Stereopony in America 2012 (a J!-ENT Pictorial by Nergene Arquelada)

In April 2012, the Japanese female rock band known as Stereopony toured the West Coast of the United States and for their April 12th concert at the Yost Theater in Santa Ana, California.  J!-ENT photographer Nergene Arquelada was there to cover their live performance and his photos are featured in his latest J!-ENT Special Pictorial.

The Stereopony 2012 J!-ENT Special Pictorial (via PDF), can be downloaded by clicking here.

■Biography
STEREOPONY is a Japanese all-girl rock band that formed in Okinawa in 2007 and will be attending their first Sakura-Con. Consisting of AIMI (Vocal/Guitar), NOHANA (Bass), and SHIHO (Drums) the band gained their first opportunity on the Japanese rock radio program “SCHOOL OF LOCK!”

STEROPONY should be well known to many anime fans as the artists behind several notable anime themes. Their debut single “Hitohira No Hanabira” was the 17th ending theme for the famous anime series “BLEACH”; released on November 5, 2008 and ranked #25 on the Oricon Weekly Charts. Their 2nd single “Namida No Muko” was the second opening theme for the second season of the Sunrise series “Mobile Suit Gundam 00”; and achieved #2 in the Oricon charts.

STEREOPONY has toured internationally and experienced great success in the Oricon charts. In March 2009, the girls performed in SXSW 2009, and received a thunderous ovation.
Their 3rd single “I do it” is a collaboration with fellow Sony Music Entertainment Japan singer YUI, was released on April 22, 2009. Their debut studio album “A hydrangea blooms” was released on June 17, 2009 and ranked #7 on the Oricon weekly charts. STEROPONY’s 5th single “TSUKIAKARI NO MICHISHIRUBE”, also released with a tie-in with the second season of hit anime series “Darker than Black” which ranked #8 on Oricon. After releasing 2 singles, in June 2010, the girls released their much anticipated 2nd studio album “OVER THE BORDER”.

“Chiisana Mahou”, the opening theme of anime series “Letter Bee REVERSE” was released on December 8th. STEREOPONY collaborated with the band Kariyushi58 to produce the single “Tatoeba Utaenakunattara” released on August 10, 2011. The band’s 10th single, “Arigatō”, was released on September 28, 2011. The music video for “Arigatō”, released on September 1, 2011, features film actor Abe Hiroshi; he is also on the cover of the version B release of the single.

 

Sacra Terra: Angelic Night – Collector’s Edition (a J!-ENT Video Game Review)

Looking for a dark/eerie hidden objects/puzzle game that will last you longer than a few hours and with replay value (plus two more games to play after you’re all done), then “Sacra Terra: Angelic Night” is highly recommended.  It’s definitely one of Alawar Entertainment’s better hidden objects games out there!

VIDEO GAME TITLE: Sacra Terra: Angelic Night – Collector’s Edition

YEAR OF INITIAL RELEASE: 2011

VIDEO GAME GENRE: Hidden Objects

CREATED BY: Alawar Entertainment

PUBLISHER: Viva Entertainment

MEDIA: 1 PC DVD

RATINGS: T for Teen (Drug reference, mild blood, suggestive themes, violent references)

RELEASE DATE: September 13, 2011

VIDEO GAME HIGHLIGHTS:

There is no denying that dark, eerie and creepy games is attracting a lot of fans of the hidden object video game genre and as other companies are trying to raise the bar in adventure-lite and hidden object games by longer gameplay, better graphics and most importantly, a very good storyline.

For Russian video game developer, Alawar Entertainment, the company is one of the best known developer and publisher of casual games in the world and with a big following, they know that their audience wants nothing but better games and not something that was good 4-5 years ago.

Fortunately, Alawar Entertainment is listening and one of the better games they have released is “Sacra Terra: Angelic Night” and now giving the title a “Collector’s Edition” release which includes a strategy guide, a bonus prequel game, concept art, wallpaper and two additional video games (“Amanda Rose: The Game of Time” and “Echoes of Sorrow”) for the price of one game.  Also, available is “Legends of Terror 6-Pack” which includes both the “Sacra Terra: Angelic Night” and the “Twisted Lands: Insomniac” Collector’s Editions (and can be found for the same price online).

It’s important to emphasize that the standard edition of “Sacra Terra: Angelic Night” does not come with the bonus prequel, strategy guide or the extra two games.

“Sacra Terra: Angelic Night” begins with a man being wheeled into a insane asylum by a doctor.  He is then taken to his room and an angel comes and mysteriously frees him from his bindings.

When the man leaves the bed, he notices the place looking very old and dilapidated.  And also what appears to be a bloody teddy bear with an IV hooked up to it.  What is going on here?

And immediately you partake in puzzles and hidden object games which you need to figure out how to get out of your bedroom but also open up other rooms to find out more clues about this hotel that you are in.  But one thing that you do know, the angel has helped you and she needs your help.

Especially since the demons of the seven Deadly Sins have been freed and are now finding their own permanent residence in the decrepit mental hospital.  You will need to use what you can find and solve every puzzle in order to defeat these demons but also find out more about Angel and this metal hospital that you have been kept in.

The bonus prequel game features how the main character you are playing, ended up in the mental hospital and what took place two days before.

INSTALLATION:

I installed “Sacra Terra: Angelic Night – Collector’s Edition” with no problems whatsoever.  The Viva Universal Media installation panel came up and you select which game you want to install.

GAMEPLAY

One of the highlights of “Sacra Terra: Angelic Night” that this game will take you hours, if not days to beat.  As your character reaches each room, each room will present itself a hidden objects game (which you will more than likely visit each room twice through the game to find hidden objects) and each time you beat a hidden object game, you are given a special item which can be used in opening another room, or important for your traps to destroy a demon.

Before beginning the game, you have the option to choose a normal for casual gamers or difficult mode for the hardcore HoG enthusiasts.  For the most part, the hidden object games, if rated 1 as the easiest, 3 as average and 5 as difficult, “Sacra Terra” would be about a 3.  Some may find it as a 4 but what I found out is having your brightness slightly up, you can find these items without using the hint (note: using hints are infinite, they do take some time to recharge).  Also, if you click everywhere or on wrong items, you will not get penalized for it.

If anything, for these hidden object games, it all comes down to patience and looking at the walls to anywhere they can place an item.  And it’s also important to remember that these items reflect possibly a different time.  So, for example, if you are looking for a “scissor”, some may look for what they think is a modern scissor, but instead, the screen will show the very old style of scissors that are metal.  So some items, you will need to look a little longer as these objects are more likely something representative of the past.

Also, hidden in each room are morphing items which your character must find all 42.  And with each room connected to another in some way, some of these rooms have puzzles that are challenging but using the same difficulty as the hidden objects game, I rate it about a three…not too difficult and not too hard.

There is quite a bit of backtracking in this game as some rooms will reveal an object that you need to take to another room and this will happen quite a bit.  Especially important urns that need to be taken to a church. Each time you find them, you need to return them back to the church.  And while backtracking in an adventure game can be tedious, the good news is that most rooms are close by and because it features a first person view, traveling from one place to another is done in seconds as opposed to an adventure game which can take a minute.  So, if you are impatient…you don’t have to worry.

“Sacra Terra: Angelic Night” will make a lot of people happy, mainly because it’s longer than most hidden object games and can take anywhere from 10-20 hours to beat (including the prequel bonus game), especially if you are looking for these morphing objects.  The prequel bonus game takes about an hour or two at the most and the difficulty is the same as the main game.

GRAPHICS:

As for the graphics of this game, the game looks fantastic.  The major part of the game is well-painted and heavily detailed.  While the game is creepy in look and despite the bloody teddy bear seen at the early part of the game, “Sacra Terra: Angelic Night” is not scary at all in terms of look.  You will not find any horrific scenes but you will read of how dark Angel’s personal life and what happened to her.  Mainly dark suggesitve themes but nothing horrific visually.

While the main game is done well, the CG is good.  Not as good as major console CG cut scenes but for a hidden object game, it was better than what I have seen in other Alawar games.

AUDIO:

The audio is another positive factor in the game.  The musical soundtrack was pretty good, as well as the special effects.  One thing that they did to make things dark and eerie is have these residual noises of someone coughing, crying or screaming while you venture in a room.

While there are no spoken dialogue, fortunately this game did have the music and sound effects.  It’s mentioned that the collector’s edition comes with a soundtrack but not sure where that is located in the game.  I’m guessing that it may be an extra if one beats the more difficult mode or if one finds all morphing objects.

REPLAY VALUE:

There is replay value for those who want to find the morphing items.  By the time I completed the game, I found 36 of 42.  So, I was so close but next time, will put much more emphasis on finding all morphing items.  Not sure if it affects gameplay or ending if you do find them all.  But I feel it may also open the soundtrack to the game (unless this is an extra that is opened when you beat it in the more difficult mode).

“Sacred Terra: Angelic Night” is no doubt an ambitious and fantastic step for Alawar Entertainment.  For so long, fans have complained about short games, abrupt endings, bad storyline or game play but with so many games under their belt, I’m thrilled that Alawar Entertainment has been listening to their fanbase.  And “Sacra Terra: Angelic Night” is the right direction and I hope they can keep this momentum up for future hidden object games.

The balance of the game is well-done with hidden objects, puzzles, involving storyline with mystery and intrigue, enough eerie and darkness for fans of the genre to enjoy it, as well as casual fans who don’t want anything too dark or gory.  And balance that off with very well-done graphics, musical score and ambient effects and a lot of other extras and it makes for a very entertaining game.

Buying the Collector’s Edition of “Sacra Terra: Angelic Night” makes things even better as you get the prequel game and strategy guide for those who need it.  And of course, you get two more games included, thus if you are looking for a really awesome game for under $10, this collector’s edition is definitely worth owning!

But what are the caveats about this game?  Well, for one, there are other dark and eerie hidden object/adventure-lite games that are much better, but that all comes down to development and how much wants to put into the game.  The Mystery Case Files is an example of games where video and spoken dialogue are utilized and that is one area that Alawar Entertainment should look into.  Granted, I understand the development for such a thing can be expensive as the need to hire voice actors that can act in English may be difficult for a Russian-based company and also video adds to the cost of hiring actors and this is on top of the actual development of the game and music which can be expensive as well.

The other caveat is difficulty.  Some hardcore hidden object players may find it much to easy for both hidden objects and puzzles.  I felt it was average in terms of difficulty, not too difficult, not too easy.  But I like that… I don’t want something made difficult in terms of it becoming frustrating, but I do expect things to progressively become more challenging as you near the end, not easier.  Which this game does get easier towards the final moments.

Another is more of a peeve that I have read on forums, not so much a bother for me but for those who are impatient and that is the actual presence of Angel, which goes through a clip of her spreading her wings and watching a feather fly.  Impatient gamers will probably be put off by the temporary wait.  Personally, I wasn’t too bothered by it but I’m not impatient either.

Last, not necessarily a caveat but for those interested in this game, will want to do their research as “Sacra Terra: Angelic Night” is included with many of Viva Media sets.  From the Legends of Terror to the Mystery Collection Packs, these are all enticing as they included many games but may be the standard edition, not the collector’s edition.  As of May 2012, there are two versions of the Collector’s Edition out there that I know of, one is this “Sacra Terra: Angelic Night – Collector’s Edition” and the other is a Double Collector’s Edition which includes “Sacra Terra: Angelic Night” and “Twisted Lands: Insomniac” plus four bonus games.  While the version I am reviewing can be found for $9.99-$12 online, I noticed the latter can also be found for nearly the same price or by a little more.

If you are in it for “Sacra Terra: Angelic Night”, then this 6-pack is the way to go.  Otherwise, more than likely you will also want to play “Twisted Lands: Insomniac” (the sequel to “Twisted Lands: Shadow Town”) and with the 6-pack, “Shadow Town” is not included in the 6-pack, but with the “Twisted Lands: Insomniac” game.  Also, you get two very good games with the regular “Sacra Terra: Angelic Night – Collector’s Edition” stand alone with the “Amber Rose: The Game of Time” and “Echoes of Sorrow” game.   So, you may want to do your research of which versions you want to buy.

Overall, “Sacra Terra” is an enjoyable game that really is a magnificent step up for Alawar Entertainment.  There are way more positives than negatives and the storyline leaves things open for a sequel.

Looking for a dark/eerie hidden objects/puzzle game that will last you longer than a few hours and with replay value (plus two more games to play after you’re all done), then “Sacra Terra: Angelic Night” is highly recommended.  It’s definitely one of Alawar Entertainment’s better hidden objects games out there!

For this second game alone, I give it a RATING: A-

 

Insider Chronicles: Secret of Casanova (as part of the Insider Chronicles: The Complete Collection 4-Pack) (a J!-ENT Video Game Review)

I enjoyed the concept of the game, I love the fact that you get 4 hidden object games for less than $10 and thank goodness that the frustrating gameplay of “The Stolen Venus” does not show up in “Secret of Casanova”. Fun hidden objects, mini-games and puzzles for this second game in the series. “Insider Chronicles: The Complete Collection 4-Pack” is recommended!

