenomenon is a bit overrated but this time they made something serious.
Lolita (1997) One thing baffles me, what the bloody hell happened to Dominique Swain after this? You'd think after making this film and Face/Off you'd think her career would go through the roof. Instead I've only heard of one film she's done since then.
Lost Highway In a way a very un-David Lynch David Lynch film. He doesn't go for his customary weirdness and it certainly doesn't have the amateurish look like the Twin Peaks movie did. Instead his style and ability to unsettle an audience really hits it's stride.
Lucky Number Slevin Kind of like Pulp Fiction, a crime film with a convoluted plot line in which the writer's ideas actually mean something, shot through with a light sense of humour but still capable of profound seriousness.
Mean Machine I hate football. I love this film.
Monster Takes some time to get into but Charlize Theron kicks it up the arse.
Munich Better than Schindler's List. I thought this was going to be about what happened before Munich instead it's about what happened afterwards.
Newport South
No Reservations
O An adaptation of Othello centred on basketball in an American private school (stars Martin Sheen, Josh Hartnet, Julia Stiles and Mehki Phifer as 'Odin James.')
Perfect Catch My favourite of Drew Barrymore's romance films. (I'm a total sucker for Drew Barrymore- I can't stand the bit where she gets hit on the head by the baseball.) At first I thought what the hell am I doing watching this, the film grows on you though and you would never miss it once it gets going.
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest
Quills Classic adaptation of the life of the Marquis de Sade exploring censorship.
Revolver Crime thriller meets Fight Club. This film gets very heavy and existential while throwing in a share of humour. Ray Liotta's edgy character is brilliant.
The Rocky Horror Picture Show
Secretary
Showgirls "Thrust it! Thrust it! Thrust it! THRUST IT!" This has more nudity than anything short of a porn film. Elizabeth Berkley plays a curiously eighties leading role opposite Gina Gershon's much more nineties looking character.
Six Degrees of Separation
Sweeney Todd
Thirteen Has a hip hop feel that was a bit of a turn off but not annoying enough to stop me being intoxicated by the sheer vitality of this film. It's not what the makers were intending but I felt so alive after this film I cut the number 13 on the back of my hand.
V for Vendetta
Wild Side A true late night film. Like soap opera but with interesting characters living high lives over their own tormented existence.
The Witches of Eastwick Cinema with abandon.
World Cinema
Agitator
Amelie
Apocalypto
Ashes of Time Redux Perhaps a bit over-the-top to some but Wong Kar Wai is still an artist. Wuxia with more romance than fighting.
Audition
Azumi
Battle Royale One commentator said 'this misses the point completely.' Rather I think it's what the director than the writer of the original book is saying (affected by his own experiences in World War Two.) Sometimes it can be very over-the-top and if I was directing it I would have rewritten the last third of the film (but that's only because I'm naughty.) I don't really care for the main characters but there's so many people in this film you can find someone you relate to.
Black Book Suspenseful film about a Jewish woman living undercover in Holland late in WW2. Her existence is exposed and she joins the underground. Skip the first scene.
Brotherhood
The Chaser
City of God Fact based movie about an teenager in a crime-ridden slum of Rio who starts documenting his environment as a photo journalist although that takes second place to the gang war that swirls around him. First rate acting all round.
Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon
Dead or Alive
Dead or Alive 2
Death Note/Death Note 2 The Last Name Two part adaptation of the manga series (must have been a killer storyline) made with apparently the least amount of alteration. After playing that mophead Shuya Fujiwara Tatsuya is so much better and L is seriously cool.
Far North Not strictly speaking world cinema but close enough it tone.
Flame & Citron Forget Inglorious Basterds. This is the real deal.
Freezer
Gozu A quiet but exceptionally strange movie but Miike Takashi. Aikawa Sho is seriously funny.
The Hidden Blade An understated samurai movie but not without grossouts.
House of Flying Daggers
Ichi the Killer
I'm a Cyborg A wonderfully unconventional comedy/love story.
Kamikaze Girls Frills that kills. I've only seen this movie at a criminally late hour so I haven't seen it properly but even then it was enough to make me go made. Gets a bit girly around the scene with 'She Said' but is moving too.
