Lurker > Snake5555555555

10/10

I mean SHODAN alone makes this game a ten. Unbelievably disturbing in all regards, built around an incredible sci-fi world.

Chernabog (Fantasia)

Black Phillip (The VVitch)

Satan (Haxan)

Devil Ned

Yeah the comedic elements are rather understated but definitely a vital part of the film. The whole scene with Pertwee getting patched up in the bed ("I said knock me out, you fuckin' pussy!") is pretty damn hilarious.

Cavedweller2000 posted...

Dog Soldiers (2002 film)

@Cavedweller2000

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/user_image/3/4/5/AAR-tQAADz-x.jpg

(5/6/9 = 20)

Dog Soldiers is a 2002 British werewolf film, written and directed by Neil Marshall (who would go on to direct the all-timer The Descent right after this). Set in the Scottish Highlands, Dog Soldiers follows a group of Army trainees, led by the charismatic Sergeant Wells (played by Sean Pertwee), though the real main character is actually Private Cooper, played by Kevin McKidd, a skilled soldier with high morals who was failed out of a special forces program for refusing to put down an innocent dog at the behest of his commander (not Wells, another man by the name of Captain Ryan, more on him later).

This is a mostly excellent movie, offering some imaginative ideas on the werewolf genre while still wearing many influences on its sleeve. A clear reference point is Predator - especially at the outset of the film - soldiers in the woods, snarking it up with mucho machoism, being stalked by an unknown force complete with infrared tint. Some may call it plagiarism, I call it paying homage, and besides, I think Dog Soldiers quickly abandons its Predator pretensions for something more Assault on Precinct 13 by way of Goldilocks mixed with 1977's cult dog horror The Pack (even a little dash of Night of the Living Dead for good measure).

The army trainees end up holed up in a farmhouse deep in the woods, besieged by the monstrous yet familiarly human manwolves. The film builds up tension steadily, only showing the beasts for brief glimpses at first, wisely reserving their full, scarily sinewy designs for more climactic efforts. However, the glimpses at the creatures are mesmerizing & unsettling. All the while, human drama plays out within the house, mostly between Cooper, the aforementioned constantly leering and puss-faced commander Captain Ryan, and a zoologist named Megan, who definitely blossoms her character out over the course of the film, revealing many hidden layers. She's played by Emma Cleasby, an actress I really wish was in more films because I love her performance here - she mixes quiet desperation, hidden strength, and steely reserve to an absolute tee.

Liam Cunningham's Captain Ryan really knows how to chew up the scenery and he's a great character as well. He was out in the woods with his team for one purpose - to capture one of the werewolves, and Wells' & Coopers' trainees were actually the bait for this plan, though obviously it all went to shit. Ryan's lack of remorse is apparent, and at times even comical - though this helps aid the film's obvious double entendre title - with soldiers being the dogs, themselves, pointed into the jaws of death by their superiors. However, Ryan was injured by the pack, which means werewolf infection is in full effect, and his transformation scene is great. It doesn't reach the grimy & intense levels of something like American Werewolf, but his writhing and growling in subdued pain & terror is certainly appropriate for the tone.

Dog Soldiers consistently ramps up the action while holding the audience in a perpetual fairy tale fantasy. The film makes constant reference to the classic Three Bears tale - eating their food, sleeping in their beds, downright wrecking the place. As it turns out, the very farmhouse they're holed up in belongs to the wolves. When Megan turns out to be a werewolf herself, the poor woman cursed to this life of hell, caught between her human side and her commitment to the pack, the film pulls its final classic folk tale twist and turns it into something quite different than what it appeared to be. One criticism I do have with this though is Megan's "time of the month" line, like, the film feels like it's piling on too many metaphors with the werewolves at that point and also she's hilariously felled with one bullet before she can complete her transformation, completely deflating any tension.

You know, writing all this out now, it's hard to believe how a filmmaker's schlocky homage to his favorite horror films can have so much to discuss. Dog Soldiers I feel is currently the last amazing werewolf film we have in the canon. Yes, there have been attempts - Trick 'r Treat (which only loses out because it isn't a pure werewolf film), Underworld (doesn't really attempt to do anything interesting with werewolves besides action), Late Phases (too little-known) - but Dog Soldiers feels like the end of a last bastion of werewolves in horror, and if you watch this you can feel the flood of intensity from a man who clearly loves him some men-turned-dogs (not in THAT way). It has fantastic action, effective horror, and an underrated moody atmosphere that sets it apart from the pack. Plus, it's even funny. Sometimes, unintentionally probably, but I don't know, it just adds to the film quite nicely. If you're a werewolf fan and somehow haven't checked this film out yet, you are truly missing out on something incredible.

