Meet the Staff: Sean Dibble

Sean Dibble

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Hi Scully Nerd Review fans, names Sean Dibble, and I go by “Dibby” for short. I enjoy watching TV and movies, and have a considerable collection of both (over 170 DVDs and about 40 TV shows). Along with that I enjoy reading books by James Patterson and Stephen King or just sitting at home playing fetch with the pooch. Personally I was never much into anime until I started writing for this site. Other than Dragon Ball Z I actually never saw an anime until here and now I love them most of the ones I have seen were recommended by Scully and Goodier through the site itself. I work at an Adult home and that is where I usually rough draft most of my reviews.      

now this is how you play tag

I came to Scully Nerd Reviews when the founder, Scully, wanted to pick the site up and pump out more reviews than he could do on his own. Knowing that I owned a heck of a lot of movies, he asked me to start doing the movie reviews. In time, I moved on from just movies and now write some of the news bulletins that we have started to do. One thing that I hope to get out of writing for this site is passing along my passion for movies, games, and all things nerdy.

best scene in any movie EVER

Things that I LOVE are action movies, Horror/Action anime, and FPS video games along with the occasional pen and paper gaming with a group of great friends. In anime I love the fight scenes in Dragon Ball Z though the plot is weak by far after you get by the cell saga and suffer through the Namek saga. Video games have come a long way and I am very excited to see what the gaming companies come up with for future FPS games just wish they made more FPS with a little RPG inside of them. Movies I like them fast paced with a lot of blood. My favorite animes would have to be DBZ, Bleach, and Black Lagoon. Movies would have to be “The Crow” by far one of the best movies ever created and its sad that Brandon Lee died on the set because he could have been a great actor. Video games I love the Mass Effect Trilogy and The Elder Scrolls series.

greatest scene from bleach

I enjoy writing for SNR and hope that you enjoy reading the things that I write about. I hope that soon we can branch out a little more and write about TV shows and Board Games or even a session of pen and paper games that we have played (I know NERD) but I digress and say thank you for visiting the site and making us feel as though what we write is important even if you think we are wrong J enjoy the site and if there is anything that you want to see reviewed email us at scullynerdreviews1@gmail.com

Bleach: Soul Resurreccion

Buy Bleach: Soul Resurreccion at **Amazon**

Article by: Zach Goodier

Bleach: Soul Resurreccion is a ps3 exclusive that features the battle against Aizen and the Arrancar.  The story mode takes you through a run of many of that major battles, and has you take on the role of the characters that fight those battles.  Aside from the story mode, there is also a mission mode that lets you choose any character you have unlocked to take on missions to earn soul points to purchase upgrades.  These upgrade points are specific to that character, so you need to play the characters in order to purchase upgrades for that specific character.  The characters are voiced by the actors from the series, and the characters have their own unique abilities. 

To start with, the presentation is fairly simple: fight through the map as one of the characters from the show, and then once you get to the end of the level, you fight some sort of final battle, usually against another of the characters.  The story doesn't allow you to choose characters, but if you have upgraded the featured characters then those upgrades apply in story mode.  The level design features environments inspired by the show, but they aren't overly detailed or original.  Once you play through the first couple levels, you realize that there isn't a lot of variety.  The levels themselves change, but the overall feel is still the same.  Having partially destructible environments helps a lot, though.  Characters all have their same voices, but the acting isn't up to par with the show, and you will find the in-game lines they use somewhat tiresome after a while.  When a character grunts or has a line they say when they get hit, then you'll hear it EVERY. SINGLE. TIME.  This can wear quickly in the boss battles, and keep you from hearing some of the actual story dialogue that goes on in the background between the characters.  Also, some of the relatively central characters are missing.  This was done for a reason, if you think about it.  Due to the diversity of powers, some (like Renji, and Chad) don't really have powers that fit into the combat dynamic of the game, so they aren't playable, but they can be found in the upgrade system, and the give the characters some interesting abilities.  The game even features Kokuto, the character from the 4th Bleach movie, Hell Verse.

You'll be doing this over, and over, but you can literally fly through most of it.

The gameplay itself is pretty good.  You may think this will be something like a DBZ game, and in many ways it is.  Characters feature individual moves from the show, and they all have a powered up version with a finishing move that is also taken from the show.  However, the combo system isn't incredibly deep.  You just hit, blast, or special.  This makes the game feel somewhat tedious at times, but if you're here because you like the show, which I would assume so, then you will enjoy it regardless.  Sure, the combo system isn't as deep as an A-list fighting game like Devil May Cry or Ninja Gaiden, but this isn't an A-list game, unfortunately.  Once you get that through your head, your expectations should drop a bit.  THIS ISN'T A BAD THING, you just have to realize that like many anime adaptations, this didn't get the big budget and award-winning studio you might be used to.