Kung Fu Hustle A truly unconventional movie that's neither wuxia nor traditional martial arts, it's better than both. Doesn't have any huge gags but lots of little ones. Visually takes martial arts places it's never been on screen.
Letters From Iwo Jima The better part of Eastwood's pair of films about the Pacific (and way better than that piece of shit The Thin Red Line), Flags of Our Fathers was a bit too depressing and negative.
Love Exposure
Memories of Matsuko
Oldboy
Rainy Dog
Run Lola Run
A Snake of June
TETSUO The Iron Man
2046 A great film to watch if you want artistic inspiration. Wong creates some really cool moments and combines rich visuals with a refinement he gained since Ashes of Time.
Vengeance is Mine (Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance) The best film from the Vengeance Trilogy. Very quiet with weighty subject matter. It's like Korean Shakespear.
Visitor Q
Zatoichi Ignore what the cover says about Kill Bill, the two films aren't comparable. There's a distinct element of comedy to this film and the action scenes aren't so theatrical as in Kill Bill.
Horror
Alien
Below
Child's Play 2 Has one of my favourite endings in horror. Not as cliched as the original, the blond supporting character is no idiot either.
Cloverfield I never thought this film would amount to anything. 'Oh God, U Tube has got it's own bloody film now.' This however does not embody everything I hate about the twenty first century. Instead it's surprising how a film that lacks any of the usual film-making devices can still be moving. Blair Witch You Suck!
Day of the Dead Romero's finest about a group of the last survivors on earth but their worst enemy is themselves. The soundtrack is out of kilter and sometimes unbearable but who gives a smeg. Has a collection of classic characters, my favourite is McDermot.
Deathwatch
Dog Soldiers
The Eye (Hong Kong original)
Ginger Snaps Fuck off fangbanger. Finally the teenage horror genre gets a real movie. The Fitz' sisters are amazing characters.
Ginger Snaps Unleashed Rightfully lauded by people who actually bought it (although a bit more than I think it deserves) this film did abysmally at the box office but I can't see why. Has a profoundly different mood to the first film, almost as if they're making an alternative version of a Hollywoodised sequel. Ghost kicks.
Ginger Snaps Back Fucking awesome. Doesn't have the closeness of the first movie but amazingly for the third film in the series is even better.
Hannibal Rising Another successful prequel (why the fuck couldn't George Lucas do better!) One the scale of Hannibal Lecter movies I thought it was better than anything short of Silence of the Lambs itself.
High Tension (Switchblade Romance) Try to get the American version (region 1) it has less American subtitles than the UK release (renamed Switchblade Romance) does, and since it's the American release I can forgive that. An alternative to the usual and hateful Friday the 13th plotline of a bunch of teenagers going unprepared into the middle of nowhere to get loaded and have sex and being picked off by a weird serial killer.
Let the Right One In Rather distant but an absorbing film nevertheless.
Near Dark
Night of the Living Dead
Greatest Hits
Gia Angelina Jolie's Oscar arrived a year late. This film fucking rocks. At first I was worried. When I played the DVD I thought 'Oh my God, I'm actually watching a film about a fashion model.' That didn't last.
The Fifth Element
Fight Club
Natural Born Killers (Director's Cut)
Death and Rebirth
The End of Evangelion
General
American Pie: The Wedding Sweet love. And sexual misadventure.
A Scanner Darkly
The Astronaut's Wife An astronaut comes back from a mission that nearly ended in disaster and something seems 'wrong' with him. Watch this when it's nice and quiet. It moves slowly but it's well worth it.
Autumn In New York Directed by Joan Chen. Don't think Richard Gere = vomit. This film is good.
Avatar I thought this was just another bland blockbuster. Totally wrong.
Beetlejuice
Being John Malkovich
Black Snake Moan
Blow Dry A surprisingly obscure film starring Alan Rickman and Bill Nighy as rival hairdresers in Yorkshire and actually manages to be glamourous (not gay.) Written by the same guy who made The Full Monty but more upbeat.
