Subculture Times Video Review: Beyond Two Souls

For those whose eyes hurt from reading reviews, prepare as your eyes shall now hurt from watching reviews, too! Subculture Times also makes video reviews. Check out our review for Beyond Two Souls

Beyond Two Souls

What defines a video game? The control? The completion of a story because of a player? The levels of enjoyment a person experiences? The concept of a video game, like art, seems to become more abstract every day. Technology now allows games to parallel movies and incorporate cinematic elements into telling a story. But to compare video games to art, in some, perhaps elitist, perspectives, would mean lowering the standards of one or raising the bar for the other. It's a difficult debate to argue and defend. Thus, for this review and potentially those following it, Subculture Times may cease to give a score (we're still experimenting on style, so feel free to accompany us on this journey) . Rather than turning video games further into a commodity by quantifying their value with an arbitrary score, this review will only examine the game in regards to its mechanics, gameplay, narrative and everything else that makes or breaks the experience. In the end, it's up to you, the individual, to decide the final score.

With Heavy Rain and the Telltale's well-received Walking Dead episodic adventure, the surge and popularity of narrative-focused video games are undeniable. From the folks who brought you Heavy Rain, Beyond Two Souls is the latest release from Quantum Dream.

The story surrounds Jodie Holmes, a woman whose entire life is bound to the lingering entity she calls "Aiden." Aiden's presence has not only guaranteed Jodie's constant surveillance, but Jodie's "powers" mark her as a pariah amongst the world. None, least of all Jodie herself, understand Aiden or his origins and it consequently erupts prejudices of danger and caution from all those around Jodie.

Beyond Two Souls is first and foremost a modern bildungsroman about Jodie. The game takes place throughout moments in her life, offering glimpses into her troubled childhood, her military training and even her time spent homeless. Jodie and Aiden's journey spans across America and even overseas. The narrative also unravels in non-sequence. One minute, players will control Jodie, say, at a grand soiree of military officials only to then find her, within the next half hour, as a teenager arriving at a birthday party.

This form is initially convoluted in regards to telling a cohesive tale, but the plot itself  is an enigma meant to be uncovered by the player throughout the course of the game. It helps that the story gracefully transitions from one segment to the next. In creating this non-sequential narrative, Quantum Dream accomplishes several impressive feats: Beyond Two Souls rightfully balances action and suspense versus slower and more thoughtful moments. The flow from suspense to stealth to dialogue or vice versa  are captivating respites puzzle-pieced together within a grand narrative. And Beyond Two Souls incorporates this pace beautifully and artistically into its story.

The broken timeline also perfectly reflects the plot as a coming-of-age story. Beyond Two Souls achieves this by highlighting impactful phases in Jodie's life. The always-looming consequences of the journey offer deep and meaningful reexaminations for her character. What serves as her truth one moment is completely shattered in the next. Quantum Dream breathes life into Jodie, her character and the journey, making Beyond Two Souls' already excellent narrative and characters that much more significant.

Of course, the power of a strong video game narrative depends on the strength of its actors as much as its gameplay. 2013 already boasts several top-quality, triple-A titles, all of them sporting excellent voice work and motion capture. Beyond Two Souls, however, easily sets a new standard. In tandem, the motion capture and voice work fall nothing short of cinematic bliss.                

Ellen Page is the fulcrum to Beyond Two Souls. Now while Quantum Dream director David Cage said he wrote the main protagonist with her in mind, Ellen Page's performance is the essence of Jodie Holmes' character. The moments of happiness, life, death, despair and confusion are portrayed to such a perfect pitch, Ellen Page often over shadows her fellow actors and actresses. This is not a sleight to her fellow cast members however. In fact, Willem Dafoe honors the game with a stellar performance as Nathan Dawkins. And even some of the more minor actors, such as Kadeem Hardison and David Coburn, demonstrate their excellent acting prowess through their characters.

