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Recent Movie Reviews

27 Movie Reviews

As soon as I watched the "Smile" posters it immediately became evident to me the analogy to that great Flash. I remember watching that movie, even commenting it afterwards, with a heavy weight in my heart as if that dystopia were true - breathing people's illusions. This becomes an expansion on that concept, of nightmarish grandeur, and that's why I got chills in the first place... The lifeless smiles, the culture of image draining the very life from you, and the illusion of getting rid of your crappy life. Was it worth? Hell no. Prole 514 was lured by the merciless industry, aspiring to become one of them by abandoning his own safe lair when the chance occurred. He became what he probably hated most, and forced to live a non-life forever. Sure, his former life wasn't that bright and he maybe didn't even have the money to eat... but at least he was free. Of dreaming.
Wonderful,
KKS

Lol, I didn't even know you used Contact for this! Awesome :D
KKS

Unigodspawn responds:

Hahaha! well, first time I heard "Contact" I said: "I have to put this on a flash somehow...", great song btw! ;) and thanks!

These masks...

Are running our species, imposing their fake ideals, identities, every day, every night.
These masks have been ruining our very existence since the dawn of times.
These masks have limited our vision of life to the point we cannot see ourselves - we are blinded to the point we help each other to dig our own grave even more.
In a spiral of delusion, illusion, deception, that grow more "real" if we give them gradually more importance.
We don't need masks, we need to free ourselves from such illusions, fears, doubts, anxiety, and this flash proves it.
This flash is about never giving up on their twisted ways of deciding the fate of others. We're born to be ourselves no matter what. This movie has actually a happy ending, whereas in "Smile" (a similar old flash) we can see the exact opposite and the triumph of hypocrisy. We need more short movies like this one, that help people recognize themselves from what they are, simply living their life, free from pointless fears.
Thank you,
KKS

Recent Game Reviews

27 Game Reviews

Good game, I cleared it in 31:37 without a walkthrough. :) Aside from the jump scare, which I find completely unnecessary in any occasion, this was a well executed thriller point and click with not overly difficult puzzles and an acceptable degree of exploration. Made you also wonder if the killer would come checking your cell and screw your game, but luckily it did not happen. XD

Bonus points for the notes scattered throughout the scenario, a pretty common way of delivering possible plots in this kind of games. I wonder how the previous prisoners managed to set the puzzles and clues for the player though, it seemed like they had a lot of time at their disposal before... well. Anyway, nice job!
KKS

As soon as I got the final message I felt the urge to comment this experiment. This Flash is one that leaves mixed reactions among the people who stumbled across it. Let me explain why.

I think they fail to see this as a tech demo or simply an experiment, to begin with. It was meant to show what you can potentially do with this new software of yours, script-wise and graphically. It has no real story, safe for those few lines of dialogue that served as a pretext for adding slightly more depth to the ensemble. It brings no actual revolutionary gameplay of some sort, and it's a classic 2D platformer with an exploration edge. There's no music and there's only a background wind loop for enhancing the feeling of desolation and loneliness. All these elements just served the purpose of testing the above mentioned software.

We can only wait for you to submit a Flash that lives up to the intriguing atmospheres of your previous games, and in conclusion, this only shows a promising future. :)
KKS

Well executed

There aren't quite a lot of self-motivating games around, and this was a cute and challenging platformer. Well done :)
KKS

Recent Audio Reviews

197 Audio Reviews

Naivety is what I think of when listening to this piece, swiftly making its way to Yume Nikki-like atmospheres and melodies reminiscent of classical music, possibly baroque in style. Naivety... with a hint of mischievous curiosity, typical of those knowledge-thirst children that want absolutely the answers to their questions at all costs. Hm...

I don't particular complaints for this track. Its simplicity sets quite the mood you were looking for, I'm sure, and I think you've just achieved that goal. The few elements that enrich the lead synths including the drums fit nicely and are not intrusive. I think it's a pretty track, not ambitious, not pretentious, simply a fragment - for what it is, it's wonderful.
KKS

Hmm. I have various thoughts regarding this track, ranging from the lush, vivid visuals I have in my mind right now to the more technical aspects. Let me split into parts for you.

The intro is delicately crafted and goes well with the feelings of inner turmoil, struggle and motion. It is crafted in a way that no sounds prevail to each other, and the incoming subtle distortion adds more dynamics to the ensemble, while the mix still remains relatively quiet. I don't spot any cons here, since it sets the mood fairly well for the rest of the track. I'd also like to point out the layered percussion, very delicate contouring the sonic environment.