VIDEO GAME TITLE: Insider Chronicles: Secret of Casanova (as part of the Insider Chronicles: The Complete Collection 4-Pack)

YEAR OF INITIAL RELEASE: 2010 (the 4-pack was released in 2012)

VIDEO GAME GENRE: Hidden Objects

PUBLISHER: Viva Entertainment

MEDIA: 1 PC DVD

RATINGS: E for Everyone

RELEASE DATE: March 1, 2012

VIDEO GAME HIGHLIGHTS:

Francesca Di Porta is the brilliant detective who is known to take on the major art heist cases and having appeared in four hidden objects games which include “The Stolen Venus”, “The Stolen Venus 2″, “Missing in Rome” and “The Secret of Casanova”, video game publisher Viva Media has released “The Insider Chronicles: The Complete Collection 4-Pack” in March 2012. (Note: Previous releases of the game had it titled “Insider Tales”).

With a 3-Pack released back in 2010, this brand new 2012 version includes “The Stolen Venus 2″.

As a person who is passionate about art, loves going to art museums and also enjoy mystery storylines, I figured that I would give the “Insider Chronicles” series a try.

For my first review, I played the first game in the series, “The Stolen Venus”, a 2009 game that frustrated me as the difficulty was too high and the objects were transparent and very difficult to find. The fun of the first game was dampened by its hard-to-find objects that one had to use the hint button too often, while those who refuse to use the hint button, quit the game before completing it. Add in a ridiculous ending and sure enough, I gave it a rating of a C-.

But yet, I was a bit more lenient as it was an older hidden objects game, it did have an intriguing storyline and I enjoyed the detail of the graphics. But most importantly, with the release of “Insider Chronicles: The Complete Collection 4-Pack”, for under $8, you get four games (including an extra game provide with each “Insider Chronicles” game), so it’s hard to complain that for the price of one game, you’re getting all games in the “Insider Tales” series (note: The games were once called “Insider Tales” but the collections are now referred to as “Insider Chronicles”).

In the second game of the series, “Insider Chronicles: Secret of Casanova”, Inspector Francesca Di Porta is contacted by a Professor who had discovered something surprising that he has to share it with Francesca (who is on vacation).  But because the two are good friends, she leaves her vacation to meet with him at his home.

But all she finds is a message from the Professor that he had to leave but left clues for Francesca to find these “secrets” and sure enough, what she finds are pages written by famed adventurer and womanizer, Casanova.  What secrets did Casanova hide?

No worries, Francesca is up to the challenge in finding out Casanova’s secret as her investigation takes her to Milan, Paris, Vienna, Prague and Venice.

INSTALLATION:

I installed “Secret of Casanova” on a Windows XP laptop and did a full installation. I will say that the games of the “Insider Chronicles: The Complete Collection 4-Pack” were a pain to install.

Upon inserting the CD, you get the Viva Media screen where you select which game to install. I have never had a problem with this, but this game…I kept getting this message of “click on the Viva Media Universal program”. I kept doing it over and over and nada. And this window titled “Game Center” kept popping up. What is this game center? And why is it asking me to install all these other games not related to “Insider Chronicles”?

Sure enough, I found out that the Game Center is perhaps a joint company or related to Viva Media which allows you to keep in track of all your game installations. And sure enough, you do get a few free games and trial games with each game. For “Secret of Casanova”, you get “Elven Mist 2″, a free Tetris/Bejeweled style of game.

Not sure why it was a pain to install each game and often at times I would have to go to the CD directory to click on the actual game but problem with that is that there was no activity and figured that the game wouldn’t install but realized there was a lag of maybe five minutes before this Game Center screen came on and because you attempt to click on the setup over and over, many installations start showing up and you have to close them all but one down.

I wish installation was as easy as the other Viva Media games but not sure if this problem will happen to everyone and it may be because I am using an older XP laptop.

So, if you do install this game, after clicking on the install of the Viva Media installation screen, just remember that the Game Center that will pop up, must be installed.

From there on, you can access all “Insider Chronicles” games plus the bonus games that came with each game including trial games that can be installed and accessed.

GAMEPLAY

“Insider Chronicles: Missing in Rome” is a fun concept, as you are an inspector on a detective case through finding hidden objects but also taking part in various mini-games and puzzles.

First, let’s talk about the hidden objects part of the game. Thank goodness that the developers ditched the transparent objects and the same color on background objects that frustrated many players. This was very important and was so happy that the frustrations have been eliminated.

So, this time you get a list of hidden objects which you must find. In the first game, “The Stolen Venus”, you can click on an object and see an outline of what the object shape looked like. Not this time around. But fortunately they fixed things with this second game.   it’s not too difficult to find these objects. In fact, rating the difficulty of finding the hidden objects would have to be a 3 (1 being easy, 3 being average, 5 being difficult). The only thing that problematic part that I can see people having problems with the hidden objects for this game was the use of words for things that some people may not know what that object is. So, you may need to Google a word, for example, some people may not know what a “Fleur de Lis” is.

While the hidden objects has improved dramatically over the first game, I did find one or two objects that were so thin and small, you had to use the hint button.  But other than that, everything was quite simple.

Like the previous game, if you click on various areas too quickly, you will be penalized and unable to find anything for a short while. So, try not to click on so many objects that are not what you are looking for in a quick manner.

In addition to the hidden objects are puzzles and mini-games. So, you may have hidden objects that may be used to interact with other items on the screen.  So, this was a nice addition to this second game.

But the most fun aspect of this game was the ability to travel to different areas, new scenery and take on various tasks to help people in each city, before they give you information.

For mini-games, there are games that involve putting together puzzles that are memory-based, such as the repeating of piano notes, mixing chemicals in flasks, puzzles and more.

As for the hours of gameplay, it took me about 2.5  hours or so.  I found this game to be much more easier as the hidden objects were easier to find and if there was anything that was detrimental were the occasional crashes (which was a problem possibly with my laptop) and having to restart.  But for the most part, this is an easier game and less frustrating than “The Stolen Venus”.

If by any chance, you do get stuck and need help, I recommend visiting this forum on the Big Fish Games website.

GRAPHICS:

As for the graphics of this game, there is an improvement over the previous older games. The scenery and characters were well-painted, very detailed and vibrant.  Definitely an improvement over “The Stolen Venus”.

AUDIO:

Aside from the music which didn’t get on my nerves considering it was the same music being looped. The biggest difference with “Secret of Casanova” is that you venture to different cities and thus, different music is played.  I thought that was pretty cool and I enjoyed the music.  It was not too obtrusive.

REPLAY VALUE:

There is no replay value for this game. You beat the game, that is it.

“The Insider Chronicles” has a great concept and the fact that this 4-pack is sold on Amazon for $7.99, the price is absolutely fantastic and you are getting a great deal for the money.

With the frustration of I experienced with “The Stolen Venus”, the good news is that all those frustrations I had with the first game does not exist in “Secret of Casanova”. No more transparent objects or white on white or green on green objects that made “The Stolen Venus” such a frustrating experience.  While there are some small objects, they are easier to find in this second game.

But with “Secret of Casanova”, the experience is much more enjoyable because you do venture out to several different ethnicities and take on a variety of hidden object games in those areas in the city, may it be the place you are investigating or the people who you are trying to get information from.  The hidden object games and the mini-games come together quite nicely!

While there are improvements that were made for the game, I still have a problem with so much attention to the cut scenes throughout the game, why can’t the developers have an ending with a similar length instead of a minute long. This is a problem not just with “Insider Chronicles” but with other hidden object games as well. So, while the game ended a bit abruptly with a short minute ending, still..the gameplay made up for it.

“Secret of Casanova” is a definite improvement over its predecessor and much more enjoyable to play.

Now is “Insider Chronicles: The Complete Collection 4-Pack” worth buying?  Definitely for under $8 for 4 games in the “Insider Chronicles” series plus three bonus games.  And for those wanting an even better deal, you can get 11 more games with the Viva Media “Mystery Masters: The Secret Stories Collection” (only available on Wal-Mart for $19.99 not at Target nor on online stores as of April 2012).

For this second game alone, I give it a RATING: B-

 

Insider Chronicles: Missing in Rome (as part of the Insider Chronicles: The Complete Collection 4-Pack) (a J!-ENT Video Game Review)

I enjoyed the concept of the game, I love the fact that you get 4 hidden object games for less than $10 and thank goodness that the frustrating gameplay of “The Stolen Venus” does not show up in “Missing in Rome”.  Fun hidden objects, mini-games and puzzles for this third game in the series.  Definitely a highlight in the “Insider Chronicles: The Complete Collection 4-Pack”.

VIDEO GAME TITLE: Insider Chronicles: Missing in Rome (as part of the Insider Chronicles: The Complete Collection 4-Pack)

YEAR OF INITIAL RELEASE: 2011 (the 4-pack was released in 2012)

VIDEO GAME GENRE: Hidden Objects

PUBLISHER: Viva Entertainment

MEDIA: 1 PC DVD

RATINGS: E for Everyone

RELEASE DATE: March 1, 2012

VIDEO GAME HIGHLIGHTS:

Francesca Di Porta is the brilliant detective who is known to take on the major art heist cases and having appeared in four hidden objects games which include “The Stolen Venus”, “The Stolen Venus 2″, “Missing in Rome” and “The Secret of Casanova”, video game publisher Viva Media has released “The Insider Chronicles: The Complete Collection 4-Pack” in March 2012. (Note: Previous releases of the game had it titled “Insider Tales”).

With a 3-Pack released back in 2010, this brand new 2012 version includes “The Stolen Venus 2″.

As a person who is passionate about art, loves going to art museums and also enjoy mystery storylines, I figured that I would give the “Insider Chronicles” series a try.

For my first review, I played the first game in the series, “The Stolen Venus”, a 2009 game that frustrated me as the difficulty was too high and the objects were transparent and very difficult to find.  The fun of the first game was dampened by its hard-to-find objects that one had to use the hint button too often, while those who refuse to use the hint button, quit the game before completing it.  Add in a ridiculous ending and sure enough, I gave it a rating of a C-.

But yet, I was a bit more lenient as it was an older hidden objects game, it did have an intriguing storyline and I enjoyed the detail of the graphics.  But most importantly, with the release of “Insider Chronicles: The Complete Collection 4-Pack”, for under $8, you get four games, so it’s hard to complain that for the price of one game, you’re getting all games in the “Insider Tales” series (note: The games were once called “Insider Tales” but the collections are now referred to as “Insider Chronicles”).

In this third game of the series, “Insider Chronicles: Missing in Rome”, Inspector Francesca Di Porta is back.  And this time, it’s a wealthy couple who won the lottery who have gone missing.  The police suspect it may be the mafia but because of the tie-in of art, with Di Porta’s experience in the field, she has been called to return to Rome and solve this case.

INSTALLATION:

I installed “Missing in Rome” on a Windows XP laptop and did a full installation. I will say that the games of the “Insider Chronicles: The Complete Collection 4-Pack” were a pain to install.

Upon inserting the CD, you get the Viva Media screen where you select which game to install. I have never had a problem with this, but this game…I kept getting this message of “click on the Viva Media Universal program”. I kept doing it over and over and nada. And this window titled “Game Center” kept popping up. What is this game center? And why is it asking me to install all these other games not related to “Insider Chronicles”?

Sure enough, I found out that the Game Center is perhaps a joint company or related to Viva Media which allows you to keep in track of all your game installations. And sure enough, you do get a few free games and trial games with each game. For “Missing in Rome”, you get “Aztec”, a free “Bejeweled”-like word” game.

Not sure why it was a pain to install each game and often at times I would have to go to the CD directory to click on the actual game but problem with that is that there was no activity and figured that the game wouldn’t install but realized there was a lag of maybe five minutes before this Game Center screen came on and because you attempt to click on the setup over and over, many installations start showing up and you have to close them all but one down.

I wish installation was as easy as the other Viva Media games but not sure if this problem will happen to everyone and it may be because I am using an older XP laptop.

So, if you do install this game, after clicking on the install of the Viva Media installation screen, just remember that the Game Center that will pop up, must be installed.

From there on, you can access all “Insider Chronicles” games plus the bonus games that came with each game including trial games that can be installed and accessed.

GAMEPLAY

“Insider Chronicles: Missing in Rome” is a fun concept, as you are an inspector on a detective case through finding hidden objects but also taking part in various mini-games and puzzles.

First, let’s talk about the hidden objects part of the game.  Thank goodness that the developers ditched the transparent objects and the same color on background objects that frustrated many players.  This was very important and was so happy that the frustrations have been eliminated.

So, this time you get a list of hidden objects which you must find.  In the first game, “The Stolen Venus”, you can click on an object and see an outline of what the object shape looked like.  Not this time around.  But fortunately it’s not too difficult to find these objects.  In fact, rating the difficulty of finding the hidden objects would have to be a 3 (1 being easy, 3 being average, 5 being difficult).  The only thing that problematic part that I can see people having problems with the hidden objects for this game was the use of words for things that some people may not know what that object is.  So, you may need to Google a word, for example, some people may not know what a “lute” or a “planer” is.

An addition to this game is the ability to visit multiple areas.  By extending to the side of the screen, if you see an arrow, you can move to the right or left to find more objects on the list.  So, this does add to the challenge but also the fun of seeing different scenery.

Like the previous game, if you click on various areas too quickly, you will be unable to find anything for at least a minute.  So, try not to click on so many objects that are not what you are looking for in a quick manner.

In addition to the hidden objects are puzzles and mini-games.  So, you may have hidden objects that are listed in blue.  This typically means there is a game in that same room which you can hover and see an “magnifying glass” or a “movement” icon which allows you use certain objects to open or utilize in that room.  For example, a lampshade is not working and you need light.  No problem, add a lightbulb.  A safe needs to be open, you need to use a key, no problem, use a key that to open it.