Beyond Two Souls blur the very lines between video games and movies; it's sometimes easy to forget you're playing a game because transitions between cutscenes and gameplay are cohesive and seamless. Adding to the cinematic aesthetic of Beyond Two Souls, the visuals, the environments and the characters all look amazing. Ellen Page and Willem Dafoe, through the extensive motion capture, are technologically  mirrored within the game. The digital avatars bear such a similar resemblance to the real life actors.

Even with motion capture and green screens, Beyond Two Souls meshes a graphically polished world with the grime of a mature narrative. The end consequence is a noir-like painted America. Landscapes are stunning, yet whether the suburbs, Arizona desert or snow-white cities, Quantum Dream manages to craft these locales to reflect Beyond Two Souls darker themes.

Those unfamiliar with Quantum Dream's track record may be surprised to find Beyond Two Souls a game "lacking gameplay." It's true the majority of gameplay consists of navigating Jodie, quick time events, traversing around a room as Aiden to tip something over, and using the face buttons to decide what kind of response Jodie should  give another character. But Beyond Two Souls is first and foremost driven by its the narrative; the gameplay is secondary, supplementing the experience of Jodie's adventure. Quantum Dream reinforces this concept through two difficulty settings at the main menu, one of those settings being geared to an audience who does not play games often or at all.     

This aside, Beyond Two Souls follows the suit of Quantum Dream's previous title, Heavy Rain. Players, as Jodie, navigate the game space, interacting with people and sometimes items to forward the narrative. At almost any time, players can control Aiden. Aiden can phase shift through walls, manipulate objects, and sometimes possess the weak-minded. Players will control Jodie for the majority of the game, but will often switch between Aiden and her to solve small puzzles. The other mechanics of gameplay revolve around quick time events. Some actions require players to press the right series of buttons to complete a segment, while the right stick, and sometimes the sixaxis,  is used in combat sequences. The combat system may seem simple, but it's handled really well and looks extremely stylish.

Beyond Two Souls does a better job than Heavy Rain in managing frivolous gameplay. While there are a few moments where Jodie is able to roam around, trifling through everyday items, it doesn't become a chore to progress the game. Instead, interacting with the environment often proves to unveil more about the world and characters.

Beyond Two Souls will immerse and envelop players into the experience. Sure, there are those that will say gameplay is limited. However, the mechanics of controlling Aiden and the quick time events are meant to supplement the narrative. Beyond Two Souls is an impactful journey brought on by the crisp, fantastic visuals, the deep, compelling narrative, high-quality voice work and acting, and the balanced pace throughout the game.

Stay tuned for Subculture! 

Grand Theft Auto V Review

Welcome back to Los Santos. Home of the rich, the poor, the famous, the wicked and everyone else in-between.

Treading on the busy sands of Vespucci beach, the celebrity-focused lanes of Vinewood, the Sandy Shores desert, and the socially dilapidated neighborhoods of Los Santos, Rockstar is back with its newest installment to the infamous franchise, Grand Theft Auto.

Enter Grand Theft Auto V. 

This newest GTA drops players into the vast, pseudo-Californian world of San Andreas. Though a digital replica in its landscape, GTAV's satire bleeds the essence of what composes modern American culture. San Andreas is a towering monolith of celebrity obsession, capitalistic narcissism,  internet culture, and government corruption to name just a few of the lingering themes. It borders the pastiche, but as every Grand Theft Auto game before, it is bathed in extreme parody. 

This humor alongside Rockstar's expertise  deliver the entity of San Andreas. Rockstar crafts a living and beautiful world players can easily immerse themselves into. Desert highways are vast, craggy mountain regions are filled with hikers, wildlife and anyone looking to get lost and Los Santos is a breathing reflection of contemporary L.A. Rockstar, after only five years since the last installment, really shows what their efforts are capable of. GTAV looks stunning. The graphics aren't the best around, but Rockstar completely nails the aesthetic of San Andreas. The Los Santos tenements look lived in, the beaches are crisp galleries of sand and ocean, and the underwater flora and fauna are some of the best around. 

