Diablo Evolution

Today I would like to show you the evolution of Diablo, the Blizzard's brand that in the last 11 years saw 2 incarnations with 2 respective expansions and a new episode incoming soon (Like a fan of the series I hope to see it before 2010); Diablo I, Diablo I Hellfire (The expansion wasn't made by Blizzard but by Sierra On-line now Sierra Entertainment), Diablo II, Diablo II Lord of Destruction. For Diablo III, at the moment, we have only a bunch of gameplay videos and a trailer.

Diablo I
I still remember the first time that i saw the cinematic intro, wonderful for that period. This video is from the expansion: Hellfire


Diablo II
A great step forward, good plot and huge cinematic scene. A Masterpiece!


Diablo III
Real 3D graphics with beautiful effects but the gameplay still look the same. I hope that it will be as funny as the predecessors:


This is the beatiful Diablo III trailer, in pure Blizzard style:


On Gametrailers I found an interesting Diablo evolution video focused on the barbarian character:

3 Songs

Today I have 3 songs for 3 friends:

Blink 182 - Dammmit
I was 16yo and this was one of the song that I heard the most on that period


Enya - Orinoco Flow
Some years later I needed a bit of relax


Berlin - Take my Breath Away
I need to explain that?

The Thursday's Movie Quotes

The weekly space for the movie quotes is going on and on, other three movies for you today.

The Matrix - Which pill?
A master of the classics, a cult anyway.


Full Metal Jacket - Bootcamp
6 burning minutes of Hartmann kicking everyone's ass!


Requiem For a Dream - The red dress
A great movie from Darren Aronofsky, with one of the most beautiful soundtrack ever, made by Clint Mansell.
This scene of Ellen Burstyn is amazing, a very in deep performance.

Castle Crashers

After a looooong wait, I'm very sad but I will not have the possibility to play this old-hack'n'slash-style with uber fascinating graphics game.

I followed the develop from the very beginning. Today it will come out on the Xbox live arcade distribution channel and I have no xbox here in Edinburgh.

My Xbox360 (Elite) is at home (in Italy) and even if I really wanted to test it, to play it with my friends, I can't!

I'm cut out.

A couple of video to give you an idea of what kind of game is:

The trailer


One of the latest gameplay video


The making of the world map

Californication

Today I want to talk about Californication, one of the most funny series that I've ever seen.

David Duchovny (X-Files) is extraordinary and it really fits in the character (Hank Moody) making you forget Agent Mulder and all the I Want to Believe crap. From the first minute you get the hilarious point of view of an irriverent writer with a block, ready to blow with his promiscuous way of life, jumping from a bed to another one, fucking around like a rabbit every woman he meet on his way.

Natascha McElhone (The Truman Show) is Hank Moody's muse, his ex wife, the one that he try to get back for all Season 1.

Nasty and unbelieveable things happen all around Hank's way, keeping the attention of who is watching.

Tom Kapinos, the creator of the series, is a new face on the business and he made his first steps with Dawson's Creek (he wrote an episode of the teenagers series).

Sexually strong, with a 60's freedom base and a bit of nihilism; Californication is a must, and I believe that it could become a cult.

This is a short Season 2 behind the scene, if you did't see Season 1, WATCH OUT! Is full of spoilers.

Delirium

Those videos here are pure delirium, I have no word, just watch them:







All the gif you saw on the videos are from: 4chan

3 Songs

This Sunday night, before to start another week full of hope and waiting for some changes to come, 3 songs for you to listen:


Tihuana - Tropa de Elite
Tropa de Elite (Elite Squad), is one of the most powerful, violent and controversial brasilian movies. The song is beatiful and I suggest you to see the movie.


AC/DC - You Shook Me All Night Long
A great classic dedicated to all the girl that knows how to shake a man.


Pixies - Where Is My Mind (Edited on Fight Club)
I want to dedicate this song to myself, for everything that I'm living in this period of my life. Where is my mind?

Animation crossed the Human-like borders?

That's a good question!
I always thought that a Human Being is so full of particulars that it would be hard, if not impossible, to digitally reproduce it right now. I always thought that it could take almost other ten years before to have a credible synthesis recreated human.
Those guys from Image Metrics broke the Uncanny Valley barrier showing us that there is no limit on what we can reach and when we can reach it.

The Thursday's Movie Quotes

Today I will focus on Al Pacino's most famous speech:

Any Given Sunday - Life's inches.
This one is great, if you never heard it, open your ears and enjoy it. Touching!


Devil's Advocat - Something about God ("In Typography" that I like so much)
Powerful. Funny. Clever. Think about it.


Scent of a Woman - End Speech (Spoiler!)
Explosive!



Goodies:

this one is for my country, Al Pacino talking a broken italian (Sicily Accent actually) in The Godfather:

Back to School: Napier University

Yes, it's true.
After my first degree taken in Italy as a Movie and Tv Director (BA), I'm getting back to study at 25yo. My next goal is to reach a degree in Interactive Media Design, mix my knowledge and go ruling the world.

I choose Napier University, I liked the course and what it has to offer.
Is the 6th highest modern University in the UK and is the first one in Scotland (Where I live at the moment) and I am a UE student, here they don't pay university taxes. It's funny but, UE and Scottish student, has the possibility to not pay taxes, English not, they have to. Is always an open fight against each other.

I'm excited, I can't wait anymore!

10 Most difficult games ever.

Gametrailers write on a list of the Ten Hardest Games ever:


Battletoad was really pretty hard and sometimes makes me completely crazy, in fact I never finished that game. But Ghost'n'Goblins is hard to finish even with the unlimited credit offer by MAME. Crazy!

Portal

One of the most interesting game that I've ever played is Portal. A great and simple game that took some of the "gravitational ideas" used by Valve in Half Life 2, adding the portal gun and a minimalist environment area.
The experience shine since the beginning and after the first rooms you manage the entire situation and you start to understand the real potential of this adventure.
The style is the added value. Everything is so minimalistic and appropriate that you love the game after 5 minute.
The longevity, is maybe the salt part of the candy,
I said maybe cause in the end, is ok, you don't really want more and the feeling of satisfaction is enough to let you get the point: is good like it is.

I can't not to post the final song, a masterpiece! It's even downloadable as a Rock Band track.
Watch out! Is the end of the game: The spoiler!



The cake is a lie!

Flying Man!

This man is incredible, take a look at his photos:
A great stuntman, here other pics.

The Dark Knight

I saw the new Batman's adventure only tonight and:

Booooooom

explosive, breathless.

Pure entertainment. 152min of real movie experience.

Heath Ledger is a fantastic Joker (Goodbye Heath), and it takes the movie on his hands from the first appearance. Christian Bale, Morgan Freeman and Gary Oldman are at their standard, probably Bale confirm himself like the best Batman ever on the screen. The others are pretty ok.
The storyline is solid and the lines are great, I can't think at something really bad in this movie. For sure better than the first one (Batman Begins), it's a pure concentrate of action.

Christopher Nolan is doing a great job with the DC Comics Hero.

The impressions on the movie seem to be quite unanimous:

9.2 and #3 best movie ever on IMDB

94% on RottenTomatoes UK


Here is an interesting fake poster for the next chapter (nice job):


Wanna know how I got these scars? - The Joker -

Teen Wolf Revised

One of my childood movie, Teen Wolf, got a funny new point of view by those guys here. Good job men, I appreciate the effort: