Eggtronic HUB-IT Review: The Humble Charger Goes Social

Posted on January 16, 2015 by geelw

When you think device charging, you generally don’t think of it being a big social experience. Sure there are those times where you share a charger or charging station with a random stranger, but it’s usually a pretty low key and common thing everyone who owns a device does at some point. On the other hand, Eggtronic’s HUB-IT Sync & Charge Station practically demands to be shared with up to seven other people just about anywhere for a few reasons. It’s larger than a pocket charger, meaning you’ll deliberately be carrying it around to get attention and its unique cartridge based connectors allow for charging everything from iOS and Android devices to handheld gaming systems such as the PlayStation Vita and Nintendo 3DS. Up to 10,000 devices are currently supported, so there’s a very good chance what you have in that pocket or bag can indeed be charged up quickly. Continue reading →

Wyrmwood: Dead Down Under In This High-Octane Horror Hybrid

Posted on January 15, 2015 by geelw

With no signs of stopping zombie films (and believe me, I’ve tried!), it’s great to see directors getting a bit more creative than usual with the genre. Case in point, WYRMWOOD, see to land in theaters February 13th, 2015 courtesy IFC Midnight. First time director (and co-writer) Kiah Roache-Turner takes the standard undead stalking the living formula and adds it to a post-zombie apocalyptic Down Under setting with some interesting characters and twists galore. Sure, it’s rocking that Mad Max meets Dawn of the Dead vibe somewhat fierce. But there seem to be enough laughs here to evenly balance out the gore factor and if there’s anything a good horror hybrid movie needs, it’s some decent humor to break up the monotony. Well, at least I think so.

Here’s the trailer:

As well as what your ticket money gets you (fun!):

WYRMWOOD
In Select Theaters on February 13th

Zombies invade the Australian Outback in this brain-splattered, Mad Max-meets-the-undead thrill ride. When an apocalyptic event turns everyone around him-including his wife and daughter-into marauding zombies, everyman mechanic Barry arms himself to the teeth, soups up his car, and hits the road in order to rescue his sister from a deranged, disco-dancing mad doctor. Bursting with high-octane car chases, crazy-cool homemade weaponry, and enough blood-and-guts gore to satisfy hardcore horror fans, WYRMWOOD: ROAD OF THE DEAD takes the zombie flick to bone-crunchingly berserk new heights.

Cast: Jay Gallagher, Bianca Bradey, Leon Burchill, Luke McKenzie, Yure Covich, Catherine Terracini, Keith Agius, Meganne West

Directed by: Kiah Roache-Turner

Written by: Tristan Roache-Turner, Kiah Roache-Turner

Genre: Action/Horror

Distributor: IFC Midnight

Sounds like a plan. Bring a date and all that stuff. I think I’ll need to review this one for sure…

Kotobukiya’s Zatanna Bishoujo Figure Will Make Your Wallet Mysteriously Lighter…

Posted on January 15, 2015 by geelw

Guess what? As soon as you looked into those eyes (or at those fishnets, yeah, I know some of you all too well!), you probably felt something light and drifty in your pants or other place you keep your credit card. Hey, now, this is a family show! Anyway, that was Zatanna up there making your purchase for you and kindly stepping into a big box that’s going to arrive one she’s all ready to ship. Hey, give a girl credit for being resourceful!

And don’t even try and send her back, either. She’ll turn you into a rabbit sized frog if you even go near that return shipping label. Just make a nice space for her on a shelf (she’s not going to conjure up a cabinet, you know), oh… about this high and this wide. What, you can’t see my measurements on your screen? I see. HERS you could check out okay, though. Yeah, I got your number, pal…

You’re still here? Okay, okay. The bad news first: Zatanna’s not up on the Kotobukiya website for sale yet (boo!). But expect some news about her availability soon as a pre-order. As in around Toy Fair next month.