Surf's up. Play as your favorite heroes/villains and use their powers.

The mode you'll be playing the most is Mission mode.  This is where you have free pick of the characters, allowing you to take your favorite one out and play through the missions.  This features many of the same maps as the old ones, but you won't mind the repetition.  This game isn't about the polish or the depth of story; you're supposed to just enjoy getting to control the characters.  The challenges bring you back, forcing you to eventually take on wave after wave of other characters, sometimes 3 or 4 at a time.  This gets to a real challenge on the higher difficulty levels, which you almost HAVE to play in order to get that S ranking overall and rake in those soul points.  However, you won't be equipped to do that until you get your character upgraded. 

Some challenges are... *puts on glasses*.... BIGGER than others.

Overall, Bleach: Soul Resurreccion is a game that could have been so much more.  The depth of the story, the characters, the emotions, that's all missing.  However, this game assumes you already know all that.  This is made for those of us who wanted to jump into one of our favorite characters, and start being a total badass.  This game might not be as deep or engaging as it could have been, but it's an anime adaptation; they never get the budgets or polish that they deserve.  So if you judge this next to your A-list titles, then it will be a bitter disappointment.  However, if you see it as simply what it is: an attempt to give us Bleach fans a chance to grab our favorite zanpakuto, jump into a swarm of hollows, and face off with some of the toughest villains in the series, then this should be your cup of tea.  I bought the game almost a year ago and I still find myself going back from time to time, just to play as Ichigo and save Orihime; or maybe I want to play as Aizen, and crush everyone.

This game isn't about polish or detail, it's about reliving your favorite battles with your favorite characters.

Good:

-Get to play as most of your favorite characters.

-Gets you ahead in the story if you're watching the English version of the anime, but not in great detail.

-Characters well animated in-game and have all of their signature moves.

-Allows you to enjoy more of those characters that may not have received as much screen time as you might  have appreciated in the show.

-Solid game, considering the tiny budget it was made with.

Bad:

-Not an A-list game, that sums up most if not ALL of the game's issues (graphically unimpressive, lackluster environments, voiceovers decent but not up to par with the show)  .

-Couple of key characters left off the roster, but understandable when you think about it.
-No multiplayer.

Scully Rating: 7.5 out of 10

[Bleach AMV] - Path of Duality (Les Friction)

Article By: Zach Goodier

**Warning** AMV contains some spoilers as to how the battle ends, nothing mind blowing, but it is somewhat of a spoiler.

(Video By DonnieDarkoRemains)

Songs (In order)
Les Friction - Louder Than Words
Les Friction - Your World on Fire
(Darko Mix)

This amv is from the final story arc of Bleach: the Fullbring arc.  The music is really solid and chronicles the final battle between the Soul Society and the Fullbring. For those of you who are curious about who the Fullbring are; they are humans who we attacked by hollows before their birth.  The result is that these humans have powers that resemble that of hollows, and many of these people are scarred from tragedy in their lives that leads the manifestation of their powers.  This amv was very well done; it has great music, and even includes some subtitled lines from the show itself, capturing some of the deeper moments for those of us who have seen the show.  All in all, a very well done amv with good music and a lot of feeling behind it.  The effects are well done, and not at all excessive.  This is definitely worth the watch for all you Bleach fans out there.

AMV Rating: 9 out of 10

Far Cry 3

 (Review by Robert Murphy)

...

We are going to the jungle boys and girls for a little fun, relaxation and a heavy amount of carnage and mayhem in the immense open world shooter that is “Far Cry 3.” Set on a tropical island somewhere in the vicinity of the Malay Archipelago, this supposed island paradise was meant to be the perfect get away for a group of friends. Unfortunately their vacation goes awry when this group of friends is kidnapped by pirates, this leaves protagonist Jason Brody with the task of saving his friends and escaping from the island. Not only do you have to save your friends but you also have to try your hardest just to survive as this island has a few screws loose on it as well as being filled with dangerous animals such as tigers, bears, dingoes and even komodo dragons making things that much more fun for you players out there.

