Have Blogathon? Will Travel!

Posted on July 6, 2013 by geelw

OK, screw this damn hot as the sun under the sun weather. it is KILLING my productivity a bit too much. Well, I have a ton of notes for posts, but when I read them, my brain starts baking up like a Sunday ham (“Got any ham? Ham, ham, ham…”). Anyway, I think it’s a case of familiarity breeding contempt here. Or in plainer English – I’m working so much on my own stuff that I think I need a little challenge. All this heat is making me nuts, but I think I can contribute something to another or three of those fancy movie “blog-a-thon” thingies I’ve been seeing pop up.

I submitted to one already (see, see!) and I think I’ll get a nice kick in the pants if something new tickles my Fancy (which is picky as hell, aren’t you, Fancy? Yes, you are! Yes you are!). So, that’s where you come in, fellow talented typists of pedigree. I’d cook up my own blogathon, but I’m already project heavy here. That said, I do have a bunch of already written Random film of the Week and Random Film of the Week(end) plus a few other reviews on the site that might do for a new airing out link elsewhere. I can also write up something custom for an event (no wedding speeches, birth or bris announcements – let’s keep things in the ballpark where I have a chance of hitting something).

Anyway, feel free to let me know if you know of or are in fact, hosting one of these shindigs and I’ll gladly contribute. I just signed up for one that happened to pop up on another (and much bigger deal than my) blog as I was writing out this post(you can join the fun there as well!), so that’s one down – more to go…

Earth Defense Force 4 Gameplay Videos: Bigger, Better, Faster, MORE.

Posted on July 6, 2013 by geelw

(thanks, GameEmpireHD!)

My own copy of the game is in transit from Play-Asia, but there are some folks who picked up the game in Japan and are posting videos galore to show off some of the new features and the updated visuals. Here are a few from Game Empire HD that range from short to medium lengths and show a few of the classes in action. I’m a bit more methodical in how I play an EDF game, so seeing all those pickups left lying around at the end of those stages is a bit distressing. Then again, I’m gathering the person playing is trying to blast through the game as quickly as possible just to get as many videos up as possible.

That said, I did notice all of the videos posted so far are played on Normal mode. Personally, I always blaze through Easy first when playing an EDF game just to get it out of the way, earn a bunch of armor and new weapons plus whatever bonus is gained for completing the game on that difficulty level. That and it’s the best way to see what’s coming on the harder difficulties without struggling with too much dropped on my head at once. OK, I think I have about a week or so to wait, so let the countdown commence…

Pacific Rim TV Spot #7 (Plus!): Another Smash Hit From Kaiju Goo Goo…

Posted on July 6, 2013 by geelw

Only a few days left before this stomps into theaters, so yes indeed, the ad and future Blu-Ray/DVD bonus features are rolling out bit by bit. I haven’t been following any merchandising on this film at all, primarily to keep me from buying every Jager and Kaiju I can lay my eyeballs on to fill that shelf space I don’t have (hey, nearly every inch of free space has a game in it or nearby). But don’t let that stop YOU from blowing a chunk of your last paycheck or three if you see something that grabs you.

Er, of course… if that something grabbing you is a few hundred feet tall, you can throw all the money you want at it and not much will happen at all. Hell you don’t have THAT much shelf space anyway…

Hey, part of that last sentence rhymed! No charge for that instant poem (as usual)…

Review: Spelunker (Virtual Console)

Posted on July 6, 2013 by geelw

Platform: Nintendo Wii U (also on Wii, 3DS)

Developer: Tozai Games

Publisher: Tozai Games

# of Players: 1

ESRB Rating: E (Everyone)

Official Site

Score: A- (90%)

Still going strong after 30 years, Spelunker is one of those great games that gets a lot of love and hate for what it puts you through. On one hand, it’s a challenging game packed with treasures to grab and a satisfying sense of accomplishment each time you clear a level. On the other hand, it’s a REALLY and infuriatingly challenging game thanks to “the weakest action hero in the history of gaming”, and yes, that’s a selling point of this gem, folks. If you’re no fan of trial and error, the combination of this terminally frail dude, the need for pinpoint control and collecting air supplies scattered around the levels while avoiding death from everything from a VERY short fall to the small assortment of enemies will have you screaming at your TV within seconds…
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It’s an Impromptu Holiday. Whee? Nope, It’s Just Too HOT to Work…

Posted on July 5, 2013 by geelw

Myahhh. MAN, it’s HOT out. Some like it that way, but I do NOT. “How hot is it?” you ask? TOO damn hot, it’s too damn hot. To be more precise, it’s hotter than Georgia asphalt out, my energy level is draaaaining faster than the Bandy tract (sslurrrrrrrp!) and I think I’m melting. How are you feeling? Hot, hot, hot? It feels like today is the day the earth stood still AND caught fire. I could go on and on with the movie references, but my poor brain has gone and walked on out of my head and is sitting in the freezer taking a nap. And my feet are about to go join it there.

Anyway, back later tonight, or at most, by tomorrow morning to afternoon. I’m so beat that on the way back from shopping with ingredients to make a niiiiice soup, I thought of the time I needed to spend chopping up stuff to toss into a pot, made a detour and had a slice of pizza and the rest of that bottle of formerly ice-cold water I’d been toting around all day.