For mini-games, there are games that involve putting together puzzles, Tetris like pieces, dragging things in order to get one object from one end out the other, connecting pieces to make power, reflecting light and more.  These mini-games can be a challenge, I’m pretty good at these, so I enjoyed the challenge and was able to beat them.

A new game includes taking photos of objects you see at the bottom to match the picture, another game carried over is the comparison between one scene and the other and clicking on objects that are different between the similar two scenes.

As for the hours of gameplay, it took me about 3 hours but for others, it may be quicker or longer.

If by any chance, you do get stuck and need help, I recommend visiting this forum on the Big Fish Games website.

GRAPHICS:

As for the graphics of this game, there is an improvement over the previous older games.  The scenery and characters were well-painted, very detailed and vibrant.

AUDIO:

Aside from the music which didn’t get on my nerves considering it was the same music being looped. I suppose that you are so focused on the game that the music is just background noise. But outside of the music, there are no vocals just text.

REPLAY VALUE:

There is no replay value for this game. You beat the game, that is it.

“The Insider Chronicles” has a great concept and the fact that this 4-pack is sold on Amazon for $7.99, the price is absolutely fantastic and you are getting a great deal for the money.

With the frustration of I experienced with “The Stolen Venus”, the good news is that all those problems have been eliminated.  No more transparent objects or white on white or green on green objects that made “The Stolen Venus” such a frustrating experience.

But with “Missing in Rome”, the experience is much more enjoyable.  The hidden objects part of the game was fun, the mini-games and puzzles were challenging but beatable and the storyline was intriguing.

While there are improvements that were made for the game, I still have a problem with so much attention to the cut scenes throughout the game, why can’t the developers have an ending with a similar length instead of a minute long.  This is a problem not just with “Insider Chronicles” but with other hidden object games as well.  But at least with “Missing in Rome”, the finale was much more easier to take in, unlike the ending for “The Stolen Venus”.

So, the good news is that “Missing in Rome”, the third game in the series, is a definite improvement and much more enjoyable to play.

Now is “Insider Chronicles: The Complete Collection 4-Pack” worth buying?  Definitely for under $8 for 4 games in the “Insider Chronicles” series plus three bonus games.  And for those wanting an even better deal, you can get 11 more games with the Viva Media “Mystery Masters: The Secret Stories Collection” (only available on Wal-Mart for $19.99 not at Target nor on online stores as of April 2012).

For this third game, I give it a RATING: B+

 

Insider Chronicles: The Stolen Venus (as part of the Insider Chronicles: The Complete Collection 4-Pack) (a J!-ENT Video Game Review)

I love the concept of the game, I love the fact that you get 4 hidden object games for less than $10 but this first game of the “Insider Chronicles” series is frustrating due to the several objects being transparent and a same color as the background.  While most will use the hint button quite often, those who don’t use it, may find themselves pulling their hair out.  I will give this game some leeway since it’s older but hopefully the other three games of the “Insider Chronicles” series are much better.

VIDEO GAME TITLE: Insider Chronicles: The Stolen Venus (as part of the Insider Chronicles: The Complete Collection 4-Pack)

YEAR OF INITIAL RELEASE: 2009 (the 4-pack was released in 2012)

VIDEO GAME GENRE: Hidden Objects

PUBLISHER: Viva Entertainment

MEDIA: 1 PC DVD

RATINGS: E for Everyone

RELEASE DATE: March 1, 2012

VIDEO GAME HIGHLIGHTS:

Francesca Di Porta is the brilliant detective who is known to take on the major art heist cases and having appeared in four hidden objects games which include “The Stolen Venus”, “The Stolen Venus 2″, “Missing in Rome” and “The Secret of Casanova”, video game publisher Viva Media has released “The Insider Chronicles: The Complete Collection 4-Pack in March 2012. (Note: Previous releases of the game had it titled “Insider Tales”).

With a 3-Pack released back in 2010, this brand new version includes “The Stolen Venus 2″.

As a person who is passionate about art, loves going to art museums and also enjoy mystery storylines, I figured that I would give the “Insider Chronicles” series a try.

For my first review, I take on the hidden objects challenge of “The Stolen Venus”, a 2009 game that revolves around Botticelli’s world famous painting, “The Birth of Venus” having been cut out of its frame.

Detective Di Porta is brought into to do her investigation and manages to find fingerprints and also clues that brings her to a town where the thieves may be hiding.

Can Francesca’s investigation lead to the capture of the thief (or thieves) and also bring back the painting back to the museum?

INSTALLATION:

Since this is an older game, I installed it on a Windows XP laptop and did a full installation. I will say that the games of the “Insider Chronicles: The Complete Collection 4-Pack” were a pain to install.

Upon inserting the CD, you get the Viva Media screen where you select which game to install.  I have never had a problem with this, but this game…I kept getting this message of “click on the Viva Media Universal program”.  I kept doing it over and over and nada.  And this window titled “Game Center” kept popping up.  What is this game center? And why is it asking me to install all these other games not related to “Insider Chronicles”?

Sure enough, I found out that the Game Center is perhaps a joint company or related to Viva Media which allows you to keep in track of all your game installations.    And sure enough, you do get a few free games and trial games with each game.  For “The Stolen Venus”, you get a free game of “Scepter of Ra”.

Not sure why it was a pain to install each game and often at times I would have to go to the CD directory to click on the actual game but problem with that is that there was no activity and figured that the game wouldn’t install but realized there was a lag of maybe five minutes before this Game Center screen came on and because you attempt to click on the setup over and over, many installations start showing up and you have to close them all but one down.

I wish installation was as easy as the other Viva Media games but not sure if this problem will happen to everyone and it may be because I am using an older XP laptop.

So, if you do install this game, after clicking on the install of the Viva Media installation screen, just remember that the Game Center that will pop up, must be installed.

GAMEPLAY

“Insider Chronicles: The Stolen Venus” is a fun concept but as a hidden objects game, dare I say that this was a game that was very frustrating. I have taken on major challenges with hidden object games but what upset me the most about this game is that the items are not visible most of the time.  For one, you will want to have our brightness up as you will see transparent versions of the objects on walls, in the sky, etc.  Yes, transparent objects as well as objects of the same color of the background.

And while you can click on the object and see a white version of what you are trying to find, there are some infuriating challenges such as “coins”.  A round coin, you think silver, bronze or gold.  Somehow, they put green coins hidden in the middle of plants.  And I have no idea why the coins are green, but how frustrating.  Also, the objects can be so small, that you won’t find them unless you click on the hint.

And for this game, I found myself resisting to use the hint but in the end, I had to because I couldn’t find the objects.  They were literally too transparent or too small and hidden object games, shouldn’t be that difficult.  It’s one thing to be challenging, but when you put a white object on a white background, or a puzzle piece that is so small that you can’t find it, and you have to resort to clicking hint all the time, it’s not fun at all.

There are some mini-games such as, two exact screens are shown and you have to figure out which object is not on the other screen and vice versa.  There are also mini-games in which you have to do puzzles, slide objects to lead them out of a maze or rotating objects in order to conduct power or have liquid flow to four corners.  These puzzles were the best part of the game.

As for the storyline, while there were some scenes that were fun and enjoyable, you are presented with a very quick ending that defies logic and is literally an indication of rushed writing.  How this unbelievable ending just happened the way it did and what happens to Francesca Di Porta is just ridiculous.  And to make things worse, while the cut scenes for the other stories were longer, this ending was like a quick minute.  But how they ended this game was just ridiculous and effete.

The game probably takes about 2-3 hours.  It’s very short and whether or not you elect to use the hints, the frustration of finding the items for this game, may make you stuck.  I really resisted in using the hint button but the objects are just too transparent that they are hard to be found at times.  There were times where I’ve clicked on an item and it never responded and that was another blow.  You really need to be exact on your clicking and it is important to click at various parts of the object just in case.  Just don’t repeat the clicks too much or you will be penalized for a minute or so and your mouse will not be able to be used for awhile.

But as far as hidden object challenge goes, if you don’t use the hint button..this can easily be a 5 (1 for easy, 3 for average and 5 for difficult).  Otherwise, I think many people will use the hint many times for this game as the object placement and the use of same color as the background to transparent objects is too frustrating.

If by any chance, you do get stuck and need help, I recommend visiting this forum on the Big Fish Games website.

GRAPHICS:

While the graphics are good for an older game, you’ll notice as you view each game, the graphics do get better with each release.  The scenery and characters were well-painted, very detailed and vibrant.

The problems of this game is not the visuals, it’s the actually gameplay which I have noted.

AUDIO:

Aside from the music which didn’t get on my nerves considering it was the same music being looped.  I suppose that you are so focused on the game that the music is just background noise. But outside of the music, there are no vocals just text.

REPLAY VALUE:

There is no replay value for this game.  You beat the game, that is it.

“The Insider Chronicles” has a great concept and the fact that this 4-pack is sold on Amazon for $7.99, the price is absolutely fantastic and you are getting a great deal for the money.

So, as much as I wanted to enjoy this first game and tell you I loved it, the fact is that I didn’t love it.  It had great potential but it’s frustrating hidden objects gameplay by using transparent objects and objects of the same color on the same background was just frustrating.  Never have I played a hidden object where they made it too difficult to find objects.

While typically older hidden object games are seen as good or not as good as they are in today’s games, which have now emphasized more of the story, still… I felt the writers rushed the story of “The Stolen Venus” and gave us the most ridiculous outcome and after that quick minute, the game ends rather abruptly.

As a fan of hidden object games, I don’t like to use the hint button all that much, but this is the first time where I had to use it too often.  One again, transparent hidden objects, same color of objects as the background where they can’t be seen… I love a challenge but not when they make things nearly impossible to find.

But I will give this series the benefit of the doubt.  You do get 4 games in this set and this first game is older, so I will give the makers of this game that much leeway. I look forward to playing the other three games in this set, but I hope they ironed out the kinks and the game leans more to being fun rather than frustrating.

Overall, “Insider Chronicles: The Stolen Venus” is not an easy hidden objects game.  And if you are not using hints, this game will be too difficult.  Otherwise, expect to use the hint more often than you want to.

Now is “Insider Chronicles: The Complete Collection 4-Pack” worth buying?  Definitely for under $8 for 4 games in the “Insider Chronicles” series plus three bonus games.  And for those wanting an even better deal, you can get 11 more games with the Viva Media “Mystery Masters: The Secret Stories Collection” (only available on Wal-Mart for $19.99 not at Target nor on online stores as of April 2012).

For this first game alone, I give it a RATING: C-

 

The Treasures of Mystery Island: The First Adventure (as part of the Treasures of Mystery Island 3 Pack) (a J!-ENT Video Game Review)

For those wanting to get into “hidden object” games and looking for a game that is fun, not too difficult and not to easy will want to pick up “Treasures of Mystery Island 3 Pack” as it contains the trilogy for under $10.  For the first game in the series (The Treasures of Mystery Island: The First Adventure), I had a lot of fun playing this hidden object game (which includes over a dozen puzzles) and I am looking forward to playing the next two games included in the 3-pack. 

VIDEO GAME TITLE: The Treasures of Mystery Island: The First Adventure (as part of the Treasures of Mystery Island 3 Pack)

YEAR OF INITIAL RELEASE: 2006 (the 3-pack was released in 2011)

VIDEO GAME GENRE: Hidden Objects

COMPANY: Alawar Entertainment

PUBLISHER: Viva Entertainment

MEDIA: 1 PC CD-Rom

RATINGS: E for Everyone

RELEASE DATE: August 4, 2011

VIDEO GAME HIGHLIGHTS:

Russian-based company Alawar Entertainment is known for creating PC games since 1999.  With publishers in over a dozen countries, many people worldwide are familiar with their video games.  Especially their hidden object video games.

A series well-known to hidden object fans is “The Treasure of Mystery Island” and in 2011, Viva Media released the trilogy which includes “The First Adventure”, “The Gates of Fate” and “The Ghost Ship”.

As a believer that hidden object games are excellent “brain games” and games that are accessible for those willing to take on a challenge, having heard of “The Treasures of Mystery Island” for so many years, I decided to pick up the game at a local Target store (this trilogy can be found for under $8 at Amazon or Target) as it is a pretty good value for three hidden objects games.

The following review is for the “The Treasures of Mystery Island: The First Adventure”.

“The First Adventure” begins with Alex piloting a cargo plane through the Atlantic Ocean.  Hoping to get home to his beautiful girlfriend, Lisa, the two speak on the phone and talk about a special talisman that Lisa had given him for good luck.  After their phone call, Alex is caught in a major storm and the talisman begins to glow.  Next thing you know, Alex’s plane crashes in the ocean and Alex washes up on an unknown island.

Fortunately, the island is inhabited and is taken care of by one of the leaders of the village.  Alex needs a phone but unfortunately, the island has been is such disarray (and unorganized) that no one, including the inhabitants of the island can find anything.  So, leave it to Alex to find some of these objects scattered throughout the village and find the parts necessary to find his phone and hopefully leave the island.

But as Alex continues to help the inhabitants find various objects and solve various puzzles, the more Alex gets to know the island, he discovers some unusual things.  For one, there is a story in the island about a pirate who is 400-years-old.  Apparently, the pirate had stolen the villages treasures including a talisman, which the tribe leader at the time had warn the pirate not to take.  The pirate didn’t listen and the pirate was cursed to stay in the island, immortal but having to live in the island forever.  Meanwhile, his fellow pirates were killed in a shipwreck.

And as Alex continues to learn about the secrets of the mysterious island, he discovers something that will eventually change his life forever.

