Search This Blog
Saturday, December 25, 2010
Planet Zombie 3: Zombie Wars
Humans Vs. Zombies. Hands down zombies. The zombies can easily outnumber the human population. When a human dies, it becomes a zombie and so on. But of course if you base it on the different movies and games, it's pretty much a tie.
Elves Vs. Zombies. Are we talking about the Lord of the Rings elves or the War Craft Elves? I guess they're pretty much the same when it comes to marksmanship. Elves have come a long way in marksmanship skills. From making toys (for Santa) to shooting down foes with pinpoint accuracy from miles away. As long as the zombies don't come from an unlimited source, the elves might win.
Vampires Vs. Zombies. Though both of these creatures are of the undead, both have a way of being 'killed.' It is unfortunate that even if the vampire has the advantage of speed, strength, and intelligence, it has a lot more weaknesses than the average zombie. And there are a lot more ways to kill a vampire than there is a zombie. If the battle would last well into the morning then it would spell the end of the Nosferatu.
Werewolves Vs. Zombies. Like the vampire, the werewolf has the advantage of speed, strength, and intelligence. However, unlike the vampire, the werewolf is a living, breathing monster. Which means it is prone to getting zombified. Judges? Zombies win.
Wizards/Witches Vs. Zombies. Really now. These magic users don't even have the need to lay a finger on a filthy undead. They could just turn all zombies into harmless little rabbits. I think that would be, in a way, cheating.
Robots Vs. Zombies. I would have to go with robots here. Robots are on an entirely different undead level. Zombies can't even bite through a powered down robot much less a fully armed and fully functional robot. Zombies might not even feel the presence of a robot since a robot is not alive in the first place. Just think Terminators vs. Zombies and you get the idea.
Aliens Vs. Zombies. I guess the winner of this war is open for debate. It would depend on what kind of alien species are involved in battle. If the aliens are anything like humans then we pretty much know how the battle ends. However, if the aliens are anything like the, Zerg (from Star Craft), then it's goodbye zombies.
Super Heroes (or Super Villains) Vs. Zombies. The only documented event where this happened is the Marvel Zombies arc of Marvel. Here, almost all heroes and villains have become infected and have become zombies. Including those in other planets. Of course the zombie strain in this story is also the 'super' kind so you can't really argue the outcome. Plus, the heroes and villains that were infected kept their super powers and abilities in tact making them super zombies.
Plants Vs. Zombies. I don't know the plants win but for some reason they do. This war is well supported by just one game. Unless of course you're playing Endless, then the true essence of a zombie horde on a feeding frenzy has befallen you.
Nuff said.
Friday, December 24, 2010
TRON Legacy
Wednesday, December 22, 2010
Planet Zombie 2: Zombie Science
Basically. A zombie is a corpse that has it's basic motor skills in tact and has the basic instinct to feed. It is one of the so-called undead creatures. That would be the basic definition of a zombie in the horror/creature sense.
In a more scientific sense, it's probably a person (a live one) that lost all his brain functions except his basic motor skills, vis a vis, walking. I'm no psych-know-how person so I'm not really sure. But I'm certain that the term zombie is used on some people like those who watch too much TV.
The mythos and lore about the zombie is quite vast. In some cultures like here in the Philippines, the dead coming back to life is brought about by black magic and evil energies. In pop culture, the zombie effect can be brought about by a microorganism like a bacteria, parasite, or a virus and, like a disease, could infect others.
Let's run down some of the characteristics of a zombie.
Slow movement. This and its poor navigation skills makes it easy for its prey to escape it. However, in pop culture, there are some zombies that can run. e.g. Zombieland.
Basic instincts. The zombie is equipped with only the very basic functions; motor skills for movement. Though in some lore, they have all five senses. It is common for zombies to only have sight and hearing. They don't really need touch, taste, and smell. As seen in in many movies, severed limbs and other body parts don't seem to stop them from getting to their prey if the sense of touch (vis a vis feeling) is one of their senses or else they would be in constant pain.
