Wednesday, August 31, 2016

REVIEW: ELVIS AND NIXON


ELVIS AND NIXON worked like a charm on me. It's a breezy way to spend an hour and twenty-five minutes but finds the time to inject plenty of heart into these characters that are larger than life simply by existing. The film follows Elvis Presely from a fateful night at his Graceland home to the front lawn of the white house attempting to hand deliver a letter to President Nixon that is a "matter of national security." You see, Elvis is fed-up with the way society is going and he firmly believes that he can help change the fabric of America if he can go undercover as a Federal Agent-At-Large and infiltrate dangerous groups like The Commies, The Black Panthers, and The Rolling Stones.

Tuesday, August 30, 2016

THE IN-BETWEEN SHOW: THE VERY SPECIAL PRECINCT SPECIAL



This week's YouTube video is a podcast! Wrap your brain around that! Basically, we had some camera issues and our video stopped recording about halfway through. Fortunately, we were able to save the audio! So here is MJ talking to Michael Morea, Matthew Morea, and Slade Oran about their latest project, THE PRECINCT: DECEPTION. If you want to watch the film, you watch it right here for FREE!

Monday, August 29, 2016

REVIEW: KUBO AND THE TWO STRINGS



Kubo spends his days in the town square of his small village telling elaborate stories using his magic shamisen to bring elaborate origami creations to life. After staying out too late attempting to contact the spirit of his father, Kubo's location is given up to the fearsome Moon King and his deadly twin daughters. With The Moon King on his tail, Kubo must go on a quest to find a set of magical armor which will lead to The Moon King's demise.

Friday, August 26, 2016

THE BEFORE AND AFTER SHOW EPISODE 72: BEFORE DON'T BREATHE



This week, MJ is joined by his wife, Kristen, to talk about the 2016 horror/thriller DON'T BREATHE! Do they think it's going to be a tense thrill ride or a total disaster disguised as a lean and mean thriller? Listen to find out! Also, COREY TINDALL IS BACK! He and MJ take you all the way back to the turn of the century to talk about Mary Pickford and her effect on filmmaking as a business as well as her talents in front of the camera. MJ and Kristen also talk about the two pilots they've seen for Amazon pilot season and their reaction to the latest trailer for Damien Chezelle's LA LA LAND! Check it out below!

Monday, August 22, 2016

The Future of Video Games


2016 is a crazy time to be alive right now if you're a video game fan or anyone interested in getting into the video game industry. Since much of video game development depends on hardware and software, technology advancement has always played a huge role in how the video game industry ebbs and flows, particularly in terms of what types of software can be developed. 

In years past, different spans of time (i.e. 2003-2008) have been categorized by the term "generation" which denotes the years different consoles and games were produced and developed. Usually these console "generations" have consisted of three of four major hardware and software companies developing a gaming console and supporting it with software for about 5 to 6 years before the next, usually more powerful console arrives.

Most recently though, the industry finds itself in the 8th console generation with the main consoles consisting of Nintendo's Wii U, Sony's Playstation 4, and Microsoft's Xbox One. What makes this console generation so different than past ones is the fact that after only 3-4 years all three major companies are planning to either launch a new console (Nintendo) or a new "iteration"(Sony/Microsoft) of their current consoles with only minor tweaks made things like processing power, streaming capabilities, battery, etc. This is very unusual in the gaming industry and I believe there are a few main factors that have led to this interesting and worrisome development in the gaming industry.

1. Technology trends have changed, a lot.- Technology has changed so much since the previous 7th generation that many people who were only passive gamers and used their console for other things such as movies or streaming have gravitated to streaming devices like Chromecast, Apple TV, Fire TV, Roku, etc… These passive gamers have found their interest in games satisfied on smart devices, tablets or PC and therefore don't need to invest in any of the 8th generation devices. Another main way technology has changed is the progression to the point of being able to give consumers "relatively" affordable Virtual Reality (VR) possibilities. Whether or not this will catch on is yet to be seen, but this something that has definitely drawn away some gamers' interest in dedicated 8th generation consoles.

2. A rift has occurred in software development. - As home consoles have gotten better and faster, the cost for third party developers to program software goes up and up exponentially. Because the 7th generation had such a huge install base the software development companies invested tons of money into their R&D for 8th generation software hoping to make that money back plus so much more. But since the 8th generation has had a substantially less install base for all three major consoles, this has created a development rift, where software companies like EA or Ubisoft must develop an annual Call of Duty or Assassin's Creed(with continually diminishing quality) to break even on the cost of developing for these consoles or face major financial loss. This means mostly no new IPs from most software companies, a lot of lazy "HD" remasters for established software companies, and uninspired sequels with paywalls of DLC in almost every major home console release. This sounds depressing, and you might be thinking to yourself, where are all the new creative worlds, concepts, characters, and gameplay mechanics you ask? Well the answer is they've all gone indie. Indie developers can spend less for startup development and release their games on platforms like Steam or the App Store, or even virtual stores within in the console networks like Nintendo's virtual console, or Sony's Playstation Store with minimum hassle and escape the financial ruin that has become the sad story of many third party developers in the home console market.


3. The consoles were all underpowered at launch. - Anyone who is heavily invested in video games or software development in 2016 will tell you that all three major current generation consoles were woefully underpowered when they launched in 2012 (Wii U) and 2013 (Xbox One/Playstation 4). Though video game consoles have come a long way in what they can display in terms of graphics and frame rates, PC gaming had already hit those benchmarks years before any of these systems had come out. In earlier generations there used to be a chasm between the difficulty of setting up a gaming PC and the ongoing cost for upkeep versus the ease of a purchasing a home console. But now with technology moving at such a rapid rate and becoming more affordable than ever, even most standard PCs nowadays are capable of producing graphical and frame rate performances comparable and usually better than all current eight generation home consoles. All this to say, that in the past consoles have normally launched ahead of the curve in terms of power and performance, but in the eight generation this is not the case and Sony and Microsoft are playing catchup. 