(Left: you and your friends before it all goes wrong, right: your little island paradise)

Getting into the game play a little, “Far Cry 3” plays as a first person shooter with a role playing element where players earn experience points that can be used on a skill tree to learn unique skills to aid players on their island adventure as well as having crafting system for your weaponry. The game features a very unique method to its skill tree where when players learn new skills they receive a part of their tattoo or “tatau” which gives you the skills to survive the island (also it looks pretty freakin' badass). Players have also have a great level of maneuverability in the game with the ability to take cover behind objects to break enemies' lines of sight and also to peek around and over cover and blindfire at your enemies. The player also has the ability to perform silent "takedowns" by performing melee attacks from above, below, or close behind that lead into incredibly badass kills that will have you clamoring for more. Now while saving your friends is your main objective, players can easily transition into free roaming around the island “paradise.” Many players may want to do this because the island in the game is massive and in order to unlock all of its secrets players can activate towers around the island that open the map up to hidden sections. The game also includes a variety of side-quests where players can be helping out villagers or delivering supplies for the warriors fighting on your side. One such side-quest involves the player hunting the many different wildlife species on the island for upgrading purposes to your gear such as the carrying capacity of your back pack and upgrading the amount of ammo you can carry for your weapons.

Your complete Tatau

As I mentioned just a second ago in the previous paragraph players have a warrior faction that fight alongside of him and will help Jason on occasion with the pirate faction that have your friends. These people are the Rakyat and they are led by a priestess named Citra, who initiates Jason into their tribe and is also the one who gives Jason the tatau so they he can fight for them and regain the island from the pirates. A name that I cannot leave you without in this review would Vaas, the leader of the pirates and a person who completely brings “Far Cry 3” full swing with his off quilter personality and just all around insanity angle, Vaas is truly a character that makes you laugh and intimidates you all at the same time.

Above is Vaas, the pirate lord. “Do you know the definition of insanity?”

My verdict? I don’t have a single negative comment to make about “Far Cry 3”, the game is truly incredible, featuring a massive open world to be explored, a unique storyline with plenty of colorful characters to interact with alongside an arsenal of weaponry to personalize and enjoy. Hell even the achievements/trophies (depending on your preference) are easy to attain if you’re a fellow hunter of gamerscore points and trophies alike. For those who love a good multiplayer as well, the game features team deathmatches and other multiplayer fun alike for you and your friends and keeping that in mind the game comes equip with a separate co-operative storyline for up to 4 players to enjoy. “Far Cry 3” has something for just about everyone to enjoy.

Good:

-Out of this world characters

-Incredible story

-Massively open world to be seen and explored

-A co-op and multiplayer experience to be enjoyed

Bad:

-If something bad can be found I can’t see it

Scully Rating: 10 out of 10 

In the News: Dragonball Z: Battle of the Gods

(Article by Robert Murphy)

It looks like “Dragon Ball Z” is never quite done with us because we have another movie coming our way, “DBZ: Battle of Gods” has made its way into the lime light and I for one am pretty excited to see what it has in store. “DBZ” has been hidden away for some time now and as a long time fan of the show it still gets me going to see something new come out of the show and this is going to be the eighteenth movie we’re going to see. Set to premiere March 30 in Japan but has no sign of when it will coming to the US although I myself am not too worried as “DBZ” has always made quick transition into English audiences. “Battle of Gods” takes place several years after the battle with Majin Buu and will be bringing all the characters fans know back to take part in the fight against Bills, God of Destruction, who seeks the ultimate warrior to fight him. Goku, Vegeta, Krillin, Piccolo and Gohan  all will come to fight this new threat to Earth and will do whatever it takes to protect their home and I for one can’t wait to see a show down of Gods and Saiyans.

Mushi-Shi

(Written by Zach Goodier)

By Mushishi at Amazon

"Mushi-Shi" is a 26-episode series that follows the journey of Ginko, a "Mushi master" who travels the land aiding people in their troubles with these creatures.  Mushi are creatures that only some people are even capable of seeing.  They often appear very ghost-like or supernatural, and they are often tied to elements of nature.  Each episode usually consists of a separate story in which Ginko must resolve a problem related to a disturbance with these Mushi.  Ginko uses his extensive knowledge and experience of the Mushi to find ways to resolve these disturbances.

Mushi take all kinds of forms, and influence our world in all sorts of different ways.

When you watch "Mushi-Shi," you will immediately be dropped into a vibrant and beautiful world.   The world feels so alive that you cannot help but feel like a part of it.  The setting looks more or less like traditional Japan, except for the addition of the Mushi.  From the very beginning, it is shown that the Mushi, while being neither plant nor animal, are critical to ensuring that life continues to prosper in our world.  These Mushi draw from the many of the traditional Shinto beliefs involving nature.  This, along with the detailed description involving the many different kinds of Mushi, truly makes them feel as real as any fictional life form possibly could. 

The world feels so richly detailed you sometimes forget you're watching an anime.

