BUY IT! Silver Scenes Sells Stellar Stills

Posted on July 11, 2015 by geelw

"Let's see now. If I sell this dog and kid, I can buy ALLLL those movie stills!"

“Let’s see now… if I sell this dog and kid, maybe I can buy ALLLL those movie stills!”

Want a piece (or a few pieces) of Hollywood history for a potential song? Even if you can’t carry a tune at all (and there’s no need to sing for your supper here), you can carry a wallet or purse and that means you can (and should) support classic film site Silver Scenes through their an awesome movie stills auction on ebay. The auction is off and running with a few bids already, so click on over to peruse the lovely selection of primarily black and white stills (only one is in color) and bid away at your leisure.

Prices start an an affordable $9.95 for each still and proceeds from the auction will go to the UCLA Film & Television Archive. So go do some charity work this weekend and add some beautiful black and white images to your collection. And hey, if you happen to strike it rich today in the lottery, make sure to spend some of Saturday’s Millions on tomorrow’s treasures!

“That Handsome Man” Passes: So Long, Mr. Sharif

Posted on July 10, 2015 by geelw

I’m smiling a bit through this latest gloomy news because I can recall many years back sitting in a diner eavesdropping on a rather amusing conversation between two older ladies chatting about movies with part of the chatting being about actors they’d get swoon-y over. Omar Sharif’s name came up and one of the gals got a bit carried away, saying “Oooooh, that handsome man! I’d keep him tied up with my stockings for DAYS!” Yikes. Well, I had to make a mad dash from my booth behind them into the restroom to have a big laugh and of course, those ladies were cracking up when I returned because they knew why I scooted away. When some guys say stuff like that in a far different tone, it’s usually not a good thing. But two ladies of a certain age dressed in their Sunday best? They get a welcome and well-deserved pass. Anyway, goodbye, Omar – you’ll me missed but your best work will live on forever.

Random Film of the Week: Invisible Invaders

Posted on July 10, 2015 by geelw

Sometimes revisiting an old film can reveal a load of new surprises, particularly if it ends up being a possible inspiration for later and better works. While not a great film by any stretch of the imagination, 1959’s Invisible Invaders managed to actually be a lot more thrilling than I recall from seeing it as a kid.

For one thing, it’s both an alien invasion and a zombie flick, melding sci-fi and horror pretty well despite some rather incredulous plot shenanigans. It’s also an unintentional response to Ed Wood’s Plan 9 From Outer Space (also released in 1959) because it features more or less the same story executed far more effectively. Well, for a low budget flick, that is.

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LEGO Dimensions Gets A Doctor (Or 12) In The House

Posted on July 9, 2015 by geelw

Remember that Doctor Who episode where he goes into the LEGO universe and everything is turned into plastic bricks? No? Well, either you’re not paying attention or you haven’t got your copy of LEGO Dimensions yet because you can’t time travel and haven’t already played the game. Silly you. Okay, for mere mortals who don’t have the ability to travel through time (or who don’t know a certain other Doc named Brown), the game is out September 27, 2015 for PS3/PS4,Xbox 360/Xbox One and Wii U, is developed by TT Games (who else?) and looks pretty darn awesome.

The cool thing is not only do you get the current Doctor to play around with, expect to be able to regenerate into the eleven other Doctors (whee!) during the game. That alone should get console owning fans of the show to snap up and step into LEGO Dimensions when it ships out. Oh, as for the new season of Doctor Who, BBC has released a nice and long teaser trailer that packs in a few surprises:

The modern era of “Toys to Life” category started by Activision’s Skylanders has gotten even huger over the years thanks to later competition from Disney with its Infinity line, Nintendo’s Amiibo figures and now LEGO stepping into the fray. LEGO has a wild edge as the “new” kid on the block thanks to the massive popularity of the blocks and instant appeal to all ages. TT Games is also key to their success thanks to years of making some incredibly FUN games nearly anyone can pick up, play and have a total blast with. Expect Dimensions to be another winner on a few fronts. Well, it looks as if I know how my Saturday nights will be spent for a few months.

The Coop Brings Out Some Cool The Walking Dead Gear

Posted on July 8, 2015 by geelw

062615 THE WALKING DEAD NEW PRODUCTS FROM THE COOP With so much other stuff going on I’d almost forgotten that there’s a spin-off to The Walking Dead coming to AMC next month called Fear The Walking Dead. But fear not fans of the original show, The Coop’s troops have set up the release of a load of new gear you’ll want to drop that paycheck on. Just click away on this link and get ready to fill your closet up with some very nice licensed goodies.

I’m partial to the Daryl Dixon stuff on that page because it all looks awesome and hey, who doesn’t love them some Daryl? Er, besides Carol (YET. Ha and ha-ha). Anyway, just make like a starving chicken and peck away at those photos above to do some shopping. Unlike the show, nothing here is walk into a deserted town’s hopefully walker-less shop free. You’ll have to spend some of that hard-earned loot you’re socking away in that mattress on this stuff. Thankfully, it’s all well worth the money thanks to The Coop’s attention to detail and quality construction.

Hey, you can either by a giant can of pudding that will kill you because you’re lactose intolerant (and will make quite a farty zombie when you die after eating that can of pudding in one go, you glutton, you). Or you can save that funeral expense money and look good as you stroll down the street in style. Or run like hell from some zombies once they start popping out of the ground. I like living myself, so I’ll be taking the high road.

Curses ‘N Chaos: Time For The Monster Mash, Retro Style!