INSTALLATION:

Since this is an older game, I installed it on a Windows XP laptop and did a full installation. Installation was fairly quick but I did notice that I did select to have the game install an icon on my desktop (so I can access it), instead it put an icon for the Viva Media website. No problem (as I have had this happen several times before), I was able to find the executable file under Program Files->Viva Media->Treasures of Mystery Island.

GAMEPLAY

“The Treasures of Mystery Island: The First Adventure” is a lighthearted mystery game and as for the level of challenge for this first game, with level 1 being the easiest, 3 being average and 5 being difficult, I rate this game as a 3 in terms of challenge. This hidden object game is not timed and also, you are given a hint that recharges overtime.  The recharge level is about average, not too fast and not too slow.

How the game works is that you are given three areas in the island and a search on each island is connected with the other. So, for example, you need to find a part for a vase.  The parts of each object are fragmented and they are mixed around the whole scene.

Depending on how good one is in terms of looking for objects, most of the time I was finding them quickly until I was left with one or two parts that I couldn’t find.  Each time you assemble a full object after finding all of its’ fragment pieces, you return it to one of the three highlighted areas on the map and when you hover your mouse over an object, it will flash, telling you where the completed objects go.

For those who try to click on too many things (that are incorrect), all at once,  you will see these balls of light that indicate that you done some thing wrong and you will be unable to find objects until those bubbles clear up (usually takes about a few seconds).  But I didn’t repeat it over and over to check if one gets penalized.

While you progress through the game, there are some tough areas that require you to be proactive.  Such as breaking a wall or chipping blocks off a horse statue.  These areas had me stumped and I actually wasted an hour as I thought I was needing a part that I couldn’t find, when all I had to do was to knock out a wall, something that I didn’t know you can do.  So, gameplay difficulty does get a little higher, but not too much.

As for the fragmented objects, fortunately none of it is invisible.  Unlike some hidden objects where white objects are on white or are transparent, fortunately “The Treasures of Mystery Island: The First Adventure” is not like that.

And after you beat the three highlighted areas, you then have to help an island inhabitant find their things.  This can be done very quickly.  For example, help a chef find his objects and literally you can click on anything related to food and cooking and finish his section within a minute or more (depending how good you are with hidden object games).

But I do believe that the challenge for many people will be the actual mini-games.  For example, one game that took awhile was three stone statues of three different colors but their four parts that make up the statue were mixed up with the other statues.  So, with only two spots to set a part, you would need to figure out how to make all parts become the same color for each statue.    Another one that I got stuck on was that you have a weight and for an hour or so, I felt I was trying to figure out where the weight is supposed to be used and lo and behold, I found a wooden pole with a hook and found out the weight goes on there.  There was no flashing light to indicate that it goes there but that took a while for me to figure out.

There are 20-episodes (20 levels not including the inhabitants) and more than a dozen mini-games.  You do get trophies for accomplishments such as finding hidden objects within a certain period or completing a section within a certain time period.  There are a good number of trophies one can earn.

If by any chance, you do get stuck and need help, I recommend visiting this forum on the Big Fish Games website.

GRAPHICS:

While the graphics are good for an older game, you’ll notice by the cover that the characters definitely went through an upgrade from the first game to the sequel.  There is more emphasis on the graphics on the puzzles than the actual characters themselves but the renderings are good and as expected from an earlier game.

As for the hidden objects, they are easy to see while some stages will have a rim of a lid and those are typically a pain to find.  But fortunately, you are not timed and there is a hint section in which you can use the talisman and with your mouse, scroll it over the area.  It glows bright green when you are closer and the hidden object is found.

But the graphics for the puzzles and scenes do look good for this older game.

AUDIO:

Aside from the music which didn’t get on my nerves considering it was the same music being looped.  But outside of the music, there are no vocals during the clips between Alex, Lisa and others.  They are word bubbles that you read.  So, audio was mainly the background music and no spoken dialogue.

REPLAY VALUE:

There is replay value if one wants to open all achievements.  For example, one trophy is given if you play the game twice.  Another trophy if you beat the game under three hours.  Bare in mind though, after you beat the game, when you replay the game, it starts over but keeps your original time.  So, for example, I beat the game in six hours and when starting the game again, it started at the six hour mark where I last left off.

I love hidden object games (as much as I enjoy adventure, RPG’s and RTS games) for the fact that these are games that are literally brain games.  And not only do I enjoy it for the challenge, having a grandfather and a mother-in-law who have Alzheimer’s has made me become more conscious of constantly challenging your brain.

You read about studies of people who play puzzle games or word games and while I’m not sure if these studies are conclusive, those who do engage in these games often are not as susceptible to the disease.  For me and my wife, we have always been active in games that challenge us but we have found hidden object games to be fun and challenging.  But most importantly, casual to the point where you can save and come back to it.  Unlike my other games where you have to find a save point, hidden object games are quite convenient.

And in the case of “The Treasures of Mystery Island: The First Adventure”, I had fun playing this game as I enjoyed the storyline (although the ending was rather lame after this build up of storyline, the adventure just ends.  No credits, nothing major and that was probably my only disappointment).   But as this is an older game and knowing that there are two more games in the “Treasures of Mystery Island 3 Pack”, I look forward in seeing how the game improves not just in graphics but also gameplay and story in the next two games.

It’s important to note that the game that I purchased was in a jewel case and not a big case as pictured above.  As for the game and if it is safe for children to play, It’s definitely easy and there were time my 9-year-old would hang out with me while I was playing and try to help me out.  So, for this first game, I can say it is quite safe.

Overall, “The Treasures of Mystery Island: The First Adventure” may be too easy for the hardcore HOG fans but for those who want a game that is not so hard and not so easy, this is a great starting point for those who want to try out hidden object games or for those who are looking for hidden object games for under $10.

For this first game alone, I give it a:  RATING: B

 

Runaway: A Road Adventure (a J!-ENT PC Video Game Review)

For point and click adventure game fans, “Runaway: A Road Adventure” is an older PC game that still is fun nearly a decade later.  A pretty good first earlier effort for Pendulo Studios and I’m looking forward to playing the other two games of the “Runaway” sequel.

VIDEO GAME TITLE: Runaway: A Road Adventure

YEAR OF INITIAL RELEASE: 2001

VIDEO GAME GENRE: Adventure

COMPANY: Pendulo

RATINGS: T for Teen

RELEASE DATE: August 18, 2003

VIDEO GAME HIGHLIGHTS:

As Madrid-based company Pendulo Softwares have received critical praise for their adventure game “The Next Big Thing” (aka “Hollywood Monsters 2″), I have been wanting to play their 2001 point and click adventure video game “Runaway: A Road Adventure”, as well as play the other two “Runaway” games (“Runaway 2: The Dream of the Turtle”, “Runaway 3: A Twist of Fate”) in the trilogy.

Released in Spain back in 2001, “Runaway: A Road Adventure” would receive its US release in 2003.

“Runaway” revolves around the main character Brian Basco, a physics student who was accepted to the University of California, Berkeley and planning to make his drive from the East Coast to California, but on the day he went to pick up a book at a book store, the shy and nerdy student accidentally hits a woman named Gina Timmins with his car.

As Brian stays with Gina at the hospital and feeling bad of what took place, Gina quickly tells him that her father was killed by the mafia and before he died, he gave her a crucifix.  And now, she needs to know why the mafia is after it and needs Brian’s help as they are trying to kill her.

At first, Brian is not sure to believe in her but just in case, while she rests in her hospital room, he builds a fake person with pillows on the bed next to her (and also switching her medical charts with the fake patient).  While in the bathroom, he hears gunshots and when he goes to check, he realizes that Gina was right.  Someone is trying to kill her and immediately he wakes Gina up and both escape from the hospital.

Meanwhile, the two hitmen from the mafia, Gustav and Feodor find out that Gina was not killed and the mafia begin their chase after Brian and Gina, who now travel throughout the country trying to evade the mafia but also trying to find out the truth of the crucifix.

INSTALLATION:

Since this is an older game, I installed it on a Windows XP laptop and did a full installation.  The 3 CD-rom discs installed quickly but there was a problem.  When I reached chapter 4, there was a source file missing.

After going through the Pendulo folder/Runaway…there are two folders…Resource and Dataa which are missing the chapter 4 files. Looking online, a few people have had this problem but I’m not sure why some people are having this problem but perhaps we had bad CD-rom discs that didn’t work during installation.

But fortunately, the good news is that by going through Disc 2, just copy the Resource.m04 file to the Resource folder and you will also be missing a Dataa 04 file which you copy to the Dataa folder of where your game is installed.

For those not computer related…go to My Computer and open one window that goes to c: drive->Program Files->Pendulo Software->Runaway. You will see several folders including Dataa and Resource.

Now, Bring up your CD/DVD Rom Drive via a second window using My Computer and go to those folders Resource and copy the Resource.m04 file from the CD to the Resource folder on your hard drive (to the other window) and the Dataa.04 (not the exact name but close) to the Dataa folder on your hard drive.

I tested it and it works perfectly. This should fix the problem.

GAMEPLAY

The gameplay was fairly easy.  Click on where you want to go, right click to grab or use the mouse to look at things.  Then you can combine objects that you find in order to solve certain situations. For the most part, the game is easy as there is no button or mouse intensive movements.  So, for those wanting something not so intensive like adventure games on consoles which require precise button movements, need not worry with “Runaway: A Road Adventure”.

Gameplay requires visiting areas and finding certain objects that can be re-used in another area.

If there is anything that hampers gameplay is that there are moments that require quite a bit of backtracking and  for the less patient players, like myself, it does get a bit tedious.  For example, during a scene in the desert at Douglasville, one needed to pour water in a derailed train’s water tank.  That’s fine, but to go from the train back to the area where the water is located takes time and you have to walk back and forth multiple times in order to fill that tank up.  Definitely tedious!

There are easy puzzles and choice selections, but the game doesn’t require one to choose a right choice.  If anything, you can ask all the questions and eventually get an answer without risking anything.

GRAPHICS:

For a game that was created in 2003, while there are expected artifacts for a game that is nearly 10-years-old, still…I enjoy the vibrancy of the colors and painted backgrounds.  Pendulo used a game engine that made the overall game look like a cartoon 2D adventure, but using real-time lighting and shading effects, as well as camera changes and panoramic shots.  I enjoy the overall design and if anything, the game looks good for its age.

AUDIO:

The audio is good, while some people are divided about the voice acting, I felt that the voice acting for Brian and Gina were good at times (some parts felt a bit flat) but overall, the two main characters were good but other characters, they sound a bit goofy but considering the characters that are being portrayed, it works!

The music is pretty cool!  It kind of reminded me of a poppy version of the Cranberries but the performance by Liquor (and composed by David Garcia Morales) is pretty good.  Take note that if you want the soundtrack, it is included with the special collector’s edition of the game.

REPLAY VALUE: 

There are none.  Once you beat the game…time to move on to game #2.

Having waited so long to play “Runaway: A Road Adventure” due to my backlog of games that I play, I have to say that I really enjoyed “Runaway: A Road Adventure”.  It’s a fun, adventure game about two characters wanted by the mafia but there are some situations that I felt were a bit messed up.

For example, Brian and Gina travel to Chicago to museum where his friend works and possibly can help clean and find out information about the crucifix’ whereabouts.  But something tragic happens and it’s quite lame of how the tragedies were forgotten, especially when you are surprised by a twist at the end and if I was Brian, I would have been ticked that these adventures led to innocent people being gunned down.

I suppose that the game does take an amoral perspective when it comes to this but it’s the only part of the game that I felt was ridiculous.  But that’s when you tend to overthink about the game too much of how people should react, knowing that video games unlike cinema don’t usually explore the emotional dilemma of its characters and they tend to move on to the next chapter in the storyline.

Otherwise, the puzzles are quite intriguing and to see how one item can make a difference in another situation (ie. using lipstick and gun powder in a machine gun and the many uses of an MP3 recorder).  Some puzzles may require you to use a walkthrough (I had to use it several times), in order to find out where to go or why certain things are not working.  If there was anything that drove me crazy about this game was the amount of  backtracking that can get a bit tedious but it depends on the player’s patience.

But the game is somewhat focused on the coming-of-age for the character of Brian.  He’s a nerdy guy who eventually changes as the adventures continue and what would you expect when you see this brainiac save the beautiful damsel in distress?  Suffice to say, it’s a banal storyline but who doesn’t love a storyline about an underdog being with a gorgeous sidekick?

While the game has its share of tedious moments, fortunately there are characters and situations that made this game quite enjoyable and fun.  Some may find some puzzles to be difficult and there are moments where you can’t accomplish certain things unless you visit an area first.  So, there are moments where you have to walk from one area, back to another and yes, I emphasize the word “tedious”.

Overall, “Runaway: A Road Adventure” is still a fun, point and click adventure game.  It shouldn’t take one that long to play as the game is not too difficult but for a first game in the “Runaway” series, I enjoyed it and I’m now preparing to play the sequel  “Runaway 2: The Dream of the Turtle”.

RATING: B

 

Q&A with “Pretty Little Liars” actress Janel Parrish (J!-ENT Interviews and articles)

For nearly two seasons on ABC Family’s hit drama series “Pretty Little Liars”, the audience and fans following the show have wondered “who is the mysterious individual known as “A”?  What is this person’s motive?”.

