House Calls

Welcome to another edition of House Calls with DocDoom, It seems you've all still got some ailments that need soothing, but don't worry I'm here to help you out with just the right dose. take two and call me in the morning:


Cinema:


As far as westerns go I'm not a huge fan, but it's hard to deny that Young Guns isn't an excellent movie regardless of its genre. A regular who's who of big name 80s stars, The movie follows the rise of Billy "the kid" and his band of regulators on a warpath to grab some much due vengeance after this ragtag group of ex-criminals has their mentor shot down in cold blood by a rival business man who's tangled in a corrupt ring of men. The movie is full of action and has truly great acting. Keep in mind as you watch that the movie was made in 1988, but it ages more like a fine wine than anything else. Truly a classic that will stand tall in a genre of similar western films that can seem monotonous at times.


Music:


The Slim Shady LP is a hilarious and exciting look into the dark mind of Marshall Mathers. While most people are at least familiar with Eminem's popular hits, few casual listeners have had the pleasure of hearing some of his more outrageous and hilarious tracks. With the exception of a few extremely dark tracks I don't think I've ever listened to Eminem's old music and not laughed at 90% of the lyrics he spits out. Even the skits fit well and are a welcome laugh in between hard hitting tracks. Dr. Dre knew what he was doing when he signed a young white kid out of detroit, and this album really shows what he can do if you give him a mic.


Gaming:


It won't be hard to get your hands on a rom of Conker's Bad Fur day for the N64, but once you do it'll be hard to put the game back down. If it looks childish to you prepare to be pleasantly surprised. Conker's came out after Rare had already released Banjo kazooie and others like it, and it marked the last notch in their belt of 3D platform/adventure games released for the N64. Where conker's stands apart is in its self-aware, tongue in cheek humor and adult themes. As you play through the game you'll meet all sorts of crazy characters, from sexually excited gears to suicidal brooms and everything in between. There really is never a dull moment and the voice acting is spot on to really bring the game full circle and give it a special place in gamers hearts that has made this cult classic a favorite for N64 enthusiasts. It was remade under the title Conker: Live and Reloaded for the xbox, updating the graphics but censoring the game slightly and loosing a bit of that charm. I suggest picking this game up for the n64 and forgoing the xbox version altogether unless you're really hankering for more.


Comics:


I'm sort of cheating here by suggesting 4 things at once with Afro Samurai, but it's my blog so sit down and shut up. The manga itself is a beautiful work, telling the story of Afro Samurai, pictured above, who faced hardship early on in life when his father (the number 1 warrior in the world) was cut down by the number 2 warrior, a wicked white man ironically named Justice. As he slices and dices a bloody path to reclaim his father's headband, you're treated to a beautiful world where blood settles all feuds, and the only court is that held in battle. Additionally the manga can be supplemented by the excellent anime from funimation, which ran one full season and a follow-up movie. A video game has also been released for the series, and all 3 blend together with that same stunning visual style. The music for both the show and game are done by none other than Producing legend RZA of Wu-Tang fame, a man I look up to greatly. Truly for a full experience you should: Read the manga, watch the show, download the albums for all of the afro samurai media, then play the game.


Literature:


If you haven't seen the television show, stop reading right now and go start the download, I'll wait. Back? good. While Charlaine Harris is seemingly writing for a female audience, the books that the hit HBO series True Blood is based on are a great easy read for anyone. I found myself using them to pass the time in the army, and caught up to the release of the final book and found myself waiting a month after reading all the others in no time at all. What sets this series apart from all the twilight trash jumping on the supernatural bandwagon is that instead of hiding vampires have "Come out of the coffin" thanks to a medical breakthrough in japan allowing for the creation of synthetic blood (TrueBlood). The books and the show differ greatly , and it's almost like watching two seperate timelines unfold in the same universe, but both stand up well on their own. The series is well written, and since the first book, Dead Until Dark, is relatively short if you really aren't a fan you can just put the series down and go about your business.


Please let us know if you've enjoyed any of these things yourself, and feel free to discuss what you liked about each one in the comments!

See you next week!