Breaking Bad: The Complete Series to Roll into Retail on Blu-Ray November 26

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Here’s a good reason to quit smoking (or cooking) all that meth and start saving up some of that cash you’re throwing out the window like a certain Mr. Pinkman. $300 (or less if you shop around online) will get you this set of 16 Blu-Rays packed full of every episode of the show PLUS a ton of special features (or whatever 55 hours weighs these days). So yeah… “Fire in the hole, bitch!” – go dig up one of those barrels you buried in that secret spot and buy up a ton of these to give out as gifts if you’re so inclined. As for exactly what’s in the box, just peek below the jump for the long press release… go on, you KNOW you want to…

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Steal This Idea! Any Creative Breaking Bad Fans With Decent Songwriting Skills?

BB_VOK, I’m a genius (in my mind), but even I need some help every so often. My latest bright idea: take the awesome song Two Reelers from Frank Black’s excellent Teenager of the Year album and rework it into a Breaking Bad homage and possibly a video using clips from all the show’s seasons. “How do I think these things up?” you ask? Well, as usual, it’s random. This silly idea popped into my head while listening to that tune today when the line

And Mr. White heard bad report
And so it ends the two reeler short
Cause you cannot do what you can’t

rolled into my ears and I started laughing because the show has PLENTY of scenes where Walt gets bad news about something or IS bad news for someone and hears about it from someone else.

Anyway, in a perfect world, Weird Al would be on the case in a heartbeat and a half, but I don’t ave his number handy and even if I did, he’d probably think I was on meth when I thought this one up. Sooooo, I’ll just put this idea out here and let you guys pick up the slack and net some genius points of your own with those mad rewriting skills. You’ll either gain immortality on the web or a couple of lawsuits or both for your efforts most likely, so get crackin’, people! I expect results. Or as the late Gus Fring would say “Now get back to work!”

That Final Clock Is Ticking Away On Breaking Bad…

Yeah, yeah – I haven’t been posting a lot about these final eight episodes because hell, everyone else is and I really have nothing new to add that’s already been discussed. Anyway, if you know me, you also know that I absolutely HATE over-speculation about the stuff I watch and prefer going in cold for these shows (well, except for one spoiler-heavy review of tonight’s episode that really didn’t need to say so much, but I figured I’d read it and see how badly a spoiler-heavy review could be written). As for what happens after this, I’m actually hoping that’s that for BB despite Vince Gilligan wanting to give Bob Odenkirk’s corrupt (but hilarious) lawyer Saul Goodman his own spin-off show at some point in the future.

While I think Odenkirk can indeed carry a show (watching him through the past few seasons has been wonderful and I almost thought his number was up a few times, but he’s always weaseled out of trouble), without Walter White around to add that air of menace, it’s going to be a show about Saul and his other clients which actually might be good if Gilligan and his writing team can keep things in a similar dramatic/comic mix as BB. On the other hand, if it’s just a crazy client a week show or something that feels as if it’s running off fumes from BB’s success on AMC, it’ll fall flat and maybe last a season or two. I guess it also depends on if anyone from BB is still alive at the end of the final episode, as a cameo or first episode surprise in the new show might sweep in other skeptics who feel the same as I do.

Of course, Gilligan IS the Skipper here (and a damn fine one, at that), so whatever he decides, Saul is in good hands (and hell, he’d probably be relieved that his number one client isn’t around to give him fits whenever he calls on the phone or pops into his office unannounced)…

The Killing 3(01): Yes, Those Hooks Are Still Quite Sharp…

Well, so much for the reborn series being a dud, hmmm? I did myself a nice and tease-dipped favor and switched over to Game of Thrones just so I can catch the second hour of The Killing when it reruns later tonight. I don’t mind the tension of holding out, as GoT is going to keep it high (this is the penultimate episode this season) and I can knock out an article or three in that extra hour. I actually save Mad Men for viewing later in the week through Free on Demand, as that show is a bit too densely packed with characters and plot to sit through in a single sitting (and this latest season is a bit bulky with gloom).

OK, off to Westeros (well, I’m already there with the pack of “ugly” daughters)… Back in a bit…

Breaking Bad: Those Final Eight Will No Doubt Be Great…

In case you missed some, most or all of last season of Breaking Bad (what, they won’t let you watch TV in the big house? You must have been REALLY bad!)… here’s everything you need to know condensed into a quick, informative clip:

So, yeah… those final eight episodes will be a real set of corkers, as they’ll wind up a bunch of loose ends and probably have some of us long-term viewers falling off our couches every few minutes. That opening sequence of Walt “celebrating” his birthday in that diner from the last season’s first episode really doesn’t mean all that much, come to think about it – something can still happen after he shuts that trunk that may throw us all for a few loops. August 11 isn’t really that far away at all, you know…

AMC’s The Killing Season 3: Getting Your Attention With Intention To Keep It Held…

