All’s NOT Quiet on the Western Front (And It’s Defintely Noisy Upstairs!)…

Status

OK, I’m swimming in the swamp today and motivation is kind of moderate to low, but some fresh air and a nice walk in the icky gray weather will do me some good. Unless it starts pouring rain and I catch a bad case of pnuemonia. In which case I’ll REALLY have something to write about. Back in a few hours, as I’m in the process of cobbling together a bunch of notes, strings and other things for the upcoming week. I think I’ll be back in time to pop in a quick post before I keel over into bed, but let’s play this by ear.

Today’s wisdom: Don’t keep an ear to the ground – someone will just come by and trip over your head…

The Eighth Doctor Returns For Another One Night Stand…

Posted on August 18, 2013 by geelw

Sure, some of the more negative longtime fans of the show didn’t care for this one-shot TV movie that popped up on TV in 1999 with a new Doctor (played by Paul McGann) for the first time since the show was canceled ten years earlier, an American setting, main villain played by Eric Roberts (!) and a plot considered “lacking” by a few of those aforementioned followers of the series. On the other hand, the Doctor was BACK and like it or not, number eight is part of the long history of the character. Of course, as he only appeared in that ONE reboot, it’s going to be shown right after the special. Check it out if you’ve never seen it – it’s not bad for what it is, and hey – it also helped a little bit in getting the Doctor back on TV as a regular show, right?

Eastbound & Down Rises From The “Dead” One Last Time…

Posted on August 18, 2013 by geelw

Trying to explain Eastbound & Down to someone who’s never seen it is quite an interesting exercise. Granted, you don’t need to explain much before you have them plop down with all the previous seasons either on disc or HBO on Demand, but expect a few funny looks and perhaps the occasional query if your victim isn’t ready to be exposed to Kenny Powers and his rather… er, twisted take on things. I love that the show has no moral center at all, but Kenny tends to figure some things out as he torpedoes every ship in the port and then sets the docks on fire for good measure. The man’s a bridge burner SUPREME, but he still manages to be so dumb to the point you think he’s faking it. Fortunately, he’s not and similar to Larry David’s classic Curb Your Enthusiasm, the ensuing chaos is where the bulk of the so not PC laughs come from.

Anyway, Season 4 of Eastbound & Down premieres on September 29th, only on HBO (of course!).

Random Film of the Week(end): The Chairman

Posted on August 17, 2013 by geelw

(thanks, Night of the Trailers!)

One of those films that some overly reactionary folk will take WAY too seriously if they ever see it (or already have if they remember seeing it on TV), 1969’s The Chairman is an intriguing mix of drama, action and spy flick that despite a huge chunk of ambition and a nice sense of scale, really doesn’t do much other than shake the pot it’s in before burning up from its good idea/bad ideas never quite blending correctly.

Granted, seeing Gregory Peck play an egghead genius type sent to communist China by the US government to retrieve a special enzyme that can grow crops in any type of soil (cue evil Monsanto theme if there is such a thing) is both the most interesting and most baffling thing about this one. But don’t let that poster fool you too much into thinking Peck will fight Mao in a one on one battle or anything. They meet, but it’s a meeting of wills here – Peck’s got plenty of other stuff to worry about before and after that little engagement, however…

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Work in Hell Can Be Fun (If You’re Supervisor, That Is)…

Posted on August 17, 2013 by geelw

While it’s incredibly easy to get a job in Hell (they’ve got a 100% employment rate there), you’d probably want to seek out a higher level position as opposed to being trapped in the usual entry level position for eternity. Granted, EVERYONE starts out as entry level there, but it’s the true go-getters that actually make their way up the corporate ladder. All you have to do is ask your supervisor about how he or she got his or her gig and they’ll probably NOT tell you anything at all, whip you some more (or send you to the lava wash… you really don’t want to work there, trust me) or flat out lie about it.

Perseverance pays off handsomely (as does pushing your old supervisor off something high onto something hard and flat, hot and bubbly or really pointy – bonus points for all three at once) and you’ll soon find yourself yelling and punishing with the best of them…

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Diablo III Console TV Ad: What the Hell, Indeed (But In A Better Way Than Some Think)…

Posted on August 17, 2013 by geelw

I don’t know if Activision knows this yet, but this hilarious ad is a nice twist on the two Japanese TV spots from 1995 for the PlayStation port of Wizardry VII where a guy playing the game is suddenly visited by characters from the game (actors in costume) who grab him and take into into the game world. I’ll need to figure out how to get those clips from the import demo discs I have here and maybe post them (with fingers crossed that YouTube doesn’t get all jerky about it). Anyway, I’m certainly looking forward to this one a HELL (ha!) of a lot more than a chunk of the nasty naysayers commenting on this over the internet. It kind of sucks to be them and so unappreciative of Blizzard doing a console port that looks as good as the PC game in many respects while being more accessible to all sorts of players, but what can you do. Some folks made up their minds to hate this game as soon as it was announced and that’s just too bad…

