Joe© Posted April 22, 2004 Share Posted April 22, 2004 I'm reading Wedge's Gamble right now and it is good. another good movie is Master and Commander: on the far side of the world I really liked that movie and will be buying it as soon as the price goes down (what! me waiting for the price to go down? crap just buy it right now! ) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Darth Homer Posted April 23, 2004 Share Posted April 23, 2004 City of Heroes!! Oh. My. God. I got into the beta last night, started playing around 1am, had to quit at 8:30am so that I could get sleep for work today (and that was without any form of stimulant). Otherwise I'd still be on it. That game rocks so totally that I may take vacation from work when it comes out in retail just so I can play for a while & won't have to worry about such nuissances as sleep. Seriously, it kicks ass both figuratively and literally. Check it out at http://www.cityofheroes.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kurgan Posted April 23, 2004 Share Posted April 23, 2004 I haven't read the "Da Vinci Code" but from reviews I've been told that it's basically a fictional narrative that rips off the theories present in a book from 1983 called "Holy Blood Holy Grail" by three authors: Baigent, Leigh & Lincoln, which I have read. It's an entertaining set of theories, encompassing a conspiracy that 'true' Christianity is really centered around the descendants of Jesus & Mary Magdalene who were married secretly (either before or after Jesus survived his ordeal on the cross without dying) and had kids [instead of historical Christianity which has Christians being those converts and successors of the apostles and first disciples] involving the Knights Templar, the Merovingian Kings, Gnosticism, the Masons, etc. The book apparently links this with the theory that Leonardo DaVinci was a part of this sect of "alternative Christians" and that his painting of the Last Supper "proves" this. Anyway, I haven't read the book so I can't say for sure how it differs from HBHG, but I'd encourage you to check that one out if you're interested in the topic. PS: As to my own recommendations, I'll start off with the "Dune" series by Frank Herbert (especially the first book), which are quite fun to read and interesting in their parallels with Star Wars and other science fiction that came later. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
[RAA]-=Chi3f=- Posted April 23, 2004 Share Posted April 23, 2004 Well I'd say you guys covered all the novels and games so I'll suggest something different. Paintball - Starter kit $180-$200 1) Tippmann 98c 2) Scott or JT mask with Thermal lenses 3) 150-200 round hopper 4) 12-20oz co2 (depending on the price) 5) 500-1000 rounds depending on the brand (don't get Golden Eagle) 6) Accesories (Barrel plug, parts, cleaning supplies, etc) I recommend starting with the Tippmann 98 Custom. It's easy to maintain, nearly unbreakable, fires accurately, and can be upgraded with better parts. I'd suggest getting it locally at a paintball shop if you can; you'll probably get a better deal. Once you start playing more I'd also suggest buying some of these accesories... 1) A chronograph to monitor co2 use. 2) A 10-14 inch barrel (bored out) for sniping 3) Nitrogen or a low pressure system. 4) Acog 4x/M68 style sights 5) M4 collapsable stock. Works good for guys under 6' 6) Tippmann Flatline barrel. 7) E-bolt or a Response trigger (fullauto) The flatline barrel works by creating a backspin on your rounds, increasing your overall distance from 150 freet to about 375, but will also lower your accuracy slightly. The only way to get better accuracy is to bore out the barrel for imperfections and get ammo that fits tightly into the chamber. This will reduce co2 loss and increase pressure. In other words if you have a lot of money to spend, get a flatline barrel and good ammo, otherwise save money by buying a longer barrel that shoots the cheaper stuff. One thing to consider when buying accesories is if you play at a local arena. Some places will not allow you to use custom parts like nitrogen kits, modified barrels, and your own ammo. Our local place does this to force you to buy their ammo (which really sucks) and fill co2 on their field. Using their low quality ammo means more breakage in the barrel/hopper and is impossible to use on a flatline. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jon_hill987 Posted April 23, 2004 Share Posted April 23, 2004 I just read this: Magician by: Raymond E. Feist Its a bit LOTR, so if you liked LOTR you'll like this. don't believe the first coments in the first reveiw tough, it is well writen. http://www.reversephonedirectory.com/products/?item_id=0385175809&search_type=AsinSearch&locale=us Not all of the good games have been mentioned, I have been playing Deus Ex of late, an old game, but anyone who hasen't played it should get a copy, I'm sure its out on budget now, and is easily worth a few £. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tyrion Posted April 23, 2004 Share Posted April 23, 2004 Kurgan, Dan Brown probably did base his book off Holy Blood, Holy Grail as one of the main characters in the story is named Leigh. Oh and LeXX, what's Deception Pont about? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leXX Posted April 23, 2004 Author Share Posted April 23, 2004 Kurgan: I have also read a lot of critics say that he has ripped off a few books, but I have to say that the book isn't just about Mary Magdelane. The ideas in the book are available in any library if you do enough research, he even says as much in the book, also giving the names of some notable books, so he's not claiming to have revealed any new revelation. What he has done is brilliantly incorporated all of this information into an great thriller which was extremely exciting to read. But I will definately check out Holy Blood Holy Grail. Tyrion: Deception Point is a political thriller, and without trying to give too much away, it involves a meteorite discovery that turns out to be not all it is believed to be. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
toms Posted April 23, 2004 Share Posted April 23, 2004 His Dark Materials - book - trilogy by philip pullman Compared to harry potter, but much better (took me a book or so to think so though). Kids version of Paradise lost involving particle physics, philosophy, religion, daemons and a war on god. Infernal Affairs - film Hong Kong film, but basically a thriller with few guns and no martial arts. Been bought by brad pitt for him and tom cruise to star in and to be directed by scorsese, last i heard. There is also a prequel and a sequel which i have just ordered on dvd and are supposed to be nearly as good. The Beach - book - Alex Garland Read this on holiday (if you haven't seen the rubbish film which has ruined the story). Especially great if you have been traveling and can identify with the main character. Withnail & I - film My favorite film of all time (beating even SW and LOTR). Low budget uk film about two out of work actors taking a break in the country. Well acted, sad, moving, funny. People either love it or hate it. Final Straw - album - Snow Patrol Album is on order, but their single "Run" is brilliant. Absolution - album - Muse Great rock album. Queen meets radiohead. better than any of that nu-metal junk. The killer - film - john woo. Film all US action films are now ripping off. Classic. Drive - film Low budget (and cheap to buy) matrial arts film that is good fun and a cross between the matrix and rush hour. came out before either. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crazy_dog no.3 Posted April 23, 2004 Share Posted April 23, 2004 FILMS: Face/Off Braveheart The Italian Job (60's version) Forrest Gump Saving Private Ryan Lord of the Rings (all of them) Indiana ones (all of them) Pirates of the Carribean Operation Condor (Jackie Chan classic!) El Mariachi/Desperado/Once Upon A Time In Mexico Pulp Fiction Ronin The Rock The Matrix Terminator 1 & 2 Die Hard Goldfinger Alien Aliens The Godfather trilogy (even 3 is worth a look) Gladiator Hard-Boiled Schindlers list All Star Wars films Scarface I think that's all of them. Books: I don't read too many but here goes Lord of the Rings Harry Potter Dark Materials Rebel Without A Crew Games: Soldier of Fortune II Half-Life Deus Ex Mafia Max Payne Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pie™ Posted April 23, 2004 Share Posted April 23, 2004 Comic: Johnny The Homicidal Maniac - This is a masterpiece of a cartoon, by the same guy who makes Invader Zim (which i've never watched btw). Pretty macabre humour, but if you don't mind a little gore this comic really makes you think... Serious philosophy wrapped up in intestines Me like! Band: Bauhaus - On the way to become my new favourite band. Plays awesomely cool goth music. Awesome bass riffs, and the vocalist has the coolest voice in the world. Absolutely worth listening to if you're into goth or just rock in general. Movie: From Hell - Very cool movie based on the story of Jack the Ripper. Johnny Depp plays a officer who can foresee murders before they happen. Some hookers have suddenly started to disappear, for so to be found dead, with their throats cut and their genitals removed. Depp is put on the case The suspense is awesome, and London is depicted in a real 'creepy' way, which fits the story perfectly. Absolutely worth a peek To any EBers; yes i did copy myself Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The_One Posted April 23, 2004 Share Posted April 23, 2004 Books: I'm going to recommend authors, as opposed to books - mainly because I believe these authors can do no wrong, and you'd be well advised to pick up any of their works Philip K Dick - In my honest opinion, the greatest science fiction writer to have ever lived. He manages to blend ground breaking science fiction ideas with complex, and highly innovative stories. Take "Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?" for example, the book "Blade Runner" is based on. You'll see it is far better than the film, and a great book in its own right. Currently I'm reading "The Man in His High Castle," a book