Pacific Rim and Godzilla Bring Giant Monsters Back, Big(ger) Time!

Posted on July 15, 2012 by geelw

Well, well, well… Not only are we getting a new Godzilla film (that, based on fan reaction to a brief clip shown at SDCC, is going to be a must-see), Guillermo Del Toro’s next film is looking like the ultimate kaiju-style action flick that will be talked about long after its theatrical run. In poring over some stills and the teaser poser above, I really think Del Toro is the perfect candidate to do an Earth Defense Force film if some studio ever decides to take that challenge, but then again, Sandlot’s EDF games are practically epic films of their own in terms of the all out chaos they provide. Anyway, next year will be a pretty amazing one for genre fans if both flicks are worth all the time and money spent on making them. I’ll be keeping an eyeball peeled for the plethora of upcoming trailers that will no doubt be rolling out as each film gets closer to its release.

Mind Food 1: Get Your Brain Happy WIth A Premium Scrabble Set

Posted on July 15, 2012 by geelw

If you have to have to update that busted old Scrabble set (or want to grab a new one for a gift that will last forever), I say spend the extra cash and go all out with one of Winning Solutions official (and officially awesome) Deluxe Scrabble sets. Ranging in price from $39.99 for the pocket size Deluxe Folio Edition to $199.99 for the already sold out Typography Edition, these are great editions of the classic word-making game that would be great additions to any collection. My personal favorite: the Giant Scrabble Deluxe Wood Edition that’s perfect for old fogies like me because the oversize board and tiles mean I can see what I’m misspelling with ease. Anyway, go get your word on if that’s your thing, I say. We need a LOT more in the way of smart people these days, and hell, you may as well have F-U-N while you’re expanding your brain’s horizons. Winning Solutions also has a nice collection of other classic Parker Brothers and Hasbro favorites, but you’re probably already poring over their page already, correct?

Breaking Bad Season 5 Trailer: Now, Where Were We? Oh, Right…

Posted on July 15, 2012 by geelw

In case you missed out on Season Four, a nifty little wrap-up is above. Below is a taste of what to expect from this first half of the final story arc from Vince Gilligan’s truly amazing fevered brain. I’m smart enough to keep the heck off the fan sites and never listen to any other rumors about the shows I watch, so that keeps me sane. I prefer going in as cold as possible so I can enjoy what the writer(s), actors and directors have worked so damn hard on. That’s how I roll, and it’s worked for me for quite some time. The big problem these days is too many people end up NOT enjoying a lot of shows, films and games because they keep going out of their way to intentionally or unintentionally spoil every bit of information before it’s time, then complain if they end up ruining some key moments because they couldn’t go find something else to do but troll one message board too many.

Feh – keep eating that raw cookie dough and suffering for it later – I like my baked goods fresh and warm and tasty with a nice dish of ice cream on the side…

Disney Epic Mickey 2: The Power Of Two Opening Cinema: The Mouse, The Rabbit And The Really Odd Place

Posted on July 15, 2012 by geelw

OK, I’m no Carl Barks, but I figured I may as well try and make up a title that’s not quite as necessarily unwieldy (or even more, depending on your tastes) as the one the game has that more or less explains as much as possible while not giving anything away. Yeah, I left out the musical aspects, the new game camera, drop in/drop-out co-op play, the lovely visual upgrades across the board and the still innovative Paint & Thinner gameplay choices players can make. In fact, my hands-on preview was better! Ah well..

Hey, YOU try and describe all of that in a title without burning up a few brain cells. Yeah, see? Told you so. Anyway, November 18th is the big day, so get yourself prepared…

Wait, What? They’re Making A Lego Movie? Argh, But Go Enter The Vehicle Design Contest (With A Caveat)…

Posted on July 15, 2012 by geelw

Yeesh. OK, that’s it, my childhood gets another kick to the groin. Can we kind of put a halt to some of the more obviously stupid film ideas coming out of Hollywood these days? Look, I liked LEGOs as a kid and as an adult, I can still really enjoy some of the more creative uses for them (I’m talking about art-wise, silly!) as well as a bunch of the better LEGO video games. But really? A movie? Why? Because someone thought since the games are so hip and fresh and whatever and make millions and LEGO still sells well across all ages that somehow, taking the interactivity away from them and forcing people to sit on their asses for two hours and watch whatever the sixteen or so screenwriters (which is probably a low estimate on my part) come up with to make millions want that time and ticket fee back? Ugh. Count me out, but I’ll catch it on cable if I’m sick and can’t get out of bed.

