Guardians of the Galaxy Featurette 2/TV Spot 5: Settling In For The Long Haul (And Reliable Predictability)…

Posted on July 11, 2014 by geelw

I’d say right about now that Guardians of the Galaxy will indeed be comfortably predictable on a few fronts. I usually go in to these movies with zero expectations, but I suppose I have to accept the fact that Marvel wants fans to know they’re getting the full meal deal here: LOADS of in-jokes, some serious stuff in between the jokes, plenty of last-minute escapes and plot twist or four and some fun use of music if you happen to be well-aged and savvy about such things or just happen to “get” the musical stuff the film drops into your ears when it does.

And yes, you HAVE to stick around until the credits roll because there’s going to be a surprise reveal that ties into previous and upcoming Marvel movies that some fans will be wanting to drop that ticket and merchandise money on. All that is a given at this point because messing with the formula (as formulaic and formic as it can be) is a recipe for confusion among some folks. But it’s something that works well for what it’s worth, so I’m not complaining much (if at all)…

Funko’s Hikari Friday Giveaway Offers A Triple Treat (Or Is It Threat?) For Sci-Fi Fans!

Posted on July 11, 2014 by geelw

Three Hikari Sofubi Vinyl Figures are up for grabs this week, including two really great looking Premium Transformers figures. Funko is doing these up right and as you can see below, even one of Universal Studios’ classic monsters is getting the Japanese vinyl treatment. Check out the Apocalypse Creature Hikari Sofubi Figure (the lucky winner gets #1 of only 750 made, the rest of you need to fly into your local Funko retailer and hope they’re not sold out):

And for you Transformers fans, Funko has introduced its Hikari Premium line that features over 75 paint applications applied to each figure, making for a supremely detailed collectible. Both limited to 1000 pieces, they’ll be EXCLUSIVELY available in September on the Entertainment Earth website. First up for grabs is the Battle Ready Optimus Prime Hikari Premium Sofubi Figure (#1 of 1000):

And here’s the Battle Ready Bumblebee Hikari Premium Sofubi Figure:

As usual, entering is a SNAP. Just boogie on over to one of Funko’s social media pages:

www.facebook.com/OriginalFunko
www.twitter.com/OriginalFunko
Instagram @OriginalFunko

Do what you need to do and keep those fingers crossed and an eyeball on your email inbox next Thursday when the winners are announced. As always, good luck!

Alien Isolation Pre-Order Trailer: It’s “Oh, You Want Some, Too?!” Before That Line Existed In The Franchise…

Posted on July 10, 2014 by geelw

Well, I guess there’s a pre-order in my future after all, but as noted yesterday, I really hope that Sega and developer The Creative Assembly decide to make BOTH of those DLC packs permanent and available to everyone who wants them at some point. I just can’t see them vanishing into the ether forever a year or less down the road like the content in that last Aliens game a lot of people seemed to dislike too much. Anyway, this is a completely different game and a completely different dev team, so I’m one of those smarter people not rolling in the mud and predicting this game will be anything but as solid as a developer that’s never failed me previously can make. As far as what platform to play it on? I’m still flipping a coin…

ALIEN: Isolation Nostromo Edition DLC Packs Bring Back The Cast From The Past (But There’s An Pesky Modern Catch).

Posted on July 9, 2014 by geelw

Okay, the BEST gaming news I’ve heard all day also happens to kick me in the tender bits (ouchie!) because it’s a blast of sci-fi nostalgia mixed with the modern retailer insanity many gamers despise that shuts them out of bonus content. Anyway, the good., no, GREAT news is the announcement on the official site (and over on IGN, which ran a brief video announcing the news) of some incredible DLC for Alien Isolation that bumps the standard edition up to the Nostromo Edition and allows for players to dive into an enhanced mission based on the first film.

Even better, this mission has the voices and faces of all but one of the actors from the original film. Sigourney Weaver (Ellen Ripley), Tom Skerritt (Dallas), Veronica Cartwright (Lambert), Harry Dean Stanton (Brett), and Yaphet Kotto (Parker) are all on board in the “Crew Expendable” DLC, with Ian Holm’s Ash being portrayed by a sound-alike.

So far, so good, right? But of course, here comes the claw to the throat… Continue reading →

The Monster of the ID Is Keeping Me From My Research!

Posted on July 8, 2014 by geelw

(Thanks, Crosscheckmate!)

NO, not THAT Monster, you. I’ve been a bit occupied today in getting some expired ID’s renewed, so it’s been a bit of a hassle today in terms of a few things. Anyway, the balls are rolling on some stuff, so that’s good. I’m going to go take a nap after this hot day of running about and waiting and maybe pop up later to post something that’s actually worth reading. I see my inbox is PACKED TO THE GILLS (*blub!*) with stuff. Eh, what else is new? Other than people making a damn mist for potato salad from strangers who should know better (and send that money to me because I’d put it to much better use. Art doesn’t spoil, folks… unless it’s made from stuff that spoils, of course)…

The Doctor Is Almost IN (And It Looks As If He Needs A Doctor!)

