A Hip Hop Primer, Thanks to Thrasher Presents: Skate and Destroy (1999)

I've been playing a whole lot of Skate 2 for my 360 lately, and as much as I love that game (and I certainly do), the abundance of Thrasher Magazine references reminds me of that other skateboarding game I cherish, Thrasher Presents: Skate and Destroy for the PS1. There are many, many reasons to love Thrasher, but perhaps most of all, I love the soundtrack. Which reminds me, coincidentally enough, that though Thrasher was quite deservedly nominated for Best PS1 Game at the inaugural Code Redd Net Awards (losing, as fate would have it, to another seminal skateboarder), it clearly should have been rewarded for its fantastic beats alone. So, without further ado, allow me to present Thrasher with an honorary CRN Award for Best Game Soundtrack. Congratulations to all parties involved. Here's your prize:

If you're interested, this gentleman has kindly put together a list of all the funky beats and old school classics in the game. You would do well to search them out.

Netflix Instant Movie Review: Seraphim Falls (2006)

As I browse through the available selection of Netflix Instant, I often find myself unable to find movies or shows that I had hoped would be available. However, there also seems to be a glut of options that I had never heard of before or had but seem to be pretty old. For those familiar with Code Redd Net, you know that we do not discriminate by age, and we enjoy things that are a few or even several years old. Consequently, I think a fitting service might be to sift through what is available on Netflix Instant and perhaps offer our readers some suggestions of worthy films.

More than anything else, what drew me to this movie were the leading actors (forgive the lack of sophistication of this approach). I saw it as a face-off between super-killer Bryan Mills of Taken and the second most recent 007. And what better setting for a showdown than the American West (especially for two Irishmen)? But the movie involves less of a "showdown" than of a chase. I really don't want to give away any more than that of the story and, if you do intend to see this film, would advise against watching the trailer. Part of the fun is being in the dark about the motivations of the characters. But regardless, westerns aren't particularly known for their complex plot lines, but for the aura of their elements: tough men (and women) in tough country doing tough things. And Seraphim Falls is just that. In fact, it seems for me to be redemption for Pierce's masculinity after seeing that joke called Mamma Mia! (which happened to be the first part of a drive-in double feature. Coincidentally, the second film was Taken). He pulls of some pretty B.A. things, which were themselves justifications for watching the movie. That being said, it can get pretty long in some stretches, and can be exhausting from the constant cat and mouse game. But for fans of westerns, especially of more modern ones, I would give Seraphim Falls the thumbs up, as well as for fans of both Neeson and Brosnan.

Movie Review: Contagion (2011)

I think Chicken Man has outdone me for this week with his review of Atlas Shrugged, so instead of trying to match his depth and perspective, I'm going ahead with a somewhat abbreviated look at the recent DVD release of Contagion. This film fits, albeit rather roughly, within that critically maligned Hollywood sub-genre known simply, disdainfully, as the "disaster flick." More often than not, films of this ilk involve a parade of above-the-title actors mugging for the precious little screen time afforded them by the spectacle of CGI aliens/battleships/forces of nature/general mayhem. Good humored kids take these movies for exactly what they are: mindless, innocuous, unselfconscious, and fun for the sheer possibilities, however moronic, they strive to represent. Think of them as astronomically expensive playgrounds for our social and cultural dilemmas to tucker themselves out. Contagion, however, goes in the opposite direction of its generic lineage, towards something not based on the premise of possibilities, but based on the premise of reality. The question becomes not How far can we take this?, but How real can we make this seem? Contagion works, for the most part, because it seems real. It stays quiet. It avoids those CGI money shots of mass destruction, of dilapidated or deserted cities and towns, instead tending towards suggestion and, at times, ambiguity.