However, Even with the mandatory install for console versions, textures and objects sometimes can't keep up with the player. But considering the scope of the game world and the technical limitations of current consoles, it's easily forgivable. Again, San Andreas is massive and it's amazing there are no load screens throughout the adventure.

The soundtrack, like San Andreas itself, is varied and vibrant, catering to over a dozen stations ranging from rap, reggae, pop, alternative, jazz and even punk music. On top that, the denizens of San Andreas believably go about their daily lives. Cruising through the city, you will see npcs practicing yoga, going to local coffee shops, talking on their cell phones and so much more.

The voice work of these npcs, and from everyone else for that matter, will further draw players into the world. It is synonymous with the excellent writing Rockstar is known for. If San Andreas initially drew people to the world, the atmosphere will tether those players to this game for a very long time. From Los Santos to  Blaine County, San Andreas is as a well developed a character as the main protagonists.  

For the first time in the series, the narrative spans across three central characters: Franklin, an ambitious ne'er-do-well vying to leave the pyramid scheme of the gangster life, Michael, a rich retiree already bored of retirement and the incessant nagging of his family, and Trevor...

Well Trevor is a grenade in a hand basket ready to explode in all directions at any moment. Similar to Grand Theft Auto San Andreas, each character has personal stats that upgrade over the course of the game. For example, running, swimming or biking can increase stamina, while fighting or playing tennis will increase strength. Ultimately, the difference between Mike, Trevor and Frank revolve around their base skills: Michael is better at handling firearms, Franklin is a pro when it revolves around cars, and Trevor has a strong affinity for helicopters and planes.

Their uniqueness does not end there as all three characters have a special ability. Another new addition to hte franchise. As gunfights or car chases grow in chaos, both Michael and Franklin can slow things down to give players the edge. Mike, much like Max Payne, can use bullet-time to paint and mow-down all the enemies in front of him. And when inside of a car, franklin can weave through streets and traffic with the utmost ease. Last but not least, there is Trevor's  rage ability. 

If Trevor seems to be a special case of manic and sociopathic tendencies, it's simply because he embodies those ideals. And, ya know what? So does his special ability. Trevor's rage makes the unpredictable psychopath almost invulnerable. Bullets, rockets, grenades, and car crashes are nothing but flesh wounds for the raging Trevor. 

Having three central characters with different stats and different abilities changes Grand Theft Auto  into something more than its predecessors. The copy and paste formula of open world mayhem is reassessed through Franklin, Trevor and Michael's diversity. Their abilities are a welcome change that spell fun for an already excellent franchise. Not to mention, having three central protagonists, playable at almost any time, allows a deep and constantly changing narrative. Sharing an affinity for danger and profit, the trio of malcontent's criminal proclivities eventually draw them to one another. 

In Rockstar fashion, Grand Theft Auto V tells a lengthy story. Spanning over 50 hours, GTAV is an action-packed, yet well-paced narrative surrounding ambition, greed, loyalty and violence set loose upon San Andreas. Each mission is not only fun and varied, but essential as they expand and develop the personalities of the troublesome trio. We find what drives and motivates these characters as well as what pisses them off. And boy, no one should ever piss off Trevor. 

Thankfully when things go awry and the shit hits the fan, Grand Theft Auto V's controls are tight and responsive in all aspects. The driving is the smoothest it's ever been within a GTA game. Helicopters and planes remain a fun and often destructive mode of transportation. and water- vehicles ably glide through the turbulence of the rivers and oceans. The twitch-flick auto-aim of GTAIV returns but is better polished and tweaked, adding real weight to the guns and to combat. It's easy to see Grand Theft Auto V as a very ambitious game. Luckily for GTA fans and players looking to jump into the series, this game delivers above and beyond. 

The graphics are fantastic working in perfect cohesion along side an amazing atmosphere, voice work and soundtrack.The open-world truly feels open to exploration and adventure. The combat, driving, and flying mechanics are precisely tuned. The narrative is well-paced, yet intense and gripping throughout the campaign. And the choice to disseminate San Andreas among three central characters with different abilities and stats was a brilliant addition as it allows for a shifting, dynamic narrative and different play-styles.  