Let’s see now: a serial killer on the loose (meaning a higher body count this season) with the series’ focus on this one case and how it affects everyone on all sides should make for an intriguing story arc provided the show sticks to what made it work in the first place and doesn’t fall into the trap other crime shows have become victims of (changing too much to appeal to a certain base of short attention span viewers for rating’s sake). As with the first two seasons, I’ll be going in expecting nothing so I can actually be surprised when the writers and cast hit me over the head and toss me in a trunk…

Well, you know what I mean, right? I actually don’t advocate hitting anyone over the head and tossing them into a trunk unless they’re trying to do that to you and you manage to beat them to it…

AMC’s The Killing Returns (And Those Who Hate Thinking Will Hate It. Again.)…

I really liked AMC’s The Killing because it wasn’t yet another a cut and dried 47-minute police procedural show where everything got wrapped up nicely at the end of each episode with the killer getting his or hers with witty catch-phrases from some overpaid superstars. In fact, having its single case last not one, but TWO gloomy seasons practically doomed the show with the CSI and other sillier crime shows crowd, but for people like me who like complexity in their stories and characters, I found the show quite enjoyable even when it made a few mistakes. That said, I thought it was dead forever after the critical and viewer drubbing it got during the last season by some writers and viewers, but thankfully AMC is getting it together with an all-new case and some intriguing-looking teasers.

Granted, it’s the “Oooh, the big baaad serial killer” thing that’s the trend now in some other new and old crime shows,, so there’s the risk of (wait for it…, waaaait for it…) overkill (ba-dum-bum!), but I think the writers here can pull it off quite well. As usual, we shall see, right?

The Walking Dead: Survival Instinct Launch Trailer: Hopefully, Reality Isn’t Terminal for This One…

 

Hmmm. Usually, I get wind of a review copy at some point before a game ships out, but Activision’s PR has been quiet thus far. I probably should be worried, but I’m not (well… not too much). I actually read some silly post on YouTube that siad because the game was retailing for $49.99 ($10 less than a triple-A title), it was a bad sign. Duh… what? That’s just DUMB, period. Lesson of the day: Price is in NO way an indication of a game’s quality and if you think spending MORE money means you get better entertainment value for that extra cash, you need your head examined (by an actual zombie). That and hell, Telltale Games, 2K Sports, and a few busloads of indie developers out there who get out budget-priced (or free games, in the case of some great indies) just might want to tap you on the shoulder at the same time and make you fall over like Fred Flintstone’s car with a tray of bronto ribs placed on the side. Yeesh.

Anyway, I guess I’ll wait around and see what’s up with the reviews, but I have the feeling this one is headed for the collection here at some point once there’s a decent price drop. Hey, no matter what the critics say, pretty much any game with zombies in it is fun, warts and all…

The Walking Dead: Survival Instinct: A Bit of Behind the Scenes With Merle & Daryl…

 

No, today isn’t National Zombie Day or anything like that, folks. I just go scooting through my inbox as stuff rolls in and post the fun stuff. Today just so happens to have a LOT of undead in games news. Must be a Friday thing or something…  Anyway, here’s a new look at Terminal Reality’s upcoming shooter set in The Walking Dead world. I like the gritty look of the game and some of that visceral action you’d expect from an undead-rekilling game. In a weird way, this one reminds me of BrainBox’ interesting but flawed Land of the Dead: Road to Fiddler’s Green, a FPS that had a few problems, but was actually pretty damn scary and compelling once you got past its weak points. We’ll see what’s what with Merle and Daryl’s gory adventure soon enough when The Walking Dead: Survival Instinct ships out for PS3, Xbox 360, Wii U and PC March 19, 2013.

The Walking Dead Survival Instinct Gameplay Trailer: TR & Activision Get Stalked By Biters (Again)…

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Man, this game is swimming in such irate bile by the usual suspects. Here’s the trailer to check out – I think it looks fine so far and close to the bleak, grimy tone of the show. That said, a few facts for the intentionally ignorant:

Activision isn’t “making” the game at all – they’re a PUBLISHER, not a DEVELOPER. Lewisville, Texas-based veteran developer Terminal Reality is cooking this one up and yes, while they haven’t had a “perfect” track record, they’ve more than earned the respect of folks like me who play too many games, but don’t lump them all up into one big FPS-centric ball. I also like how it ties into the show, as new we all know that Merle and Daryl are back together in this half of the season (a nice touch that seems planned to fit the game into the show’s continuity). I hate speculation, but I’d bet a nickel that neither character buys the farm at the end, as they’ll be more useful alive for future episodes, we’ve already “lost” Merle once before and hell, there would be riots in the streets if Daryl bought it at the end (especially among non-gamers out there who’d be wondering what was up and how a major character vanished without them knowing a thing).

Telltale’s TWD game was fantastic thanks to its writing, stylized visuals and intense pacing thanks to the choice system gameplay, but wasn’t the big action-based experience some of the shooter fanatics wanted to play. This new game will appeal to them and as long as the story is tight, I can see fans of the adventure game hopping aboard for the ride. Let’s hope it’s a wild one full of surprises. And hey, look at  this way, chums – if the game is better than you’re thinking, once you do get to try it out, you can still storm Activision’s offices (with apologies and yummy crow pies for all)…