Random Film of the Week: Sharky’s Machine

Posted on January 13, 2014 by geelw

Okay, I’ll admit it. I saw Sharky’s Machine with a few friends back in 1981 just so we could see a massive train-wreck in action. Of course, we were all surprised that the Burt Reynolds-directed film was not only quite good and well made, but actually a lot darker in tone than expected. There are also plenty of scenery-chewing funny bits in here as well, but none of them come at Burt’s expense and very few come from him (another surprise!).

Those bits of comic relief come primarily from the supporting cast made up of some of those “Where do I know HIM from?” actors (Bernie Casey, Brian Keith, John Fielder and Charles Durning among others) while Burt underplays Sharky as a moody and determined cop out to make the best of his earlier demotion who discovers love, death and dismemberment in a few strange places. Only two of those things actually happen TO him during the film, but I’ll keep you in suspense here (for the most part) just because I want you to check this one out at some point…

Continue reading →

Random Film of the Week: My Life to Live

Posted on January 13, 2014 by geelw

You know all those easily forgettable modern quasi-romantic melodramas that try so hard to pull at the emotions at every turn and only fool the easily manipulated thanks to the usual tired plot points repeated over and over again? Well, Jean-Luc Godard’s 1962 masterpiece Vivre Sa Vie: film en douze tableaux STILL spits all over their graves thanks to the director’s remarkable technique and the simple, powerful performance given by Anna Karina as a young woman trying and failing to achieve anything resembling a happy life.

Presented in twelve scenes, each one chock full of what looks like first take genius, this look at one woman’s life and fate isn’t at all your run of the mill tearjerker at all and in fact may almost seems like a documentary at times. Karina’s naturalistic acting is flawless as she plays a character who uproots her own life in the pursuit of some kind of evolving dream that devolves as the film progresses to its abrupt finale. This is one you’re not going to walk away smiling about, but it sure as heck makes for a greatly depressing conversation piece… Continue reading →

Game of Thrones Season 4 Trailer: Liars And Dragons and Bares, Oh My!

Posted on January 12, 2014 by geelw

As we all know (well, those of us addicted to the HBO series, that is), last season saw the exit of quite a few Stark family members and a few other shocks to the system (unless one had already read the books years earlier and was suitably prepared). Of course, HBO isn’t going to rest until we all have gray hairs and they’re on the floor scattered around the TV room because we’ve gone and yanked them all out because of a few more earth shaking demises and other mind-blowing revelations. In English: Season 4 will kick some ass. April 6, 2014 is just around the corner, you know. Sort of. Well, the way time flies these days, it’s coming up sooner than you think. By the second, yet. Look at that clock go! Wooooo!

Okay, I’m calm now. Or calmer than I was a few seconds ago…

A Modern Stone-Age Remedy…

Posted on January 12, 2014 by geelw

Blehhhh. Woke up to-day with what feels like someone stepping on my throat IN my throat. Slight headache, too… but that’s probably caffeine withdrawal kicking in because it’s what, 12:46pm (what, already?!) and I’m still buried under some blankets. Currently debating whether to roll over and get back to sleep, kick myself out of bed far enough across the room to lift an aspirin out of my bag, pop it and fall backwards hoping I land back in bed or just getting the heck up, splashing some water at the body and getting out for a walk in that howling wind I hear outside. Wait, what? It better NOT be back to being too cold again. (*DingDingDingDingDing!*). Stupid bell. Damn thing always goes off when I think of the right thing to do (*DING!*).

Oh, shut up bell.

Besides, there are dinosaurs out there and hot sticky tar pits and something that looks like a stegosaurus but it’s really a lawn mower that I haven’t fed since it turned up in the yard the other day. So I don’t feel like venturing out and getting stepped on, sucked down or eaten. (*Ding?*)… Okay, Okay, so I had a rather silly Flintstones related dream last night, bell. It was kinda scary and really stupid and I’m not quite awake yet.

(*Ding…DingDINGDingDingDING!!!*) Hmmm… yeah, yeah… easy for YOU to say, you’re just inside my head and man, that ringing? It’s getting annoying! That and yes, I now REALLY want to buy a case of Gold’s Horseradish now because of it (*Ding!*). Ha, ha and ha. Alright, it’s settled, bell. (*Ding!*) Door Number Three it is, bell (*DingDingDing!!*)… but if I trip on a fossil and bust my head open, you better hope I wake up and this is some really dumb dream.

Ugh… back in a bit. I need a vacation… (*DING! DingDingDingDingDing!*). Geez, “what’s with this bell ringing…”

Getting Pissy: It’s The Little Things… Always.

Posted on January 11, 2014 by geelw

So, I had to take a little detour on the way back from an event today, but it was a helpfully educational one. There’s a newly remodeled McDonald’s across the street from the library and while I don’t eat fast food on a regular basis (perhaps three or four times a year and that’s pushing it), I don’t mind a cup of inexpensive coffee for a buck if I happen to require one and don’t want to deal with the scent of Starbucks all over my clothes and body. Seriously, spend twenty minutes sitting in one and you’ll smell like Juan Valdez’ serape and saddle after a hard day in the fields gathering beans. Anyway, I had to use the bathroom there really quickly and fortunately, the redone McD’s restrooms have been redone to a more modern style. Unfortunately, someone forgot to tell corporate that ONE stall and One urinal (and one sink) in the otherwise spacious men’s room means you’ll still have a restroom that at most only two can use at a time. Three if someone actually decides to wash their hands before eating.