Boiler Room Retrospective story about Giovanni Ribisi as a small-time card shark whose recruited by a firm of stockbrockers and finds he's in a world of cut-throat capitalism.
Borat ?!
Bound
The Boy In The Striped Pyjamas An interesting film about the Holocaust. The son of the commandant of a concentration camp forms a friendship with one of the prisoners.
Bruno
Cabaret
Charlie's Angels (1&2)
The Craft
Confessions of a Trickbaby
Cypher The less I say the more you'll find.
Dangerous Liasons
Dogma Who says religion can't be funny?
Donnie Darko (director's cut)
Duplicity This is what they should have done with Mr. and Mrs. Smith. A comedy romance across two sides of a corporate war. Unlike it's more well-known cousin genuinely exciting.
Femme Fatale Most critics hated this film. They can all go to hell.
Girl, Interrupted
Gone in 60 Seconds One of Angelina Jolie's 'trashy' films (thank you Mark Commode.) Nicolas Cage was practically born to be in this movie.
Heathers
Heavenly Creatures
High Art My introduction into extreme cinema. Now it doesn't seem so big but when I first saw it I thought it was seriously trippy.
Hot Fuzz
Leon
The Libertine A period drama for people who don't like boring period dramas, starring Johnny Depp amongst many others.
Live and Let Die I'm not much of a Bond fan, I think the whole phenomenon is a bit overrated but this time they made something serious.
Lolita (1997) One thing baffles me, what the bloody hell happened to Dominique Swain after this? You'd think after making this film and Face/Off you'd think her career would go through the roof. Instead I've only heard of one film she's done since then.
Lost Highway In a way a very un-David Lynch David Lynch film. He doesn't go for his customary weirdness and it certainly doesn't have the amateurish look like the Twin Peaks movie did. Instead his style and ability to unsettle an audience really hits it's stride.
Lucky Number Slevin Kind of like Pulp Fiction, a crime film with a convoluted plot line in which the writer's ideas actually mean something, shot through with a light sense of humour but still capable of profound seriousness.
Mean Machine I hate football. I love this film.
Monster Takes some time to get into but Charlize Theron kicks it up the arse.
Munich Better than Schindler's List. I thought this was going to be about what happened before Munich instead it's about what happened afterwards.
Newport South
No Reservations
O An adaptation of Othello centred on basketball in an American private school (stars Martin Sheen, Josh Hartnet, Julia Stiles and Mehki Phifer as 'Odin James.')
Perfect Catch My favourite of Drew Barrymore's romance films. (I'm a total sucker for Drew Barrymore- I can't stand the bit where she gets hit on the head by the baseball.) At first I thought what the hell am I doing watching this, the film grows on you though and you would never miss it once it gets going.
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest
Quills Classic adaptation of the life of the Marquis de Sade exploring censorship.
Revolver Crime thriller meets Fight Club. This film gets very heavy and existential while throwing in a share of humour. Ray Liotta's edgy character is brilliant.
The Rocky Horror Picture Show
Secretary
Showgirls "Thrust it! Thrust it! Thrust it! THRUST IT!" This has more nudity than anything short of a porn film. Elizabeth Berkley plays a curiously eighties leading role opposite Gina Gershon's much more nineties looking character.
Six Degrees of Separation
Sweeney Todd
Thirteen Has a hip hop feel that was a bit of a turn off but not annoying enough to stop me being intoxicated by the sheer vitality of this film. It's not what the makers were intending but I felt so alive after this film I cut the number 13 on the back of my hand.
V for Vendetta
Wild Side A true late night film. Like soap opera but with interesting characters living high lives over their own tormented existence.
The Witches of Eastwick Cinema with abandon.
World Cinema
Agitator
Amelie
Apocalypto
Ashes of Time Redux Perhaps a bit over-the-top to some but Wong Kar Wai is still an artist. Wuxia with more romance than fighting.
Audition
Azumi
Battle Royale One commentator said 'this misses the point completely.' Rather I think it's what the director than the writer of the original book is saying (affected by his own experiences in World War Two.) Sometimes it can be very over-the-top and if I was directing it I would have rewritten the last third of the film (but that's only because I'm naughty.) I don't really care for the main characters but there's so many people in this film you can find someone you relate to.