Posted on July 4, 2014 by geelw

I’m trying to avoid these too-brief teasers for the new season of Doctor Who kicking off in just over month on August 23, but this one made me laugh for a few reasons. One of which may be that voice could mean Davros and the Daleks are coming back early in the new season. Well, that’s what I got out of this teaser. If I’m wrong, oh well… it’s why I dislike teasers! Okay, go watch some real explosions outside, folks! I’ll be back and more on point tomorrow…

Alien: Isolation Is Calling Me (Let’s Hope Sega Is Listening As Well)…

Posted on June 30, 2014 by geelw

Okay, Sega. I wasn’t at E3 this year, so tell me you’re rolling into NYC with Alien: Isolation and a few others sometime soon. I have a few appointments in July, but I’ll clear out the better part of a day just to see this in action and play it a little. Not TOO much, as I don’t want to pee myself in public (ha, ha). Just enough so that I know it’s on the right track (and I already do, but hands-on is better than too much “journalistic overconfidence” any day of the week). Um… that is all for now. Oh yeah, Sonic the Hedgehog had a birthday recently. I baked a cake, but ate the whole thing because he needs to watch his weight with that new look and all…

Random Film of the Week: KONGA

Posted on June 24, 2014 by geelw

(thanks, Movie Trailer Graveyard!)

While it’s not the worst man in a gorilla suit sci-fi/horror hybrid out there (Bela Lugosi Meets A Brooklyn Gorilla or A*P*E*, anyone?) 1961’s KONGA is nevertheless a terrifyingly bad movie that’s worth a watch for a few reasons. You’ll marvel at the ferocious, scenery chewing by Michael Gough’s mad botanist/scientist Dr. Charles Decker, the kitchen sink plot that tosses in carnivorous plants, terrible, inaccurate science, botany and biology, a love triangle that’s actually a square that gets whittled away corner by corner as the film progresses and some mostly lousy special effects that make this a total howler. I’ll get back to the ape suit later and the man in it, as both are another key to making this film so hysterically funny.

You have to admire a film that wants you to believe that Dr. Decker returns from his year-long trip to Africa (he’s actually missing and presumed dead!) with some strange ideas, some recipes for a serum that can make plants and animals grow to extreme sizes and a cute baby chimpanzee. His plant experiments end up creating a number of oversize man-eating varieties including (eek) some that look like gigantic black rubber penises with green veins a’poppin’ and red tongues hanging out (seriously). Before that rolls around in your head too much, Decker’s real showpiece is Konga, that baby chimpanzee he gives his serum who SOMEHOW changes into a gorilla (Wait, WHAT? Science takes another hit, folks POW!) before using his new “pet” to get revenge on a few of his peers (spoilers inbound, but it doesn’t matter because even if it’s all given away, this one’s worth seeing for the laughs it provides)… Continue reading →

Orphan Black 2:10 Recap: A Few Less Sisters, A Few More Surprises…

Posted on June 23, 2014 by geelw

Well, it’s a wrap on Season 2 of Orphan Black and as with the first season, more questions than answers crop up, but thee also seem to be a few things that got resolved in one way or another. Still, some things were a bit odd to me. A few of the important characters from the first season ended up dying (in oddball manners, at that), although I’m thinking one may make a return as we only saw her somewhat gravely injured and not actually “dead.” Shades of Helena’s “demise” in the first season, I guess. speaking of Helena, her arc was pretty interesting up to the point that she somehow got snatched near the close of the show, meaning so much for the happy reunion/dance party that cheered up the proceedings for a bit.

Poor Cosima looked as she wasn’t going to make it through the entire episode at all, but thankfully, she was still hanging on at the end. That said, she still needs to be cured of what she’s got, but thanks to another dead character, it seems that cure might be one for the books (or IN the books, if you saw the show and smiled at a certain scene). I got a bit confused at one point, so I’ll need to watch the episode again thanks to me looking down at something I was writing for about thirty seconds and missing something important. Oops.

Still, the end reveal made me see that Season 3 will be a bit packed in terms of plot twists and even more surprises. I kind of figured there was more than one clone type out there, but who it turned out to be was an interesting bit of business, that’s for sure. Oh well… here’s to waiting for the announcement of when Season 3’s shooting gets underway. Hopefully, BBC America will keep the first two seasons On Demand and not split them up to a “pay more to see this!” service like certain other dopey networks have done with their programming…

Alien Trailer: 20th Century Fox Nails This Throwback Thursday Classic You Should Absolutely Own…

Posted on June 20, 2014 by geelw

I have no idea how many times I’ve seen ALIEN since 1979, but it’s one of my favorite films, period. I’d written about it briefly but never in depth because there have been so many other and better dissections of Ridley Scott’s classic that the only thing I have to offer is SEE IT if you haven’t. The cool thing is it’s been released in so many formats that you can find it almost anywhere for whatever you have that plays legally purchased films. Of course, 20th Century Fox wants you to buy it from them HERE, so feel free to do that if you like. Personally, I’d want to grab the first four films in either the ALIEN Quadrilogy or ALIEN Anthology box sets, but if you just want to be scared out of your wits with the best entry in the franchise, go with the first one.

And yeah, I know it’s Friday, silly. I started this post last night but the internet was hating me at home because it vanished for about an hour or so and it was after midnight by the time it came back from wherever it went.