theSCENE

Issue 24 / April 2011 / Warez-bb.org

New Release of the Website

5 to Watch
FIVE SONGS YOU
SHOULD KEEP
YOUR EYES ON

Bejeweled 3
SIX YEARS SINCE
THE LAST RELEASE
SEE WHAT THIS
HAS TO OFFER

The Black
Swan
A LOOK INTO ONE OF THE
YEARS MOST DRAMATIC
MOVIES
The Scene
CONTENTS
General
ISSUE 24  |  APRIL 2011

04. Flying Thoughts

Movies & Music

05. Let the Right One In
07. Harry Potter 7
10. Aftershock
12. Easy A Review
15. Black Swan
17. Due Date
20. Fight Club
23. Let Me In
26. Scot Pilgrim vs the World
29. Piranha 3D
31. Somewhere
33. The American
35. The Expendables
37. The Fighter
39. The Other Guys
41. Blue Valentine
44. 5 to Watch
45. Deadmau5 4x4=12

Tech & Games

35. 999: Nine Doors, Nine Persons, Nine Hours
47. Bejeweled 3
48. Donkey Kong Country Returns
49. Operation Flashpoint: Dragon Rising
50. Poker Night at the Inventory
51. In Celebration of Indie
52. Little Big Planet 2
53. Super Meat Boy
1  \ theSCENE \ WAREZ-BB.ORG Contents
The Scene
EDITORIAL
ISSUE 24  |  APRIL 2011

Editor
ENIGMA
Co-Editor
Hello, and welcome to a new issue of theSCENE!
.:Nvidia:.
Writers Team Leader First of all, I’d like to apologize for this late release. Over the past couple of months many of
feenzie our team members have been very busy in real life. However, the team never gave up. I would
Artists Team Leader like to thank each of them for putting this awesome issue together!
Surferdud3
QA Team Leader I am happy to announce a special addition to this issue; the magazine’s new website is up!
~EvilBaby~ We have decided that some articles will be published there that are not included in the PDF
Writers Team Assistant release.
spiderman120988
Artists Team Assistant For this month’s release, the following articles will be exclusively available via our website:
Prendy “Tron”, “Tron: Legacy”, “Alien Anthology”, “Paranormal Activity 2”, “The Social Network”,
QA Team Assistant and” Resident Evil.” You can read these articles and more at www.readthescene.org
Writers
druid101
On behalf of the entire team, I hope you enjoy reading this issue.
BlueMaxima
Artists
dingo_d .:Nvidia:.
Lora
kerwoer
Quality Assurance Team
Aquascum
Haplo12345
Thunderstruck
druid101
Magazine Team Compiler
Surferdud3
Cover Design
Surferdud3

Editorial WAREZ-BB.ORG \ theSCENE \  2  

 I NEED YOU
TO BE A
PROOFREADER
If you have a love of writing, reading and great
grammar skills,
Message ~EvilBaby~ now!
3  \ theSCENE \ WAREZ-BB.ORG
 Flying Thoughts
Cartoon by : Red Panther
Layout by: Surferdud3

General WAREZ-BB.ORG \ theSCENE \  4  

LET THE
RIGHT
ONE IN
RELEASED 10 MARCH 2009 (US) 10 APRIL 2009 (UK) WRITTEN BY SPIDERMAN120988 DESIGNED BY PRENDY
Rated R (Some Bloody Violence including Dis- Patrik Rydmark - Conny
turbing Images, Brief Nudity and Language) Johan Sömnes - Andreas
Mikael Erhardsson - Martin
Running Time: 1 Hour & 55 Minutes Rasmus Luthander - Jimmy
Elif Ceylan (voice, dubbed) - Eli
Cast: Susanne Ruben - Old Eli

Kåre Hedebrant - Oskar Directed by Tomas Alfredson

Lina Leandersson - Eli

A
s much as I would like to review every movie that comes out, it’s just not
Per Ragnar - Håkan possible due to my hectic schedule. I’m forced to pick and choose, and
Henrik Dahl - Erik sometimes certain movies get lost in the shuffle. One of those was 2008’s
Karin Bergquist - Yvonne Swedish film “Låt den Rätte Komma In” (translated “Let the Right One In”),
based upon the 2004 vampire novel of the same name by John Ajvide Lindqvist.
Peter Carlberg - Lacke It is now available on Blu-Ray. Unfortunately, not many people saw the film as it
Ika Nord - Virginia was overshadowed by the highly-anticipated (and inferior) “Twilight.” It was re-
made in America with the shortened title “Let Me In” directed by Matt Reeves
Mikael Rahm - Jocke and released in 2010. Again, not many saw that film either as it flopped at the
Karl-Robert Lindgren - Gösta box office. At the risk of regurgitating my review for the remake, I’ll just say this:
Anders T. Peedu - Morgan “Let the Right One In” is one of the best, if not the best, vampire films that I’ve
ever had the pleasure to view.
Pale Olofsson - Larry
Cayetano Ruiz - Magister Avila Oskar (Kåre Hedebrant) is a lonely 12-year old boy living in the western

5  \ theSCENE \ WAREZ-BB.ORG Movies & Music


Stockholm suburb of Blackeberg in 1982. One night, he spies a young girl and
her father moving into the empty apartment next door. The girl,Eli (Lina Lean-
dersson), initially warns Oskar that they cannot be friends, but the two even-
tually form a close bond. However, their relationship is complicated when it
becomes apparent that Eli is not the 12-year old girl she appears to be, but is in
“
fact, a 200-year-old vampire.
The melodrama and angst is not over-
blown and what remains is a sad and
poignant tale of romance.
The differences between “Let the Right One In” and the remake are minor at
best and fundamentally, both are the same film. Alfredson’s adaptation is more
faithful to the novel as the screenplay was written by Lindqvist himself, al-
though some of the subplots involving the secondary characters are jettisoned
as it would’ve drug the pacing of the film. While “Let the Right One In” may fall
into the horror genre, it is not meant to scare or terrify. Its focus is on telling the
story of two lonely souls who find solace in each other’s arms. The melodrama
and angst is not overblown and what remains is a sad and poignant tale of ro-
mance. Both Oskar and Eli are misfits that are ostracized by society. Everyday
Oskar lives in fear of the bullies that torment him at school. He fantasizes about
revenge and exhibits a morbid interest in killers and their murders, keeping
newspaper clippings in a scrapbook. The sense of isolation he feels is often re-
flected in its snowy, gothic atmosphere and Alfredson’s lingering camera shots.
For Eli, everyday is a fight for survival. Being immortal breed’s loneliness and
most would’ve killed themselves long ago to spare themselves the pain. Oskar
and Eli were made for each other. They are in love even when the concept of
love is foreign to them. The novel is certainly more graphic with the true nature
of Håkan (Per Ragnar) and Eli’s relationship more explicit while it’s only hinted
at in the film. Eli’s real gender is alluded to in one split-second shot and Lean-
dersson’s voice is dubbed by Elif Ceylan to give it a more mysterious, androgy-
nous quality. A flashback showing how she was turned was initially planned,
but it required the castration of a live pig and according to Alfredson, that’s ‘bad
karma.’ There is gore, but it never presents itself in a sensationalistic way; when
Eli feeds, it resembles a predatory animal attacking. As the credits rolled while
Johan Söderqvist’s excellent score played in the background, I felt teary-eyed
and I don’t remember any vampire film that has had such an effect on me.
Oskar and Eli are played by first-time actors, but they capture the essence of
their characters perfectly. Kåre Hedebrant often says more with his blank stare,
the rage he feels, and the companionship he so desperately seeks, than with
actual dialogue. Lina Leandersson brings a child-like seductive quality to Eli,
Movies & Music
alternating as a fresh-faced innocent youth and a withered, gaunt nightmare.
No CG was used to portray her vampire form but the minimalist makeup used
is effective. The rest of the cast includes some of the secondary characters from
the novel, such as Lacke (Peter Carlberg), Virginia (Ika Nord), and Gösta (Karl
Robert Lindgren) but they don’t make much of an impression.
The Blu-Ray may not be demo material as the picture quality appears dreary
and bleak with its muted colors, but it faithfully preserves the film’s gothic at-
mosphere. Audio is subtle, with a focus on ambiance and dialogue. Söderqvist’s
score creeps in and shines in evoking the right emotions. Also, view the film in
its original Swedish language. I don’t care how lazy you are with reading sub-
title; a lot of what is being conveyed is lost in the English dub. Unfortunately,
it seems Magnolia Home Entertainment screwed up the English subtitles by
thumbing them down from the theatrical version so make sure you check that
it says ‘English Theatrical’ on the back of the box. Yes, that means going to the
store because employees are too simple-minded to know the difference.
“Let the Right One In” played at several film festivals (including the New York
Tribeca Film Festival) before being released in Sweden and the United States on
October 24, 2008. The film never had a wide release in America and its domes-
tic box office came to $2 million, with a worldwide gross of $11 million, which
isn’t bad considering its production budget was only $4 million. Reception was
overwhelmingly positive with an almost-perfect 98% on Rotten Tomatoes.
Critics found it ‘reinvigorates the seemingly tired vampire genre by effectively
mixing scares with intelligent storytelling.’ Everything that is needed to be said
has been for “Let the Right One In.” This isn’t just a vampire film; this is a mas-
terpiece and if you haven’t watched it, then what the heck are you waiting for?
“
Oskar, I do it because I have to. Be me,
for a while. Please Oskar...be me, for a
little while.
Note: In Swedish with English subtitles.
WAREZ-BB.ORG \ theSCENE \  6  
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1
Directed by: David Yates Review By: SpiderMan120988
Rated: PG-13 Running Time: 2 Hours Design By: Surferdud3

I
t’s amazing, isn’t it? Most franchises barely last into their third (or
fourth) films and still maintain a consistent quality, but for the past
decade, the “Harry Potter” films have only gotten better. Looking
back, I regret that I didn’t give it the chance that it deserved. I prema-
turely judged the series as appealing to only children when I first viewed
“Sorcerer’s Stone” in 2001. Now we have the penultimate chapter, “Har-
ry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1” and the tone has grown in-
creasingly darker and bleaker, shedding much of the child-like whimsi-
cal aura that permeated the first two installments. Based on the seventh
and final novel from J.K. Rowling, director David Yates and writer Steve
Kloves have decided to split the 759 page book into two films in order
to do it justice. From a business standpoint, it’s a stroke of brilliance as it
allows Warner Brothers to make double the money from the box office.
Unfortunately, it does not really work when looking at it creatively as
you’re essentially getting half a film with a dramatic stopping point. That
being said, “Deathly Hallows” is not a bad film, in fact it’s great, though
it suffers from uneven pacing, and drags particularly in the middle as
to destroy the remaining Horcruxes. These objects each contain a
it wanders aimlessly like the main characters. Yet the relationships be-
piece of Lord Voldemort’s (Ralph Fiennes) soul, and as long as they
tween these characters still ring true, and the drama and desperation
exist, he cannot be truly destroyed. With the help of the Order of the
they feel as they descend into hopelessness makes us root for them even
Phoenix, Harry is smuggled to the Burrow with several of his friends
more. Combined with excellent cinematography and some thrilling ac-
disguised as him by drinking Polyjuice Potion, though they suffer
tion set-pieces, the first part is the perfect lead-in to the grand finale.
some heavy losses, including the death of Alastor ‘Mad-Eye’ Moody
After the death of Albus Dumbledore at the hands of Severus Snape (Brendan Gleeson). Harry wants to set out immediately to find the
(Alan Rickman) at the end of the “Half-Blood Prince,” Harry Pot- next Horcrux, but Ron convinces him to stay until after the wedding
ter (Daniel Radcliffe), Hermione Granger (Emma Watson), and Ron of his brother Bill (Domhnall Gleeson) and Fleur Delacour (Clémence
Weasley (Rupert Grint) decide to drop out of Hogwarts and set out Poésy). Unfortunately, the Death Eaters attack during the wedding and
the Ministry of Magic falls to Voldemort’s agents, who quickly begin
7  \ theSCENE \ WAREZ-BB.ORG Movies & Music
rooting out those who are of Muggle ancestry. The trio manages to es-
cape during the chaos and make their way to Grimmauld Place to de-
cide their next move. They learn from the house elf Kreacher (voice
of Simon McBurney) that Order of the Phoenix member Mundungus
Fletcher (Andy Linden) had previously stolen a locket, which, unbe-
knownst to him, is one of the Horcruxes. Mundungus reveals to Harry
that Dolores Umbridge (Imelda Staunton) is now the owner of the
locket. Disguising themselves as Ministry members, the three manage
to retrieve the locket and escape to a forest through Apparition. Harry
and his friends are unable to destroy the Horcrux since they lack the
Sword of Gryffindor and take turns wearing the locket to minimize
the negative effects on their well-being. Meanwhile, Lord Voldemort
is searching for the Elder Wand, one of three items that represent
the Deathly Hallows, to utterly destroy Harry Potter once and for all.
rather than being the funny sidekick. For the most part, “Deathly Hal-
lows Part 1” does a good job working up to the eventual confrontation
between Harry and Voldemort but that’s essentially all it really does,
lacking a truly satisfying conclusion. I suppose I shouldn’t judge it too
harshly since there’s only a mere eight months until the release of Part 2.
“These are dark times, there is
no denying. Our world faces
no greater threat than it does
today.”
After seven films, there’s really nothing more to be said about the trio’s
acting. Like the characters they portray, they have grown and matured
right before our eyes and for all intents and purposes, they ARE Har-
ry Potter, Hermione Granger, and Ron Weasley, just like Christopher
Reeve was and always will be Superman. Emma Watson deserves a spe-
cial mention and not just because she’s a fine looking lady. Hermione is
the most emotional out of the three and suffers the most. Watson per-
fectly conveys the pain she feels when she wipes her parents’ memory
of her in order to protect them, and is tortured by Bellatrix Lestrange
(Helena Bonham Carter), a hard-to-watch scene even for a PG-13 film.

“Deathly Hallows Part 1” is a great looking film, while it may not be

as action-packed as the trailers have shown; there are still some thrill-
ing chases. The film wastes no time and offers up a thrilling escape as
Rubeus Hagrid (Robbie Coltrane) and Harry zip through the skies of
London on their motorbike while the Order of the Phoenix buys them
time by holding off Voldemort’s Death Eaters. The action feels different
Before I start talking about the film, let me just say that if you’re plan-
because the chase would feel right at home in a Bond film or similar pro-
ning on seeing “Deathly Hallows Part 1” without seeing the previous
duction. There is also a duel in a café, as well as another chase through
installments, don’t bother. At this point, the series has grown past new-
a foreboding forest as the trio try to escape from a group of Snatchers-
bie territory and diving into this one means that you won’t be able to
bounty hunters looking to capture Muggle-born wizards. The persecu-
grasp all the details. Hell, even those who have only the films as refer-
tion of Muggle-born wizards and the totalitarian control of the Minis-
ence may have trouble as some of the characters go back all the way to
try allude to the Nazis of Germany. Cinematographer Eduardo Serra
“Sorcerer’s Stone.” That being said, the major problem with “Deathly
provides some picturesque views of the English countryside and the
Hallows Part 1” was finding a natural stopping point since the final
tranquility it provides stands in stark contrast to the looming conflict.
book was split into two films in order to include as much as possible.
As such, the pacing of the film slows down considerably once Harry
obtains the Horcrux locket and it comes dangerously close to being a
drag as the main characters wander aimlessly trying to figure out their
next move. Those who are not hardcore fans might find the ‘camping
scenes’ extremely boring. Yates rises admirably to the task, choosing to
end the film at a very dramatic cliffhanger, but it bewilders me since Pe-
ter Jackson was able to compress each installment of the “Lord of the
Rings” into three-hour films. The best way is to look at it as more of a
character-building film like the “Half-Blood Prince.” The previous six in-
stallments took place in Hogwarts, but here Harry and his friends leave
the comfort and familiarity of the school to travel out into the open
world, a fitting metaphor as they stand on the cusp of adulthood. The
tone is desperate and bleak; a sense of hopelessness permeates the film
throughout, although there is some levity provided by Ron. The humor
is intentionally awkward, given their situation, though it never seems
out of place. There’s a very dramatic scene where Ron, frustrated at the
fact that they have no idea what they’re doing, and under the subtle in-
fluence of the locket, accuses Harry and Hermione of becoming more
than friends. It allows Rupert Grint to show more of a dramatic side
Movies & Music WAREZ-BB.ORG \ theSCENE \  8  
“Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1” was released into the- culture phenomenon and stands with such greats as “Star Wars” and
aters on November 19, 2010 into conventional theaters and IMAX, for- “Lord of the Rings.” Mr. Yates- better make Part 2 one to remember! 
going a 3D version as there wasn’t enough time to do a proper conver-
sion, which is a very wise decision as much of the film has a dark blue
tint. Reviews have been positive with 78% on Rotten Tomatoes, making
it the second lowest rated “Harry Potter” in the series. Critics concluded
that ‘it can’t help but feel like the prelude it is, but Deathly Hallows Part
1 is a beautifully filmed, emotionally satisfying penultimate installment
for the Harry Potter series.’ Anticipation has been at an all-time high (I
experienced it firsthand at the New York Premiere), and “Deathly Hal-
lows Part 1” had a midnight launch to the tune of $24 million, ranking
it as third best behind the two previous “Twilight” films. On Friday, it
earned an impressive $61 million and is on track for an opening week-
end of $130 to $140 million. “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
Part 1” was never meant to tell a complete a story and that is perhaps
its greatest failing, as it does not provide a proper resolution, but the
first part offers up the same great character development and visual
effects that have been a hallmark of the franchise. “Harry Potter” has
moved beyond being a mere children’s franchise; it has become a pop

Final Rating:

Cast:
Daniel Radcliffe-Harry Potter Bill Nighy- Rufus Scrimgeour
Emma Watson-Hermione Granger Rhys Ifans-Xenophilius Lovegood
Rupert Grint-Ron Weasley John Hurt-Mr. Ollivander
Robbie Coltrane-Rubeus Hagrid Andy Linden-Mundungus Fletcher
Brendan Gleeson-Alastor ‘Mad-Eye’ Moody Frances de la Tour-Madame Maxime
David Thewlis-Remus Lupin Richard Griffiths-Vernon Dursley
Ralph Fiennes-Lord Voldemort Fiona Shaw-Petunia Dursley
Helena Bonham Carter-Bellatrix Lestrange Harry Melling-Dudley Dursley
Alan Rickman-Professor Severus Snape Imelda Staunton-Dolores Umbridge
Bonnie Wright-Ginny Weasley Dave Legeno-Fenrir Greyback
James Phelps-Fred Weasley Jason Isaacs-Lucius Malfoy
Oliver Phelps- George Weasley Helen McCrory-Narcissa Malfoy
Tom Felton-Draco Malfoy Timothy Spall-Peter Pettigrew/Wormtail
Evanna Lynch-Luna Lovegood Hazel Douglas-Bathilda Bagshot
Matthew Lewis-Neville Longbottom Rade Serbedzija-Gregorovitch
Mark Williams-Arthur Weasley Jamie Campbell Bower-Young Gellert Grindelwald
Julie Walters-Molly Weasley Michael Byrne-Old Gellert Grindelwald
Domhnall Gleeson-Bill Weasley Toby Jones (voice)-Dobby
Clémence Poésy-Fleur Delacour Simon McBurney (voice)-Kreacher 
Natalia Tena- Nymphadora Tonks

9  \ theSCENE \ WAREZ-BB.ORG Movies & Music

 Aftershock
RELEASED 29 october (us) 12 november (uk) written by spiderman120988 designed by prendy
Not Rated
Running Time: 2 Hours & 15 Minutes
Cast:
Zhang Jing-Chu - Fang Deng
Li Chen - Fang Da
Xu Fan - Li Yuan-Ni
Zhang Guo-Qiang - Fang Da-Qiang
Chen Dao-Ming - Wang De-Qing
Chen Jin - Dong Gui-Lan
Zhang Zi-Feng - Young Fang Deng
Zhang Jia-Jun - Young Fang Da
Ma Qiu-Zi - Director Zhao
Lv Zhong - Grandma
Movies & Music
Yong Mei - Aunt
Lu Yi - Yang Zhi
Yang Li-Xin - Lao Niu
Wang Xi-Wen - Xiao He
David F. Morris - Alexander
Directed by Feng Xiao-Gang
A
s the end credits rolled for Feng Xiao-Gang’s latest film, “唐山大
地震,” known as “Aftershock” in North America, I was at a total
loss for words. Disaster films made in Hollywood often focus on
big-budget spectacle while throwing in a bunch of characters that we
couldn’t care less about for added ‘drama.’ Loosely based upon Zhang
Ling’s novel of the same name, “Aftershock” is a dramatization of the
devastating 1976 Tangshan earthquake, and the emotional and psycho-
logical scars it inflicts on one family caught in this natural disaster. Gut-
wrenching and an emotional sledgehammer, “Aftershock” is one of the
best, if not the best, foreign films I have ever seen, it will bring you to
tears. >>
WAREZ-BB.ORG \ theSCENE \  10  
-> In 1976 Tangshan, twins Fang Da (Zhang Jia-Jun) and Fang Deng (Zhang
Zi-Feng) return home in their father’s truck and witness a horde of dragonflies
flying through the streets. When the two are put to sleep at night, the father,
Fang Da-Qiang (Zhang Guo-Qiang), obliges his wife’s request to have another
child, but the ground suddenly begins to shake and buildings collapse every-
where. The couple desperately tries to reach their children, but Da-Qiang is
crushed by falling debris when he pushes his wife out of the way. The next
day, the now-widowed Li Yuan-Ni (Xu Fan) begs rescue workers to free her
two children, who are trapped under a slab of concrete. Unfortunately, mov-
ing the slab in either way would kill one of her children and she is forced to
choose which one to save. Heartbroken, Yuan-Ni reluctantly chooses her son
and the screen fades to black as her daughter whispers ‘Ma…’ Lying next to
the corpse of her father, Fang Deng eventually regains consciousness and is
adopted by a kind couple, Wang De-Qing (Chen Dao-Ming) and Dong Gui-
Lan (Chen Jin), who serves the People’s Liberation Army. Meanwhile, Fang
Da, who has lost his left arm, continues to live with his mother as Tangshan
rebuilds. Ten years later, the now-adult Deng (Zhang Jing-Chu) goes to medi-
cal school while Da (Li Chen) leaves home to discover what he wants to do. In
the aftermath of the 2008 Sichuan earthquake, the long-lost brother and sister
finally reunite after 32 years.
“
Not even twenty minutes into “Aftershock,”
the film had me in tears.
I’d never heard of Zhang Ling’s novel before, but from what I read online, it is
a noticeably darker tale of sadness and despair. While the film version deals
with those same emotions, it ends on a hopeful note. Not even twenty minutes
into “Aftershock,” the film had me in tears. The scenes showing the Tangshan
earthquake as it happens have excellent production values and while it only
lasts 2 to 3 minutes, it’s hard to watch as people are crushed by debris and
Yuan-Ni’s children become trapped as a building collapses. The next scenes
that follow show the death and destruction the earthquake brings as we see
survivors covered in dirt and grime, cradling the bodies of their loved ones.
The most heart-wrenching moment is when Yuan-Ni must choose between
her two children. She chooses her son; we can assume her choice is uncon-
sciously motivated by rigid custom where boys are preferred over girls. The
son is obligated to carry on the family line and look after his parents when
they become senior citizens. Deng grows up trying to forget, but is haunted by
nightmares of her mother abandoning her. Yuan-Ni suffers as well and spends
the rest of her life full of regret. As a form of filial piety, she never re-marries
and angrily tells her son that her heart belongs to Da-Qiang forever because
he made the ultimate sacrifice. A film of this type has to walk a fine line in
exploring raw human emotion without feeling false or overly sentimental and
Feng Xiao-Gang succeeds. We feel the characters’ pain, but we do not feel ma-
11  \ theSCENE \ WAREZ-BB.ORG
nipulated. Feng also uses Tangshan to show China’s modernization in the next
three decades. 1976 marked the end of the Cultural Revolution with the death
of Mao Zedong. The opening minutes of the film has Da and Deng staring in
awe at a rotating fan, which was a luxury item back then. After reuniting with
her mother, Deng shows pictures of her foster parents, husband and daughter
on her iPhone. The only flaw in “Aftershock” is a scene showing a mass rally in
Tiananmen Square following Mao’s death, which feels completely out of place,
most likely inserted to please Chinese censors, but any red propaganda never
becomes as blatant like 2009’s “The Founding of a Republic.”
The performances are uniformly good across the board. As the adult Deng,
Zhang Jing-Chu has the hardest role, her character wishing to forget, but un-
able to. The ending where she tearfully reconciles with her mother is bitter-
sweet. Da, played by Li Chen, provides a few moments of levity. His character
may come off as a slacker to Chinese parents but will resonate with Americans
as he literally works his way up and eventually runs a successful travel agency.
Xu Fan is their mother Yuan-Ni and is the emotional heart that holds the film
together. Chen Dao-Ming and Chen Jin’s roles as Deng’s foster parents are
more straightforward, but nonetheless, they excel.
“Aftershock” was released on Blu-Ray last September in Hong Kong, but can
be imported and played on North American Blu-Ray players. Picture qual-
ity is excellent, but the audio is where it really shines, particularly during the
earthquake scene as buildings crack apart and a large crane collapses. Dialogue
is crisp; I viewed the film in its native Mandarin language with English sub-
titles. Special features are light, with a series of short cast and crew interviews,
a 22-minute making-of and the usual deleted scenes.
“Aftershock” was released in China on July 22, 2010 and is the first foreign-
made IMAX film. It was also given a limited release in the United States on
October 29, 2010 to absolutely no publicity at all, which is a real shame. In fact,
I only came to know about the film thanks to my mom, who bought a $1 boot-
leg copy. Reviews are limited, but it does hold a 90% on Rotten Tomatoes. It
is the highest grossing domestic film in China with a worldwide gross of $100
million against an approximate $25 million production budget. “Aftershock”
never exploits the two disasters as spectacle and its focus is always firmly on
the characters. Emotional, heart-breaking, but also a celebration of love and
family, this is a powerful film that will affect you long after it is over.
“
You don’t know what losing something
means until you’ve lost it.
Movies & Music
 EASY A

A
A REVIEW BROUGHT TO YOU BY SPIDERMAN120988, LAYOUT AND GRAPHICS BY LORA

EA
Rated: PG-13 (Mature Thematic Ele-
ments involving Teen Sexuality, Lan-
guage and some Drug Material)

SY Running Time: 1 Hour & 32 Minutes

Cast:
Emma Stone - Olive Penderghast
Amanda Bynes - Marianne Bryant
Alyson Michalka - Rhiannon Abernathy
Penn Badgley - Todd
Cam Gigandet - Micah
Jake Sandvig - Anson
Dan Byrd - Brandon
Mahaley Hessam - Nina
Stanley Tucci - Dill Penderghast
Patricia Clarkson - Rosemary Pend-
erghast
Thomas Haden Church - Mr. Griffith
Lisa Kudrow - Mrs. Griffith
Malcolm McDowell - Principal Gibbons

Directed by: Will Gluck

Movies & Music WAREZ-BB.ORG \ theSCENE \  12  

 Ah high school: a time to ex-
periment, to find yourself,
or simply a place where sur-
vival of the fittest is the norm. Although
for this guy, the only thing he had to worry
A
about was what trouble Spider-Man had
to get himself out of during the next issue,
and of course, getting good grades! When
it comes to movies marketed to teenagers,
the ones that really stand out are those
that actually have something meaningful
to say. Unfortunately, there are too many
that devolve into juvenile sex comedies or
EA
present an idealized view that comes off
as artificial. “Easy A” is one of those films
that have something to say, and it does it
in such a way that feels honest, witty, and
sarcastic all, at the same time. However,
it would’ve been just a well-written, above
average teen romantic comedy if it wasn’t
for Emma Stone. It is her performance that
allows the film to stand with such greats like
“Mean Girls.”
It all began with a harmless lie. Olive Pend-
erghast (Emma Stone) is an everyday high
school girl living in Ojai, California. Her
best friend, Rhiannon Abernathy (Alyson
Michalka) invites her to go camping with
her family, but Olive lies and says that she
has a date with a student who goes to the
local community college. In actuality, she
ends up lounging around the house singing
‘Pocketful of Sunshine’ by Natasha Bed-
ingfield. The following Monday, Rhiannon
asks Olive about what happened on her date
and accuses her of having a one-night stand
and losing her virginity. To stop her inces-
sant questioning, Olive lies and says she
did, making up a story, but she is overheard
by Marianne Bryant (Amanda Bynes), an
overly enthusiastic Christian who also hap-
13  \ theSCENE \ WAREZ-BB.ORG
pens to be a gossip. Marianne spreads the lie
to the entire student body and Olive goes
from being an unknown to famous in a short
period of time. Later, Olive’s friend Brandon
(Dan Byrd) tired of being bullied due to his
sexual orientation, asks Olive to pretend to
sleep with him so he would appear straight.
Sympathizing, she agrees to help him and
they put on a rather loud act at a public party.
Her infamous reputation at school skyrock-
ets and Olive decides to take advantage of
this and dress in a highly sexualized man-
ner with a red ‘A’ stitched to all her cloth-
ing, taking her inspiration from “The Scarlet
Letter” by Nathaniel Hawthorne, which she
also happens to be reading in English class.
Other boys who feel ostracized start giving
her gift cards and money to say that they’ve
done sexual things with her to increase their
SY
own popularity. The lie soon spirals out of
control as it starts to alienate Olive’s best
friend and threatens to destroy the marriage
of her English teacher, Mr. Griffith (Thomas
Haden Church).
“Easy A” is a refer-
ence to the mark of
shame that Hester
Prynne must wear
when she commits
adultery in Nathan-
iel Hawthorne’s
famous book “The
Scarlet Letter” but
it also represents
the students misper-
ception that Olive
is ‘easy’ and would
sleep with anyone.
It also references
(and owes much to) past teen comedies
from the 1980’s, especially ones from the
late John Hughes. The film will resonate
with both teenage and adult audiences pri-
marily because everyone at some point
has felt ostracized when they were in high
school and wished desperately to belong
and be accepted, but popularity is often a
double-edged sword. Kids are cruel, some
more than others, but it is inherently hu-
man nature that drives us to obsess over the
misery of others. The film uses ‘high school
as a microcosm of the world at large as they
dissect what popularity has become and
what it really represents’ ( James Berardi-
nelli, ReelViews). There’s also the fact that a
little innocent lie can spread like wildfire in
this day and age when everyone is so inter-
“Whatever happened
to chivalry? Does it only exist
in 80’s movies?
I want John Cusack holding a
boombox outside my window.
I wanna ride off on a lawnmower
with Patrick Dempsey.
I want Jake from ‘Sixteen Candles’
waiting outside the church for me.
I want Judd Nelson thrusting his
fist into the air because he knows
he got me.
Just once I want my life to be like
an 80’s movie, preferably one
with a really awesome musical
number for no apparent reason.
But no, no, John Hughes did not
direct my life.”
connected that one can just broadcast their
inner thoughts from a cell phone and how
rumors often grow to ridiculous proportions
as each person that tells it changes subtle
details. All this might’ve made “Easy A” into
a film full of gloomy teenage angst, but it
views common high school stereotypes with
a wink and a nod without losing sight of its
heart and that’s really what it’s about: staying
true to yourself instead of trying to be some-
thing you’re not. Contrary to what teenag-
ers believe, being popular is not exactly a
pursuit worth your time. “Easy A” remains
strong throughout and delivers quite a few
laughs, including a lively musical number
with a corset-wearing Stone singing ‘Knock
on Wood’ by Eddie Floyd. It does shoehorn
a clichéd teen romance and the film ends in
typical Hollywood fashion where everyone
gets what they deserve and learns their les-
sons, but it does not lower the film’s quality
too much.
The reason the film works is thanks to Emma
Stone and her Olive is instantly lovable. She
is not drop dead gorgeous, instead exhibit-
ing a witty and honest personality that is per-
haps a little too smart for her own good, but
she remains true to what she believes is right.
She perpetuates the lie not out of selfishness,
but because she sympathizes with the out-
casts at her school. This is her show and she
exhibits a perfect sense of comic timing and
genuinely seems to enjoy being in the film. I
Movies & Music
 have no doubt it factored into her casting as
Gwen Stacy in the “Spider-Man” film reboot,
though I had her pegged as Mary Jane. She’s
backed up by an excellent supporting cast
and playing the parents everyone wished

A
they had are Stanley Tucci and Patricia
Clarkson. Thomas Haden Church is also fun
to watch as the English teacher Mr. Griffith
with his deadpan delivery and one-liners.
The rest of the cast includes Lisa Kudrow
as his wife, who happens to be the school’s
guidance counselor and Malcolm McDowell
as Principal Gibbons.

EA
“Easy A” was released into theaters on Sep-
tember 17, 2010 to positive reviews with
87% on Rotten Tomatoes. Critics concluded
that it ‘owes a huge debt to older (and better)
teen comedies, but [the film] proves a smart,

SY
witty showcase for its irresistibly charming
star.’ It competed with Ben Affleck’s “The
Town,” which alsoz received rave reviews
and settled for second place at the week-
end box office with $18 million, with a final
domestic gross of $58 million ($70 million
worldwide). Not too shabby considering it
was made for only $8 million. The greatest
asset that “Easy A” has is Emma Stone and
it is her charming little self that allows us to
relate to what she is going through, even to
adults looking back and realizing how trivial
it all was. Providing plenty of laughs and a
simple yet meaningful message, this is one of
the best teen comedies I have had the plea-
sure to view.

