I’ve never trusted machines much even though like most of you, I tend to take them all for granted. Heck, we built those stupid machines (and even built the robots that build most machines today), so it’s not like they’re going to NOT do what we want them to like a mistreated pet suddenly turning on its owner, right? RIGHT?Wrong. Granted, plenty of industrial and freak accidents claim some while humans using machines constructed for menial to major tasks to kill other humans has been a thing ever since man started inventing and building stuff. Someone gets mad enough or crazy enough and even the most innocent looking tool gets used to do someone in, usually in a pretty messy manner. If Lizzie Borden had say, an old rolling pin instead of an axe, she might have merely lumped up her parents and not hacked them to bits. Even with an axe, bad aim is still pretty deadly…
So, I’m surprisingly alive, but I think I took a five-minute nod earlier. Anyway, this trailer for a Kickstarter funded film project is making the rounds and while it does pack a punch in few places, all that green screen work is a wee bit TOO perfect for an 80’s action flick. Yeah, yeah, it’s cheesy and hilarious, but somehow, the perfect mattes and effects seem more out of a full-motion video game than an intentionally awful movie that would have landed in a theater around 1987 or later. Granted, if this WAS a game project, I’d pony up a sack of pennies in a heartbeat (BOOM!). But as it is, this is going to make its target without a dime from me and make a lot of people smile in the process. Granted, this could end up like the next Snakes on a Plane if the jokes wear too thin, as what’s here is basically an expensive Saturday Night Live short film that’s stretched to what’s seemingly feature length. That said, you have to love the computer effects and Nintendo Power Glove with the finger tips cut off (those things were always too tight for adults unless they has kid-sized mitts) plus a few other things…
Let me tell you right now, dear readers, today is going to be nuts in all the best ways (and perhaps a few worst ones). Yours truly got not a wink of sleep last night. Not a wink. None. ero (as in no Z’s, ha ho ha haa).
It’s not that I intended to stay up all night long, ladies and germs. I just had my head filled to the brim with deep thoughts (and not so deep thoughts), couldn’t sleep and figured I’d go play a game until I passed out in front of the TV. Usually, that or a bad movie will do the trick within about half an hour to an hour, but before I knew it, Mr. Sun was peeping in the back room window and I was staring at the TV with big saucer eyes (see left). Now, I could have simply shut everything down and headed straight to bed (the smart thing), but noooooo… I had some important stuff to tackle…
So, yeah – that’s my non-denominational and generic holiday card above. I already posted this image on facebook a few days or a week back, but forgot to run it here (duh!). It’s actually an old watercolor I did oh, back around 1998 or so (if not earlier that decade). I used to hand-paint dozens of these and send them out to people I knew, but I simply haven’t been able to find the time to do this in quite some time. Back then, each one was different in size because I used assorted scraps from a pile of assorted watercolor paper I’d collected from the art store I worked at (they normally discarded these bits and pieces, but I decided to recycle!) , but had more or less the same image. Anyway, Happy/Merry Whatever and Peace somewhere or other (but here on earth first, as it’s nice to actually enjoy some silence once in a while)… Back in a bit.
So, I was sitting around with a few friends a few weeks back talking about movies and such when the subject of Christmas and holiday-themed movies came up and yes, everyone agreed that It’s A Wonderful Life, Miracle on 34th Street, A Christmas Story and a few other classics were all going to be watched at some point during the Season of Greetings. Interestingly enough, a few very unconventional titles got mentioned during this conversation to the point that I decided to toss a few of these films at you in a post and see what you think.
For some strange (well, not so strange) reasons, there are a lot of very non-holiday films on some people’s Holiday viewing schedules with most set during the winter or with cold weather as a big part of their plots (but not always). Anyway, as I see you’re wearing those dodgy jammies and overly fuzzy slippers you got yesterday as gifts and have that cup of “eggnog “at the ready, let’s get started with three or four for now and pick up some others in a future post…
Ah ha ha. See what I did there? No? Well, you’ll get it soon enough if you didn’t. Anyway, that final Matt Smith show was a corker, wasn’t it. No spoilers here, but I’ll say that ending sets up the Peter Capaldi run in a fun little way and makes me look forward to seeing this NEW Doctor at work. I have to give Steven Moffat some major credit for all these past years of plot hints coming in bits and pieces and basically ensnaring fans and non fans alike into sticking with even the silliest of shows because it all makes sense when you see those bits fall into place. I bet there’s a notebook somewhere with a chart and long, long list of whats, whys, when, hows and of course, WHO… but then again, the magic of this show comes from NOT knowing and just enjoying the ride.
