Movies – Page 18 – Colin McMahon

Playing the Future: First Weekend with the Samsung Gear VR

Posted on May 17, 2016 by Colin McMahon

This last Saturday, I made a purchase. Having long been following the growth in the emerging virtual reality (VR) market, it made sense that I finally dive in. My purchase: a Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge smart phone and a Samsung Gear VR headset. At the time, I worried that, given how busy my weekend was, I wouldn’t find a lot of time to fiddle in the new realm of virtual reality. Turns out, the Samsung Gear VR has no problems capturing and holding attention.

It took a short while to set up. From getting my phone/headset to being ready to go probably took roughly two hours (for the record – most of this was time spent copying over phone data and driving to/from my house). For those looking to get one of these things, I definitely recommend doing it in the morning, so that VR can occupy the rest of your day.

The Gear only works with newer Samsung products (Galaxy 6 and up) so you may need to upgrade your phone to play.

Jumping in, I was immediately impressed by… the shopping menu screen. Sounds weird, right?

The menu itself was fairly standard. A collection of input boxes like “Store” and “Library” that would not give anyone with any electronics experience pause. No, what made the menu captivating was the fact that, after putting on my Gear VR, I was suddenly in a house that wasn’t my own. Moreover, it was a fancy, futuristic home. While I can’t move around it (to my knowledge) I could look to the kitchen, the pool, out the sunroof – anywhere I wanted.

Part of the future house is visible in the background. No 2D picture, however, is able to do this justice.

The couch I was sitting on felt far away and, despite the far-from-perfect resolution, I actually found part of my brain believing that I was really there. Again I want to stress – this was a storefront.

My first actual experience was a Cirque Du Soleil program that came free when I installed the Oculus storefront. When it began, I was in an empty auditorium, sitting in either the front row or directly on stage. Many of the Cirque Du Soleil clowns came towards me, dancing and laughing (as clowns do). Those with clown-related fears, be warned – they come right towards you and hang around at your left and right for the remainder of the show.

Then a rope swing descended above me and I watched as two other performers appeared. They mounted the rope swing and it ascended, giving me a front-row seat to their short performance. They swirled and twirled and did all manner of acrobatic feats in the short time I was able to watch them. This performance, like most VR experiences was on the shorter side, and it was over before I knew it.

I hadn’t even played a game yet, and already I was sold on the experience. With most movies – you watch. That appears obvious to type. Watching Captain America: Civil War – I watched a bunch of heroes fight. I didn’t just watch Cirque Du Soleil – I experienced it. Was it a perfect substitute for reality – no, it was in a place in-between.

This was made clearer by Nomads, a VR-only show that takes the user around the world to three nomadic tribes. It was a short documentary without any narration, yet was still an incredibly immersive experience. I felt like was canoeing through villages, visiting their homes, watching them cook food. VR’s ability to place me within the world led to an incredible, personal, voyeuristic experience.

This was one of the perspectives experienced in Nomads. — This was one of the perspectives experienced in *Nomads*. Sadly the video quality was not usually at this resolution when I played.

Remember when the Nintendo 64 and PlayStation came out and suddenly 3D… er limited 3D was possible? Characters were still confined to a 2D screen, but were able to move around freely and explore like never before. VR is an experience similar to this breakthrough, only on such a grander scale. The Gear even enhances 2D experiences like Netflix – I was taken to a cabin in the mountains and provided with a theater-sized screen to watch movies on, surrounded by portraits of the characters from Netflix’ original programming (my favorite was the portrait of Bojack Horseman). I have yet to watch a full movie in Netflix VR – but it is definitely on my to-do list.

In the Netflix VR app - you're on that couch. — In the Netflix VR app – you’re on that couch. The TV looks a lot bigger from that perspective.

Another program, Milk VR, allowed me to play personal movies from my phone as if I were in a theater. I can’t tell you how amazing it was to see my dog as a puppy again, chasing her tail right in front of me.

To tell the truth, I didn’t spend much time in the games. I have ordered a controller and am waiting on that to dive in – but let me just say this: Minecraft exists on this thing. If it is anything like the other experiences I have had, I will not be playing Minecraft outside of VR from now on. (I have already written an article on how Minecraft may be the definitive app for VR).

