Remembering The Vancouver Canucks

I remember the Vancouver Canucks.

I remember 8 o’clock bedtimes that were artificially extended because Mom would let me listen to the radio as I go to sleep. The radio was always tuned in to CKNW980. Other children had lullabyes – I was sung to sleep by Jim Robson.

I remember Petri Skriko and Tony Tanti scoring gorgeous goals and giving up just as many going back the other way because of an infuriating refusal to backcheck.

I remember Stan Smyl steaming down the off wing.

I remember Pavel Bure, flying as only he could – when he stepped on the gas he was unlike any player the Canucks ever had (or likely ever will).

I remember Trevor Linden. Of course I remember Trev. - the native Albertan who adopted this city as his own. The stoic leader, the classy gentleman, the man who would give his all playing with two broken legs and a broken arm if he had to.

I remember Kirk McLean and The Save vs. Robert Reichel in ’94. I remember him single-handedly stealing game 1 against the Rangers.

I remember Nathan Lafayette. I’ll remember that ‘ping’, as clear and audible today as when it happened. I’ll remember that sound for the rest of my life.

I remember the ‘94 team coming home to an heroes’ welcome, even though they lost - as it should be.

I remember Mark Messier and the hope that his signing signalled along with the ruin that followed shortly thereafter.

I remember Mike Keenan trading Trevor Linden and Kirk McLean and feeling like I had been punched in the stomach.

I remember a flashy young Swede named Markus Naslund finally getting the chance to shine.

I remember Todd Bertuzzi – the good and the bad. The beast of a man who could hold off defenders with one hand while weaving magic with the other and the villain who momentarily lost his mind and broke a man’s neck because a game had gotten out of hand.

I remember Dan Cloutier. … But I try my best to forget him.

I remember Roberto Luongo taking the entire team on his broad shoulders and lifting the club to the most improbable division title in team history in his first year here. I remember the unrealistic expectations that that initial success placed on him to the point where he is now routinely criticized – fairly or unfairly – if he can’t singlehandedly win a game any longer.

I remember the Sedins’ coming out party after the lockout, as they finally got the chance to display their deft passes and otherworldly playmaking ability without someone hooking them to the ice.

I remember Anson Carter’s 36 goals. Chances are he still does, too.

I remember the Blackhawks. I really, really hate the Blackhawks.

I remember the greatest regular season this team has ever had.

I remember every one of Ryan Kesler’s 41 goals as ‘stone hands’ became one of the most unlikely 40-goal men in history through tireless hard work and dedication.

I remember a glorious stretch before Christmas and stretching into the new year where the team Just. Couldn’t. Lose. I remember 17 straight games without a regulation loss.

I remember the most goals for and fewest goals allowed – both firsts for the team.

I remember a power play that when it was working was absolutely sublime – gorgeous passes and lightning-quick puck movement that made the Canucks seem more like the Harlem Globetrotters.

I remember nearly fainting when I found out that the Canucks drew the Blackhawks in the first round.

I remember The Save version 2.0 when Luongo stuffed Patrick Sharp in overtime of game 7.

I remember Alex Burrows’ half-clapper, top-cheddar.

I remember we played the Predators in the second round, but absolutely nothing else about that series. Carrie Underwood’s husband plays for them, right?

I remember Ryan Kesler scoring on one leg and willing the West-clinching game into overtime.

I remember Juice and The Stanchion and the ugliest series-winning goal you will ever see.

I remember going up 2-0 in the Finals and thinking, “My God, they might actually win.”

I remember Aaron Rome’s hit on Nathan Horton.

I remember the Bruins dictating the play for 4 of the next 5 games and watching in disbelief as they skated off with the Cup in our own building.

I remember being bitter for a while and then looking at the injured list and realizing it was a miracle they even got that far. They nearly had to dress Nolan Baumgartner in game 7 of the Stanley Cup Finals. That’s roughly the equivalent of having your arm blown off by a mortar and sticking a Band-Aid on the stump.