Weakness. Since the brain is the control center of body, destroying the brain is the way to go when killing zombies. Hence, it is pretty easy to kill a zombie. One only needs to give the zombie a massive head trauma. Decapitation also works but the chomping still continues.
Not really a weakness. Unlike most of the dark creatures or undead, zombies don't mind having a little tan. The ultraviolet rays of the sun don't seem to bother them at all. They don't even need to rest, they could go on and on and on for all eternity, if they have to.
Relentless. Zombies are relentless. Cut off one of its limbs and it's still coming for you. A zombie with just its waist up can still crawl up to its victim (if it ever caught up to it). You'll probably be dead of starvation because of hiding and it's still coming for you.
Strength in numbers. With a properly placed hit on a head, a kid would probably win a one-on-one fight against a zombie. But even a troop well trained combatant armed to the teeth might not survive a zombie feeding frenzy.
Brings about the holocaust. Once zombies roam the streets, it's pretty much the end.
Sunday, December 19, 2010
Planet Zombie 1: How I Came to Love Zombies
Resident Evil (the game, not the movie) changed my views of zombies. Since I had the power to shoot them down, they totally lost their terrifying appeal on me. My fear of zombies took a complete u-turn. I don't fear them anymore. Instead, I played almost every zombie-themed game, watched every movie or TV show, I think Marvel Zombies is one of the best Marvel Sagas I have ever read, and I've watched the on-line series Xombie (until they stopped making it). Heck, I even have a zombie tribe MTG (Magic the Gathering) deck.
Zombie-themed, survival horror games gave me the courage to fight off my fear of zombies. On top of the list is the Resident Evil series then followed by the rest. There's House of the Dead that I usually play in the arcades. There's also Oneechanbara, Left 4 Dead, Zombies Ate My Neighbors, Teenage Zombies Invasion of the Alien Brain Thingys, and let's not forget Plants Vs. Zombies.
The movies I've seen are; Night of the Living Dead (this was the first), Dawn of the Dead, Land of the Dead, Resident Evil (this time, the movies), 28 Days Later (almost a zombie movie), 28 Weeks Later, Zombieland, Zombies of Mass Destruction (very funny movie), I Am Legend (again, almost a zombie movie), Zombie Strippers, Onechanbara (this one's Japanese and it also happens to be a game) and quite a few more.
I've also watched the anime series High School of the Dead. Trust the Japanese to make a zombie story where the zombies just appeared. No particular origin. The students use their skills to survive the onslaught of zombies; gun-geek, kendo master, spear specialist. This series was full of zombie killing action.
Lately. A new TV series was brought to my attention by a friend of mine. It's a TV show with the title The Walking Dead. And yes, it's zombie-themed. So far I've seen six episodes and I can't wait for the seventh. It's just your ordinary, run-in-the-mill zombie survival story but with the characters with character. Not just the basic kill and survive that we usually see in movies. The zombie-fan should definitely watch it.
Zombies. They're not real (hopefully) and they're not all that bad once you get to know them.
Sunday, November 28, 2010
The Other Guys
Thursday, November 25, 2010
107.5 Reformatted
A couple of days ago, the radio on the laboratory where I work in was tuned to a seemingly new radio station. The station played mainstream, standard, a few rock songs, some classics. It reminded of or RJ Radio. However, the DJ sounded like someone from the masa station. It was a good thing the DJ didn't do much talking like the ones from the rest of the masa station world.
When that station played its station ID, it mentioned that its frequency is 107.5. Then it hit me. So this is the reformatted 107.5. It's not all that bad. I just wish they get rid of the masa station-sounding DJ's. Now they are called, Win Radio (or is it Win FM?).
I was right. There will never be a station quite like the Home of NU Rock.