The characters are all well thought out and don't feel like the "cutout" characters you might be used to in these shorter shows.  Ginko himself is a very ambiguous character with a past you only get a small view of, but this doesn't work against him.  His role isn't to fill up the story, but to guide the viewer through this world.  Ginko's limited back story does tie in with the Mushi, but so does everything in the show.  Although most of the other characters only appear for one episode, They often have interesting stories that make them feel as life-like as the world they inhabit.  Also worth mentioning are the Mushi themselves.  Although these Mushi aren't characters in your traditional sense, they bring a form of presence to the series that is worth mentioning.  These Mushi feel mysterious, and they create a surreal feel in an already vibrant world.  They are introduced as a somewhat "ghost-like" presence in the world.  This seems somewhat frightening at first, but before long, you simply accept them as just another part of the world.  You never get bored of them, however, since each episode introduces new varieties of Mushi.  The Mushi are as diverse as the plants and animals we already know; they all look and behave differently, performing different functions that fit into the overall natural order.

Mushi take on all sorts of different forms, and they tend to react with humans in many different, and sometimes harmful, ways.

Good:

-Richly imagined, beautifully crafted world, one of the most beautiful I've ever seen.

-Characters all brilliantly written and intriguing, even though they don't appear for more than an episode at a time.

-Deep narrative themes that provoke a little extra investment of thought from the viewer.

 Bad:

-Not for the action junkie.  To put it simply, "NO ACTION! AT ALL!" But the show isn't an action series, so this is entirely dependent on personal preference.

-Stand alone episodes might not keep the viewer engaged

Scully Rating: 8.9 out of 10

In the News: Bungie's Latest Project

For those of you who don’t know, “Bungie” studious who have been responsible for giving gamers the “Halo” franchise but they have recently left the “Halo” universe in new pursuits and they have been really hard at work. “Bungie” has recently revealed new images as well as a video for their new foray into to video games, their new title is called “Destiny” is a sci-fi shooter MMO that is breaking new ground in video games and I for one am ready to see what “Bungie” is throwing our way this time. “Destiny” is set to offer a quasi-massively multiplayer sci-fi experience which in a press release they refer to it as a “shared world shooter” that is fully playable by yourself, but designed to seamlessly connect you with friends. The game is not expected to be out sometime next year and is due to be released for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and was not so subtly hinted that is destined for “future-generation technology” which entails the game is headed for  Xbox 720 and PlayStation 4. Although it won’t be out for quite some time, I for one am excited for more as a long time “Bungie” fan, in the meantime we’ll all have to wait and keep an eye out for more.

The Decision to Protect - The Final Getsuga Tensho (Bleach AMV)

This AMV uses several different (and awesome) tracks, all set around different parts of Bleach.  All of these parts come from the final battle with Sosuke Aizen, and tie in different parts of events leading up to the climactic showdown between Ichigo and Aizen.  The effects and song selection are all excellent, but there are a lot of spoilers (that's why I'm putting the text before the video).  Ok, so **SPOILERS** after here.  This amv takes a lot of "artistic liberty" with its subtitles.  First, Gin doesn't want to kill Aizen to take his power, he actually only plays along with Aizen all those years so he can "get back" something Rangiku lost.  This change really ruins Gin's character, in my opinion.  Also, Ichigo's use of the "Final Getsuga Tensho" doesn't actually result in his death, it results in him losing all of his powers.  This change doesn't ruin the story as much, but I felt it was an unnecessary change that tried to make the ending feel too heavy. **END SPOILERS**

This AMV does a great job with the scene and song selection, and the effects, while sometimes a little excessive, were all very well done.  Sometimes, however, less is more; and while this AMV does a lot of things well, the beauty of AMV's is how they seem to naturally fit songs to the shows, and this AMV stepped beyond its boundaries, to some extent.  The changing of the subtitles, as well as the excessive use of effects held this AMV back from excellence, in my opinion.

Songs (in order):
Mark Petrie - Polar Shift
He Who Brings The Night
Killzone 3 Soundtrack - Theme
Fight Inside - Red
KoRn - Coming Undone v. Blue Stahli - ULTRAnumb
The Hit House - Radium

Post by: Zachary Goodier

Original Video by: DNubsPro

Scully Rating: 7 out of 10

Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood AMV

Well since the site is getting back into the swing of things, I thought it might be good to come back strong with a good AMV and I have just the thing, this AMV is set to “Life is Beautiful” by Sixx A.M. and is put to excerpts from Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood. For those who aren’t familiar with the show there is a certain degree of tragedy in it, *spoilers ahead* Ed and Alphonse Elric have both lost their mother and using alchemy they try and bring her back to life. The shows story also has a military aspect that is ever present which war, conflict and death always makes for a tragic element in a story. This element of drama and loss fits perfectly along with this song that the AMV is paired up with making for a great video and I hope you all enjoy.