Following several significant figures dealing with the outbreak of a deadly and highly contagious virus, Contagion weaves these characters together in a multi-strand narrative that's in line with director Steven Soderberg's catalogue (another Soderberg film with a similar narrative structure is Traffic [2000]). Soderberg's narrative, though it breaks with the classical Western narrative of the rugged individual, has considerable generic precedent. The aforementioned "disaster flicks," however dumb, feature such a high demand for star power that the narrative of the film itself must be suited to give each of them an opportunity to earn their keep and satisfy their fans. In that respect, Contagion is no different. What it does do differently, though, involves restraint, particularly in the presentation of its science. That's the key to Contagion. This is not a film about the indomitable will of man, or even a film about the mighty American armed forces. Nor is this a film about scientific possibility; this is a film about scientific reality. And here the obvious withholding of background information (simple expositional things, such as an estimated death toll) seems like a tactful choice indeed. Only the poorly executed ending, in which the source of the virus is rather obtusely and retroactively discovered, sours the experience.

An Unconventional Perspective on Intellectual Property

No doubt you have heard of the proposed legislation in the U.S. Congress called SOPA and PIPA and of the protests of various websites against them. These measures are ostensibly intended to fight against copyright infringement and piracy on the web. Most of the protesting websites did not express disagreement with the enforcement of intellectual property (IP) laws, but that there would be privacy issues and regulation of websites by the feds. For this reason, I wanted to offer a different perspective on IP, which argues that it is neither necessary nor just.

As a primer, I recommend reading a commentary by Jeffrey Tucker, chronicling his struggle with the issue and a book that helped him understand the issue in such a way that converted him to be anti-IP. This book is called "Against Intellectual Monopoly" by Michele Boldrin and David Levine, the PDF of which can be found here. It looks at the issue philosophically, historically, and economically (the authors are economists, but don't let that discourage you. It is a pretty easy read).

This is, of course, an issue that is important to Code Redd Net, as both a consumer of media and creator of content, as it is to all consumers and creators. Please comment and create some content.

Movie Review: Atlas Shrugged (2011)

Of the people that I have talked to who have also read Ayn Rand's novel, nearly all of them thought it was a great book. Only one of them has agreed with me about it: the characters are one-dimensional (either clearly a good or bad guy), the book is often a bit dry, and it could have been about a third as long. It also didn't help that my mental image of the heroine, Dagny Taggert, was Ayn Rand herself, who was not exactly a looker.

Enter the live action film. The characters feel more realistic (though still unambiguously good or bad), Dagny is played by a fairly attractive blonde, and the length of part one of this intended trilogy is less than 100 minutes long. I actually quite enjoyed it. If one could get an edited version of Rand's book, where someone sifted through the constant pounding of her philosophy, the unnecessary pages (of which there are hundreds), and perhaps a presentation of the characters in a way in which they seem less like caricatures, there might be an enjoyable story underneath. This movie comes close.

For those unfamiliar with the story, it involves a railroad company headed by Dagny and her brother, who seems more inclined to use the business for humanitarian efforts than to turn a profit, and consequently causes it to be in poor financial shape. Dagny does all she can to save her family's business, in opposition to her brother and special interests in the federal government. In doing so she takes risks with unproven technologies and in alienating the establishment. Herein lies part of the basis of Rand's philosophy, that is, rugged individualism. And accordingly the story becomes a type I really enjoy: that of the entrepreneur. They are the the protagonists of this story, but one by one they keep going missing. I shall do my utmost not to spoil anything.

For those who are familiar with this story, I don't think they should be disappointed with this film. As far as I can recall, it is faithful to the book (though it puts itself in the near future instead of 1957), I had no issues with the acting, and the story itself, especially after the abridgment mentioned above, is not that bad. I would therefore conclude that any fault of this movie being mediocre is due to Ayn Rand's story being so, not because of the film's production. Consequently, I think most of the negative reviews have to do with disagreements towards Rand's philosophy (while one could possibly say vice versa regarding most positive reviews). I can easily say that I am not a big fan of her writing, nor am I an Objectivist, but I am possibly a bit biased in that I found this to be such an improvement over the book. In trying to imagine the movie from an objective point of view, I can say that it is not flashy nor spectacular and does not look like a big-budget film. But compared to most of what I saw (or chose not to see) in 2011, Atlas Shrugged was better than average and worth a view.