Sunday, November 14, 2010
A Week Ago... The End of a NU Era
Monday, October 11, 2010
Suspense Movie Marathon
First up, Monsters. The movie is about two individuals, a photographer and the daughter of the photographer's boss. They are to travel from Mexico to the USA going through the 'Infected Zone.' The premise is that six years ago, alien creatures somehow infected an area of Mexico. Visuals. The movie had a little bit of Cloverfield and District 9 feel to it. The rendering of the monsters were pretty much ok since they looked like octopi on land. Story. The story was plain and simple. Just get from point A to point B but with challenges. Kind of like movie, The Road (if you have seen it). Recommendations. Go ahead and see it. It's not as fast chasing as The Blair Witch or Cloverfield and not as visually stimulating as District 9. Rating. Eight tomatoes.
After Life. This movie stars Christina Ricci, Justin Long, and Liam Neeson. You'd think that it's a supernatural story at first but you'll find out otherwise as the movie progresses. Casting in Ricci (Wednesday Addams) was a great touch. Not to mention Neeson (Qi Gon Jin) since he finds himself an apprentice. Visuals. Nice play of lighting, make-up, and all those analog effects. Story. Here's a spoiler if you haven't seen the movie. It was more like a serial killer movie. I don't know how Neeson's character does it, but he makes you think you're dead until you accept that you are then he buries you alive. Then off to the next victim. Never gets caught and he even picks up an apprentice. Recommendations. Suspense fans, go see the movie. Big screen, 3D, HD, DVD, it doesn't matter. I think you'll like it. Rating. Five tomatoes.
Lastly. Suicide Girls Must Die! Meant to be a reality show stint about the making of a calendar. So you'd be expecting amateur shots like the Blair Witch. But no running around while making the viewers dizzy. It's more of a reality TV feel like Survivor mixed with Top Model. Visuals. Nothing much to say but wow. Did I just say that? Not because of the amateur shots but of the nude stills. Hey, they are great. I wonder where I could find them. Probably on their website. Story. The girls think they were just shooting some stills for a calendar. Then one by one they go missing. Yet they continue until all hell breaks. Then the last girl finds out that it was all a prank. They've all been Punk'd! Recommendations. See it if you're bored. It just might work. Rating. Ten tomatoes.
There you go. Three movies in one day and probably in one genre.
Saturday, October 9, 2010
Contra 4, Spider-Man, and Viewtiful Joe
Contra 4. The classic 2D, shoot-em-up game with the classic Konami cheat is on the DS. The game stayed loyal to its classic roots of hard core 2D action and two player mode, as it was meant to be. There are three levels of difficulty and you can't see or play the last stages if you choose the easy mode, wimp. Graphics even stayed as close as the original but made use of the DS dual screen. But it didn't make full use of the DS's touch screen feature. Other features include a museum where you can view tidbits about the past Contra games. Ratings. Difficulty; 5 out of 8. Graphics: 4 out of 8. Playability: 7 out of 8. With an overall 5.3.
Spider-Man: Friend or Foe. Spider-Man teams up with his friends and foes in order to stop a planetary threat. Like that hasn't happened before. Nothing new there. Like all Spider-Man games, it is very linear and has very little to offer in terms of playability. Play it once and you're pretty much good. It makes very little use of the DS's touch screen. Only when switches or the like need to be tinkered with and to solve puzzles. Ratings. Difficulty: 3 out of 8. Graphics: 4 out of 8. Playability: 4 out of 8. With an overall of 3.7.
Viewtiful Joe: Double Trouble. Saving the best for last. Joe comes back for more on the hand-held. However, he would be fighting baddies in the real world. This game makes good use of the DS's touch screen; Scratch, Split, Switch. And what's a good Viewtiful Joe game with out the super slow mo. Even if you finish the game, you'd want to go at it again just to unlock all Joe's abilities. Henshin a-go-go, baby! Ratings. Difficulty: 5 out of 8. Graphics. 6 out of 8. Playability: 7 out of 8. With an overall 6.
Tuesday, October 5, 2010
Henshin!
