The Dice Man;
Reviews
One of the worst books I have read, February 1, 2006
Reviewer: A reader from United Kingdom This book was very hard to read, I had to force myself to continue after each tedious section. I don't think any of the characters were three dimensional, and as such I couldn't relate or empathise with any of them. The Dr Rhinehart character was totally conceited, pretentious, boring, with no depth of character and obsessed with sex to the exclusion of his wife, children, career... None of the relationships had any depth either. I realise it was ironic, but this did not make it any more engaging. The writer is trying to be shocking and thought-provoking but he can't resist focusing, again and again, on gratuitous and violent sex. This distracts from the satire of the mental health community. We are supposed to believe that his intelligent wife and colleagues would not take much more prompt action when confronted with his extreme behaviour.It did seem as though the author had a desire to write about violent and abusive sexual fantasies and used this book as a vehicle to do so. I see that people either love it or hate it. I am very surprised that anyone would love this book.
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the ultimate airport novel, December 17, 2005
Reviewer: chris j. dardis from Dublin, Dublin Ireland Buy this for a precocious 14 year old on a long plane journey and expand their mind... I was about that age when I read came across this in a friends house and it really blew my head off. Being so young, I actually thought at first that this was a genuine autobiography, which definitely dropped my jaw another notch. However I think if reading this for the first time as an adult I might be somewhat nonplussed. The style is straighforward and the content would tend to leave me wondering if I had nothing better to do. Good fun nonetheless and a welcome antidote to the plethora of self-help titles clogging the shelves these days.
Synopsis;
The cult classic that can still change your life...Let the dice decide! This is the philosophy that changes the life of bored psychiatrist Luke Rhinehart -- and in some ways changes the world as well. Because once you hand over your life to the dice, anything can happen. Entertaining, humorous, scary, shocking, subversive, The Dice Man is one of the cult bestsellers of our time.
Scene it - once, seen it a million times...
how to play and whats included;
Game Includes:
1 DVD
4 Collectible Metal Tokens
100 Trivia Cards
15 Buzz Cards
1 Eight-Sided Category Die
Set of Game Rules (for alternative game play)
Learning to Play Scene It?™:There are two options for learning to play Scene It?:
1] Watch the on-screen demonstration by choosing how to play on the Scene It? DVD main menu.
2] Read the instructions below. Begin with Set Up the Game for a complete description of the game, or skip to Play the Game for the essentials.
Set Up the Game:
1] Set up the Scene It? game components, which include exclusive Scene It? Flextime™ game board, collectible metal game pieces, box of Scene It? trivia cards, round-shaped Buzz™ cards, oversized numbered die, eight-sided category die, Scene It? category reference cards, and the Scene It? DVD (digital video disc).
Game Tip: Place the Flextime game board in a position such that all the players/teams can see the TV or monitor hooked up to your DVD player. The board can be fully extended for long play or folded into a circle for short play.
2]Choose a game piece for each player/team.
Set Up the Scene It? DVD:1] Select one person to operate the remote control, referred to as the DVD master.
DVD remote control functions: use the arrows on your remote control to navigate between Scene It? menu items; use the center, enter, or play button to activate a menu selection;
1]use the skip or fast forward buttons to navigate through clips.
2] Insert the Scene It? DVD into your DVD player. The DVD will show a quick intro and then display the main menu.
3] Choose play the game from the main menu and the game menu will appear.
Play the Game:
1] Roll the numbered die to determine who goes first.
2] The game begins with the initial player/team rolling both the numbered die and category die and moving the number of spaces shown. The player/team then attempts to successfully complete a challenge from one of the Scene It? categories (described below) as determined by the symbol shown on the category die.
Game Tip: You always roll the numbered die and move your game piece to start your turn. You roll again if you win the challenge!
3] Scene It? reference cards are provided for each player to allow easy recognition of the Scene It? challenges.
Can you believe it??? I have just found a game that is on the market, that is partly a observation game. It is called 'Scene it?' and has recently been brought onto the market - I'm sure they nicked my idea.
Description;
The premiere movie trivia game with real movie clips! DVD - Powered by Optreve. It's a whole different way to look at movie trivia! Pop the game into your DVD player and let the movie magic begin! Timeless stars. Unforgettable moments. Classic lines and laughs. Enjoy them as you answer trivia questions and race around the game board! Not Just for Film Buffs: Scene It? Is more than movie trivia-use observation, memory, word play and puzzle solving to answer different challenges about what you see on-screen. Sure, you may remember who won the fight between Rocky and Apollo Creed, but what color were Rocky's trunks? Don't know? Don't worry? You'll see for yourself in the film clip! So if you think you're a reel fan, let Scene it? Put your knowledge of the silver screen to the test! Optreve technology randomizes movie clips for a different game every time you play! Flextime game board can.
AND - it retails at £44:99, where you can have a copy of mine for a fiver (cash)...
joking aside, only one aspect of the game is the same, instead it uses parts of existing films, which is a good idea, butIi hadn't really thought of that. MaybeIi could have both, a section for movie observation questions and a general video observation section, butIi supposethat'ss stealing the idea.
I have produced a protoype of what my DVD may look like when produced. At the moment I am testing compatibilities (which is a slight problem at the moment but I think I know a way round it). Also at the moment my menu's aren't usable but I have an example of what they may be like. Obviously all the sections need to be improved, but this is only a prototype. Although I have produced DVD's before using premier, this gives me a good idea of rendering times and different techniques and effects to use. The first stumble is the speed of my DVD's, they are OLD.. And only write at 1x, which slows down the manufacturing stage, also I think this makes them harder to play on a PC which I think has resulted in a jerky video, playing straight off the disk. When I put the video onto the hard drive it plays fine :) ...
all good at the moment and having some more idea's. I have been thinking of more things to add to the DVD, maybe a clock counting down - like the BBC has. Having a small problem with texturing my 3ds max rolling screen. I know how to texture but I think I need to amend my textures to work with the models I have produced. As well my older brother is pretty good with 3ds max so I will ask for some advice when I get to texturing.
I have also been thinking about different game types but I'm at a bit of a up hill slope with it. However, one plus point is, I think my observation game is the only one of its kind (as far as I know)...
TLC (tender Loving Care)
From the makers of THE 7TH GUEST and THE 11TH HOUR comes the first and only truly interactive motion picture. Starring the brilliant British actor and two-time Oscar nominee John Hurt, TENDER LOVING CARE is a feature-length psycho-erotic thriller riddled with unpredictable plot twists and high-voltage sexual intrigue.
Created explicitly for DVD and CD-ROM, TENDER LOVING CARE is a remarkable innovation which combines high-end movie production with computer game-like interactivity to create a uniquely seductive entertainment experience.
Point OF View (below) is a similar production by the same company;
Dragons lair;
LASER DISC GAMES AT THE NEW CHALLENGE ARCADE - Play Dragon's Lair, Space Ace, Super Don Quix-ote and many other classic arcade games at the Challenge Arcade! This new arcade is located in the Berkshire Mall in Wyomissing, PA. The new Challenge Arcade is a modern arcade with a touch of class. They feature classic, contemporary, laser disc, rare, and prototype video games. Additionally, they offer pinball, shuffle bowling, billiards and dome hockey.
Although all of these existing products have interactivity and are basically games using video, they are too interactive for my need. These DVD's are basically computer games and require a lot of complicated programming to work, which is not necessary with my idea, but interesting to say the least...
