VGA 101: Let There Be Light! (Or, John Carmack Explains It All For You)

Posted on August 11, 2013 by geelw

OK, now THIS is my idea of Sunday school: here’s a VERY technical talk from legendary game maker John Carmack at this year’s QuakeCon that’s going to send your brain into a few handstands and back flips out an ear if you’ve a short attention span or just don’t give a hoot about what it takes to get lighting effects in games and how important this is (well, in more modern and future titles). I’d say this is also required viewing for you kids out there who want to show their parents that a career in making games is a GREAT deal more than sitting on one’s butt all day with a controller in hand. If you’re saying out loud something along the lines of “Huh? Light has physics?”, then yup – you need to get learned, so pay attention.

The again, this just may turn off a short stack of the lazier gamers reading and watching this while making their parents all of a sudden start pushing them like mad to get better in school so they can make those new games (and maybe prop them up with some nice retirement money at some point – hey, it’s only fair with the free food and rent you’re getting, right? RIGHT??! Yeah, I thought so.)…

Review: The World’s End

Posted on August 10, 2013 by geelw

A pretty wild chef’s special of comedy, drama and an unusual (but very British) sci-fi element, The World’s End is quite probably going to be the ultimate pub crawl flick for some time to come. Of course, given the current state of the planet with stuff falling apart all around the globe, the film just might be THE ultimate pub crawl flick, period. Fans of Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz will be happy campers thanks to some familiar elements and lots of in-jokes, but some of the second half and perhaps the ending of the film may leave new viewers cold because they’re not into the blending of humor and melodrama offered here.

Of course, just like that special menu item you have no control of once your order is placed, everything on that plate won’t taste as great as some would like. However, that’s only if you get picky mid-meal and start poking through that strange looking but tasty sauce to criticize the ingredients you don’t much care for underneath. This is a film that works best when you just sit down and take it all in, letting all the laughs hit you as they come forth and holding off any “serious” discussion until you’re comfortably nestled atop a bar stool somewhere afterward, freshly poured brew of choice in hand…

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Odds ‘n Ends, DVD Division…

Posted on August 9, 2013 by geelw

OK, Some of these flicks have already been written up as Random Films of the Week here and I’ll eventually get to anything I haven’t put up a post about at some point. Yeah, yeah, Possession and Across 110th Street aren’t US-issued DVD’s, but both are really nice looking (and cheap) South Korean versions I stumbled upon while poking around eBay looking for other DVD’s. Oh, stop with the finger waggling, chief. Hell, try and find Possession (which NEEDS an new Blu-Ray/DVD combo release one of these days) for a decent price ans anything other than an overpriced beat up rental copy and well… good luck on that one.

An nope, I don’t do the streaming thing at all as I live with a crap connection and actually PREFER a physical disc. That and I prefer watching movies from a few feet away and not with my nose half a foot or less from a handheld screen. My old eyeballs can’t do that crap with movies on tiny screens and I’ll also be cooler than you hipsters and crazy kids with your dee-vices because I’ll be able to see better than you when you’re my age, ha ha…

The Wonderful 101 Demo Out Now: FINALLY (But Not A System Seller This Year)…

Posted on August 9, 2013 by geelw

My biggest complaint about the Wii U is the lack of demos on the eShop (and yeah, yeah, I do KNOW many developers hate making demos). Anyway, The Wonderful 101 demo is now live and ready to play, so if you’ve a Wii U at home, this one’s a MUST play. Um, that is all (as I’m in the middle of downloading it myself). I can very safely say that my Wii U is VERY happy right about now… maybe I’ll post some impressions over the weekend or later. As for that title above, while I know the game will do well at retail, I don’t think it’s going to sell systems to very many people unless it’s to a handful who were waiting until the game dropped to buy in. Platinum makes some VERY excellent niche titles, but not games you want to run over old ladies to pick up a console for. Just stating the truth, kids.

That said, Nintendo has always carved its own path out in this industry, so other than some woes they’ve noted about being surprised at how difficult and expensive making the move to creating HD content has been, they’re pretty much set in their ways as to what they want to see in the future.

Random Film of the Week: Kiss Me Deadly (1955)

Posted on August 9, 2013 by geelw

(thanks, criterioncollection!)

If you’ve never seen this Robert Aldrich-produced and directed film noir masterpiece, drop what you’re doing (well, unless you’re operating heavy machinery or in the middle of something where dropping anything will cause a major or minor disaster) and go look this one up. You’re guaranteed to say something like “What the…” at least two or three (or a dozen) times while watching this one, trust me. Mike Hammer is supposed to be a hard as nails private eye, but in this flick, he spends about a quarter of the film either getting chased, beaten up, shot at and otherwise maimed by assorted people who want him out of the picture he’s supposed to be starring in.