Scully Rating: 9.0 out of 10 

In the News: Sony Announces Playstation 4

(Article by Sean Dibble)

Hey SNR fans, we have some news for all you Sony lovers. PlayStation 4 is coming in 2013. Now it's hard to tell if this is going to be a good thing or a bad thing so let's take a deeper look.

What we have heard is that they are giving us the option to hit a share button on the controller and share a video of your game on social networking sites. They also said that it is going to be like a “super charged computer” which in the gaming world is very exciting. They are also promising less lag time between player and content with this they hope that gaming load times and console start up speed are quicker and possibly even a thing of the past. The thing that impressed me the most was the fact that you can download games in the background while you play OR even with a fraction of the download done play the game itself.

But with the good also comes the bad. Again we are getting a console that is not backwards compatible now if you are like me this is a big issue and will keep me from buying a PS4 right away. Another little annoyance is being able to have a friend spectate you while you play even if they are not at your house, nor own the game itself.  Also we have heard that Sony just patented the technology to keep used games from being able to be played on their systems. Now they say they won't use it but why patent it if you don’t intend on using it?

Along with the new system, we're getting a new controller also the dualshock controller is getting a face lift. Gone are the old Start and Select buttons, they are replaced with Share and Options buttons. It also has a touch pad in the center of the device and has a headphone jack. This may allow us to play and chat with friends that are playing different games.

So with the new system being released this year we of course need new games right? RIGHT and when they announced the PS4 they also announced a few games that will be released near its release date. Bungie will be putting its new world Destiny to the PS4. Killzone will have a new game, along with Infamous.

We at Scully Nerd Reviews have mixed feelings about the new system and think that it may be a bit too soon for a new console war. With this we have high expectations for the system but hope not to be disappointed by it. We are still waiting to hear on a price tag so our wallets know how badly they will be hurt, and an official release date which has not been set yet. So here is to hoping that 2013 will be a good year for gaming and the newest system to hit the shelves. 

Ergo Proxy (By Robert Murphy)

The story begins in a futuristic domed city called Romdeau, built to protect its citizens after a global ecological disaster thousands of years ago, in this futuristic utopia humans and “AutoReivs” or androids coexist peacefully under a total management system. However all is not well in paradise when a series of murders committed by “AutoReivs” infected with the Cogito virus (which causes them to become self-aware) begins to threaten the delicate balance of Romdeau's social order. Behind the scenes, the government has been conducting secret experiments on a mysterious humanoid life form called a "Proxy." The Proxy beings are believed to hold the key to the survival of mankind and the story follows “Re-L”, who is assigned to investigate some of the murders with her “AutoReiv” partner, Iggy. After further investigation by Re-L and Iggy it is revealed that at the core of all these murders is the Proxy, pulling the strings and causing these crimes. The other central character, an immigrant named Vincent Law, is revealed to be connected in some ways with this Proxy and works with Re-L to understand why this is happening to the city of Romdeau.

Not too many animes out there do what “Ergo Proxy” accomplishes and still keeps viewers captivated through till the end, the show at its core hits home with underline dedication to psychology, philosophy and even, in rare cases, religious thought but doesn’t completely bore you to tears like a college style lecture. However this isn’t to say that if you don’t like a show that’s going to make you think, then you may want to look elsewhere as the show moves at a slow pace with plenty of dialogue and many of the episodes that are used to build character, ideas and plot twists. A key element in what makes the show so catchy is the characterization that is so strong as a whole, the cast is relatively small for the 24 episode series and all the major characters get a character arc that would normally worsen a show but in this instance proves to connect and make the show stronger. Even when being largely unlikeable, the majority of the cast prove to be sympathetic and even a little empathetic and it is certainly a step up from the usual motley casts that flounder around the realms of anime. Protagonists and antagonist enjoy equal screen time and appeal, being characterized all together very well each having something of their own that they bring to the table. If a complaint could be made it would be the setting in which these characters are placed in doesn’t provide for much diversity as many episodes characters are surrounded but nothing but dingy buildings and crumpled homes. While this makes sense considering there was a global catastrophe, it makes for a fairly generic feel considering the unique cast of characters and the technologies exist around them. And while not heavily action based, as the shotgun wielding Re-L would have you believing it would be, people who have watched shows like “Ghost in the Shell” will see similarities in the impression “Ergo Proxy” gives off.