I remember Danny and Hank’s season-ending interviews as the cadre of reporters gave them every, single chance to blame something – injuries, poor officiating, Luongo’s goaltending, ANYTHING – for the loss (because you know the Canucks are a bunch of whiners who do nothing but complain – the media says so, therefore it must be true) and Danny and Hank steadfastly refused to take the bait. “We lost this series because we didn’t score. It’s on us.” And I remember at that time thinking that we are so lucky to have these two on our team. They have more strength of character and moral fiber in their pinky fingers than Dan Tencer (Inside Sports Radio) or Mike Milbury (worst general manager in league history, HNIC/NHL on NBC talking-head) have in their entire bodies.

Sure, it didn’t have the ending we wanted, but I know one thing – years from now, after the disbelief and bitterness has faded into the background, I’ll look back on this season and smile. I’ll remember that this season was the most fun I’ve ever had watching hockey.

I’ll remember the 2010-2011 Vancouver Canucks with pride.

Go Canucks Go.

Super 8

Super 8's marketing campaign is purposefully vague. The ads showed various things flying through the air, cars missing engines, dogs disappearing and one of the craziest train wrecks ever filmed, but they never give an actual 'hint' as to what the story may be about. Whether this ends up hurting or harming one of the best films of the year in the long term remains to be seen, but this film deserves to be viewed by as many people as possible. It's a throwback adventure film in the vein of '80s stalwarts such as Goonies or ET that manages to tap nostalgia, yet still keeping itself very grounded - essentially, it's a Spielberg film that isn't directed by Spielberg (though he did produce it).

Set in the '80s (imagine that) in small-town USA, the film focuses on a group of friends who are trying to shoot a low-budget zombie movie on cheap, super-8 film-stock (hence the title). While on-location for a scene, they witness a spectacular accident when a military train derails. Soon after, it becomes apparent that 'something' was on that train and it has since escaped. Things (and people) start disappearing. Weird electrical brown-outs start occurring. And, of course, the sour-faced military roll into town and start pushing the locals around (including the irrepressible Kyle Chandler as the widower-father of the main character - and a deputy for the town's police force).

The young group of friends who serve as the main characters of the film (despite the fact that Kyle Chandler gets top billing in the credits) have a real camaraderie that shines through and helps us root for them. They bicker and banter, they swear at each other and they really do a great job of creating a solid, emotional connection with the audience. Watching them sit around a booth in a local diner talking about their plans for their movie, you really get the sense that you 'know' these characters. This shouldn't be a surprise, since director JJ Abrams is a well-known proponent of strong character development. In particular, young Joel Courtney, who plays Joe Lamb (the de-facto 'hero' of the film) immediately invites immediate comparison to a wide-eyed Henry Thomas (as Elliott from ET).

The story has just enough twists and turns to prevent it from being completely predictable, but given that it's an adventure film at its heart - not the mystery film that the ad campaign would have you believe - the film can be forgiven for taking you by the hand a little bit. Ultimately, while it may seem strange to call a monster movie a 'character-driven' film, Super 8 succeeds largely because of its characters, rather than in spite of them. Sure, the special effects are pretty and there are some nice explosions (I watched it in an UltraAVX theatre and was blown away - literally - by some scenes) but by investing in these characters, you appreciate them more and it makes the (slightly-saccharine, admittedly) ending that much more palatable.

Super 8 is mint and reminds us why we love summer movies. It's a fun adventure film with heart to spare, a solid stable of characters and some great special effects that belie its relatively small budget. It also may be the best film you see this summer. I recommend it wholeheartedly and without prejudice.

Geek Score: 9 out of 10 bacon strips.

PS: Don't leave as soon as the credits start rolling. Have a little patience. You won't be disappointed.

What I'm Playing: Infamous for PS3

What I'm Reading: Marvel Zombies vol. 2

LA Noire

LA Noire has a lot going for it - A well-written, twisting, film-noir story, tremendous voice acting, revolutionary motion capture and outstanding developer-pedigree, to list a few - but a few minor hiccups and details prevent this very good game from being truly great.