Posted on July 7, 2015 by geelw

Until today I hadn’t heard of Montreal-based indie developer Tribute Games or Curses ‘N Chaos (headed to the PS4, PS3 and PS Vita soon). Thanks to my inbox poking me in the eye with the game’s latest trailer above (Ow.), I’m now all over this one like duck feathers on a duck. Here’s a synopsis for you now that I have you in my clutches:

SMASH MONSTERS, ESCAPE DEATH!

CURSED! When brawny bounty hunters Leo and Lea are cursed by Algarr the Wizard King, they’re swarmed by all manners of creatures and monsters! Alchemist Allison knows one way to get rid of the curse: The Elixir of Life! But the only way to get the Elixir’s ingredients? SMASH ALL THE MONSTERS!

Hey, look! I found another cool trailer (It followed me home, Ma! Can I keep it?):

As you can see from the those two nice slices of game footage, the game screams NOSTALGIA in big blocky neon letters and everything from the lovely and well animated pixel art to the sound effects just plain WORK. The game is an arcade style scrolling brawler with plenty of cute but deadly monsters to kill and what looks like some challenging boss fights. Players can expect some classic couch co-op action along with online play for those of you who want to hop on the internet and make a few new annoying friends you’ll never meet in real life. Or you can avoid getting an elbow to the head from that “friend” who likes to distract you when he or she pops over for a visit and any game you play turns into an actual fight for survival.

Anyway, some gamers are tired of these bit-crazy retro games, but those are more than likely gamers who think “good graphics” circa whatever will blow up their PC’s 3D cards make a game worth buying. Foo to that. Curses ‘N Chaos will probably make some of those folks bust a controller over their collective kneecap because it’ll be too tricky for them to complete. Or perhaps some small amount of respect should be given to indie developers like Tribute that make games that keep the flames from the past burning and unforgotten? That’s a big, fat “Yep” from me. More on this one in a bit.

Star Wars: Uprising: Shoot First In Kabam’s Upcoming Co-Op Game

Posted on July 7, 2015 by geelw

(thanks, Kabam RPG!)

Hey, Kabam! You just made me want to play a Star Wars game. Reading up on Uncle George trying to rewrite movie history has of late almost put me off wanting to go near anything new owner Disney intends to do with the franchise. Any SW fan worth his salt knows Han shot first, grrrr! That said, I’m still not a 100 percent tablet, mobile or broswer-based MMO convert just yet…
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Blu-Ray Review: The Strange Case Of Dr Jekyll And Miss Osbourne

Posted on July 7, 2015 by geelw

Walerian Borowczyk’s The Strange Case Of Dr Jekyll And Miss Osbourne is a straight up shot of arty nightmare fuel that will seep into your pores and haunt you for a while after viewing. The director takes the classic Robert Louis Stevenson tale and like the perverse Jekyll and Hyde here (played here by Udo Kier and Gérard Zalcberg), has his way with the it and creates a pretty stunning and memorable piece of work. This isn’t your garden variety horror flick of the week and nope, it’s not for the kids or easily disturbed at all.

During an engagement party for Jekyll and Fanny Osbourne (Marina Pierro), sexual violence and assorted murders take place over the course of one terrifying evening. Initially, women are targeted but no one is safe from the clutches of Hyde’s perversions. Despite the mansion’s visitors and staff being whittled down every few minutes, none of the well-heeled guests has a clue as to who’s the culprit. As the debauchery continues, Miss Osbourne gets a clue as she’s looking for a hiding spot and spies Jekyll going through his transformation in a can’t take your eyes off the screen scene. Does she flee the mansion and try to find help or at least attempt to escape with her life? Let’s just say Fanny is repulsed on one hand, curiously compelled on the other and the combination makes her want to take a dip into that bathtub full of chemicals. Continue reading →

Monday, Through Pie Day…

Posted on July 6, 2015 by geelw

Okay, it’s not that silly fake holiday at all (whenever it is). I was just craving a pie and as my older brother dropped off two pounds of blueberries on Friday, I decided to do something with them other than wonder what the heck I was going to do with all those blueberries.

I hadn’t baked a pie in what, ten years or more (eek), but it’s kind of like riding a bike, right? I can’t ride a bike, so that’s a bad example. Anyway, I bought a few apples, added some other stuff and put together a combo pie this evening. It’s still cooling so the taste test will have to wait. It should be alright as it certainly smelled tasty enough. The funny thing is right after I took it out of the oven my craving vanished. Oops. It’ll come back before a day has passed, but I’ll probably need to share this with a few people. Mmmmmm, Pi!

Monday’s Hot Blahs Deserve Some Bundles To Beat Them Away

Posted on July 6, 2015 by geelw

July is here, the weather is depressingly muggy and the mood is grim in some circles for assorted reasons. All the better for getting some gaming in before the world collapses, yes? I thought so. Anyway, Bundle Stars wants you to have at it with a few friends thanks to its Co-Op Bundle deal featuring eight games for $1.99. That price lasts for a day and goes up on Tuesday, so get this one while it’s hot and cheap.

Meanwhile, over at IndieGala, the Every Monday Bundle is a puzzling one because it’s a nice set of puzzle and adventure games today. $1.99 gets you six cool indies to play with for as long as you like. “Once you buy a prize, it’s yours to keep” and all that, you know.

If you just need ONE game to play that will get you in a nicely nostalgic mood as it attempts to kill your character but good multiple times while making your brain do some extra thinking, Zojoi Games’ wonderful remake of Shadowgate is on sale on Steam for the low, low price of $2.99. It’s worth more than that so yes, you should get it or else a dragon will roast you when you open the next door you walk up to. You can also get the more content-packed Special Edition of the game for $6.24, but I’ll let you poke around on the game’s page to see what that all entails.