But it sucks being handicapped by playing it on the 360 instead of on the PC. Man. Every time I touch a FPS on a console I leave with a bad taste in my mouth, but great memories from my eyes.
Sure it looks good, kind of like that waitress at the restaurant. But the moment you try to do anything with her, things just get awkward and you cannot find her blouse's zipper, er I mean the controller buttons, and your stick just doesn't cooperate. You get nervous, miss a few important shots, and then you are rejected faster than Harold from Red Green. Wait, was i talking about picking up a waitress, or Call of Duty 4 on a console?
If you haven't played it, hate consoles, but have friend that already has it.... then PLAY it! Oh man is it good. Great story. I loved the plot lines and the many different things you got to do. It isn't just a "run through the buildings, clearing them and gathering intel. I mean, you get to play as the gunner on an AC130 for crying out loud. That was THE best part of the entire game! Nothing else made me go "Wooooooooooo" (and yes I actually said that while playing it at work over lunch).
Having said all that, I beat the game in about 2 weeks of lunches and a few nights of staying late. I would have liked a little bit more playability out of it. But fortunately there is an "Arcade" mode where you choose the difficulty of the enemies, choose your level, and off you go. Sure would be nice to be able to have a specific mode for AC130 battle.
CoD4 on the 360 gets 4 stars, because console controls are awkward, slow, and inaccurate compared to playing the same game on a PC. But the overall game gets 5.
Just saw this movie with the people from work. This was a crazy freaky movie. Very well made. Well acted (nod to the only actor receiving more than 10 minutes of screen time - Will Smith). And well written. It ended before I was ready for it to end. It only 1/2 way resolved. There is loss. There is gain. There is a freaky mannequin fetish (ok, only 1/2 way kidding).
Warning, if you or your spouse, or SO, or friend is at all afraid of the dark, or monsters, or is freaked out by zombies-ish-ness then just don't go because it won't be the movie for you.
Overall I give this the highest rank. The movie drew me in and no matter how long it lasted, if it kept up that pace & quality, I probably would have not noticed for several hours.
Here is a movie I can't remember when I last saw it, but I listen to the soundtrack on a monthly basis.
As far as the movie is concerned, IMDB has the scoop; Won 7 Oscars, 22 other international awards; nominated many more times; directed by Sydney Pollack; stars Meryl Streep and Robert Redford. The movie is set in the early teens of the 1900s in colonial Africa. Synopsis is that a Danish woman, marries a friend for the title of Baroness and they move to Africa and start a coffee plantation. Things unfold when her husband begins cheating on her and is away on business often, so she's at home alone, working on the farm and bonding with two men she met in her first day in Africa.
The one time I remember seeing the movie what I remembered is the slow and deliberate pace that matches absolutely stunning cinematography. I'm talking about sweeping vistas that make Lord of the 0Rings look like a back lot production.
But enough about the visuals. The most outstanding feature of this movie is the Cinematic score by John Barry and included works by modern masters like Neville Marriner conducting the Academy of St. Martin-in-the-Fields and performer András Schiff. If you listen to classical music, then you know these two names and you certainly have heard of John Barry.
This is not the kind of score to listen to when you have 5 minutes and want something to "pick you up." Grab a puzzle or cuddle up with someone and get a fire going in the fireplace (or flick the switch for the gas fireplace), put the kettle on, brew up some tea, coffee, hot chocolate, and enjoy one of the best movie soundtracks ever composed.
John Barry composed his Oscar winning masterpiece with sweeping melodies that feel like a delicate silk nightie running past your face. Expert and extensive use of the string section with brass supports and accents is what sets this score apart from others by Williams or Howard Shore (not that I put down either of theses two of my favorite composers).
The main title starts with a grand entry of the brass section introducing the main theme supported by a constant tremolo of high strings. I can just see the curtain being pulled back revealing a great vista of African plains with thunderstorms in the distance. The brass quickly fade to allow the strings to assume their role of completing the majestic theme. The themes continue for the rest of the tracks using a back and forth trade off where the strings build tension for the brass to fulfill that tension and retire shortly after doing so. Delicate flute and piano solos take turns in the spotlight through out the pieces. Included in the score are a few wisely chosen classical pieces by Mozart which are played by the actors in records as part of the movie.
One word of warning with regard to the mood of this soundtrack. Persons capable of being swept away by music should avoid listening to this score if depressed or lonely. The moods and orchestrations used evoke sympathetic emotions likely to amplify those feelings and deepen despair and perceptions of helplessness in the face of the onslaught of life. I know that on multiple occasions I have been reduced to such myself.
Overall I rate this in my top 10 all time original musical scores with Schindler's List, Amistad, Star Wars, Indiana Jones, and others.