Final Rating:

4.5 out of 5

Movies & Music WAREZ-BB.ORG \ theSCENE \  14  

 BLACK
SWAN
RELEASED 17 december (us) 11 january (uk) written by spiderman120988 designed by prendy
Rated R (Strong Sexual Content, Disturbing
Violent Images, Language and some Drug Use)
Running Time: 1 Hour & 48 Minutes
Cast:
Natalie Portman - Nina Sayers
Mila Kunis - Lily
Vincent Cassel - Thomas Leroy
Barbara Hershey - Erica Sayers
Winona Ryder - Beth MacIntyre
Ksenia Solo - Veronica
Kristina Anapau - Galina
Janet Montgomery - Madeline
Benjamin Millepied - David
Sebastian Stan - Andrew
Toby Hemingway - Tom
Sergio Torrado - Sergio
Directed by Darren Aronofsky
15  \ theSCENE \ WAREZ-BB.ORG
B
lack Swan is the best film of 2010. Hell of a way to start off, considering
what I’m stating is an opinion presented as matter-of-fact manner. After
you watch this film, preferably multiple times, I believe you’ll be inclined
to agree with me. Darren Aronofsky, whose next project is the “Wolverine”
sequel, is a director with few missteps. Although his films are small in scale
and of the art-house variety, there’s always that absorbing, almost intoxicating
quality to them. “Black Swan” is a freakishly beautiful nightmare that delivers a
mesmerizing, haunting, and tragic performance from Natalie Portman, taking
us into a mind on the verge of collapse as the lines between genius and mad-
ness become almost inseparable.
Young Nina Sayers (Natalie Portman) is a ballerina at New York City’s Lincoln
Center who discovers that prima ballerina Beth MacIntyre (Winona Ryder)
is being put out to pasture by the company’s director, Thomas Leroy (Vincent
Cassel). He announces that they will open the season with a new take on Pyotr
Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s famous “Swan Lake,” with one dancer playing the dual
role of the White and Black Swan. Nina covets the role and happens to be one
of the few chosen to audition for Thomas. During the audition, Thomas says
that she is perfect for the White Swan but lacks the raw sexuality of the Black
Swan despite her flawless technique. Even so, she is chosen for the role of Swan
Queen and Thomas begins to make advances and bullies her to unlock her
darker side and sensuality. As opening day draws near, Thomas starts to notice
that Lily (Mila Kunis), recently arrived from San Francisco, seems to embody
all the qualities of the Black Swan, although her technique is not as disciplined.
Nina begins to crack under the pressure as she begins to suffer from paranoia
that Lily wants to steal the role from her. Unable to discern reality from fantasy,
she begins a wild descent into the darker recesses of her mind which threatens
to consume and destroy her.
Movies & Music

“Black Swan” is one of those films where it’s best to go in knowing as little as
possible. The story is a twisted variant of Tchaikovsky’s “Swan Lake” but it’s
more a means to an end as the film’s priority is to explore an already unstable
psyche teetering on edge. Aronofsky presents ballet as a cutthroat world
where it’s survival of the fittest and every girl wants that highly coveted role.
They are physically and mentally pressured to attain the unattainable, that of
perfection. When we first see Nina, she is living in a small apartment with her
overbearing mother, Erica (Barbara Hershey) and there’s a sense that their
strained relationship is bubbling below the surface in how they behave and
speak to each other. Nina’s growth is stunted, as she is demanded to physi-
cally maintain a lithe body shape. She is mentally and sexually repressed;
her room is decorated in much the same way as a young adolescent. When
Thomas reveals that he is looking for a new dancer to play the Swan Queen,
Nina wants the role so much that she’d do anything, almost as if her entire
life has no purpose without it. She wins the role, but at what cost to her well-
bring? Nina is every psychologist’s dreams, and as she begins to slowly trans-
form into a physical manifestation of the Black Swan. We begin to question
whether what she is seeing is real or not. Her transformation is frightening
yet smolders sexuality in a hypnotic manner as her eyes turn crimson red.
Lily is often presented as the concerned friend or the manipulative, conniv-
ing b*tch, but there are rare instances where we do see the ‘real’ her and it
throws another wrench into who the real enemy is. “Black Swan” culls from
a variety of different genres and while it feels like a psychological thriller, it’s
more of a character study that includes elements of horror, melodrama, and
eroticism. Due to the sexual contrasts between the White and Black Swan,
the film’s exploration of sexuality mirrors that of Nina’s as she discovers her-
self through masturbation and has a lesbian tryst that again, may or may not
Movies & Music
be imagined. It is impossible to totally explore or even explain “Black Swan”
because the film is so thematically rich that it effectively requires multiple
viewings and every scene can be interpreted in a number of ways, especially
its ending, which seems so final yet ambiguous. In the end, is Nina just mad,
a victim of outside pressures beyond her control, or was she an artistic ge-
nius that achieved, in every sense of the word, perfection?
“ Black Swan is one of those films where it’s
best to go in knowing as little as possible.
The acting is of the highest caliber. Natalie Portman has essentially won the
Academy Award for Best Actress; it’s just a matter of making it official. With
the exception of wide shots where she had to be en pointe for an extended
period of time, Portman performed all of her own dance scenes and she is
flawless. You cannot take your eyes off her. Her transformation from a girl
with no backbone and low self-esteem to someone without inhibitions is
exciting yet tragic, as she effectively had to kill a part of herself to be perfect.
Mila Kunis is underwritten, but deftly switches between conflicting person-
alities due to how Nina perceives her. Vincent Cassel is the charming yet
lecherous director of the ballet company whom we suspect to be sleeping
with the students, but we also wonder whether his behavior is due to his lofty
expectations. Finally, there’s Barbara Hershey as Erica, Nina’s mother from
Hell. She gave up her career when her daughter was born and now relives her
lost dreams though Nina. The way she treats Nina often borders on abusive
as she controls every aspect of her life, but there is no question that she loves
her. “Black Swan” looks and sounds amazing. The ballet scenes are beautiful
and frightening all at the same time. The score, from Clint Mansell, takes
many musical cues from “Swan Lake” itself but combines the epic romantic
feel with a hint of a disturbing madness to it. Aronofsky also performs some
sleight-of-hand in his scenes to further confuse us and question Nina’s sanity.
“Black Swan” was released into theaters on December 3, 2010 in 18 theaters,
racking up a spectacular $80,212 average for a total of $2 million so far. The
film will expand each week and play at over 1000 locations by December 22.
Reviews have been highly positive with 86% on Rotten Tomatoes as critics
hailed it as ‘bracingly intense, passionate, and wildly melodramatic’ and gave
accolades to Portman’s ‘bravura performance.’ It’s hard to really sum up the
film in one closing statement but Roger Ebert says it best: ‘All of the themes
of the music and life, all of the parallels of story and ballet, all of the confu-
sion of reality and dream come together in a grand exhilaration of towering
passion. There is really only one place this can take us, and it does.’ “Black
Swan” is a beautiful nightmare, an exhilarating, absorbing experience. This
is the best film of 2010.
“
I had the craziest dream last night about a
girl who was turned into a swan, but her
prince falls for the wrong girl and...she kills
herself.
WAREZ-BB.ORG \ theSCENE \  16  
 MOVIE REVIEW

DUE DATE
Review by: SpiderMan120988
Design by: dingo_d

17 \ theSCENE \ WAREZ-BB.ORG Movies & Music

 C omedies don’t impress me easily, but Todd Philip’s “The Hangover”
was one of the funniest movies of 2009, it frequently pushed the enve-
lope. It went on to become a surprise critical and commercial success,
grossing $467 million worldwide against a $35 million production budget.
With the pairing of Robert Downey Jr. and Zach Galifianakis, it would seem
that “Due Date” would face similar success, but unfortunately, Philip’s latest
plays it too safe. That’s not to say the film isn’t funny, but the whole affair is pre-
dictable and the friendship that develops between the two mismatched leads
feels forced and artificial.

Architect Peter Highman (Robert Downey, Jr) is on his way home from Atlanta
to Los Angeles to see his wife, Sarah (Michelle Monaghan) give birth to their
child. Unfortunately, his day starts off terribly after a chance encounter with an
aspiring actor named Ethan Tremblay (Zach Galifianakis). They accidentally
switch bags and Peter is caught with marijuana while going through the securi-
ty checkpoint. He is allowed to board the plane and realizes that the person sit-
ting behind him is Ethan, but after a brief verbal altercation, both are kicked off
and put on the no-fly list when an air marshal mistakes them for terrorists. With
his wallet missing and no money on his person, Peter has no way to get home
when he encounters Ethan again. Ethan has rented a car and offers to drive him
to Los Angeles. A seemingly simple road trip turns into one ridiculous situa-
tion after another and despite their initial antagonistic meeting, the two begin
to develop into fast friends and rely on each other as they try to make it home.
Much of the success of “Due Date” hinges on the pitch perfect casting of Robert
Downey Jr. and Zach Galifianakis, but the film offers very little that we haven’t
seen before and most of the comedy is more chuckle-worthy than laugh-out-
loud hilarious. Many critics have pointed out that it bears a strong resem-
blance to “Planes, Trains and Automobiles,” a 1987 comedy from the late John
Hughes. Even if you didn’t pay attention to the trailers or commercials, it’s not
hard to see where the movie is going and the ending is one of those artificially
sweet moments that only exist in Hollywood films. The friendship that devel-
ops between Peter and Ethan never really rings true despite a moving, dramatic
moment at a dingy rest stop. In fact, it feels forced and the final twenty minutes
are rushed as they try to get to Los Angeles and do the ‘we’re best friends now’
routine. The comedy generates a few chuckles, but the most hilarious bit that
pushes the envelope is when Ethan masturbates in the car while Peter is trying
to get some sleep. Imitating his master, Sonny the French bulldog seems to be
enjoying himself too! Other noteworthy scenes include a visit to the house of a
marijuana dealer (played by Juliette Lewis) with Peter punching her annoying
son in the stomach and, at his breaking point, he belittles Ethan and spits on his
dog. Finally, the two get high and take the wrong exit, ending up in Mexico and
on the run from border patrol. It’s at this point the film veers into unbelievably

Movies & Music WAREZ-BB.ORG \ theSCENE \  18  


ridiculous territory, but it all pays off with
the laughs. Unfortunately, these moments
are few and far between and for the most
part, “Due Date” plays it a little too safe.
For most of its running time, the focus
is on the two leads and they have excel-
lent chemistry, at least until they become
friends, then it starts feeling artificial. Rob-
ert Downey Jr. plays a role similar to Brad-
ley Cooper in “The Hangover” as he tries,
and fails, to keep his cool in every situation.
By the end of the film, he’s been beaten up
by a wheelchair-bound veteran (played by
Danny McBride), had his arm and ribs bro-
ken in an interstate car crash, gotten stoned
on marijuana, and shot point-blank in his
thigh. Any man would go insane, but he
takes it and it is fun watching him put up
with Ethan’s shenanigans. Zach Galifianakis
is once again playing an oddball character
that is three-parts sad, annoying, and lov-
able. At times he can be dislikable as he
pushes Peter’s buttons without a care in the
world but we eventually learn of his fond-
ness for his recently deceased father (whose
ashes are kept in a coffee can!) and fear of
being left alone, which explains his actions,
though Peter is a little too quick in forgiving
19 \ theSCENE \ WAREZ-BB.ORG
MOVIE REVIEW
him. The rest of the cast don’t make much Rated R (Language, Drug Use and Sexual
of an impression and only appear in what Content)
amounts to cameos, including Jamie Foxx
as Peter’s best friend Darryl and Juliette Running Time: 1 Hour & 40 Minutes
Lewis as Ethan’s marijuana dealer Heidi.
Cast:
“Due Date” was released on November 5,
2010 and has received a negative to mixed Robert Downey Jr. - Peter Highman
reception, with 39% on Rotten Tomatoes. Zach Galifianakis - Ethan Tremblay
Critics wrote that the film does not ‘live up Michelle Monaghan - Sarah Highman
to the possibilities suggested by its talented Jamie Foxx - Darryl
director and marvelously mismatched stars,’ Juliette Lewis - Heidi
calling it ‘shamelessly derivative and only Danny McBride - Lonnie
sporadically funny.’ It competed against Robert Fitzgerald Diggs - Airport Screener
DreamWorks Animation’s “Megamind”
which took the top spot for the weekend Directed by: Todd Phillips
unsurprisingly but “Due Date” fared well
in second place with $33 million. It has al- Final Rating:
ready made back its $65 million production
budget. “Due Date” is a fun weekend com-
edy to view with friends and has a few solid
laughs but the story and its characters aren’t 
particularly original, making the two leads
the only valid reason to see it but pedigree
can only take a film so far.
lf before you wreck
"You better check yourse
yourself!"
Movies & Music
Fight Club
F
REVIEW BY DRUID101 AND SPIDERMAN120988, DESIGN BY LORA
ilm reviews are always going to be hard-
how much can you write that keeps your
audience interested, without giving away
too much of the plot? As movies go, Fight Club
might cause a few similar problems. Normally,
to me, the phrase ‘cult classic’ implies a pretty
crap film that a dedicated fan base constantly
jabbers about. Sometimes, however, a gem actu-
ally is a classic. For example, films like Seren-
ity, Pulp Fiction and The Rocky Horror Show
are productions that everyone should see before
they die. Fight Club is no exception.
It is an extremely satirical film that focuses
on macho instincts, brutal violence, and
a kind of reverse ‘1984’ scenario. Instead
of Big Brother controlling everything, the
movie focuses on the fact that many differ-
ent people, in different jobs and ranks, are
responsible for keeping the world turning
round. There are only three in depth roles in
Movies & Music
the story. The main character, played by Ed-
ward Norton, remains unnamed throughout
the film, acting as a narrator into his life. The
film begins with him sat in a chair, a gun be-
ing held to his mouth, and Brad Pitt count-
ing down the seconds until ‘something’
happens. Ah. Brad Pitt, the second main
character. He plays a man called Tyler Dur-
den, a soap salesman. And finally, the last
character, played by Helena Bonham Carter.
She plays a woman called Marla Singer. You
could describe her as the love interest of the
film, but it’s really a kind of ‘shag and then
disappear’ relationship.
The narrator couldn’t sleep. Doctor’s refused
to prescribe him medication. He slowly be-
gins to lose track of reality. He is never asleep,
but he’s never really awake either. Then one
day, he accidentally joins a testicular cancer
support group, and finds that by crying with
the other men there, he can then sleep like a
baby. So he joins many other groups, such as
tuberculosis support and sickle cell support.
However, this is where Marla Singer comes
in. He notices her at multiple meetings as
well, and realises that she is also a faker. He
confronts her, as he cannot cry when she is
there, and they agree to split the sessions be-
tween them.
He works for a car company, determining
from accidents whether a make of car needs
to be recalled. This job has him travelling all
“Three minutes. This is it -
ground zero. Would you like
to say a few words to mark
the occasion?”
over the world. One flight, he wakes up, to
find a sharply dressed man sitting next to
him- the man then questions whether he is
WAREZ-BB.ORG \ theSCENE \  20  

responsible enough to sit by the emergency
exit. This is Tyler Durden. a soap salesman.
He’s the one you’ve been seeing flash up in
frames during the film up to this point. The
narrator informs him that he is the most in-
teresting person he has ever met, and they
part ways. But, it’s a film, and when the
narrator’s apartment blows up, guess who
he calls to help him out. After a few drinks,
Tyler agrees to let him stay at his house, but
asks the narrator to punch him, as hard as he
can. What ensues is a brief exchange of fists,
but afterwards, they both feel better, enlight-
ened. This is the birth of Fight Club. People
begin to get interested in the two nutters
who beat each other up, then sit down and
have a drink together, and pretty soon more
and more men are joining in. The first rule of
fight club is you do not talk about fight club.
Things escalate quickly, and fight clubs begin
popping up all over America. Everywhere
the narrator goes, people ask him if he knows
Tyler Durden. Fight Club in Miami, the orig-
inal one, then becomes Project Mayhem, an
anarchist movement, set out to cause disrup-
tion and chaos. However, the narrator keeps
21  \ theSCENE \ WAREZ-BB.ORG
feeling confused because Durden seems to
be happy to make decisions without him.
I would love to go on, but any more would
ruin the film. In a sentence, things get out of
hand, and the narrator slowly begins to lose
control of his surroundings.
Now comes the interesting part. Just what
is the point of the movie? Well, that’s just it;
the point is left ambiguous to the viewer. The
film attacks consumerism head on with the
Narrator talking about how he is obsessed
with the ‘Ikea nesting instinct.’ He owns all
of this great furniture to present himself as
a happy, normal person, but in reality, he’s
nothing inside. At one point, he remarks that
his refrigerator has only condiments, but no
food. Condiments only serve to make food
taste better, but they can’t be actual food. We
buy all this stuff that we think we need so
that we can make ourselves appear to have
substance, but in fact, we don’t. Durden also
says that men today are raised by an increas-
ingly matriarchal society and many times,
the film questions masculinity as when the
Narrator points out a Calvin Klein adver-
tisement and asks, ‘Is that what a real man
is supposed to look like?’ This goes hand-in-
hand with the Ikea nesting instinct that Dur-
den sees as a result of men being ‘feminized.’
“Fight Club” also attacks advertising because
it gives people a false sense that you’re spe-
cial. You’re not special, your job doesn’t make
you special, the money in your bank account
doesn’t make you special, the kind of car you
drive doesn’t make you special, and what
you wear doesn’t make you special. ‘You’re
the all-singing, all-dancing crap of the world.
You are not special. You are not a beautiful
or unique snowflake. You’re the same decay-
ing organic matter as everything else.’ What
of the fight clubs then? Well, since all the
men participating have emptiness inside,
the fight club fills that emptiness gives them
a sense of purpose, makes them a man. So
is it glorifying violence? Sometimes it does
and sometimes it doesn’t; this is something
you’ll have to decide for yourself. By the end,
Durden has come to attack all institutions
and value systems, seeking to simply de-
stroy. Is he right that we’re all controlled by
flashy commercials and the objects we own?
That we work so hard to make ourselves feel
special but end up leading purposeless lives?
Movies & Music
 Again, you’ll have to answer those questions
yourself. Fight Club is a movie that has in-
credible depth and you could spend years
nitpicking, but all this makes the movie a
little all over the place and you’re left with a
lot of questions. Perhaps this is what David
Fincher wants. To make up our own damn
minds about the movie!

It is hard to express on paper how good

this film really is. It is one of the few films I
have seen where at a certain point in it, I’ve
gone ‘Oh my god’ at how good a particular
piece of acting or directing or storytelling
has been. Each character, not just the three
main leads, everyone, delivers an outstand-
ing performance. Even Meat Loaf, he’s in it
too, with breasts- long story.