Personal:
Parasite Eve
Final Fantasy X
Koudelka
Sweet Home

Historical:
World of Warcraft
Final Fantasy VII
Dark Souls
Planescape: Torment

Animaniacs
X-Men
Duck
Freakazoid

Oh my god yes

7/10

While it still suffers from Telltale syndrome of choices not mattering in the slightest, the reinterpretations of classic Batman lore are enough to really grab my attention here. There's something refreshing about playing as Bruce Wayne beyond novelty (perhaps the only thing the Arkham series forgot to nail), seeing Gotham from a different perspective - through the eyes of civilian rather than vigilante. Usually well-relegated, cookie-cutter side characters like Bruce's parents or Vicki Vale are used with proper nuance in this game, and I find they really help twist Bruce's morality code in a way never really dealt with in a Batman game before. Even the Joker is used in an almost sympathetic bid - hardly the chaotic mastermind we're used to seeing in Batman games. Of course, it does fall back on the problems of Telltale's previous series, too much repetition, choices never really mattering, weak writing in spots, sub-par presentation; but I'm still willing to call this an above-average game in their catalog - maybe not reaching the heights of Walking Dead S1 or Wolf Among Us, but definitely a step up from other entries that seemingly flooded the marketplace at the time.

Ned Flanders

Robazoid posted...

I'm good with the trade deal if you are!

Looks like we have a permanent pact then!

Satan (Haxan)

Pactin' for Haxan auto (we should probably make the Ned trade auto everyday at this point!)

Garden
Futurama
Movies
Rick

Ooph ER2 definitely has one of the worst twists in recent memory.

Yeah you are, just gotta find time to rewatch Dog Soldiers so I can provide the best write-up possible.

1. Eat Men Eat
2. Welcome to Hell
3. Sugar/Tzu
4. The Race is About to Begin
5. Still
6. 27 Questions
7. Dangerous Liaisons
8. The Defence
9. Hellfire
10. Half Time*

This album freakin' rules.

Sorry I've been a bit pre-occupied lately!

I think the drama and personal stuff definitely gives the songs an extra edge but I personally care about having a good song first, and finding out the meaning second. This album flipped that too much for me personally.

6/10

I think it's a neat little sci-fi world and story.

Ned Flanders as the Devil

Satan (Haxan)

Pactin' for Haxan auto

Gargoyles
Titan
Ghost
Evangelion

I think the difference here is it was played on radio with some other pretty high-profile songs and also it's genuinely a good song people like quite a bit.

God damn VHS 99 was excellent.

Black Phillip (The VVitch)

Ned Flanders

Satan (Haxan)

Pactin' for Haxan auto

Yes I've been following this story for ages. When I saw this topic I thought it may have finally been discovered who or what it is!

Gravity
Samurai
Pokemon
Titans

God damn it I didn't hear about the 3am version until now.

Anyway, my first reaction to the original release was the production and lyrical writing were 10/10, but the songs themselves were a bit meh for me. But new Taylor albums always grow on me over time! I liked You're on Your Own, Kid, Snow on the Beach & Vigilante Shit the best so far.

Also those revelations are insane.

Oh shit

Drop Resident Evil Zero for Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory

RevolverAxolot posted...

Worst Silent Hill game has some of my favorite tracks in the series

This Sacred Line
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nYhNOLR0ON8
Alex Theme
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3seN6A-GPhc

Yes absolutely this! Love One More Soul to the Call too

Black Phillip (The VVitch)

Ned

Satan (Haxan)

Pactin' for Haxan auto

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MCP7ro5_5N4
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uEleTSVf0Ss
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jfvc5zT11kc

The last one looks it could be based on the Castle RE4 Beta build.

Seeing RE4 remake legit had me tearing up, oh my god it looks so fucking good.

Call of Cthulhu: Dark Corners of the Earth
Clock Tower 3
Devil May Cry
Devil May Cry 3: Dante's Awakening
Eternal Darkness: Sanity's Requiem
Fatal Frame II: Crimson Butterfly
Fatal Frame III: The Tormented
Haunting Ground
Kuon
Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty
Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater
Resident Evil Code: Veronica
Resident Evil (remake)
Resident Evil Zero
Resident Evil 4
Rule of Rose
Silent Hill 2
Silent Hill 3
Siren
Twisted Metal: Black

Bloober could forego combat entirely which would be a huge mistake. Bloober has never had a full fledged combat system in their horror games, which was fine as they mostly didn't need it as they're fully psychological experiences - except for The Medium which played really boring without a combat system I think. The same thing would happen with SH2. You need combat because interacting and having to face the monsters and subsequently your own fears is essential in telling the story of SH2. I hope they look to the remake of RE2 for reference - the combat system feels simultaneously modern but never like you have all the power thanks to the erratic and unpredictable movement of the enemies. Something like that would be perfect for SH2.

Batman
Dexter
Edd
TMNT

Fortnite

Ned Flanders

I'm probably excited for Townfall the most honestly. I absolutely love Stories Untold and it looks like it can be a unique experience in the series.

Satan (Haxan)

Pactin' for Haxan auto

ChaosTonyV4 posted...

Who the fuck is Ryukishi07?

Creator of Umineko and Higurashi When They Cry

This was pretty sick honestly. Cautiously optimistic about all!

South
Possible
Sailor
Bebop

I dunno

5/10

sure