In terms of technical stuff, this is probably one of the worst episodes we've ever done: Jim's Skype is worse than ever, and typing and Skype bloops can be heard at random times throughout the proceedings. Still, though, the actual podcast content is pretty solid (if I may say so).
This week, Tiff, Linde, Jim and I talked about the suckitude of videogame movies; head to the official Podtoid page to check it out, or subscribe to us on iTunes. Specific topics of discussion include:
Why do videogame movies suck so badly: Yeah, they take away interactivity, but can some videogame ideas work if transplanted correctly to cinema?
Uwe Boll: Douchebag, or Pretty Cool Guy?
Resident Evil movie: You can't knock zombies unconscious.
The Street Fighter movie: Raul Julia is God's gift to an ungrateful world.
Double Dragon: Just look at that man's hair. My God, just look at his hair.
Animated game movies: A slightly less crappy variety of crap.
Hidden burping contest clip at the end: It goes against my nature to actually mention it to you, thus making it not hidden, but Jesus Christ it's gross.
This week's $25 question prize goes to SR388. Gimme your email in the comments and your prize money will be delivered forthwith.
[The intro/outro is Flat Beat by Mr. Oizo.]
Contest:
3:03 PM on 03.06.2008
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Shit, everyone I grew up with played that game.
This is going to be a good one; looking forward to listening .
Really! That game was fun! Remember the cups of goobley gooop?
It was a flawless choice. No flaws.
I honestly think that this is one of the main reasons video game movies suck so bad. You get to know these characters, and then all of the sudden you're watching a Belgian play a soldier U.S. Air Force. WTF?
Whoa . . .
Fact: Koga Shuko was a lieutenant in the Golden Lords, until the entire outfit realized he looked a little too...Asian to be included. He was exiled, melted into a puddle of mercury, and did not rise to power until The Distant Future. So sayeth the legend.
Man, all I'm thinking about now is a Big Daddy with a slanted fade . . .
I think once a director is out there who really enjoys the world of the video game they are making, and who understands the characters a bit, a good video game movie can be made and be successful. Making a movie based on a game just because it's successful, it's tough to do right. Making a movie based on a game because the people writing and directing it ENJOY it and want it do do great, well, when that happens we'll get some great movies.
Sidenote: I have no clue what the hidden Burping Contest Clip refers to. :( Can anyone clue me in?
I cannot belive you all picked my question much less gave me 25 dollars for it! This day has gone from good to fucking Amazing!
Ill send my mailing info later tonight!
!!!
Good times, good times.
Been a movie that shares it's name, and nothing else, with a video game.
I think a truly successful video game movie will happen when a talented group of filmmakers makes a movie that takes place within the strict confines of a particular game universe but has nothing to do with the story the source material was telling.
I don't think you can or should translate a video game's story directly to film with any success.
It happened in the opposite direction, but I think one of the best and most engaging Star Wars video games was Republic Commando, which had nearly fuck-all to do(directly) with any of the stories in the films.
I think a successful video game movie, and a direction I would love to see the industry take, would be a companion to a video game, and not a re-telling or translation or adaptation. Imagine if before Gears of War was released there had been a Triple-A movie chronicling the time period leading up to the desperate decision to use Fenix?
A side-note regarding the bit of discussion about the long shot in Children of Men: I think the live-action Halo shorts felt very visceral and pulled off the first-person perspective very well(certainly better than Doom did). And the Halo shorts also harken back to my previous point about video game films being a companion to the game rather than an adaptation of the game.
And last but not least, I unashamedly enjoyed the Resident Evil movies. I can't say with any certainty that this wasn't because Milla Jovavich is incredibly attractive.
Also, Gan Ning is on meth.
I'm kinda disappointed that when FF:AC was brought up nobody mentioned the FF movie that was before it and how if that hadn't bombed Square might be making more and more of these movies
Anyway, what the heck is the name of the song played at the beginning and end of the podcast? I know I've heard it before.