Hello, Zelda! The Crack of Dawn Gets That Golden Ticket in Hand

Posted on June 11, 2016 by geelw

Whee, you! I was initially going to pick a later date (Thursday, because I have another media event in the evening of the 16th), but thought better of that when I saw 6 and 7pm slots still open on Tuesday. The earlier times had been snapped up (3 to 5 PM), so I’m going to keep my fingers crossed my session runs fine, I don’t drool all over that Gamepad, and I get the most out of my demo time.

It REALLY pays to get out of bed early in the morning. Or not sleep at all and get one’s butt downtown to wait five hours or so for a once in a lifetime opportunity. May was crappy, but June is looking nicer at least on this front. Back in a bit, as I’m still a bit groggy… but also very happy.

Yeah, I wore this shirt today. One of the Nintendo NYC employees handing out the bracelets got a good chuckle from it. Yeah, yeah. I need a selfie stick, but I really hate them.

READS: Surf NYC – Into the Deep End With The Urban Wave Jockeys

Posted on June 5, 2016 by geelw

Photo: Andreea Waters

I guess you can call photographer/author Andreea Waters‘ new book Surf NYC ($34.99, Schiffer Publishing) a perfect summer beach read of sorts. Granted, if you’re strolling around certain wet and sandy spots with a copy in hand and your phone’s GPS chatting away looking for where some of the photos in the book were shot, you may luck out and get an autograph from one of the more outgoing daredevils committed to riding the weird, wild waves in and around the NY area.

On the other hand, you’ll probably want to respect both the privacy and utter daring of these urban daredevils out to conquer with their own respect the very waters doing what comes naturally and often under unnatural circumstances. The book is a 136-page hardcover with 64 outstanding images of the guys and gals who dare along with the places they do that daring in. You’ll come for the images, but stay for the stories told in quick bits by the surfers interviewed.

Photo: Andreea Waters

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The Third Degree Burn Is No Joke

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Whee. It’s THREE degrees outside. Not counting the wind chill. Getting to Toy Fair this morning was no joke, but seeing all those under-dressed folks on the subway looking miserable because they may have not experienced a NYC winter brought a tiny bit of amusement. Nothing like seeing some guys complaining about the cold while wearing pants hanging off their butts, zippered hoodies, no gloves on their mitts and that cold, cold stare. Me, I’m wrapped up like a mummy but still able to move. PROTIP: Fleece is your friend, folks.

Back in a bit with some pictures and Toy Fair-related stuff. Yesterday I got home and keeled over in front of my computer. That non-stop wind walk back home was pretty draining. I’m a bit more prepared for it this evening. That said, this morning I ran into a few attendees who’d LOVE to see the show get a kick up to a warmer month as it seems every year Elsa brings the cold touch to the proceedings. Thanks, Disney (grrrr!)

Toy Fair 2016 Pre-Show Thoughts: Juggling Is Harder This Year, I’d Wager

Posted on February 12, 2016 by geelw

I have a box of turtles and dinosaurs here plus some other stuff on the way and that makes me giddy. Yep, NY Toy Fair is here and is going to be fun, but I’m also thinking of stuff outside the box that makes me think things aren’t all rosy and pastel framed goggles. The economy is weird at the moment and anecdotally I know people who just aren’t spending as much money as they used to for a few reasons. Some parents with less disposable income are choosing to give smaller, less expensive gifts or will go for one or two pricier gift meant to last a while (usually something tech-like). Others are going for more educational gifts with an eyeball towards their wee ones doing something else with their futures than becoming future sports or music stars (which is a good thing in my book).

Toy companies catering to collectors with primarily or only high dollar items are probably feeling the pinch even more but need to keep pushing out their premium product because competition for certain big licenses is huge and NOT being there with that hot new collectible means losing money to the other guy or gal who got their goods on the floor. Of course, collectors with space and funds only are about getting that new item first and fast, so that market is more than safe as long as their passion (and shelf space) hold out. Of course, superheroes are hot stuff and will be for a while. But between the retro trend that keeps bringing back older collectibles and the newer licensed goods that command attention of young and old collectors alike, something’s going to give eventually… Continue reading →

Snow Daze: Be Careful What You Wish For, Folks

Posted on January 23, 2016 by geelw

snow_daze1 (Large)

Whee. 20+ inches of snow and counting, but I’m not counting. According to the smiling weather folks on a few channels who seem to be inordinately cheery about all that white stuff outside blowing around and sticking to anything moving or motionless, it’s allegedly supposed to stop around midnight or so. But that also means a more of those dopes who weren’t out today (from my window I saw a few too many people “driving” sideways or walking in the streets while a car or two slid sideways past them) will be out tomorrow because they know no better than to stay indoors with something (or someone) warm and toasty. Oh well.

snow daze2

I didn’t venture out other than to check the mail only to find out that post office motto really is not true at all, but it seems we may need some more milk after all. So I get to be a dope myself for about ten or twenty minutes, but I do need that cow juice to go into the coffee I’m making that’s required to keep me going though a job I need to plow through that’s due before Sunday is done. Thankfully, the supermarket is less than a block away and the folks who run it live in the area. Then again, I need to step outside for some frozen air anyway, as stir craziness will occur and the dope crashing here who smokes indoors when he shouldn’t (and needs to quit) is going to get a paper hatchet to the head otherwise. Hey, paper cuts can be pretty damn painful, you know…

Ziegfeld Fall-ies: “Progress!”: Or Why We Can’t Have (and Keep) Nice Things

Posted on January 21, 2016 by geelw

Ziegfeld Interior

So, the famed Ziegfeld Theater is closing soon. Hearing this news earlier did not make my day go any better, folks.

