Fallout 4: It’s Going To Be The Bomb (As The Kids Say)

Posted on June 4, 2015 by geelw

Well, I knew Bethesda was working on it for a while so I may be one of the few people who didn’t lose his or her mind when that Fallout 4 trailer dropped. More will be revealed at E3 and that most likely means there will be live gameplay to see and screens to pore over. I like that our hero (or heroine if you choose to play as a female) may have an actual voice this time out and I hope there are a few voice options in that character creation screen. While the trailer is made up of in-game footage trying to even guess anything about the story through the trailer is a fool’s errand. Naturally, the internet is going ga-ga over over-speculation about everything in that video. I prefer to keep what remains of my sanity and stay quiet until my paws are wrapped around a controller.

I’m gathering the release date will be a shocker, as there are placeholder pre-order and retailer tabs on the official site already that will probably go live during or after E3. I’m betting Bethsoft wants to get as many people who want this as possible to grab their wallets and get with the early spending spree. Given that their press conference is quite long and has the return of former G4TV stars Adam Sessler and Morgan Webb as hosts, I’d say a lot of gamer wallet (and other bits) draining will be happening once all is said and done. That said, I don’t think an new single player entry in The Elder Scrolls series will be announced this year. Why? Because that’s too much to take for some folks (myself included) and time travel hasn’t been invented just yet so we can play all these games and go back to normal without missing a beat.

Besides, Bethesda REALLY wants you to be playing The Elder Scrolls Online: Tamriel Unlimited. Zenimax did work a hell of a long time on it and I hear it’s not bad at all for an always online game experience.

DiRT Rally: Codemasters Kicks It Old School In Its Early Access Racer

Posted on April 27, 2015 by geelw

Awesome. I haven’t even played DiRT Rally yet but I already know it’s going to make a LOT of rally fans very happy. No crazy Gymkhana mode, no “celebrity” drivers, ALL rally all the time and with more realistic controls and car damage? Sign me up, stat! I checked out the Steam page for the game just now and the overwhelming positive response to the game even in its early access state is so positive that it seems Codemasters has gone and made people who are completely new to rally games appreciate the intensity and high difficulty curve (pun intended) not seen in years from the series.

Of course, Codemasters surprised plenty of folks by announcing the game was out now (again, as a work in progress). So I’m betting they’re using all that early feedback to make it a lot better before (hopefully) announcing some console versions. As long as the final version is pure rally and isn’t packing any X-Games style nonsense, I’m in for the long haul.

New Terminator Genisys Trailer: Blasts From The Past And Future Get The Internet Somewhat Nuts

Posted on April 18, 2015 by geelw

What’s been interesting about these Terminator Genisys trailers is how the internet whiners has reacted to the reboot without realizing that the new film is playing them like violins. The time-bending going on here and all the plot twists see as spoilers might not even be the big things the movie is bringing to the table. Me, I like the idea of taking the first two films and remixing them so Sarah Connor knows what’s coming and prepares for it before finding out things aren’t as she planned for.

I’m really curious to find out what type of Terminator John has turned out to be as well as seeing if the process can be reversed (remember, we’re dealing with time travel and its many possible ripples) by the time those end credits roll. That and hell, it’ll be fun hearing whatever goofball quips Arnold comes up with as the film progresses. It looks as if Emilia Clarke has got some of his better quotes from the first two films down pat. Eh, we’ll see (as usual). I don’t expect him to survive this flick either, but I have the feeling that even if he does… he’ll be BACK. Well, at least for one more go-around.

Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice Trailer: A Big SOCK! Full Of POW! For 2016

Posted on April 17, 2015 by geelw

Wow. First we get slapped around by new Star Wars: The Force Awakens and Terminator Genisys trailers and today, it’s Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice getting people all hot under the collar and a few other places. Well, it certainly looks as if any blubbering about Ben Affleck as Batman has been silenced. The film seems to borrow rather heavily from Frank Miller’s Dark Knight books in terms of Batman’s more tricked out costume (the lighted eyes, sniper rifle and other bits) as well as the big battle that’s going to take place between Bats and Supes.

Of course, the film is also a jump off for the future Justice League movie, so there’s going to be plenty of new things to ogle here and over-speculate about as new trailers drop. You go do that ogling and speculating on your own time. I’ll just wait more more moving picture news and perhaps a few stills to pore over before passing any major judgments Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice is in theaters March 25, 2016.

Yeah, yeah – I’ll get to that Terminator trailer tomorrow. I was up way too late working on a few projects and am wiped OUT tonight.

Star Wars: The Force Awakens Trailer 2: TBT Meet TMI, All In Two Minutes Flat

Posted on April 16, 2015 by geelw

Well, the film certainly looks incredible (in that practical FX meets CG manner expected of it), but man did that old Ford get OLD. Well, I’m not getting any younger myself, but yikes. Scary stuff there. All kidding aside, it also looks as if the film won’t skimp on the humorous elements at all, so that’s a good thing. Nothing’s worse that a sci-fi/fantasy flick that tries too hard to take itself seriously (no names here, but some will know of which I speak). I’m betting we see more as the week spools out, what with Star Wars Celebration in full swing and all. Eh, perhaps I’ll save up one day and go to one of those, but that’s only going to REALLy happen if I’m IN a Star Wars flick at this point. Hey, I’d play Darth Faux Hipster Goatee any day of the week!

