Random Film of the Week: Street Smart

Posted on November 4, 2013 by geelw

I had to see Street Smart twice back in 1987 because the first time I kept cracking up at the sight of Clark Kent without his Superman powers being threatened with a broken Yoo-Hoo bottle by Easy Reader from The Electric Company. Yeah, that moment happens in this flick as does a lot of other non-heroic, “gritty” street stuff in this Jerry Schatzberg-directed drama.

It’s actually a pretty solid but slightly flawed film that benefits from Reeve and Freeman’s performances along with a nice turn as Kathy Baker as hooker with a heart of not quite gold, but shiny enough that Reeve’s investigative journalist character Jonathan Fisher gets to spend some er, “quality” time with her in one scene. Of course, she’s one of Fast Black’s (Freeman) “stable” so she gets into some trouble with him as the film progresses. Fisher himself gets into even more trouble thanks to fabricating a feature article that just so happens to be a wee bit too close to Fast Black’s own life story… Continue reading →

The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug Sneek Peek: Second Verse, Not Quite Same As The First…

Posted on November 4, 2013 by geelw

So, now that this two-parter is a three-parter, I have to ask if it still draw in the millions of fans the original The Lord of the Rings trilogy did. Granted, a third part means MORE of the book on board and hopefully an even closer to Tolkien film. On the other hand, I know the book loyalists have been shaking their fists at the screen or in Peter Jackson’s general direction since the first Rings film hit theaters and I don’t think they plan to stop any time soon. Granted, these films do a bit of public service by giving the truly lazy a chance to see what they won’t read (and thus fail any real life book reports they need to write in the future – lesson NEVER write a book report from any movie – your teachers who’ve read those books WILL know). But then again, if you’re THAT shiftless, you’ll probably be snoozing in your seat before the first half hour is over and done.

Hey, I’ve been in theaters many times over the years and have sat close to young people who thought they could actually get away with that trickery and I’ve always laughed a bit at what I know the results will be. Hell, chances are that teacher is in a different theater (or worse, the same one) taking mental notes on exactly what to look out for in those shorthanded reports. So yeah, kids… READ MORE BOOKS! There’s nothing wrong with a grand epic at all mind you… unless you’re planning to play it off as actual studying and not supplemental material once you’ve done the work. That’s your life lesson for the day…

Avadon 2: The Corruption Is Out Now. You May Not See The Great Outdoors ‘Til Spring…

Posted on November 4, 2013 by geelw

*Sigh* Whenever a new Spiderweb Software RPG arrives on the scene, I have to flip a coin and decide whether or not to buy it on the spot or finish the last few games I’ve fired up first. I’m definitely not complaining about anything IN the games, mind you. They just take a huge amount of time to play and complete thanks to so much choice in how you get through them. Sure, you graphics ho’s are winching at the visuals and lack of bumpy-shiny Havok or other 3D engine flash not happening here, but I say knock it off and show some respect for a game that manages to be a compelling experience for MORE than its visuals. That and hand-drawn/painted tile art and characters like this just have a certain nostalgic charm to them that makes each new game a visual treat in its own right. Anyway, feel free to try out that big and FREE demo of Avadon 2: The Corruption, carve out some time on your calendar with a big sharp knife and get to buying it if you like what you’ve played. I’ll be doing that as well at some point – I think I’ll need to clean up my own hard drive before I download anything, as I’m running out of room fast…

Review: Pac-Man and the Ghostly Adventures

Posted on November 4, 2013 by geelw

Platform: PlayStation 3 (also on Xbox 360, Wii U, PC, 3DS)

Developer: Monkey Bar Games/Namco Bandai Games

Publisher: Namco Bandai Games America

# of Players: 1-4

ESRB Rating: E10+ (Everyone 10+)

Official Site

Score: B (80%)

Has there been a year since Pac-Man was introduced that the character hasn’t been in a game or other must-have product? The dot-munching ghost chomper has been on the video game scene in plenty of 2D and 3D adventures from arcade games to platformers, kart racers and even an adventure game or two. His longevity has been pretty much secured thanks to Namco (and now Namco Bandai) shaking thing up every so often with a reinvention or classic reissue and the latest new game on the scene is Pac-Man and the Ghostly Adventures, a kid-friendly game based on the fun new Disney XD animated show. While some of the more stubborn fans of the arcade classic might give this one an automatic sneer because it’s not their favorite way of playing Pac-Man (in which case, they can go dive into the stellar multi-platform Pac-Man Championship Edition DX+), the game is actually quite a lot of fun with only a few quirks… Continue reading →