Kvetch-22: You Win Some, You Lose Some

Posted on April 20, 2016 by geelw

Here’s some news fresh from the “Wouldn’t You Know It?” desk:

Hooray! I won something awesome recently – a blu-ray copy of the Ivan Tors produced, Herbert L. Strock directed sci-fi film GOG (1954), restored into its 3D state and in HD for the first time on disc. Many thanks go to Kino Lorber, Classic Movie Hub and Aurora’s Gin Joint (all fine places to sit for a spell and learn about plenty of classic films) for picking my hastily scribbled entry. I also got two more Arrow Video blu-rays in the post today to review right after GOG showed up via Fed Ex: Dillinger and The Zero Boys. Excellent!

However (and this is hi-larious)… Continue reading →

ALIEN Day is Coming: Is Your Brain Ready For Some Pointed Questions?

Posted on April 19, 2016 by geelw

It figures that what with there being a Star Wars Day that’s taken off into a yearly festival of fun for many, someone at Fox would have kicked out the idea of an ALIEN Day and some sort of all-day contest to go with that.

Well, here you go: Starting April 26, 2016 (4/26, a reference to planet LV 426, naturally), there will be 24 hours of all-ALIEN thrills for everyone from movie buffs to those new to the franchise (there’s always someone who’s NEVER seen an ALIEN flick!) who want to know what the fuss is all about.

Twentieth Century Fox Consumer Products has announced an out-of-this-world global celebration of the ALIEN franchise culminating with a special 24 hour, fan-focused social media event on April 26th – a nod to LV-426, the planet from the iconic ALIEN films. ALIEN DAY (#AlienDay426) will encompass a wide range of executions including nationwide screenings, never-before-seen consumer product activations and the kickoff of the ALIEN: Ultimate Trivia Challenge, allowing fans to test their ALIEN knowledge – with the chance to win prizes every 42.6 minutes on Twitter (@AlienAnthology). Fans may register now for the contest at ALIEN Anthology and refer to “Official Rules” for additional details.

The funny thing is, while Star Wars Day is a super family-friendly time indeed, I can’t see this catching on with the younger set. Hell, I’m old enough to remember this toy-related debacle which I actually had one of (they were quite cheap a few months after release because no one seemed to be buying them as no kids were seeing ALIEN in theaters thanks to the “R” rating and the culture being a lot different back then). It ended up in my younger brother’s possession when I moved out and yep, I came back a few years later and he’d tossed the box, lost the head cover and pretty much killed off my dream of reselling the thing for a hefty profit. Ah well…

Anyway, I’d imagine NOT answering those trivia questions correctly would result in a Xenomorph knocking at your door to deliver the news you didn’t win a prize. Um, you probably don’t want to answer that knock unless you want to become that rotten egg no one wants for breakfast in the morning. Just a word of warning…

The Force Awakens My Slightly Cranky, Eternally Poor Side

Posted on October 19, 2015 by geelw

Here are your heroes and villains on a crowded poster. Whee. I’m going to go see this, but more as a curious former super-fan who just wants to see how well director J.J. Abrams is going to try and nail the same feeling the first film had and to check out what the writing is like. The original Star Wars came at a crucial time where Hollywood movies were getting great, glum and gloomy (Taxi Driver, anyone?) to the point where something like George Lucas’ inspired sci-fantasy pastiche with its groundbreaking visual effects (for the time) made suddenly happier audiences rush back to theaters multiple times, buy up every bit of merchandise as it was announced and add more fuel to Hollywood’s now common sequel frenzy.

I’m not much of a big merch guy these days, but I do feel a tiny bit sorry for some Star Wars fans who want every freebie out there these theaters are going to hand out. Good Luck, pal. Seeing the list of different items on the official Star Wars site made me a bit annoyed because it’s going to be nearly physically impossible for ONE person to grab each of these items unless they’re willing to do a LOT of traveling, have family or friends in the movie theater business who don’t mind setting aside goodies, other friends and family who will be getting trampled by Grabby the Hutt during the handout phase or maybe they’ll just luck out on eBay after the fact. Of course, watch me proven VERY wrong by some fans who not only manage to get one or more of all those freebies legitimately, but post all about it for the world to see.

Eh, whatever happened to just enjoying a movie and maybe going to see it again with a friend. These days, it’s all a cash grab roundup that shuts less than enthused moviegoers out of the loop. Well,no complaints about the movie here – just a mild trip down the ventilation shaft with s side track into the compactor room. Heh, maybe I’ll just hold out for the inevitable Blu-Ray release in what… February or March? I don’t want to get Greedo-ed on the way to the theater because some irate SW fan-person in full regalia decides to bump me off because they didn’t like what I said.

System Shock (Finally) Now On GOG.com: That Showdown With SHODAN, Now Enhanced

Posted on September 24, 2015 by geelw

File this one under “it’s about time!” and then go buy it, NOW. Thanks to Night Dive Studios, the classic System Shock has finally made it to gog.com as System Shock Enhanced Edition, which features not only a version of the game for higher resolution monitors, but also adds mouselook functionality, remappable keys and a few other tweaks. You’ll also get the original game as a bonus if you want to play it as originally intended. Those new bits do make the game a lot more fun if you’re a newer player looking for a more modern control scheme.

