Farewell, Weekend America!

The last show of Weekend America aired today on the radio. Now, I have to admit, that I never much cared for the show--I thought it veered wildly from deep interviews to bubbly fluff that undermined any credibility the more serious reporting might have built up.

Still, I was somewhat sad to see it go. For one, as someone in the middle of a job search, I can empathize with the process that everyone who works on the show must be going through. Will I find a new job? Will I have to move somewhere I won't fit in? Why now, as the economy is going through such troubles?

On the other hand, all things have to end. Otherwise, the world wouldn't be life, just some Garden of Eden lite. Of course, everyone who's played video games understands this. Games that are too easy where there are no setbacks, no challenges, are boring as all get out. As we get closer to creating virtual worlds, the same rules apply, and act as tests that can be applied to reality. What is typically regarded as a frivolous activity--video games--may provide a new form of scientific philosophy where experiments can be directly used to test the big questions.

In any event, I'll miss Weekend America--mindless fluff included.

Max Payne

The history of video games that have been turned into live action movies goes back to 1993 and Super Mario Bros. Of course that was a side scroller with minimal plot. Today I went to see Max Payne. The difference between Super Mario Bros and Max Payne as video games is profound. Super Mario Bros grew purely out of the a desire to build a fun game within the limits of the technology of the time.

Max Payne, on the other hand, was heavily influenced by Hong Kong action movies. Its central feature, bullettime, seemed to be drawn directly from The Matrix. So how did it fare returning to its roots as a movie?

I'd have to say results were mixed. There are some truly awe-inspiring visuals set up throughout the film, but the intensity of the action scenes is blunted due to the PG-13 rating. In the Hong Kong action movies, the old ultraviolence never seemed squeamish, and neither did Max Payne the video game. The movie, however, feels somewhat constrained in that regard, and it shows.

My rating: 3 out of 5 stars

For the record, here are the movies based on video games that I've seen:

Double Dragon
Mortal Kombat
Mortal Kombat: Annihilation
Wing Commander
Lara Croft: Tomb Raider
Pokémon 4Ever - Celebi, Voice of the Forest
Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within
Resident Evil
Lara Croft: The Cradle of Life
Resident Evil: Apocalypse
Doom
Resident Evil: Extinction

None so far have gotten 5 out of 5 stars from me. The closest is Resident Evil, that I'd give 4 stars. I do have hopes for Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time, on of my favorite video games of all time and one that prides itself on its cinematic sequences. I have great hopes for director Mike Newell (Four Weddings and a Funeral). Here's hoping!