Kaiji Remedies vs. Middle-Earth Memories (No Sides Chosen Here)…

Well,if you were chasing after me with an axe or something, I’d lean more towards Pacific Rim than The Hobbit: Desolation of Smaug, but that’s only because that first Hobbit didn’t knock me off my toes (although it was entertaining). I’m a longer-term kaiju fanatic anyway, so Del Toro’s mechs and monsters epic gets the automatic not. Reviews I’m skipping ENTIRELY on this one, but I’ve seen a few tweets and other overly social media posts spilling a few positive beans about the final version. Good for you, ya lucky bums and your free passes, grrrr! Then again, I have two passes to see Turbo on Saturday (and no one to drag to the theater at 10am), so I guess that means I’m moving up in the world (or at least sideways… slowly)

Personally, I really, REALLY liked it better when people only gabbed about this sort of stuff to friends in person or on an old rotary phone. This always connected string-less tin can crap is the pain of the ages sometimes…

Random Film BUY of the Week: Shout Factory Gets The Producers Back on Stage!

the producersWell, not back on Broadway, bubbeleh… but as a Blu-Ray/DVD combo pack for you to buy and own. Thank you, Shout Factory!! Anyway, I say you ab-solutely need a copy of The Producers: Collector’s Edition because it’s PERFECT for those crappy days any time of the year when you want to pop something laughing. or those great days where you want to pop something laughing. Oh,and that that *new* Drew Friedman cover? Gorgeous! I say shaddup and buy this if you haven’t seen it yet (sure,sure – the play is funny, but the film is better and cheaper, I say!), then round up some of your friends and invite them over for a nice laugh or a hundred. Of course, they’ll be bringing food. There’s ALWAYS food when you want to have a little get-together, right? You want to come over too? Sure, sure – just call me, and I’ll make a nice chicken (plain, in the oven!)…

The Walking Dead: 400 Days Trailer: Creeping Up On You Faster Than You Thought…

…as in “BOO!” it’s on PSN (and PC and Xbox Live) right now (and at ONLY five bucks, it’s a MUST buy) waiting to lurch onto that PS3 or Vita as soon as you snap up a copy and download it. The caught me and a few other folks off guard because we thought Telltale might be saving this one up for a late summer or even fall release, but yes indeed, it’s out now and that’s awesome. Especially for me as a big Vita user (as the Vita needs all the great games it can get and although short, this one’s definitely in that Game of the Year territory based on all I’ve been reading). I guess now it’s all about finding something to cower under while playing that’s not going to roast me alive in this summer heat. Well, I guess I could play at night when it’s cooler.. but then I’d be looking over my shoulder every five seconds for any sudden movements…eeek. Eh, we’ll see, I guess… Off to find a coin to flip and decide what to do (it’s too hot to think straight today!)…

Humor: So Wrong, But You’ll Laugh (I Bet…)

So Wrong I was going to blank the lettering out on this old comic book cover and add some really awful text, but all you need to do is look at this image VERY carefully and read the balloons as-is to get a huge laugh. It shouldn’t take more than a minute for the slower of you out there to pick up what’s off here. Let’s just say that doc works fast, huh?  Everyone else – give yourself a pat on the back or something.

OK, I’m going to bed. The weather has been too hot, too rainy, too humid and too annoying, so I’m a a very, VERY rare mid-grey mood. That won’t last longer than a day, as I did also just find out I’m getting something cool in the mail in about two weeks. Whee! but for now, bleh. I’m off to pass out and have dreams about strange floating people or something like that. Hmmm, I think I’m going to knock them out of the air with my flyswatter and charge them admission for breaking into my personal amusement park, grrrr…

Oh, if you don’t get it – feel free to take a swing below in the comments. I may not ever let you know if you’re right, but we’ll see what happens…