Good:

-Incredible characters

-In depth psychological, philosophical plot

-Intellectually stimulating show 

Bad:

-Not as much action as you’d think

-Bland environment for such a great cast of characters

Scully Rating: 9 out of 10 

Boondock Saints (By Sean Dibble)

Two Russian mob soldiers end up dead, and the agent sent in to investigate is Agent Paul Smecker (Willem Defoe). Smecker believing that this was an act of self-defense lets the two McManus brothers off without charges. That night the boys believe they have had heard from god that they must rid the streets of Boston of all its evil doers. Now on a mission to help the citizens of Boston the brothers have Smecker on their tail, but will he arrest them? Or sympathize with our newest heroes “The Saints.”

“The Boondock Saints” is a thriller action movie that was written and directed by Tony Duffy. “The Boondock Saints” film does something most thriller action movies do not do; they show the victims before they show how they died. The reasoning behind this is because Agent Smecker is retelling how the murders have happened. This film has a great cast with Willem Defoe and Billy Connolly being the two high named people in the film. Two new comers for the age of the film are break out stars Sean Patrick Flannery who plays Connor McManus and Norman Reedus who plays Murphy McManus these two play twin brothers of Irish decent perfectly. The story is great and became an instant cult classic when the movie came out. Everyone wants to become vigilantes and rid their town or city of the evil that consumes it. “The Boondock Saints” makes that a possibility, not in real life, but gives you, the viewer, the opportunity to see what it would be like as the vigilante. The movie is deep with blood gore and foul language, but it also has its hilarious high points; for example, when the cat just happens to have an accident at the hands of Rocco, who then asks if it is dead even though we all know that it is. Comedy is a great aspect of the film with how the action happens. Though the film is old being released in 1999 it is a film that any film buff and fan of any good movie will enjoy. The action is top notch, the comedy is hilarious and though the language is foul it fits perfectly, though it is very dark at points and far to gory for a younger audience this is a film if you and your teenage kids and friends want to watch you can sit and enjoy as a family.

Good:

-Great Action

-Cast is top notch

-Darkly funny

-Instant Cult Classic

Bad:

-Watch the film and if you say it's bad I would run from the screen because the brothers will come and take you out

Scully Rating: 10 out of 10

Killer Elite

By: Sean Dibble

After a job goes bad in Mexico, Danny Bryce (Jason Statham) decides to quit, stating that he can no longer do the job after killing men in front of a child. A year into his retirement he his dragged in when his mentor Hunter (Robert DeNiro) has been taken hostage, Danny has been given an ultimatum take the job to save Hunter’s life, or leave and kill his friend. He opts for option three, breaking him out. Though he fails miserably they do not kill him or Hunter. Now forced to go along with the mission to save his friends life Danny will need to rely on all of his skills that Hunter gave him.

“Killer Elite” is a fast paced action based on a true story. The film has a star studded cast leading off with Jason Statham and Robert DeNiro. Though those are the two big names this film also has Clive Owen. The film is about two hours long and thoughout the film you will be on the edge of you seat as Danny kills to get his friend released. The score for this film is perfect and suspenseful and if the action on the screen cant keep you into the movie the music will. The casting company did a great job when they hired both Jason and Clive having two action stars pinned against each other is pure genius and makes the film move a bit faster than if one of them were not in the film. The lighting for the film is dark and dreary keeping along with the intense feel that I think they intended. There is however a few brief scenes of nudity so if you’re a parent think twice before allowing a small child watch this film. “Killer Elite” is one of the films that comes along almost every year though, action with great actors and great fight scenes these films are becoming dull because you can expect what is coming next. But with that said “Killer Elite” is a must own for any serious action film collector, or someone that loves Jason Statham Movies.

Good:

-Great Cast

-Good Action

-Some Nudity and a lot of blood and gore

-Based on a true story

Bad:

-Like all action movies a bit predictable

Scully Rating: 8 out of 10

Alan Wake Review (By Robert Murphy)

Keep the lights on, please, because you’ll be wanting out of the shadows in the psychological horror, third person shooter that is “Alan Wake”, so make sure your flashlights batteries are change as you set out to fight your way through the darkness. Bestselling thriller writer Alan Wake, suffering from a two-year stretch of writer's block, travels with his wife Alice to the small idyllic town of Bright Falls, Washington, for a short vacation. Alan and Alice arrive at Cauldron Lake, where their cabin sits on an island within it. As they unpack, Alan discovers Alice has set up a typewriter, hoping Alan will try writing on the vacation this angers Alan and sets off for a brief walk alone, but races back to the cabin when he hears Alice's screams. He arrives too late as some entity drags Alice into the lake's water, and without a moment's hesitation, jumps in after her, blacking out upon impact; Alan comes to a week later, crashed after his car went off the side of the road outside of town. As he travels back to town, Alan witnesses multiple supernatural events, such as human figures shrouded in darkness that can only be defeated with light, and an ethereal figure wearing a deep-sea diving suit. He also finds pages of a manuscript for a book titled “Departure”, a work Alan recognizes as his own but doesn't remember writing it; the incoherent pages foretell events that come true as the story progresses.

