Weekend reportback
Again it was an enjoyably chilled weekend, where pop culture played a part but didn't dominate. On Friday night I socialised with friends at a braai-and-boardgames evening that quickly devolved into a lazy DVD-watching session. On Saturday I was at the surprisingly one-sided rugby (Go Sharks!), enjoying the rare opportunity to sit in a corporate box and gorge myself on free food and drink. And on Sunday we headed down the KZN South Coast to spoil the bf's grandmother with some fresh sea air, sunshine and a big brunch for her birthday. Anyway, this is the pop culture I did consume this weekend.
Film:
This weekend we revisited 2 classic action films on DVD, Starship Troopers and True Lies, from directors Paul Verhoeven and James Cameron respectively.
Already 15 years old, True Lies still holds up as a fantastic action-comedy-adventure. Who can forget Arnie's tango, Jamie Lee's striptease and seminal action sequences such as the horse vs. motorcycle chase, and the Harrier rescue? As for Starship Troopers I'm still of the opinion that Verhoeven deliberately set out to make a bad movie, just as he did with Showgirls. Because, let's face it, Starship Troopers is fun, but it's also satire lurking in complete trash - a talentless Barbie and Ken cast slaughtering and being slaughtered by goo-filled giant bugs, while an indifferent voice-over dismisses the deaths of millions; spouting military propaganda in its place. I love it.
Gaming:
The deadly combo of paladin Herkon and druid Merle continued to push their level limits in World of WarCraft, flitting back and forth across continents to find orange (not red) quest chains to complete. Right now I'm looking forward to reaching Level 40 so I can finally don impressive-looking plate armour, and more closely resemble my D&D character. Here's Herkon at the moment:
Speaking of WOW, the big BlizzCon announcement this weekend was that a third expansion is on the way, entitled World of WarCraft: Cataclysm.
This expansion will introduce many changes to the game, with the most important being a level cap raise to 85 (currently it's 80), the introduction of 2 new races (monstrous Worgen werewolves for the Allies and diminutive mischievous goblins for the Horde), and new content that sees high level players returning to the original continents, now drastically changed. As far as I'm concerned the return to the original game world is a good idea, as many of these territories have become player-less ghostlands in recent months, which is sad given the effort put into them by the development team.
Oh, and if you want some amusement today, check out the BlizzCon Costume Contest pics. Some impressive efforts there, and here.
Reading:
I finished Stephenie Meyer's Twilight this weekend. It was as "meh" as I expected it to be. I quite enjoyed the first half of the book, which accurately captures the over-the-top angst of lovestruck teenage girls. However, once Bella and Edward hook up, the vampire world presented is exceptionally lame. All-American vampires who play baseball? I quite liked Meyer's theory about vampire creation - caused by venom from a vamp's bite as opposed to a blood dialysis/transfusion approach (used by the likes of Anne Rice and Bram Stoker) - but she really doesn't know how to write suspense or action scenes at all.
Television:
American Dad! continues to steal my love away from Family Guy. I caught the Season 4 James Bond spoof episode Tearjerker this weekend and felt that it was way funnier than Family Guy's much hyped Blue Harvest tribute to Star Wars.
In terms of my other favourite shows, South Africans will be pleased to know that True Blood will be returning to our screens soon. A little bird told me that Season 2 will start airing on MNET in October. Yay!
Film:
This weekend we revisited 2 classic action films on DVD, Starship Troopers and True Lies, from directors Paul Verhoeven and James Cameron respectively.
Already 15 years old, True Lies still holds up as a fantastic action-comedy-adventure. Who can forget Arnie's tango, Jamie Lee's striptease and seminal action sequences such as the horse vs. motorcycle chase, and the Harrier rescue? As for Starship Troopers I'm still of the opinion that Verhoeven deliberately set out to make a bad movie, just as he did with Showgirls. Because, let's face it, Starship Troopers is fun, but it's also satire lurking in complete trash - a talentless Barbie and Ken cast slaughtering and being slaughtered by goo-filled giant bugs, while an indifferent voice-over dismisses the deaths of millions; spouting military propaganda in its place. I love it.
Gaming:
The deadly combo of paladin Herkon and druid Merle continued to push their level limits in World of WarCraft, flitting back and forth across continents to find orange (not red) quest chains to complete. Right now I'm looking forward to reaching Level 40 so I can finally don impressive-looking plate armour, and more closely resemble my D&D character. Here's Herkon at the moment:
Speaking of WOW, the big BlizzCon announcement this weekend was that a third expansion is on the way, entitled World of WarCraft: Cataclysm.
This expansion will introduce many changes to the game, with the most important being a level cap raise to 85 (currently it's 80), the introduction of 2 new races (monstrous Worgen werewolves for the Allies and diminutive mischievous goblins for the Horde), and new content that sees high level players returning to the original continents, now drastically changed. As far as I'm concerned the return to the original game world is a good idea, as many of these territories have become player-less ghostlands in recent months, which is sad given the effort put into them by the development team.
Oh, and if you want some amusement today, check out the BlizzCon Costume Contest pics. Some impressive efforts there, and here.
Reading:
I finished Stephenie Meyer's Twilight this weekend. It was as "meh" as I expected it to be. I quite enjoyed the first half of the book, which accurately captures the over-the-top angst of lovestruck teenage girls. However, once Bella and Edward hook up, the vampire world presented is exceptionally lame. All-American vampires who play baseball? I quite liked Meyer's theory about vampire creation - caused by venom from a vamp's bite as opposed to a blood dialysis/transfusion approach (used by the likes of Anne Rice and Bram Stoker) - but she really doesn't know how to write suspense or action scenes at all.
Television:
American Dad! continues to steal my love away from Family Guy. I caught the Season 4 James Bond spoof episode Tearjerker this weekend and felt that it was way funnier than Family Guy's much hyped Blue Harvest tribute to Star Wars.
In terms of my other favourite shows, South Africans will be pleased to know that True Blood will be returning to our screens soon. A little bird told me that Season 2 will start airing on MNET in October. Yay!
Comments
Niel, I'm terrible at keeping track of WOW lore (I skim most of the story stuff), but if the general quest content in Cataclysm is as good and varied as it is in Wrath of the Lich King, I'll be very happy.