LA Noire tells the story of Cole Phelps, war hero and ex-marine who rises through the ranks of the LAPD in post-war (1947) Los Angeles.  As expected in a film noir, Phelps is... not exactly a perfect hero.  His story is told through a combination of in-engine cinematics and 'flashback' sequences which retell his history during the war.  Phelps is played (and I use that term literally - the game's motion capture and digitization are truly revolutionary, so the character in-game is an almost eerie likeness of the actor himself) by Aaron Staton, best known as Ken Cosgrove on AMC's sublime period drama, Mad Men.

As Phelps, the player works his way through the LAPD (cutting his teeth on the Traffic desk first, before moving up to higher-profile desks such as Homicide or Vice) by solving a series of cases.  Game play, such as it is, involves mostly moving from one location to another, gathering 'evidence', and questioning suspects (or 'Persons of Interest', in cop-parlance), with just a bit of driving and shooting thrown in for variety (it IS a Rockstar game, after all).  The evidence-gathering can be a bit tedious - it plays out like a modern-day adventure game 'pixel-hunt' where you walk around a crime scene, and pick up various and sundry items, turn them over in Cole's hands and wait for him to either notice something important or mention that it's not relevant to the case.  Sometimes this can be relatively intuitive (noticing the shoe-size of a given suspect can help you eliminate them from questioning if the size doesn't match bootprints at the murder scene, for instance) and sometimes they can seem illogical and completely unhelpful (you would think that finding a can of flammable gas at an arson suspect's home would be useful, but apparently not).

The real meat of the game (and, indeed, the part that's gotten the game the most press prior to release), is the 'interview' process as you talk to witnesses and suspects and try and discern whether they're telling you the truth or not.  By watching the (again, outstanding) motion capture of the character's faces, you can see various facial tics, swallows or blinks which - like poker tells - tend to belie what the individual is telling you.  You may then either accept what they're telling you as the truth, 'doubt' it, or outright accuse them of lying (the latter response requires you to have acquired a piece of evidence to prove them as a liar, or else the POI will clam up and be completely unhelpful for the remainder of the interview).  Responding correctly will open up new avenues as the character reveals different leads or clues that you would otherwise miss out on if you answer poorly.  This is harder than it looks as some characters (a seedy land developer played by Fringe's own Walter Bishop, John Noble, comes immediately to mind) are downright tough to read, with the only hitch to give anything away being the slight flutter of the carotid artery to indicate a slightly-elevated heart rate (yes, the motion capture is THAT good).  This is great stuff, in theory, but the main problem here is that there's no punishment for being absolutely horrid at interviewing - seriously, you can blow every question and then the game will create some deus ex machina (either Phelp's partner making a comment, an especially-helpful phone call or even stumbling across the suspect completely by accident) that will fill you in on just where you need to go next.  Sure, it keeps the plot moving forward, but it comes across as hollow.   The only real impetus for you to try to answer all the questions correctly is the end-of-case 'score' that the game gives you based on your performance (and the achievement points that come with them).

Essentially, most cases boil down like this - proceed to location A, find all the clues, talk to all the people, then proceed to location B, repeat, head to location C, find suspect, chase suspect (because they ALWAYS run - either in a vehicle or on-foot), arrest suspect, then try to get a confession in the interview room.  If you fail to get a confession, though, don't worry, because something else will inevitably come up which will ensure that the 'guilty' party either ends up on a slab or in the hoosegow.  I personally found this frustrating because it makes what they advertise as a truly open-world detective game feel almost oppressively linear.  You can't arrest or shoot the wrong suspect because the story won't let you.  I'm all for narrative continuity, but a little leeway would have been nice, is all I'm saying.

Thankfully, for a game that banks so heavily on its story, at least it's a good one.  At the risk of spoiling anything, I'll just say that LA Noire takes a page out of classic noir films (you can even choose to play the game in black-and-white - a real nice touch, imho) complete with femme fatales, crooked cops and plot twists galore.  Even as the gameplay gets monotonous (and it *can* get monotonous, believe me - by the time you've driven to your thirtieth dilapidated hotel and dug around in a suspect's trash looking for a gum-wrapper with an address written on it, your mind may start to wander) the story will keep you interested in pressing through to the next case.

