Wonky little shitbag

Prior to my watching the wholly disappointing movie that was Sublime, I was talking to some of my friends about it and how it would supposedly kill parts of me I didn't know I had. One such friend said that description reminded her of a book that had a similar effect on her. I forgot about it, because my memory sucks like that, especially after the movie sucked so much ass. But one day, she comes into the call boards (I hang out with theater people as the resident English major), and she hands me the book. Last night, I was feeling particularly bored with Nick@Nite being delayed due to the Kid's Choice Awards, so I started to read.

Crooked Litte Vein by Warren Ellis is a first-person detective story written by a British comic book artist. The story follows Michael McGill who has been hired by the White House Chief of Staff to find a secret US Constitution that has the power to erase all the perversion from the country. He meets up with a little nympho college student, Trix, who becomes his assistant/ sidekick/fuck-buddy as they travel the country diving into some seriously fucked up stuff that--I will say now--definitely had the potential to kill me a little inside.

The writing was great, as far as I'm concerned. Very big on detail, funny quips, and he has so many ways to describe a way someone smiles it's almost unnerving. His dialog between characters is great, from McGill talking with a serial killer on a plane to his chapter-long back-and-forth with Trix. I had to remind myself I wasn't reading a Chuck Palahniuk novel, the style was very similar, But Ellis had one thing that Chuck never will, and thats the ability to be tragic. I mean, Chuck Palahniuk has tragic moments and all that, but they're bookended by sardonic nihilism which is his style and that's why I love him, but the tragic moments in this were amazing. As were the touching moments, and we mustn't forget the fact that I am literally convinced that Warren Ellis was writing about me. Mike McGill is called a shit magnet--someone who has all those big awful things that everyone experiences once in their lives happen to him all the goddamn time. He is the guy who falls for the girl who likes him, wants him, and sleeps with him, but won't stop being with everyone else either. And he reacts the same way I would! I mean, seriously, I literally kept reading to find out whether or not I die at the end.

The book didn't always follow proper grammar, but it was part of the style! There was one run-on sentence that literally went for about a page, explaining Boyfriend Things, but it was brilliant. The end of the book was a bit of a let-down for me. The writing still descriptive and engaging, but the style was lost. It picked up here and there, but the ending, while very clever and kind of unexpected, lacked the wit of the rest of the story. Except the last chapter, which was all of two paragraphs and funny as hell.

So, with the help of my friend and a two-year-old novel, I finally found something that killed a tiny little piece of me inside. Fuck that piece, who needs it? Besides, you know, people with hearts, feelings, love, or dreams.

-Evan "Dez" O'Connor

Biases and Preferences

I realize that part of the reason my Killzone 2 first impression "review" was so long was I kept interjecting with reasons why I felt certain ways, comparing to other games--especially when it came to online multiplayer. So I figured to avoid that in the future I'd make a short list of things that will be present in my reviews and why I may say some of the things I will usually say.

Video games - I am a gamer. Most of my reviews will probably be for things of this type. I own an Xbox 360, a PlayStation 3, a Nintendo Wii, a Sega Dreamcast, and a PC. With very few exceptions, any game that is multiplatform I will play for the Xbox 360. I enjoy all kinds of games, from first-person shooters to in depth role-playing games to fighting games. I like a lot of artistic games as well as the exploration of game as an actual art form. Graphics are important, but do not make or break gameplay, except in the case of overly chibi-anime graphics that I cannot stand and won't play past the first few hours. Persona 4 is a good example for this. The gameplay was fantastic and I was really into it, but the graphics couldn't let me enjoy the game properly. As previously mentioned in my Killzone 2 impression, I don't spend a lot of time with online multiplayer. My reviews of games will not always be positive, as I work at a gaming retailer and have access to all kinds of games. My reviews of games will not always be new titles; a lot of them will be retrospective titles that I have a lot to say about, especially if I find the game hasn't garnered the attention it should have.

Movies - I do not watch as many films as I used to, with school and work eating my life. I like a lot of gore, but I also enjoy comedy, drama, and pretty much anything that will entertain me. From seeing movies with friends, I find I do not watch films the way most people do. I named In Bruges my best film of 2008 not to be contrary from most people swooning over The Dark Knight as many have accused me of, but because the entire movie was fantastic. The acting, the soundtrack, and--most of all--the directing was out-of-this-world good. The directing of a film can break a film that has a lot going for it (ie The Da Vinci Code) but it cannot--or at least very rarely--save a bad film (a la Silent Hill). When the art direction of a game is also good, such as Sin City, a lot of other things can be forgiven. The characters of a film also must draw attention and be relatable in order to feel some form of sympathy for them. The first three Saw movies did this well, making you feel that the victims didn't necessarily deserve to die for their "crimes"--something Saw IV threw out the window when it was rapists and wife-beaters being killed as they rightly deserved, taking away from the sympathy and therefore the unpleasantness that should be expected from watching a torture-porn film. Classic movies are also a favorite of mine, and I hope to review some of them as well. With the current spewing out of half-assed films, a lot of reviews on newer movies may not be very positive.

Television - My favorite television show of all time is M*A*S*H. I own all eleven seasons on DVD and watch them regularly. Some of favorite currently airing shows are House, M.D. and Doctor Who. I enjoy a lot of comedy in my television watching, but a taste of drama is necessary to keep me coming back. When I review a show, I may review an entire season, a single episode, or perhaps even the series to date, depending on the life of the show. A lot of my TV watching is spent either on DVD or Nick at Night, when I'm doing homework in the background, so it is safe to assume a lot of my reviews of television shows will be from the past, but the new season of Doctor Who will lend to a few interesting reviews regarding that show and the history of it's 45-year life. A lot of what I said for films is also true for television, so expect different opinions on shows than your used to.

Books - I also don't get to read as often as I would like, outside of books for literature classes. My favorite authors are Chuck Palahniuk, Mike McCormack, TA Barron, and Christopher Rice. I tend to not read books I don't like, so a lot of my reviews on books will be positive. There probably won't be as many classic reviews as with other mediums as I don't particularly enjoy the classics, but I do appreciate some of them. Some of my book reviews may be closely related to poetry or an art form of some kind. Some reviews may be based off books I read in my youth, and if I feel particularly venomous, I may give my scathing opinion on JK Rowling, the stupid bitch.

Music - I am a metalhead, but I also listen to a lot of different music. The only thing you will not hear me listening to on a regular basis is rap music. I listen to avante garde stuff, some straight rock, some soft acoustic music, thrashing metal, folk, punk, alternative, and really anything that catches my ear in a good way. My pick for best album of 2008 was Amanda Palmer's debut solo album Who Killed Amanda Palmer after her departure from one of my favorite groups, The Dresden Dolls. The choice for best album for me to the wire between Ms Palmer and Weezer's Red Album. I am the host of a radio show, which you can listen to 9PM to midnight EST on Mondays on http://www.wmwmonline.com.

Other reviews I post, such as for concerts or sporting events will probably be limited to UFC events as I am a big mixed martial arts fan. I do not base my reviews on any outside sources, only on my own experiences. Being articulate and having an opinion is something I enjoy, so there will hopefully be all kinds of reviews coming here in the future. With more reviews will hopefully come a readership, so I hope this will turn into a regular happening.

-Evan "Dez" O'Connor