For all you geek whiners out there who complained that the holodeck on Star Trek: The Next Generation could never work because if they walked a mile in simulated reality, they’d bump into a wall after three feet, I give you the plucky Japanese robotic answer to this conundrum:
Tag Archives: geek
Last Tango In Jadac
A friend who knows I’m jonesing for Dexter and Mad Men to return, sent me this online game Last Tango In Jadac, based on the Movie Network’s show ZOS (Zone of Separation). The start of the game introduces a character called Speedo Boy, from which you can guess his costume choice (played deliciously over the top by Enrico Colantoni, who geeks will know as the guy who framed Gigolo Joe in Spielberg’s A.I.), and he invites you to wander the streets of Jadac and meet his people.
Being a newbie to The Movie Network, I’m trying to get as much cool, commercial free stuff in as possible and have watched a couple ZoS to recognize the characters around the game. LTiJ is an “interactive fiction experience” that utilizes 3D graphics as navigation, which takes a bit of getting use to to move around, and Flash video that lets you interact with Jadac’s population. Stick with it and you’ll be rewarded with an almost David Lynchian web adventure: surreal, death defying, unnerving and spatially discordant. It’s probably the best form of Flash/Video marketing I’ve seen in a while.
Moving around the square you meet up with many of the characters of Jadac who all want something from you or need to give you advice, drugs or tasks to complete within the game. Ultimately you’re trying to get out of the ZoS without getting zipped up into a body bag, of which I haven’t been able to finish without finding myself getting unzipped by a couple of Canadian peacekeepers (there’s a seriously frustrating bug in the game within the Speedo Boy/Minefield part – the game refuses to recognize any keyboard commands and you instantly wander where you’re not suppose to – boom, you’re dead). While the concept isn’t new the fusion between story and discovery/exploration is worth some attention and compliments the story well. Some areas of Jadac are not safe for work – you can choose to take on the job of porno cinematographer and film a mildly graphic sex scene (men’s bum, a tit) and some are seriously depressing (dressed down scenes of white slavery) but it does have flashes of fun. The stories shift between events and areas as you wander around interacting with characters, giving you a sense of the dark, almost Catch 22 vibe of the show.
LTiJ is a great marketing tool for the show, even if you’re not a fan. It’s worth a few minutes of your time. Pro tip: If you die, stick around for the credits – the final shot is a nice behind-the-scenes look at how they filmed it.
In Times of Economic Troubles…
You’ve probably heard of this movie by now. It has nothing to do with Aptow but does have the post-teen comedy sensibilities that he’s been known for and it’s from Kevin Smith. The movie has already gained notoriety for it’s original posters being yanked in the US (portrait shots of the two leads subtlety getting head) and replaced with sarcastic text next to stick figures. Thankfully, Canada has a sense of humour and I get to see Seth Rogan’s happy “O face” every morning on a local bus shelter.
At this point I have to admit that I have a big man/bear crush on Seth Rogan and Kevin Smith: admitted geeks and big funny guys with facial hair, so I’m kind of biased. But after seeing the preview I (and I am sure many others) asked myself “What the hell does Miri see in Zack?” She’s a bit too beautiful to be hanging out/hooking up with someone like Seth in my books, but the trailer makes her look slobbish matching Seth’s re-occurring character choices of the slovenly lovable mensch. It’s typical of Kevin Smith’s movies to have one casting moment where you have to suspend some belief (Uh… Allanis Morrisette as God?). But in getting Traci Lords to do a small part might wipe that all out and redeem his past transgressions.
My second admission is that I, like so many of you out there, have always wanted to be revered/paid for as a sex porno god. If my family is reading, go away. I’ve never acted upon this desire, but there it is.
Fan Expo 2008
This year I wanted to take a more subtle look at the Fan Expo (one of the largest Comic/Game/Fantasy/Horror conventions in Canada) as opposed to my usual freaked out, get-that-shot-now, kind of photo hunt. And I found it intriguing, humourous and somewhat unnerving.
Intriguing:
Intriguing in the sense that there are people who spend hours and hours on a single costume to wear maybe twice a year (three times if they’re trying to make a viral video. Some cases, these people are like-minded as myself – so in love with the culture that they need to express themselves in cloth and plastic, but I can only stare in awe at the detail, but then I thank god quickly that I have a life. Seriously, kudos to the great costumes out there.
Humourous:
I mean come on. If you’re going to wear it in public, then you better be prepared for bitter, angry people like me to take your picture and post it to the web in ridicule. Chubby Vader? Cute! WTF-costume that makes me scratch my head, shrug and hit the shutter on my camera? I can guarantee there are 4 more like me just behind me with their cell phone cameras ready.
Unnerving:
Finally there are people who go to the Expo just to wear what they like and be “accepted” in a crowd. Much like wearing a tube sock over your dick at Pride. For the most part, we really don’t need to see your outfit, but hooray we live in a enlightened society. Case in point, first picture, can you find the odd princess out in the group of Disney heroines?