Now this is not meant to sound negative - sure, the gameplay can seem a bit blase at times, but when the game's mechanics work in the manner the developers intended, it's a truly unique and exciting gaming experience.  There's one case on the homicide desk where you have two legitimate suspects - you have evidence which points to both of them and you honestly cannot tell which one did the deed.  So you haul them both into the station and then go back and forth between the interview rooms essentially playing them off each other.  If you play your cards right, you get one to implicate the other and voila, you have your perp dead to rights.  Unfortunately for Rockstar, there just isn't enough of these moments.

Still, taken as representative of where the adventure game genre (because it IS, at its heart, an adventure game, even though it's got driving and shooting - don't let anyone tell you otherwise) is headed, it has me genuinely excited for the future.  LA Noire's tremendous story and revolutionary digital 'actors' makes it a very worthwhile play-through and I'm hopeful that Team Bondi gets the chance to make a proper sequel (maybe a little less linear, with a little more rope to hang yourself with) which could be absolutely gangbusters.  Pardon the pun.

Geek Score: 8 out of 10 bacon strips



What I'm Playing: Infamous for PS3 (Have to finish it before I dive into the sequel)

What I'm Reading: Batman & Son

Batman: Arkham Asylum

Batman: Arkham Asylum is the best superhero game you will ever play.  Granted, the paean of superhero games is not exactly long and illustrious (Who can forget the ‘classic’, Superman 64 – where you took the Man of Steel on a harrowing journey flying through giant rings in the sky for no reason whatsoever), but that doesn’t stop people from saying ‘Catcher in the Rye’ is JD Salinger’s best novel, does it?

From the very opening scene when Batman catches the Joker and accompanies him to the titular hospital for the criminally insane, you realize just how intense and immersive this game is.  The video game cold open has been around since Half-Life way back in 1998, but that doesn’t make it any less impactful if it’s done well.  The story involves Joker hatching a plot to take over Arkham with Batman trapped inside and, as the caped crusader himself, you must subdue his henchmen, do battle with a hodgepodge of recognizable bat-villains (in boss battles of varying degrees of difficulty and cleverness) and prevent the Joker from taking over the city.

There’s a level of polish present in this game that just doesn’t exist much - even in your triple-A titles -  nowadays.  Everything is slick and sleek, from the incredible voice-acting (Mark Hamill voicing the Joker is a particular delight – listening to him over the intercom berating his henchmen as you pick them off one by one is hilarious and really immerses you in the setting),  to the razor-sharp controls (you’re Batman, so you should be able to beat 6 low-level thugs up at the same time without breaking a sweat, and thanks to the way the game handles, you can do just that) and the sheer volume of easter eggs - Bat-fans will find tonnes of hidden goodies here covering the character’s entire comic run, from the obvious (Penguin’s umbrella) to the more obscure (Calendar Man’s cell) to the downright creepy (Croc’s lair).

Part of what makes the game so great is how it lets you really feel like you are Batman.  As mentioned, you can brawl with the best of them,  but the game incorporates nearly every aspect of the Batman mythos – the gadgets, the Batmobile, even the Bat-Boat makes an appearance.  As fans of The Bat know, his strength lies in the fear he instills in ne’er do-wells, and the game handles this with aplomb.  Say you find your way into a room with six henchmen wielding AK-47’s – using stealth (and the Bat-hook attached to some conveniently-placed gargoyles which blend in nicely to Arkham’s draconian décor) you manage to pick them off one by one.  As each henchman falls by your hands, the remainder grow increasingly agitated until the last one left is a babbling mess.  When you finally put him out of his misery, you almost feel sorry for the poor schlub – but it definitely doesn’t make it any less cool.

With its tight controls, sufficiently-creepy soundtrack and the uncanny manner the game allows you to ‘become’ Batman himself, Arkham Asylum is an achievement in superhero game design – and it makes the upcoming Arkham City one of the top titles to look forward to in the latter-half of this year.

Geek Score: 9 out of 10 Bacon Strips.



What I’m Playing: LA Noire for PS3

What I’m Reading: Batman: The Long Hallowe’en