Kamen Rider, the masked transforming hero that usually rides a motorcycle and kicks antagonist ass. Through the many years that Kamen Rider existed and through the two eras that it has been, Showa and Heisei, there have been many of them.
In this article, I would like to differentiate each of the main riders of the Heisei era, from Kuuga up to OOO, according to what type of rider they are, their status as a rider at the beginning of their respective series, how they know when and where their enemy would strike and what are their enemies called.
I would be categorizing them as:
Technological type - Source of powers come from the advancement in technology.
Organic type - Changing into a rider entails that the riders entire biological make-up changes as well. (However, I think none of the main riders are of the organic type.)
Mystical type - Origin of powers come from mystical sources such as ancient artifacts, mystical creatures, and the like.
Kamen Rider Kuuga - Mystical type. Not a rider at the start of the series. Yuusuke Godai acquires Kuuga's belt and is able to transform. His enemies are called the Gorongi. He knows they are around since the police usually are the first on the scene then he comes next.
Kamen Rider Agito - Mystical type. Since Shouichi Tsugami lost his memory, it is unsure if he was or was not a rider prior the start of the series. However, it is safe to assume that he was since he is very knowledgeable of Agito's abilities. His enemies are called the Unknowns. Shouichi seems to have a connection with the Unknowns and feels it when they are about to strike.
Kamen Rider Ryuuki - Mystical type. Not a rider at the start of the series. Shinji Kido finds a blank Advent Deck and makes a contract with Dragredder and becomes Ryuki. He battles other riders and the monsters from the mirror world. Shinji and the other riders hear some kind of high pitched sound whenever a mirror world monster is about to attack.
Kamen Rider Faiz - Technological type. Not a rider at the start of the series. Takumi Inui dons the Faiz Gear and transforms into faiz. Orphenochs are what Faiz fights. Since the Orphenocs are after the Faiz gear, trouble seems to find Takumi.
Kamen Rider Blade - Technological type. Kenzaki Kazuma is a newbie rider at the start of the series. He uses the Spade's category Ace to transform. Blade seals the Undead. The undead are found via a tracking system.
Kamen Rider Hibiki - Mystical type. Hidaka Hitoshi became an Oni on his own. He discarded his name a long time ago and was then since called Hibiki. Hibiki fights kaijins they call the Makamou. He and other Oni hunt the Makamou with the help of Disc Animals.
Kamen Rider Kabuto - Technological type. Not a rider at the start of the series but knows that being a rider is his destiny. Souji Tendou has a rider belt since he was a child and he was chosen by the Kabuto Zecter. The alien Worms are what he fights and some of the alien Natives. Since every worm leaves a pattern, Tendou easily finds the culprit Worm.
Kamen Rider Den-O - Technological type. Not a rider at the start of the series. Ryotaro Nogami was given Den-O's belt because he was a Singular Point, a being that is not affected by changes in the time stream. Den-O battles the wish-granting Imajin. The Imajin that possesses Ryotaro can feel the activities of their fellow Imajin.
Kamen Rider Kiva - Mystical type. Already a rider at the start of the series. Wataru Kurenai was passed the power of Kiva from his father, though not directly. The vampire-like Fangarie are the antagonists of this series. Wataru's father's violin, The Bloody Rose, which strings vibrate every time a Fangarie attacks its prey is the sounding alarm.
Kamen Rider Decade - Technological type. Not a rider at the start of the series. However, it was said that Tsukasa Kadoya was already a rider way before and only lost his memory. Since Tsukasa travels different worlds, he fights whatever or whoever it is that is the antagonist on whichever world he is in. But his main nemesis is Shocker.
Kamen Rider Double - Technological type. Already a rider at the start of the series. Hidari Shotaro and Phillip use Double Driver and Gaia Memories to transform into Double. Shotaro and Phillip fight Dopants. Since both of them are detectives, they find that most of the time, their cases involve a Dopant.
