Lithium Binge

Film: Arrival (2016) Director: Denis Villeneuve Studio: Paramount Pictures LB Rating: 3/5 ( old rating : 7/10) Arrival (2016) tells the story of linguist Louise Banks as she uses her expertise to communicate with ominous aliens. Apparently, this film is based on a short novel entitled "Story of Your Life" written by Ted Chiang. I haven't read the short novel so I can't say how well the adaptation went nor how much of the film is attributed to the short novel. For now, I'll assume that the film's content is its own until I've read the short novel. That being said, I think Arrival presents a very refreshing take on the alien narratives of the sci-fi genre. While most alien narratives focus on the damage and distress brought to humanity by the arrival of aliens, Arrival distinguishes itself by focusing on an actually very practical question: How do we humans talk to them? Arrival answered the question pretty well, making it the central theme to which...

Film : The Grudge (2004) Director : Takashi Shimizu Studio : Columbia Pictures LB Rating : 2/5 ( old rating : 3/10) The Grudge (2004) is the remade version (for American viewers) of the Japanese film Ju-On: the Grudge (2002). The Grudge is basically a collection of interwoven short stories connected by the haunting of a vengeful ghost. The film does not adhere to usual film structures. There are several characters but it is difficult to point out who the main character really is (yeah I would say Karen, but only on the basis of long screen time). The short stories are told in a non-linear manner, that is, the stories are not chronologically arranged. The Grudge also boasts of introducing one of the most iconic horror characters ever: Kayako. Personally, I do not find The Grudge to be an effective film in most aspects. It isn't particularly scary save for one or two jump scare scenes. Nor is it fundamentally scary, like effective horror films that stay with you for a while. T...

Game : Final Fantasy I (2004) Director : Hironobu Sakaguchi Developer : Square LB Rating : 3/5 ( old rating : 7/10) Final Fantasy I is a fantasy roleplaying game released by Square for Nintendo consoles. In the game, you control a party of four different heroes, each armed with a specific skill set. You play to lead these heroes to their quest of restoring the natural order of the world by defeating the cliche evil villain. To accomplish such quest, you participate in different other sub-quests such as saving a princess, helping a village, learning ancient forgotten language, exploring an Atlantean country, and of course, battling lots of unique monsters. The turn-based menu battle system in this game lets the player create different strategies according to the various skill sets of the heroes. The journey is accompanied by the gorgeously composed game music of Nobuo Uematsu. Final Fantasy I has a clear direction as a game, and the solid execution never steered away from that...