Anyway, go enter the vehicle contest if you like, but If you DO win, remember this nugget of truth: a mere thousand bucks and signing your rights away for eternity is a shitty deal no matter how you slice it. If I’m dead wrong and this flick manages to rake in the bazillions, that one grand winner will be losing out on a nice chunk of change for not getting a better cut of the film’s profits. Oh, and if there’s a LEGO: The Movie: The Video Game, I’m going to be making fun of it daily until WB sends Bane and The Joker after me. Travelers Tales has MUCH better things to be doing with their time, I say…

DragonBall Z Kinect: You’ll Probably Want To Punch Your TV For Real, But…

Posted on July 14, 2012 by geelw

Remember… it’s a game for kids, so there’s that. Motion controls aside, it’s also a tiny bit close to what the Bandai Playdia DBZ games were in a few aspects, so there’s that as well. That means again, it’s a game for KIDS, first and foremost. All the Super Saiyan furor boiling up and way over about this one is a bit much, I think. Hell, if you’re screaming about a motion-controlled DragonBall game and you’re old enough to vote or drink, you should probably be consuming less caffeine and sugar or something. Maybe go read some Shakespeare, get out for a nice walk? I hear there’s some nice jazz in the park somewhere near you… Cultchah, folks, cult-chah…

Adventure Time: Hey Ice King! Why’d you steal our garbage?! Trailer: Um, Because It Was Free?

Posted on July 14, 2012 by geelw

OK, so I’m hot “hip” like the rest of you kids, as I’ve NEVER seen an episode of Adventure Time. But, I do like funky games like this, so yeah, I’ll play it when it comes out. That said, the answer to that wacky title SHOULD be something like “Because We have a much cooler game on the way!” as in, I hope to hell you’re going to announce that Earth Defense Force 3 IS indeed Vita-bound in the U.S. of A., D3! It’s looking spectacular and could be one of the biggest games on Sony’s handheld in terms of sheer replay value. So, yeah – let’s hear some BIG news around this year’s TGS about giant bugs, spaceships and robots – you’ll make a lot of EDF maniacs like me really, really happy…

Beyond: Two Souls SDCC 2012 Panel Highlights: Cage & Page Are All The Rage On Stage…

Posted on July 14, 2012 by geelw

Quantic Dream is making yet another PS3 exclusive that’s bound to be recognized as one of the truly great games for the system (and heck, any platform) and if the fan reaction is any indication, it’s going to do well when it finally hits sometime next year. To the dopes that think Ellen Page was hired for the gig only because she was a “big” star and Quantic Dream had a bunch of money to toss at her, that’s not quite correct (duh). She’s a damn fine actress, Cage wrote the story with her in mind (I’d gather she was his muse for the project) and fortunately, she was wise enough to take on the challenge of a completely different medium than she’s tackled before. It’s all coming together quite nicely and it’s yet another reason to be a happy PS3 owner these days…

Oz The Great And Powerful Trailer: Every Great Tale Needs A Beginning…

Posted on July 14, 2012 by geelw

I’d been on the fence about this Sam Raimi film until I saw the trailer and picked out a few fun bits that pay homage to the 1939 film (which, classic status aside, was vastly different from the book it was based on, by the way) as well as a few of L. Frank Baum’s fourteen Oz books. SO, yup… it’s on my list of stuff to see at some point. Man, is James Franco in every other film and TV show these days or what? Of course, he’s great at what he does, so I have zero complaints about his acting skills. March 2013 is when it’s coming out, so I have time to maybe catch up on some reading. Maybe I’ll watch Return to Oz again at some point if it pops up on cable. I never really liked it much when I first saw it during its original theatrical release, but perhaps it’s aged better since then. We shall see…

A Minute Of Dredd Makes For A Good Impression…

Posted on July 14, 2012 by geelw

It’s so very nice to see that the upcoming film is quite close to the old 2000 A.D. comics in tone and spirit (no Rob Schneider mucking up the works), so that’s a big thumbs up from me. I see from poking around a few other sites that the San Diego Comic-Con screening went well, so good for Lionsgate and all involved. Granted, I’m betting the film won’t touch the box office tallies The Dark Knight Rises will rake in, but it’s great to see Dredd finally getting a film that’s worthy of the name.