“Alan Wake” can best be described as a combination of "the mind of a psychological thriller", and "the body of a cinematic action game, the main gameplay happens in various areas of Bright Falls – such as the forest, a national park, or a farm – during the nighttime; mixed with moments of a calmer aspect and non-combative sequences that are set during the day. As players take control of Alan the world around them is quickly overtaken by the "darkness" that’s taking over humans, animals and objects. These enemies, dubbed the "Taken", are murderous shadows that attack Alan, wielding weapons of their own that range from mallets and knives to heavier and dangerous weapons such as shovels and chainsaws. Also these shadows vary by speed, size, and the amount of damage they can take, and some can even teleport between short distances, as if the aspect of killer living shadows wasn’t messing with your head already. The Taken are protected by a shield of darkness, initially rendering them impervious to attack; they can only be injured with a firearm after exposure to light, which burns the darkness away, this puts significant emphasis on flashlights as well as conventional weapons, such as a revolver or shotgun. Your arsenal of light weaponry comes with options as well, while flashlight beams can be focused and used as a reticle, the handheld lights Alan can carry can be boosted, which destroys the darkness faster, but also reduces the light's battery level. Besides the conventional shooter gameplay need for reloading ammunition, the player must also insert fresh batteries into the flashlight when they run out, or wait for it to recharge but this occurs very slowly. In certain sections of the game, it is possible to use a car to traverse between locations in Bright Falls, when in a car, the player can run down Taken on the road, or boost the vehicle's headlights to destroy them.

A major element of gameplay is the optional discovery and collection of manuscript pages from Alan Wake's latest novel—Departure. Although Alan does not remember writing this book, its storyline seems to be becoming real around him and these readable manuscript pages are scattered around the game world, out of chronological order; they often describe scenes that have yet to occur and act as warning and instructions for proceeding through upcoming challenges. This being only one of the in game goodies to be collected however, there are a few different in game optional collectibles that include coffee thermoses scattered around the game world, as well as discovering television sets which show different episodes of the fictional Night Springs series, radios airing talk and music from Bright Falls' local radio station, and textual signs around the town.

“Alan Wake” truly provides for a unique gameplay experience for players, it provides the thrill of a good mystery/psychological horror book with the aspect of living it out as it unfolds right before your eyes. As players explore the well designed and in depth world of Bright Fall, you come across intriguing characters in this former little slice of heaven as well as dealing with a unique and frankly terrifying enemy, the dark; which, let’s face it, everyone has a momentary (if not lifelong) fear of. A problem with the game mainly lies in moving your character, as the third person camera view is already not something for everyone; it is sometimes hard to get going in the right way or to see your enemies which makes things even more frightening. “Alan Wake” however is a hard game to put down once you pick it up and provides plenty of laughs as well as chills and scares.

(Game reviewed on Xbox 360)

Good:

-Amazing story

-Well designed and grounded environment

-A chilling game that’s just so hard to put down

Bad:

-Not much for a lasting appeal after you’re done, except to go back for all the in game collectibles

Scully rating: 9.5 out of 10

Demon King Daimao

By: Zach Goodier

Demon King Daimao is centered around a young student at a magic academy named Akuto Sai.  He seeks to train to be a high priest in order to help change the world.  However, upon arriving, Akuto is predestined to become the new demon king.  Now that might seem a little... unpleasant for someone looking to become a priest.  Well, what ensues is a lot of people chasing after him, including an observer named Korone, as well as classmates Junko Hattori and Kujiko Eto.  Akuto must learn to accept his destiny, and face the consequences of it.  The arrival of a new demon king results in a lot of turmoil, and Akuto may come to realize at least part of his original goal.  There's magic. There's a dragon.  Hell, there's even a harem of girls, all chasing after Akuto for various reasons that all seem to result in some partial nudity/suggestive situations.

You have no idea how hard it was to find a picture with this girl actually clothed...

How was the plot? well, it was.... there.  I've seen better, but I've seen worse too.  First of all, early on it's revealed that Akuto will be the Demon King, and this obviously results in a lot of turmoil in the classroom.  Akuto is shunned and treated as though he murdered somebody.  But to a certain someone (who might be a certain classmate who dabbles in the dark arts), he has all of a sudden become the perfect choice of future husband to fulfill her goal of... well I have no idea (something about ruling the world), but she wanted to get freaky with Akuto.  The rest of the plot is a mix of random encounters until the final showdown.  There was a lot of potential, but the show never realizes its' potential.  And near the end, the plot starts to fall apart a bit.  Events kind of stopped making sense, or were poorly explained.  This just further illustrates that the plot was secondary to the fan-service when this show was being written.