Since the first episode, “A” has been cyber-bulling Aria (played by Lucy Hale), Spencer (played by Troian Bellisario), Hanna (played by Ashley Benson), and Emily (played by Shay Mitchell), four teenagers who carry a mysterious secret about the death of their friend Allison (played by Sasha Pieterse)

Many characters have fit the mold of “A” but it wasn’t until the season two finale when we find out that “A” is Mona Vanderwall (played by actress Janel Parrish, “Bratz” films, “Heroes”, “Triple Dog”), a student who was bullied by Allison.

Needless to say, the season final ended with the explosive reveal but to continue this character even longer, it was also announced that actress Janel Parrish will be back for season three of “Pretty Little Liars”.

Recently, ABC Family held a media Q&A with actress Janel Parrish to discuss her role as A/Mona but also the fan feedback of the season finale.

The following is the media Q&A transcript with Janel:

Moderator   I’m a little worried, but I hope I’m safe from you now that you’re … “A.”

J. Parrish   I promise I’m safe in my apartment and I don’t have my hoodie on right now, so you’re safe.

 

Moderator  Was it a hard transitioning from the bubbly Mona that fans are used to, to the dark twisted Mona that we saw last night in the episode?

J. Parrish     Yes.  That was definitely the most challenging part and also the most fun part was transitioning from this bubbly character that I’ve played for two years to this dark, psychopath character that I’ve never in my life played before.  That’s what made it so appealing was that it was a challenge.  It was fun and I had to just kind of let go of this character that I’ve built for two years and create a new one and just go there.  That’s what was really, really fun.

 

Moderator    You’re doing Spring Awakening in L.A.  Does this mean there will be less Mona in Season 3?

J. Parrish     Definitely not.  I’ve just been made a series regular for Season 3, so it’s very exciting.  You will see more Mona.  I am doing Spring Awakening in my hiatus because we do not start filming Pretty Little Liars until Season 3 starts April 2, so I’ve had time in my break to do a musical, which has been amazing because musicals are actually my first love.

 

Moderator   You’ve  probably had plenty of suspicions that you were “A” just because of the books to begin with, so take us through when you first actually found out that you were going to be making this crazy, kind of awesome transition.

J. Parrish   Well, like you said, I had an idea during the pilot because I read the books, and since I was “A in the books.  I’d asked the producers if I was “A” and they were being very coy and saying that I could be “A” but things could change since we’re not following the books exactly.  I’d always kind of put it in the back of my mind that I could be “A” and I found out officially the week that we were filming the finale.  We got the scripts a week before we started filming it.  I read it and I was super excited.  It was surreal and it was really hard not to tell anyone that I was “A.”

 

Moderator    Has Marlene given you any sort of details about what you’re going to be doing in Season 3 yet that you can share?

J. Parrish   I do know that Season 3 the premiere will take place six months after Maya’s body was found, so it’s the second anniversary of Alison’s death.  Mona will have been in the Radley Sanatorium for the last six months.  She’ll get a mysterious visitor.  You’ll find out more about that and there will just be more answers and connecting the dots.

 

Moderator    The episode kept us jumping from suspect to suspect, but before you found out for sure, was there a moment in the scripts that you became absolutely convinced that you were “A”?  Was a there a moment you always look back on and, “I just have to be ‘A’?”

J. Parrish     I started to suspect that it was me once I started getting texts from “A.”  That does happen in the books and I know that Mona was sending them to herself, so I had a feeling that that’s where they were headed with it.  Like I said, they never confirmed that I was “A” until I got the script, so I was trying not to get my hopes up too high.

 

Moderator  Mona mostly had scenes with Hanna, but these past few episodes you were getting more in with the other girls and Caleb, of course, but as “A” now it just opens up this entire new world for Mona and you both.  Is there anyone in the cast that you haven’t had too many scenes with yet that you’d like to see Mona interact with the upcoming season?

J. Parrish    Interestingly enough, Marlene has said that people will start having scenes with each other that you didn’t even know knew each other, so I’m excited.  I think a lot of people in Rosewood are connected that the viewers don’t know about yet, so we’re going to start to see all of that come to light in Season 3.  I do think I’m going to have some scenes with people I’ve never had scenes with before, which is always fun to work with new people.

 

Moderator    How is the revelation that Mona is “A” going to affect her friendship with Hanna?

J. Parrish   It’s safe to say their friendship is ruined.  I kind of hope to see a showdown.  I think that would be awesome.  If Mona and Hanna meet face-to-face, I think it would be a very interesting interaction so I’m hoping Marlene gives that to me.  It would be fun.

 

Moderator    We learned at the very end of the finale that there might be a “Team A,” so what are we going to learn about “Team A” and Mona’s mysterious visitor in Season 3?

J. Parrish   You will definitely learn about that in Season 3.  I don’t know exactly when.  I know that they’ve started writing the episodes.  I have not seen anything yet.  I’m super excited to see where it’s going, but yes, Season 3 is going to start to get crazy.

 

Moderator   Throughout the series there have been some hints that you were “A.”  Can you tell us what any of those were?

J. Parrish    Definitely.  I think once you look back now that you know who’s “A” you’d definitely find some sly little hints in there.  Definitely the scenes where I’m helping Emily hack into the vice principal’s system to find out that he was bribed definitely shows that Mona had some technical skills that people didn’t know about.  It also shows that she has a little bit of a devious side.

There is a scene where Mona finds out that Jenna is dating Noel and I saw in the script they wanted me to have a moment where I just looked very angry.  I remember it said something like, “Mona is …, and not just in a ‘you stole my boyfriend kind of … off way,’” and that was kind of telling to me that they wanted me to show a different side.  I think, yes, if you go back and watch some of the episodes you’d find some hints.

 

Moderator    Mona has always been pretty harsh with Lucas and last night we saw Lucas maybe has a dark side coming out in him with his meeting Jenna.  Is there any relationship there that we didn’t know about, that we should be expecting next season?

J. Parrish      Yes.  It will be very interesting.  I’m not even entirely certain the answer to that question, but I know that the writers do everything for a reason.  If they show you a glimmer of something it’s for a reason.  Nothing is an accident.

 

Moderator  How are you going to be playing this role differently now that you know that she’s such a sinister character?

J. Parrish    Well, I think that kind of depends on what the writers give me because I’m not sure where they’re going to take this.  I kind of need to get the script and see how I prepare, but I know when I did get the script for the finale it was totally different.  My whole mindset of how to play the character was completely changed.

It’s really just, like I said earlier, letting go of everything that I’ve created for this character for two years.  Everything that I’ve built upon for this character doesn’t really matter anymore.  Unless there are flashbacks of me as that Mona, I’m now creating a new character.  It’s really exciting and I’m excited to see where it goes.

 

Moderator   As more of a person and less of an actor, do you feel different toward her now that you know that she’s kind of a bully?

J. Parrish  Yes, kind of.  I think that there is a lot more going on that hasn’t been told yet.  I think we’re going to find more about her motives.  I don’t think we know the whole story yet, so I’m excited to find out more about it.

 

Moderator   Congratulations, you’re a series regular for Series 3 and I’m assuming that means that you’re not going to be stuck in that Radley Sanatorium the whole time.  Where do you want to see Mona go?  Do you want to just see her completely unhinged in Series 3 or seeking redemption?  How would you like that to play out?

J. Parrish    I’d love to see her seek redemption.  I’d love it if she could just break out and go crazy and wreak some havoc on Rosewood, but I can honestly tell you I have no idea where it’s going to go.  That would be my choice.

 

Moderator   We found Maya’s body at the end of the episode.  Do you know if “A” was involved in that murder in any way?  Was she texting Emily all along like with Melissa and Ian

J. Parrish  I think all of those things will definitely be revealed in Season 3, but like I said, nothing is unconnected in Rosewood.  It’s a creepy little town.  There are creepy little people in it, so I wouldn’t be surprised if everything is connected in some way.  I just don’t’ know to what extent yet.

 

Moderator   You talk about how Pretty Little Liars is so good at having subtle little details in each episode like the blonde in the red dress from the finale last night.  Can you talk about how it affects the storyline as whole?

J. Parrish  I think it definitely keeps people guessing and suspecting everyone in the show, which is fun.  It keeps people tuning in to find out what’s happening and I think once the pieces are put together it’s that much more fulfilling because people say, “Oh, I remember when in this episode this happened and that happened.  Now it makes sense,” and then it’s rewarding when you have the answers.

 

Moderator  Mona is one of the most complex characters on the show because her screen time is more limited.  How do you feel that parameter helped her keep up the facade of being “A”?

J. Parrish   I think it was very effective because the fact that I wasn’t always everywhere, I wasn’t readily in the public eye, people can’t say, “Oh, it must be Mona.  She’s always around.”  They’re very smart with the way that they had my character kind of pop in and out every now and then and make an appearance and leave and then kind of start to build upon my character at the end showing me working my way into the group of girls before the big reveal.  I think the writers have been really, really smart with that.

 

Moderator    How hard was it to keep it a secret that you were “A” once you found out?

J. Parrish    It was so hard.  I had such an amazing time filming the finale and I just wanted to be able to tell everyone about it.  Torrey and I got to do stunts.  It was amazing.  I got to be creepy in a mental hospital and I just wanted to tell everyone, but it was really rewarding that I didn’t tell everyone because last night when people got to see it they were very, very excited.

 

Moderator   If Pretty Little Liars were to have a crossover with another show, which show would you like “A” to wreak havoc on?

J. Parrish    Revenge.  I love that show so much.

 

Moderator Are you surprised that the TV show followed the book so closely and do you think that people who are watching it are surprised that it was Mona in the end?

J. Parrish  I am not surprised that we did follow the books in that way.  I like the way they did it because it is such a big part of the books that Mona is “A” that I think fans probably would have been upset if they would have changed that, but I think that the way they revealed it went a little different than the books.  Obviously, I didn’t die like I did in the books.  I survived and they’re taking it in another direction.  I think it’s actually great because the book fans get what they have been hoping for and been wanting and expecting, but they get a little bit more of a twist to keep them excited.

 

Moderator    Since we were just talking about fan feedback, how has the fan feedback been since you were revealed?  Have you been on Twitter and seeing what people are saying?

J. Parrish   Yes.  I’ve been on Twitter.  It’s crazy.  A lot of it has been great.  People are very excited that I’m “A” and they want to see where it goes.  A lot of them said that they knew.  A lot of them were shocked.

Some of them I guess feel a little disappointed because I guess they were under the impression that it would be different from the books, but really we’ve never said that “A” would be different from the books.  We said that the reveal would be different and it kind of was.  It didn’t happen exactly the way it went in the books.  They will have nothing to worry about because there will be a lot more surprises coming their way.

 

Moderator   Now that you know for sure that Mona was “A,” are there any scenes looking back you wish you’d have played differently or that maybe you would play differently now that you know the truth?

J. Parrish    Interestingly enough, I did go to Marlene King at one point and she gave me a scene.  I went up to her and I said, “Is there a certain way you want me to play this because you haven’t really told me 100% that I am “A” yet?  I don’t know if you want me to play these scenes differently or if you want me to keep doing what I’m doing.  What do you need from me to make your big plan work?”  She just said, “Keep doing what you’re doing.  We’re giving you these scenes for a reason.  Do your thing.  We love all your instincts and everything will make sense in the end.”  It was kind of nice because I feel like I never really had to worry about it.  I just did the material the way they gave it to me and let them kind of guide me.

 

Moderator  When you read the part of the script a week before shooting where Mona falls off of the cliff you said you were very excited to find out that you were going to be “A,” but was your excitement ever dampened?  That brief moment where you see she falls off a cliff did you think, “Oh, well they just killed me off?”

J. Parrish     Absolutely.  Definitely, especially because in the books that’s what happens is I pull the car over, Spence and I get into a fight, and she pushes me and I fall off a cliff and I die.  When I read that my heart definitely stopped for a second and I thought, “Oh, great, this is my last episode of Pretty Little Liars,” until I found out that they saved my life and kept me in the show.  I’m just so grateful to still be a part of it.

 

Moderator  Have you ever seen Twin Peaks?

J. Parrish    I love Twin Peaks and yes, absolutely I see the correlation.  I definitely think that Pretty Little Liars is like a modern slightly less creepy version of Twin Peaks and it’s great.  It’s a small town.  The queen bee dies.  Everyone’s a suspect.  Everyone has a secret, so I actually love that.

 

Moderator How did the rest of the cast react when you guys all found that out?

J. Parrish    Differently.  Some of them were very shocked.  Some of them had suspicions from the beginning.  Overall, everyone was just extremely excited.  It was the most intense episode we’ve ever had and everyone felt the excitement, even in the table read room.  It was very exciting.

 

Moderator  At the end we see Mona talking to the girl in the red coat.  Does that mean that we can expect more than one “A,” especially since you talked about “Team A?”  Is the black swan involved somehow?

J. Parrish   Yes.  You’re definitely going to see connections between everyone and I think Season 3 will focus more upon that.

 

Moderator   How did you get involved with doing musicals and acting?

J. Parrish   I started out when I was six I did the touring company of Les Miserables and went to Broadway with that.  That was my first love immediately and then back home in Hawaii I did musical theater until I moved here when I was 14 and then started getting into TV and film.  It’s really exciting to go back to musical theater after all this time.

 

Moderator   Do you have a favorite moment from filming, whether it be behind the scenes or something you were doing that they might be interested in knowing?

J. Parrish   My favorite scene is definitely when Spencer and I grapple because we had just so much fun doing those stunts together.  We definitely had a couple giggles before the cameras got on us so it was super fun and then falling off the hill that was fun.  They put pads down and I was kind of scared every time, but it was super fun.