Deviating quite dramatically from the Mickey Spillane novel, this one’s a blazing hot mix of a downward spiral into a particularly dark hell for private eye Mike Hammer (masterfully played by Ralph Meeker), who has so many brushes with death here that the film ends up having a nasty comic edge thanks to the level of violence on display. No one here escapes unscathed, as everyone either wants Hammer dead or disabled (or both) and the few people on his side tend to drop like flies or come pretty close to it. The film also offers up a big twist at the end that turns it into a sort of wild sci-fi flick, but I won’t spoil that surprise other than to say it’s a big reason the film is so insanely brilliant…

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The Hollow Crown Trailer: Shakespeare for Smarties…

Posted on August 9, 2013 by geelw

I’d actually not heard of The Hollow Crown series until I saw this trailer and found it pretty amusing because I can see those who don’t know the Bard’s works seeing this and immediately getting a Game of Thrones vibe (in that they’d mistakenly thing this is a GoT rip-off, eek!) when they should have been paying more attention in English class. Anyway, I guess I may take a peek at this set at some point as you can’t really muck up Shakespeare too much if you round up enough talent who knows the man’s work inside and out, right? I know, I know… I just got a serious “What fools these mortals be…” from that based on a few not-so hot adaptations. OK, I’m happier than usual to-day, so I’m letting my sunny side show.

Memo to (SOME) Fanboys and Girls: Lighten the F*#K Up and LEARN For a Change! Seriously.

Posted on August 8, 2013 by geelw

(thanks, Spike Lee! Yeah, THAT Spike Lee!)

OK, kids… basta es basta. It’s now impossible to have a conversation with some people these days without an opinion getting in the way of someone learning something that might help them see something more clearly (and truthfully) in regards to a favorite slice of entertainment. You can’t “win” a non-debate by being the biggest mouth in the room or very selectively highlighting bits of another conversation that only show you’re a really terrible chooser of words that only make you look foolish for ignoring the ones you’ve missed.

Life gets easier once you admit you’re wrong once in a while and that your opinions on stuff you love don’t count a whit when an actual fact hits you over the head about something you deem sacred (and makes your opinions as valid as a winged moon-cow). You don’t lose any points for ‘fessing up to a fault, as we all eat some crow from time to time (and NEED to, frankly speaking – it keeps honesty alive and kicking one in the ass). Take a page from the late Radio Raheem and learn to LOVE a little before your HATE for the truth knocks you the f*#k out in public. Live and learn from your mistakes – this makes you a better person. NOT what you think you know because your emotion center works better than your rational thinking.

“Her” Trailer: Siri, Turn Me On! Er, Turn On! (ROM CHECK, SUCCESS!)

Posted on August 8, 2013 by geelw

Hmmmm… I’d planned to ignore this flick until I found out Spike Jonze was behind the wheel, so on the list of stuff to see it goes. It’s hard to not watch anything the man works on and not be impressed and moved – this one looks pretty timely on a few fronts (although JP looks like a cross between the late Ernie Kovacs and Breaking Bad’s Walter White here). Well, we’ll see what’s what soon enough… if anything, it’ll be visually amazing like the director’s other works (well, not counting his appearance in that Jackass movie from a few years back)…

Burning Questions: Is It Even Worth Going to Some Movies Anymore?

Posted on August 8, 2013 by geelw

So, if you paid good money to see the not so hot Oblivion back in April when it came out, I’m betting you were surprised as hell to see a TV or internet commercial about two months later advertising the home video version coming… on August 2, 2013, less than FOUR MONTHS after the theatrical release. Wow. Granted, this is the day and age of some minor films getting a direct to download/view option at the same time as their theatrical launches or a direct to video as well as a theatrical release. But I believe that Oblivion is the fastest “A” budget title to land on video (feel free to correct me, movie guys). I didn’t see it in a theater and don’t plan to buy it on a disc (yup, I’m not a Cruise fan these days, sorry), but I have to almost feel bad for the guy (almost… but not really) having to see his big, big “blockbuster” go the “please bump up my take on the gross” route or whatever in less than the usual time it takes for a film so expensive to make show up at retail… and at a “special price” at that.

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Random Indie Game of the Week: Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons (XBLA)

Posted on August 8, 2013 by geelw

Since I’m sitting here with a couple of RROD’d Xbox 360’s (shakes fist at busted consoles) and no willingness to throw more money away at Microsoft to fix them or buy a replacement (shakes fist in the direction of Redmond HQ for producing such faulty junk of a console), I’ll need to wait for this to pop up on PSN or Steam. On the other hand, I think a friend is picking this up over the weekend, so I’ll probably boogie on over to his place and play this after he’s done with it. Given that Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons is designed to be played in a single sitting, I don’t mind at all and I can get a perspective from someone else about the story’s impact and how he liked the unique control scheme. As noted in my earlier hands-on preview, this is one of those special games that’s worth a buy despite the relatively short length because you get to see a great developer stretch its wings with a fine new IP from a film director trying his hand at game development (and succeeding quite well). Back with a review probably around Monday.