GTAV's layers of depth create such a rich ambiance. San Andreas is easily one of the most realized worlds of this year, sharing the limelight with Bioshock Infinite's Columbia and the American wasteland in The Last of Us. Grand Theft Auto V is bound to keep you playing for hours upon hours as this latest game is the best in the franchise and a strong contender for game of the year.

Grand Theft Auto V gets 5 outta 5. 

Movie Review of The Hamiltons (2006)

We are back on track. We had some technical issues but that's behind us now.
And its October! My favorite month, so I will be bringing you more movie reviews. Just in case you don't know about who we are, here is our Youtube page. And how did you find us? let us know in the comments section, or somewhere.

Now to the review. I watched The Hamiltons, a horror film about a normal family that has a dark secret. Yes, you guessed it, they kill people. It's a horror film, what you expect? The Hamiltons recently lost their parents and now they have to look out for themselves. The protagonist is Francis, the youngest of 4, who doesn't seem to be like the rest of his siblings. The movie's main plot is about Francis and how he interacts with his family, and how he views what they do. Good movie, had a little bit of everything you would want in a horror film, maybe not a lot of suspense, but in a movie like this you don't need it much.
As I was watching it kept reminding me of another movie, and I couldn't think of what it was, until about halfway through I remembered: I had already seen this! I just forgot. What this means is that this movie is good, but forgettable. There is nothing that will make you remember this movie after about a month, theres no unexpected plot twists, or really innovating shots or anything really. The movie is very safe, they didn't want to go for anything crazy.

Final words, good watch, fun movie if you like horror, just don't expect anything new from it. It is rated R, although I felt it could had easily been PG-13. Back when Blockbuster was a thing, this is the movie you pick up when you have no idea what you want to watch, you just know you want to watch a horror film, its that kind of movie.

Movie Score:

• 6/10
• A (O.W.L.)

I'm not who you think I am!

This is Dario coming at you from the Main Man's account!
still having those TECHNICAL PROBLEMS
Ignore.

WE ARE BACK (AGAIN) ...Not really

TECHNICAL ISSUES

Man of Steel Reborn

After years of being overshadowed by their competitors, it seemed as though DC was ready to throw in the towel.  With Christopher Nolan's Dark Knight Trilogy the only real success and response to Marvel's string of films culminating into The Avengers, it looked like DC was being overwhelmed by Marvel's onslaught.  Luckily for DC, they had an ace in the hole.  As he is a shining beacon of hope within his own comics, the Man of Steel was DC's last hope.  If this film were to fail as the 2006 Superman Returns film did, DC would lose their foundation and crumble underneath Marvel's might.  With the team that brought us The Dark Knight Trilogy, an equally amazing cast led by Henry Cavil, Russel Crowe and Michael Shannon, and Zack Snyder in the director's seat, this was shaping up to be the Superman movie we had always been hoping for.  A lot rested on the shoulders of this movie and the question is, did it deliver?  You bet your ass it did.

The film starts off on the planet Krypton, which is on the verge of being destroyed by its unstable core as a result of years of Kyrpton's natural resources being depleted.  Kryptonian scientist Jor-El, played by Russel Crowe, goes to the governing counsel in an effort to warn them of the planets destruction and pleads with them to begin evacuation.  As the counsel refuses the planet's military commander General Zod, played by Michael Shannon, arrives and with the aid of his followers, overthrows the counsel in an effort to save Krypton.  Upon seeing this, Jor-El flees.  After infusing his newborn son Kal-el with a genetic codex of the entire Kryptonian race, Jor-El and his wife Lara launch their son in a spacecraft to Earth.  General Zod then murders Jor-El and tries to figure out where they sent the baby.  However, he is soon arrested and sent to the Phantom Zone, a prison dimension.  After some time, Krypton explodes, killing all that were on the planet, including Kal-el's mother.  Zod watches as his planet is destroyed, now free to seek out Ka-El.