It is a deeply moving psychological thriller,

with elements of black humour, sarcasm and
masochistic behaviour. It is also one of the
most brutal films around, so be careful- it’s
an 18 for a reason. Basically, watch it. Give it
a try, and you won’t be disappointed. It hits
you like a punch in the stomach in places, and
in others, you’re left agog at something that’s
been said as your brain desperately tries to
cope with the information being thrust at it.
I want to scream- I just can’t properly con-
vey how good this film is. Watch it. And yes,
that is a penis you see at the end of the film;
one quick glimpse. You are the all singing, all
dancing crap of the world.
Final Rating:
MOVIE INFORMATION
Rated: R (Disturbing and Graphic De-
piction of Violent Anti-Social Behavior,
Sexuality and Language)
Running Time: 2 Hours & 19 minutes
Cast:
Edward Norton - The Narrator
Brad Pitt - Tyler Durden
Helena Bonham Carter - Marla Singer
Michael Lee Aday - Robert ‘Bob’ Paulson
Jared Leto - Angel Face

Directed by: David Fincher

5 out of 5

Movies & Music WAREZ-BB.ORG \ theSCENE \  22  

Let Me In
WRITTEN BY SPIDERMAN120988
DESIGNED BY PRENDY
RELEASED 1 OCTOBER (US)
5 NOVEMBER (UK)

Rated R (Strong Bloody Horror Violence, Lan- Dylan Minnette - Kenny

guage and a Brief Sexual Situation) Jimmy ‘Jax’ Pinchak - Mark
Nicolai Dorian - Donald
Running Time: 1 Hour & 55 Minutes Brett DelBuono - Kenny’s Brother
Chris Browning - Jack
Cast:
Kodi Smit-McPhee - Owen Directed by Matt Reeves
Chloë Grace Moretz - Abby
Richard Jenkins - The Father
Elias Koteas - The Detective
Cara Buono - Owen’s Mother
Sasha Barrese - Virginia
Dylan Kenin - Larry
Ritchie Coster - Mr. Zoric

23  \ theSCENE \ WAREZ-BB.ORG Movies & Music

 A round the time of the release of the origi-
nal “Twilight” in 2008, there was another
vampire film from Sweden in limited release
called “Låt den Rätte Komma In” or translated “Let
the Right One In.” It’s based on the 2004 novel of
the same name by John Ajvide Lindqvist. It received
widespread critical acclaim due to its effective blend
of ‘scares with intelligent storytelling’ and currently
holds a 98% on Rotten Tomatoes. Since Hollywood
doesn’t leave well enough alone, they’ve decided to
remake the film for an American audience. The re-
named “Let Me In” largely follows the general plot of
the original with some subtle changes. Despite play-
ing second fiddle, this is an oddly sad and poignant
horror romance which owes much of its strength to
the source material. One of the best vampire films
ever made, director Matt Reeves has crafted a remake
that does not sacrifice the integrity of the original to
pander to a more mainstream audience and for that, I
applaud him.
Set in Los Alamos, New Mexico in 1983, a lonely 12-
year old boy named Owen (Kodi Smit-McPhee) is be-
ing bullied at school and his parents are going through
a divorce. With no friends, he spends his time spying
on his neighbors until one night, a strange barefoot
girl named Abby (Chloë Moretz) moves into the
apartment next door with her ‘father’ (Richard Jen-
kins). Owen is naturally drawn to Abby as she seems
to be impervious to the cold and the two quickly
strike up a friendship. She offers him advice on how to
fight back against his tormentors. The two also com-
municate through the wall of their apartments using
Morse code. Although Abby possesses the physical
appearance of a 12-year old girl, she is actually an an-
cient vampire that needs to consume human blood to
survive, which is provided by her elderly companion
who goes out every night to kidnap teenagers and
drain them of their blood. These killings attract the at-
tention of a detective (Elias Koteas), who suspects it
to be the work of a satanic cult.
The title of “Let Me In” is a reference to vampire folk-
lore which states that a vampire cannot enter a per-
son’s home without being invited in first. Although
fans of the original Swedish version may decry the
changes, they are minor at best with the ambiguity
of Abby/Eli’s gender removed and the relationship
with the father made more palatable for American
audiences, but no less disturbing. The driving force
between Owen and Abby is that the two suffer from
extreme loneliness. His relationship with his mother
is distant at best and Reeves films her in such a way
that her features are blurred and indiscernible. Owen
is desperate for any sort of human connection and be-
comes excited at the prospect of having a friend like
Abby. Being 12 and at the cusp of puberty, he is un-
able to articulate his feelings, but the bond he shares
with Abby transcends a label such as love. To make
it ‘official,’ Abby shows up in Owen’s room one night
and sleeps with him unclothed. Obviously, there is no
Movies & Music
sex involved, but it’s not all that hard to read between
the lines. As for Abby and her older guardian, their
relationship could be likened to that of a ‘long-time
wedded couple who have grown apart during the
many years they have spent together’ ( James Berar-
dinelli, ReelViews). When he fails to provide her with
human blood, he wearily remarks that perhaps he
wants to be caught and feeling left behind, requests
that Abby stop seeing ‘the boy.’ I overheard one of
the audience members remark that Abby was essen-
tially using the boys she befriends to help her procure
blood. While that’s a more cynical interpretation,
I don’t believe that’s true. Being immortal, it’s only
natural that Abby will come to grow weary and seek
new companionship.
Reeves chose his two leads well and both bring a sur-
prising level of maturity and talent to a film which
could’ve been sanitized to make a quick buck. Kodi
Smit-McPhee’s (last seen in 2009’s “The Road”) mel-
ancholy performance makes us emphasize with his
lonely existence as he lives in fear of being brutal-
ized at school, but comes into his own as he spends
more time with Abby. He is initially shocked when
he discovers that she is not what she appears to be
and although we can tell that he is unable to come to
terms with her violent nature, the fact that he cares
for her and she for him overcomes any doubts that he
may have had. Like “Kick-Ass,” the real star is Chloë
Moretz; she is quickly becoming a fan-favorite among
genre films. Her Abby is vicious, but she is also brave
and confident, having accepted that her life is a con-
stant battle for survival and that the only way to make
this burden easier is to have someone to spend her
time with. Richard Jenkins only has a few lines of
dialogue, but how he came to know Abby is revealed
in a key scene when Owen sees a faded photograph.
Finally, there’s Elias Koteas as a detective who’s in
way over his head and cannot fathom the horror that
awaits him.
“Let Me In doesn’t hold back
with the gore as these aren’t your
normal, everyday vampires that
sparkle in the daylight.“
“Let Me In” doesn’t hold back with the gore as these
aren’t your normal, everyday vampires that sparkle in
the daylight. When Abby assumes her vampire form,
her eyes glow a bright blue, she takes on a discolored
complexion, and her voice becomes an inhuman
growl. She becomes little more than an animal when
she feeds and in the film’s final scene, she eviscerates
all of Owen’s attackers in a shower of severed limbs.
The only weakness is in the CG department, but since
it is used so sparingly, it does not detract from the film.
“Let Me In” was released on October 1, 2010 and
has received positive reviews with 86% on Rotten
WAREZ-BB.ORG \ theSCENE \  24  
Tomatoes. Critics hailed it as the rare successful remake ‘with enough changes to stand on its own…that doesn’t add insult to
inspiration.’ The film competed with David Fincher’s “The Social Network” which took the #1 spot with an estimated $23 million
and although I had pegged this film to come in second, it flopped at the box office, coming in at a shockingly low eighth place with
a paltry $5 million. Audience reaction was positive, but a few muttered that the film was boring and openly mocked some of the
more touching scenes. Granted, some may find the content disturbing or ‘wrong’ but mainstream American society is often way
too uptight. “Let Me In” is an excellent vampire romance film and one could say that given their circumstances, Owen and Abby
were destined to be together. This is the high standard that all remakes should set for themselves.

Final Rating:

“Do you think...there’s such a

thing as evil?”

25  \ theSCENE \ WAREZ-BB.ORG Movies & Music

SCOTT PILGRIM
VS. THE WORLD
RELEASED 13 AUGUST (US) 25 AUGUST (UK) WRITTEN BY SPIDERMAN120988 DESIGNED BY PRENDy
Rated PG-13 (Stylized Violence, Sexual Con- Brie Larson - Natalie V. ‘Envy’ Adams
tent, Language and Drug References) Satya Bhabha - Matthew Patel
Chris Evans - Lucas Lee
Running Time: 1 Hour & 52 Minutes Brandon Routh - Todd Ingram
Mae Whitman - Roxanne ‘Roxy’ Richter
Cast: Shota Saito - Kyle Katayanagi
Keita Saito - Ken Katayanagi
Michael Cera - Scott Pilgrim Jason Schwartzman - Gideon Gordon Graves
Mary Elizabeth Winstead - Ramona Victoria Bill Hader - The Voice
Flowers Thomas Jane - Vegan Policeman #1
Kieran Culkin - Wallace Wells Clifton Collins Jr. - Vegan Policeman #2
Ellen Wong - Knives Chau
Anna Kendrick - Stacey Pilgrim Directed by Edgar Wright
Mark Webber - Stephen Stills
Alison Pill - Kimberly ‘Kim’ Pine
Johnny Simmons - Neil ‘Young Neil’ Nordegraf
Aubrey Plaza - Julie Powers

Movies & Music WAREZ-BB.ORG \ theSCENE \  26  

W
atching “Scott Pilgrim vs. The World“, I’m reminded of John Lyly’s fa-
mous proverb, ‘The rules of fair play do not apply in love and war.’ The
film is based upon the graphic novel series “Scott Pilgrim” created by
Bryan Lee O’Malley and published by Oni Press. Although I am a huge comic
nerd, I must admit that I have never read the series, but I did know of it when I
received a copy of “Free Scott Pilgrim” during Free Comic Book Day in 2006.
The art is in black-and-white and is drawn in a way that resembles manga, but
what really stood out was the tongue-in-cheek tone and pop culture references.
“Scott Pilgrim vs. The World” may not appeal to older audiences and the story
feels cramped, but the film is a fun ride thanks to its offbeat humor, likable char-
acters, and distinct visual style.
22-year old Scott Pilgrim (Michael Cera) lives in Toronto, Canada and is part of
a band called the Sex Bob-omb, which includes his friends Stephen Stills (Mark
Webber) and Kim Pine (Alison Pill). They hope to make it big one day, but
so far their biggest (and only) fan is Young Neil ( Johnny Simmons). Pilgrim
is currently in a very chaste relationship (they came close to holding hands!)
with a 17-year old high school girl named Knives Chau (Ellen Wong), and be-
cause of the age difference, his friends constantly make fun of him. While at the
library with Knives, Scott encounters a mysterious pink haired girl named Ra-
mona Flowers (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) and he immediately becomes smit-
ten with her at the expense of his current girlfriend. Ramona is a ‘ninja delivery
girl’ for Amazon.ca. To ask her out, Scott orders a meaningless item to see her
again. He invites her to a battle of the bands show where the Sex Bob-omb’s
are hoping to win a record contract with the G-Man. Unfortunately, Scott is
attacked by Matthew Patel (Satya Bhabha), who reveals himself to be the first
of Ramona’s Evil Ex-Boyfriends. Scott is at a loss, but he manages to defeat him
after a furious battle. Ramona reveals to Scott that if they are to continue dating,
he must defeat all seven members of the League of Evil Exes, led by the G-Man
himself, Gideon Graves ( Jason Schwartzman).
I can’t say whether “Scott Pilgrim vs. The World” is true to its source material,
but the film is a visual delight from start to finish. Since director Edgar Wright
is adapting an entire series (and each volume averaged around 200 pages), the
story does have a rushed feel to it, but it never shortchanges any of the char-
acters and the whole film remains surprisingly coherent during its two-hour
running time. Although the film mainly focuses on Scott literally trying to win
the heart of Ramona, it’s really about coming to terms with your past. You can
see how these two were made for each as both have exes that come back to bite
them in the ass.
The most unusual element of the film is that it is knee-deep in pop culture ref-
erences and especially vintage video games. This is immediately evident when
the Universal logo is presented in 8-bit graphics, complete with the appropri-
ate sound effects for that type of technology. Scott woos both Knives and Ra-
27  \ theSCENE \ WAREZ-BB.ORG
mona by revealing a curious tidbit about how Pac-Man was originally called
Puck-Man, but the developers were afraid that vandals would deface the name
by changing the P to an F. Once the evil ex-boyfriends show up, Scott has to
defeat all of them in combat and it’s presented in such a way that harkens back
to fighting games such as Street Fighter and there’s the 64-hit combo reference
made famous in Marvel vs. Capcom. Fights are often filled with action words
like ‘Pow!’ or ‘Crash!’; which is reminiscent of the 1960’s Batman TV show.
When he wins, Scott receives experience points and the opponents dissolve
into a shower of coins. Like a role-playing game, Scott will also level up and
gain new skills (power of love and self-respect!) or even an extra life! Some of
the evil exes also have a ‘trick’ to defeating them and the final boss has an ultra
long health bar similar to action games like Devil May Cry or Ninja Gaiden.
These battles seem to be heavily influenced by Hong Kong martial arts films
as Scott kicks and punches through hordes of goons. Even Ramona joins in,
wielding a heavy mallet that would give Thor a run for his money. This is also a
jab at the ‘magic satchel’ popular in role-playing games where a character could
carry a bevy of items even though it would be physically impossible in real life.
Since I am an avid gamer, this increased my enjoyment of the film, but most of
this will probably escape older audiences. The humor is often sharp, witty and
offbeat and there’s one hilarious bit that uses the “Seinfeld” theme, including a
laugh track. You’ll be hard-pressed to keep from laughing as the film revels in its
absurdity, fully aware of how ridiculous it is and as far from reality as possible.
“
I can’t say whether “Scott Pilgrim vs. The
World” is true to its source material, but
the film is a visual delight from start to
finish.
The film features an eclectic cast and I was initially wary of Michael Cera since
he is constantly type-cast into the same role. Although it’s the same situation
here, the film plays to his strengths as he portrays Scott’s neurotic and bumbling
cluelessness. In a way, he reminds me of myself with his awkwardness although
he certainly has more luck with the ladies than me! He can also be selfish, but
his heart is in the right place and that’s what makes us root for him. Mary Eliza-
beth Winstead is Ramona Flowers and she goes through three hair color chang-
es throughout the film. She’s a bit more reserved and bottles up her feelings, but
she exudes that natural aura that would make any man fall for her. Ellen Wong
is the hyperactive Knives Chau, bursting into Scott’s arms with a gush of cute-
ness and showing up at the oddest of moments. The rest of the supporting cast
manage to shine despite their limited screen-time, such as Scott’s sarcastic and
promiscuous gay roommate Wallace played by Kieran Culkin or Alison Pill’s
deadpan, eyebrow arching Kim Pine. The evil exes include Chris Evans as ma-
cho movie action star Lucas Lee and Brandon Routh as Todd Ingram, whose
vegan lifestyle allows him to use psychic powers and go Super Saiyan like the
Movies & Music
characters of Dragon Ball. Later on, he gets his powers taken away by the ‘Veg-
an Police,’ a possible reference to kryptonite.
Released on August 13, 2010, “Scott Pilgrim vs. The World” has received a
solid 81% on Rotten Tomatoes. Critics noted the ‘script may not be as daz-
zling as its eye-popping visuals, but [the film] is fast, funny, and inventive.’ Al-
though I was pegging the film to hit third place at the box office, it did much,
much worse, earning a dismal $10 million in fifth place. Universal spent quite
a pretty penny marketing it and the hype was very high, especially at this year’s
“
If you want something bad, you have to
fight for it. Step up your game, Scott.
Break out the L-Word.
Movies & Music
San Diego Comic Con where the entire cast showed up. There was even a free
screening to create awareness. However, deep down Universal knew this was
a tough sell, but they stuck with it because this is genuinely a good movie and
sometimes it’s not all about the money. When I viewed the film, much of the
audience was in their twenties and very few were actually over thirty. “Scott
Pilgrim vs. The World” won’t appeal to everyone, but if you’re open-minded
enough, there’s great fun to be had and as the last major release of a disappoint-
ing summer 2010, it couldn’t have gone out better.
WAREZ-BB.ORG \ theSCENE \  28  
 MOVIE REVIEW

PIRANHA3D
Rated R (Sequences of Strong Bloody Horror Violence and Gore, Graphic Nudity,
Sexual Content, Language and Some Drug Use)

Running Time: 1 Hour & 29 Minutes Article by :SpiderMan120988

Directed by: Alexandre Aja Design by :dingo_d

W hen you're watching a film called

"Piranha 3D," you know what
a popular Spring Break spot where recent high delivers this in spades. In fact, I find it mind-
school graduates and college students go to boggling that it managed to get away with an
you're getting into. "Piranha 3D" is

produced by the 'King of the B-Movies' Roger

party. Hoping to keep the peace is Sheriff Ju- R rating as this is one of the most violent and
a remake of the 1978 original of the same name,
lie Forester (Elisabeth Shue) and her partner, bloodiest films I have ever seen. However, it's
Deputy Fallon (Ving Rhames). Julie's teenage all presented in a tongue-in-cheek manner so
Corman and directed by Joe Dante as a low son, Jake (Steven R. McQueen) is supposedly you know not to take it seriously, but there are
budget parody/rip-off of Steven Spielberg's babysitting his younger siblings. Instead he several gory kills. As the piranhas attack, we get
1975 original blockbuster "Jaws." The sequel, runs off on his own with eccentric porn king up close and personal as they tear and bite into
subtitled "The Spawning," was actually James Derrick Jones ( Jerry O'Connell) to help him their deserving victims, leaving nothing but
Cameron's directorial debut, not "Terminator" scout for a suitable lo- a skeletal mess with
as most people believed. Since it was releasedcation for his next X-
in the final weeks of August, usually a dump- rated film, starring his
The piranha hunts in packs. The first pieces of flesh still
hanging on. The scene
two 'actresses' Danni bite draws blood. The blood draws where hundreds of rev-
ing ground for films that the studio either didn't
know how to market or had to get rid of before(Kelly Brook) and the pack! elers get attacked will
the fall season, I was ready to dismiss "Piranha
Crystal (Riley Steele). leave the squeamish
3D" but the film ended up being a riot as it un-
All mayhem breaks loose once the piranhas covering their eyes as flesh is ripped from bone,
abashedly revels in its inherent cheesiness and
arrive and begin bloodily feeding on the hun- drenching the water in red. Director Alexan-
absurdity while bombarding the screen with dreds of party-goers in the lake while Julie has dre Aja reportedly used over 80,000 gallons
gratuitous gore and even full-frontal female nu-
to rescue her family when they become trapped of blood for this film. There are a number of
dity. It's a campy thrill ride but it's one you'll
on a sinking ship. memorable kills including when Jerry O' Con-
have fun taking! nell's, Derrick, gets his legs and groin chewed
The plot in "Piranha 3D" is flimsy and largely off and he mumbles in shock, 'It ate my pe-
A sudden earthquake opens a deep underwater inconsequential but it sets up the major char- nis!' We're then treated to a shot of his severed
chasm that unleashes a swarm of prehistoric acters adequately. What moviegoers came to manhood floating in the sea and chewed up by
piranha into nearby Lake Victoria in Arizona, see was the gore and the nudity, and the film two piranhas, one of which spits it back out