 

Moderator   In a way, PLL is about mean girl politics gone to the extremes.  Have you had any personal experiences with mean girls?

J. Parrish    Oh, definitely.  I live in Los Angeles and I’m in the entertainment business.  I think every girl, especially like high schoolers, can really relate to the show because you have to deal with people bullying you and making you feel bad about yourself every day.  You just have to have confidence in yourself and be strong.  I think young girls can definitely relate to the show.

 

Moderator   I saw on Twitter that Pretty Little Liars was trending eight times all over the world so that was great to see.  How did Mona know about Aria and Ezra?  I don’t think we quite find out how she got all the information.

J. Parrish     Yes.  I think a lot of those questions will definitely be answered in Season 3.  I don’t even know 100% how Mona gets everything.  She definitely mentioned an “A Team” so that’s a possibility and you know she also had Alison’s diary.  That’s how she knew about a lot of past things, but as far as a lot of the present things they did mention that Hanna’s phone was set to record every time it would turn on so obviously she can hear what’s going on.  As far as everything else, she may have help and we find more about that in Season 3.

 

Moderator    If you could choose the character that you would like to see Mona just lose her mind on next season who would you choose to take the biggest revenge on?

J. Parrish   Oh, man, probably Hanna just because I feel like she’s the easiest target and she’s the most vulnerable right now.  I would love to see a cat fight.

 

Moderator   What do you think the chances are that we might see a Pretty Little Liars musical episode?

J. Parrish    That would be fantastic.  Man, I would love that.

 

Moderator   You should talk to Marlene and make that happen.

J. Parrish   I would love that, yes, because a lot of us do sing so that would be fantastic.

 

Moderator   Marlene King tweeted today that Mona did all the things that “A” did, except for two things.  I was wondering had she told you this before.

J. Parrish    No.  I actually read that today too and was kind of surprised because I don’t really know what she means yet.

 

Moderator   Which things do you kind of hope you didn’t do?  If you had to sort of guess what were the two worst things that “A” did that you were cringing at and hoping, “I hope Mona didn’t do this?”  Like the creepy massage, poor Emily got that creepy massage and there are some really disturbing things that “A” did.

J. Parrish    I don’t think I did the creepy massage because I was with Ken at the horse stable so that’s probably one of them.  Maybe setting the fire on Jenna.  I would like to think someone else other than her doing that, but I’m not sure.

 

Moderator   Do you have any favorite “A” moments and did any of those change now that you know it was Mona?

J. Parrish   Favorite “A” moments?  It’s hard.  I’m trying to remember all of them, so creepy.  I love when “A” sends an exterminator to their house and says that there is some type of infestation in Hanna’s basement because Caleb’s living there.  I love that.  “A” has done some creepy stuff.

 

Moderator   It’s awesome that you are “A,” but if you had to pick one other person for it to have been instead, who were you kind of hoping if it wasn’t you?

J. Parrish    My first suspect before I knew it was me was probably Jenna.  She would make a creepy “A.”

 

Moderator      There have been rumors floating around that there possibly could be a PLL movie.  Do you have any information concerning that?

J. Parrish     I heard whispers about that too but I don’t know for sure.  If there is, I would love to be in it.

 

Moderator  Do you have to get into different mindsets when playing Mona and “A?”

J. Parrish    Absolutely.  It was funny Marlene one of the first things she said to me when I was getting ready to do my first scene as “A” was, “Make sure you don’t do your sing song talk voice that you do for Mona.”  I had to make sure that I completely changed my vocal inflection, which is hard for me because I kind of sing song everything anyway.

It was different getting into a different mindset and I actually go to play three different characters in the finale – the dorky Mona, popular Mona, and crazy Mona.  Kind of like an actor’s dream.  It was really fun.  It was like a workshop for me.

 

Moderator     The cashmere sweater clue just before Spencer figured out it was you, how fun was that to set up in the show?

J. Parrish      It was really, really fun because all the clues just came to a head at that one point.  We had a blast filming that.

 

Moderator  What has been the most challenging thing for you filming the show so far, other than keeping “A” a secret?

J. Parrish    The most challenging thing probably just playing such a complex character with different levels.  I didn’t want to make her just the stereotypical bubble gum mean girl.  I wanted to give her more layers and give her a reason for why she was the way that she was.

 

Moderator    If Mona or “A” was ever to get a love interest, who of the current guys would you like to see her with?

J. Parrish   Since I’ve been asked this before, I’m going to use the same answer.  The new guy Duncan is really cute.

 

Moderator   If Mona were to get with another girl on the show, who would you want her to get with?

J. Parrish   Come on, Emily.  She’s hot.

 

Moderator    Your transformation last night happened when you put on that hoodie.  Is that how you’re going to prepare going forward to just transform yourself into this Voldemort-type character by putting on the hoodie?

J. Parrish    That would be cool.  If they have it there for me every time it would be a good preparation choice definitely.  No, but it was really cool the first time I put the hoodie on and I looked at myself in the mirror and it was like this is going to be really creepy and weird.

 

“Pretty Little Liars” airs on ABC Family Mondays 8/7c

 

Q&A with Sean Berdy of ABC Family’s “Switched at Birth” (J!-ENT Interviews and Articles)

Actor Sean Berdy has come along way since starring in the movie “The Sandlot 2″ (2005).

Having appeared on films such as “The Bondage”, “The Legend of the Mountain Men” and “The Deaf Family”, Berdy was cast to play Emmett Bledsoe, the deaf best friend of one of the main characters of the series, Daphne Vasquez,  on the hit ABC Family drama series “Switched at Birth”.

“Switched at Birth” is a drama series which revolves around two teenagers and their family.

Bay Kennish (played by Vanessa Marano) is a feisty teenager who loves art and comes from a wealthy family.  While, Daphne Vasquez (played by Katie Leclerc) was raised in a not-so-rich family and raised by a single mother.  Daphne lost her hearing when she was a young girl.

One day, Bay was curious of why she doesn’t look anything like her mother and father and asks if they can take a blood test.  The parents agree to it and it was revealed that the hospital accidentally switched the babies at birth between the Kennish and Vasquez family.

Now, s both families try to initiate a relationship with each other, both families try to get to know their birth daughters and eventually the Vasquez family move into the rear house owned by the Kennish family.    As for the two teens, both Bay and Daphne try to develop a relationship as friends.

And while it looks as everything is going smooth and cool between the two, Daphne unknowingly has a relationship with Bay’s ex-boyfriend. Meanwhile, Bay starts to take a liking towards Daphne’s best friend Emmett (which Daphne is unaware of).

But as Bay convinces Daphne to break off her relationship with her ex (because it’s not right), Daphne realizes that she is interested in her best friend Emmett, but finds out that Bay is now in a relationship with him.  Needless to say, tensions start to rise because of this and it sets up the storyline for seasons two of “Switched at Birth”.

Recently, ABC Family held a media Q&A session with actor Sean Berdy as the young actor talked about playing a deaf character on “Switched and Birth” and his passion for music. Here is a transcript from the Q&A session.

Moderator  How has being on Switched at Birth changed you? Now you’re pretty well known.

S. Berdy Well, being on Switched at Birth is a great honor because the show portrays authentic deaf characters, not the characters that we in the Deaf community have often seen in television. I’m born into the Deaf community, but raised in the hearing community as well; and, I think this show is unique in showing authentic deaf characters and authentic deaf perspectives from deaf characters. So, I think that is amazing and an honor to be a part of. The two girls on the show, Vanessa and Katie, they’re wonderful, aren’t they? I love them.

 

Moderator  Have you felt like you’ve changed at all, though, from your newfound fame?

S. Berdy  No, I don’t feel that I’ve changed. I do feel that being successful in portraying a deaf character as realistically as a deaf person lives today is something that I’ve always wanted to do; and, I’m thrilled to be able to do it. But, it hasn’t changed me. I wouldn’t be well known if it wasn’t for the fans. But, certainly they wouldn’t love me if I changed and I’m always going to be Sean Berdy and love to perform and give that to the audience; and, that will never change.

 

Moderator  What do you think it is about Switched at Birth that really resonates with fans?

S. Berdy  Well, Switched at Birth has so many different audiences that it attracts. First of all, there are so many great story lines. The plot lines are wonderful, what a diverse cast, what a great cast. There’s diversity within the plot lines and within the characters within the plot line. You have so many contrasts.

You have the rich family, the poor family, you have the Anglo perspective, the Latina perspective, you have the hearing, you have the deaf. You have different cultures being portrayed sometimes in the same scene, two and three different cultures being portrayed in one scene; and, no other show portrays characters in a mix like that. I can see that Switched at Birth is attracting audiences because of the diversity and the American Sign Language as well. American Sign Language is such a beautiful language and people want more of that.

 

Moderator  What was it about your character that made you want to play it in the first place?

S. Berdy  A lot of people ask me that question, and you know I love to talk about this character. Wow! The character that I play, Emmett, he’s the deaf James Dean. I mean the writers came up with this character that, you know, blows peoples’ minds. You would never think of a deaf James Dean. I mean everybody knows the iconic version of James Dean.

But, to see a deaf version of that and how often to be allowed to portray a character like that; it’s a different character in that he represents, you know, the true Deaf perspective. Yet, he’s so in touch with the hearing world. He has a sarcastic point of view, surely; but, the sweet side of him balances it out. I mean he’s very serious, unlike me.

Individually, I’m a very funny guy, outgoing and kind of goofy, you know, twittering all the time; and, Iwould tell you he’s the opposite. He’s ice cold and cool, and how wonderful to portray a character like that. What a magical character he is for the audience out there.

 

Moderator  What do you find is your biggest challenge in bringing this character to life on screen?

S. Berdy  There are many types of challenges in life, of course. But, one challenge towards approaching this character is speaking, the idea of should Emmett speak or not. I, Sean Berdy, speak pretty well, not perfectly; but, I grew up using my voice.

Now, when it comes to the TV screen and having Emmett speak, I have to rehearse to make sure his lines are understandable and so forth. That’s a challenge because I’m not a perfect speaker by any means. But, to make sure Emmett’s voice is understood on the television show is something that I’ve worked very hard at, you know. We worked very closely in terms of the writers and the producers to make sure that Emmett speaks for a reason and that it’s still authentic and that he’s true to his character and that the audience would see that.

 

Moderator  What is the biggest difference is between you, Sean Berdy, and your character, Emmett.

S. Berdy  As I mentioned a little bit, Emmett Bledsoe is a very, very deep thinker and he thinks that he knows everything about the world; how the deaf world works, how the hearing world works toward the deaf people. He’s very passionate in terms of his art, his passion for photography and so forth. He is maybe not so in touch with everybody else and their feelings, but he’s very introspective. He’s the James Dean of the Deaf community.

That’s very different than Sean Berdy. Sean Berdy is dancing in front of the mirror at age two for his parents, making his parents crazy running around the house singing and dancing and jumping around and joking. I’m a comedienne in real life. I’m always goofing around; I’m outgoing and I talk with everybody, especially through Twitter these days. But, Emmett? Wow! He’s very limited in the people he chooses to share himself with.

 

Moderator  If it were up to you, what sort of adventure would you want Emmett to have this season or even next season?

S. Berdy  I would love to see a big concert, have Guitar Face play a huge concert and become a hot band; and, there’s Emmett Bledsoe playing drums, the deaf drummer for this big rock band. That would be wonderful. I’m going to have to talk with the writers and try and tell them to take Guitar Face on the road. We’ll see about that one.

I have to tell you, I’ve been practicing drums a lot. I grew up playing drums a bit when I was a kid, and then I stopped. When I came on to this show, they asked me to play drums. I said okay, I’m back. I rehearsed for the one episode, the first episode we did where I just played a song. I rehearsed every day for a week.

When we came out to shoot it, I realized after I saw it, when it was edited down it was down to just a few seconds of TV time. But, I’ll tell you what—I never put more work into 30 seconds of screen time than I did working on the drums. But, I’ve been playing the drums and I’m ready for Guitar Face to rock the crowd. So, I would love to see us in a big arena somewhere. That would be cool.

 

Moderator  How young you were when you started playing the drums; and, are there any other musical instruments you play?

S. Berdy   Sure, you know I love to talk about the drums and music. I started playing drums when I was probably six and played a lot until I was about ten or eleven years old. So, I guess five or six years where I played. I had a drum set at home and I would just bang on it. I’d even go on the Internet and study basic beats and so forth. During my teenage years, I stopped playing, but when I got on the show, they asked me to play and I was ready for it.

People ask me how do you play. Do you just feel the vibrations? You know, deaf people have a variety of ways that they can feel the rhythm. Obviously, I feel the beat, but I use my hearing aids; hearing aids that I’ve worn since the day I was born, truthfully. I grew up using hearing aids and I had speech therapy and so forth, and that helped me to develop a passion for music and helped me to develop my drumming talents. To be honest, without my hearing aids, I wouldn’t be able to play the drums. But, I don’t play any other music instruments.

I do love to interpret songs in American Sign Language. You know I just did a version of Hero by Enrique Iglesias that I put out on YouTube and it’s had thousands of hits already. I think that people are just transfixed when they see a song rendered in American Sign Language. I’m going to perform that song, actually, at Downtown Disney’s event, SIGNin’ in the Street March 17 and 18. I hope everyone can come out and see the event and you’ll get to see Sean Berdy signing live.

 

Moderator  What was one of your favorite episodes so far of the show?

