The Backlog Continues (“Oops” Edition), Plus a Viking Wants Some of My Money…

Posted on September 15, 2013 by geelw

Yeah, yeah – I’m laaaaate to posting again, but I’ve been busy working through a bunch of games. One of which ISN’T Volgarr the Viking (now available on gog.com). Not that I don’t want to buy and play that awesome looking old-school hard as nails 2D action platformer, mind you. I’m actually OUT of space on all three of my hard drives and every portable drive I currently own. Ugh. Actually, I need to go through those drives because part of the reason I’m out of space is I accidentally backed up a complete drive onto another a while ago when I thought I was copying a few files and I don’t need everything I duplicated. I just haven’t gotten around to clearing out the drive because I’ll need to go through a load of files and that will take most of a day. Eh, one thing at a time, I suppose. I guess I’ll delete a few games I duplicated and add Volgarr and a few other things this week. I still have a few cheap indie bundles I spent a buck or two on that need to get added to my virtual stack of games to get to.

Random Film of the Week(end), Too: Abandon Ship! (Seven Waves Away)

Posted on September 14, 2013 by geelw

(thanks, S250385!)

“Save as many as you can …”.

I’ve been on a grand total of two cruise ships, plus a bunch of ferries and other boats raging in size from canoe to schooner, but after seeing Abandon Ship! (or Seven Waves Away if you’re in the UK), I’ll probably restrict my watercraft enjoyment to playing with toy boats in a bathtub filled with maybe five inches of water.

This 1957 British drama is probably one of the more depressing sea disaster films I’ve ever seen. Clocking in at just over an hour and a half, this harrowing tale gets off to a start as a luxury ocean liner, The Crescent Star hits a stray World War II mine that sinks the ship, killing most of its passengers and crew. There only time for a single lifeboat to launch before the ship goes down and that lifeboat can only fit nine people. Unfortunately (or even MORE unfortunately), twenty seven people end up in and around that lifeboat and soon, you’ll feel as if you’re in that boat with the doomed, the dying and the soon to be dead.

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Random Film of the Week(end): SCANDAL

Posted on September 14, 2013 by geelw

(thanks, NonoLoves!)

Akira Kurosawa’s SCANDAL is a brilliantly bittersweet film that works as an indictment of a celebrity-crazed public and paparazzi-fueled gossip gone wrong (as if it were ever “right”) while completely pulling you into its well-rounded characters and situations that will seem all to familiar in this era of TMZ and other “entertainment journalism” that’s merely feeding a voyeuristic “need” to pore into the private lives of people that for the most part don’t want or need this sort of intrusion.

The film is also a sentimental holiday story and seeing the Japanese takes on Christmas and New Year’s Day (circa 1950) makes for an interesting cultural shock that adds a nice layer of necessary humor to the plot. If you’re one for the weeping moment, this one’s also a great few-hanky flick that’s near flawless (meaning your strings will be yanked appropriately and at the right moments).

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RoboCop Poster: Black Is The New Black (Plus a “Related” Dog Story)…

Posted on September 13, 2013 by geelw

Sometimes You Get It, Sometimes You Don’t Department: About a month back I’m walking to the subway from a press event and there’s this guy walking a cute bulldog (well, cute for a bulldog) who stops at a traffic light while a big truck is trying to turn the corner. As I stroll up next to them and wait the minute or so it’ll take the truck to make the turn, a gal in a nice summer dress pops out of a store, walks up to the guy and starts chatting about his dog, asking if she could pet it. He says “Sure!” and while she’s doing so, she looks up and asks “What’s your dog’s name?” The guy looks down and says “Murphy” and yes, I let out a huge laugh. The guy looks over at me as I’m recovering and I ask “Robocop?, to which HE starts cracking up. “Yeah, yeah…” Of course, as we’re having our chuckle, the gal is looking at us and not quite getting it. Right at that moment, the truck finished negotiating the turn and I noted to the guy that he might want to let the lady in on the reference before she thinks something crazy is going on. Of course, I had that Basil Poledouris theme playing in my head as I strolled off…

Oh yeah… nice poster, huh? I’m betting we’ll see a few more before this one’s ready for its close up.

