Wednesday 30 September 2009

Status report: PC (Albert 'the racist dragon' Bezman)

Hello people of the internets, first off: The Old Republic beta anyone? (http://www.swtor.com/user/register). Unsurprisingly, the site for sign ups has crashed due to the number of applicants, so I wouldn’t be surprised if it is full by the time you read this. Shame.
Secondly, we have a somewhat controversial piece of news (http://uk.pc.ign.com/articles/102/1028810p1.html), and that is of a new counter-strike, which is not made by Valve, but made by some crazy Korean who claims he created counter-strike. Yea right, we all know Koreans don’t play video-games. For me personally, this looks like another way to cash in on the counter-strike franchise by adding minor improvements. The game lacks a new engine, better graphics, and stable publisher support (Counter-strike without Valve is like portal without cake). However, I’m sure you all have your own views on this, which I’m looking forward to reading after last week’s rather ... interesting ‘debate’.
Thirdly, we have this video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LD0AdV6-rAY , which frankly, is hilarious. Bitch. Oh and I also love Mass Effect and everyone should play it.
Lastly, I’m going to close off this week for the PC with this: http://kotaku.com/5367526/this-alienware-pc-has-motorized-racing-vents. Yes, that PC just transformed, and I just had a nerdgasm.
That’s it from the B man for this week, but with any luck, I should have an epic article on great PC RPG’s next week.

Comments?

Sunday 27 September 2009

Weekly Discussion Point- Neill Blomkamp and the Halo movie

So Faith’s review of District 9 is up, and I would just like to clarify the views of Faith represent the views of WASD as a whole. When it comes to reviews of films we usually see the film together and talk over it before agreeing on the score as a group. If we get round to reviewing any games the same thing will be done. Anyway, District 9, this is an interesting film for us movie goers and gamers and it raises an interesting discussion point I really want you guys feedback on.

Neill Blomkamp after producing three short Halo films to promote Halo 3 was supposed to direct the full feature film, sadly the films funding collapsed and he lost the chance. In the wake of District 9 I want to know what you think the Halo film would have been like, would it have been good, do you wish it had happened or are you glad Blomkamp didn’t get the chance to possibly ruin the franchise? Please go into detail when writing your response to this weeks discussion point and email us at:
wasd_blog@hotmail.co.uk, we’d love to hear from you!

Saturday 26 September 2009

At The Box office: An Estrogen-fuelled review of… District 9 (Faith Westlake)


Number 2 at the UK Box Office (knocked down one by Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs) and having grossed £6,380,720 in the Uk alone District 9 is the feature-length directorial debut of Neill Blomkamp adapted from his critically acclaimed short film “Alive in Joburg”. Despite a relatively unknown director and cast this film is far from not having big names associated to it as Peter Jackson takes the role of producer. When I came out of this film I couldn’t decide whether it was god or bad but I knew one thing; that is was powerful. The basic plotline is that an alien craft is stranded above Johannesburg with its inhabitants having no way to return home. This results in a ghetto being created for them to live in “District 9” where they live off waste and are treated like animals despite displaying obvious intelligence. Writing off District 9 as just sci-fi would be foolish as at the heart of the film is a human story. It’s a film about prejudice, politics and the human condition.

The film is shot in an interesting way. Before the films pivots (if you’ve seen it you know where I mean) it is shot like a documentary which gives the viewer an impartial takes on events and manages to fill in gaps in our knowledge with “guest speakers”. The film then changes to more of a drama and this is where character is explored in more depth and we are introduced to the darker side of this whole affair.

Some of the scenes that we are presented with are difficult watching but this is part of the films impact. It’s not just bloody violence which is difficult to watch but talk about controversial issues such as abortion and the violation of our human rights.