29  \ theSCENE \ WAREZ-BB.ORG Movies & Music


at the audience! Another involved real adult
actress, Gianna Michaels, ski-diving with her
jugs hanging out and then gnawed on by the
ravenous piranhas, leaving a bloody torso float-
ing into the air. Finally, a young girl's hair gets
tangled in a boat motor and her entire face
virtually gets skinned off when someone starts
the engine. The gore is unapologetic and will
disgust many viewers, but for horror fans, this
will be pure heaven. Of course, we can't forget
about the nudity and I may sound like a pervert
saying this but there are boobs a-plenty. One
scene had stunning UK Playboy model, Kelly
Brook, doing underwater ballet with another
real adult actress, Riley Steele, accompanied by
artsy opera music and it crescendos with the
two making out. I must say, they really seemed
to enjoy it, as did all the other male actors. We
are treated to numerous shots of women shak-
ing and gyrating; on top of that there's a wet T-
shirt contest (hosted by Eli Roth) that simply
overwhelms you with the amount of boobs on
display, though that isn't such a terrible thing.
As for cast, they know what kind of movie
they're in and they act accordingly. Jerry
O'Connell hams it up with a wink and a nod
as Derrick, a 'Girls Gone Wild'-like porn king,
obsessed with his money shots. There is no
real character development and you shouldn't
expect any given the genre "Piranha 3D" inhab-
its. The piranhas themselves are ferocious, with
numerous razor-sharp teeth and blood-red
Movies & Music
MOVIE REVIEW
eyes, methodically stalking prey before going
in for the kill. They're all obviously rendered
in CG but nonetheless, these are some creepy
mothef*cking fish. The much advertised 3D is
a gimmick and was post-converted after it was
filmed in 2D. The results are mixed as it's barely
noticeable for most of the film but it does man-
age to show off the gore and especially the nu-
dity on display. I'd advise you to save yourself
the $5 surcharge, but most theaters aren't even
showing the 2D version.
"Piranha 3D" was released into theaters on Au-
gust 20, 2010 and was not screened for critics
so there hasn't been any reviews until yesterday.
Surprisingly, many of them have been positive
and it currently holds 79% on Rotten Tomatoes.
The consensus is that it plays 'exactly to expec-
tations for a movie about killer fish run amok
[and] dishes out gore, guffaws and gratuitous
nudity with equal glee.' The theater was about
70% full and the audience thoroughly enjoyed
the blood, guts, and boobs shown on-screen
but again, parents defy all logic by bringing
their children. Hey, you want to mess up your
kids, it's your problem! This weekend has five
competing movies, but none of them should be
able to bring down "The Expendables," though
if any of them should, I'm placing my bets on
this film coming in at second place with around
$15 million. Alexandre Aja clearly had a blast
making the film, as do the cast and "Piranha
3D" just piles on the violence and nudity in
an over-the-top manner while giving a goofy
smile. There have been mediocre films and se-
rious films but none of them have been as fun
as this one. I'll leave you with this humorous
tidbit: when I came home, my grandmother re-
vealed that she had cooked fish for dinner and
to my surprise, it resembled a piranha. How's
THAT for irony?!
Cast:
Elisabeth Shue - Sheriff Julie Forester
Steven R. McQueen - Jake Forester
Jerry O’Connell - Derrick Jones
Ving Rhames - Deputy Fallon
Jessica Szohr - Kelly Driscoll
Adam Scott - Novak Radzinsky
Richard Dreyfuss - Matthew Boyd
Christopher Lloyd - Mr. Goodman
Kelly Brook - Danni
Riley Steele - Crystal
Paul Scheer - Andrew
Brooklynn Proulx - Laura Forester
Sage Ryan - Zane Forester
Eli Roth - Wet T-Shirt Host
Final rating :

WAREZ-BB.ORG \ theSCENE \  30  
 MOVIE REVIEW

SOMEWHERE
Rated R (Sexual Content, Nudity and Language) Running “I’m f*cking nothing...I’m not a person.”
Time: 1 Hour & 38 Minutes Cast: Stephen Dorff - Johnny
Marco Elle Fanning - Cleo Chris Pontius - Sammy Michelle
Monaghan - Rebecca Ellie Kemper - Claire Amanda Anka
- Marge Lala Sloatman - Layla Kristina Shannon - Bambi Ka-
rissa Shannon - Cindy Benicio Del Toro - As Himself Directed
by: Sophia Coppola

Text by: SpiderMan120988

Gfx by: dingo_d

31  \ theSCENE \ WAREZ-BB.ORG Movies & Music


Y ou never want your film to be called ‘bor-
ing’, but that was my reaction as the end
credits rolled for Sofia Coppola’s latest
film, “Somewhere.” Coppola is best known for
her 2003 sophomore effort, “Lost in Transla-
tion” in which she won an Academy Award for
Best Original Screenplay. “Somewhere” debuted
at the 67th Venice International Film Festival on
September 3, 2010 and won the Golden Lion
(the top prize) for Best Picture. I really must ask:
what were those judges (who included Quentin
Tarantino) smoking? The only “prize” this film
should win is that it’s the cure-all for your insom-
nia! “Somewhere” explores a worthy, if not en-
tirely original topic (a father trying to reconnect
with his daughter) but it’s a frustrating exercise in
extreme minimalism. Art house fare sometimes
gets a bad rep for being overly pretentious from
mainstream audiences; this film exacerbates that
negative distinction.
Johnny Marco (Stephen Dorff) is a famous Hol-
lywood actor holed up at the Chateau Marmont
Hotel while he waits for his next starring role. His
life has no direction and he spends his days large-
ly alone, forming no real attachments to anyone.
His 11-year-old daughter, Cleo (Elle Fanning),
occasionally visits but when her mother sudden-
ly takes off, Johnny finds himself forced to take
on the responsibility of fatherhood and in the
process, begins to reevaluate his life.
It’s not hard to see what “Somewhere” is trying to
tell us, that all the wealth and fame in the world
can’t buy you true happiness and for Johnny,
‘Cleo’s heart is his true home. She is the some-
where he needs to get to’ (Richard Corliss, TIME
Magazine). Unfortunately, the film is just plain
boring. I cared little about the emotional empti-
ness the main character felt. “Somewhere” opens
with a static shot of a Ferrari zipping across the
screen on an elliptical road which lasts the better
Movies & Music
MOVIE REVIEW
part of four minutes. Next we see Johnny tripping
on the stairs and breaking his arm. He recovers
by inviting twin strippers to his hotel room to
give choreographed pole dances and falls asleep
as he watches. There is no dialogue and it’s done
to symbolize that Johnny’s life has no meaning,
but all it did was make the film tedious and le-
thargic. There are some moments of humor to
break up the monotony, such as when a male
masseuse drops all his clothes or Johnny giv-
ing oral sex to a blond girl and ending up falling
asleep on her crouch, but these are few and far
between. It doesn’t help that Johnny comes off
as unsympathetic when everything is basically
spoon-fed to him and his publicist Claire (Ellie
Kemper) practically babies him. The only time
he shows any real emotion is in the end where he
calls up his ex-wife and tells her he’s nothing. The
film comes full circle when he drives out onto
the same road seen in the beginning, abandons
his car and walks away to show him leaving his
former lifestyle behind. The best parts are when
Johnny spends time with his daughter, Cleo,
but they go by so quickly. They do some father-
daughter activities like playing Guitar Hero, but
at certain points their relationship feels like that
of a married couple as Cleo often spends time
in the kitchen and cooks for her dad and friend,
Sammy (Chris Pontius). Apparently, the film is
partially inspired by Coppola’s own childhood
with her father, Francis Ford Coppola. Yes, we
get it. Being rich and famous is very hard, harder
than the millions of people who scrape by on an
hourly wage to provide for their family. There’s
not much to say about “Somewhere. “ Its themes
aren’t exactly subtle, but there are people who
will appreciate the film; I’m just not one of them.
If you took all the dialogue in the film, it would
probably only fill about two pages. Even when the
talking begins, nothing meaningful is really said.
Stephen Dorff mostly just mopes around staring
off into space and I found it hard to believe that
Marco was an in-demand Hollywood actor. He
actually comes off like a homeless person. Elle
Fanning, however, is amazing. She comes off as
sweet, caring, and vulnerable. The most touch-
ing scene is when her father is sending her off to
camp and she begins to cry, afraid that her par-
ents are abandoning her, leaving Marco totally
lost for words. He later apologizes for not being
there for her, but Cleo doesn’t hear this due to
the roar of a nearby helicopter. “Somewhere”
needed more scenes like this but alas, there isn’t.
At least the film looks nice thanks to the cinema-
tography from Harris Savides, and the music by
French alternative rock band Phoenix fits into its
pensive nature.
“Somewhere” has been in limited release since
December 22, 2010. If you live in New York City,
the film is only playing in two theaters. Recep-
tion has been surprisingly positive with 76% on
Rotten Tomatoes. Critics wrote that the film was
‘hypnotic, seductively pensive meditation on the
nature of celebrity, anchored by charming per-
formances from Stephen Dorff and Elle Fanning.’
Maybe I’m just not elitist enough to see what they
saw. At the box office, it has made $467,445 from
eight theaters with an average of approximately
$17,000. Combined with worldwide grosses,
the film has covered its incredibly low $7 million
production budget. There’s nothing wrong with
making minimalist films like “Somewhere”, but it
gives little in return for the audience’s attention
as they’ll likely feel cheated by its abrupt ending.
It all ends up being a dull, monotonous, and bor-
ing affair. 
FinalRating:

WAREZ-BB.ORG \ theSCENE \  32  

Review by: SpiderMan120988
Design by: dingo_d
“All men are sinners. Everything I’ve done,
I’ve had good cause to do.”
G eorge Clooney’s latest
film, “The American,”
based upon Martin
Booth’s 1990 novel, “A Very Pri-
vate Gentleman,” eschews the
quick edits and furious gun battles
of today’s modern thrillers, opt-
ing to tell a more character-driven,
cerebral tale of a burnt out assas-
sin searching for his last chance at
redemption. The misleading pre-
views will most likely engender
complaints from moviegoers ex-
pecting a more conventional film.
They’ll decry that it’s ‘too boring’
but like Christopher Nolan’s “In-
ception,” it simply demands that
the viewer pay the utmost atten-
tion as all the pieces come togeth-
er. Despite the title, the film has a
noticeable European flavor and
much of the dialogue is in Italian
with English sprinkled about. “The
American” is beautifully shot, but
its Clooney’s haunted and sub-
dued performance that makes it so
gripping.
33  \ theSCENE \ WAREZ-BB.ORG
MOVIE REVIEW
a prostitute named Clara (Violante weapon with immaculate skill and
Placido). As the people targeting precision. At a local mechanic’s
Jack draw closer, he comes to real- shop, his eyes search, moving with
ize that this is his last chance to es- confidence as he grabs all the parts
cape his life as an assassin and find he needs to make a custom sound
An assassin named Jack (George
redemption. suppressor.
Clooney) is enjoying some com-
pany with his lover, Ingrid (Irina “The American” is relatively The director, Anton Corbijn, is a
Björklund), in Sweden when he straightforward and the story is fa- photographer and every shot is
is attacked by two unknown as- miliar, almost clichéd, but its slow- vivid and picturesque allowing
sailants. He is forced to kill Ingrid burn pacing and its vague morality the tranquility to present conflicts
and flees to Rome to meet his as- help transcend them. We learn next with the chaos that Jack feels with-
sociate, a man named Pavel ( Johan to nothing about Jack’s past or how in his soul. Tension slowly esca-
Leysen). He tells him to lay low he came to be an assassin, but there lates as unknown assailants silently
in a small town in the mountains are subtle clues such as a tattoo stalk Jack through the darkened,
of Abruzzo while he investigates that denotes that he served in the cobbled streets. For much of the
the unknown assassins. Jack ar- military and another of a butterfly film, Jack either goes by the name
rives at the town, but finds it too on the back of his neck. While test- Edward or Mr. Butterfly, but when
suspicious so he flees to another ing the weapon with Mathilde, one the wrong person calls him by the
one, disposing of the cell phone lands on her arm and he remarks latter name, this sets up the inevi-
that Pavel gave him. While there, that they’re an endangered species. table clash between his life as an
Pavel gives him an assignment and Jack is also endangered as he is on assassin and the normalcy that he
sets up a meeting with a woman death’s doorstep at any given mo- so craves. Although we wish for a
named Mathilde (Thekla Reuten), ment. He reacts to any loud noise happy ending for Jack, the resolu-
who wants a custom-made weapon with a gun drawn and has severed tion is almost Shakespearean in its
with the range of a sniper rifle, but all emotional ties, viewing every- tragedy. The drama in “The Ameri-
with the firing capacity of an as- one with intense suspicion. During can” may not be all that original,
sault rifle. As Jack procures the a meal with Father Benedetto, he but the path to redemption ‘is
parts, he befriends a local priest, tells Jack that he has the ‘hands of a always a worthy destination for a
Father Benedetto (Paolo Bona- craftsman.’ Later, we see Jack alone motion picture character’ ( James
celli) and becomes involved with in his room, putting together the Berardinelli, ReelViews).
Movies & Music
 MOVIE REVIEW

Much of the film’s impact hinges

September 1, 2010 to get a jump ally divisive spy thriller.’ It may
on Clooney and the film would ahead on the Labor Day week- come off too slow or pretentious
not have worked as well if Corbijn
end, where movies with no real to mainstream audiences but for
had casted a different actor in the
box office prospects are dumped. those knowing what to expect,
lead. Clooney is largely silent and
I find it kind of strange that Focus they’ll find an effective and engag-
when he speaks, he is often curt
Features opted for a wide release ing thriller, and will come to ap-
and to the point. After having sex
considering the film’s limited ap- preciate the simplicity that “The
with Clara, she asks about him, but
peal. Despite his fame, Clooney’s American” offers.
he replies that she does not need to
films have never exploded at the
pretend and that he’s here for his
box office, but he’s the kind of ac-
pleasure, not hers. His armor does
tor that looks at the material be-
Rated R (Violence, Sexual Content and Nudity)
crack at the rarest of moments and
cause he believes in it, not whether
that charming smile slips through.
it’ll make money or not. A perfect Running Time: 1 Hour & 43 Minutes 
When Clooney acts, it never feels
example was 2002’s meditative sci-
like he is because he slips into his
ence fiction film “Solaris,” based Cast:
role so effortlessly and his haunted
upon the novel of the same name George Clooney - Jack/Edward
performance allows us little in-
by Stanisław Lem. It’s hard not Violante Placido - Clara
sights into Jack, revealing more
to draw similarities between that
Paolo Bonacelli - Father Benedetto
than what the minimalist scriptfilm and “The American” because
Thekla Reuten - Mathilde
presents. The rest of the cast is
both have misleading marketing
largely Italian and Violante Placido
campaigns and the pacing is of- Johan Leysen - Pavel
looks absolutely stunning as she
ten deliberately slow. Although I Irina Björklund - Ingrid 
lies in bed in various states of un-
had initially pegged Robert Ro-
dress. There is very little ‘action’ to
driguez’s “Machete” coming in at Directed by: Anton Corbijn 
be had, but there is a car chase and
#1, it seems the early start allowed
the final fifteen minutes are heart-
“The American” to take the lead
pounding when it soon becomes with an estimated $13 million for a Final Rating:
apparent that Jack’s time is almost
total of $16 million since Wednes-
up. day. Reception has been mixed
with 61% on Rotten Tomatoes as