The games I did play included a temple-run style space game, where I controlled a ship by leaning my head to the left and to the right, and a coral reef adventure game where I swam around in a virtual undersea world. I didn’t play much of the undersea one as it appears to be an experience that will be better with a controller. Even with the limitation – it was still a lot of fun.

I also installed Sisters… but haven’t mastered the courage to play it yet.

There are some drawbacks to the device – so far, I haven’t found any terrific social apps – so it can be a little isolating in the VR world. I have installed Altspace, but the one time I have tried it, I could not get past a loading screen (at least I think it was a loading screen). Some of the apps can also be a little nauseating, although that problem too has been going away the more time I spend in VR. Also, while the controls on the side of the headset aren’t bad – it would be nice if controllers were more available. The phone can also get hot if it’s made to do too many things at once – this problem has only been experienced once so far.

One last note – where is the X-Men Cyclops game for this? It is the ultimate no-brainer. Get on that, Marvel.

In short, the Gear is one the cheapest “true” VR device on the market. It cannot do the things that the Oculus Rift and HTC Vive can… but it is still an incredible device that shows how wondrous the future will be. The age of virtual reality is upon us, with all its strengths and challenges. I advise everyone to dive in as soon as possible, and the Gear VR is a great way to do so.

Captain America: The Most Enjoyable Civil War in History

Posted on May 6, 2016 by Colin McMahon

Remember a while ago when I wrote that the dominance of the Superhero genre was ending? While I still believe that the inevitable demise is coming (and much closer than it was before), I will admit to being wrong in my timeline. Of course, making entertaining, quality cinema is the best way to prolong the life of any franchise (or genre) and, where Batman V Superman failed, Captain America: Civil War has succeeded in being a fun, if inconsequential, blockbuster. Continue reading Captain America: The Most Enjoyable Civil War in History

Godzilla: What Kind of Resurgence will Toho Bring?

Posted on April 14, 2016 by Colin McMahon

I had planned to write a post on the stages of Amiibo addiction, but I’ll save that for another time. A couple of trailers debuted yesterday and I want to talk about this one:

Needless to say, this footage is pretty striking. The images of a glowing, bleeding, gnarled Godzilla frame a stark contrast from the monster last seen by mainstream audiences in 2014. Shin Godzilla, or Godzilla Resurgence as it will be known internationally, is the 29th Toho Godzilla film and the 31st overall iteration in the franchise.

The new Godzilla is grotesque, with large chunks of exposed muscle tissue and bone, not to mention a multitude of sharp dagger teeth.

Since his original film in 1954, Godzilla has become an unparalleled film icon. It is the longest running, largest film series of any character (outnumbering even the 26 James Bond films). He is part of the modern mythology of the twentieth and now twenty-first century, and has such seen many interpretations.

Godzilla has been a father, a force of nature, an angry spirit, a protector of Earth, a radioactive mutation, and, most famously, a symbol of man-made nuclear destruction. Watching the trailer for Godzilla Resurgence, it seems fairly obvious that Toho has selected to invoke this original, most striking interpretation of the Godzilla mythology.

Fun fact: Godzilla's skin has always been designed to show radioactive burning, but this is the first iteration to go further. — Fun fact: Godzilla’s skin has always been designed to show radioactive burns, but this is the first iteration to go further.

Before I continue further, it is interesting to note that, to date, Japan is the only one to pursue this horrible envisioning of Godzilla. When the United States has adapted the King of the Monsters, there is always the tendency to distance his creation from the use of nuclear weapons. The 1998 film actually comes the closest to preserving his nuclear heritage, but even that movie reduces Godzilla to the byproduct of a French nuclear test, and not the direct result of the United States using and testing atomic weapons on its then enemies.

Even the unmade American Godzilla adaptation featured an origin very similar to the 2014 film, where Godzilla is an ancient creature from before the dinosaurs. (This point taken from David Kalat’s book, which can be found here).

Godzilla Resurgence appears to be a direct sequel to the 1954 film, and by that I mean it will likely not include any of the other films in the Godzilla series in its continuity. This would make it the fourth time that Toho has used a direct sequel to start a new series (yes I am aware of the Millennium series – I will talk more about that in a bit). The others include Godzilla Raids Again, The Return of Godzilla (Godzilla 1985), and Godzilla 2000: Millennium (Godzilla 2000). Of those, this will be the second time that Godzilla has appeared in a movie solo, without fighting another monster – The Return of Godzilla being the only other Godzilla sequel to not feature another monster.