The film strives to make its characters seen real. Our protagonist isn’t perfect yet neither is he totally immoral but this aspect of the film makes Wikus generally unlikable. We sympathise with him and his plight but it can be difficult to connect with him and we are almost pleased when he becomes the very thing that he has bullied and ridiculed. The film has a deep sense of irony and can be likened to many power struggles throughout history when the aggressor becomes a victim of their own regime. I also feel that the final battle at the end is drawn out but granted I’ve never had much patience for extended action scenes. Also while on a low note some of the characters just seem overplayed and ridiculous (such as the Nigerian crime lord).

District 9 takes a strong political and social stand point. The aliens (a.k.a: Prawns) are going to be forced from their home of nearly three decades to a camp built specially for them which is described by Wikus as basically a “concentration camp”. When this sort of film comes out we can not help but consider the human condition. Are we orientated toward prejudice and fear of what we do not understand? Really this film is pretty deep and can be understood in many different ways by many different people. In Layman's terms this film is definitely worth seeing at the cinema and although I agreed with the message it was trying to put across I probably wouldn’t buy it on DVD.


Reading through this review again I really feel I should have rated District 9 higher but really I am quite stingy with my stars. Although I can enjoy action sci-fi they rarely get high scores for me but the deep political themes boosts District 9 up giving it a respectable 7.5/10



Enjoy the trailer :) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d6PDlMggROA
Any views or comments? Feel free to email at wasd_blog@hotmail.co.uk

Faith Westlake

Thursday 24 September 2009

Why Albert is wrong! (Stephen Gillespie)

I have learnt many things in this life, some of them more important than others, but when it comes down to the facts of life that everybody needs to know there is really only one rule that we all should live by. Never trust a self professed crazy Russian, this is a fact which mostly goes without saying but occasionally you need more proof, today’s proof is Albert’s previous Blog about PC gaming. Now the statement that PC gaming is great is not wrong, PC gaming is great! Well actually the correct statement is PC gaming can be great. When done right PC gaming is fantastic but sadly it so rarely is. The main problem with the PC is that the darn machine is so relative. When you’re developing a game for a console then you know that there is a possibility that the entire install base could buy your game if you make a really good game because it is playable on every console sold. With a PC however everybody’s PC is different, there is no standard for computers as far as gaming goes, a bad computer will not play the latest good games because it usually won’t have the power. This makes PC developing a minefield! You either cater for all (and get complaints from people like Albert about why the graphics aren’t super good when a PC could handle so much better) or just cater for the top PCs and make Crysis, a great game which few can play due to silly graphical needs. Now I’m all for great graphics and if you’re lucky enough to have a PC that can handle them then PC gaming is superb. The problem is not the games themselves but the fact that making these games is usually such a bad business choice that they’re never made. Due to this PC users don’t get the great games they deserve but rubbish ports of console games. This is rather tragic and is something you cannot solve. PC games can be great, they can be superb but they can be terrible.

Now the PC has other faults, another big one being its dirty content. Crazy rating laws means that consoles are more respectable than PCs, on a console game I can decapitate numerous foes with blood gushing everywhere and you can do the same on the PC. However you can get worse on the PC, enter the infamous dating sims and the sex games. These games can be released on the PC because if you make a game with graphic nudity in it is rated AO (adults only) in America and Sony, Nintendo and Microsoft do not let AO games on there consoles. So where do you go? You don’t want to sacrifice the American market by just not releasing the game; you put it on the PC because nobody cares about that. This is a shame because it reflects terribly on the PC as a games machine. Yes you liken it to graphical marvels but you also liken it to graphic nudity, umm, marvels? Perhaps not marvels but you get the point. Perhaps Albert’s Blog should have been entitled, ‘the PC can be great for games but it’s always great for Porn!’