“The American” was released on critics agreed that it ‘is an unusu-

Movies & Music WAREZ-BB.ORG \ theSCENE \  34  

 THE EXPENDABLES
RELEASED 13 august (us) 19 august (uk) written by spiderman120988 designed by prendy
Rated R (Strong Action and Bloody Vio-
lence Throughout, and for Some Lan-
guage)
Running Time: 1 Hour & 43 Minutes
Cast:
Sylvester Stallone - Barney Ross
Jason Statham - Lee Christmas
Jet Li - Yin Yang
Dolph Lundgren - Gunner Jensen
Randy Couture - Toll Road
Terry Crews - Hale Caesar
Mickey Rourke - Tool
Eric Roberts - James Munroe
Steve Austin - Dan Paine
David Zayas - General Garza
35  \ theSCENE \ WAREZ-BB.ORG
Giselle Itié - Sandra
Charisma Carpenter - Lacy
Bruce Willis - Mr. Church
Arnold Schwarzenegger - Trench
Directed by: Sylvester Stallone
A
s the summer movie season winds down, we have one last highly
anticipated film, “The Expendables;” an ensemble action film
that pays homage to the blockbuster action flicks of the 1980s
and the early 1990s. Sylvester Stallone (who both stars and directs) has
gathered an impressive cast that would make any action junkie salivate,
but unfortunately, the whole affair comes off as stupid. The story pro-
vides a good enough excuse for a bunch of men to blow stuff up, but the
dialogue is excruciating; the violence so pointless and numb-inducing
that a more appropriate name for this film would be “Things Blow Up
Until You Go Deaf and Your IQ Drops 200 Points.” Take away the big-
name cast and what you have here would barely qualify as a straight-to-
DVD release.
Barney Ross (Sylvester Stallone) leads a group of mercenaries dubbed
The Expendables, whose members include former SAS agent Lee
Movies & Music
Christmas ( Jason Statham), Yin Yang ( Jet Li), heavy weapons-wielder Hale
Caesar (Terry Crews), Toll Road (Randy Couture) and drug-addled Gun-
ner Jensen (Dolph Lundgren). After putting down a group of Somali pirates,
Gunner gets into an altercation with Barney and attacks Yin, leading to his
expulsion from the team. Back in the US, former Expendables member Tool
(Mickey Rourke) sets up a meeting between the mysterious Mr. Church
(Bruce Willis) and a former rival of Barney’s named Trench (Arnold Schwar-
zenegger). Church wants a ruthless dictator, General Garza (David Zayas) of
the fictional island nation of Vilena, out of the picture, but Trench declines
the job, citing that he is ‘too busy.’ Barney accepts and prepares for the mission
by doing recon work with Lee. They meet their contact, the beautiful Sandra
(Gisele Itié), whom Barney becomes immediately smitten with. When the
General’s soldiers suddenly attack, the three are forced to make an explosive
escape, but Sandra refuses to leave, determined to help her people. Her dedi-
cation gives Barney an epiphany and he decides to complete the job not for
the money but to do what is right. He, along with the rest of the Expendables,
lay siege to the General’s mansion and brings his accomplice, a rogue CIA
agent named James Munroe (Eric Roberts), to justice.
“
As for the action, it’ll leave you brain-dead
and deaf at the same time.
The plot of “The Expendables” is nothing more than a flimsy excuse to cause
some mayhem, and it succeeds for the most part. Yet, it could’ve been some-
thing more and there’s one scene where Rourke’s character tearfully laments
on how senseless violence can damage a man’s soul and make him numb to
other people’s suffering. It’s as close to the film providing some semblance of
meaning as it gets, but it is gone all too soon, because apparently, emotion
has no place in a macho-man flick like this. Hell, everyone might as well be
in a d*ck-measuring contest since all the characters are obsessed with trying
to prove how ‘manly’ they are. At one point, Lee visits his former girlfriend
Lacy (Charisma Carpenter) and finds out that her new boyfriend is abusive
towards her. To show that he’s a ‘man,’ he goes off and beats the crap out of
him because that’s how chivalrous he is. The dialogue is atrocious, which is a
given since Stallone has a story credit. It’s full of male posturing and action
movie clichés that we’ve all seen before, making the whole affair generic and
predictable. As for the much-hyped scene with Stallone, Willis, and Schwar-
zenegger, it barely lasts five minutes and—while it provides a few chuckles—
it all feels rather anti-climactic, given how much focus there was in the trailers.
Character development is nil because no one needs that in a film like this
and audiences looking for that are apparently not man enough to see “The
Expendables.” Given the amount of talent that Stallone was working with, it
all just feels like a missed opportunity.
Movies & Music
The acting mostly consists of the cast members shouting all their lines and
the only one giving a real performance is Mickey Rourke. The only people
given any significant screen-time are Stallone, Statham, and Li while the oth-
ers don’t show up until the final thirty minutes, not enough to flesh out their
paper-thin, steroid-infused personalities. Also, why is Li’s character named
Yin Yang? They couldn’t think of something better so resorted to a stereo-
type? The main villain played by Eric Roberts, hams it up in a performance fit
for a straight-to-DVD flick.
As for the action, it’ll leave you brain-dead and deaf at the same time. The vio-
lence comes close to approaching self-parody as limbs are blown off, snapped
off, and shot off. The final thirty minutes are a mess. It’s often hard to tell who
is shooting at whom because explosion upon deafening explosion occurs, due
to the haphazard editing. It might make Michael Bay proud, but since we’re
not emotionally invested in what’s happening, why should we care? Watching
Stallone huff and puff as he runs to catch a small airplane, while getting shot
at by dozens of men, seems like he’s running to reclaim his former action hero
glory. Let’s be realistic here, this guy is one year away from qualifying for a
monthly Social Security check.
“The Expendables” was released into theaters on August 13, 2010 and has
received mixed reviews with 44% on Rotten Tomatoes. Critics noted that ‘it
makes good on the old-school action it promises, but given all the talent on
display, [the film] should hit harder.’ Audience reception was largely enthusi-
astic as they whooped and cheered at all the over-the-top violence on display.
Given the buzz around the film, I’m predicting a $30 to $35 million opening
weekend unless “Eat Pray Love” surprises since there hasn’t been a hit movie
for female audiences this summer. “Scott Pilgrim vs. The World” is only going
to appeal to a niche audience despite the fact that it has the best reviews out
of the three. “The Expendables” is a futile attempt to reclaim the glory of a by-
gone era and while it’s fun to see all these action stars on-screen, the novelty
soon wears off as there’s nothing here remotely worth watching. The dialogue
is cringe-inducing and the violence is just so loud and mindless that it’s liable
to cause brain damage and your ears to bleed. This is nothing but a straight-
to-DVD film with a (mostly) all-star cast.
“
I promised myself, I’m gonna die for
something that counts.
WAREZ-BB.ORG \ theSCENE \  36  

THE FIGHTER
H aving trained for four years, Mark
Wahlberg’s dream project, “The
Fighter,” a biopic, chronicling the
rise of boxing champion ‘Irish’ Micky Ward
from Lowell, Massachusetts, finally arrived on
the big screen last December. Now retired, the
real-life Ward is famous for his trilogy of fights
with the late Arturo Gatti, which took place in
May and November 2002, and June 2003. His
brother, Richard ‘Dicky’ Eklund, nicknamed
the ‘Pride of Lowell’ was also a boxer with a fa-
mous bout against Sugar Ray Leonard in 1978.
Despite a 10 year career, Eklund’s life spiraled
out of control due to his addiction to crack co-
caine. He is the subject of a 1995 HBO docu-
mentary, “High on Crack Street: Lost Lives in
Lowell.” “The Fighter” boasts some excellent
performances from its supporting cast, espe-
cially Christian Bale and Melissa Leo, but does
not do enough to differentiate from other box-
ing films.
37  \ theSCENE \ WAREZ-BB.ORG
MOVIE REVIEW
In 1993, an HBO documentary crew is filming
former boxer Richard ‘Dicky’ Eklund (Chris-
tian Bale) as he goes about his day. Eklund is
in denial and believes the crew is chronicling
his ‘comeback’, but the documentary is actually
about how crack cocaine destroys the lives of
the addicts and those around them. Stuck in
the past, he spends his time getting high and
training his brother, Micky Ward (Mark Wahl-
berg), for his boxing matches. Their mother,
Alice (Melissa Leo), who also serves as man-
ager, sets up a fight in Atlantic City, but his op-
ponent drops out due to a sudden case of the
flu and is replaced by someone 20 lbs heavier.
At the insistence of his mother and brother,
Ward agrees to fight, but is thoroughly beaten.
He is given an offer to train in Las Vegas for one
year and get paid, but when this is brought up
by his girlfriend, Charlene (Amy Adams) when
she meets the family, Alice is offended and
considers it an act of betrayal. Dicky says that
if he wants to be paid to train, he’ll find a way
to make it happen. Unfortunately, he resorts to
Text by: SpiderMan120988
Design by: dingo_d
a prostitution scam where he impersonates a
cop, but it all goes wrong and Dicky is arrested.
Micky rushes to his defense, but the cops break
his hand and arrest him as well. As his brother
"
is serving his prison term, Micky comes to re-
OK, this is your time. I had my
"
turn and I blew it.You don't have
to!
alize that his family is holding him back and
although he loves them, he has to be his own
man if he is to become a boxing champion.
Like most boxing films, “The Fighter” hits the
usual tropes with Micky doubting whether his
career will take off. Over the course of the film,
he finally gains confidence and wins the Wel-
terweight Championship against Shea Neary
(Anthony Molinari). The problem is that we’ve
seen similar films thousands of times before
from Sylvester Stallone’s “Rocky” to Clint
Movies & Music

Eastwood’s moving “Million Dollar Baby.”
What keeps it from being by-the-numbers is
the family drama and there are several intense
confrontations. Dicky is trapped in the past,
unable to see past his own delusions and real-
ize that he is a shell of a man due to his addic-
tion. Alice is blind and refuses to see the truth
and he in turn manipulates her. When she
finds Dicky leaping out the window of a crack
house, he woos her back by singing “I Started
a Joke” by the Bee Gees. As manager, Alice
exploits Micky for the money by setting up
fights that her son loses due to Dicky’s lacklus-
ter training and feels betrayed once he breaks
Movies & Music
MOVIE REVIEW
from the family and goes his
own separate way. Although
Micky realizes that he needs
to make his own decisions,
his girlfriend Charlene ends
up bossing him around as
much as Alice, and his voice
ultimately gets lost in all
the bickering. Not until his
fight with Neary at the end
of the film do we feel Micky
has finally become his own
man, but it comes too little
too late. The boxing matches
themselves pack a visceral
realism (Wahlberg opted
not to use a stunt double)
but even when it seems like
Micky is about to lose, we all
know he’ll come out on top
and it’s that predictable feel
that kept me from cheering.
“The Fighter” is not a bad
film and as an inspirational
biopic, it gets the job done,
but does not bring anything
particularly new to the table.
Fortunately, the acting is
superb, especially the sup-
porting cast. During the
end credits, a short scene
shows the real Micky Ward
and Dicky Eklund, and it
is uncanny how Christian
Bale has captured every
facet of Eklund, right down
to his gaunt frame and ani-
mated way of speaking. Bale
brings a certain humorous
charisma to the part and his
redemption, although ex-
pected, does not feel forced
down our throats. He con-
tinues to impress with his
unwavering dedication to his craft and hope-
fully gets recognized at the 2011 Academy
Awards. Melissa Leo is Alice and like Barbara
Hershey from “Black Swan,” she’s not a mother
you’ll soon forget. Leo melts into her role as
well with her rough attitude and controlling
personality. The scary thing is that people like
her exist; mothers so obsessed with fame that
they are unwilling to listen to what their chil-
dren want. Amy Adams, no longer a cutesy
princess, is Micky’s girlfriend Charlene who
possesses the foulest mouth, going toe-to-toe
with Alice, and even punching out one of his
sisters. Surprisingly, Mark Wahlberg disap-
points even though he is the lead, receding
into the background and overshadowed by
his three co-stars. He certainly looks the part
but despite this being a personal film, he never
shows any real enthusiasm.
“The Fighter” received a limited release on De-
cember 10, 2010 and expanded a week later.
Reception has been highly positive with 89%
on Rotten Tomatoes. Critics praised the per-
formances and found the film ‘a solidly enter-
taining, albeit predictable, entry in the boxing
drama genre.’ It has been nominated for six
Golden Globes including Best Picture, but I
find this to be too ‘safe’ of a choice. Then again,
“Crash” won over “Brokeback Mountain.” The
film has also performed well at the box office
with $48 million. “The Fighter” is a solid film
but outside of the performances, it feels like
any other inspirational sports biopic.
Rated R (Language Throughout, Drug Con-
tent, some Violence and Sexuality)
Running Time: 1 Hour & 55 Minutes
Cast:
Mark Wahlberg - Micky Ward
Christian Bale - Richard 'Dicky' Eklund
Amy Adams - Charlene Fleming
Melissa Leo - Alice Ward
Mickey O'Keefe - As Himself
Jack McGee - George Ward
Melissa McMeekin - 'Little Alice' Eklund
Bianca Hunter - Cathy 'Pork' Eklund
Erica McDermott - Cindy 'Tar' Ecklund
Jill Quigg - Donna Eklund Jaynes
Dendrie Taylor - Gail 'Red Dog' Eckland
Kate O'Brien - Phyllis 'Beaver' Eklund
Jenna Lamia - Sherri Ward
Frank Renzulli - Sal Lanano
Caitlin Dwyer - Kasie Ward
Chanty Sok - Karen
Miguel Espino - Alfonso Sanchez
Peter Cunningham - Mike 'Machine Gun'
Mungin
Anthony Molinari - Shea Neary
Sugar Ray Leonard - As Himself
Directed by: David O. Russell
Final rating:

WAREZ-BB.ORG \ theSCENE \  38  
 The Other Guys
Directed By: Adam McKay
Rated PG-13
(Crude and Sexual Content, Language, Violence and Some
Drug Material)
When it comes to comedians, Will Ferrell ranks low on my list. It’s due
to the fact that he plays the same bumbling, annoying man-child in
all of his films, from “Anchorman” to last year’s critical and commer-
cial flop, “Land of the Lost.” In fact I find much of his so-called ‘com-
edy’ to be rather juvenile in contrast to another SNL veteran, Tina
Fey. Ferrell teams up in his fourth outing with director Adam McKay
in “The Other Guys,” a buddy cop movie, which also stars Mark Wahl-
berg. The film starts off strong, but loses steam as it devolves into ge-
neric action scenes with its hit-and-miss jokes and convoluted story.
Review By: Spiderman120988
Design By: Surferdud3
Running Time: 1 Hour & 47 Minutes
amusing moments, but often times it’s taken too far and can come off
as offensive to some people. The best moments are the opening min-
utes of the film. Jackson and Johnson chew up the scenery with action
movie clichés, but soon after the momentum flags. It becomes some-
what of a bore as we’re treated to by-the-numbers shootouts and car
chases. One humorous bit is when Hoitz compares his relationship
with Gamble to a tuna and a lion, but Gamble matter-of-factly states
that lions hate water and would therefore be overwhelmed by other tu-
nas. At a funeral, Hoitz gets into a scuffle with another detective, but

The NYPD’s best cops are P.K. Highsmith (Samuel L. Jackson) and
Christopher Danson (Dwayne Johnson), who has no qualms about
causing millions of dollars in property damage just to catch a band of
petty thugs. Unfortunately, their inflated egos lead to their deaths and
Detective Terry Hoitz (Mark Wahlberg) believes he can step up and fill
the void. Hoitz was once a promising police officer, but was put behind
a desk when he fired his weapon at Derek Jeter, which cost them the
World Series, earning him the nickname ‘The Yankee Clipper.’ He is
saddled with a passive forensic accountant named Allen Gamble (Will
Ferrell), who is content with being a paper pusher and filling out po-
lice reports. His biggest case involves a scaffolding violation that leads
to Gamble and Hoitz becoming embroiled in a complex fraud case in-
volving a billionaire named David Ershon (Steve Coogan), who is try-
ing to swindle another company of its $32 billion in an effort to pay
back his shady angry investors. Although the two officers frequently
butt heads, they begin to rely on each other as they try to prove that
they can be ‘real cops’ to their captain, Gene Mauch (Michael Keaton).
they do it quietly out of respect, with the others cheering in hushed
The story is simply a mess and actually works against the film as it tones. Later on, Gamble reveals that he was an ‘accidental pimp’ in col-
tries to be relevant with its focus on Wall Street fraud and racketeer- lege via a hilarious flashback, but the gag begins to overstay its welcome
ing, but all this just comes off as half-baked and superfluous. The end when he starts screaming randomly and referring to himself as ‘Gator.’
credits become some PowerPoint presentation showing statistics about Unfortunately, McKay does not learn that what was funny the first time
Ponzi schemes and financial monopolies. No one watches a com- isn’t as funny the second time. Several gags begin to repeat during the
edy for its plot, but the jokes are often hit-and-miss. There are some second hour, including a stolen shoes bit and the fact Gamble is seem-
ingly able to attract all sorts of gorgeous women. Some of the jokes are
39  \ theSCENE \ WAREZ-BB.ORG Movies & Music
also taken too far. Some sarcastic insults come off as sexist, homopho-
bic, and racists, like when a visiting detective at an elementary school
reveals to the kids that you won’t be accosted by the police if you’re not
black or Hispanic. Part of the reason that the comedy is mixed is that
everything feels staged like a sketch comedy show, loosely connected by
a story that goes nowhere. “The Other Guys” tries to poke fun at the cli-
chés of buddy cop movies and while it succeeds for the first half, it even-
tually succumbs to them as it moves from one loud set-piece to another.
grown men attempt dangerous stunts to amuse themselves. Since this
summer hasn’t exactly delivered a hit comedy, it has a high chance of
overtaking “Inception” so I’m predicting an opening weekend of $35
to $40 million. The only competition is “Step Up 3D” but that film
only appeals to tween girls. “The Other Guys” initially shows prom-
ise and while there are some genuinely funny bits, too many jokes
either repeat or fall flat and it becomes a largely predictable affair.

“ Hey hey hey! You shut your

face! If I wanna hear you talk I
will shove my arm up your a**
and work you like a puppet!
You hear me?! ”
The acting is one of the film’s strengths and thankfully, Ferrell isn’t as
annoying as normal, though he does go off-the-rails crazy when a good
cop/bad cop routine goes awry. Mark Wahlberg hasn’t done much com-
edy work besides his supporting role in “Date Night” but he succeeds in
playing off of Ferrell’s cluelessness, screaming that he’s a flightless pea-
cock and flamboyantly doing ballet to win back his girlfriend. However,
both are upstaged by Michael Keaton as police captain Gene Mauch,
who also works a second job as a supervisor at Bed Bath & Beyond. He Final Rating:
gets the best one-liners (‘Alright! Shake your dicks. The pissing contest
is over!’) It’s great to see him back on the big screen after his hilarious

Cast:
voice-work in “Toy Story 3.” Eva Mendes mostly just plays up her hot-
ness factor, though she does shine while singing “Pimp’s Don’t Cry” to
her depressed husband. Finally there’s Steve Coogan as Ponzi schemer,
David Ershon, but he’s neither funny nor memorable. The opening ac-
tion scene veers into over-the-top territory, but the rest devolves into
generic, but serviceable, fare. However, some of the action is hard to Will Ferrell-Detective Allen Gamble
swallow, such as when a helicopter crashes due to being hit by golf balls. Mark Wahlberg-Detective Terry Hoitz
Eva Mendes-Dr. Sheila Ramos Gamble
Steve Coogan-David Ershon
Michael Keaton-Captain Gene Mauch
Rob Riggle-Detective Evan Martin
Damon Wayans Jr.-Detective Fosse
Ray Stevenson-Roger Wesley
Samuel L. Jackson-P.K. Highsmith
Dwayne Johnson-Christopher Danson
Anne Heche-Pamela Boardman

“The Other Guys” was released on August 6, 2010 and has received
surprisingly positive reviews with 80% on Rotten Tomatoes. Critics
found the film ‘delivers bursts of comedy during a summer largely de-
void of laughs.’ I know humor is subjective, but much of what Holly-
wood deems funny I find juvenile or offensive. The audience seemed
to enjoy the film, but they also erupted into laughter at the teaser
trailer of “Jackass 3D,” based on the MTV series where a group of
Movies & Music WAREZ-BB.ORG \ theSCENE \  40  
 MOVIE REVIEW

bluevalentine
a love story
Written by SpiderMan120988
Designed by kerwoer

J oshua Starnes of ComingSoon writes

that “Blue Valentine” is ‘the filmic
equivalent of cutting yourself on the leg
over and over with a razor blade.’ That’s a
pretty apt description as this is one of the
most depressing films of 2010 (though I’m
reviewing it now).