The Return of Godzilla marked the first time that Toho tried to return Godzilla to his somber roots. — *The Return of Godzilla* marked the first time that Toho tried to return Godzilla to his somber roots.

Each of these films began a “series” of Godzilla films. Godzilla Raids Again is the first film in the Showa series, the Godzilla films between 1955 and 1975. The Return of Godzilla launched the Heisei series, covering all Godzilla films between 1984 and 1995. And Godzilla Millennium appropriately launched the Millennium series, spanning 1999 to 2004. Each of these series has their own unique feel.

The Showa is historically marked by silliness and “cheapness.” As the first series, this is when the effects looked their “worst.” It also saw Godzilla primarily as a good guy, the defender of Earth against all other monsters. The fights were brawls, typically featuring a lot of wrestling moves. This series saw the most movies, the most monsters, and the greatest range of film style and tone.

Dancing Godzilla was part of the Showa… and this is nowhere near how zany things got.

The Heisei series is “serious.” These films feature a continuity, with each clearly happening after the one before it. This is the only Godzilla series where a clear continuity is evident. The costumes became bulkier, Godzilla became meaner and more a force of nature than either villain or hero, and the fights became more beam-oriented and less close quartered.

The bulky design rendered a lot of fighting movement impossible, but the "cheap" look of the Showa was quickly forgotten. — The bulky design rendered a lot of fighting movement impossible.

With the Millennium, nearly each film became a direct sequel to the original. Despite this, there is almost a continuity present as nearly all the films share a similar tone (Godzilla, Mothra, and King Ghidorah being the exception). The Millennium series can be described as an interesting mix of what came before. Godzilla is mostly the good guy, although never to the extreme that he was in the Showa series. The films are also, for the most part, less serious – or take themselves less seriously – than the Heisei, although again not to the extent that was seen in the Showa. This is the shortest series and the one to introduce the fewest new monsters to the Godzilla mythology.

I am making a point with this lesson in Godzilla film history (besides my having too much free time), and that is this: the first film does not necessarily echo how the series will be shaped. Godzilla Raids Again had a lot more in common with its 1954 predecessor than did Godzilla’s Revenge, yet both are part of the Showa series. GMK and Final Wars had nothing to do with Godzilla 2000 and were both tonally different films.

Godzilla vs. Hedorah features an LSD sequence, animated segments, and a flying Godzilla. This film was part of the Showa series but is unlike any other Godzilla movie... and probably any other movie, period. — *Godzilla vs. Hedorah* features a LSD sequence, animated segments, and a flying Godzilla. This film was part of the Showa series but is unlike any other Godzilla movie… and probably any other movie, period.

So, while Godzilla Resurgence looks to be bringing back the dark and ratcheting up the horror from the original, it is still too early to say what the spirit of the Shin or Neo (or whatever the fourth series is ultimately called) Godzilla series will be. Will there be continuity or will it be more disjointed (continuity at this point looks less likely given the stark imagination of the Godzilla suit)? Will Godzilla remain a horrifying menace or transform back into the good-guy defender of Earth?

The only thing for sure is that it is unlikely that audiences will be seeing the good-guy anytime soon from Japan. I base this off no definitive information, but rather by looking at the international landscape. For the first time ever, Toho will not be the only company putting out a Godzilla series. “The Legendary Series” as it is already becoming known, will span at least three films, and features a Godzilla who seems to be nearly completely the positive presence. Toho may likely opt to go darker just to form a distinction.

For all his power, this Godzilla definitely has the feeling of a superhero. Fighting King Ghidorah will only cement that.

But all this may be getting ahead of ourselves. Let’s hope Godzilla Resurgence is good enough, and successful enough, to spawn a fourth Godzilla series. There are simply some things that Japan still does better than the United States.

Godzilla Resurgence is directed by Hideaki Anno, creator of Neon Genesis Evangelion. While that series started off entertaining, consistent would not be the word I would use to describe it. — *Godzilla Resurgence* is directed by Hideaki Anno, creator of *Neon Genesis Evangelion*. While that series started off entertaining, consistent would not be the word I would use to describe it.