Friday, July 08, 2005

Grand Theft Drama

Ok, not the most creative title but it was the best I could do. There's always drama surrounding this video game whether it's a misconstrued racial slur or the presentation of hookers or the excessive violence. Of course being a gamer I think it's a fault of retailers and parents that this game affects young kids, not Take Two. These developers get blamed for everything, and now they're taking the heat for a mod called Hot Coffee. Contrary to the name, it actually unlocks the sex in the PC version of the San Andreas game. The video provided is pretty convincing, and is looks as though it was actually included in the game (for some odd reason) but I think the whole issue is ridiculous. The intended audience for this game is of the age to see this material in most states for one thing, but regardless it's not their fault if someone modifies their game and distributes this hack. It's not like they're selling porn here. These politicians will do anything to get their constituency all riled up.

There are a few worthwhile things in the world of technology. The hack of Paris Hilton's phone may have seemed humorous but it seems that the distribution of private phone records is becoming a growing problem as an invasion of privacy. It is a little creepy to know how easy it is for someone to find out who you talk to, because it's just very personal. With broadband getting faster and faster I wonder if trading private information like that will get easier? Oh the tangled web we weave to make our lives more convenient. Technology has started to work to our advantage in medicine though with pineapple molecules found to be helpful against cancer by stimulating the appropriate immune system cells. There's also a drug to help prevent HIV from entering the body! Of course both these things are still being experimented with, but the people who found them must feel amazing! Lastly, take a look at a robot that can play guitar! I'm very impressed by Crazy J (the name of it), though it can't play classical guitar as far as I can see. Of course a robot can never replace a classical guitarist because of how much emotion goes into it.

There's some pretty good movie news today, including a lot of reviews. AICN got a subpar review for Wedding Crashers, which doesn't surprise me. Yahoo! Movies has a couple of clips from the movie, but neither are humorous at all. There's actually a slightly better review for Stealth praising its goot cg and denouncing the plot holes, and it looks like it'll be an Independence Day. The best reviews today were for The Island, except that it apparently focuses more on the action than on the characters. It is an action movie so that's fine with me. The next big summer movie is Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and IGN has an awesome interview with Tim Burton giving insight into his vision and the process of putting everything together. With the exception of a couple of films (*cough*Planet of the Apes*cough*) he never ceases to impress me. We now have word that Indiana Jones 4 is inching closer to a greenlight with the script draft (approved by Spielberg and Lucas) getting some touchups and it sounds like everyone will be ready to start on it as soon as it's done. Oliver Stone is on board to direct a movie about 9/11 starring Nicholas Cage, and the general consensus seems to be that this is just too soon and almost offensive, which I agree with. It like just happened 4 years ago! Everyone still remembers it older than 5 years old. Lastly, because I enjoy old Steve Martin comedies I have to plug the trailer for his new movie Shopgirl based on a novella he wrote about a girl choosing between two guys. It sounds cheesy, but it's presented better than most romantic comedies.

Lots of smokeBefore I conclude I just want to say that my hearts go out to the families of the victims (including those injured) of the attacks in London. It's sad that people can be so cruel, but at least some of the locals have put up some pictures so that those of us abroad can really get a glimpse at the damage.

I decided to try the FridayQ today:

FQ TOPIC: Reality.

FQ1: Your thoughts on TV reality shows... love them or loathe them?
For the most part: loathe them. Very few of them add any value to television. Who the hell cares about The Real Gilligan's Island?! I liked the fake one better. Am I the only one who thinks American Idol is overrated? The only worthwhile ones are the ones where the participants have some sort of talent, like Last Comic Standing or even possibly The Apprentice.

FQ2: Your favorite TV reality show (or the one you are able to tolerate the most).
Definitely The Contender. I was sad to know that it was cancelled because those guys were so good and the fights were always super intense. The winner really earned the money and deserved it (Sergio Mora), and I always looked forward to watching it. Of course my guilty pleasure reality show is Real World: Austin just because I love Austin.

FQ3: Your least favorite TV reality show (or the one you find the strangest/stupidest).
Probably Big Brother. What's the point of it?! I don't understand why someone would want to watch other people do absolutely nothing all day.

FQ TV: Invent your own TV reality show. Would you appear on it?
I think I'd do a music talent search show but strictly for guitarists. That might be kind of cool. I don't think I'd appear on it because I'd be too nervous to play on TV like that.

1 comment:

Stephanie said...

I'm glad that someone else that is a teenager can acutally notice that things happened around the world.

Nerds are hot.