Here are the vitals in the meantime:

DC COMICS ZATANNA BISHOUJO STATUE

A KOTOBUKIYA Japanese import! Continuing the lineup of beautiful bishoujo-inspired statues combining the super heroines and villains of DC Comics with traditional Japanese stylings is a truly magical lady, the sorceress ZATANNA! Daughter of the famous stage magician Giovanni “John” Zatara, Zatanna debuted in 1964 as a powerful addition to the mystical side of the DC universe. In addition to performing on stage like her father, the skilled magician has worked with various versions of the Justice League, Sentinels of Magic, and more with her unique backwards-English spell casting. Zatanna appears in this brand new Japanese Bishoujo (pretty girl) styled statue based on original character art by world famous illustrator Shunya Yamashita!

Using sleight of hand as well as her considerable beauty, Zatanna distracts you, her audience, as she prepares to pull something out of her hat. The magician looks like she is frozen in mid-performance, wearing her stage costume and sculpted in a unique pose. Zatanna balances on one foot with the other pulled up under her as she leans to the side, dramatically aiming her wand at her outstretched top hat. The beguiling sorceress wears her classic costume, a feminine version of a traditional magician’s outfit with high-heeled boots, fishnet stockings, white gloves, a black bodysuit, and a complex top with tuxedo elements. There is an incredible amount of sculpted detail in Zatanna’s intricate clothing as well as her long, flowing hair and captivating Bishoujo-styled face.

Sculpted by Takaboku Busujima (Busujimax), Zatanna stands just under 10 inches tall (1/7 scale) on her specially designed display base. Whether displayed on her own or with other DC Comics Bishoujo statues on your shelf, this enchantress is ready to work her magic!

srp $69.99

Available July 2015.

TM & © DC Comics.

Random Art: You Get a Moon Carpet! And YOU Get A Moon Carpet!…

Posted on January 14, 2015 by geelw

Okay, it’s not a REAL moon carpet, but hey, it popped up in a dream I had while resting yesterday, so I’m sharing. Eh, I should probably tinker with it some more so it looks like something closer to a moon surface and not a close up of some bad skin condition. But hey, maybe that was what I saw in the dream and not some rug made of green cheese or whatever the moon is made up of. Hmmmm… it does tie the room together, doesn’t it?

MVD Visual Wants YOU To Get Motivational Growth!

Posted on January 14, 2015 by geelw

Well, after seeing the trailer for this February DVD/Blu-Ray release, so do I. And you thought you had problems getting and sticking to your simple New Year’s resolutions. Poor, strange Ian Folivor above needs to get his entire life in order and thanks to a chunk of talking mold in his rather nasty-looking bathroom, he gets the chance. Of course, this being a horror film, all sorts of things go wrong and there will probably be a few bodies hitting the floor before all is said and done. Which is exactly how it should be in cases where a talking mold takes up residence in one’s bathroom.

Coming on home video from Parade Deck Films, Motivational Growth is written and directed by Don Thacker and stars horror veteran Jeffrey Combs (as the voice of the mold), Adrian DiGiovanni as Ian as well as a bunch of other actors you may or may not know who may or may not survive the film. Or their characters may or may not survive. You know the drill, but horror comedies like this are always more entertaining in my opinion because you’re laughing and cringing for all the RIGHT reasons. MVD Visual ships this one out next month, but you can pre-order it here if you’re into this sort of thing.

Since you’re read this far, that must mean you are, so you certainly don’t need any motivation from me at all, right? Ha, I thought so…

Random Art: It’s Not Really A Day Off, As I’m Still Breathing…

Posted on January 13, 2015 by geelw

Yuck. Between the cold weather outside, the home being too toasty (hey, at least the heat is on, but yikes, does it get steamy up in here!) and someone who moved back in recently with his nasty smoking habit (who needs to quit before he gets beaten senseless or drops dead himself), I’m a bit under the weather today.

(Thanks, chshaw87!)

Well, it’s not THAT bad, but past experience tells me that if I get too occupied with cranking out work when I’m starting to get sick, I usually end up this way in a few days. Anyway, I’m going to go out for a short walk (I ran out of aspirin and need a refill), pop back in to get some resty-rest and be back tomorrow with more intelligent things to say. Have a tree in the meantime.

See you all tomorrow. Or perhaps later if I pop up and feel less froggy and possessed.