After that, we get our Superman movie.  Even though this is an origin story, the plot moves along at an alarmingly fast pace.  Upon landing on Earth, the film quickly cuts to Kal-El as an adult.  The film shows him wandering the Earth, trying to find out where he belongs.  He works different jobs across the country, always disappearing once someone catches a glimpse of his powers.  His childhood is shown through means of flashbacks.  They show his adoptive Earth parents Jonathan and Martha Kent, played by Kevin Costner and Diane Lane, struggling to raise young Kal-El, now named Clark Kent, as his powers begin to manifest themselves.  Meanwhile Lois Lane, a journalist from the Daily Planet played by Amy Adams, begins researching this "superhuman rescuer" and, after Clark rescues her, she finds him but chooses not to reveal his secret.  General Zod then arrives to Earth, claiming that he is looking for one of his own, and threatens the planet if Clark does not come forward.  What follows after is some of the greatest action sequences on the big screen.

As a stepping stone for the Justice League movie to come, or any other superhero movies to follow, this was a superb attempt to ground Superman, to make him human.  Henry Cavil did a fantastic job portraying Superman, embodying him both physically and mentally.  I was slightly disappointed in Amy Adams.  She came across as just a nosy journalist.  At times I felt as though she was just there to create some sort of connection with Superman, not really needed for the story.  However, the stand-out performances go to Russel Crowe, Michael Shannon, Kevin Costner, and Antje Traue as Faora, Zod's second-in-command.  Both Shannon and Traue are menacing and intense, owning any screen time they have apart and together.  Russel Crowe and Kevin Costner were the two actors I was unsure of going into the movie, but both shined as loving fathers trying to give their son the life they believe deserves.  I thought the flashbacks would be the slow points in the movie and while that may be true in the sense of pacing, these moments were equally captivating.  These short moments were crucial in explaining who is Superman and what will he stand for.


And finally, the actions scenes.  Holy shit, they were awesome!  Although Snyder should have cut back on a few scenes ("less is more") so that the viewers could catch their breath, this....this is what I have always been waiting for.  This is where all other Superman movies failed.  Christopher Reeves was fantastic as Superman, and will forever be remember as the original Man of Steel but those movies failed to show us just what Superman is really capable of.  Superman is a beacon of hope, a shining light for humanity, but he is also one of the most powerful superheros to ever exist and in this movie, you get to see that Superman. Snyder, who directed 300, Watchman and Sucker Punch, gave us some amazing action sequences that put all those movies to shame.  The final fight between Superman and Zod is simply amazing.  After The Avengers defeated Loki and the Chitauri, New York was left in pretty bad shape.  Metropolis, on the other hand, got leveled.  You really got the feeling that Zod was there for the complete destruction of Earth.  There is a scene at the end which is extremely significant as to where they are taking this Superman.  I will not spoil it but if that is direction they are going to go, then brace yourselves for Man of Steel 2.

Overall, Man of Steel is a great film, easily one of the best of the year so far.  My only gripe is that the action scenes were a bit too long, to the point where you begin to worry that it may become just another mindless action film.  Thankfully, it does not.  Solid performances, directing, and writing make for the Superman movie we have all been waiting for.  It is a much darker story than we are use to in the Superman world but that is exactly what it needed.  The biggest problem with Superman is that he is essentially a God, so it is difficult making him relatable to the audience.  Henry Cavil did a great job showing us the "man" side of Superman.  My biggest worry now is that I could not see how they were going to incorporate the Justice League into this world, despite the Easter Eggs in Man of Steel.  Thankfully, my worries were put to rest with the recent announcement at Comic-Con.  With this film, it seems as though DC is back and ready to bring the fight to Marvel.

Rating: 8.5/10
      
          

A Movie Review of Rollerball (2002)

Hello again! I took a break off the reviews because the Subculture Crew went to Anime Expo. You haven't seen the video? Well look here, I have a handy link to it! And feel free to watch all our other videos. But I'm back to weekly reviews of horrible movies I find on Netflix, so lets go!