OK, I did get three insanely hot peppers cut up and into a jar with some oil for later use, but while saving the seeds to plant (hey, free peppers are a side benefit and easy to grow too!), I accidentally rubbed my eye (thankfully after washing my hands) and had a small sun frying one side of my face for a bit. Oh, it’s fine now, but I was about to act out the ending of The Man With the X-Ray Eyes for about five minutes or so. OK, I’m going to take another shower and collapse onto my bed with the fan on. If I pop up later tonight, it’ll be a miracle…

DARK “3D Features” Trailer: Riding The Double Gimmick Wave…

Posted on July 5, 2013 by geelw

This latest trailer for RealmForge’s upcoming Xbox 360 and PC game DARK shows off both modern and “vintage” 3D visual options. I’m still one of those skeptics about that Oculus Rift being anything but a developer’s dream more than a gamer’s go-to peripheral, but that’s because I haven’t tried those damned fancy eyeball curtains and am getting tired as hell of hearing people claim that it’s such a hot deal. I’m sure I’ll get to give the Rift a go one day and be a-mazed out of my skull, but I don’t trust a product without a release date nor a price point that claims to be affordable and the best thing since sliced bread with bacon baked into it. I guess the best thing to do is dig up my ancient cardboard anaglyph 3D glasses and see how that mode hold up as I look into snapping up the more expensive version of that old tech in the future to see if it’s worth what it’ll cost (which probably won’t be as cheap as I’d like). Eh, whatever – if the game is good without the extra distraction of something on my face, it’s a better thing at the end of the day…

Random Film of the Week: Yankee Doodle Dandy

Posted on July 5, 2013 by geelw

Like most Hollywood musical biographies, Yankee Doodle Dandy plays fast and loose with its versions of the facts, but also does a really fine job of keeping you hooked in thanks to great casting, a zippy pace and plenty of great, memorable scenes. James Cagney’s performance as George M. Cohan is thrilling enough (he rightfully won an Academy Award for it), but every other actor playing a major role here does an excellent job or keeping up with Cagney’s fast-talking, speak-singing, loose-limbed portrayal of the legendary multi-talented entertainer.

Released in 1942 to a country recently plunged into the Second World War, the sheer level of flag-waving, heart-clutching, voice booming Pledge of Allegiance patriotism here is eye-popping to the point of unintentionally funny, but it manages to works flawlessly as a morale booster of the highest order. It’s also a pretty decent comedy when it needs to be, as George’s early days are well-played by a young actor who nails his part for some early comic gold before succeeding his part to the snappier, snazzier Cagney.

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Aggronautix’ DEVO Energy Dome Throbblehead Gets My Musical Memories Buzzing…

Posted on July 4, 2013 by geelw

As usual, Aggronautix hits me on the head with another nostalgia surprise from the 80’s. This one’s in a limited edition of 2000, ships out in September and you can pre-order directly from Aggronautix HERE or at Seeofsound HERE. I hadn’t listened to it in ages, but seeing this news in my inbox had smile and break out the Freedom of Choice CD and yup, it still holds up as a great collection of tunes that had appeal outside the confines of the “new wave” pigeonhole it got jammed into.

Of course, trying to put DEVO into any sort of box is a foolish endeavor, kids. They’ve always done what they do in a memorable enough manner that makes for some fine E-Z Listening no matter what the critics say…

(Thanks, DEVOvision!)

While the Ketars and keyboards lent a synth-pop feel to the record, the stellar drum work (from the late Alan Meyers) and hard guitars throughout the LP made for some interesting cross genre airplay. “Gates of Steel” and the title track popped up on some heavy metal radio stations, “Whip it” was also a huge “crossover” hit on a few stations (and totally misunderstood by some thanks to that hilarious music video), and some of the other tunes (“That’s Pep!”, “Planet Earth”) make for pretty nice and subtle social commentary you might not grasp on that first listen. Anyway, let me shut up and get back to the present before I end up breaking out some more “oldies” from that era…

Earth Defense Force 4 Launch TV Spots: July 4 is Business As Usual in Japan…

Posted on July 4, 2013 by geelw

Today’s the big day for some gamers in Japan as Earth Defense Force 4 is out and getting furiously played by many. Those of us who’ve imported copies will be waiting patiently around their mailboxes like vultures for our copies to show up and it’ll be hiding away from the sun for a bit as we plow through the game and see what developer Sandlot has done with the series in the five or so years since they last worked on a home console EDF game.

From some poking around on GameFaqs, a few users who live in Japan and have the game are loving the changes so far (a good sign) and combined with the positive Famitsu scores (a 34/40 average), this one looks like a keeper.

Of course, when the game hits US shores next year, you WON’T be seeing these wacky Japanese ads for it at all, so I’m doing my civic duty as an EDF patriot and running them here.

I don’t know what D3Publisher of America’s ad plans are, as they generally don’t run a ton of ads for their games anyway, but it would be nice to see some sort of equally oddball campaign here that’s inexpensive yet equally amusing and effective.

Impressions of the import to come in a bit – I’m going to go get my vulture outfit out of storage and go hang out downstairs…

“Moses Supposes” SOME of You Need A Laugh Right About Now…

Posted on July 3, 2013 by geelw

How’s your Wednesday going? OK? Good. Get lost. This one’s for the gloomy crew out there suffering because they have a long weekend vacation with people they’d want to put IN a cooler or on a grill and not have to drive a few dozen to hundred miles just to get the usual yearly family feeding frenzy (one of many the holidays have devolved into). If that’s you, yeah – wash away those bad thoughts with a cold something and catch a little wordplay and fancy dancing from Kelly and O’Connor in this clip from Singin’ in the Rain. What,you were expecting something from Yankee Doodle Dandy? Well, that’s supposed to be a Random Film of the Week post one of these days (and perhaps even tomorrow if I can swing it and have the time to run it up the flagpole here). Anyway,I like this sequence because it’s just so dumb on paper, but perfect as a moving image. Enjoy and maybe drag one of those relatives you’re cranky at to watch it as well – it’s nice to share, you know…