John Ford’s Stagecoach: Writers, Here’s How To Introduce Your Hero (#2 Of A Bunch)…

Posted on May 1, 2014 by geelw

What can I say about John Ford that hasn’t been better said by a load of other (and far better) writers? Not much, other than even if you hate westerns, his 1939 classic, Stagecoach was and still is a quite phenomenal film from a year where there were dozens of them popping into theaters throughout the year. That famous first shot of John Wayne as Ringo is brilliant and thrilling because it immediately introduces a character that adds to the story in many ways. Without seeing the rest of the film, this clip sets up Ringo as someone who’s liked and hated, a friend, yet a stranger and some sort of outlaw. He’s not giving up his Winchester at all, and yes, that stubbornness comes in very handy soon enough as things get dangerous and his skills are required.

I haven’t seen this one in a while, but if it’s on soon (TCM, of course! I missed the John Wayne flicks they ran last month) and I’m up, I’ll be watching and cheering those great stunts and oohing at that stunning Monument Valley setting once again…

Funko Wants To Pop! Your Wallet With Too Much Cool…

Posted on May 1, 2014 by geelw

Funko continues to expand its Pop! line with more new figures from your favorite films, TV shows and other pop culture trends, meaning you’ll be expanding that shelf or cabinet space to make room for MORE cool vinyls. May (this month!) brings Custom D.I.Y. Male and Female figures that allow you to create your own “limited edition” figures using whatever means necessary. These blanks can be painted, sculpted, chopped in pieces and put back together (eek!) or whatever you can think of. Well, as long as you’re pleased with the results.

June brings in a couple of doses of Disney, old-ish and new. Old-ish would be the four Pop figures from Beauty and the Beast, Belle, Cosgsworth, Lumiere, and Mrs. Potts (with Chip!):

June also brings in A fresh set of Star Wars Pop figures (I still can’t quite grasp Disney owning that license!) that include characters from Episode IV: A New Hope, Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back, and Episode VI: Return of the Jedi including a super-sized 6″ Wampa, Luke Skywalker in his Hoth outfit, Bossk, The Emperor, Hammerhead, and a Stormtrooper Biker Scout. can you say TOO cute? Sure, you can!

Yeah, yeah – the Star Wars stuff isn’t out ’til NEXT month, so it’s missing those “May the Fourth Be With You” celebrations this time. Funko is just showing them off now to get you all hyped up for when they’re officially released. Now that your wallet is drained, I guess I should inform you that there’s MORE on the way. So keep building those shelves and display cases and Funko will make sure you’ll always have something to put on them…

Mad Max “Much Damage?” Clip: Writers, Here’s How To Introduce Your Hero (#1 of A Bunch)…

Posted on May 1, 2014 by geelw

So, TCM making more (and better) use of its YouTube page means I get to babble about storytelling for a series of posts about one important part of a good (or even not so good) heroic movie. Forget all about Mel’s more current issues, folks. Back when this film was made, he was cool beans on a fresh plate and Mad Max was to many, his breakthrough role (at least in the USA where action fans got both barrels from this wild ride). This particular clip shows George Miller’s assured direction of always hard to shoot vehicle action and some dynamic camerawork along with excellent use of scoring and sound effects. The opening minute of this scene is pure white-knuckle action, then there’s a pause while Max is introduced and takes over the pursuit, completely changing the tone. The contrast between the Night Rider’s ranting and Max’s slow set-up works and when he breaks the Toecutter in that “chicken” match, you know it’s pretty much all over. Granted, Max goes though some breaking of his own as the film progresses, but I’ll let you catch this on TCM (Saturday, May 3 at 2am ET/Fri, May 2 at 11pm PT) and not spoil a thing if you’re now to this one…

Gallery: Fearless Fantasy – A Super Colorful Gesture-Based JRPG Homage? Count Me In!

Posted on May 1, 2014 by geelw

So, these past few weeks are turning out to be full of nice surprises on the indie game scene, or perhaps I’m finally starting to see new games that grab my attention because they stand out from the way too crowded marketplace that seems to get new titles on a daily basis vying for attention. This time, it’s tinyBuild Games‘ upcoming digital-only release Fearless Fantasy, a wonderful-looking turn-based RPG with gesture-based combat, rich, colorful graphics and actual (as in GOOD) humor in the writing. Sure, my plate is full and my backlog is mighty, but as soon as saw that video above, those screenshots below and the GIFs , I made room to give this one a shot once a preview code arrives.