Hollywood often idealizes love, which is why so many

of those so-called romantic comedies often rely on worn
clichés that do not reflect reality at all. At least 50% of
marriages end in divorce in America. “Blue Valentine”
is not a film you watch to be entertained with its harsh,
brutal look on the dissolution of a young couple’s
marriage. Backed up by superb performances from
Michelle Williams and Ryan Gosling, this is one of
2010’s best films.

Dean (Ryan Gosling) is a high school dropout, making

ends meet working for a moving company in Brooklyn,
New York. Cindy (Michelle Williams) is studying to
become a doctor, living with her unhappy parents
and taking care of her grandmother at a nursing home
in Pennsylvania. The two meet by chance at the nurs-
ing home and quickly fall in love in a matter of weeks.
However, Cindy discovers that she is pregnant from a
previous boyfriend and Dean decides that they should
spend the rest of their lives together by getting married.
As the years go by, the couple begins to realize that they
are unprepared for the harsh reality of marriage and drift
further apart until it all explodes on one fateful night.

41  \ theSCENE \ WAREZ-BB.ORG Movies & Music

 MOVIE REVIEW

The title “Blue Valentine” is contradictory as it means

‘sad love.’ The film begins in present day with the couple
approaching middle-age, although Cindy still retains
some semblance of her youth while Dean is already bald-
ing. Flashbacks are woven into the narrative and show
how the two initially fell madly in love until both parallel
tales meet at opposite ends. Young love is often idealistic
and ‘in the moment’ where the worries of reality are
far from your mind. We see a twenty-something Dean
discussing love at first sight with a co-worker and lo and
behold, that’s what happens when he meets Cindy—or
at least that’s what he wants himself to think. Love can
cause people to act in an irrational manner, something
that I have experienced. Initially, it feels fresh and excit-
ing; you can’t bear to be away from each other. One of
the most poignant scenes is when Dean plays his ukulele
and sings in a goofy manner while Cindy tap-dances
along. They end up laughing. Their sexual encounters
are passionate and at one point, they even do the deed in
public!

The cracks begin to show once Cindy realizes that she is

pregnant from a previous boyfriend, although this is nev-
er made explicitly clear and we only assume. Dean makes
the decision to rush into marriage, something not to be
taken lightly. After watching this film, I wouldn’t be sur-
prised if you exclaimed that you don’t want to get mar-
ried. When they finally make it official at the courthouse,
they are excited to start their lives and live ‘happily ever
after.’ Their happiness proves temporary. Six or so years
later, whatever love they had seems to be extinguished.
Dean lacks ambition and finds simple fulfillment in be-
ing a husband and father, refusing to grow. Cindy is bitter
about being forced to give up her dreams of becoming
a doctor. The two were never compatible to begin with.
“Blue Valentine” feels like a cautionary tale of rushing
into major life decisions without any forethought. When
Dean sings the Ink Spots’ “You Always Hurt the One You
Love,” it’s prophetic of the hard times to come.

Movies & Music WAREZ-BB.ORG \ theSCENE \  42  

 MOVIE REVIEW

“ After watching this

film, I wouldn’t be
surprised if you
exclaimed that
The film’s focus is always on Gosling and Williams and you don’t want
they rise to the challenge with excellent performances.
to get married

”
There are a lot of raw emotions on display, but hate is
not among them. When the two argue, it’s more a sense
of weariness. Both are selfish, but not unsympathetic.
Dean is willing to do anything to stay together, regardless
of whether Cindy wants to or not. Cindy just wants to
give up, tired of all the petty fights. The parallel narrative
of how they met and how they drift apart show that the
two are still the same people, but how they relate to each
other has radically changed in the intervening years.

“Blue Valentine” had a limited release in New York and

Lost Angeles on December 29, 2010, playing in only four Rated:
theaters and has expanded with each weekend. Reviews R (Strong Graphic Sexual Content,
have been overwhelmingly positive with 88% on Rot- Language, and a Beating)
ten Tomatoes. Critics found this ‘emotionally gripping Running Time:
examination of a marriage on the rocks isn’t always easy 1 Hour & 52 Minutes
to watch, but Michelle Williams and Ryan Gosling give
Cast:
performances of unusual depth and power.’ Initially, I Ryan Gosling - Dean
wasn’t even aware of this film as there had been no real Michelle Williams - Cindy
marketing push, likely due to The Weinstein Company’s Faith Wladyka - Frankie
financial troubles. It was only after it received an NC- John Doman - Jerry
17 (reversed on appeal) that I learned of the film. The Mike Vogel - Bobby
Marshall Johnson - Marshall
sex and nudity are what you see in other R-rated films
Jen Jones - Gramma
but the MPAA is plagued with hypocrisy and double
Maryann Plunkett - Glenda
standards. I was surprised by the large turnout when I James Benatti - Jamie
viewed the film, though the audience skewed ages 20 and Barbara Troy - Jo
up. Box office wise, it has made approximately $2 million Carey Westbrook - Charley
against a $1 million production budget. “Blue Valentine” Ben Shenkman - Dr. Feinberg
is depressing and you’ll be hard-pressed not to shed a Eileen Rosen - Mimi
tear or two. The ending is open but there’s no real sense Directed by: Derek Cianfrance
of hope. ‘The cumulative experience leaves an aftertaste
that, although not bitter, is too strong to be easily washed Final Rating:
away. That’s the mark of a worthwhile motion picture’
( James Berardinelli, ReelViews).

43  \ theSCENE \ WAREZ-BB.ORG Movies & Music

 5 To Watch
I hope to do this regularly, pick 5 songs that I absolutely love at
the moment and let you in on them. They could be old, new, or
unreleased. I’m mainly interested in the dance spectrum of music,
but I’ll include other genres, should anything pop up that I like.
Here’s the first edition. I’ve made a rule that I’ll not involve any
deadmau5 tracks, since his latest release was reviewed in the
last issue. I really started to enjoy good old fashioned dub plates
again over the past few months, so I’ll include one of them,
along with a new hit from Example, and some other epic tunes.
In no particular order:
1) “26 Basslines”- Benga.
Review By:
Design By: Surferdud3
5) “Love Like a Sunset”- Phoenix.
Here’s an Alternative to finish off. I had never heard Phoenix before
this, so maybe I’ve missed out on a bandwagon, but it was a little
jewel to brighten up any shit days. It starts off with a clearly minimal-
ist addition melody, but with a deep synth supporting it. It’s like it
can’t decide whether it’s an electro-pop or acoustic track. It builds
and builds, up to a point where you beg it to play its piece. When it
finally drops, you are treated to two minutes of vocals before it slow-
ly fades away, well, just wow. I love it; very clever and entrancing.
I hope you give a few of these a listen. I enjoy them, so maybe you will
to. I’m always open to suggestions regarding music, so if there’s any-
thing you think I should be introduced to; leave a comment/PM me.

A quality tune from one third of Magnetic Man. Benga really pio-
neered the beginning of UK Dubstep and this track taken from
his artist album, Diary of an Afro Warrior, showcases what the
sound is all about, wobbly bass, dirty beats, and a sweet rhythm.

“Shot Yourself In The Foot

2)

Again”- Skream & Example.

Another third of Magnetic Man here, this slightly more main-
stream Dubstep track was released as a free download in mid-
January. It has a chilling feel with the bells used in the intro,
before dropping into a trademark Skream sound; it grew on
me immensely. Example’s voice is also growing on me; mix-
ing rap with electro was risky, but it’s definitely paid off for him.

“Demented” [Or Just Crazy]- Tres

3)

Demented.
Tres Demented are a duo of Carl Craig and Laurent Garnier, both
prominent Detroit techno producers. This track, definitely an oldie,
has a menacing vocal pattern that builds all the way up to the drop,
and a repetitive, yet catchy drum beat, which gradually adds a mel-
ody added to it. More than three minutes into the song, when the
kick drum finally enters, you’re so transfixed by the vocals you don’t
even notice it. It is a strangely beautiful track, well worth a listen.

4) “Sleepwalker”- Chris Lake.

I said no deadmau5, but mau5trap’s label is OK. Chris Lake
is a very talented producer, mainly involved in the elec-
tro house scene, signed to mau5trap. This, his latest re-
lease is, well, I can’t really describe it without saying the
word pounding repetitively, so that’s basically what it is,
and relentless. With a nice slow breakdown to confuse you.
Movies & Music WAREZ-BB.ORG \ theSCENE \  44  
 deadmau5
4x4=12 Review
Text by: druid101
Layout by: dingo_d

I waited patiently for two months, from the date it was an-
nounced to the date it was released, refusing to buy any of the
promotional singles, and trying not to listen to the songs on
YouTube in full. As you can probably guess, I’m a bit of a deadmau5
nut. I’m talking, of course, about his latest album, 4x4=12. It’s been
just over a year since For Lack Of a Better Name hit the shops, and
now Zimmerman has released this, what I believe is his best work
thus far. SOFI again, and a much heavier, all-Dubstep song, the shortest on
the album. Finally, “Everything Before” is a golden oldie, released
For once, an album has no ‘let-down’ tracks or space fillers. Each back in 2007, but not when he was big enough. This new edit is
tune is completely different, deserving, on occasion, an individual quite menacing and dirty, and a brilliant choice to finish the album.
review of its own. Starting with “Some Chords”, a track with a mel-
low build up leaving first-time listeners unsure of what to expect, It’s his best album—there’s no doubt in my mind. Nothing to fault
followed by a disjointed-sounding electro bassline, which was clear- and I have it going round on repeat all the time. It’s also an excellent
ly a good choice. Then, deadmau5 introduces the vocals of upcom- introduction to my favourite artist at the moment, so give it a go.
ing talent SOFI with “Sofi Needs a Ladder”, a techno themed deep Finally, if you want to buy the album, I recommend iTunes, as the
layered track that punches throughout its whole. “Paco Di Bango’s LP comes free with five videos of him performing live at Brixton
World”, a remix of an Orlando Voorn song that couldn’t beat Voorn’s academy, which allows you to see what all the hype regarding his
copyright follows next, now named “A City in Florida” and missing live show is about.
the distinct vocals of its predecessor. Nevertheless, it is an excel-
lent electro track, and a clever pun with the name. Take that, Mr.
Orlando. “Bad Selection”, the next song, has the best drop on the
entire album, followed by a relentless drum beat that shows no sign
of letting up at all.

“Animal Rights” is, in my opinion, the song that made Zimmer-

man’s fan base sit back up and take note. A collaboration with elec-
tro house wiz Wolfgang Gartner, so you know it’ll be good and
it doesn’t disappoint. Best listened to loudly. Next is the the only
remix on the album, “I Said (Michael Woods Remix)”. Woods is a
producer currently signed to mau5trap, and this moody rework of
a Deadmau5/Chris Lake tune is rather brilliant. Every deadmau5
album always has a long track on it, and “Cthulhu Sleeps” is no ex-
ception. If you don’t have a subwoofer, don’t bother. It relies very
heavily on the bassline, and has an epic breakdown in the middle.

Moving into the final part of the album, we come to “Right This Sec-
ond”, formerly “Moonlight Sonata Esque”. It’s a very ambient track
with beautiful chords, and an amazing intro, followed by a kick-ass
drum beat. “Raise Your Weapon” is certainly the best track on the
album, with a twist. It begins with a clearly deadmau5 progressive
tune, filled with vocals courtesy of Greta Svabo Bech, but then,
four minutes in, we hear deadmau5’s first foray into Dubstep, and it
doesn’t disappoint. This is followed by “One Trick Pony”, featuring

45  \ theSCENE \ WAREZ-BB.ORG Movies & Music

 999: Nine Doors, Nine Persons, Nine Hours
Developed by Aksys Games
Released for Nintendo DS
T he first time that I heard of 999 I was intrigued by the concept since
I’d not read about the story, but then it escaped me until I happened
to find it sitting on a random torrent site a little less than two weeks af-
ter its launch. Remembering the name, and how I was interested in it, I
downloaded it; wondering what I would find. Two hours later I had the
game on my flash cart and started it up-I spent the whole night playing it.
Nine Doors, Nine Persons, Nine Hours is a Japanese visual novel trans-
lated into 99.9% perfect English (if you’re unlike me and don’t notice ex-
tremely tiny and unimportant typos, 100%). The game is mainly present-
ed as still backgrounds and art with animated characters. The whole game
is conveyed through text – descriptions and such on the bottom screen
and speech on the top screen. Use of sound is minimal, but works well.
Between the walls of text come several options of actions that you choose
– kind of like a Choose Your Own Adventure book, but a little lighter on
the choices. The trade-off for this is that each choice you make actually
affects the story, which is better than having a million little choices. There
are enough differing story paths to warrant at least three play-throughs
(there’s another reason to keep playing; I’ll talk about that later).
Again, between the choices and walls of text, is a series of “es-
cape the room” puzzles where you have to find specific objects
Tech & Games
Review By: BlueMaxima
Design By: Surferdud3
and clues to help you escape a room or advance through an area.
These puzzles are generally simple to complete; you shouldn’t need
to spend more than 100 taps/twenty minutes on a single puzzle.
The magnum opus of 999 is that of its title – not dissimilar to Saw.
The story is about nine passengers on board a reconstructed Ti-
tanic, completely sealed from the outside so they must find their
way through the puzzles and the doors, while time slowly runs out
for them. It is fantastically set and told plus it’s suspenseful and
the characters are memorable. It makes you want to keep play-
ing. For a DS game, it’s one of the most well done I have seen in a
long time. With six different endings, the game can last a long time.
I have one small gripe with the game though. My initial play-through
was roughly five and a half hours. My second play-through was about
four and a half hours. This was due to the addition of a “skip mes-
sage” button that made it faster to read everything when you finish the
game the first time. Why wasn’t this available the first time around?
That’s the only major problem I could find with 999 though – a
gripping story, good puzzles and enough to make you want to
come back. A must own for lovers of puzzles and heavy readers.
+Fantastic storytelling, multiple endings
+Well thought-out puzzles and choices
-A little slow for speed-readers
Final Rating:
WAREZ-BB.ORG \ theSCENE \  46  
 Bejeweled 3
Developed by PopCap Games Review By: BlueMaxima
Released for PC (reviewed) Design By: Surferdud3
Well Bejeweled, it’s been six years since we’ve seen a real incarnation of in Bejeweled 3. It’s pretty, sounds beautiful, and the concept is
you. Think you can stand up to me? Think you can get me addicted again? easy enough to play to warrant revisits. Bravo, PopCap. 4.5/5

For those of you who have been living in a cave on Mars or in a differ-
ent dimension where computers never existed, Bejeweled is a match-3
game. You’re given a board of gems with different colours; match-
ing 3 in a row makes them disappear which gives you points. Getting
more than 3 in a row gives you special gems to help your playtime.
Ice Storm is another secret mode. The columns in game are con-
stantly filling up with ice, and you need to match gems over said col-
umns to keep them down and away from the top of the screen. The
game is hard, fast-paced, and is not really suited to casual players
due to the speed you need to work at. (At least, in my opinion.) 3/5

Bejeweled looks and feels the same as ever – same gems and same board. The final mode is Diamond Mine. A game where matching jew-
New backdrops, sound effects, and music definitely turn the game els on top of the dirt breaks the dirt, so you have to dig down
up a notch from Bejeweled 2 and Twist. However, the game uses the to a specific line to move onto the next area (and get a time bo-
same title screen as Bejeweled Blitz. What? The game-play itself hasn’t nus). It’s less difficult than Ice Storm, more difficult than the oth-
changed, except the little ability they’ve added that allows gems to be ers, but easy enough to play once you get the hang of it. 3.5/5
matched while other gems are falling. Sometimes it helps, but some-
times it doesn’t. The game retains its “levelling” system, but it’s based Bejeweled 3, even with its problems, is still a success for Pop-
on total score now instead of “stars”. It works better than it did before. Cap; managing to improve a six year old game with several mil-
lion sales is quite an achievement. If you need something to do
The one complaint I have about Bejeweled is base is the fact that there’s for five minutes every now and again, why not grab Bejeweled?
no online component to speak of. No online updates, no high score
tables, no Facebook integration (i.e. Bejeweled Blitz), nothing. Why
did PopCap drop it? With some systems like the medals that show off
+Slight graphical and sound tune-ups
your progress, it doesn’t mean much if you can’t brag about it online.
+Several modes to keep a player occupied
You have four modes to play at the start, with four extra game modes
as you progress along. I’m not sure how else I can describe these +Most of the award-winning gameplay remains untouched
modes fairly, so I’m going to review each individual mode in turn. -Some modes feel overly difficult for the casual gamer
-No online functionality whatsoever
Classic is your basic match-3. Need I say more? 4/5

Zen was originally just an untimed and unlosable Classic, but

now it’s so much more – the mode allows you to have the mu- Final Score:
sic at the levels you want, an indicator to breathe in or out, posi-
tive messages to display on the screen, and even binaural beats.
They didn’t work for me, but try it out, it might work for you! 4/5

Lightning is Classic, but you only get 1 minute to start with. You
have to earn bonus time by matching Time Gems. This is basically
Bejeweled Blitz without the powerups. I liked the powerups. 3/5

Quest is a series of ever-harder challenges based on the actual gamemodes

(some you’ll never play outside of Quest itself). While some of the chal-
lenges were great fun, some were a chore, and some felt too hard to a casual
player like me. Then I found I had run through all the challenges. Shame. 3/5

Poker is one of the secret modes. You match 5 rows of gems and
they turn into a poker hand, which earns you points. The mode re-
quires some strategy and is fun for a little while, but it just doesn’t
have that brand of addictiveness the other modes have. 3/5

Butterflies is another mode. The idea is to match butterflies to

stop them from reaching the top of the screen to get eaten by
a spider. Butterflies is, in my opinion, is the best game mode

47  \ theSCENE \ WAREZ-BB.ORG Tech & Games

 Donkey Kong Country Returns
Developed by Retro Studios Review By: BlueMaxima
Released for Nintendo Wii Design By: Surferdud3
Having never played the original Donkey Kong Country, I didn’t know
what to think when I entered the fray with Donkey Kong on this re-
vival of the (apparently) classic game. Would they do a comparable-with
Metroid Prime levels of quality, or a comparable-with Metroid Other M?

