STRANGE LOG: Play The Greek Music!

Here we are, yet another Strange Log, how about that eh? No real articles and no one reading them anyway, right? Right. Yeesh. This year and a half has been...well, it's been...For me anyway, it's been the year of restless potential and a lot of confusion. But nonetheless, I have a few topics to dive into so let's get this over with.

Let's start with some recent news, "WandaVision" just wrapped up with an episode titled "Series Finale", TITLED "Series Finale", as far as it being an actual series finale...well the post-credit scene (which I didn't see because I didn't think there was one...fool me once, Marvel...fool me once...) seems to hint that there is more story to tell with Wanda now that she has been dubbed a "Scarlet Witch" and actually has the outfit (my goodness does she look great in it), not to mention Vision is back in action rockin' a new White body so it stands to reason that we haven't seen the last of these characters, but if it's in a television capacity remains to be seen. I really enjoyed "WandaVision", although changing Agatha Harkness to a villain is a no-go for me. Agatha is such an integral character to the Scarlet Witch's story as she's essentially a mentor to Wanda. I was hoping that the fight would merely be a ruse to test Wanda's skill level like a quick sparring session with a master before Agatha goes "Honey, you need training." but alas, twas not. I don't care that much about the change but I did like this take on Agatha (being younger yet hundreds of years old) just wish she wasn't a villain and should the series continue, who knows she's alive so the door is always open for her return.

This woman though, geez.

But since we're on the topic, let's talk about Post Credit Scenes. Post Credit Scenes have kinda become a staple for movies these days, especially movies that are attempting to build a cinematic universe (currently only The Godzilla franchise is attempting to do so) but not only that they're attempting to set up a sequel or allude to the possibility of the next part of the story. My question about post-credit scenes is this should they be announced? I missed the post-credit scene at the end of "WandaVision" after being burned for the 1st couple of episodes I figured there wasn't one and left it alone, only for the internet to be buzzing about a post-credit scene. This was fine, I wasn't angry just surprised because no such post-credit scene was announced. 

Now Marvel has been well known for its post-credit scenes that connect the movies and I wasn't sure if the 1st Post-Credit scene was announced (in "Ironman") but from their own, we've all been trained to sit and wait through the credits to complete the experience. But that's Marvel, but what other films may or may not have had a post-credit scene that no one knows about? I like the idea of a hidden little gem. Take the 1987 "He-Man" movie, for example, Skeletor swore he'd return OR M. Bison returning at the end of "Street Fighter". These were films that didn't announce a post-credit scene and if you stayed you were treated to the idea of a sequel (which sadly never came for either film). I like the idea of hiding things from your audience, post-credit scenes should be hidden and unexpected and you really have an opportunity to toy with your audience that way. The key is to no provide your audience with a reason to expect it. I'm curious to see if other films utilize a post-credit scene other than action flicks, we'll see. I'm hoping horror dives into it because then you can REALLY mess your audience. Only time will tell.

20 some odd years later and he still hasn't returned...

Since we're on the topic of horror, let's talk about "Resident Evil 8", or rather let's talk about the new internet waifu since Bowsette (who is hot as f*ck, let's be honest) and that is the 9ft6 tall Lady Alcina Dimitrescu. The Resident Evil series continues to baffle me, now granted I'm much more of a "Silent Hill" guy and I consider "Resident Evil" to be more of an action game as opposed to an actual horror game, considering you're often playing as agents with arsenals of weapons and skills than your average joe. Then along came "Resident Evil: Biohazard" which I was completely blown away by. Not only did it NOT feature the STARs bullsh*t and all of the lame (YES, LAME!) protagonists of the previous games, but this one was in 1st person and featured an average joe and was legit scary as the protagonist was far less capable than the other characters. 

Now we're here at this game and once again it's in 1st person and may deal with vampires but for the 1st time, no one is talking about the game but rather Lady Dimitrescu herself. Now admittingly, I can kinda understand why she appeals to so many people, her 1950seqsue Gothic aesthetics is pretty cool, and her appearance does lend itself to some good sexy cosplay (which I've seen), also her unique size makes her extremely difficult to miss. Plus, big-tittied Goth chicks are in these days (never were out for me...). The internet is such a strange and fun place, almost anything can be made sexy thanks to Rule 34, but for people such as myself who can kinda dig the grotesque (Mileena and The Silent Hill Nurses being among my unusual attractions...don't judge me!) Lady Dimitrescu isn't all that unusual. I just find it funny when developers manage to penetrate the internet so, I love the fact that they didn't set out for such a reaction and yet aren't exactly running from it either.  I'm no "Resident Evil" fan so I won't be playing the game but I'll be keeping abreast of this one.

Wasn't she in "Insidious" ?

Moving right along, let's talk about video games. I don't review video games often because I am a VERY limited gamer, VERY limited gamer...as in I play very few video games, but like many I recently downloaded "Control" a game I've only heard of in passing only because it was free on PlayStation Plus. Normally, I wouldn't play such a game (same as "The Last Of Us") but boredom and the fact that it was free provided the perfect storm for some exploration. Apparently, "Control" is based on The SCP Foundation (which I kinda see but only very late in the game), but gameplay-wise, "Control" is not completely unlike "Saints Row 4" in a sense that you're dealing with a superpowered being who acquires (very similar) powers and has to navigate a semi shifting environment. The major issue with "Control" is the interface...UGH! Having to collect all these items to modify this and that...all of it feel important and useless all at once. Here's the thing if I need all these pieces to craft stuff then I'd better understand all those pieces (like in "The Last Of Us") in "Saints Row" I understand what all the items were used for, the clusters helped me level up my superpowers, EXP leveled my character up, cache helped me purchase abilities, each collectible items did a different thing. In "Control" I'm still looking for Threshold Remnants to modify my gun and I'm not even sure what it'll modify into.