This week I watched Rollerball. What is Rollerball you ask?  Rollerball is a crazy sport that involves metal balls, motorcycles and rollerblades, thats right, rollerblades. Its only the most popular and extreme sport in the world! The movie is about a pro-rollerball player that realizes that the games are being rigged to get more views. 

The movie is not great, and after doing a quick IMDb search I found out this was a remake. Well I hope the original was not as bad as this one. The movie starts of with a scene that has absolutely nothing to do with the rest of the film, if only just to say "Hey come play rollerball".
Our main man Jonathan decides to go to Russia to play in this "circus" as he calls it, and what a circus it is.

The teams wear leather uniforms with mask that have spikes or skulls and the like. There are two players on each team that ride around on motorcycles while the rest skate around at high speeds. The sport itself is pretty boring actually, and most of the time you won't know whats going on until someone scores. Well, we see a couple matches and then they realize it's rigged, so the try to escape, and that chase scene is what made me decide this was a bad movie. It has a green filter on it! Like they had a night vision camera or something. It was bad. If you where even a little bit into the film, this takes you out of it for good. I have no idea what they where going for, but it did not work. To top it off, the acting is bland and generic.

I felt that this movie was made specifically for middle school kids in 2002. It has motorcycles, and fast cars and explosions, it has random nudity, and music that is "metal". Slipknot makes a cameo appearance. So with that said, unless you are really into rollerblades, or a middle school kid, you will not enjoy Rollerball.

Movie Score:

• 2/10
• T (O.W.L.) 

Gears of War Judgement: A Review & Why You Should Play It (or not)

After a good run of the main trilogy of the Gears of War franchise, Gears of War Judgement is released to offer a new take on the story from Baird's point of view. Serving as a prequel, this game takes us to the first days of the Locust War after E-Day (emergence for those unfamiliar with the term).

The game starts off with Baird and his members of Kilo Squad being brought in for a COG military tribunal, where Colonel Ezra Loomis is the judge, jury, and possible executioner. The story proceeds by having each member of Kilo Squad recall the events that led them to use a Lightmass Missile without authorization. Through this narrative, the player is put in control of Baird, Gears veteran Augustus Cole AKA the Cole Train, Onyx Guard cadet Sofia Hendrick, and UIR ex Major Garron Paduk. Each character tells a bit of their back story as you progress through the level, and offers some side narrative on the war.

 Unlike the larger, open levels of the previous Gears entries, Judgement has a tight and fairly linear map design for its campaign. Also new to the campaign, Judgement includes a scoring system based on stars, you get more stars by clearing the level faster, getting more kills and executions, as well as not going into a downed state. As an extra incentive to getting stars, you can get more unlockable content like weapon and character skins for multiplayer. As a way to get more stars, the player is given the choice to go on a declassified mission, which adds more of a challenge to the campaign by adding extra objectives. These objectives range from clearing a section within a time limit, only using specific weapons, and conditional modifiers like low visibility. This adds a bit of replay value to the campaign, although the declassified missions can be skipped and add little to the story. 

Also new to Judgement is the new game mechanics, such as a new control scheme which is reminiscent of first-person shooters like the Call of Duty franchise. Although an awkward fit at first, the new controls allow for an increase in speed, leading into a much more fast paced action that remains fluid throughout. Another change to the old system, you can now roll down from any open space in the map. Although this does not seem like a big change, it completely changes engages by not hindering player movement as much. In previous Gears games, you had to stop your fast roadie run/roll, and walk to hop down from any small ledge. This tended to disrupt the flow of battle and often resulted in a death or two, as well as some players using the ledge hop to camp out their opponents. These changes do not really affect the campaign, but instead brings some wanted changes to the aging multiplayer portion.