This sends me in to my next point rather nicely, the Internet. My PS3 has an Internet browser, it’s rubbish but I can check WASD on it so what else do you need. Now the PC has great Internet capabilities but does this really help with gaming? Online console gaming is just as good as online PC gaming (mods aside) the only improvement you get with the PC is web browsing while playing games. So here is where I admit that I do play a lot of PC games, I am a recovering Guild Wars addict and the PC is where I can play very badly at strategy games (the PC will always be the best for strategy games, that’s just a fact). However whilst playing these games I can never resist the allure of facebook or MSN or even WASD being at my fingertips. I can check them and play at the same time, how great is that? Not so much, I am very easily distracted, when I sit down to play a game I sit down to do that. When I am at my PS3, or even my Wii, everything else takes a back seat because there are none of these in-game distractions. I can just play a game. Now this is more of a fault with me than the PC but it’s harder to just play a game because a PC does so any other things.

So to summarise, the PC can be great and Albert is wrong. There are more points I could make but I am trying to avoid rambling so I will finish with a counterpoint to Albert’s claim of Crysis being an advantage of the PC. Metal Gear Solid 4, enough said!

Thanks for reading,
Stephen!

If you want to join in the debate drop us an email at wasd_blog@hotmail.co.uk and we will publish your argument here, on WASD!

Wednesday 23 September 2009

Why PC gaming is great! (Albert 'the crazy russian' Bezman)

If you’re a PC gamer, you’ve no doubt heard the infamous phrase – “PC gaming is dead”. Most of the time it will come from console fanboys who just assume that all the PC is good for is World of Warcraft and getting a virtual date on The Sims 2. And then occasionally this happens: http://uk.pc.ign.com/articles/101/1015622p1.html, which is much like a kick in the face from publishers who are too preoccupied with consulting Hans Zimmer (http://uk.pc.ign.com/articles/101/1019620p1.html) where to place the stick into their rear ends to notice unworthy platforms like the PC (love you really IW).

But seriously now, the amount of ignorant console owners I have met makes me want to break their little Halo 3 headsets before declaring that Master chief is a 360-only douche who deserves to be spat on by Gordon Freeman (we had him first damn it). PC gaming is great, and here’s why:

Shooters:

- No, a controller thumb-stick is NOT more realistic than a mouse and keyboard. Take your finger and point it from side to side vigorously. Yes, do it now. Now spin around in one motion quickly. Unless you are mentally retarded, you will realise that both those motions take less than a second to complete. A thumb-stick takes longer than one second to complete this, whilst a mouse and keyboard are almost instantaneous. Let me put it this way. A piece of hardware should act alongside the speed of the reaction-time of the human body, because lets face it, when you have arms like Chris Redfields, you don’t need five seconds to turn your pistol 180 degrees.

Flexibility:

- The PC is by far the most flexible platform. Not only has it spawned mods which have forever been engraved into gaming’s hall of fame (Counter-strike, yeay), but it also has a more direct user input flexibility in the form of controls. The PC has far more buttons and inputs than a controller, which means you can do far more actions, assign hotkeys, switch between tasks (and chat to your clan mates *nerd snort*), and even look up Pr0n whilst still managing to play Barbie dress up ahem, Dawn of War 2.

The Interwebs:

- If you havent’s noticed, Steam (Valve’s online game distribution platform), is pretty big. It is the archetype of all the modern services like Xbox live and PSN. And guess what, we had it way before the original Xbox was even around!

Hardware:

- Lets see, PS3 current gen hardware: 160GB hard-drive, 256mb ram, 256 of GDDR3 video memory and a single core processor. A good PC today will have: at least 500GB of hard drive space, 2GB of RAM, at least 512mb of DX10 video memory, and a dual core processor. Do I need to explain this point further? The only downside is the cost… ahem

Real-time strategy:

- Fortunately, developers have not gone completely insane and have realised that RTS’s belong on a computer – with great exclusives such as the Total War series and Relic’s Dawn of War series giving the PC an edge when you want to tell a bunch of guys exactly who to shoot (because shooting people yourself is immoral).

Crysis:

- Enough said.

Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Games:

- Because of the controls used on a PC (as discussed earlier), MMO’s naturally belong on a PC. This one is not so great if you’re planning to have a savings account. Or send your children to a real university (World of Warcraft school does not count!).