Motorbike: DO Try This At Home (You’d Get Quite Hurt Anywhere Else)…

Sony finally gets another stunt-bike game onto PSN, but unlike the otherwise fun Urban Trial Freestyle, bakno Games’ super-cool looking PC, Mac and Linux game Motorbike has a track edit function that allows for the creation and sharing of those doom-packed courses you’ll be up all night constructing. Of course, even in this video the game looks fun (and painful to those poor digital riders!) and you also get the choice of two female avatars here (something missing from UTF as well). I’d say that the only real drawback to this one is it’s not Vita compatible (whaaat? Boo!), meaning there go my illusions of taking this on the road or elsewhere out of doors unless I strap a TV and PS3 to my chest (or finally buy a decent smartphone!). Oh well… it’s all for the best, I suppose- it’s like I want to miss a subway or bus stop because I was in the middle of a 720-degree flip and wanted to try and stick that landing as my nose or butt got jammed in a set of closing doors (Ouch!). Hmm.. I wonder what a nose cast looks like? Or a butt cast, for that matter…

CE Week 2013: Grip & Shoot Makes Many Apps a Snap!

Grip_and_ShootIf you own an iPhone, you’ve taken pictures with it and if you’ve taken pictures with it, there are those shots you’ve missed or mucked up because you could have used an extra hand or one less finger sticking into the resulting photo. Or perhaps you’ve handed your phone to a total stranger and asked him or her to snap away, only to watch them fiddling away trying to find the right button (no, not EVERYONE owns an iPhone, folks). Well, if they don’t simply smile,tip their cap and make a run for the hills with your phone, that is (hey, I’m in NYC, so this tends to happen, according to the authorities)…

Ladies and gentlemen, Ben Zajeski feels your pain. He’s the Project Engineer behind the amazing Grip & Shoot, a three-piece system that Apple needs to think about making a standard issue accessory. This genius device turns that iPhone into a MUCH better still and movie camera and also allows for may other apps to be used in a more natural way without fear of dropping that pricey phone. Created for the iPhone 4S or 5 (which fits snugly into a special case which then attaches to the Bluetooth-enabled Smart Grip handle) and simple to set up, this one’s another product that needs to be in the hands of as many iPhone users as possible. You can also detach and use the bottom of the grip handle with a tripod for the ultimate in stability (no more shaky-cam movies!) as well as use any other case as long as it can fit onto the Smart Grip handle.

It’s another one of those great accessories that as soon as you get your hands on it, it not only feels perfect, it makes you wonder why the heck Apple didn’t include something like it with any previous iPhone iteration. Without a case, a plain iPhone can get a bit slippery to hold onto, which is a huge issue many users have with the phone when taking pictures or playing games. Speaking of playing games, Grip & Shoot has an open API that’s developer friendly and yes indeed, if that’s up your alley you’re welcome to sign up and join the party before this thing takes off and becomes huge. While it’s currently not yet available for sale, it will be soon and yes, you should boogie on over to the product site and then here to sign up.

Monday Got You Down Again? Call A Cab & The Brothers Will Bring You Up!

Yeah, that rain outside stinks today! It certainly slowed my productivity down considerably. Anyway, you had a REALLY crappy day at work, right? Well, I wish I’d posted this earlier…(sorry!). Anyway, here’s some Stormy Weather for you, complete with possibly the best classic tap routine on film from The Nicholas Brothers. If you’re not energized and bouncing around the room by the end of this, you may want to ring up an undertaker. Yeah, you can dance around the room, you know. Only the cat is watching and it really doesn’t give a hoot… unless you’ve forgotten to feed it and it’s looking at you funny.

Can The Conjuring Scare Up (and Out) an Audience? Let’s See Now…

I’d say it’ll be one of those big weekend gross horror flicks that tapers off to a whisper around week four or five for a few reasons. ONE: The Amityville Horror/Paranormal Activity/Exorcist-style format is VERY played out unless you’re one of those suckers who continually gets scared by these sorts of “horror” flicks. TWO: “Based on a True Story”? Yeah, right. All that means is a room full of writers over a period of time condensed a newspaper clipping or TV news item to even barer bones before padding it out with assorted jump scares and maybe some minor gore effects, creepy music and noises on the soundtrack to get a specific rating. THREE: Speaking of that rating… That “R” rating better mean I’m under the couch and chewing the carpet up, not snoozing through some hokey faux parapsychologists and another easily debunked “ghost” story. Yeah, I said couch, as I refuse to see any modern horror movie these days with a too-easy to squeal and squeak audience that saw the same damn sort of movie two weeks ago or earlier and acts as if that same “BOO!” shock effect is something they’ve never seen in their short attention spanned lives.