Which is kind of very stupid, considering the place seats a heck of a lot MORE than that… Continue reading →

Men Aren’t Useless #103: Behold, The BRIEFCASE ARCADE!

Posted on January 11, 2014 by geelw

Hey, last week I heard some loud ladies on the street say that “Men are useless!” and while I do indeed agree we are on some fronts, sometimes we knock it out of the park big time. Er, at least as far as making cool as hell stuff goes. Well, cool stuff that doesn’t involve actual explosives, booze or some sort of automatic magazine pin-up dispenser as an all-in-one solution to multiple non-problems.

I don’t even know who Travis Reynolds is, but he’s my *new* best friend because he has created the (ta-dah!) Briefcase Arcade or Businesscade or Briefcade. Some call it the “Arcase”, but that sounds kinda lame (to me at least). Oh, it’s not built completely from scratch, mind you – that would be TOO genius and make him automatic King of the Known Universe… Continue reading →

Alien Isolation “Transmission” and “Origins”: Puzzle Pieces Falling Where They Need To…

Posted on January 10, 2014 by geelw

Hmmmm… As predicted, with The Creative Assembly on the case this time out, Sega’s upcoming Alien Isolation is looking pretty impressive in this introductory teaser and developer diary. Hopefully, the story will work as intended, as I can see some folks not being all aboard the playing as Ellen Ripley’s daughter thing. Me, I’m a wait and see guy myself because I trust The CA to do their best and they’ve always done just that when they make their games. I do like that it’s turning out to be NOT a stupid shoot everything that moves experience and seems to be focusing on story and characters first and foremost.

The only major sticking point to some will be the lack of a Wii U version as the gameplay seems perfect for that GamePad, but such is life in this generation of consoles I suppose. Someone HAS to get a suitable Alien game out on that system one of these days, I say. I’m not sure who, but it would be nice to see one at some point…

RAZE Trailers 1 & 2: BAM! POW! Sisters Are Doin’ It To Themselves…

Posted on January 10, 2014 by geelw

OUCH! Look, Hollywood. As much as I like strong female characters in my movies, this is a wee bit much. Or at least the trailers are numbing past the point of a good shot of painocaine. I can see the recipe now: One part Caged, One part Fight Club, add a jigger of Prisoner: Cell Block H, a slice of SAW and some of that special Corman spicy stuff from the baggie in that old coffee can and it’s BEWM! a knuckle and booby sammich you better treat right (and take your time with) OR ELSE. Eh, I dunno. Not to be (even more) sexist or anything, but I just don’t like women getting the crap kicked out of each other even if it’s by other women. Don’t you all get enough of that rough stuff from men in these sorts of films? Granted, I’m not a MMA of UFC fan at all these days and nope, I don’t even like it when men beat the crap out of each of other unless it’s in a stupid action movie where I know that the violence isn’t real and usually, the guys getting beat down deserve that knee to the head that sends them off a balcony fifteen floors to land on their heads.

Comin

On the other fist, I do love me some stupidly wild grindhouse films from across the spectrum from flat out funny to morally questionable by today’s standards. But I take those outrageous flicks in stride and not at all seriously because most are flat out hilarious under all their fake blood and gore. That said, I’m intrigued and may catch this when it pops up on cable at some point. I may not like all of what I see (the story BETTER be worth all that gal on gal violence), but I won’t be gleefully rubbing my mitts together like some people who see this and think waaaay too sexy thoughts about all that brutality being “hot” because women are getting beaten to death. Okay, ladies. Weigh in if you like. Um, that wasn’t a pun, by the way. Heh. Don’t hit me! I’m fragile! Ow! *Flinch*

Omnicorp’s CES 2027 Lineup Looks Mighty Familiar…

Posted on January 10, 2014 by geelw

Yes, these are snazzy viral teasers for the RoboCop reboot in case you were thinking I found the key to a TARDIS somewhere and stupidly ONLY brought back this stuff from the future. I’d actually go back to the past a few times and stock up on old comics and a few Van Goghs plus push a few would be dictators off of high balconies or something like that.

Ahem, any-waaaay, these lead ups are quite amusing for sure… now it’s up to the movie to take off and fly right into that box office stratosphere or something corny like that. My mind is otherwise occupied today, so you’ll need to take what’s served up today, sorry!

Yumi’s Odd Odyssey Trailer: Girls Gone Fishin’ Will Hook You In…

Posted on January 10, 2014 by geelw

It seems in Yumi’s Odd Odyssey
hook, line and sinker set you free
As you strange maps
Avoiding doom (yes, mind the gaps!)

There’s also strange fish and more to fight
(or get away from, far out of sight)
Practice up and learn the moves
(don’t toss that handheld if you lose!)

It may seem tough, but it takes skill
You’ll get it soon by force of will
It’s coming soon via the eShop
keep an eye peeled for it to drop!

Natsume is wisely bringing a fun entry in the Japanese cult classic Yumihara Kawase series to North America under the moniker Yumi’s Odd Odyssey to the Nintendo 3DS soon (it seems this month) and as you can see from that video above, it’s pretty cute… and pretty challenging. Hooking and hauling your character of choice up and around assorted levels as the clock ticks away requires patience and timing, but there’s a load of levels here and too much fun to be had once you get into the mechanics. I haven’t played a game in this series in a few years, so I know I’ll be rusty as hell. But that won’t stop me one bit (although I suck at real life fishing as well!). Unless I get caught up in writing more crappy poetry like the example above and forget all about playing the game…