And finally, when you’ve got Valve’s big daddy - Gabe Newell - saying "PC gaming is thriving", I think it’s safe to assume that we can slowly accumulate radiation from our monitors for a few more years. Now where is that number ‘3’ key? I feel like knifing someone…

Tell us what you think, is PC gaming better or worse than console gaming? Sign up and comment on this blog, or send us an email at wasd_blog@hotmail.co.uk

Monday 21 September 2009

Can Games Surpass Films? (Stephen Gillespie)

Many people look upon games as the past time of pubescent teenagers in dark rooms scoring numerous headshots followed by even more numerous tea baggings. In many cases this is correct; Halo 3 has sold approximately 5.2 million copies, so can we take gaming as a medium seriously or will it forever be an adolescent hobby?

The direct comparison is of course film, film is a highly respected medium and some consider it an art form, but is it possible for games to gain the prestige of movies, or even surpass them? In many ways I would argue that games have already surpassed movies. You do get games like Halo 3 may be the big fish in the pond, the mindless action game that for many non-gamers causes them to look upon video gaming as a childish hobby, but is this any different from movies? People seem to forget when making this comparison that, like games, not all movies are superb pieces of art. The best selling films are always the mindless action blockbusters, turn your brain off for an hour or two and just ride the roller coaster. The highest grossing films of all time are mostly special effect big budget bonanzas. We see this every year, the summer blockbusters- the highest grossing films of the year- are usually mindless action films. This year we had the perfect example of Transformers 2, which was like a thrill ride which kept painfully crashing. This is the same thing we see every year, the biggest films are the action films just as the big games are the action games.

People don’t seem to realise that like films there is more to games than just the mainstream. Games like movies are just a way of telling a story, and the interactive nature of gaming can make it a more compelling way of doing so. My examples for the games versus movies debate are as follows:
 Metal Gear Solid IV
 Half-Life 2
 Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune
 Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic.
These are all looked upon as great games, just in the way that the movies with superbly told stories are looked upon as the great films. The thing which makes these four games special, (and many others) is that they are comparable to films yet manage to surpass them.

Let’s start with Metal Gear Solid IV, the reason for this games inclusion is written right on the back cover, ‘Hollywood-like visuals block buster effects, incredible surround sound and a musical score that push the limits of interactive entertainment.’ This sounds just like the mindless action films of earlier yet this game is held in extremely high regard, gaining perfect scores form prestigious game reviewers. Could this mean that games are just mindless action and this one is the most mindless of all? Of course not, what makes this game superb is the way it tells its story. This game has an unbelievably convoluted story, which twists and turns all over the place. The story itself may sound bad on paper but when you see the way it is told it becomes phenomenal. This is a story which wouldn’t work in a movie, for one it is too long, the average movie is just over an hour and half long, Metal Gear Solid 4 can take about twenty hours. That is a whole lot more, now in long films the story gets lost and you get bored and just wonder why the film is so darn long. In long games you don’t, if they are done well. The advantage games have above movies is obvious, gameplay, interactivity- it always keeps you involved. When watching a movie you see the hero go through all the challenges from afar and at some points you may feel emotionally involved- feel sorrow, empathy, etc- but you are never as involved as you are when playing the hero. When playing the hero every moment you share, this is highlighted in Metal Gear Solid by one moment in particular. There are many great moments in the game but one stands out, as far as interactivity goes and it is the microwave tunnel. It is a scene towards the end of the game, the second to last bit of gameplay, where the ‘hero’ drags his dying body through a tunnel full of radiation. If you see this in a film it can be drawn out and just become too much, you don’t feel connected you just want him to hurry up and get on with it. However when it is you playing this section you feel totally immersed in the character, you want him to get through you are determined, you have spent so long getting this character there that you are not letting him die now. The fact that you have to work towards goals in video games makes them so much more worthwhile when you get there. In a movie the action plays itself, in a game you have to work for it and victory becomes so much sweeter.