Kamen Rider Ozu - Mystical type. Not a rider at the start of the series. Eiji Hino was given the seal to transform with by Ankh, a mystical being known as Greed. The incarnation of human greed are known as the Yammi and this is what Ozu fights besides the Greed. Ankh, being a Green himself, can feel if a Yammi is in the process of growth.
There you have it. All the twelve Heisei riders in a nutshell. There are other riders in the Heisei era. Some of them are secondary riders from the series, some are from the series but only have a cameo appearance, and some are move exclusive riders.
I'd probably categorize the secondary riders on my next post. Until the next post.
Monday, October 4, 2010
Pimpin' Aint Easy, Grandma
It happened one day while I was in a well-known mall in Metro Manila (no mall naming to protect the good name of the Mall, as if it had any). I was minding my own business when suddenly an old woman approached me and asked, "Gusto mo ng babae? (would you like a girl?)" So grandma is a pimp, eh. It was no surprise at all since the mall was known to be crawling with pimps and whores (like I said, it's not like it had any good name to begin with). Being the curious person that I am, I inquired of her the hiring price. It was at a price of Php 500. Cheap (in every sense of the word and it depends on who's spending).
The funny part was when I asked where the girl she was pimping was. Then she said, "Ako (Me)." What?! If I were drinking something at that time, I would have blown the whole contents of my mouth on her face. Thankfully, I wasn't. And I kept my composure and kept the laughter from leaping out of me. Being a granny that she is, I respectfully declined.
I thought that was the end of it. She kept pressing saying, "Sige na, good service naman eh (Come on, I give good service)." What the hell! By this time, I really felt like farting because I had to contain my laughter. My goodness, grandma. Are these desperate times? No.
At last she gave up. However, by this time, she started pimping other girls. Younger girls she said; one was a stout woman, another one was missing her front teeth. This would be being mean but, really, they're at the bottom of the likable chart, way below dog poop. If I could read grandma pimp's mind by that time, I believe she'd be thinking, "Grandma doesn't look so bad now, huh?"
With the relentless pimping, and my so wanting to laugh or at least give out a giggle, I had to leave and let it out some place else. The novelty book section of the bookstore seemed very appropriate.
Sunday, October 3, 2010
Cosplay X
I wasn't able to attend the first day but I was able to attend the second. There were a lot of cosplayers of different genres; from movies, to games, to anime, to comic books. One event hall could not accommodate the numbers.
I was surprised to see a lot of Final Fantasy VIII cosplayers, more specifically Squall. I wonder why there is a sudden boom in Squall cosplays. However, I didn't take any pictures of any of them this time around. There are also new ones like Kamen Rider Ozu, who has just been on air for a month now.
Exhibitors aplenty. Free installers for up and coming new on line games; toys; anime related memorabilia; accessories and trinkets; samplers for Sony's 3D entertainment pack (I gave this one a try. Sick!); costumes and other cosplay related articles; videos; and a lot more.
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
OY! by Lynx
I had an unplanned chit chat with one of its members. It happened on one of my rounds on my day job. It so happened that the sales manager of one of the establishments that I regularly check is one of the founding members of the band. He is Jesus 'Jess' Sacilioc.
Mr. Sacilioc said that the band goes way back around twenty years ago, thus, having a classic AC/DC feel to its sound. Right now, he no longer plays but he manages the band instead. Back in the day, he used to play the bass guitar. The band members have changed over the years but the name of the band stayed the same.
Their music video came to fruition when all the band members (current and former) had a reunion. Some of the former members are already professionals in the field of music and media. Making a music video came naturally.
I asked him about the band name. He said that since the lynx was a wild cat and the band had a somewhat wild sound, they named the band Lynx.
Here is their music video, Oy!. Remember. You saw the video first on Myx. Not on my blog. Well. Probably some of you will see it here first.
If the video doesn't play, click here.
