4D Cityscape Makes For A (Not So) Puzzling Last Minute Gift Idea

Posted on December 23, 2016 by geelw

Need a super cool last minute gift and you just so happen to be within fast traveling distance of any of these retailers? Well, here you go. 4D Cityscape’s wonderfully awesome and complex takes on some pop culture faves. I personally haven’t put a puzzle together in too many years, but these all stand out as more than welcome chances to get by brain firing up in spots where it’s been snoozing too much. Someone get these guys a few more licenses, as I bet Star Wars fans would love to see some iconic locations represented in 4D puzzle form.

-GW

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Call of the Westeros Meets Classic Response Time

Posted on July 3, 2016 by geelw

So, this season of Game of Thrones ended with a bang. Well, a few bangs if you count the graceful exit one key character made via a nearby window. The internet being what it is, one still frame ended up as a hilarious image gamers who know Ubisoft’s hugely popular Assassin’s Creed series got a laugh over:

It took me all of thirty seconds for my brain to cook up goofball responses to that scene using classic film posters, but a little longer to swipe images I’ll link to to be fair to the folks who posted them first. Traffic is cool on one’s blog when it’s least expected, I always say. Okay, here we go (click on the posters to go to their respective sites):

I’ve never seen this flick before, but I’m now Judy Canova curious. I know I’ve seen HER before in something, but I’ve not a clue as to what.

Ooh, a new site to check out! Nice place you’ve got there, Steve! Haven’t seen this one in decades, but it’s probably as funny as I recall.

A not too shabby WWII war drama/romance flick with a fine cast doing their thing for the cause. Oscar-winning special effects here, but don’t go into this looking for CG perfection.

Finally, yeah… I may as well get Fox some love as well for the upcoming Assassin’s Creed movie. As with any game-based film, my eyebrow is up a lot on whether it can capture the game’s more interactive elements clearly. But I absolutely LOVE being proven wrong by movies based on videogame source material. Which means I’m still skeptical even with the casting choices made. We’ll get into that later. Just go enjoy the rest of this weekend for now.

Game of Thrones S6 Red Band Trailer: April Is Once Again, The Cruelest Month

Posted on March 9, 2016 by geelw

Well, here we are once again. This time, down a steep, steep hill with no brakes and the showrunners going wild thanks to Uncle George’s burnout on getting that new book completed. This season is going to be REALLY interesting on many fronts and will hopefully jar Uncle out of his block of ice and in front of a keyboard of some sort to get back to the grind. Still, from the slightly NSFW trailer above you can see that this season going to be a doozy of death for many (and probably some longtime favorites). “I Choose Violence” will more than likely be hash-tagged, T-shirted and pinback buttoned to death before the season begins (and after – just you wait), so don’t be surprised to see it everywhere, even spelled out by kids in alphabet soup letters or even Alpha-Bit letters.

Wait, does Post even make that cereal anymore? Hmm, hmm, hmmmmm…(typety-type-type): Why YES they do! Hmmm. Parents, keep an eyeball on what your kids are watching if you’re into buying stuff they can spell with. Or not. Hey, I encourage creativity among all as long as no one gets hurt.

Stern’s Game of Thrones Pinball Machine: Silver Balls For The Royal Set

Posted on September 8, 2015 by geelw

Hmmm. This certainly gives the saying “When you play the Game of Thrones, you win… or you die.” a whole new meaning, folks.

For the record, it’s really difficult to play a standard pinball machine sitting down. That’s probably the sole reason this awesome and not at all inexpensive officially licensed Game of Thrones pinball machine doesn’t come with a life-size Iron Throne replica. Available now from Stern Pinball, this beauty comes in Pro ($5,995 MSRP), Premium ($7,595 MSRP) and Limited ($8,795 MSRP) Editions and is sure to get you kicking people out of your home when they won’t leave because they’re having a blast playing.

While the Pro model is packed to the rafters with features classic to current pinball wizards expect, the Premium and Limited Editions feature a massive and challenging Castle upper playfield with a second set of full size flippers, shots and an animated Dragon. Additionally, the Limited Edition gets you a Certificate of Authenticity, a numbered plaque, a designer-autographed playfield, a beautiful, hand-drawn cabinet and backglass artwork by Bob Stevlic. Exclusive, glossy, black- powder-coated, laser-cut side armor features dragon elements of the Targaryen Sigil and is inscribed with the Targaryen House motto, “Fire & Blood”, all highlighted with a rich, red mirrored backing.

If you can swing the funds for any of these gorgeous tables, all you need is enough room to fit your table of choice into comfortably and it’s party time! Friends will drop by pretty much automatically (and regularly), as a working pinball machine is one of those great conversation pieces that will get even non-gamers and non-fans of the show wanting to see it in action. And if you have no friends at all and are surrounded on all sides by enemies, this is a sure-fire way to get them to swing by for a little friendly competition. What you do to them once they’re distracted is all up to you.

Game of Thrones S5 E1: A Hot Time In The Old Towns Tonight

Posted on April 12, 2015 by geelw

Well, that was interesting. A low body count, some expected demises based on events from last season and one unexpected one (basically a “red shirt” death) that sets up some interesting dynamics for the rather hard-headed Mother of Dragons. Not letting the people go have their barbaric culture bread and circuses because of your own personal views is never a good thing at the end of the day. But hey, when you’ve got big, bad (and somewhat uncontrollable) dragons under your stairway (just like The Munsters!), it’s good to be the Queen, right? Meanwhile, back at the Lannister ranch, things are sliding downhill in all sorts of convincingly mad manners, aren’t they? Cersi’s going to be plotting, Margaery is going to be losing her marbles because of that plotting and you know it’ll be a battle of actresses chewing scenery to great effect.