Now Metal Gear Solid 4 may sound like it’s full of lots of action, and it is, but there is more to it than just action. You get the great special effects and the cool fighting scenes because you are playing them but you also get the really deep compelling story and neither of these are sacrificed because when you have something with the same scale as a game you do not need too. You couldn’t fit all of this into a film but in a game there is enough room, you can have the greatest special effects and longest most epic battle scenes without sacrificing story or having a film which is way too long, sadly this isn’t achieved very often in film. Metal Gear Solid 4 surpasses films because of the immersive experience, the great story, and the variety but mostly because of the characters. The game is really about the relationships between people and this is done so well, when you feel you are the character it makes emotional scenes between characters even more emotional. The end result is something superb in any aspect that would not work in any other medium.

So what about Half-Life 2? Once more we have more immersion than a film. This is a game that just feels like a film. It’s fast paced and hectic with crazy stuff happening all around you. You’re always on the run and being shot at, that’s cool to watch in films but actually playing it is so much more exciting. The hero of a film will usually always get through, you won’t, and how the next action sequence turns out is all down to you, something you just can’t get in movies. Half-Life 2 basically has many of the same qualities of Metal Gear Solid 4 as far as surpassing movies goes and this is an older game. It may not look as impressive as current games but the effects and facial animation still look amazing. This game may not have the story of MGS4 in my opinion but it is every bit as cinematic. But what makes it really better than a film is the main character. For one he is a scientist, easy to relate with, not some trained mercenary but an everyday man more like you or me (unless you are a mercenary). This helps you to become one with the character, something rarely achieved in films, also the fact you are playing as him from his viewpoint makes it even easier to get lost in his world. So then surely any FPS game would have done as an example, well no; the special thing about Gordon Freeman from Half-Life is he doesn’t talk. At no point do you feel like you are the character until he says something you would never say, it helps maintain the illusion this is you and once more you couldn’t achieve this in a film.

Now Uncharted: Drake’s fortune, it has a good story like the rest (perhaps not quite as good as most) but what makes it really awesome are the characters. This game actually has good acting (something Metal Gear Solid 4 has as well), the characters feel so real but most of all there is a genuine wit found in few other games. This game therefore manages to be funny without sacrificing gameplay, because the gameplay is fantastic. It’s your usual treasure hunting yarn, which is becoming a tired stereotype in movies because it’s always the same thing. They have the treasure, they haven’t- clue, clue, clue, shootout and then they get the treasure. In a film this can become boring and predictable, but in a game like this where everything is action, action and a test of your skill you have to really try to fulfil the stereotype. This makes it less predictable in a certain way and therefore more enjoyable; you get great gameplay and a good fun story, which never becomes boring because the interjecting gameplay is so fun. The kind of gameplay in this just wouldn’t work in a film. Cover based shooting on the grand scale of Uncharted would get boring, but in a game it’s really tense. Uncharted is an example of something you wouldn’t go out of your way for in a film but something that becomes phenomenal in a game.

The last example is perhaps the most convincing one because it is based on a film franchise and manages to further it considerably. I will make it no secret that the Star Wars films are my favourite films but Knights of the Old Republic just one-ups them. You get the great star wars story you expect, it’s playable which makes it more fun, it’s longer which means you get more Star Wars but best of all you get to make moral choices. This is something you could never get in a film, the hero (or villain) does something and you cannot change that. In this game you can personalise your experience, you can do what you would actually do in that situation or act like somebody else. It’s like if in Star Wars Episode IV you were given the choice as Han Solo to go back and help the rebels blow up the death star or not and you were allowed to just go, ‘nah’. This freedom of choice is astonishing, this wouldn’t work in a film because they are not an interactive, but video games are. These game shows once more how games as a whole can surpass films just by letting you interact.