Black Book Suspenseful film about a Jewish woman living undercover in Holland late in WW2. Her existence is exposed and she joins the underground. Skip the first scene.
Brotherhood
The Chaser
City of God Fact based movie about an teenager in a crime-ridden slum of Rio who starts documenting his environment as a photo journalist although that takes second place to the gang war that swirls around him. First rate acting all round.
Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon
Dead or Alive
Dead or Alive 2
Death Note/Death Note 2 The Last Name Two part adaptation of the manga series (must have been a killer storyline) made with apparently the least amount of alteration. After playing that mophead Shuya Fujiwara Tatsuya is so much better and L is seriously cool.
Far North Not strictly speaking world cinema but close enough it tone.
Flame & Citron Forget Inglorious Basterds. This is the real deal.
Freezer
Gozu A quiet but exceptionally strange movie but Miike Takashi. Aikawa Sho is seriously funny.
The Hidden Blade An understated samurai movie but not without grossouts.
House of Flying Daggers
Ichi the Killer
I'm a Cyborg A wonderfully unconventional comedy/love story.
Kamikaze Girls Frills that kills. I've only seen this movie at a criminally late hour so I haven't seen it properly but even then it was enough to make me go made. Gets a bit girly around the scene with 'She Said' but is moving too.
Kung Fu Hustle A truly unconventional movie that's neither wuxia nor traditional martial arts, it's better than both. Doesn't have any huge gags but lots of little ones. Visually takes martial arts places it's never been on screen.
Letters From Iwo Jima The better part of Eastwood's pair of films about the Pacific (and way better than that piece of shit The Thin Red Line), Flags of Our Fathers was a bit too depressing and negative.
Love Exposure
Memories of Matsuko
Oldboy
Rainy Dog
Run Lola Run
A Snake of June
TETSUO The Iron Man
2046 A great film to watch if you want artistic inspiration. Wong creates some really cool moments and combines rich visuals with a refinement he gained since Ashes of Time.
Vengeance is Mine (Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance) The best film from the Vengeance Trilogy. Very quiet with weighty subject matter. It's like Korean Shakespear.
Visitor Q
Zatoichi Ignore what the cover says about Kill Bill, the two films aren't comparable. There's a distinct element of comedy to this film and the action scenes aren't so theatrical as in Kill Bill.
Horror
Alien
Below
Child's Play 2 Has one of my favourite endings in horror. Not as cliched as the original, the blond supporting character is no idiot either.
Cloverfield I never thought this film would amount to anything. 'Oh God, U Tube has got it's own bloody film now.' This however does not embody everything I hate about the twenty first century. Instead it's surprising how a film that lacks any of the usual film-making devices can still be moving. Blair Witch You Suck!
Day of the Dead Romero's finest about a group of the last survivors on earth but their worst enemy is themselves. The soundtrack is out of kilter and sometimes unbearable but who gives a smeg. Has a collection of classic characters, my favourite is McDermot.
Deathwatch
Dog Soldiers
The Eye (Hong Kong original)
Ginger Snaps Fuck off fangbanger. Finally the teenage horror genre gets a real movie. The Fitz' sisters are amazing characters.
Ginger Snaps Unleashed Rightfully lauded by people who actually bought it (although a bit more than I think it deserves) this film did abysmally at the box office but I can't see why. Has a profoundly different mood to the first film, almost as if they're making an alternative version of a Hollywoodised sequel. Ghost kicks.
Ginger Snaps Back Fucking awesome. Doesn't have the closeness of the first movie but amazingly for the third film in the series is even better.
Hannibal Rising Another successful prequel (why the fuck couldn't George Lucas do better!) One the scale of Hannibal Lecter movies I thought it was better than anything short of Silence of the Lambs itself.
High Tension (Switchblade Romance) Try to get the American version (region 1) it has less American subtitles than the UK release (renamed Switchblade Romance) does, and since it's the American release I can forgive that. An alternative to the usual and hateful Friday the 13th plotline of a bunch of teenagers going unprepared into the middle of nowhere to get loaded and have sex and being picked off by a weird serial killer.