Monday, September 20, 2010
Two Events, One Day
First up. The one I intended to attend. The best of Anime 2010. It was held on the upper level of the SMX; Function Room 5. It's your usual otaku convention. There were the various exhibitors, booths, and of course, cosplay enthusiasts. And as I said on my FB post, I did go as Amano Ginji but its not like I can take a full body picture of myself. :)
The other event captured one of my many interests; books. The 31st International Book Fair. The book fair covered all of the conventions halls of the first floor. If I'm not mistaken, that's five event halls. That's one huge area for a whole lot of books. There were technical books, text books, books on philosophy, sciences, religion, children's books, pop-ups, comic books and all other topics and print media you can think of. There were also various teaching aids and other related stuff. Most of the books were on sale up to 70% off! Not to mention book signings by local authors and a few international ones.
Chopsticks were signed by the author, Stanley Chi.
Sunday, September 12, 2010
Resident Evil: Afterlife 3D
Saturday, September 11, 2010
The Longanisa List
Generic Longanisa. Why do I call it generic? Simply because it's the common one that you can find at the market place in Metro Manila. There is nothing so special about it; just the usual odd parts and preservatives. When cooked, there is a little bit of caramelized sugar and some oil or fat comes out from the longanisa.
Pampanga Longanisa (Unfortunately, I don't have a picture for it). It is the more famous type of longanisa around Central Luzon, Pangasinan, some parts of Southern Region 1, and Metro Manila. When cooked, you will notice the caramelized sweetener on the outside of the longanisa. This makes it very sweet and sticky.
Quezon Longanisa (No picture). This type is probably the largest. Its common size is generally the largest compared to the common size of other longanisa (I said common size because you can custom make a longanisa to any size and length). You have to go to Quezon or its neighboring provinces to try one of these.
Dumaguete Longanisa. This type of longanisa is what you would most likely have in the City of Dumaguete. It is similar to the Pampanga Longanisa because both are on the sweet side. The difference lies in the wrapper. The Dumaguete type has none. It's skinless.
Cebu Longanisa (No picture). In contrast to the Quezon type, this is perhaps the smallest. It is almost spherical in shape. One piece is around an inch or so in diameter. Also, it is not restricted to one taste; there's sweet, spicy, etc.
Nueva Ecija Longanisa (No picture). I'm not sure if I have tried this particular longanisa. But for certain, I have heard of it. It is more commonly known as bototay.
There are a lot of other types of longanisa out there; one being a variant of the other. There is a difference from region to region, province to province. Since most of them are home made, even home to home. They are made to fit the different tastes of a diverse people.
Saturday, August 28, 2010
Negros in Four Days
Thursday, August 26, 2010
ROTC, CAT, PMT... Bull Shit
In my opinion, any military-related subject that is forced upon any student is a big waste of time. As far as I'm concerned, ROTC (and CAT, PMT) is the biggest waste of tuition fee ever in the history of education; marching under the heat of the sun, getting sunburn. For what? Reserve my ass. Let those who get into the PMA do the soldier job. That's what they're there for. Not all students want to be in reserve and I'm one of them.
Too many of my Sundays have been wasted on ROTC. Instead of doing projects, studying, or having fun, I'm inside a classroom learning nothing. Learning about the parts of an obsolete plane is a waste of time. Learning about the parts of obsolete weaponry is a waste of time. Listening to dumb ass officers that can't even pronounce the word 'fuselage' properly is a waste of time (say what mr. officer, fyus-leyj?). Learning about call signs and counter signs that you can learn on the Internet and on TV is a waste of time. Learning about the names of the officers that will someday be corrupt or dead (or both) is a wast of time. To sum it up, ROTC is worthless, useless, a big waste of time. If I wanted to learn about or be a part of the military, I would have joined the PMA. But no, I do NOT want to be a part of it or be one of its dogs. No intentions at all.
Don't expect me to give my life for this country's defence. I mean it.
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
The Expendables
Sunday, August 22, 2010
Metro Comic Con 2010 Day 2
But with all the cosplayers, I believe that little kids make the cutest cosplayers. Kawaii.