Guillermo Del Toro Makes The Simpsons More Than Interesting This Year…

OK, since the great burnout I had from this show a while ago, I haven’t watched an entire episode of The Simpsons in a few years. However, I’ve always made time to catch a bunch of the Treehouse of Horror shows over the years just to see haw far they go on that one night the Fox censors get tossed in the closet (or sent a bit further back than they usually get thrown). This year’s show is a must watch just for these awesome Del Toro-designed and directed titles, but now that I’ve seen them, it probably means I’ll be disappointed by the show that won’t live up to the eyeball riot on display above. I was playing “pick out the references” and yes, even got (and LOVED) Maggie driving THE CAR from that goofy 1977 film. From what I’ve read on a few fan sites, Del Toro has a custom built replica of that rolling purple/black bathtub, which also cracks me up as I’d rather him have that replica and drive it around any time he feels like it than go remake that stellar turd of a “horror” flick.

But of course, if he DOES go there at some point in the not too distant future… I bet it’ll scare the crap out of too many folks (me included)…

Knock-Knock: Ice Pick Lodge’s House of 2.5D Horrors Spells S-L-E-E-P-E-R…

The last time I played a game by developer Ice Pick Lodge, it was their 2005 PC horror/adventure/RPG Pathologic, one of those quirky sleepers that the mainstream didn’t “get” because it was one long, strange trip of a game experience. This new game, Knock-Knock (now available on Steam) looks pretty interesting in a One Piece Mansion meets Alone in the Dark sort of way. And don’t worry if you know not a whit about either of those old games. Those were the first two titles that popped into my head when I saw that teaser trailer above and the gameplay trailer below. I guess I now need to try out this horror/humor gem and see if it’s a diamond in the rough or a handful of cloudy zircons from the dollar store.

Yes, it most certainly looks as if it’ll be at least intriguing and extremely trippy sort of like a bad dream that gets funny as it ends and has you waking up laughing more than you’d thought as you were having it. Hey, that’s how I roll (out of bed) some mornings, people…

Holiday Gift Guide 2013: Tequila Clase Azul Does Double Duty For Drinking Or Display…

Bottles_Clase_Azul_&_La PintaWhile some quality tequilas are marketed through expensively shot TV ads that use handsome and famous spokesmen in fine suits extolling the virtues of paying a premium price for them (while giving the competition a put down or three), all you really need to do is look at a bottle of Tequila Clase Azul to know you’re getting a superb product. One of the highlights of this past week’s Luxury Review was hopping over to the Clase Azul booth to try three of their three quality tequilas and a nifty flavored liqueur.

The smooth Clase Azul Plata ($80), the wonderfully aged Clase Azul Reposado ($91), and the pomegranate-infused La Pinta ($65) were at the event and making all who stepped up to sample walk away smiling. Sadly, the very limited edition Clase Azul Ultra ($2,000) wasn’t available at the event, but that’s because a mere 100 bottles are made at a time of this exquisitely aged beverage and those sell out right away to wealthy tequila fans looking for the ultimate and willing to pay more for the privilege.

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Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit Trailer: Like It or Else, Life Goes On In the Clancyverse…

Quite a number of years ago I was leaving a press event at a hotel here in NYC and on the elevator ride down there was a guy in the back of the car who looked like an older Patton Oswalt. That got me grinning and thinking comical thoughts to myself until the elevator stopped a few floors down, a man gets on and says a cheery “Hello Mr. Clancy!” before proceeding to discuss one of his books that had recently been turned into a film. Of course, I turned a few shades of red when I realized it was THAT Tom Clancy and fortunately I didn’t embarrass myself any further. Anyway, some people think Paramount Pictures is running this new Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit trailer in bad taste since Tom Clancy died earlier this week, but I’d have to say it’s business as usual on the entertainment scene front. Of course, if this was rolled out early as a result of Mr. Clancy’s sudden death in order to generate interest in the upcoming film… yeah, then it’s quite despicable from a few viewpoints.

Gravity “Now Playing” Spots 1 & 2: What Are You Doing At Home Reading This?

Yeah, YOU. get out there and go see this one before somebody you know does and blabs out the ending or whatever. Amusingly enough, I can’t even see it if I wanted to in a non-3D version as the movie theater near me closed down (!) with no notice. Which stinks as there used to be three or four within walking distance many years back and they’re all something else now. BOO. If I want to go to the movies now, it’s a few miles walk or a bus trip (but I’m a cheap bastard and I’d probably hoof it on a nice day). So go see this and if you run into me on the way to the movies, don’t tell me a damn thing, grrr…

Sniper Elite 3 Trailer: Rebellion’s Up for Another Shot. Are You?