Let the Right One In Rather distant but an absorbing film nevertheless.
Near Dark
Night of the Living Dead
Exalted Influences
INFLUENCES
The Scarlet Empress: The Shanghai Gesture
Dragon-Blooded Shapeshifting: Ninjas
The Usurpation and Immaculate Dragons: Hawkmoon, House of Flying Daggers, Triads
Immaculate Monks: Eldar Aspect Warriors
Immaculate Monk training: The Empire Strikes Back
Thaumaturgy: Thanquol and Boneripper Trilogy
Sorcery: Child's Play, Resident Evil: Extinction
Power Armour and Exalted Combat: The Incredible Hulk
Black Magitech: Death Watch, Herbert West- Reanimator
Demonic Influences: BLAME!, Necromunda, World of Darkness
Yozis/Neverborn: Call of Cthulu, Hellboy
Regional Influences
Yu-Shan: Spirited Away
The Blessed Isle: Ashes of Time
The Savage Lands: Sonic the Hedgehog; The South: The Marble Zone; Water Manses: The Labyrinth Zone; The East: The Emerald Zone
Shadowlands: Deathwatch, Silent Hill
The Labyrinth: Silent Hill
The Labyrinth/Malfeas: Hellbound: Hellraiser II
The Underworld: Corpse Bride
Lookshy: Zatoichi
Nexus: Ancient Rome
The Scarlet Empress: The Shanghai Gesture
Dragon-Blooded Shapeshifting: Ninjas
The Usurpation and Immaculate Dragons: Hawkmoon, House of Flying Daggers, Triads
Immaculate Monks: Eldar Aspect Warriors
Immaculate Monk training: The Empire Strikes Back
Thaumaturgy: Thanquol and Boneripper Trilogy
Sorcery: Child's Play, Resident Evil: Extinction
Power Armour and Exalted Combat: The Incredible Hulk
Black Magitech: Death Watch, Herbert West- Reanimator
Demonic Influences: BLAME!, Necromunda, World of Darkness
Yozis/Neverborn: Call of Cthulu, Hellboy
Regional Influences
Yu-Shan: Spirited Away
The Blessed Isle: Ashes of Time
The Savage Lands: Sonic the Hedgehog; The South: The Marble Zone; Water Manses: The Labyrinth Zone; The East: The Emerald Zone
Shadowlands: Deathwatch, Silent Hill
The Labyrinth: Silent Hill
The Labyrinth/Malfeas: Hellbound: Hellraiser II
The Underworld: Corpse Bride
Lookshy: Zatoichi
Nexus: Ancient Rome
Friday, 27 January 2012
Primordial Age
What if people were there to be sacrificed to the Primordials. People were enslaved by the Dragon Kings (or First Circle 'demons') and sacrificed by them to worship the Primordials. Perhaps this practice still goes on. The Primordials are no longer able to regain Essence from worship of First Circle Demons (if they ever were) but can still regain Essence if they sacrifice humans (who during the Primordial Age were the lowest form of intelligent life.)
In this history it's uncertain if the Dragons Kings have any place. There might not be any point in keeping them. Their existing role as 'benevolent dictators' who sacrifice humans to worship the Unconquered Sun who later Exalts them is one of the many weak points of Exalted.
In this history it's uncertain if the Dragons Kings have any place. There might not be any point in keeping them. Their existing role as 'benevolent dictators' who sacrifice humans to worship the Unconquered Sun who later Exalts them is one of the many weak points of Exalted.
Power Armour
Magitech power armour tech- it's not a suit of armour but something that transforms an attuned user into a new shape. Only someone who's capable of attuning their own unique Essence to the object through their anima could use one. It is impossible for mortal who lack an anima to use magitech.
Moonsilver
The Fair Folk use gossamer to make the Wyld what they want. The Lunars use moonsilver to change it, and reality, when they need to.
Silver represents the purity of formlessness. Each form is only a temporary image that isn't reflective of the real substance. Lunars have an immunity to the powers of the Fair Folk because their Essence is incoherent like the non-sentient thing of the Wyld. They shouldn't be able to exist in Creation.
"Dreams can't hurt you. Dreams aren't real."