The second part after the first minute mark sets a new mood. The fast delayed arpeggios are my most favorite bit here, along with the introduction of a steady heartbeat-like kick line, creating a tense, dark and dense atmosphere. The distortion makes its return in a glorious fashion, although the lack of sidechaining is evident, as the kick overcompresses the mix creating an unpleasant "pulse" that will last until the finale. It's that kind of imperfection that doesn't seem to be unforgiving, but depending on who you talk to, either contributes or ruins the sonic experience. I think it's a tolerable option since overall, the piece in itself runs smoothly and the lack of prominent transitions doesn't seem to distract the listener from appreciating the dark, enveloping beauty of this shard of familiar reality.

From the third minute and onward, little ear candies pop up here and there adding a bit of variety to the ensemble, including the recurrent piano (I think it's piano or otherwise electronic sounds) notes and an important protagonist: the choir. Now here is where things start to get opinion-shattering. Personally, while it tries to set and confirm the overall mood of the segment it's featured into, it doesn't contribute in making it more interesting and it stays low buried in the distorted and overcompressed soundscape. I would have liked a different climax, where the choir - more twisted and dark - shines alone over very few percussive elements in the background layers of the song, setting an ominous and dreary feeling, perhaps even loneliness and desolating despair. In its current state, the choir is there, it's present... just not enough to set its own character.

Overall, it's the best "you" I've ever listened to in weeks. You're in great shape and there's always much to paint in the vast canvas you're seeking to fill with colorful thoughts and emotive patterns. I enjoyed the semi-Industrial surrealism, the research for another kind of experience, the experimental mindset.

Keep going
KKS

EnigmaticWolf responds:

Good. We agree on the introduction. I accept mixed verdicts, but I also enjoy it when one person sees a negative and the other sees a positive. It creates a balance between opinions where people don't feel inclined to choose only one side. Nowadays people are heavily influenced by other's opinions.

I personally enjoy that pulse and massive distortion. I wanted something that turned distortion into something that would surge into your head and fire up every dark corner of your imaginative realm. That's what I achieved, I think. I never did enjoy perfectly clear sound pieces. I always listen to music that is slightly dreamy/distorted. Besides I know a lot of professional songs that have way too much skipping and chopping, but people still seem to hang on.

I slightly agree. I do agree that there may be a potential error there, but it's not the distortion, really. It's the choir. This is the closing. The entire song is a parabolic chamber of madness. This means I went for a positive - climax - negative sequence. I imagined someone running from darkness, but since they can't run any faster, I wanted an intelligent, but very dark atmosphere for 3:00 on. I just wanted something very simple, atmospheric, dark and dainty. I didn't want, yet, another climax. It wasn't what I imagined, and I compose to my imagination. The piano was giving a false sense of safety. Then near the end the ''devouring'' part comes in, which is well pieced together by my choir use. Later accompanied by the constant pulses, roaring and darker drumline. When this part comes in, I can't help but feel like I'm in the depths of a heated battle between dark and light. It's an amazing piece through and through.

I am proud of this song. Certainly. Thank you for your long review! I enjoyed it. I will be brewing some more madness later. Stay tuned, brother.

Cheers.

There's so many ways I'd like to express my gratitude towards you for making this wonderful shard of simply another world. I don't even want to know how did you make this, for you wouldn't know the answer; it's something that has reached his own level of maturity... it's breathing a life of its own already. My mind is wandering in another plane of existence, while the rational part of me struggles to find logic among all this chaos when it is not even required... It's sensorial symbiosis, a symphony of feelings intertwined in a complex network of functions, immersed in a vast sonic world beyond our reach. When you reach this level of abstraction, you've done your job. So I bow to thee, and take a step back to what I've done so far, contemplating for the present being.

Some people won't understand, some people will still be too attached to humanity's labyrinthine and fragile systems, replacing feeling with technique. So here is my technical review: awesome mastering, awesome structure, awesome transitions, awesome depth, awesome samples.

Well done.
KKS

Kingbastard responds:

Thanks for the comment, much apprciated;)

Recent Art Reviews

25 Art Reviews

Welcome to the club, son. Enjoy your stay in Scrappyland. :)
KKS

You never fail to amaze me :D Every time I see a new drawing in my personal news it's like a new shard of dream being opened just for us lucky witnesses of this amazing fictional reality of yours.
KKS

This is just great. The spacey, tangerine atmosphere with such warm colors and layers... This goes incredibly well with my music, giving it an ethereal touch, like a subtle hint of peaceful isolation in a vast world made of sounds and feelings.
Bravo,
KKS

DoDaThang responds:

Thanks dude. :)

Just checked out your stuff (quite a lot of it, I reviewed a couple but I felt it somewhat pointless when I saw your huge archive) and it's funny because a lot of your stuff is the sort of music I listen to when I paint. I tend to alternate between electronic and soundtracks, anything which has a cinematic quality and doesn't have lyrics because it helps you kind of zone out into what you're painting.

I heard acid is also good for that but I'm a pussy. :(

Fooling around. A lot.

Age 31, Male

Human being

Earth is my school

In a place, apparently.

Joined on 12/7/09

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