As for those GIFs, they’re below the jump along with a bit of amusing press release stuff to peruse along with some lovely character images. If you didn’t watch that video above, prepare your eyeballs for a color blast assault… Continue reading →

Mario Kart 8 Direct: Nintendo Goes Nuts (Part Whatever) In The Best Possible Manner…

Posted on May 1, 2014 by geelw

Yep, Nintendo is swinging for the fences with all their might with these Directs and as crazy as it sounds to those who wan the console to simply roll over and die (it won’t), it looks as if they’re going to make the Wii U a system its owners can be proud of no matter how it does against the competition. Granted, by all accounts I’ve read, Mario Kart 8 isn’t breaking any “new” ground other than being the first in the series to run in glorious HD. On the other hand, it also shows that no one knows what its customers want in a returning and eagerly awaited franchise like this than Nintendo. Could it use MORE characters like (Smash Bros.), some actual gameplay innovations and perhaps better support for that GamePad? Sure, why not try to sell more copies to people who might still be on the fence about that shiny black or white console of yours? Of course, the game will sell millions as it is and doesn’t need me to tell you die-hards anything at all about what it “needs” to do.

Then again, the oddball launch strategy for the 3DS and Wii U versions does have me a tad worried. Then again, second guessing Nintendo seems to be a silly proposition (with a few exceptions where I’ve been correct, ha ha). Between this and the company skipping the usual E3 press briefing for a big Direct presentation (more on that later today), following its own muse is the best thing the company has done in a while. Methinks 2014 is going to be a worm-turning phase for that beleaguered console some have already written off, but it’ll take a LOT of sales in a market packed with too many other grand distractions…

Humor: While I Go (Back) To Hell, You Can Watch A Movie…

Posted on April 30, 2014 by geelw

Okay, I’ve been obsessed with Diablo III on the PlayStation 3 for the past few months on and off. Why? two words: HELLFIRE RING. As I’m NOT cheating or playing online with cheaters who provide hacked gear to anyone who asks, I’ve been chipping away at the game’s Inferno mode, going past the level cap of 60 and into Paragon territory, where I’m currently at Level 15 (of 100 total Paragon levels). Now, I’ve gotten to Whimsyshire already (there’s NO “Cow Level” in DIII, but you do meet the Cow King once you create the Staff of Herding), but the big deal for me has been trying to craft a Hellfire Ring. Well, a few Hellfire Rings, but the first one is the hardest. Pull up a chair and grab a drink, as this is going to get all game-y and technical.

Anyone else, you can watch a free movie instead while I bend the ear of those who stayed behind with some caffeine.

(thanks, vintagemoviearchive!)

Hmmm… let’s see now. Ah. THIS should do nicely – who doesn’t love some vintage Vincent Price? Oh, you don’t? Well then… step right this way and stand here while I throw this lever. A little to your left, please? Good. Oh, wait. Here’s a pillow. Consider it a parting gift. You may want to stuff it down the back of your pants, though…

(throws lever, trap door opens)

So long, now!

Continue reading →

Disney Infinity: Marvel Super Heroes: “This Is Why We Can’t Have Nice Things”, Indeed…

Posted on April 30, 2014 by geelw

Well, it HAD to happen, but I’m not exactly happy it has. Anyway, I bet Activision is royally ticked off because this would have been excellent as a T-rated Marvel Ultimate Alliance sequel or reboot with a more serious story and more “realistic” action figures that they could have also done as a more family-friendly jaunt in the Skylanders vein. Granted, dividing the universe up like that may have been a bad idea because one BIG game that will sell well is better at the end of the day that two that use wallet-draining collectibles as a core element, but who knows? I could see the older collectors sticking to the heroes they like and spending money and those with kids (and more money) springing for both sets, but that’s my brain over-thinking things (again).

Anyway, the license is now Disney’s to play with for ages (forever, it seems), so this is what’s coming, and soon, at that. Hmmm… Iron Man, Thor and The Black Widow in that starter pack? Okay, but I bet Cap will sell out in America and yes, like you, I thought Spider-Man (who’ll fly off store shelves as well) wasn’t going to be here thanks to Sony Pictures currently owning the rights to the character. Yes, Disney Infinity 2.0 and these figures will indeed sell out everywhere this holiday season, but I’d love to see something mature pop up out of the Marvel Universe again before it goes all cookies and milk and yearly “spend your holiday money on THIS!” on us grumpy old timers. That, and how do you make Deadpool cute? Or the Man-Thing? Or some of the other oddball characters you probably won’t see here thanks to some hefty editing out of anything deemed too much by Disney? Eh, we’ll see… I’ve been proven wrong many times in the past.