So in my opinion games can surpass films but there is still a long way to go. There are many genres in which games could never surpass films because of the fixation with games being fun, Schindler’s List can be made as a film because it is an experience and is regarded as a work of art. You put this in a game and then you have something horrific and offensive, it’s like the opening scene of Saving Private Ryan, watching it makes you feel like you would never want to go to war, you then don’t feel like ‘oh man lets play that!’ Yes a game would give you a greater experience and show war even more realistically if done right, but who would want to play that. I don’t want to be in a war, it’s one thing watching it because your detached and you can see from a distance the horrors. Being interactive can lift the medium of games above films but sometimes it can bring it straight back down again. But gaming should not be discounted and something childish and it should be as respected as film (certainly some films anyway) because it is surpassing it already and when it matures and gets out of the teenagers bedroom it could maybe get even better.

By Stephen Gillespie
Email wasd_blog@hotmail.co.uk with your feedback

Wednesday 16 September 2009

Ch-Ch-Ch-Changes

For the few of you who check this site you may have noticed that little has been going on, well that is about to change. Get ready for lots of blogging and lots of good gaming and film news. This has started by Faith's top villains blog which I thought was good but factually in-accurate (ahem Palpatine number 1!) It was a good list though but I think Patrick Bateman's best scene is the axe scene, if you have seen the film you know the one (but read the book it is better).

So things are changing and things are happening and you will see alot. But before I leave you to the change here is a big announcement:

THE COMMENT SYSTEM SUCKS SO IF YOU WANT TO POST SOME FEEDBACK OR GET INVOLVED IN ANY TOPICS THEN EMAIL wasd_blog@hotmail.co.uk

A WEEKLY COMPETITION WILL BE HELD WHERE YOU USERS CAN PICK A GAME OR A FILM FOR US TO REVIEW OR GENERALLY WRITE ABOUT OR EMAIL US A TOPIC FOR A BLOG.

Top 5 Movie Villains (Faith)

Ladies and Gentlemen, my first blog. An insight into the some of the most twisted minds in the world of film. This blog most certainly DOES contain SPOILERS, if you haven't seen any of these films then do so because they are all super awesome. This list was severly cut down (orignally top 10) so please comment with any thoughts or extra info. I'd love to hear. Should be reviewing a box office film next week so look out for that but for now enjoy my "Top 5 Movie Villains"




"Father. I would have butchered the whole world... if you would only love me!” (then proceeds to kill his dad in this scene…)”
5. Commodus (Gladiator, 2000)

What can I say about this guy? Well… He murdered his own father, THEN tries to have Maximus killed, THEN has Maximus’ entire family slaughtered oh and THEN tries to get his sister into bed. Killing your father in the first half hour of the film really sets Commodus apart and the sister complex….Deep family issues. Commodus, played by Joaquin Phoenix, is an envious, power mad, amoral demon but lets take into account he’s not just evil he’s INSANE. I think that pretty much sums this character up…

Most influential scene: For me has to be when Commodus gives the thumbs down. Maximus refuses to kill his opponent, the crowd cheers and Commodus frustration at not being able to have Maximus murdered more intense


“I believe in two things: discipline and the Bible. Here you'll receive both. Put your trust in the Lord; your ass belongs to me. Welcome to Shawshank.”

4. Warden Norton (The Shawshank Redemption, 1994)

The Shawshank Redemption proves to be one of the strongest feature film directorial debuts ever known. Frank Darabount secured the rights from Stephen King for a dollar of his bestselling novella “Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption”. One of the rare examples where the film is better than the book. Darabont made numerous changes from the novella in the film’s screenplay most noticeably building on the character of Warden Norton. The novella had numerous wardens through Andy’s stay at Shawshank but reducing it to one adds greatly to character development. Norton is a sadistic, corrupt, overly religious monster who we just love to hate.

Most Influential Scene: The death of Tommy Williams. After Norton orders the brutal murder of Andy’s get out of jail free card we know this is one guy you wouldn’t want to mess with.