Mad Max: Fury Road TV Spots: Hit the Road, Jack. You’ve Got A Movie To Catch

Posted on March 29, 2015 by geelw

Ha. You know, I’d forgotten Mad Max had a last name until I saw the description to this new teaser. Anyway, Mr. Rockatansky is back in action on the wild road soon (hey, May is creeping up faster than you’d think!), so here’s a look at two of the TV ads for the film. Can George Miller pull this off as well as he did back with the first two films? Or will we need another hero to save us from the pre-summer blehs?

Eh, my money is on this being a winner as long as the jaded ones out there with their negativity and access to computers get busy slamming it with their tiny little hammers because it’s not what they wanted or expected. Yeesh. Try and make art these days and you find no one’s happy because everyone’s a self-styled “critic” these days. Feh.

“Better Call Saul” Poster: Well, He’s the One on the Phone…

Posted on December 17, 2014 by geelw

Ha. This nice promotional poster for AMC’s post-Breaking Bad prequel, Better Call Saul made me chuckle for a few reasons, but the key one might not be so amusing. That pic could be Bob Odenkirk NOT on the horn with his agent at a phone he told him to expect a call at about him doing another show other than this one. Now, I’m not saying it’s going to tank at all, kids. In fact, I’ll be watching each episode with bated breath and probably on the edge of my seat thanks to Vince Gilligan’s fine writing (and writing team) and whomever is set to direct the first season’s scripts.

I’m just somewhat amused that if it does run for a few years, the makeup budget to keep Saul looking five years younger than he was on Breaking Bad (which shot its last episode something like two years ago) will probably end up exceeding the budgets of some student and indie film projects. Okay, I thought it was funny. Well, that double part premiere isn’t until February 8 and 9, 2015, so I guess Saul and Bob can work on any gray hairs growing between now and when the reviews roll in. Those handful of clips certainly are pretty amusing, that’s for sure…

Mad Max: Fury Road Trailer: Hardy to the End!

Posted on December 10, 2014 by geelw

If you somehow thought director George Miller lost his knack for making wildly kinetic action flicks, this new trailer for the upcoming Mad Mad: Fury Road should spin your head around a few times. Granted, it’s only a trailer and yes, trailers tend to be not much like the actual film at all or worse, show all the good parts and leave some viewers wanting their money back once those end credit roll.

That said, let’s give Miller the benefit of the doubt and hope this film is closer to the magnificence of The Road Warrior and not the oddball-ness of Beyond Thunderdome. As usual, we shall see. If the film stinks (and I think it won’t), I’ll just get my pair of toecutters and get George on the horn. Or just catch it when it hits cable for the repeat play thing…

Terminator: Genisys – Yeah, He’s BACK (Again)…

Posted on December 4, 2014 by geelw

(Thanks, Arnold!)

Well, I guess it’s as good a time as ever to note that when I first heard Arnold was doing another Terminator flick, I think I broke something laughing. Of course, we’re at the point in visual effects tech that the best and brightest can make anything or anyone real look like a CG effect and here’s living proof of that coming to a theater near you next year. Actually, the plot makes it sound like a reboot that’s burning the candle at both ends with the return of Kyle Reese, Sarah Conner and a few other elements from James Cameron’s original two flicks. Of course, the film should benefit from Alan Taylor‘s direction, as his Game of Thrones work is pretty strong.

Granted, other than more plastics and metals there’s not much of a difference between the gritty filth of Westeros and the gritty radioactive filth of the future setting here (and the gritty filthy present the characters will end up in). But if the film can capture all that made the first two Terminator movies so special, this one may do well outside the blockbuster-fed crowds that will rush out to see it when it finally opens next July.

On the other hand, if this flick slips up in any way, shape or form in the plot or tosses in too much for the modern “Wait, what just happened?” crowd who need stuff constantly explained to them, it may tank out after a month because word of mouth hit it harder than a T-1000 slapping Arnold with a sledgehammer. Balance is the key to success, I’m betting. And I’m also betting the home video version will pack in scenes that get left on the cutting room floor because that’s the trend these days. Anyway, that’s two formerly successful franchises making a comeback in 2015, so between this reboot/remake with a twist and Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens, it’s the 1980’s all over again.

And yeah – that’s both a good thing and a not so good thing…

Star Wars: The Force Awakens Teaser: Turning the Internet Into Hype-Our-Space…

Posted on November 28, 2014 by geelw

Well, color me interested, but not quite yet convinced. This teaser for Star Wars: The Force Awakened is too short, but it looks as if the effects teams have been hard at work with over a year to go. Or at least they’ve just done up scenes for this trailer that show they’re on the case and not planning to blow it:

(Thanks, Star Wars UK!)

I have no questions as of yet other than wondering who’s flying the Millennium Falcon in that short clip and why that yet to be revealed dark Jedi has the second most impractical lightsaber I’ve ever seen. But I can wait for that reveal in some other trailer. I’m gathering this one movie will have the most teasers and trailers released for it of anything coming in 2015 just because Disney wants to show that the Star Wars license is in good hands. I didn’t think so when I heard the news and soon enough, saw Mickey ears on a Darth Vader helmet (wtf?) and I think Goofy dressed up as Darth as a plush doll (yikes!). But I’ll pay less attention to the licensing on this film because there will be THOUSANDS of new products coming to rake in the dough from the rubes and all I want to see is a decent new film in this series.

December 2015 will be here sooner than you think, given the way time has flown this year. I may be too ancient to fall for marketing and merchandising tactics, but I’ll see this if it’s as entertaining as the original was. I’m also holding out for the trailer where J.J. has people jumping off something high, as next to lens flare overuse it’s a trademark in all his films for some oddball reason. As usual, we shall see, right?