That and the dopes who talk at the screen and/or yell at people for doing so make it far more entertaining to flush that ticket money down the nearest toilet…

CE Week 2013: Trego: Some Apple Users Make Even Better Accessories Than Apple Does.

Trego_1It took all of under three seconds for Ramsey Elias to show off his amazing Trego and even though I’m not an iPad user, I’d buy one just to tote it around in that wearable case and show it off as he did. As I walked up and asked what a Trego was, he whipped the bag around from his back to his chest, zipped open a flap and down dropped a securely fixed iPad ready for action. I laughed and nodded because it was such a genius invention that Elias really didn’t need to say more and his own grin made me feel as if he’s quite used to people responding in a similar fashion.

Trego_3 

trego_2Speaking of fashion, that Trego is a really cool-looking bag as well as a more than capable multi-tasker. It’s got separate storage for plenty of extra gear, That drop down tray makes the bag a sturdy workstation that never has to leave your body (making your tablet a hard to steal item) and if you do take the bag off, it’s still an excellent, stable work surface. Even cooler, your iPad rests in a detachable case when you need to take it out of the bag, but I’m betting you’ll be so happy you have a hands-free solution that keeps your tablet safe that you’ll be trying to take your Trego into bed or the shower. I’d say bed is good if you’re using that iPad for something fun, but I don’t think using it in the shower is a particularly great idea…

That Apple doesn’t carry these in their stores is a shame, as I’m betting the sight of an Apple associate whipping that Trego around to reveal a new iPad would practically guarantee 1:1 sales of the device and what’s currently the best carrying case for it I’ve ever seen. Anyway, got an iPad? get a Trego. $79, free shipping (in the Continental US). It’s that simple. And go tell a friend to get one as well so they don’t try to steal yours. Then again, the chances of that happening are slim, as they’ll have have a hard time getting your own hands off that bag…

CE Week 2013: Fujiiryoki Will Get Your Big Ass Fit While You’re Standing Still or Lying Down…

FJ-099Every time I see one of the many, MANY ads for diet pills, magic sprinkly chemical powders or drinks that make you full and other ineffectively expensive crap pushed on the public to people who think losing weight is too hard because actual exercise is involved that’s more than driving to the mall or walking down to the mailbox (or on a real daring stroll, to the local pharmacy).

I’m betting some real money of my own that if some of these quick fixers and anti-fitness fools added up all the money they’ve spent wasted on those “wonder” drugs and processed junk that only makes their purses and wallets lighter, they could all each afford a Fujiiryoki FJ-099 Body Slimmer and/or one of the company’s heavenly massage chairs.

Not to get all heavy on you (ha ha), but if you can ambulate yourself out to grab a diet pill of questionable origin and even more debatable effect and moan to your friends that it didn’t work or it worked too well but only in that “Welp, now I’m hooked and my liver/kidneys/spleen hates me!” kinda way… well, you’ve got no one to blame but yourself. Meanwhile, Dr Fuji’s expensive solution pays for itself, does a few awesome things to that body you’ll see AND feel and guess what? I bet you a dollar you’ll be laughing your ass off as you rumble those pounds down and get back into fighting shape. As soon as I saw Dr. Fuji on that CE Week show floor getting his Gangnam Style on while dancing on that Body Slimmer, yeah, I laughed at and with him before strolling past. The second time I circled past and saw a web show crew filming a funny promo spot, I decided to step up after they cleared out and see what the whole “Butt Show” thing was about.

Boy, was I (and my butt) VERY surprised…

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