Random Film of the Week: Play Misty for Me

Posted on May 29, 2013 by geelw

Play Misty for Me With Arrested Development back on the block as a hot TV series (well, if you count not actually being on TV as part of a popular pay-to-stream service that’s 100% useless if your internet goes down), I figured I may as well celebrate the fact that I can’t see it (until someone wises up and gets a physical media collection out) by pointing you to this more than pretty decent 1971 Clint Eastwood-directed thriller that may have kicked off the whole “unhinged stalker hookup” sub-genre. OK, put that jaw up, stop doing that double take and pay attention – there’s a point here being made (I think).

AD’s Jessica Walter is in this one, younger, more attractive and save for the psychotically imbalanced character she’s so good at playing in this flick, she’d probably be a great partner for Eastwood’s late night DJ, Dave Garver. Of course, Dave’s not actually a completely nice, innocent guy here, but that’s another thing the film plays with as it tells the tale of lust gone bad…
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Japan Has A Resident Evil Restaurant. They’re Better Prepared For The Zombie Apocalypse Than We Are…

Posted on May 28, 2013 by geelw

Theme restaurants are nothing new in Japan at all. In fact, poke around the internet (or even better, Tokyo proper) and you’ll find all sorts of cool to weird theme restaurants. Capcom has one for their Biohazard series (known here as Resident Evil), aptly named Biohazard Cafe & Grill. Here’s a video walk through to ogle and wonder when the hell the US is getting one. Sure, Times Square, Hollywood, Florida or wherever the hell Raccoon City is would be perfect, but don’t bet on it for a few reasons. I’d say sticky-fingered fans of the franchise would clean out the joint while it was being constructed. Yeah, you KNOW you’d be swiping those salt and pepper packets and “blood” ketchup by the box-load if you ever got a job there. That and hell, despite the US love for the macabre and all things zombie on a fictional level (er, unless you count those who REALLY think zombies exist), I can see all sorts of issues with parents protesting the restaurant even before it opens up. Hey, at least you know where your kids are all afternoon, Ma and Pa Kettle…

Riddick: Rule the Dark Trailer: This One’s Too Easy To Poke Fun At (Again), But…

Posted on May 28, 2013 by geelw

I’ll be nice and give it a pass because the series is three out of four in my eyes. Yeah, I think I made a “Dim Weasel” joke before (well, I thought it was hilarious), but I watched Pitch Black again a few days ago and it’s not a bad intro to the Riddick character. Even better were the two video games (The Chronicles of Riddick: Escape from Butcher Bay and The Chronicles of Riddick: Dark Athena) that worked thanks to developer Starbreeze Studios NOT basing it on the first film, but on developing the Riddick character and making him an interesting anti-hero. That last Riddick film from a few years back was… entertaining in a biting off more than it could chew in developing more lore for the character, but it holds up if you don’t take it too seriously.

This new flick seems to go back to what made Pitch Black watchable – Riddick up against a deadly threat, but adding in the twist of him needed help from the hunters after him in order to survive. WIll I go and see it on day one? Probably not. But if it turns out better than expected (not that I’m expecting anything other than it has a beginning and ending and something blows up at one point), I’ll be catching this a few months down the road on its cable premiere…

Man of Steel TV Spot 8: There’s a Bad Man Coming, And He’s Got A Head Full of Trouble…

Posted on May 28, 2013 by geelw

Michael Shannon has one of those faces that makes a great villain or at least, a good guy with a really hard edge you’d never want to run into in a dark alley. Anyway, here’s Mr. Mc Grimace doing his thing in this new Man of Steel TV commercial. Memo to anyone left in Hollywood that has a working brain and isn’t on too many drugs. If there’s ever a Mike Hammer TV series or movie to be made, it better be period-era precise and have Mr. Shannon in it as the lead. You’re welcome, and if it’s a series being made, “Kiss Me Deadly” HAS to be the final episode, as you can’t beat that story for sheer insanity when it comes to its beginning and ending…

FUSE Launch Trailer: Tip #1: Don’t Die Hard, Duck, Dodge and Destroy…

Posted on May 28, 2013 by geelw

So, FUSE is finally out and, Insomniac fans can get their game on for the first time on both the PS3 and Xbox 360. As I’m up to my eyeballs in stuff to do, I haven’t grabbed a copy yet, but I’ve played a few demo builds at press events and based on the quick report from a friend who picked up his from a certain game shop, it’s super challenging and a hell of a lot of fun. I’m more of a solo player, so I’ll need to make it through the campaign with my fingers crossed that the AI is really good (it was in those preview builds) and Insomniac tweaked the challenge in that one crazy mode where the objectives change randomly for each wave of enemies. OK, enough daydreaming – back to work…

