Speaking of causes, lets start with some simple metaphysics.

“Determinism: the concept that events within a given paradigm are bound by causality in such a way that any state (of an object or event) is completely, or at least to some large degree, determined by prior states. In physics, this principle is known as cause-and-effect.”

or so claims Wikipedia. So basically, a determinist believes in cause-and-effect. This is the principle that every event is caused by previous events and that every event in turn has a cause of its own. If it helps you to think about it, it works sorta like energy and matter. Neither energy nor matter can be created nor destroyed, only altered and repositioned. Causation works in a similar way. Causation leads to effects which leads to more causation ad infinitum.

This is what the Cretacious period was really like

But what was the first cause? If you adhere to the principles of determinism, then every event that ever has happened or will happen can be followed back to a single, beginning event. This beginning event, let’s use the big bang, set off a ripple effect of causation through space and time, giving birth to all events. All movement of matter and transfer of energy stem from this one single event, which spread like a wild fire, like a branching tree– giving birth to a complex and ever shifting universe. It’s a beautiful thing. To think that everything you know and feel was caused by one event. The growth of a child, the construction of a skyscraper, the fall of every tyrant, the death of every couple in love, the raindrops and clouds, the soft twinkle of every distant star can probably be traced back to the subtle swaying of a single atom

Well I was planning to talk a little about free will but I feel a little mentally drained after that. So I’ll continue this at a later date and by the whim of causation.

check it out at: whatCCsays

C.C. out

http://amerikinidit.wordpress.com/2009/11/17/the-remake/

I think that remakes are a slippery slope. On one hand, you could recreate something and introduce it to a new audience. On the other hand, most remakes are a waste of time. If an original is good enough to warrant a remake,  then one might as well just watch the original. Besides, some remakes are good, but when have you ever heard someone say that a remake was better than an original? The original has been around longer, it has been thought and talked about more, and it has been shown to more people. It’s the same principle as Jim Gaffigan’s take on book-movies. The comedian asks in one of his jokes “Don’t you hate people who have read the book that a movie is based on? They’re always so condescending. They always say that the book was much better than the movie.” One can recreate a classic piece of literature in the form of film, but people will be more likely to claim that the book is better, because it sounds more intellectual to say such a thing. Likewise, if someone claims that an original movie is better, they sound more knowledgable.

When someone told me that Sam Raimi signed on to remake Evil Dead with Ashton Kutcher I was about ready to nerd rage on my surrounding environment. I still don’t know if that’s true because I’m too afraid to check the facts. For the most part, I think that when someone tries to “remake” something, they are really just alienating the fans that loved it in the first place and will likely upset those who are new to it.

http://ghosttraindigest.wordpress.com/2009/11/17/re-what-did-i-just-watch/

I’m upset I didn’t think about Being John Malchovich when I was looking over the list of films. Pi and Requiem for a Dream are also great films that are just plain odd. But what I really like about Being John Malchovich is that it doesn’t take itself seriously. It revels in it’s absurdity. I think this shows another positive trend in filmmaking. We are now very capable of finding humor in the abstract. Things don’t have to make sense to be funny. Much like making jokes after a tragedy, I think that it is a sign of progress.

Pi and Requiem on the other hand are excellent example of the presentation of insanity in film. They show how audiences can be moved and disturbed by not only external struggles, but struggles with one’s self as well. The descent into madness that some of these films show fits perfectly with the genre, because we are often forced to take the journey with them. This creates a very deep connection with the characters. We see only what they see, yet we are uncertain of our grasp on the concepts of reality presented, just as they are.

I really enjoy Modern Warfare, but it’s just shooting people. I find it odd that some people who use video games as a form of escapism don’t even care about story. Sequels to games that had no multiplayer, like Bioshock 2, are now getting the upgrade. It brings me some relief, however, that single player games are still powerhouses in some forms. Two of the biggest games this year, Assassin’s Creed 2 and Mass Effect 2 will feature no multiplayer whatsoever. But can we hold it against ourselves that the largest portion of gamer culture has become shooting your friends through a virtual medium over long distance? It’s hard to say. I just hope that we don’t lose sight of the role that story can play in video games. Because when it’s done right, it can be incredibly rewarding.

Is Single-Player Gaming in Danger of Extinction?

http://kotaku.com/5376331/is-single+player-gaming-in-danger-of-extinction

http://daveedmunds.wordpress.com/2009/11/16/paranormal-simulacrum/

This is yet another trend in filmmaking over the last decade. I entirely agree that the reason these types of films keep getting made is that they add credibility or believability to the situation. Movies like Blair Witch, Cloverfield, Diary of the Dead, REC, and Quarantine all share the same shaky camera style. They are filmed more like a documentary of the events– actual evidence even– to the horrific things happening. It’s interesting how these films have become more prominent.

I think that it also plays off of how society operates today. It seems like everything is being filmed all the time. We seem to have become very voyeuristic. To me however, I can see the most obvious flaw in this style. Most people hate how they can be shaky, but that doesn’t bother me as much as the character believability. I love movies. I love making movies. I hope to one day make a career of it. But if was being chased by rabid zombies or a giant monster was attacking my metropolitan home, I would be chucking that camera faster than a sack of fire ants. The characters in Quarantine and Cloverfield state that “people need to see what happened”. I don’t think I would care much about that if I was already in a desperate situation. If you die while trying to film the thing that’s trying to kill you, that’s just natural selection.