Rush Hour 2 Redux

Starring Mos Def and Jack Black, of course.

Skyfall Spoiler Alert: 007 Might Swim At Some Point in the Film

People out on the 'net are reporting that the following photo of a poolside Daniel Craig is a still from the forthcoming and twenty-third 007 film, Skyfall. Take a look for yourself:


Personally, I find that the photo is so nondiscript, so untelling, that whether or not it has been leaked out from the set really doesn't matter because it says nothing of interest. Will Craig's notorious speedo return? Guess we'll just have to wait until November.

Movie Review: Transporter 2 (2005)

Now this is more my speed; not as self-serious as the original Transporter could be at times, but also not nearly as self-aware, ironic and cloying as that other Jason Statham's vehicle, Crank. What Transporter 2 does with this middle ground, and does with the odd sort of intelligence usually reserved for the James Bond series, is to get as ludicrous as possible but always play it straight. That's what a smart stupid action should always try to do. And in the tradition of 007, this time Statham has to topple a maniac set on infecting the world with a deadly virus. Looks like Statham has finally settled down in Miami, where he works as a chauffeur for an important government official. When the child he drives to and from school is kidnapped and ransomed, Statham sets out to recover the kid and foil the nefarious plans of a drug kingpin and his wacky girlfriend. Not only does T2 take up the revenge narrative of the first film, it smartly combines it with something of more global significance. And by that I really mean to say it suffices in motivating all kinds of spectacle. The name of the game in these kinds of movies is inventiveness. We've all seen a billion fights and a billion car chases, but T2 escalates them to absolutely absurd proportions. In particular, I was fond of the garage fight and Statham's creativity with a fire hose, as well as his final fight with the villain aboard a plummeting plane. For me, T2 has all the special effects stupidity of a video game, plus all of the focus and energy of a cartoon come to life. Too bad the next entry in the series couldn't hang with this one.

Movie Review: The Transporter (2002)

Dumb action movies might be one of the few "genres" where sequels are often better than the originals. I prefer Transporter 2, certainly (more on this later), but the first Transporter is fun as well. Though it lacks the virtuosity and unabashed gusto of its successor, its premise is fittingly, and intelligently, facile: Jason Statham plays getaway driver Frank Martin, a precise and rulebound man who maneuvers his clients out of sticky situations. His detachment from his employers' criminal activities is ruined when, on a routine assignment, he opens up his truck and finds a beautiful young lady. I know, quel coincidence! Of course, the usually unflappable Statham is immediately smitten, and like that, he decides to break his rules so he can unleash many martial arts on the parties responsible for her kidnapping. This premise works well and gives the filmmakers room to invent many fights, tailored to suit Statham's character, which, in terms of fighting style, is more Jet Li than Jackie Chan, more brutal and adult than slapstick. The fight scenes are memorable, truly, in particular Statham's encounter with a band of thugs on a bus and one bout conducted while covered in gasoline. Additionally, The Transporter begins with a wonderfully slick and inventive car chase that is worlds better than anything from the execrable Fast and Furious series. Some gaping plot holes spoil the fun somewhat, but so what, Statham seems to say, some beatdowns don't need to be sanctioned by realism. And though Transporter 2 would really let it go, this one starts things off admirably, and ridiculously, enough.

PS2 Review: GoldenEye: Rogue Agent (2004)

Chicken Man once said, in his preview of GoldenEye: Rogue Agent (dated June 6, 2004), that "I also like the idea of the game itself. Even though, I must mention, that if you've read the novel, Goldfinger, you'll know that Goldfinger only hires Koreans for henchmen because of their loyalty. But no one cares." Too true, my friend. Evidently we didn't care enough for this game to follow up our preview with a proper review, even though we beat the game soon after it was released. And why not? Because Rogue Agent was one of the biggest disappointments in the somewhat checkered history of Code Redd Net. From jump this was a flawed concept, one that tried to associate the storied N64 classic of the same name with another sub par semi-Bond shooter. You can just sense the exploitation and manipulation at work in the game's conceit, practically see the accountants and designers grasping at straws to find any narrative reason to affix the magic words GoldenEye to this product. Like children, they go literal. Hence why our protagonist, a disgruntled MI6 employee who fails to protect 007 in a training exercise, has a prosthetic "golden" eye that gifts him with all kinds of powers. You subsequently join up with Auric Goldfinger to duke it out with his rival, apparently, Dr. No. Kudos to the people who pitched this one for coming up with such a far-fetched idea and really making a go at it (no weirder than the plots for most Bond films, anyway), but they forgot one vitally important thing: we want to play as Bond. That's what we're doing here, that's why we play Bond games. Instead, Rogue Agent forces us to step into the shoes of a flat, uninteresting and forcefully presented "evil" character, one who has no predisposition for stealth or vehicular combat. While this might sound appealing to some players, and indeed the whole game is tailored for maximum shooting and minimum thinking, what this does is rob players of variety, whereas games like Nightfire and the excellent Everything or Nothing break up the firefights and keep you from getting bored. Rogue Agent gets old fairly quickly and only gets worse, especially once that mounting tedium mixes with some frustrating and unevenly paced missions later on. Bond fans might have some fun in visiting or revisiting classic movie locales, especially some of the multiplayer maps, but the lack of CPU bots puts a serious damper on things. Stay away from this one.

Xbox 360 Review: Turning Point: Fall of Liberty (2008)

Boy, I sure love Freedom Fighters for PS2 (it was, after all, winner of the coveted Thrasher's Choice prize at the first Code Redd Net Awards). That game, let me tell you, has atmosphere and style for days. Problem is, it's way too short, so while I light the candles and hope for a sequel, someday, I continue to search for other alternative history action shooters to keep me entertained. It's a niche market, to be sure, and Turning Point: Fall of Liberty is certainly one of its worst entries. Problems arise immediately in terms of the actual alternative history proposed. Though pointing out the logical inconsistencies of such stories is relatively pointless and sometimes quite dubious, I expect, at the very least, that some effort is put into their narrative presentation. Turning Point begins with a quote from Winston Churchill, then asks, literally, what might have happened if Churchill had died prior to the end of WWII. The answer, of course, becomes obvious when the game proper begins and we witness the Nazi invasion of NYC. So Churchill kicks and suddenly the Nazi army has the nerve, not to mention the sheer military might, to invade and occupy America? Not bloody likely. And what about the rest of the Axis? What are they up to? Even putting this ridiculous premise aside, there is little effort made, in subsequent levels, not only to show the Nazi occupation and its effects, but the movements and membership of the Resistance are also vague. And you play as a member of that Resistance! Good luck figuring out your character's name sometime in that first hour of play. Worse, you often find yourself moving through missions, completing seemingly arbitrary tasks, while remaining totally unsure of their significance in the grand scheme of things. It's just busy work, in other words, and that should never be a part of simplistic entertainment like games. Further still, movement through these random assignments is hindered by some slippery controls and guns that rarely fire the way you want them to. True, the levels look pretty nice, and they find cool ways of incorporating famous landmarks into the destruction, but when your path is so limited and your missions so mundane, who cares? I recommend you take the money that would be required to rent this and spend it on a used copy of my beloved Freedom Fighters instead.

Remodeled for 2012?

Get a glimpse into what Code Redd Net might look like if it were launched today rather than 2001:


Evidently, in this fantasy scenario our skills in the graphic arts have remained roughly the same.