The characters?  There's Akuto, the guy trying to cope with his circumstances, which provides most if not all of the possible depth to this show.  The rest? generally speaking, they are mix of your typical "harem" archetypes: the one that's madly in love but in total denial, the bubbly one that keeps forgetting to wear clothes, the quiet one that keeps getting a little too close, and the dark one that has endless fantasies about what she wants to do with him.  Now, you'll be able to match names to those character types rather quickly, and there isn't much more to it.  Everyone gets their moment in the spotlight, being portrayed with the general types of back stories you know and expect from these types of shows based around fan service.  Some are even a little interesting, but the characters don't have the depth of some of the better shows out there.

Have fetish? Will cater. 

The verdict?  Eh.... There's plenty of reasons to justify watching this show, as long as you don't mind them coming in short skirts and obsessed with Akuto.  If it sounds like I'm bashing this show a lot, it's because I don't want you to get your hopes up.  The show isn't BAD by any real stretch, but it won't stick with you.  There's nothing completely wrong with this series, but it doesn't do anything that impressive or well, either.  If you like fan service, then this one should do it for you.  For those who like depth of story/character? Probably a pass.  I liked the action, and the suggestive moments may have "peaked" my interest a bit more than I would like to admit, but very rarely do those things leave a substantial impact.  You can find better shows in both departments, but I'd say this one is worth a watch on Netflix or online if any of what I said sounds like it might entertain you.  I occasionally feel the urge to watch something mediocre and unimpressive myself.

 It's good to be king.

Good:

-Decent action and humor.

-You could say this show has some amusing.... "assets."
-Some plot elements were actually somewhat interesting, but these were fleeting moments.

Bad:

-Plot/characters are fairly weak and uninspired.

-Your typical "harem" type anime, and a mostly mediocre one at that.
-The WORST part was that I saw a lot of potential in this show, it just felt like they put all their chips in the fan-service, and the rest of the show suffered for it.

Scully Rating: 6.5 out of 10

Watch Demon King Daimao HERE

Alex Cross Review (By Sean Dibble)

Dr. Alex Cross is a detective who has been put on a case from the chief of police to track down a mass killer that leaves drawings at all of his victims. Cross (Tyler Perry) is after the man he calls Picasso (Matthew Fox), an ex-military man for hire. After failing to apprehend Picasso the first time around and having two bombs go off during the chase inside the building, Picasso escapes and is now not only after his original targets, but now is after Cross and his fellow detectives. Can Cross and his team protect Detroit and the people they love?

The Cast of this film is absolutely amazing and I give the casting director props for getting the people they did.  Getting Tyler Perry to play the main character is brilliant.  Mostly seeing Perry as a TV show director/producer and as Madea in the Madea films, you see him as mostly comedy but he pulls off the serious role greatly and makes you pray that Alex is ok. His team Tommy Kane and Monica Ashe played by Edward Burns and Rachel Nicolas respectively, do a great job at the supporting roles making the team complete as they head out in hunt for the killer. Matthew Fox who plays the antagonist, Piccaso, is devious and not right in the head.  I personally did not know Fox could pull off this role when I first found out he was playing the villain; but after seeing the film, I retake that thought and give him a slow clap for his performance. *clap clap*

“Alex Cross” is based of the book by James Patterson. The movie is far from the book though it has many inaccuracies and characters that are in the book are in the film and people who are in the film are not in the book. Now most people would think this as a bad thing and though it is not great it does not take away from the film. Now I am not recommending go out buy the book and read it after or before seeing the film because the Cross serious should be read in order for them to make the most sense. My biggest pet peeve though is that Maria (Cross’s wife) is in the film when she never appears in a single book only in Alex’s mind as thoughts. Another thing is that the film takes place in Detroit where in the books he lives in DC.

All in all, “Alex Cross” is a good film on the urge of being great but the differences from the book keep it from being so, because of this it impacted the score tremendously. People who have read the book should stay away from the film or be prepared to scream at the TV screen because characters you love (Sampson) are not in the movie, and characters that shouldn’t be (Maria) are. The cast however, is great and manages to keep the story alive with their acting. The plot makes sense with few drawbacks pertaining to the book. But with that said “Alex Cross” will at times keep you on the edge of your seat and at some points in the film make you sick at points or question your morality if you find the gruesome parts hilarious (as I know some of you sickos will J).

Good:

-Great Cast

-Plot is decent

-Based of one of the greatest novel characters ever created

Bad:

-Doesn’t follow the book

-Missing Characters/Adding Characters

Scully Rating: 7 out of 10