4. The Wii U is a commercial failure.  - This has to be its own point in the conversation of the eight generation consoles, because even despite how much I love the Wii U and personally think its a better console than the original Wii, no one can deny the fact that it has been a huge commercial failure for Nintendo. Whether you like Nintendo or not, they're a huge tentpole in the gaming industry and their actions and reactions tend to be one of the factors that shapes the way the gaming industry evolves. They innovated and stunned with the original NES, the developed the standard layout for most controllers with a d-pad, they pioneered motion controls and shifted Sony and Microsoft to do the same; the list can go on and on. The point is, Nintendo has some weight to throw around the industry, and the fact that the Wii U failed forced them into a corner to develop something new with codename NX (their next console system). This news of Nintendo releasing a new console that would innovate and possibly be more powerful than their current console offerings may have given Sony and Microsoft another strong reason to pursue developing their "new" consoles, the Xbox One Scorpio and the Playstation 4 Neo which will be released next year in 2017 to compete with the NX.

So with all these major points currently at play, it's very interesting to try and speculate what the future of video games will be in a couple years. Will VR catch on and we'll all be playing video games with dedicated goggle headsets and motion controllers? Or will Nintendo's almost confirmed home console hybrid, the NX, take the the world by storm and show us we can have a true console experience in our pocket and then bring it home to our living room? Or will a majority of gamers switch over to PC's and force many of the dedicated console third party software development companies to follow? I truly don't know, and your guess is as good as mine. Like I said earlier "2016 is a crazy time to be alive if you're a video game fan".

Thursday, August 18, 2016

THE BEFORE AND AFTER SHOW EPISODE 71: AFTER PETE'S DRAGON (2016)



And we're back! This week, your fearless duo head to the forests of the PNW to uncover the mystery of PETE'S DRAGON (2016) and the bigger mystery of why Ryan liked Suicide Squad! There's talk of kids movies, Star Wars, and personal taste here and it's a real good time!

Wednesday, August 17, 2016

Before Ben Hur (The Good One) - The Before and After Show

This week we're taking on the 1959 classic, Ben Hur!

Friday, August 12, 2016

THE BEFORE AND AFTER SHOW EPISODE 70: BEFORE: PETE'S DRAGON (2016)



The live action re-boot of PETE'S DRAGON is here and Ryan and MJ are here to talk about it! They discuss their expectations for the film as well as the nature of all these live action Disney re-makes! MJ also discusses all the films he's been catching up with, and our dynamic duo talk about Christopher Nolan and the trailer for DUNKIRK!

Wednesday, August 10, 2016

REVIEW: SING STREET


With his parents on the verge of divorce, his adjustment to a strict new school going less than stellar, and his entire country in financial turmoil, Conor is having a rough time. When an aspiring model named Raphina enters his life, in a moment of pubescent over-confidence, Conor asks if she would like to be in a music video for his band. The problem is, he has to start a band.

THE IN-BETWEEN SHOW: BEFORE AND AFTER PLANET OF THE APES (1968)



It's a random Wednesday bonus episode for your ears! This episode was recorded a few weeks ago on July 24th. MJ and his guest, Robert Mayo, went to see PLANET OF THE APES (1968) for Robert's birthday! It was a special screening put on by TCM in conjunction with Fathom events and Regal Cinemas. A good time was had by all! So tune in and hear both Before and After MJ and Robert's journey to the planet of the apes!

Monday, August 8, 2016

After Suicide Squad - The Before and After Show

What did we think of Suicide Squad?  Uhhhhhh, you might want to see down for this one...

Sunday, August 7, 2016

REVIEW: I SAW THE LIGHT


Hank Williams is a struggling country-western singer trying to work his way up to The Grand Ole Opry stage. The film chronicles his tumultuous marriage to Audrey Williams, birth of his son, Hank Jr., struggles with addiction, and his untimely death due to a combination of heart failure, alcohol, and horse tranquilizers. Amidst the personal trials in his life, Williams became a bona fide country-western star and in just six short years in the music industry, left a legacy that still inspires would be country musicians to this day.

Thursday, August 4, 2016

THE BEFORE AND AFTER SHOW EPISODE 69: AFTER JASON BOURNE



We're back! MJ and Ryan are back to talk about the slight (and slightly stale) JASON BOURNE, fawn over how good STRANGER THINGS, and STAR TREK: BEYOND are, and talk about Mel Gibson and the trailer for his latest directorial effort, HACKSAW RIDGE! Seen JASON BOURNE? Let us know what you think!

Tuesday, August 2, 2016

REVIEW: STAR TREK: BEYOND


During a rest from their five-year mission, the crew of The U.S.S. Enterprise agree to help a scientist whose vessel broke down on a planet in uncharted space. What should be a routine engineering mission goes sour when The Enterprise is destroyed by Krall, a mysterious and violent alien in search of a precious artifact held in the ship's vault. The crew is forced to evacuate and find themselves stranded on an unknown planet. They must re-unite and stop Krall before he unleahes a powerful ancient weapon on a large section of the Federation.

Before Suicide Squad - The Before and After Show

We're back with another Youtube video, with new co-host, Michael Morea! This week's episode we discuss our expectations for the the next film in the DC extended "meh"-niverse, Suicide Squad. And we're visited by the monster from Lights Out!