The game, at its core, is a 2D platformer. You travel through several

worlds with Donkey Kong and Diddy Kong (the game has co-op or
Diddy Kong straps to your back). The overworld consists of several
worlds with several stages (if I say “classic style” once in this review, you
are free to hunt me down and shoot me). You move between stages by
completing them, with a boss at the end of each world. Simple, right?

Every level has 3 “goals” that you can unlock aside from the end game.
Find the letters of KONG, find all of the puzzle pieces, and finish the
time trial for the level. The KONG letters are generally in sight when
you progress through the levels, but the puzzle pieces are usually in-
credibly well hidden – finding all of them in a level is incredibly dif-
ficult on your first run through. The puzzle pieces can keep even the
most avid searcher busy for weeks. The time trials…The times to
get a gold medal on the time trial runs are so incredibly low; mak-
ing one mistake will need a stage restart. Perfection is required.

In case you haven’t figured it out yet, the game is DIFFICULT. Don-
key only starts with two hearts (having Diddy strapped to your back
makes four), and some challenges are incredibly difficult to get right
.The mine cart level near the end of world one is an example, need-
ing very precise jumps to navigate gaps. It never feels like the game’s
cheated you out of succeeding though – a lot (if not all) of the fail-
ures can be attributed to a silly move you made or an “OK, I’ll do
something different next time” situation. Along with this, dying
eight times in a row brings back an old friend from Super Mario Gal-
axy 2, the Super Kong, who is more than willing to help you out.

The game was hovering on “good” for quality presentation (graphics and
sound before I hit a specific level. The menus are portrayed as wooden
panels, retro and fitting the bill, but the graphics were, let’s just say, “ex-
pected”, until I played Sunset Shore in the first level. I was entranced as
soon as I entered this level, guiding Donkey Kong’s light black silhou-
ette through the sun rising with a bright flare behind him, I realised the +Enjoyable to the last second
full potential of the game’s graphics, and it just got better from there.
+Plenty of collectables
+Forgiving difficulty
The only problem with Donkey Kong Country Returns, in my opin-
ion, is the controls. The game uses the sideways Wii Remote pose

-Controls could be more solid

with some shaking involved to blow on something, drum the
ground, or roll forward. This works for the most part, but some-
times wanting to drum results in rolling forward and going straight
off a ledge. Why couldn’t it be mapped to a normal button?
Final Rating:
Nevertheless, DKCR is still a long, difficult, but fun platformer,
that’s reminiscent of the old days. Just don’t plan on leaving your
house for a few days while you hunt down that one last puzzle piece.

Tech & Games WAREZ-BB.ORG \ theSCENE \  48  

 Operation Flashpoint: Dragon Rising
I enjoy playing Call of Duty. There, I said it. It’s a fun, fast-paced
shooter that doesn’t get old too quickly. Unfortunately, every time
I sit down to play it, I think ‘bit unrealistic’. I mean, you have explod-
able RC cars, guns that lack recoil, and airstrikes at the drop of a hat,
like the pilot is magically hovering somewhere. These are the reasons
why, when my mate mentioned Flashpoint, I decided to give it a go.
I can’t review the multiplayer, because every time I go on it, no one
else is there. It must just be that no one actually plays it - I don’t know.
The premise of the game is simple. It is meant to be a realistic military
simulator, not a competitor in the Call of Duty/Battlefield market.
There are two separate squads to play as. One is a simple infantry squad,
and the other is a Special Forces squad. With each one comes a set of dif-
ferent missions, but you can’t choose to complete one squad’s story and
move on to the other’s- it’s quite linear, you do one mission for the ‘spec
ops’, then another for the infantry, and so on. The campaign is average-
the Chinese have invaded a small Russian island, and the Russians have
asked the US to get it back. So, you can probably guess the mission struc-
ture. The first couple of missions are about invading; the middle lot are
about taking control of various locations, and the last few about gaining
control of the island. That’s about it. However, it is much more in-depth.
You get a sense that every decision you make affects the outcome of the
entire conflict, and in effect it does. Do you assault head-on, or take out
the anti-aircraft units, giving you access to air support should you need it?
In terms of the gameplay, and this is a bit of a dig at the pillocks who re-
viewed it badly: it’s meant to be realistic. That means, if you stand up in
a field, and run about like a headless chicken, you will be shot and killed.
If you fire from the hip, you will be shot and killed. If you don’t hide, you
will be shot, et cetera. Bullet damage has been done exceptionally well,
one hit in the torso or head is highly likely to kill you, but you might get
lucky, and only get glanced, or shot in the limbs. That then creates prob-
lems, in that you won’t be able to sprint, or aim properly. This can be fixed
by your squad’s medic, providing you’ve looked after him. Within about
ten minutes of playing, I realised it was a bit different from Call of Duty,
and started playing the whole game as if I was actually being shot at.
The diversity of missions is fantastic. In one, as the Special Forces, you
have to infiltrate an oil depot without being spotted, plant C4 charges
on tankers and the main generator, and get out, hopefully undetected.
Then, as the infantry, you lead an anti-tank team in a full-out assault on a
49  \ theSCENE \ WAREZ-BB.ORG
Review By: Druid101
Designed By: Surferdud3
Chinese-controlled airfield, and when you have gained control, you have
to call in close air support and shoot down an attack helicopter. Because
it’s realistic the air support doesn’t arrive immediately- you do however
hear the dialogue between you and the pilot, which is quite good fun.
Unfortunately, there are two fairly major problems with the game. The
AI of the enemy is amazing, whereas the squad you control leaves a
lot to be desired. They never cease to amaze me, and my personal fa-
vourite was- I ask them to suppress an area, and they did. Then, they
must have gotten bored, because one of them decided to stop, stand
up, and got shot in the head. His mates then threw grenades into the
wall they were facing. It happens very rarely, but it does annoy you, es-
pecially since even on the easiest difficulty, checkpoints are scarce. My
second major gripe is that Codemasters basically lie on the box. They
claim ‘A vast, 220sq km environment, waiting to be explored’. You can’t
go off-route that much in the missions. There was no free-roam. They
also claimed ‘Over 70 authentic weapons and vehicles’, but you can’t
use all of them. In the main story, you cannot fly an attack helicopter
or drive an Abrams tank. The dismay this caused the public meant they
had to release DLC, but this all sets you back 800 MS Points (free on
PC). Nevertheless, the DLC did include new missions in which you
could free roam, or drive a tank, or fly a helicopter. And that’s fun.
So, in conclusion, it’s a fantastically different shooter that leaves you
gripping your controller tightly, praying for fire support and hoping the
enemy isn’t flanking you. There is a great selection of missions, which
don’t lose much replay value since you can attempt them with differ-
ent methods. The graphics are some of the best on the Xbox 360, with
vast open landscapes and huge draw distances. It just seems sad that the
features originally promised were not included. I thoroughly recom-
mend this for anyone wanting to try something just a little bit different.
Final Rating:
*only because you have to go through
a bit of extra effort to get all the
features.
Tech & Games
Poker Night at the Inventory
Developed by Telltale Games Review By: BlueMaxima
Released for PC (reviewed) Design By: Surferdud3
The premise of Poker Night at the Inventory is simple enough- you’re the
fifth player in a game of poker along with four internet “celebrities” – Max
from Sam and Max, Strong Bad, the Heavy from Team Fortress 2 and
Tycho from Penny Arcade. Let me tell you this, the interactions between
these characters alone is worth the (incredibly low) price of admission.

The game is Texas Hold ‘Em, which is a classic form of poker (I’m
not explaining it to keep the review short). There’s no other forms of
poker here – no five card stud or draw, or Omaha. All you get are Max,
Heavy, Strong, and Tycho – no one else to play against. While this is
understandable, it would be cool to get some more content in the fu-
ture, like more game types or characters; however, this is still a good
selection of personalities, and generally a good game to base them on.

The presentation in the menu is minimalistic and in-game is simple,

with the ability to switch your card decks and table skin. If you get
busted and decide to watch, in every hand you’ll see a little “under-
the-table” cam which is pretty cool. The one problem I had is, other
than the player’s viewpoint and the general acknowledgement of the
player by the characters, you never see the player actually do anything,
which, when compared to the four characters, feels like it’s missing.

The characters are represented well, and the graphics are good and
scalable (you might actually be able to play this on a netbook with
luck). Also, the sound is nice and ambient, only being used when ac-
tually needed, providing a great atmosphere. The definite best part of
the game though, is the interaction between the characters. Every now
and again (and you can up this in the options to make it occur every
few hands) the characters will launch into a mini-conversation that you
watch while the hand plays out. Most of these are downright hilarious,
but a fair share requires knowledge of previous telltale games or the
character. Nevertheless, you can still get a great laugh out of everybody,
including Tycho’s new voice, which suits his personality (he’s such a +Hilariously funny
dark character in the corner of the table); or Max, who appears to be
totally insane; Strong Bad is as mean as he ever was; or the Heavy, a for-
+Solid gameplay
eign war machine who doesn’t seem to understand our ways (and man- +Fantastic price
ages to make it funny). Unfortunately, there’s only a few hours worth
of this dialogue – it will get old, but still good to listen to a few times. -Slight lack of content
Other little things like being able to change the difficulty of play-
ers from normal (which act as their characters would seem to if they Final Rating:
were to actually play poker) to hard (you’ll get whooped by com-
petent gamblers), and having exclusive items to be won if you knock
out a specific player when they put up their merchandise make
Poker Night a good package for the casual internet or poker fan.

The best part? Anywhere that you live, it’s less than a fiver.

Tech & Games WAREZ-BB.ORG \ theSCENE \  50  

IN CELEBRATION OF INDIE
The Best of the Steam Indie Sales - Part One
written by BLuemaxima designed by prendy
During the Steam sales back in November/December
there were thirty games put into several daily “bundles”
of five each for six days. I played through all thirty. I
now present my top five games from those sales.

5 . Starting with number 5- Beat Hazard: Barely beating out Audiosurf for
this spot. Its combination of dual-stick shooting and bright visuals
makes it a good recommendation, but be careful you don’t go blind from the

1
patterns.
. Staying out of the cardboard box at number 1- Recettear, an Item
Shop’s Tale: It’s a perfect blend of RPG gaming and store mechanics.
It’s worth every penny, you’ll want to come back to it again and again, plus it’s
cuter than a rabbit.

4 . Making me dizzy at number 4- And Yet It Moves: With its charming

pencil-on-paper presentation and clever gravity- based puzzles, which
left me in a tizzy. Unfortunately the playtime ran a little short.

Surely that’s not all I could recommend? Of course not! Here are some of my
other recommendations that didn’t make my top five.

Breaking a nuclear box apart, Shatter is a creative pong clone, with different
modes, bosses, and power-ups, with a bitching graphical style. The bonus
stages are enough to drive people insane though.

Riding the music wave, Audiosurf has been around for nearly three years now,

3
. Building as high as it can at number 3- World of Goo: It has plenty of
puzzles which require thinking in terms of building your way home using
as few globs as possible. Collecting as many of them as you can to build up in
World of Goo Corporation is a great side-game.
but that doesn’t mean it’s aged badly – it’s still quite fun to play, especially since
updates have tuned it quite well (excuse the pun).
Growing laser-shooting spores, Eufloria is a charmingly, pretty, strategy game
where you spread your plants from one asteroid to another to defend against a
virus – it’s science fiction and plants at the same time, who would’ve thought
it was possible?

Fighting the space crocodiles, Flotilla is space combat strategy across a ran-
domly generated galaxy, where every thirty seconds you give your ships new
orders in combat. The difficulty in the galaxies could be toned down a little,
though, to help me hold onto my sanity.

And my final recommendation is Altitude; fun 2D aerial dogfights (along with

2
a wide selection of other fun game modes) with intelligent AI bots are enough
. Going out of this dimension in number 2- VVVVV: Its Commodore to keep the game engaging (just pray you have local net servers).
64 tunes, graphics, and gameplay treads just under Super Meat Boy’s dif-
ficulty level. It’s something that you can’t stop playing.

51  \ theSCENE \ WAREZ-BB.ORG Tech & Games

Little Big
Planet 2
WRITTEN BY BLUEMAXIMA DESIGNED BY PRENDY
L ittle BigPlanet was a great game
when it first came out. The cam-
paign was fun and the possibilities
of the editing engine were nearly endless.
Now there is “ LittleBigPlanet 2,” the se-
quel, which claims you can make an infi-
nite number of games from the founda-
tions it provides. Does it follow through on
that promise?
One of the first things that you’ll notice
about LBP2’s new campaign is it is epic
in scale. A battle between Sackboy and
his friends against “The Negativitron” has
many different types of levels and bosses
to play. It includes isolated minigames and
the typical versus/score/survival chal-
lenges. There’s also the random co-op areas
scattered throughout the campaign .The
summary- there’s a good bit of value for
the money here, even if you don’t plan to
go online.
The online levels – while there are already
3.3 million levels backported from the first
LBP, there are new levels based off LBP2’s
engine as well, showing off a lot of what
can be done – top-down shooter, tower
defense, (incredibly) detailed racetracks,
it’s all here and playable. The selection is
mostly the old levels, but since Media Mol-
ecule updates “their picks” for the greatest
levels regularly, you’ll always see the best
stuff there.
A lot of the game is customizable – your
Sackboy has plenty of accessories to be-
gin with, but once you progress through
the levels grabbing prize bubbles, this will
balloon to a huge number of costumes.
Sackboy can look like nearly anything you
desire. You can also customize your hub
world, your “Moon” for storing your cre-
ated levels and your “Earth” for showing
your levels off.
The level creation tools come with a list of
just over 50 tutorials to help you get start-
ed. There’s a lot to learn, but everything
Tech & Games
Genre: Platformer
Publisher: Sony Computer
Entertainment
Developer: Media Molecule
Release date: 18 january
(us) 21 JANUARY (UK)
is covered as well as you can expect for
such a large toolset. Stephen Fry provides
excellent narration with a good serving
of humor, but it’s not likely your children
will understand every joke he makes. Your
knowledge of the toolset, after the exten-
sive tutorial, should be more than enough
to create your own masterpiece.
Unfortunately, even with all the great
parts of LBP2, there’s one area where the
whole game comes crashing down- the
online co-op is broken. There were many
errors while trying to get into the different
levels with co-op. I’d say out of fifty tries
that twenty percent were “timed out” er-
rors, twenty percent resulted in an “infinite
loading bar” glitch where the level never
loaded, the remainder were “(name) has
refused to let you join their game.” There is
a button that says “Press me if you want to
play by yourself ”, but people don’t press it,
and kick people out of their game because
they don’t want to play with anyone else. A
game where you can kick people like that
has a giant failure in its design.
“LittleBigPlanet 2” came so close to top-
ping everything that its prequel had ac-
complished, but the broken online co-op
brought it down faster than an anvil on a
Looney Tunes’ character’s head. In my
opinion you should only buy this game if
you plan to play it offline, by yourself or
with a physical friend; otherwise you’re
setting yourself up for disappointment.
+ Intelligently designed and
fun campaign
+ Incredibly extensive creation
tools
+ Fun co-op sections…if you
play locally
- Online play is fundamentally
broken
WAREZ-BB.ORG \ theSCENE \  52  
SUPER MEAT BOY
DEVELOPED BY TEAM MEAT RELEASED FOR 360/PC (REVIEWED)
WRITTEN BY BLUEMAXIMA DESIGNED BY PRENDY
M
eat and saws seem like such a good combination, don’t they?
Trust me, while you might love them separate now, you may
come to hate them together.

Super Meat Boy is a “retro” platform game created by Team Meat,

based off an older game with the same style they put on Newgrounds,
Meat Boy. The game is, again, retro with only two buttons other than
your movement keys (sprint and jump), and the whole game takes a
blocky aesthetic with 8-bit music filling the soundtrack void. I have
nothing but praise for the presentation itself – it’s simple and it works
fine. Not to mention the cut scenes do tend to be quite funny.

It’s quite hard to use the keyboard as a controller (the game actually
warns you during the intro to use a gamepad), but it would’ve been
appreciated to make it easier to use the keyboard. My fingers still hurt
from the movements they’ve had to make.

The idea of the game is to rescue Bandage Girl from a series of worlds,
Mario-ish style. Basically platform game levels with get from A to B
mentality, there are a lot of secrets to find, like bandages used to unlock
new characters, and warp zones which can unlock characters or give
you that little bit extra challenge (retro zones only give you 3 lives each
stage).

“ My fingers still hurt from the move-

ments they’ve had to make.
The main drawback of the game would have to be its backbreaking dif-
+ Look and sound is up to scratch
+ Very clever level design
ficulty – you can spend hundreds of lives on one stage just trying to - Keyboard can’t be used as controller
pass one obstacle, then dying on another obstacle in the same level
then having to go through it all again. Retro zones are even worse –
effectively
you only get three lives per stage to get through three stages, lose all - Random technical issues make the
your lives and you’re back to the first stage. game harder to play…
Unfortunately, there are a few technical hiccups that made the game
nearly unplayable for me – random frame rate drops, freezes, and - …on top of the extreme difficulty.
crashes have all been in my copy of the game. They say updates are
coming, but there have been plenty already, so why am I still getting
these issues?

To sum up, Super Meat Boy is arguably one of the most difficult games
available today, unfortunately with some of that difficulty coming
from technical errors. I’d give this game my full recommendation, if
only they’d fix the bugs.

53  \ theSCENE \ WAREZ-BB.ORG Tech & Games

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about the things you love is a job for
you.

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with a special talent in writing. We
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PM spiderman120988 if interested.

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