So long, Mr. Smith – you’ll be missed, but I bet your Doctor will make an appearance at SOME point during the next 50 years. Better sooner than later, of course…
Merry Christmas and all that stuff like that there! Okay,unlike the previous giveaway post this isn’t quite a freebie, but more of a trade of sorts. I’m clearing out a closet full of assorted things here and figure someone who loves movies might want this rather thick and heavy old tome. As you can see, it’s the 1971 volume of The New York Times Directory of The Film, which is 1243 pages thick and packed with reviews of the papers top ten films from the years 1924 to 1969 (but I think a few 1970 films get mentioned). Read on for more info!…
UPDATE: ONE DOWN, ONE TO GO! The Capcom book is claimed! The Pokemon Visual Companion book is still looking for a new home! GRAB IT!
For you breeders with little to teen readers or anyone who’s into either video games, Pokemon, Capcom history or fine (and game-related) illustration, I’ve got some treats to send out to two lucky folks who just so happen to live here in the connected states here in the U.S. of A.! Yes, you can grab ONE of these two excellent DK Books for FREE by simply leaving a comment below with which one you’d prefer. Winners will be chosen randomly on Friday from all responses received and yes, once I make sure you’re who you say you are and you live at an actual address within reach of the US Postal service via Media Mail, I’ll mail the books out to each person either Saturday or Monday depending on how quickly I get a response from the winners. Yeah, yeah, it’s a post-Christmas contest, but hey – any time of the year is a GOOD time to get something for nothing, right?
Sorry, no International shipping on these (yeah, yeah, I know, but books are stupidly pricey to get from point A to Pont Dupont or wherever and I’m pretty broke!), But anywhere in the 48 contiguous states is A-OK. Nope, I won’t sell or give your address to any spammers. I’m not facebook, you know!
Well, well, well… I actually haven’t played a Tex Murphy game since 1994’s Under a Killing Moon, so I’ve been way out of the loop on the noir/tech detective and his adventures for (eek) almost twenty years now (eek!). Anyway, Atlus (which is generally not known for publishing these types of games) is producing and publishing the long awaited PC follow up to the 1996 PC game Tex Murphy: Overseer and developer Big Finish Games is, as you can see, making a FMV (Full-Motion Video) game for the ages.
I actually loved these types of adventure games back in the 90’s, grainy video quality and all, so it’s fantastic to see this style of game get a nice boost thanks to better technology that allows for crystal clear FMV scenery in the cinemas as well as in-game environments and effects work that’s not embarrassingly cheesy for a change. I also love the idea of a film noir-ish detective in a post World War III San Francisco, which is sort of like Blade Runner without the pompous ego crisis and Philip K. Dick pedigree, ha ha. Heh, I may need to hire a Blade Runner of my own to protect my from the legions of fans of that classic film, but I think I can take my chances and survive. I’ll take on the all of the Pris impersonators first, though. I think my feeble brain could really use the vigorous thigh massage (Ouch! I was kidding, ladies, Don’t hit! Don’t hit!!!)…
Anyway, my eyeball is now fixed on one more great game that’s going to roll up in 2014 and get a lot of people buzzing about it for a few reasons. Anyway, all this gabbing and I still haven’t officially* linked you to the game’s official site where you (yes, YOU) can check out the assorted screens and a few FMV movies that will let you know what some are bouncing up and down in their favorite chairs about. I’d be doing the same, but I’m in the library here, these damn chairs are as hard as a rock and I’d rather not have to be hospitalized for being giddy. At least for this particular reason.
*”Officially, as in if you didn’t click on those other links already, you haven’t seen the site yet, of course)…
Nope, I haven’t yet picked up The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker HD, but it gets an automatic kick onto my non-list for a few reasons. One: the GameCube original was pretty darn awesome and that wonderful art style made an impression on me as soon as I saw screenshots and others were griping that Nintendo had “lost its mind” by making Link and company look like something out of an old cartoon. As a friend ran out and snapped up a Wii U recently just for this game (he got that fine bundle package with the fancy Zelda-themed GamePad art), I got to see a few hours of the game running (and even played a a little) and can vouch for the buffed up HD visuals as being better than the original game… mostly.
There’s an odd muting of the palette in a few areas and while the use of depth of field is super cool, it tended to make some areas force my eyes to automatically squint until I got used to the effect (but that’s probably just me). Otherwise, the game is just as fun, funny and almost as tricky as ever. From what I’ve heard, Nintendo hasn’t adding any new areas, but tweaked the gameplay, adding some easier and harder means of playing the game for new and old players alike. The annoying Tingle portions are apparently less so, but if the game is also a straight up enhanced port, I’m gathering that long and pesky quest that makes up a chunk of the latter portion of the game is still intact. Oh well, but the good thing about a LoZ game is once you’re past a certain point, you’re committed to completing the adventure, so that’s not much of a big deal.
I’ll most likely go with the physical version over the eShop download just because I really, REALLY want that case and manual. My GameCube Wind Waker is signed by Mr. Miyamoto and I’d love to get the Wii U game signed as well. Hey, I may not have the biggest collection on the planet or be the super-fan Nintendo wants me to be, but I do know having the chance to meet one man I respect for what he’s done for the medium is one other thing worth holding out for…
"DESTROY ALL FANBOYS!" 