That and the GUNS! What gun do I have equipped? Both? Only one? Neither?! Maybe I'm stupid (of course, I am) but I'm an extremely impatient gamer (hence why I don't play a lot of games) and tutorials modes help me out a GREAT deal, I don't need my hand held, just something to elaborate on what exactly I'm doing and how stuff works. All games have something similar, THIS did not and I'm stuck trying to switch guns and continuously dying because I don't have the right firearm equipped when I need it, it's annoying. "Control" is an interesting game and a decent distraction, and I love the atmosphere of the game but damnit, I wanna actually love the game and I'm sorry but the story by in large isn't all that great. Dylan Faden is BEYOND generic, bald, crazy possessed mental patient with psychic powers #37...ugh. He's not the best villain and is really a letdown to the surreal atmosphere of the game..

Didn't know I was playing "Seven" the video game...ya generic loser...

But a game being based on something from internet lore does get my attention, of course, I'd have never made this connection had it not been for TVtropes. However, a game based on "The Holders" Series won't happen which is fine because I doubt such a thing would ever be possible or interesting, as much as I love "The Holders" Series it doesn't lend itself to becoming a video game. I'm close to beating "Control" but as far as replay value, naw not interested in playing this one again, not even for the easter eggs or for actually being able to understand what I'm doing the 2nd go 'round.

Switching gears COMPLETELY, let's talk about something that no one else has talked about and that's the great unmasking of formerly masked characters: Boba Fett, Shoa Kahn, and now Rain. While all 3 have been unmasked in a non-canon capacity Boba Fett is in various novels and in comic books (one in particular where he was Black);

Shoa Kahn in comic books, video games and film, and Rain in an animated TV show, but all 3 haven't had a canon unmasking until now. Shoa Kahn's being the most startling for me because he's NEVER been unmasked in canon and while various media speculated on his appearance, it remained a mystery until he was unceremoniously unmasked to reveal what everyone (save for the films) assumed.

So that was a big shock to me to finally see Shoa Kahn's face in a canon capacity in such an anti-climactic reveal. But the strangest case is Rain. Among the many ninjas of "Mortal Kombat" Rain is the only one to not be unmasked, oddly enough Reptile is the only ninja to lose his mask and remain unmasked for the majority of the games (with the exception of DLC skins). Now I understand that all of the ninjas were created as palet swaps of one another and therefore the designers at the time were limited in what they could produce in terms of appearance for the characters...but fast-forward all the way to recent years (as close as Armegeddon) Rain has always been depicted as having a skin tone closer to an Asian (as in not Brown). However, now Rain's appearance makes him appear more Middle Eastern, which isn't a problem but my question is why is this just now coming through?

I've had some people argue that Rain was always Brown (he wasn't) and while I'm not counting his original appearance (due to limitations, but in all honesty, if they can make Jax Black they could make Rain a shade of Brown if he always was) or his uncanon appearance where he was just a White boy;

I am counting all the times he's been in video games where shade limitations were no longer a problem. He could've been Brown at any point in time and yet he wasn't and now all of sudden he is.

I don't know, he doesn't strike me as the handsome Devil he's supposed to be, he kinda reminds me of, well oddly enough Boba Fett, who let's face it, isn't handsome at all. I just find it odd when a character's skin tone is changed. Again, not a problem, Rain is still one of the most underrated "Mortal Kombat" characters EVER and I'm still waiting for him to get his just due (like that'll ever happen) but anyone arguing that Rain has always been tan or Brown or whatever is SORELY mistaken.

Next up I wanna talk about "Infinity Train", an animated series that appeared on Cartoon Network and is now an HBOMax original. This series is AMAZING on all accounts. For starters, it's an anthology (which I adore), the stories vary but the overall point is the same, people arrive on a mysterious train with seemingly infinite cars (each car being its own pocket universe) in order to work through their problems and eventually leave the train, along the way they meet denizens of the train who aide them. Each season has been pretty awesome, the 3rd Season being the darkest, but the trailer for Book 4 (as they're called in the series) sounds ominous. I could see this series lasting for however long HBOMax wants it to because this show is what I've been talking about in terms of mature animation. I'll be waiting on the edge of my seat for Book 4 and hoping we see some familiar faces along the way.

Lastly on a bit of a downer, like my previous blog entry (which no one read) my life has currently devolved into "What's The Point-ism" in regards to any and all future projects. The reason being, effort. I put considerable amounts of effort into projects and yet I yield no results, so ultimately why bother? I don't know I'm just frustrated with thinking of all these ideas I could do but realizing that I won't yield the results I want. That's not a fun thing to realize but it's nonetheless the truth, my previous blog, the fact that I didn't generate any comments proves that's the case and who am I even talking to? Who knows how long this blog will last given my current state. I'll try and be optimistic but with the Snyder Cut looming in the horizon and no end in sight for this curse that's befallen us all, it's gonna be pretty damn hard. I'll catch you guys later. Here's a GIF of my possible reaction to The Snyder Cut.