Even better, the game is on sale for a limited time for $5.99, 40% off the $9.99 price point. For those new to the experience, System Shock is a hybrid of first-person shooting, role-playing, sci-fi and horror elements as well as (still) one of the best games ever made (well, at least I think so). Yeah, yeah. Some of you out here think six bucks for a game is way too much. But given the reputation of this classic plus the fact that it’s quite replayable (don’t use a walk-through and it has even more replay value), I’d bet some of the more skeptical out there will find this gem right up there with their own favorites.

PSN Flash Sale: Sci-Fi Games and Flicks Up For Grabs

Posted on July 18, 2015 by geelw

So. Say you’re sitting around doing not too much this weekend, happen to have a PSN account and need something (or a few things) entertaining to do with your time. If you’re willing to spend a little money (or more than a little if you let yourself get too caught up in the bargains), yep, there’s another PSN Flash Sale going on. Expect to see plenty off excellent deals as listed on this PlayStation Blog post… and look, your wallet is already hopping out of that pocket or purse and is running away from you! Go get it!

See, this is why you NEED to always vacuum under the bed, folks.

Hmmm. Fortunately, wallets love playing with dust bunnies so they’re easy to catch. I’ll leave you to it, then. The Sci-Fi Deals Flash Sale ends Monday, July 20 at 9am Pacific Time, so get moving if you want to score some nice deals.

Random Film of the Week: Invisible Invaders

Posted on July 10, 2015 by geelw

Sometimes revisiting an old film can reveal a load of new surprises, particularly if it ends up being a possible inspiration for later and better works. While not a great film by any stretch of the imagination, 1959’s Invisible Invaders managed to actually be a lot more thrilling than I recall from seeing it as a kid.

For one thing, it’s both an alien invasion and a zombie flick, melding sci-fi and horror pretty well despite some rather incredulous plot shenanigans. It’s also an unintentional response to Ed Wood’s Plan 9 From Outer Space (also released in 1959) because it features more or less the same story executed far more effectively. Well, for a low budget flick, that is.

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Some Father’s Day Memories (Sort Of…)

Posted on June 21, 2015 by geelw

(thanks, Star Wars Malaysia!)

Sadly, my own daddy-o is no longer with us, so I’m having a quieter day of no celebration or awful hastily bought ties, cheap cologne and overpriced restaurant suppers here. Instead, you get a bit of my oddball humor with a few movie clips of some memorable and not so good dads you may or may not remember.

)thanks, Movieclips!)

Before you get the wrong idea, I’ve certainly got fonder memories of my father, folks. I just prefer to keep them to myself. That is all. Back in a bit and I do hope your own Father’s Day was excellent and happier.

(thanks, glows!)

Fred Dobbs, You’re Nuts In Any Decade!

Posted on May 12, 2015 by geelw

(thanks, Danios12345!)

Ha. I just realized while watching The Treasure of the Sierra Madre for the zillionth time that the name Fred Dobbs appears in another memorable (but for the wrong reasons) film and is played by a great actor that livens up the proceedings significantly. That film would be 1980’s sci-fi horror(/unintentional comedy) hybrid (They Came)Without Warning and that actor would be the great Martin Landau. The Greydon Clark-directed cult flick is actually one of those great guilty pleasures worth tracking down because of its oddball cast (Jack Palance, Cameron Mitchell, Larry Storch, Neville Brand and a young David Caruso among others) and pre-Predator plot about an alien come to earth to do some hunting.

(thanks, metal4472!)

As I’m a bit off-kilter (and proud of it!) I’d do a back-to-back double feature with these two even though the tone is vastly different between the two films. Or you could go from the first film to Raiders of the Lost Ark with Without Warning and Predator for an all-day marathon of interesting genre flipping and blending. But I’ll leave personal programming choices all to you fine folks out there. Enjoy!

Leonard Nimoy: The Transformed Man Passes

Posted on February 27, 2015 by geelw

The universe of stars just got a bit dimmer with the loss of Leonard Nimoy earlier today. Known primarily for his work on the Star Trek series, animated series and film series, the man was also a writer, director and producer with a body of work that showed he was more than just Mr. Spock. The character was actually a great deal more nefarious looking and fervent when the show began (as seen here), but mellowed in looks over time. Spock’s demeanor also shifted to a less intense, but still compelling presence that helped carry many an episode and helped keep him a fan favorite. His role as that character was so pivotal to his career that even when he tried to gently distance himself from it, it very likely was his role as Spock that got some Trek fans interested in his other film and TV work. Of course, he never really hated being Spock, but his sense of humor based on fan reaction made for a nice second autobiography.

Not a way I wanted to go about having a Friday, but I’m glad to have had the pleasure of enjoying his work on Star Trek and a plenty of other projects he’d worked on during his 83 years on the planet. No matter how you feel about the man and his work, it’s an absolute fact that he lived long and prospered. So long, sir – you’ll be missed by many.

Alien Outpost Final Trailer: That Invasion? It’s Coming Sooner Than You Think!

Posted on January 28, 2015 by geelw

Thanks to a too crazy month of stuff knocking me about, I’d almost forgotten that Alien Outpost was arriving in theaters and on VOD this Friday. IFC Midnight has been putting out a nicely varied mix of genre films for a while now and between this one, Wyrmwood: Road of the Dead (yes, I’ll have a review up for that awesome indie shortly) plus a few other flicks on the way, it’s clear that massive budgets and major stars aren’t at all required to make compelling entertainment.

The mix of “found footage” documentary and intense sci-fi action should appeal to you weekend warriors looking for a little cinematic diversion to spend a slice of time with. Back with a review and more shortly…