Talk about going out with a bang. 505 Games and UK developer Rebellion are following up their successful Sniper Elite V2 and Sniper Elite Nazi Zombie Army with a new game that leaves a destroyed Berlin for the hot and dusty sands of Africa (or that’s what I’m gathering from this trailer). Granted, blasting holes in assorted Nazis may not be your cup of tea and nope, this isn’t a historical recreation at all, folks. But there’s always that odd satisfaction one gets from this series of tinkering with old history one bullet at a time for all the right reasons, of course…

Your Friday Evening Slight Freakout, Courtesy Frictional Games

Hmmm. It looks as if Frictional Games is working on a new horror game and as this slow burner of a live action teaser shows, it will have a sci-fi angle. I’m a huge fan of the developer’s three Penumbra games and Amnesia: The Dark Descent and while I’ve yet to play their latest, Amnesia: A Machine for Pigs (developed by The Chinese Room), the mixed reactions I’ve seen and heard make me more intrigued because it seems some were expecting one thing and got something else entirely that stands up on its own for the most part. Anyway, the new game (which seems to be titled SOMA) already has a teaser site up that’s intentionally designed to look a bit glitchy, so don’t freak out if you click on that link and see some garbage on your screen for a spell.

As for gameplay and screens? Well, I guess I’ll keep an egg peeled on my inbox and see what pops up in there. Back in a bit with more on this one once that happens…

Back From The Lap of Luxury…

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Nope, I didn’t take the day off Thursday*, ladies and gents. I was at The Luxury Review for a few hours checking out some incredible products and possibly drinking too many adult beverages. My head will let me know in the morning, but I think the good quart of so of water I’ve been drinking since I stumbled in the door about twenty minutes ago will stave off the Beast from Hangover Square. OK, I need to sleep now… and dream of that $10,000 bed I got to fall on for a bit and now want to sell both kidneys to buy. Back tomorrow… no, wait – later today with some reportage from the event. Thanks to Terry “Valkor” Lewis from The Other View for hanging out woth me as my guest. He’s quite a card, that one…

And ha, ha, ha! My current unread email count is in the many hundreds just from not doing any work yesterday. This will be a “fun” Thursday, that’s for certain… I hope my brain can keep up. We’ll see, I guess… we’ll see… Good Night!

*Aheh. I was definitely feeling the after effects of that free booze bath, kids. Wednesday? Now I’m losing track of what day I attend events! Wooo…

Wonder Woman May Never Get Her Own Movie, But This Fan Trailer Is Pretty OK…

I’d have preferred the actress put more “oomph” into the shot where she throws that spear and it’s a bit odd in that part where she deflects the bullet because of the scene shifting going on, but otherwise, this is a pretty cool (and VERY professional looking) trailer from Rainfall Films. TO those of you WW fans who were screaming that she’s not busting out of that costume like in some comics that feature the Amazon in all sorts of action scenes, I say go ask any lady with the size boobs you’d think are right for that outfit if SHE’D jump around and do all those kicks without popping out and maybe knocking herself unconscious in the process. Lynda Carter’s outfit was probably a bit painful to wear for long periods on that 70’s TV show, I’d bet. Anyway, I hear that good cosplayers use tape and other methods (not bending over too far and learning how to pose correctly for photos in and out of conventions) to keep their homemade tops up – actual super heroes have no such “luxuries”. Although, hell… if Diana’s got an invisible plane, how come it’s not plausible for her to be wearing an invisible sports bra? Get on it, Bali or whomever- millions of women would love you even more if that were to become a reality…

Thief “The Bank Job” Pre-Order Bonus Has Me Thinking Stolen Thoughts…

…As in I’ve seen plenty of annoying comments from people who think this game will be awful because Looking Glass Studies isn’t working on it, the color palette is too blue and black, the “stealth” seems easier and so forth and so on. All of this by looking at movies and screens from a game that’s not even done. Wow, the psychic prowess on internet trolls is REMARKABLE sometimes (well, ALL the time), isn’t it? I say shut up and wait for that knock on the door that will be followed by a conk to the noggin if you were silly enough to fling that door wide open without checking first. It’ll be Garrett reminding you that this reboot is probably going to have some stuff you haven’t yet seen and might actually be fun if you pipe down and hold out for a demo and/or maybe some ratings (although, if you rely on those solely to buy games, there’s something mildly to moderately wrong with you). Opinions are only worth the time to read these days if the person is at least INFORMED, not speculating to the point of draining the brainpower of anyone who reads their scribblings about how little they know about everything and how that lack of fact makes them an “expert” because the scream the loudest and their soapbox has spinning rims or whatever…