Let’s see now: closing the only remaining theater in NYC with a 70mm screen? BAD IDEA. Turning that theater into a stupid “special events” hall when there are plenty of spaces already? WORSE idea. I’m so annoyed at this I can’t even muster up the energy to rant and spill some history on you guys and gals. Between this news and the recent demises of the big Toys ‘R Us in Times Square, FAO Schwarz further uptown, and the slowly fading actual deli scene this city is dying the lonely death of a thousand cuts in favor of becoming more of a dead-eyed strip mall packed with tourists who come here just to go to higher priced versions of what they already have in their states.

Yeah, yeah – big movies aren’t making as much money as online streaming services generate and in general, shopping is “easier” when you click away and get no exercise as a trade off for free shipping (unless you order too close to Christmas because you think Santa Claus is real and that box will pop up right on time. HA.). But both retail space and big screen movie houses are needed just because not everything looks good on a damned mobile screen or computer monitor, multiplexes lose personality (and hearing films through poorly constructed walls sucks) and hell, it’s just BETTER to see and touch something you want to buy up close and personal. Take a picture, it’ll last longer, indeed. Funny, but not funny – Bow Tie Cinemas also owned the Loews theater near me that got turned into a totally useless Marshall’s that’s a grand, laughable waste of space inside which always looks as if it’s never been cleaned properly.

If I Had a Hammer (I’d Hit Myself On the Head) Redux

Posted on January 20, 2016 by geelw

Feh. This past week or so has been a bit too insane partially thanks to more apartment repairs disrupting the daily routine. I didn’t sleep at all Monday night thanks to moving stuff around the apartment (and writing up a game review), so I was passed out by noon Tuesday with a Blu-Ray playing (yes, you should buy this) and a cup of coffee I somehow managed not to spill a drop of. It’s pretty hilarious to wake up all bleary-eyed with a cup of coffee in your hand a guy working on your wall about ten feet away and a subtitled Japanese movie playing. I think the poor plasterer was trying to figure out if I spoke the language or how I could watch a movie with my eyes closed, but I like to confuse people whenever I can. Mission accomplished!

Well, not really…

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Humor: A Vote For Iris Steensma Might Start Some More Fireworks

Posted on January 6, 2016 by geelw

“I got some bad ideas in my head.”

While it’s still an example of great American film-making and a must-see movie, I’ve been having a recurring dream of a Taxi Driver followup for quite some time. As in over 20 years of random story ideas hitting me in the dream-space or while strolling around NYC. The city has changed so much since the film’s 1976 release, but in a (not so) weird way certain elements have cycled back into that film’s bleak version of the city, citizens, and some of the politics around them.

Granted, it’s never (ever!) going to happen unless the stars are in order (on a few fronts, ha and ha-ha) and some other key people think it’s a good idea. It’s not (at all), but Hollywood has done far worse updates of other films (for better or worse… mostly worse in my opinion). Nevertheless, I’m getting this silliness off my chest and out of my head so I can clear up space in the grey matter filing cabinet. Continue reading →

Extreme Exorcism: This Ghost-Busting Retro Game Will Haunt Your Every Move

Posted on August 26, 2015 by geelw

Until a few minutes ago I’d never heard of NYC-based Golden Ruby Games. Now I want to be their best friend or something like that. The indie developer’s upcoming PC (and hopefully console bound soon) Extreme Exorcism is yet another one of those inspired “retro” games that looks to give fans of both single player and co-op games something to grin about. While this teaser trailer is way too short, it certainly made me smile and want to see more:

The gameplay seems straightforward, but EE’s AI happens to be programmed to repeat the controller moves you’ve made to dispatch each enemy when the next one appears. This means even “perfect” players who can clear the initial few maps will soon
find themselves dealing with enemies that are as good as they are in higher numbers. The longer it takes you to dispatch that next ghost, the harder it becomes to get rid of the next one. I’m gathering the game will drop enemies onto maps one at a time at first, as it’s going to be a rage-fest for players who let themselves get overwhelmed when things get trickier.

Anyway, a handful of screens below. Keep an eye peeled for this one as it’s still in development and there’s no concrete release date. As far as publishers go, Ripstone Games is getting it out and I’m hoping we see a PS4 and Vita version with the possibility of a Wii U port down the road. As usual, we shall see.

There Goes The Neighborhood: Death of The American

Posted on August 15, 2015 by geelw

There used to be five movie theaters within walking distance of my place, six if you wanted to hoof it along a nearby highway for a spell to hit a former drive in turned multiplex. Now there are a mere two movie theaters total in the entire Bronx area, which is a shame and a sham simultaneously. When it abruptly shut down last year, The American (which was originally a Loews theater before passing in to a few hands over the years) wasn’t exactly a grand theater. Well, at least it wasn’t for the last decade or two. But it was close by, cheaper than going into Manhattan and even if the movie you saw stunk, at least the audience could be somewhat entertaining and annoying as they tend to be when all one desires is to hear what’s on screen without any peanut gallery antics. Continue reading →