Yeah, Yeah… it’s Friday the 13th (You May Want to Watch Your Step)…

Posted on September 13, 2013 by geelw

(thanks, oldhollywoodtrailers!)

You may as well get some entertainment as you’re dodging black cats and ladders with buckets on them, right? However, if you’re bopping down the street reading this on your phone or tablet, there’s an open manhole waiting to say “Hello!”. What, you’re laughing at that trailer above because it’s old and not so scary? OK, I’ve got you now:

(thanks, justontime100!)

What, you have some good luck left? Grrrr… ZAP!

(thanks, VEVO!)

Hmmm… no? Still feeling lucky, punk? OK, try this:

(thanks, kanizu00!)

Yeah, the lady ALWAYS wins… Enjoy that banana peel slide into traffic.

A Friendly Reminder From AMC (Plus A Chance To Chase or Be Chased)…

Posted on September 13, 2013 by geelw

Just a friendly reminder that The Walking Dead kicks off Season 4 on October 12, 2013. If you’d like to give yourself a mild heart attack before that day and you’re in the NYC area, feel free to check out The Walking Dead Escape, the LIVE event where you can be a Survivor or Walker as you either try to make it through a tricky obstacle course or try to stop people from doing so.

As awesome as that latter event sounds… I won’t be attending, as I value my life too much to be trampled to death by some screaming fans. However, YOU can register and step up to the plate and have the time of your life. Have fun if you do go and if you’re a Walker, don’t even think of wearing that makeup job you get on the subway or anywhere else in the city. We’re crazy enough here without having to get freaked out by some grinning tourist dressed as a zombie. And you don’t want to run into a crazed homeless guy who thinks it’s the “REAL” zombie apocalypse and decides to do you in with that shopping cart he’s pushing around (ouch!)…

New Rollers of the Realm Trailer: “We’ve Got The Biggest Balls of Them All!”

Posted on September 13, 2013 by geelw

Okay, I really couldn’t think of anything pinball related, thanks to a slight cold coming on and my head being a little fuzzier than usual. “Thankfully” that old AC/DC tune happened to pop into my head and here you go. Anyway, Rollers of the Realm looks even more polished in this trailer and thanks to all the folks voting for it on Steam Greenlight, the game is becoming even more eagerly anticipated. Phantom Compass (and friends) expect to have this one ready to go before the year is out and as a longtime Pinball fanatic, I can’t wait to see how it all turns out.

BUY!: The Elder Scrolls Anthology Out Now, Dishonored GOTY Coming in October

Posted on September 12, 2013 by geelw

As noted in my earlier post, Bethsoft is making sure you KNOW The Elder Scrolls series is a force to be reckoned with (or they at least want you to stay home a LOT more that you normally do). Their awesome $79.99 box set, The Elder Scrolls Anthology stormed into retail on the 10th (here in North America, $89.99 in Canada, European territories this Friday for €59.99 / £49.99 / $89.99 AUD) and YES, you need to buy this just for the hundreds of hours of adventuring plus the chance to make some of your own content if you so desire.

There’s a ton of stuff in that box to discover, so make this one your big gift to that favorite RPG fan (or for yourself if you want to become one).

In other Bethsoft news, October 8 marks the release date of Dishonored: Game of the Year Edition (whee!), which means I need to pick this one up as well:

As for what’s in THIS box, well, read on (below the jump!):

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Review: Sega’s GO DANCE: Your iOS Device Makes You An Instant Party Machine…

Posted on September 12, 2013 by geelw

Got two bucks handy and an iPhone or iPad? Of course you do! Like to dance? Absolutely (even though you only do it when no one is around. Yes, I do KNOW these things). Good. Go get GO DANCE, Sega’s new app that’s a pure blast of fun bound to liven up any get together with some cool dancing and plenty of competitive action.

While that budget price point means only two songs are included with the app (LMFAO’s Party Rock Anthem and Nicki Minaj’s Super Bass, more tracks are available (Flo Rida’s Wild Ones and Avicii’s Levels) as in-App purchases and more are on the way. The game uses the front-facing camera on your device to scan and track your face and torso allowing for some great and realistic dance action from your customizable onscreen avatar.

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