Silver represents the purity of formlessness. Each form is only a temporary image that isn't reflective of the real substance. Lunars have an immunity to the powers of the Fair Folk because their Essence is incoherent like the non-sentient thing of the Wyld. They shouldn't be able to exist in Creation.
"Dreams can't hurt you. Dreams aren't real."
Thaumaturgy
Thaumaturgy is only as useful as the objects used in it. For instance in artefact construction it's effective because the materials already have powerful magical properties. A line of something like brickdust has very little value so it cannot be used to create a powerful ward, but since an enemy won't (not can't) cross one unwittingly it can be useful to a cunning thaumaturge to determine if someone secretly bears them ill will.
Revising the subject of thamaturgy as a whole it needs to be up-powered and made far more interesting. One doesn't spend a king's ransom in an expensive chamber to perform pathetic tricks. A Master Degree ritual would be capable of preserving the dead in the world of the living (see mummies and wights from Warhammer) or other similar miraculous feats. Such rituals are powerful supernatural practices in their own right and a skilled and well-resourced thaumaurge is a dangerous opponent. Such rituals might be confused with low level effects of sorcery.
A note on thaumaturgy and it's relation to sorcery. Although Essence is the power behind sorcery, the use of expensive ingredients cannot be avoided in thaumaturgy. They are an essential part of the process and even Essence wielders cannot avoid their use. Essence use is for sorcery, and no matter how all powerful an Exalted may be, if they want to use the unique advantages of thaumaturgy, they have to abide by it's rules. Of course for them, acquiring such supplies is often considerably easier.
Revising the subject of thamaturgy as a whole it needs to be up-powered and made far more interesting. One doesn't spend a king's ransom in an expensive chamber to perform pathetic tricks. A Master Degree ritual would be capable of preserving the dead in the world of the living (see mummies and wights from Warhammer) or other similar miraculous feats. Such rituals are powerful supernatural practices in their own right and a skilled and well-resourced thaumaurge is a dangerous opponent. Such rituals might be confused with low level effects of sorcery.
A note on thaumaturgy and it's relation to sorcery. Although Essence is the power behind sorcery, the use of expensive ingredients cannot be avoided in thaumaturgy. They are an essential part of the process and even Essence wielders cannot avoid their use. Essence use is for sorcery, and no matter how all powerful an Exalted may be, if they want to use the unique advantages of thaumaturgy, they have to abide by it's rules. Of course for them, acquiring such supplies is often considerably easier.
Artefact Creation
Artefacts work by altering Creation's Essence floes. Sometimes an object becomes powerful because it alters the way Essence flows through Creation. These objects maintain their power which can be harnessed in an artefact. Many are artefacts themselves.
Three Colours Red- The Ginger Snaps Trilogy
A friend of mine was surprised they didn't continue the previous film and make it about Ghost. You can't have Ginger Snaps without Ginger even in the periphery like in the second film. She's got far too much charisma. One characteristic Ginger and Ghost share is they enjoy their existence more than Brigitte and I think the film needs a counterpoint to her in order to work. I think the reason Ginger Snaps Unleashed wasn't popular at the box office is because Ginger wasn't in it and people thought "oh that sucks." I suspect that disappointed the Ginger nuts.
Poetry
Babies in shallow graves
Maggots crawling out of their eye sockets
Screams of terror at a mass execution
These are some of my favourite things
Bodies torn by falling on jagged rocks
The smell of brine mixed with freshly spilled blood
Black sharks swimming through sunless red foam
These are some of my favourite things
Ragged viscera washing up on the shore
Eyes that will never see again looking up at a cloudy sky
Blood pooling on the surface like a sheet of red satin
These are some of my favourite things
Maggots crawling out of their eye sockets
Screams of terror at a mass execution
These are some of my favourite things
Bodies torn by falling on jagged rocks
The smell of brine mixed with freshly spilled blood
Black sharks swimming through sunless red foam
These are some of my favourite things
Ragged viscera washing up on the shore
Eyes that will never see again looking up at a cloudy sky
Blood pooling on the surface like a sheet of red satin
These are some of my favourite things
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