about an alternate future where the Nazis won the second world war, and went on to conquer America - makes for a very interesting read. I'd also recommend Isaac Asimov, and a lesser known author, Alfred Bester - known to some as the character in Babylon 5 who is named after him. Great writers, great books. Films: Most of the films I'd normally recommend, you're likely to have watched already, but I'll try and give you the "heads up" on a few you may have not. The Big Lebowski - this is a Coen brothers (Fargo, Oh brother, where are thou?) film, and it is quite possibly the greatest film ever made. If not the greatest, certainly the funniest. Each time I watch it, I notice new things - it's a masterpiece Memento - a lot of you will have seen this, but if you haven't, rent it and be amazed. It tells two stories, one backwards, and one forwards - they eventually converge at the end of the film, producing one of the greatest twists in film history. Cube - this film is good, not great, but definitely worth watching. The scenario is that several people wake up in a giant cube, not sure of how they got there, or how to escape. It starts out well, but loses some direction in the second half. Interesting idea though. TV Shows: Babylon 5 - any self respecting science fiction fan should watch this show all the way through from Episode 1, Season 1 to Episode 22 Season 5 and witness one of the greatest stories you'll have ever seen unfold. Greatest TV show ever made, no contest. Six Feet Under - this is currently the best thing on TV (that I'm watching). The characters have so much depth, and are so interesting to watch, it makes even the more questionable episodes (although there are few) worth watching. The writing is almost always top notch, and the dark humour is cleverly woven in to produce week after week of quality television. Music: Ben Harper and the Innocent Criminals - Ben Harper is one of the most clever musicians around today. He cleverly mixes jazz, rock, reggae and plenty of other styles to produce a rollercoaster ride of musical emotion on each of his 5 brilliant albums. Frank Black and the Catholics - Frank Black, Black Francis of The Pixies solo career is well worth a listen. He picks up The Pixies legacy and has produced bucket loads of excellent albums - some brilliant, some not so brilliant. Anyway, there's something for everyone here, and I'd definitely recommend him and his support band to anyone wanting to broaden their musical radar. Béla Fleck and the Flecktones - if you want something completely out on the left field, then check these guys out. The composition of their band consists of Béla Fleck on the banjo (greatest banjo player in the world, Victor Wooten on the bass (by far the greatest bass player in the world), Jeff Coffin on the saxophone, and "Futureman" on the Synthaxe Drumitar (an instrument he invented himself). They mix ever style under the sun, and are probably the greatest group of musicians around. Go and pick up a copy of "Live Art" if you don't believe me, and be prepared to be stunned by this incredible group of artists. That'll do for now Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CapNColostomy Posted April 23, 2004 Share Posted April 23, 2004 The One mentioned Six Feet Under, and that reminded me of something. Anybody here been watching Deadwood? I've been trying to keep up with it, and I've gotta say it's pretty kickass so far. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leXX Posted April 24, 2004 Author Share Posted April 24, 2004 Originally posted by The_One Cube - this film is good, not great, but definitely worth watching. The scenario is that several people wake up in a giant cube, not sure of how they got there, or how to escape. It starts out well, but loses some direction in the second half. Interesting idea though. Cube is a wierd film, and you know you should hate it, but you just can't. It's like a B movie, but yet, the story is so interesting and strange that you can't help but like it. I saw Cube 2 a couple of months ago on Sky, and again, it was just as strange as the first, and again I knew I should hate it, but I liked it too. I also recommend people check it out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The_One Posted April 24, 2004 Share Posted April 24, 2004 Originally posted by leXX Cube is a wierd film, and you know you should hate it, but you just can't. It's like a B movie, but yet, the story is so interesting and strange that you can't help but like it. I saw Cube 2 a couple of months ago on Sky, and again, it was just as strange as the first, and again I knew I should hate it, but I liked it too. I also recommend people check it out. *Cube Spoilers!!