“A census taker once tried to test me. I ate his liver with some fava beans and a nice chianti”

3. Hannibal Lecter (Silence of the Lambs,1991)

Manipulative and brilliant Hannibal Lecter, played my Anthony Hopkins, may just be the most intelligent villain in film history. Hopkins Oscar-winning portrayal of Lecter is based on a trilogy of books written by Thomas Harris. It’s amazing to see how after only a few brief meetings Lecter manages to draw in the headstrong Clarice Starling, played by Jodie Foster, and convinces her to divulge memories of her painful past only strengthening his grip. Also, before I forget, he murders and eats people hence earning the nickname “Hannibal the Cannibal”. Lecter sees past the false promises offered in exchange for his help and despite knowing about Buffalo Bill he withholds the information and plays a sick game of cat and mouse. A world- renowned psychiatrist he knows how to get into your head. He’s dignified, cultured and criminally insane.

Most Influential Scene: It’s hard to choose between his first meeting with Starling of his ingenious escape from prison. I think I’ll call it a tie. The meeting with Starling in intense and dramatic whereas the escape scene is gruesome, action fuelled, well thought out and overall brilliant.


“What do you do?” “I'm into... well murders and executions mostly.”

2. Patrick Bateman (American Psycho, 2000)

I LOVE Bateman. The unique character of Patrick Bateman was created by Brett Easton Ellis and is the main player in his bestseller “American Psycho”. Many campaigned to have this book banned for its graphic descriptions of sex, drug use and violence which (unsurprisingly) increased its sales dramatically and in turn a film was made. I couldn’t think of a better actor than Christian Bale to play Bateman; the charm, the finesse, the attitude and the hint of something darker underneath. Bale studied the character of Bateman intensely and even mimicked his lifestyle with days at the tanning salon and intense physical workouts and this devotion to the role shows. Bateman symbolises what was wrong with the 1980’s, although we are against what he does we can’t help but feel empathetic for the sordid world he lives in as a stereotypical yuppie. Intelligent, classy and a murderous psychopath. What isn’t there to love?

Most influential scene: The business card scene, Bateman’s expression after being constantly trumped by his “friends”. Priceless.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OU6SQ_e6VCo



"Are you gonna back all day, little doggie, or are you gonna bite?"

1. Mr Blonde (Reservoir Dogs, 1992)

There was no doubt in my mind over who would be my number one, from the day I watched this film he’s stuck with me ever since. It’s the number one man, Mr. Blonde. Mr Blonde, played by Michael Madsen, is another villain who’s pleading insanity. This was Madsen’s first team up with Quentin Tarantino but he returned to play one of the Bride’s numerous adversaries, Budd, in Kill Bill Vol.2. A total sadist Mr. Blonde seems to be the only member of the team who really enjoys inflicting pain on others. So lets see what earned him the top spot on this list; unnecessarily killing civilians, taking a police officer hostage, torturing him because its “amusing” and then there’s the whole ear thing... Every time he’s on screen Mr Blonde sends shivers down my spine with his complete nonchalance despite his horrendous acts of violence and his willingness to get back onto the crime scene after being out of prison for a few days. Although he’s seriously twisted we can’t deny that in this movie he just epitomizes cool. The gelled hair, the sunglasses, the great taste in music… Although the ear scene in the most disturbing for me the part following is the most intense. Mr. Blonde has doused the police officer in petrol and he’s made the trail. It’s all so slow and we’re just waiting for that horrific moment…but instead he gets shot by the rat, and at this stage, much to my relief. Stuck in the middle with you will never be the same…

Most Influential scene: Need I say it? The ear scene. We all know Mr. Blonde is bad news; we worked that out as soon as Mr. White gives him an earful (no pun intended) for killing those civilians but as soon as he turns on that radio and whips out the razor blade his villainy becomes immortalised.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7CdW-4TRcDQ



Also an honourable mention to everyone's favourite Lord of the Sith, Palpatine :)