Multiplayer in Gears of War Judgement is a new beast to for those veteran Gears players, with some new modes and variations of classics, as well as making the multiplayer COG vs COG teams instead of Locust enemies. Starting out, some players may want to visit the single player of this game to get used to the new controls, as hopping straight into the battlefield may result in some humiliating deaths. The new modes, like Free For All, add a bit of strategy as some modes only let you use one main weapon, a pistol, and 2 grenades. With this change, the player is made to choose if they want the safety of the Gnasher and Sawed-Off shotguns for those close encounters, or if they want to be more of a ranged attacker with the Lancer, Hammerburst, Retro Lancer, and the new semi-automatic rifle, the UIR Markza. Other modes like Team Deathmatch or Domination still have the standard rifle+shotgun loadout. This run of the Gears multiplayer also got rid of Horde and Beast mode, and instead combined them into Over Run. Over Run is the new Horde/Beast mode in which teams of 4 COG players defend 3 objectives and 4 Locust players try to take them. COG players can still set up defenses like in Horde mode, while Locust members can set up their attack with different combinations of Locust creatures like the Mauler, Ticker, Grenadier, and Kantus.

Overall I enjoyed the multiplayer much more than the campaign, which is saying a lot since I equally enjoyed the Single/Multiplayer of Gears of War 1, 2, & 3. The campaign really made the entire game seem like it could have been a single disk expansion or upgrade, although the graphics were improved over Gears 3. For full price, this game is definitely not worth the money, as I actually borrowed this game after careful consideration of buying. The multiplayer is pretty fun, but at the same time it feels like it needed more maps, since the standard rotation gets boring quickly. I would say borrow the game, rent, or get it a cheap price if you must play the newest Gears entry, otherwise, this game can be easily overlooked. 

Final Score: 2.5/5

A B-Horror Movie Reivew of: Oasis of the Zombies (1982)

Finally an actual horror movie! This week I sat through Oasis of the Zombies, and I'm going to tell you right now: it isn't that great.

The movie is about a group of college kids that go in search of Nazi gold in a oasis, however that oasis is haunted by Zombies: the very same Nazi's that died there transporting the gold. The movie starts out like any other horror movie: with two chicks that have nothing to do with the story and are also kind of slutty. They just happened to be out in the middle of the dessert looking for an oasis, and as they walk around they start to hear strange sounds. Shortly after they are ambushed by zombies, but not before the camera followed them from behind, if you know what I mean. 

Then cut to the actual plot. There is an oasis where Nazis gold is buried, and its worth $6 Million dollars! The Nazi troops where intercepted by other troops and the fight killed everyone except for one soldier, who is the only one that knows where the gold is. This soldier is also the father of our main protagonist, who upon hearing of his father's death (yeah he gets killed by some poison) decides to go in search of this gold.

Overall the movie is really long and boring, there are big chunks where nothing happens and could had been easily cut out. The acting is so terrible! To the point were you wonder if they are even trying. The Zombies also look bad, most look like their face where plastered with paper mache, others just look bad. They also have a problem with light, most scenes are too dark to make sense of anything (although this might be because of the low quality of the film). There are also some night scenes that where obviously shot during the day, you can see the sky and its bright blue! but that just contrast with the rest of the shot, so again you can't see much. The music is also really "off" in a bad way, I felt like all music was in the wrong movie, oh well.

But this movie at least has one thing going for it: people get killed. One specially good death happens when this chick gets eaten by zombies in the first half of the movie. The zombies took the time to rip all of her clothes off before digging into her flesh, and there is one shot of meat being pulled out from her, not that great of a shot, but the gore is appreciated. All the other deaths are boring, mostly due to the poor acting and un-convincing screams. 

Final thoughts on Oasis of the Zombies: Its boring. Its hard to watch, you loose interest quickly, and to be honest the ending is not even remotely worth it. The acting is weak, the cinematography is weak, the zombies are lame, and all this adds up to a mediocre film. I did like that the camels had their own zoom-in head shots, I have no idea why I picked up on that.

Movie Score: 

• 2/10
• T (O.W.L.)