Axiom Verge: Kicking It Old School. Punching Your TV And Throwing Your Controller Or Vita? Optional.

Posted on April 30, 2014 by geelw

Some of what it says on the PlayStation YouTube page:

inspired by such classics as Rygar, Contra, Bionic Commando, Blaster Master, and, of course, Metroid. But it also gives you power over glitches like those found in classic games, allowing you to scramble enemies, corrupt environments, and enter hidden areas.

Hmmmm… Okay, I’m IN. PC, PlayStation 4 and Vita bound soon, Axiom Verge may look like yet another of those endless numbers of retro homage games that crowd the indie space these days, but everything I just saw about in in that trailer above set my nostalgia meter into the red zone where it’ll be stuck until I finally play the game proper.

To me, it looks spectacular, capturing that old-school 8-bit vibe through its sprite and tile-based visuals while adding a few wicked visual effects you probably didn’t see back then on home consoles. Even better, it’s being made by ONE guy, Tom Happ, who has worked on a number of “triple-A” games for both PC and consoles (End of Nations, Tiger Woods, and NFL Street, to name a few), meaning he knows what he’s doing (but I’ll bet his wife thinks he’s crazy sometimes for tacking such a killer project like this!).

Even more awesome, in addition to the screenshots above featuring his great pixel art, Happ has also made some excellent GIFs of the game in motion so you can see all that hard work he’s doing. The screens are above and the GIFs below the jump because they’re of varying sizes. Enjoy! Expect updates as more news comes in and if you’re a fan of this style of game, you KNOW you need to get this on something its coming to. I’m all over this one, but I know the folks who hate having their butts handed to them by digitized alien scum will be pooh-poohing this before they even pick up a controller. It’s their loss, of course… Continue reading →

Dark Horse Comics Wants You to WIN $1000! But There’s A Nicely Nostalgic Catch-ola…

Posted on April 30, 2014 by geelw

Yeah, that’s right. You need to buy a copy of Mike Richardson and Bruce Zick’s The Atomic Legion, read it up right (and probably upright!), all the while with your thinking cap on. Come up with EVERY reference in the book and you score a thousand bucks and your favorite comic emporium scores that much in Dark Horse comics and graphic novels. Of course, they’ll probably try and SELL you that thousand bucks worth of books to match that cash burning a hole in your winning pockets, but hey… such is the life of supply and demand, right?

Sounds like a plan, man or ma’am? The get to it then! I scanned the preview pages and my head nearly exploded because I saw TOO many references to stuff from back in the day. I’d say every panel has something and I got quite a chuckle going on the page with the old comic titles that might fly over the heads of the whippersnappers looking to score an easy grand. This one won’t be simple at all, but I know someone will luck out and score that loot…

Sword Art Online: Hollow Fragment Update: There’s A Tale With A Twist Or Three Coming…

Posted on April 30, 2014 by geelw

As promised, here’s updated info about the PlayStation Vita exclusive, Sword Art Online: Hollow Fragment, coming to PSN this summer. Apparently, it’s a twofer as the press release says the PSN-only download will contain an HD version of the previous game in the franchise titled Sword Art Online: Infinity Moment, which was originally released in Japan for the PlayStation Portable.

In a few respects, the game will probably seem quite familiar to those who played and loved the .hack series of games on the PlayStation 2, as SAO takes place in a “virtual MMO” world where players are trapped and are required to keep fighting enemies in order to survive. Some press release action for you? Sure, why not? Read on, MacDuff:

Take on the role of Kirito, the main character of Sword Art Online, who has been locked into the VR world of Aincrad by the creator of the game along with thousands of other players, including popular characters from the original anime series. To escape the fantastical and dangerous world, players must explore and defeat the enemies contained within. Players will actively engage monsters and characters and experience aggressive battles with breathtaking attack actions, exhilarating combos and powerful burst attacks. Continuing to ﬁght is essential when locked in the VR world – if players die in the fantasy world, their character will die in real life.

Sounds like fun… except for the dying in the real world part. Eeek. Anyway, more on this one as news rolls in.