On another part of the map, let’s not even bring up the Imp, as he’s in a bind he thinks he can booze his way out of and his bad haircut and beard make him look like a wino clown. Finally, as I stopped reading the books when the show came out but know some stuff from a few friends, expect a little less Snow by the end of the season. Maybe. It seems he’s wearing out his welcome among the Crows on a few fronts and that’s a bad sign of things to come. That’s not a spoiler if you use the internet, by the way.

Then again, given that Uncle George is probably grinning madly atop his comfy throne made from lots of printed green bills as he watches some fans spin madly off their couches, it’s all good wherever in Westeros he’s typing away from. Or not typing. No one tells Uncle George what to do, you know. Yeah, you’ll all be back next week. Well, not HERE, but in front of your TV’s, that is…

Factory Entertainment Makes A Crown Fit For A (Temporary) King

Posted on February 18, 2015 by geelw

‘Twas Shakespeare who wrote “Uneasy lies the head that wears a crown,” (Henry IV, Part 2 Act 3, scene 1, line 31), but I’m betting Factory Entertainment is laying odds that more stability will be found from Game of Thrones fans with bulging wallets. In addition to its line of licensed plush Dire Wolves, Dragons, throw pillows and other collectibles from the show, that great looking replica Royal Crown of the Houses Baratheon and Lannister above is in search of a few good homes.

Limited to 1500 pieces, Joffrey’s crown is cast from metal (unlike the one on the show, which was made from lightweight material that looked like metal but wasn’t), weighs about 13 ounces and comes with a sturdy 3-pound pedestal. Nope, I wasn’t even about to attempt to put that crown on my big head at Toy Fair, folks. Not because I didn’t want to, mind you. It’s just that I’ve seen the show and read some of the books and know wearing that crown is a really bad idea. Of course, I suggested to the guys at Factory to run some sort of photo contest among the lucky future owners of this collectible to see who was the most hard-core GoT fan out there. But we agreed that unless there was some sort of disclaimer that said something along the lines of “Please don’t ACTUALLY bump off the person in the photo!”, there could be trouble. You know how some fans get – always striving for accuracy in their recreations.

Anyway, that crown goes on sale this spring. Keep an eye peeled for it… or someone may peel that eye for you.

Game of Thrones 4:10 – Endgame For Some, More Game For The Rest…

Posted on June 20, 2014 by geelw

Okay, I waited the required amount of days of mourning for those who bought the farm on the final episode of Season 4, so here’s a wrap up of sorts. Well, not having read the books other than bits and pieces of two of them, I’ll say I was nicely surprised at how things ended this season. I knew Tyrian wasn’t going anywhere (yet), so his rescue and revenge bits were lovely to see. Now you know why bathroom doors have LOCKS these days, people.

As for the battle of the century THIS episode (or Brienne of Tarr versus The Hound), it was certainly fierce and bloody, but I figured it wouldn’t be a head-popping as that last big one on one fight on the show. I guess that’s the end of one of these characters, but as we don’t see an actual death, I wouldn’t be surprised if that old dog pops up in a future season. Of course, that bit has been done already, so perhaps he’s gone for good. Oh well. There are plenty of other mean men (and ladies) left on the show to get ticked off at…

Continue reading →

A “Gentle” Reminder From Game of Thrones…

Posted on June 15, 2014 by geelw

So, today is Father’s Day and yes, every daddy-o on Game of Thrones has got problems of a sort to deal with or has been a problem to someone else that’s been resolved (or will be at some point). Tonight’s the season finale, so it’ll be edge of the seat time while it’s rolling out fates for assorted dads and non-dads alike. My own father is no longer with us these days, so save for this sole post I’m taking the bulk of today off just to get a little breather before I reboot Monday and resume a bunch of stuff I need to follow up on. If you own dad/granddad or any pop you know is still around (and you get along these days), do something nice for him today – that’s an order, by the way.

Game of Thrones 4:9 Recap: A Bit Late, But I’m Still Recovering…

Posted on June 14, 2014 by geelw

Hey, this week was so packed with stuff that I didn’t get a chance to post a post-show impressions post. That’s too many posts in that last sentence, but I’ll let you forgive me while I ramble on a bit. So, the Wall did not fall, but plenty of good and bad men did thanks to everything from unhappy accidents, being in the wrong place and general last man standing stuff… Continue reading →

Funko’s Game of Thrones Amazon Exclusives Now Ready For Their Close-Ups…

Posted on June 6, 2014 by geelw

“Always be nice to a lady!”, I say… especially if she’s the mother of three dragons that can roast you in the blink of an eye. Funko has revealed not one but two Amazon exclusive Pop! vinyl figure bundles from Game of Thrones that include a figure, T-Shirt and key chain, all in a nice box that’s ready for a good, firm wrapping.

Choose from the lovely Daenerys Targaryen Bundle or the lovely Jon Snow Bundle, either of which would make an excellent gift for yourself or that GoT fan you’d like to get closer to… before one of you loses your head! Er, sorry… I got a bit carried away there, it seems (well, depending on how you take the whole “losing your head” part).