I think that we enjoy these stories so much because they offer a unique focus. In a world without civilization, the focus is on characters. Even more so, everything is tense. Humanity is always on the brink of extinction and the fighting that occurs between factions puts everyone at greater risk. Other than that, it’s really difficult to tell why I enjoy these types of stories. I think they show how modern audiences ask for more morally challenging entertainment these days. I think that there is something which inherently draws us to these films. My favorite stories of all time, whether they be from books, movies, video games, music, or comic books are always very dark and mysterious. I’ve become very knowledgeable about works in any medium that fit this kind of mold. The last post-apocalyptic film released was “9“. It was pretty interesting, but fell a little short in narrative. At this point, I’m pretty excited about the upcoming releases of The Book of Eli and the feature film adaptation for Cormac McCarthy’s The Road. It is a fantastic book and the film has me very intrigued. I just hope they stay true to the story. If nothing else, at least we will get to see how Aragorn would handle himself after the fall of civilization.

http://www.apocalypticmovies.com/

I have included a list of mind bender films that I found online that I really like. I haven’t seen all of the films on this list, but the ones I have seen are fantastic. Best of all, he has been kind enough to include a video demonstrating the craziness you can expect from each film. My favorite clip is the “Winkie’s Dream” sequence from the David Lynch classic Mulholland Drive. I really like this scene because it breaks all the rules of suspense and horror. It takes place at a well-lit dinner in the middle of the day. Regardless of this, it is incredibly tense. The second you first see that wall he’s talking about, you know something really creepy is about to happen. What’s best is that it really doesn’t make any sense. That’s what this genre is all about.

Great list of such films:

http://www.themorningnews.org/archives/reviews/mindfuck_movies.php

You certainly have some good points about the trends of gaming over the last few decades. I myself enjoy survival horror games, though I haven’t found one that actually frightens me in a long time. One thing that you also brought up, which I had fogotten about is the intense obsession that American gamers seem to have on war games. This month will see the release of the most anticipated war game ever created: Modern Warfare 2. Well, I don’t really care about war games. My favorite games of all time are the spectacular single-player experiences of such games as Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time, Shadow of the Colossus, Legend of Zelda Ocarina of Time, and Mass Effect to name a few.

I have a friend who truly ONLY cares about Modern Warfare. Needless to say, I have told him many times that he is causing the downfall of western civilization through his attachment to games that offer only explosions and gunfights that really aren’t that realistic anyway. Now before anyone gets angry, most of this is sarcasm. I acknowledge that the first Modern Warfare was a great game, but it makes me angry sometimes how many gamers take no interest in the story-telling and world immersion aspect of games. Well, since I usually like to get my point across with youtube videos, here is a parody newscast of the Modern Warfare 2 hype.

     What needs to be said is that each of these classic series is still living in one form or another today. Sadly, none are what they once were. Some, you could say, are zombies themselves. Neither living nor completely dead. One of them is Alone in the Dark. The last title attempted a reboot of the series, which had mixed reviews and less than pleasing sales. While it presented a number of innovative features such as inventory use and management and cinematic style, it fell on its face due to clumsy controls and a bland story. Resident Evil is kicking and has become a lucrative action series, but purists point out that it is no longer survival horror. While Resident Evil 4 and 5, the most recent flagship titles in the series have been of excellent quality, they have completely traded frights for thrills. Scares have been traded out in favor of explosions and ammo is plentiful. Silent Hill, which always prefered overwhelming dread, oppression, and psychological torment over jumps, has at least attempted to keep to its roots. Unfortunately, none in this series have been very good since the third game, and even it couldn’t hold a candle to its predecessor.

     So what is the point of this sob story? Well, I think it has a lot to say about western audiences. Most of the argument against pop culture revolves around it being a steady decline into entertaining the simplest facets of the human mind. It’s difficult to not see the possibility of truth in this. Of the three founding fathers of survival horror, two have attempted to stay on path, and have become less successful, both critically and with the masses. Resident Evil strayed far from the path into the realm of action and has become very successful. Sure, I will admit that the last two Resident Evil games have been great, number 4 was possibly one of the greatest games of all time, but at what cost?

    Does this show that we don’t care about atmosphere anymore? I would hate to think so. Even amongst these issues, hope remains. More recent games such as Dead Space and Siren: Blood Curse have offered satisfactory frights for gamers. Sadly, many survival horror enthusiasts, me included, believe that this genre is knocking on death’s door. Perhaps this genre will never truly return to its roots, but we still have hope that it will carry on in one form or another. And of course, we always have the memories…

IGN Presents the History of Survival Horror: http://retro.ign.com/articles/104/1040759p1.html

     For further reading, consult this list of some of my favorite horror games past to present:

Silent Hill 1-3, Resident Evil 1-3, Penumbra, F.E.A.R., Resident Evil 4 & 5*, Dead Space, Condemned 1& 2, Fatal Frame 2: Crimson Butterfly, STALKER, Siren: Blood Curse, System Shock 1 & 2, and Left 4 Dead*

                                               * Not really survival horror, but great action horror games.

     My favorite of all time is Silent Hill 2. I could tell you why I think it’s great, but Ben “Yahtzee” Croshaw is better with words. So if you’d like, watch his video review here:

http://www.escapistmagazine.com/videos/view/zero-punctuation/878-Silent-Hill-2