S. Berdy  I would say for an episode, I would probably say the tenth episode when Emmett spoke, “I just want you” to Bay. That was such a big moment, and such a breakthrough moment for Emmett, a heartfelt moment. The audience loved it and that’s why I love that episode. I mean, who doesn’t love that romantic scene, right?

 

Moderator  Well, you just brought up your event at Disneyland. I was actually wondering if you could talk a little bit more about what you and the rest of the Switched at Birth cast will be doing when you’re down there.

S. Berdy  The event, SIGNin’ in the Street, is in Downtown Disney, March 17 and 18. That’s a Saturday and a Sunday; a huge event that includes many, many different performers, deaf and hearing. Kickoff event is March 17 at 1:00 p.m. Fans can come out and see the cast, Switched at Birth, for a Q&A, autograph signings, very cool interactions with the fans. Also, guest star Marlee Matlin will be there. She obviously plays my mother, Melody on the show.

They’re also screening two episodes, episodes 21 and 22, as I call them. They’ll be at the theater there. Go out and see that; and, you can get a sneak preview of 22, actually, and there’s a lot of drama that in so-called final episode.

They’re also giving out things at their tent. I’ll be performing Hero in American Sign Language both nights, which I’m thrilled about. You know performing live in front of an audience like that is wonderful. You can find out more information online, I’m sure. Google Downtown Disney; SIGNin’ in the Street is the name of the event; and, I’m looking forward to seeing all you people out there.

 

Moderator  How did you settle on Hero as the song that you’ll be performing?

S. Berdy  Why did I decide to perform that live, or why did I decide to make the video that I put up on YouTube?

 

Moderator   Why did you decide to use that song specifically for the video and the live performance?

S. Berdy   Oh, okay. I’ll tell you why. A lot of people have asked me that same question and why did I pick that same song. I mean, first of all that song is world famous and extremely popular because I think the lyrics are so concise and so powerful and so direct.

I thought why don’t I just add American Sign Language to this beautiful message and make it as concise and as heartfelt in my language. So, I worked very carefully on translating the song, as simple as it is, as beautiful as it is to find an authentic translation. That song worked for me at that time. I may have new songs that I translate in the future. Who knows?

 

Moderator   It seems like Emmett right now has two reasons to be mad at Bay. Obviously, she’s been communicating with Ty and also now that we’ve learned more that he wants to try to testify in the custody case; so, without Bay as the kind of “turn to” Emmett has leaning on her for support, where does Emmett turn now, now that he’s going through so much and he might need a little bit of friendship?

S. Berdy   Emmett has always been very strong-willed. He is often, especially at the beginning of the series, you could see he just thought about himself. He was hurt that she couldn’t have Daphne after all those years of her pining away for her. He’s very introspective and self-sufficient; and, I think truthfully he’s going to rely on himself to get through the fallout from his parents’ divorce and what’s happening with him and Bay.

Who knows if that’s going to be enough to get him through this time? This is a tough time; but, I don’t think he’s going to go anywhere for support that he doesn’t think he can handle already. But, Emmett’s going through a tough time right now, that’s true.

 

Moderator   How do you feel about the way the Deaf community is portrayed on Switched at Birth?

S. Berdy   Well, again, I was born in both worlds, the hearing world and the deaf world, and raised in both worlds; and, I’ve seen so many, and I know so many people that are in both communities. I’ve never seen an authentic portrayal about how deaf and hearing people get along in TV in my life until this show. When I came out here to audition, I read the script – the pilot script – and I knew right away it was well written; and, that’s because they, the producers, Lizzie have worked with ASL consultants. They had talked with deaf people before creating this show.

The Deaf community is rallying behind this show. This show is for them. They see authentic deaf people in the show being portrayed as they live and breathe, and that is a thrill for the Deaf community. They feel very fortunate to have this show and I feel extremely honored to be a part of this show for that reason.

 

Moderator  Is this the first time on television you have used your speaking voice; and, how did that make you feel?

S. Berdy  Speaking voice, well, let me think back on things I’ve done. Actually, this is the first time I’ve used my voice on television. How did I feel about it? It wasn’t hard. It felt nice to be doing something that was different. For me, I’m always signing. That’s my native language. For me to speak on TV was a thrill. It was like another actor being able to use a different language on TV. That’s a different part of Emmett and it was great to show that side of Emmett. That was awesome! I was cool with it, really.

 

Moderator  You do a comedy routine – How did you get into that and what are some of your favorite topics in comedy?

S. Berdy  Interesting question. I started out as a comedian. When I was in diapers, I’ve always been fooling around the house joking with my parents. It’s just a part of who I am. It’s a part of the Deaf community—humor is a big part of how deaf people get through the day.

When I’m working on sad/Switched at Birth/Emmett, there’s no comedy there. So, you know to balance it out when I get home, I work on the Sean Berdy Show; and, that’s something truthfully that right now is mostly geared towards the Deaf community. But, I am going to work on making the show accessible to hearing audiences or making it more accessible.

I love just goofing off around the house and making my family and my girlfriend laugh. I don’t know if you follow me on Twitter, but I’m always uploading funny pictures and making comments; and, that’s really who I am. That’s where I come from.

 

Moderator  On the show, there’s a movie, Deafenstein, that Emmett and Daphne are a big fan of. I was just wondering if there were any Deaf movies that you really love that you can share.

S. Berdy   Deaf movies? Well, I guess there are several movies. At Downtown Disney, they’re showing The Hammer, at SIGNin’ in the Street. It’s directed and produced by hearing people, but it’s about a deaf person. There’s a deaf entertainers’ documentary called See What I’m Saying that’s also being shown at that event. There are many deaf movies out there, but these are two that are out right now.

 

Moderator  You have inspired a lot of people to want to learn sign language. What advice would you give someone who wants to learn ASL and how would they get started?

S. Berdy  I would love to give a little bit of advice because I have so many friends who are professors at universities and colleges all across the country who teach ASL classes. I’d strongly encourage anyone to look up their local university or college and see what ASL classes they provide. Usually, you start with ASL I and work your way up to ASL IV. Anytime you can interact with deaf people or the Deaf community, I would strongly encourage doing that.

I have seen an up swell of students in the ASL classes around the country and in my professor and educator friends out there are telling me it’s partially because of the show. So, that’s a thrill.

 

Moderator  Yes, it’s awesome. I myself I want to start taking classes.

S. Berdy  Great. Then, take my advice and go to the local school. It’s not that expensive, really. You pay a few bucks, you have a few classes and it’s fun. They workshop every day and you work with the other students and working with the different signs and how they’re created; different hand shapes and what they mean. They call them classifiers. It’d be great to learn all of that.

 

Moderator  I saw the video on line where you perform The Way You Make Me Feel by Michael Jackson, and it was amazing.

S. Berdy  Oh, yes. I was very disappointed the way that YouTube blocked that video because of copyright licensing reasons I guess. I guess I’m going to have to figure out how to get that back on because that was fun, you know; live stage performance of that song in 2010, I believe.

 

Moderator  It was amazing, yes.

S. Berdy  Outside the Indianapolis Museum of Art, yes we did that.

 

Moderator Other than Michael Jackson, what other artists or musicians are you a big fan of?

S. Berdy I’m not a huge fan of any musicians, but I am a huge fan of Michael Jackson, obviously. I do love pop music. I turn up the radio in my car as loud as it goes and really, I’m just a fan of pop music in general.

 

Moderator You and Bay are in a relationship on the show. What would it take for a relationship between a deaf person and a hearing person to work out?

S. Berdy  Well, a hearing and deaf relationship always starts out with a communication barrier and that’s often difficult to overcome. But, Bay’s learning sign language. She’s a great signer. Emmett reads lips very well and works with her. So, it takes a common language to communicate with, and that’s usually what deaf and hearing couples are faced with. Once they develop that common language like Bay and Emmett have, they can have a serious relationship.

Now, we’re going to see whether the wonderful relationship between Bay and Emmett, whether that wonderful relationship they’ve built up is going to be destroyed because of what Emmett’s going through with his parents and the divorce, and all the drama that’s coming up in the next two episodes. Quite frankly, we’re going to have to watch and see if their love can stand this.

 

Moderator What type of girl would you be attracted to, either hearing or deaf?

S. Berdy Well, I’m attracted to my girlfriend right now. I love her very much and she is deaf.

 

Moderator Is there a particular project that you would like to do either on TV or a movie?

S. Berdy Yes, I am looking forward to being involved in television and film in the future, absolutely. To play a deaf character on television and film is something that I will always want to do. Right now, I’m committed to doing that on Switched at Birth; and, all my time is devoted to working on Switched at Birth.

I am on hiatus right now, and I am working on personal projects, music videos and such that I like to do. We’re also a big part of the SIGNin’ in the Street event at Disneyland March 17 and 18. But, I’ve been just looking forward to being blessed with more opportunities to play deaf characters on TV and film. I love doing that now for Switched at Birth.

 

Moderator Is there a particular actor or actress that you would like to see either on the show or maybe work with them on a project?

S. Berdy  Oh, of course! Jim Carrey. I mean, he’s my big idol. I love him to death actually. He’s just the best. One of my favorite movies is Ace Ventura When Nature Calls. That’s so funny, and being a comedienne myself, I love him. I would love to act with him someday. That’s my biggest dream, truthfully. Hopefully, that’ll happen someday.

 

Moderator  Why was it so important for you to be able to join Twitter and communicate with your fans.

S. Berdy  I love communicating with my fans because they’re the ones who support our show. They’re the ones who’ve given us the ratings and keep us on the air. So, why would I not want to communicate with them?

I love talking with the fans, hanging out with them online because the fans are the most important people to our show and to lots of performers. They support that they’ve given us is outstanding. And, I like to just give them some funny tweets back. We have fun on line.

 

Moderator What would you like to say to everyone who is a fan and supporter of you and your work?

S. Berdy  I would just to say thanks for watching the show; absolutely keep watching. I love you all. Keep watching; there’re a lot of dramatic moments coming up in the next few episodes. It’s going to be exciting. I can tell you that.

 

Moderator  Can you tell us a little bit about the audition process for the role of Emmett?

S. Berdy   I love sharing this story. Actually, I had an agent and everything. I’d been in the business and had done a couple of things. But, it just so happened my dad found it, an open posting on Facebook for Emmett Bledsoe.

He sent it to me and I was like, wow, you found this on Facebook? He goes, yeah, yeah, yeah! Call them; check it out. I said, after taking a look at it, I videotaped myself and sent it in. I believe I was out of town and not close enough to walk in. But, I e-mailed something in, a little video. Just a couple of hours later, they called me, said they were interested and they flew me out. It all happened rather quickly. I did change a few appointments to jump on a plane, fly out here, meet the writers and the producer; the creator, Lizzie Weiss; executive producer, Paul Stupin. Came into a room, introduced myself and met everyone.

They’re great people; lovely. We hit it off right away. I had the interpreter there working with us. They asked me a bunch of questions about where I came from, how I was raised and everything. They asked me what do you think about the script.

By that time, I had read the pilot and I said it’s extremely well written; I wish you all the best of luck. I gave them all my love and support and we all walked off with good feelings. About three weeks later, they contacted me; said they were interested in me for the role, and I’ve been out here ever since.

 

Moderator Are there any other projects you have coming up that you could share with us?

S. Berdy Well, I have mentioned the SIGNin’ in the Street event that Switched at Birth is such a big part of at Downtown Disney. We are on hiatus right now, and I’m trying to just take care of my business. I’ve been so busy for the last year with this show. But, I can share one cool thing.

The upcoming episode on March 13th, I believe, it shows a deaf movie that’s featured within the episode of Switched at Birth. You have to watch how the kids made their own movie; and, the episode revolves around all the adventures they have making the movie. You’ve got to watch that episode; and all the rest of the episodes coming up before the break.

 

Moderator Is there an actor or actress that inspired you, a deaf actress I should say, that inspired you to get into acting?

S. Berdy It’s funny that I never really had any deaf inspiration. I’ve always admired Marlee Matlin, and what a great woman, what a great heart, what a wonderful actress. I’ve always looked up to her. As a person, she is inspiring. But, as a kid performing, I looked up over to performers who inspired me like Jim Carrey, oddly enough. His is one of the big inspirations in my young life, and he still is.

 

“Switched at Birth” airs on ABC Family, Tuesdays 8/7C

Images courtesy of ABC Family

 

Pray for Japan (a J!-ENT Movie Review by Dennis A. Amith)

 ”Pray for Japan” is about moving forward from tragedy. It’s about the people who lost their homes, their jobs and those who lost family members and their friends but yet are determined to rebuild, to keep living and doing all they can to bring normalcy into their lives once again.  Full of inspiration and hope, Stuart Levy’s “Pray for Japan” is a documentary that is highly recommended!

Pray for Japan

Directed by Stuart J. Levy

Poetry Written by Ryoichi Wago

Produced by Stuart J. Levy

Music by Shinya Mizoguchi

Cinematography by Stuart J. Levy

Edited by Emiko Kagawa, Susumu Kimura, Nobuo Mita, Noriko Miyakawa

Featuring:

Kyoka Suzuki (Poetry Reader)

Hiryoki Abe

Najeeb Ullah Ayaz

Shu Chiba

Manabu Endo

Kento Ito

Shuki Ito

Tsukasa Kurosawa

Mitsunori Monma

Anees Ahmad Nadeem

Hideo Otsuki

Junichi Sato

Chieko Seto

Yoshiaki Shoji

Seiji Yoshimura

On March 11, 2011, Japan’s Tohoku coastal region was destroyed by a 9.0 magnitude earthquake and devastating tsunami that followed.  PRAY FOR JAPAN takes place in the devastated region of Ishinomaki, Miyagi – the largest coastal city in Tohoku with a population of over 160,000 people. Filmmaker Stu Levy – an American living in Japan – filmed the tsunami aftermath during his trips to Tohoku as a volunteer and over a period of 6 weeks, captured over 50 hours of footage.

