To say the least, I am a man who never finishes anything I start. (Just look at my video game list on my Xbox account. There are actually games I've bought, started up, then turned off after playing them for only five minutes.) It is my curse. However, I have finally sought out help to cure myself of these anti-addictions. The Back-Blogged.
After going through a handful of previous posts, I think I've got a hang on how things run here: We play/read/watch all our old shit, then compose a shitty review commenting on our old shit. Scouring through my entire collecting of movies, video games, and books, I have narrowed down a list containing all items of "supposed" entertainment that I will attempt to complete.
Nay, MUST COMPLETE!
Below are said items. And just for reference as to why I'm not listing everything on my shelf, games that crap out on me after 20+ hours of game play are not worth my time (yeah I'm looking at you Fable II). Also, there are some games out there so frustrating, so absolutely terrible I cannot fathom ever playing them again let alone beating them (Alone in the Dark is a catastrophe beyond repair). I throw myself onto the mercy of blog, don't make me finish these games. Please. Besides, the works below will still take a sizable amount of time to complete. Once that's done, then maybe... MAYBE we'll talk about working on the failures.
VIDEO GAMES
Condemned I & II (XBox360) There’s not much more to these games other than being trapped in dark corridors only to have a bunch of crazies sneak up behind you and maul your face . I found it both terrifying and tedious.
Dragon Age: Origins (XBox360) Ugh, I don't know why I bought this? The damn thing looks as though it will take eons to get through.
Mass Effect (XBox360) Saw Sweeney had accomplished this guy... you think you’re better than me? HUH!?
Final Fantasy 8, 10, & 12 (PS2) Started all three of these games way back when, then lost my memory card. So many hours wasted.
Silent Hill 2 (PS2) Frustrating game. Great atmosphere.
Sonic the Hedgehog 3 (Genesis) Knuckles! Need I say more?
BOOKS
The Doors of Perception & Heaven and Hell (Aldous Huxley) Nothing but a bunch voodoo mumbo-jumbo.
Blood Meridian (Cormac McCarthy) I hate most of McCarthy’s other stuff, but I heard this was suppose to be his magnum opus.
The Portrait of Dorian Grey (Oscar Wilde) I bought a book based on the fact that the author and I share the same birthday: October 16, 1854.
Naked Lunch (William Burroughs) The first few pages were nothing more than gibberish. I’m not looking forward to reading this.
From Hell (Alan Moore) For graphic novels this one looks absolutely amazing. I can’t wait to sink my teeth into it.
The Dark Tower Series (Stephen King) Four books down, three to go.
A People’s History of the United States (Howard Zinn) Matt Damon mentions it in “Good Will Hunting”... What? It was a good movie.
Hallelujah Junction (John Adams) My cousin wrote this one about his life as a classical composer. I meet him one night after a performance and lied telling him I thought his memoirs were great. Now I’m afraid the next time we meet he’ll call my bluff and ask me questions about the book. Curse my hubris!
Dune (Frank Herbert) Eh, got a 100 pages in over Christmas... Too wordy. Needs pictures.
Fear (L. Ron Hubbard) I’m curious to see what ol’ Ronny was up to be before he started his cult.
Hyperspace (Michio Kaku) What Alton Brown does for the Food Network, Kaku does for the Science Channel. I love this guy.
Heart of Darkness (Joseph Conrad) A remaining overdue library book that I never opened up, yet still managed to quote it in my paper analyzing “Apocalypse Now”- film school is such a waste.
Make Love!* *The Bruce Campbell Way (Who do you think?) Although I though his first book was a smashing success, this one seems to be a very poor attempt at humor. I got about 30 pages in back in 2005, when it was released, but it was too painful to continue... at least I got the Big Guy to autograph the thing.
MOVIES
Alfred Hitchcock Anthology
A Fistful of Dollars
Freaks
Gone with the Wind
La Dolce Vita
Mulholland Drive.
Sunset Blvd.
Texas Chainsaw Massacre II
X-Files Series
...and as a followup, I would also like to get through the entire Criterion Collection. Yeah, they seem pretty pretentious, but I feel as though there are some important selections needed to be seen in that list.
OK, that's it for now. I'll try to stay more committed to this than the other online groups I've participated in the past. (I know I have a poor record, but screw it. You'll all be bowing to me come next March Madness.)
Trevor, out.
Ah, we've got a few in common. I'll be brief- Mass Effect is playable mostly for the conversations and the fact that you have sex with an alien. Naked Lunch I tried to read before and I agree it's a lot of gibberish, but at least it's short. I'll get to it at some point. Mulholland Drive is a bit easier to comprehend than what I saw of Eraserhead with you, but it's still got a lot of "what the fuck?" and some awesome nudity. Wolves of the Calla is entertaining enough, but the part about Father Callahan feels kind of pointless, and this is coming from someone who loved the Susan Delgado flashback. Also if you didn't like the Wizard of Oz in Wizard and Glass, you're going to hate the last few pages of WotC. Sunset Boulevard I liked, Heart of Darkness I found boring, and after reading a lot about Blood Meridian I think I didn't give it a fair shake the first time and would like to give it a re-read.
ReplyDeleteTrev! Glad to have you aboard. You pretty much nailed the premise - just read/watch/beat what you want to and pretend that you're not "wasting time" but instead "making progress." And I have no problems with you not reading all of your shitty books or beating your awful games; every man must define his own quest. Good luck with yours.
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