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You Should Be Watching American Ninja Warrior!

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For a few years now there has been a show called American Ninja Warrior it is based off the Japanese show Sasuke.  The whole concept is that prime athletes complete a series of obstacle courses with each one being more difficult than the last, and in the end they get to climb the obstacle course Mount Midoriyama.

The things they have to do on this show are amazing, and you almost cannot believe that humans can complete the tasks the game show creators come up with, and most of the time they cannot.  Because on this show if no one is good enough to complete the challenges then no one wins, and they all just try again next year.

It is great to see a game show that is purely based on physical skill and fitness, and to watch the competitors root for each other because they want to see someone win, instead trying to stab each other in the back, and technically all the contestants that qualify to Mount Midoriyama could win, so there is no reason not wish the best for your fellow competitor.

The show is on Monday nights on NBC at 8PM Pacific Time, and it is a lot of fun.  You should tune in.

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Shmee Watches a Sounders FC Match!

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Thanks to Lynden Door, my wife and I got to take in a Sounders FC match.  They played Chivas USA which is based out of the Los Angles suburb of Carson, CA.  The Sounders won 2-1.  This was the first MLS game I have ever been to, and I have to say I was impressed.

At first I didn’t see the draw, nothing was happening and I was a little perturbed because the seats were too good, so we were sitting with the mega fans, and we had to stand up to watch the match, but then the ball got near the net, and my mind seemed to grasp the flow of the game, and I started to have fun.

The vibe at the game was quite a bit different than the intensity of football, well compared to Seahawks football anyway, or the super laid back feel of baseball, again comparing it the Mariners.  It was kind of a mix between the two.  The crowd was engaged, but at the same time not crazed it was a good feel, and it is easy to see why it has caught on so fast in Seattle.

It was also nice that the action never stops except for half time, so you watch two forty-five minute halves with a fifteen minute halftime, and a few minutes of extra time thrown in to make up for penalties and whatnot.  The whole thing only takes about two hours which is good.

The seats we had were great. We were in the lower 100 level on the sideline, seats I would consider murder for a Seahawks game, so we could see all the players easily, and watch the game at both ends without issue.  The only problem is that since we were with pretty dedicated fans, we never got to use the seat part of our seats except for halftime, but it was fun being with people that cared about the sport.

If you get a chance to go to a match, you definitely should.  It is a lot of fun, and while the games can start off slow, the tension builds, and soon you are rooting for the Sounders FC, and wishing you had bought a scarf to fly your local colors.

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Its The Rocketeer!

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The Rocketeer was released in 1991, and it was directed by Joe Johnston.  It is based off of a comic book character of the same name that came out in 1982, and it also one of my friends’ favorite movies, and it is easy to see why.

The story starts with some FBI agents following a couple mafia members that have some sort of package.  During the chase they shoot down a pilot Cliff Secord (Billy Campbell), and at the end of the chase one of the mafia guys stores the package in Secord’s hanger in his mechanic Peabody’s (Alan Arkin) old World War I duffle bag.  The feds catch the mobster, but miss the package.  Secord of course finds it and it turns out to be a rocket pack created by Howard Hughes, and Secord uses it to become the Rocketeer, and defeat the Nazis.

The plot is simple and fun, and it is easy to tell Johnston was trying to relive the simple fun of the old serial shorts like Flash Gordon.  The good guys are good, and the bad guys are bad, and everyone is super patriotic.

The actors look like they are having fun especially Timothy Dalton playing the villainous actor Neville Sinclair, he channels Errol Flynn quite well.  The film also features Jennifer Connelly as Secord’s actor girlfriend Jenny Blake, and any movie she is in is a plus for me (sorry Lindsey).

The special effects were great for 1991, and even thought they show a little age now, they mostly hold up and do not distract from the campy fun of the film, and Joe Johnston’s steady hand as a director keeps this film focused, light hearted and fun which a lot of comic book movies of today have forgotten.

I loved this film growing up, because it filled me with a sense of awe and wonder, and it is easy to see why my friends adore it.  If you are looking for a little good hearted fun and action look no further then The Rocketeer!

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Chummers Rejoice Shadowrun Returns!

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This is not going to be a review since I have only played this game for like thirty minutes, but since it was one of the more popular Kickstarter games pulling in over $1.8 million in funding, I figured I would let you know that it is out, and it looks pretty good.

As followers of my site know, Shadowrun is a universe set in the future that features cool technology and magic together, and the World is run by corrupt giant companies that Runners do missions for.

It is a top down isometric turn based RPG, so decidedly old school, but something the gaming community had been missing.  The graphics are bright and vibrant, but still give you the dark environments that Runners live in, and it looks like they have every class that you could want to play as available.  They also included a level editor so you can make your own missions or download others off the internet, so the game could have a long shelf life.

I am just happy that someone is trying to make Shadowrun a top tier franchise again, and I wish them the best!  The game is not expensive and is on Steam, so it is worth a look if you want to relive the glory days of CRPGs for awhile.

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Abide With The Big Lebowski

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The Big Lebowski was written and directed by the Coen brothers, and it was released in 1998.  Like most of the Coen’s movies it was not an instant success, but has become a cult classic.  It is a ridiculous movie, but still quite good.

The movie at is heart is about Jeff “The Dude” Lebowski (Jeff Bridges) trying to replace his rug after an Asian man urinated on it after confusing him with another Jeffery Lebowski (David Huddleston) who happens to be a millionaire.  The Dude teams up with bowling pals Theodore Donald “Donny” Kerabatsos (Steve Buscemi) and  Walter Sobchak (John Goodman) to try and work everything out, but they are in hopelessly over their heads.

The story is amazingly complex, but in the end matters very little.  The story is really about getting know the characters in this movie, and how they react to the ever changing quest that they are on.  It is hilarious to watch it all unfold.  The Coen’s know how to write a movie.

It would not have worked without the great performances of Jeff Bridges and John Goodman.  The Dude is a role that will define Jeff Bridges probably for the rest of his career, and Goodman’s Walter is the perfect foil for him to bounce off of.  The rest of the actors do their jobs well, but they mostly just set the stage for Bridges and Goodman.

The movie contains quite a bit of strong language, so that may be off-putting for some, but I think this movie is great.  It is also a good movie for repeat viewing since the Coen’s jam packed the movie with so many little quips and nods that you will probably miss them the first time through.  The Coen’s have continued to make great films, and The Big Lebowski is no different.  I think it is well worth watching just to see Jeff Bridges be The Dude, and to know that The Dude abides.