* The thing that irritated me most of all (in reference to Cube 1) is the reasoning (or lack of) for the ex-cop suddenly becoming a murderous psychopath. Then he managed to somehow find his way back to the original cube all on his own. It let the film down, although the absolute end was quite clever. I'll have to catch Cube 2 sometime - it's called "Hypercube" isn't it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Samuel Dravis Posted April 24, 2004 Share Posted April 24, 2004 Yes, it is. I didn't like it very much though. Didn't really grab me. The ending was really messed up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rccar328 Posted April 24, 2004 Share Posted April 24, 2004 Books: LOTR (The books are SO much better than the movies!) George R.R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire series The Federalist (also known as The Federalist Papers) by Alexander Hamilton, James Madison and John Jay The Radicalism of the American Revolution by Gordon Wood (Not really casual reading...) For Cause and Comrades by James McPhearson Never Give In: The Best of Winston Churchill's Speeches Edited by Winston Churchill III Let Freedom Ring or Deliver us From Evil by Sean Hannity A National Party No More by Senator Zell Miller The New Thought Police or The Death of Right and Wrong by Tammy Bruce The Real America by Glenn Beck The Long Fuse: How England Lost the American Colonies by Don Cook The Battle for Truth by David A. Noebel The Ragamuffin Gospel by Brennan Manning Dune by Frank Herbert (I read some of the later books, and they just didn't measure up to the original...) And finally, Any book by Tom Clancy Music: Any album by Alison Krauss & Union Station Any album by Switchfoot Supertones: Hi-fi Revival Newsboys: Thrive John Hartford: Steam-Powered Aeroplane Skillet: Alien Youth Plumb: CandyCoatedWaterDrops Pure Prarie League: Bustin' Out Genesis: Invisible Touch Paul Simon: Still Crazy, Hearts & Bones, Graceland, Rhythm of the Saints Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young: Deja Vu Movies: SAVING PRIVATE RYAN!!! (Greatest movie ever made!) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MennoniteHobbit Posted April 26, 2004 Share Posted April 26, 2004 Music: most songs by Five for Fighting Josh Groban Dr. Demento (hehehe) Books: Eye of the Needle by Ken Follett The Ender Series are awesome! Some James Michener books Things Not Seen (it's fiction, nothing nasty by it's title.) Diary of Anne Frank Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Exterminator234 Posted April 26, 2004 Share Posted April 26, 2004 Games- Call of Duty (PC) Half-Life and its various mods (PC) Battlefield: Vietnam (PC) Rainbow Six 3: Raven Shield (PC) Resident Evil (GameCube) Warcraft 3 (PC) Books- Band of Brothers by Stephen E Ambrose (TV show is pretty good too) Citizen Soldiers by Stephen E Ambrose Dreamcatcher by Stephen King The Things They Carried by Tim O'Brien Movies- Saving Private Ryan Platoon Rat Race Black Hawk Down Dr. Strangelove (Bizarre, yet hilarious) Music- Metallica NOFX Megadeth AFI Slayer The Offspring Faith No More As you can probably tell from my choice of movies and books, I'm pretty big into history and wars. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MennoniteHobbit Posted April 28, 2004 Share Posted April 28, 2004 Music: Nirvana- In Bloom, Breaking Benjamin Rossini- William Tell Overture (don't comment on the above ) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jon_hill987 Posted April 28, 2004 Share Posted April 28, 2004 Originally posted by Exterminator234 Half-Life and its various mods (PC) Yeah, anyone who hasn't should play Half-life POV (Point of Veiw) you get to be one of the green electric alien things. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tyrion Posted April 29, 2004 Share Posted April 29, 2004 Originally posted by MennoniteHobbit Nirvana- In Bloom, Breaking Benjamin In Bloom? Meh, that song is alright,not my favorite, though. Spring is here..reproductive glands... Anyway..my picks.. Music- Nirvana- You know You're Right, Smells like Teen Spirit, Lithium, and Dumb. Vivaldi- Four Seasons album. Arcanum- Game Sountrack. Movies- Kill Bill Volume 1- Holy freakin' god..it's so twisted, so perverted, so ungodly outdated music, and yet it rocks so much..(The Showdown at the Blue Leaves is one of the best orchestrated fight scenes, the blend of combat, music, and imagery..total Bucking good!) Lord of the Rings- Do I need to explain? I thought so. Matrix and Matrix Revolutions- First one was revolutionary in Bullet time and philosophy; the second was just, well, "Battle at the Docks". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MennoniteHobbit Posted April 29, 2004 Share Posted April 29, 2004 Vivaldi- Four Seasons album. Yeah that's good. Though, some songs I know are great, but as for the lyrics... I'd rather not say. In Bloom was the first Nirvana song I heard, so I liked it. Classical Music (I wonder if anyone here actually listens to this): Beethoven Rossini Bach More music: Other Nirvana songs umm that's it I know of right now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Samuel Dravis Posted April 29, 2004 Share Posted April 29, 2004 Originally posted by MennoniteHobbit Classical Music (I wonder if anyone here actually listens to this): Beethoven Rossini Bach Yeah, I like classical too. I can actually concentrate on the music rather than someone screaming at the top of their lungs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.