Random Film of the Day*: The Three Worlds of Gulliver

Posted on May 27, 2013 by geelw

*For the next few days, I’m going to add a random film the great Ray Harryhausen worked on. The legendary special effects MASTER passed away on May 7, 2013 at age 92 in London and yes, the film world has lost a true giant as well as a fine and talented gentleman…

OK, I don’t “hate” The Three Worlds of Gulliver at all, but as a kid, it did take me four attempts to sit through this classic family film without falling asleep. Sure, Ray Harryhausen’s “Superdynamation” effects and that lovely Bernard Herrmann soundtrack make this another perfect one-two punch for movie fans, but something about this flick has always rubbed me the wrong way.

It’s probably a combination of a few things from the silly refrigerator magnet names Johnathan Swift came up with being too nonsensical even for a kid to wrap a brain cell around (Brobdingnag? Glumdalclitch?), some languid pacing and seeing too much of Kerwin Matthews’ over-sized head (even when he’s normal-sized, his melon is a moon on his neck). Or it’s probably because Ray’s work here is “limited” in terms of the amount of stop motion effects (but you do get some great matte shots). The other technical work is fine, mind you – it’s just that compared to his more popular fantasy films, this one seems somewhat tame…
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Capcom Arcade Cabinet All-In-One Pack: Holdouts Get It But Good…

Posted on May 27, 2013 by geelw

So, you were one of those ~~cheap~~ thrifty folk hanging about and peeking ’round the corner every so often waiting for Capcom to release the full version of its hit arcade games collection at a ridiculously low price? Well, *ding!*… your order is hot and ready to go. Available now for oh, about 50% off and including the two secret bonus games, Vulgus (“What’s a Vulgus?!”, you ask? You’l find out soon enough!) and 1943 Kai! you can grab Capcom Arcade Cabinet on PSN and XBLA for $29.99 (or /€29.99/£23.99/2000 Microsoft points). Play these at home on your TV and not have to worry about some thug shaking you down for quarters, sticky controllers or cigarette smoke blinding you when you’re going for that high score. Er, unless you smoke when you’re playing games…

Warner Bros. Wants You to Know There’s a Difference Between a Robot and a Man of Steel…

Posted on May 26, 2013 by geelw

Man of Steel TV Spot #7, meet Pacific Rim TV Spot # 2. Now shake hands and come out fighting for those summer box office bucks. Even better, go beat the stuffing out of something big and evil. Hmmm… Seeing both of these trailers together almost makes me think of the odd power Warner Bros. films have had over the decades. I can recall seeing many trailers either on TV (while watching TCM, primarily) or in theaters throughout the years where I’d nod when I saw that logo because I knew I’d be in for an entertaining two hours or so. Of course, I could say that about MGM, RKO, Universal, Paramount and other studios living and dead, but right now… I’m in a WB mood.

Hmm… must have been that carrot juice I had with the pulled pork and roast duck sandwich. Five points if you get my lame joke…

Review: Resident Evil Revelations (Xbox 360)

Posted on May 26, 2013 by geelw

RER_360 Platform: Xbox 360

Developer: Capcom

Publisher: Capcom

# of Players: 1 – 2

ESRB Rating: M (Mature)

Official Site

Score: A- (90%)

Calling Resident Evil Revelations a mere “port” actually does it a tiny bit of a disservice, as Capcom didn’t simply press some magic upscaling button to get this great, formerly Nintendo 3DS exclusive onto PC, PS3, Xbox 360 and Wii U. The game’s character visuals have been completely redone in HD, there’s a brand new monster type added to the game, a few new modes and a good deal more (especially for Wii U owners, I hear) that make this one a must by for any non-3DS owner who missed out on this as a portable game experience. If you’re one of those longtime series fans overwhelmed by the crazy kitchen sink that was Resident Evil 6 (I actually liked the game’s chaotically schizo overkill amount of content) or the nonstop MP-centric focus of Resident Evil: Operation Raccoon City (which was fine, provided you played with like-minded friends), RER’s return to greatness will bring a smile to your face at the return to classic form. Continue reading →

Random Art: “Legs…”

Posted on May 26, 2013 by geelw

legs

Yup, another (sort of unfinished) MS Paint piece done while freezing my rear end off and waiting for this stupid wet and chilly weather to clear up. Well, if anything, lousy weather seems to be good for art practice. I may do another later, but only after I get to posting a few previews and reviews I’ve been dinking away on since last week. OK, back to actual harder work!