PRAY FOR JAPAN focuses on four key perspectives of the tragedy – School, Shelter, Family, and Volunteers. With each perspective we meet victims who faced significant obstacles and fought to overcome them. Through these four vantage points, the audience is able to understand the vast ramifications of this large-scale natural disaster – and the battle these real-life heroes fought on behalf of their loved ones and their hometown.

Losing loved ones cuts emotional scars which run deep.

We can help heal these wounds by paying tribute to the amazing resilience and quiet spirit of the many victims and volunteers of Tohoku. By letting them know we admire and respect them, we encourage them to continue the good fight – at a time when even the strongest warriors would grow weary. We also gain insight into how our own inner strength can help us if we ever find ourselves in a life-threatening situation.

We can all learn from these incredible heroes!

On March 11, 2011, a magnitude 9.0 earthquake hit the coast of Japan and was one of the top 5 most powerful earthquakes ever recorded.

The earthquake triggered a powerful tsunami with waves reaching as high as 135 ft. and triggered a level 7 nuclear meltdown.  The Japanese National Police Agency confirmed the deaths of 15,850 people and 3,287 remain missing.

The day of the tragedy in Japan, Stuart J. Levy posted on his Facebook account about the huge earthquake he felt in Tokyo and how the entire place was shaking.  Many people would follow his Facebook account to see what was the status in Japan, it also helped that among the well-known people in Japan that can communicate in English, Levy’s Facebook page was followed by many.

But who is Stuart Levy?

Stuart Levy was best known as the founder and CEO of the media company Tokyo Pop.  Known for providing manga (Japanese comic books), anime (Japanese animation) to the United States, his shows that were broadcast on the Cartoon Network, Showtime and G4 and were also released on DVD.

Levy is also known for writing manga graphic novels and children’s books, composing music for Tokyo Pop projects and also distributing programming through the web and via mobile.  But he is name is well-known as being one of the people who was instrumental in bringing Japanese pop culture to America.

On March 16th, five days after the “Great Tohoku Earthquake”, Stu would post a message on Facebook that he would be heading up to Sendai to bring rice, gasoline and supplies in order to provide aid to the earthquake victims.  Levy, is a volunteer for the non-profit organization, JEN (Japan Emergency Network).  JEN was among the first to reach the region after the earthquake and tsunami hit.

In two days of spending time in Sendai, Levy posted photos and video images on his Facebook account of the devastation. And when returned back to Tokyo, he wrote about how he was inspired by the victims that he met at the emergency shelters and you can tell through his messages that he was deeply affected by what he had seen from the Japanese victims and also the volunteers in the area.  He saw the vitality and hope of the Japanese people and it was enough for him to want to document what he saw and share it with a larger audience.

Continuing his volunteer efforts for JEN, Levy took his Canon 5D and along with supplies, he returned to the Tohoku region on April 2nd, where he would capture the volunteer and rebuilding effort of the Japanese people and by April 6th, nearly a month after the earthquake and tsunami disaster, Levy would capture these inspiring footage of the Japanese people and also volunteers from all over the world, coming together and helping in whatever way they can.

This footage would become Levy’s latest film project known as “Pray for Japan”, a project that would take 6 weeks and Levy capturing over 50 hours of footage.

It was important for Levy to let people know that although time has past since the earthquake and tsunami disaster, 90,000 people still live in shelters with 650,000 people having lost their livelihood.  Loved ones, homes, jobs, possessions were lost but with “Pray for Japan”, it’s a film that not only makes see how challenging it was during the relief efforts in Japan but how a country and spirits of the Japanese people came together and to this day, are doing all they can to rebuild their hometown.

“Pray for Japan” focuses on four key perspectives of the tragedy – School, Shelter, Family and Volunteers.  Through these four perspectives, Levy wanted an audience to understand the ramifications of this natural disaster but also the battle the real-life heroes have fought on behalf of their loved ones and their hometown.

And while the film is screening in Japan, on March 14th, “Pray for Japan” will be screening in multiple theaters at 7:00 p.m. in the United States.

The profit that would made from the screenings of “Pray for Japan” would be donated to the non-profit organization JEN, who have provided food, mud removal, debris removal and provisions delivery in the affected region during the emergency phase since day one and now focusing on recover efforts which include the rebuilding of crucial industries such as fishing and farming.  And also helping the victims from post-traumatic stress disorder.

“Pray for Japan” interviews many victims, evacuees young and old from the region.  Also interviews with volunteers (of different ethnicities) who came to the area from different parts of Japan (and the world) to provide support.  Through the haunting and heartbreaking images and video of the devastation, actress Kyoka Suzuki reads the poetry of Ryoichi Wago.

For the “School” segment, at Ogatsu Middle School, school principal Junichi Sato would talks about how it was graduation day on March 11th.  Many children had left school to go back home around 1:30 p.m., the earthquake would hit the region an hour and a fifteen minutes later, followed by the tsunami a half hour after the earthquake.

Ogatsu was one of the cities that was destroyed by the earthquake and tsunami but because their have been emergency programs that taught people to go to an evacuation center at a nearby park, it was a major factor in the survival of many of the students.  Also, luck was on their side because if it was a regular school day, the students at Ogatsu Middle School would have been gathered together for roll call and if that did happen, there would be no time for evacuation.

So, we learn about through Junichi Sato and the teachers of what they did on the day the disaster happened but also revisiting the school weeks later to see if any supplies could be salvaged and most importantly, the importance of keeping the hope alive for the young children who lost their family.  Despite their school being destroyed, it was important to find a new location where children can be with friends and help them during this troubled time in their lives.

And we watch to see this process taking place.

For the “Shelter” segment of the film, the segment is set at the Minato Shogakkou shelter.  We learned how shelter organizers had to make important decisions as many people were hungry and despite having food, it was not enough to feed everyone.  Do you give people the food and let others not have any?  Organizers stayed firm and making sure that everyone at the shelter would be fed instead of only a partial group.

And with workers knowing that roads were blocked, gas was scarce,  the support of food and supplies arriving at shelters (as there were many of them) would take a few days and thus they did all they can to feed everyone that was on the list as “high priority”, while those who were healthy did not eat for three days.

Through this segment, we also see the generosity of volunteers and non-profit groups who came to bring food to the shelter.  From the Self-Defense Force providing support, we also see a Pakistani group who came far to bring and cook Indian food to the evacuees.  This group helped people during the Kobe earthquake and once again were there to help people at the Minato Shogakkou Shelter.

And we see first hand of the generosity of the Japanese people of others who were not Japanese coming to their aid.

And we watch and learn about the things that happened at the shelters in order to keep families especially the children active.

For the “family” segment, we meet family members who lost love ones due to the tragedy.  One of those people is teenager Kento Ito who was away in Sendai with his band Gigantes to perform at a gig.  The earthquake hit during his rehearsal and he tried his best to reach his family but there were no cell phone coverage during that time.

By the time Kento reached his home at Omagari-cho, Higashi-Matsushima and found his home destroyed.  While looking at shelters to find out if his family survived, he found out his father and brother Hiromu survived and was staying at a cousin’s home.

When Kento checked at the morgue, he found a description of a boy that was found and it was his younger brother Ritsu.  Kento would  learned how his mother, Ritsu, along with his grandparents were among the many trying to escape by car but were caught in a traffic jam a mile away and were killed by the tsunami.

Through Kento’s story, we learn how he went through a stage of wishing he was the one that was killed but eventually took a step forward in wanting to make sure Ritsu and other children were given their proper respects by a special memorial held on May 5th (Kodomo no Hi, “Children’s Day”).

We see what Kento and others have done in order to pay their respects to the departed.

For “Volunteers”, we see the rebuilding process take place in the devastated areas. For the film, the area for volunteer support is focused in the Ishinomaki area.

Many people who lost their homes, their family and their jobs but these individuals knew they must take the initiative to help people in their town.  From the establishment of a headquarters and then to create a structure for the volunteers to assist the 60,000 evacuees by managing shelters and delivering provisions and finding ways to do this despite gasoline being scarce.

Through this segment, we learn how these volunteers (from all over Japan and also around the world) were instrumental in trying to find ways of communicating and helping shelters that were not receiving food.  But also the challenge of clearing out debris, mud and also removing vehicles and metal that were thrown into the ocean and more.

“Pray for Japan” is an amazing documentary that inspires you, that shows audiences the spirit of the Japanese people who have been hit hard with this tragedy but yet have managed to stay on their two feet and are determined and resilient in making sure the Japanese spirit is still alive.

There is no doubt that this is the largest devastation that Japan has faced since the Kobe Earthquake and World War II, but as one volunteer said, the people of Japan must take action and in this film, we are seeing how the country has united, the people of the Eastern area of Japan are doing all they can to bring normalcy back to their city but they also know the reality that this is not going to be quick.

They know that pain and hardship lies in front of them but yet, through their amazing human spirit, they are working together to clean up and rebuild their city.

As we approach the anniversary of the Great Tohoku Earthquake, we know that the memories of the devastation comes to mind. The images of the earthquake causing fear in Japan, the tsunami waves rushing into the towns and seeing many who were unable to escape the incoming waves.  We have seen images and video of devastation that are unimaginable.  Large ships on top of two or three story houses, cars thrown around all over the place and the stories of heartbreak and pain.

But that was a year ago.

Sure, I know the pain is still there.  The people of those devastated areas will continue to see wreckage and areas where homes and buildings once were and are now dirt lots.  The cleanup still continues, many people are without homes and no place to work, many people who are still trying to survive and thus its important to get this region known for its farming and fishing back to their feet.

The Japanese people must keep living and moving forward.  Not only for their city and the victims but also for the younger generation who need all the hope they can get.

And this is what Stuart Levy’s “Pray for Japan” documentary is all about.  Hope.  And seeing how these Japanese people are doing all they can to bring normalcy back into their lives one step at a time.

What you see in this film, is really in-depth as the leaders of the city are quite frank about their situation but they are full of hope because they put their belief in the people.

They are also realists when it came to answering questions how things will be a year later.  There was no sugarcoating the situation, these individuals knew it will be a difficult road and these challenges were not going to be fixed within a year’s time.  But they had to believe in each other and supporting each other in rebuilding and instilling hope to those affected by the disaster.  They don’t know what’s going to happen but they know they must stay optimistic.

And as we have seen the power of the human spirit of the Japanese people, we have seen the human spirit of the volunteers of different ethnicities.  Those who came from far areas in Japan to those who came from all over the world.

Najeeb Ullah Ayaz of the Pakistani group providing food to a shelter left his family including a newborn daughter of 3 days to help those affected in the earthquake and no matter how difficult it was, he knew the importance of being there at the shelter and helping these people in need.

We also see the human spirit put to the test.  For 18-year-old Kento, this teenager lost his home, he lost his mother, younger brother and grandparents to the disaster, and he talked about how struggling about him surviving while family died and wishing he died as well.   But inside, he knew he must live and keep his family’s memory alive, especially for his deceased 5-year-old brother Ritsu.

One day while going through the wreckage of his home, he came upon a koi-nobori (a kite that is hung up during the month of May) and he knew how much it made his younger brother Ritsu happy when they hung it up.  So, to keep his brother’s memory alive, he not only wanted to hang the koi-nobori up as a memorial for Ritsu but also for the other children who died that day.   So, Japanese from all over the country donated 200 blue koi-nobori, he and other volunteers hung them up on May 5th, during Kodomo no Hi (“Children’s Day”) as a memorial service.

For me, this scene was inspiring.  How one young man took tragedy and used his sadness but was able to inspire others and bring something positive to his hometown and to families who have lost young loved ones.

“Pray for Japan” is a special film that shows us the efforts of local volunteers and non-profit organizations and although it focuses on the Minato Shogakkou shelter and the Ogatsu Middle School, having worked with the Japanese and covering Japanese culture for the last two decades, I have no doubt in my mind that the Japanese spirit that we see from these volunteers is just as vibrant and full of hope in other shelters and regions that were affected.

As for the technical aspects of the film, the US release of the film is subtitled in English with a transparent black bar behind it, so it makes the subtitles easy to read.  The video quality is very good and was pretty impressed with what Levy was able to accomplish with the Canon 5D and the final result after color correction, especially the contrast choices used during the interviews.    Editing was well done and it never gets dizzying, especially while he was driving by and filming the devastation.  But he managed to capture genuine emotions of the people interviewed.

Overall, “Pray for Japan” is a wonderful film that inspires and provides hope.  To see how people who have suffered the worst can still move forward and together overcome tragedy.   The film captures the positive spirit of humanity and people of different cultures coming together and providing hope.

It’s important to emphasize that this is not a film about the destruction that occurred, “Pray for Japan” is about moving forward from tragedy. It’s about the people who lost their homes, their jobs and those who lost family members and their friends but yet are determined to rebuild, to keep living and doing all they can to bring normalcy into their lives once again.

Full of inspiration and hope, Stuart Levy’s “Pray for Japan” is a fantastic documentary that is highly recommended!

On March 14th, “Pray for Japan” will be screened at 7:00 p.m. in several theaters across the United States.

 

« Previous Page — Next Page »