Amnesia: A Machine for Pigs: Pre-Order NOW (And Prepare To Hide Under Something Later)

Posted on August 16, 2013 by geelw

Frictional Games is teaming up with the VERY great and talented hands of the fine folks at The Chinese Room (who did a marvelous job with Dear Esther) to get horror and horror game fans some spine-shaking true scares in this upcoming “sequel”. If you’ve yet to play the original Amnesia: The Dark Descent, drop something and do so this weekend or so, as it’s quite a ride from start to finish…

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Shout Factory Zaps Out Another “B”-Flick Sci-Fi Bundle…

Posted on August 16, 2013 by geelw

Nice. At a measly $6.95, these four sci-fi “classics” of assorted quality (mostly of the “so bad they’re awesome” variety) work out to a no-brainer “BUY ME!” price of $1.75 each, which is a BARGAIN if you love old cheese and don’t mind falling off your couch or chair in a heap a few times.

Of this new set of four, Reptilicus is pretty darn amazing as it fails on so many levels (to a jaw-dropping extreme, in fact) but makes for a surprising great visitor’s guide to Denmark’s nightlife (you’ll see). And of course, The Brain That Wouldn’t Die is completely mind-blowing in many ways for what it brings to the table. See it and you’ll get my stupid puns in that last sentence. I’ll make sure I’m out of town when you come to chase after me with a blunt object. The other two are also pretty awesome in that bad way, but it’s been a few years since I’ve seen either (which means I just may have to get this disc at some point)…

I actually didn’t know this the the second entry in this series of MGM non-masterpieces (calling them “classics” is a bit of a stretch that makes me smile and almost feel sorry for someone who grabs these thinking they’ve discovered solid gold in the trash heap). The first disc’s a doozy as well, but EVERYONE who considers himself a sci-fi or “B” movie fanatic needs to have seen Angry Red Planet and The Man From Planet X at least once before they flee this mortal coil.The again, if these are your bucket list flicks… you’ve either seen way too many movies or just not enough. Consider taking long walks (at least five miles a day) and drinking a gallon of prune juice a week. You’ll live longer than your buddies laughing at you for liking such lousy films.

“Why so serious?” You ask? Well, you might actually drop dead after seeing these flicks if you go in thinking they’re “great” and your brain rage quits on you, but hey, what’s life without a little risk, I say? Don’t choke on that popcorn either, stay away from diet soda and watch out for the cat when you plop down on the couch (it’s hiding under that big pillow again, me-ow!)…

Gamescom 2013: Thief “Uprising” Trailer: Garrett’s Got A 2014 Date With You (Lock Your Stuff Down)…

Posted on August 16, 2013 by geelw

Well, for whatever good THAT will do, as it’ll just make him want to make YOU unconscious faster so he can have at that lock you paid good money for. Look, just make it easy on yourself, people: When February 25, 2014 rolls around, just pretend Santa is coming down that chimney, but instead of leaving out some milk and cookies, you just put out a plate of valuables and a note to not hit you upside the noggin with that blackjack. Hell, he’ll even take that hideous costume jewelry you were planning on donating to Goodwill, as anything he can sell all goes to getting his gear upgraded.

Of course, if you’re jerking his chain and plan to ONLY put out the cheap stuff while stuffing that Pink Panther somewhere… er, safe and warm. Oh, he’ll figure that out FAST. He’s been watching you all week and when you walk with that gem stuffed where the sun doesn’t shine, he’ll see that right away. Just so you know, it’s exactly these sort of observation skills that make an excellent thief…

Young Justice Legacy Hands-On Update: Still Kicking (and Punching) For A November Launch

Posted on August 16, 2013 by geelw

First, the “bad” news (which isn’t bad at all when you read the good news): Young Justice Legacy is coming out in November for multiple platforms, not September as noted a few updates back. The “good” news (which is actually great news): the delay (which is thanks to the started later Nintendo versions) will give developer Freedom Force more time to polish this already fun action “RPG-light”. The gameplay is heavy on the easy to tap out combo attacks and special moves, while the character customization should appeal to gamers who like to beef of their heroes to be better, faster and stronger versions of their already powerful selves.

Some additional hands-on time this week when Little Orbit dropped into NYC revealed that the game is really shaping up to be a solid and pretty decent game experience that’s not going to reinvent any wheels, but should please fans of the canceled show in terms of where the story fits into the canon and the dozen playable characters from the show. You’re getting an action-heavy pick up and play game along the lines of Justice League Heroes or Marvel Ultimate Alliance with more stylized visuals, a nice set of locales from and inspired by the show, a voice cast full of folks from the show and some classic DC villains to go up against solo or with up to two other friends offline or online.

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