Mecerdes-Benz’ F 015 Freaks Me Out For A Few Reasons…

Posted on January 12, 2015 by geelw

On one hand, I’m thinking “Ooooh, sexxxxxxy!” about the Mercedes-Benz F 015 prototype self-driving car. Who wouldn’t want to step into the lap of luxury and glide to their destination without touching the wheel or hell, worrying about driving at all? You want to spin around in your seat and have a conversation about last night’s TV shows with your carpool mates? Maybe even watch that episode on the way to work or wherever on those fancy digital doors? A few taps of the touchscreen and you’re there. Granted, this futuristic ride of indeterminate (but exorbitant) price point at least requires someone who can hold a license and take the wheel if necessary. So you won’t see a bunch of schoolkids packed inside by lazy parents who want to shift their chauffeuring responsibilities to the car and be done with them until the brood leaves home for college.

On the other hand…

(Thanks, Orthver!)

I’m getting a total Total Recall flashback, big time… Continue reading →

IndieGala Wants To Scare Your Pants Off Today. Let Them!

Posted on January 12, 2015 by geelw

But make sure to take your wallet out of your pocket first if you keep it there. This week’s IndieGala Every Monday Bundle is a smaller one than usual, but that’s because Five Nights at Freddy’s 2 will most likely scare you to death before you get to the other games in the bundle. To wit:

The other games aren’t horror-themed at all, but you do get some nice indie RPGs and strategy games to keep your heart rate calmer. Still, $1.89 is a fine deal for these five games and if you’ve never played the first Five Nights at Freddy’s, fear not (or perhaps fear a lot!). That one’s still on sale in last week’s Friday Special Bundle which has ten total games for a mere $2.89.

I’ll leave you to it to decide what you want to do, as usual. If anything getting both bundles will keep you warm because of all that jumping out of your seat you’ll be doing in the two games noted above…

Random Art: Parts Is Parts…

Posted on January 11, 2015 by geelw

I’m not on fire in terms of productivity, but it’s HOT as hell on the sun in here. The new boiler that was installed plus some tinkering on it by maintenance has cranked up the non-adjustable heat so that it’s a toasty 70-something degrees in here and probably close to 80. I’d check the thermometer by the window, but ha-ha, the plastic base it was attached to warped from a few days of heat last week and the thermometer popped out and fell into the radiator. Anyway, I’m way behind on updates thanks to the over-stressful hack job that was done on my kitchen (it took about four months for this? I could have done it myself and gone all the way insane in maybe two weeks). Oddly enough, I’ve been able to hack out a few quick little sketches to clear my mind up a bit so I can concentrate more on getting back to writing.

Yeah, yeah, they’re not perfect or that good, but they’re not supposed to be. I did dig up an ancient note to myself about finishing up an Alien story I’d wanted to turn into some sort of comic or novel with some help (I’m not a visual storyteller at all despite one horrific comic assignment under my belt). Eh, we’ll see where that goes this year, as there’s a lot more urgent things to tackle and I should be focusing on those first and foremost. Okay, back in a bit. I need to get outside again before I burn up like an overcooked baked potato. And yes, my poor pepper plants are so confused by this summer weather in the winter with less sunlight.

Archive.org Adds 2300+ MS-DOS Games: So Much For Productivity (Again!)…

Posted on January 10, 2015 by geelw

Oh, good gravy. If the Internet Arcade wasn’t a bad enough way to lose too many hours, Archive.org has just killed off the chances some of you will ever see the light of day ever again. Once again, you can blame Jason Scott and a bunch of other people with too much time on their hands who have very wisely decided to keep videogame history alive and strong for the masses.

All you need to do is point your browser here and hope you aren’t swept away for too long trying out a bunch of classic MS-DOS games. While most are emulated in your browser, you can download some titles and run them on your PC using a decent DOS emulator such as DOSBOX or FreeDOS. I’ll “warn” you in advance that many of these game are really awesome and you may find yourself neglecting basic needs. I’d write more, but a bunch of oldies are calling me to come spend some time with them…