BBC One's Atlantis: A Minotaur and a New Twist...

For some reason, Jason is facing the Minotaur, and not Theseus.

     After being treated to plenty of small teaser images, then to less-than-exciting trailers, tomorrow we'll get to see how the Misfits creator Howard Overman's new show Atlantis will turn out.  I strongly suspect it won't be nearly as brilliant as the original marketers made it out to be.
     Most likely it'll be a cheesey man out of time scenario as the newest trailer hints towards with Jason in the modern era.  Perhaps, with a great trend towards cliche, he'll be in some kind of storm and be washed up on the shores of the mythic and fabled Atlantis.  Then again maybe he is uncovering clues in the present and piecing together a long forgotten story...

     With this mish-mash of Greek myths and fairly poor looking footage, I am not keeping hopes high for this show.  It looks like something that would've been on television in the mid 90's, not even on par with many of the other current BBC shows.  Granted I could be way off, but the trailers aren't making this show look any better.  I will however give it a chance and see if they can prove me wrong.

     BBC One's Atlantis premieres Saturday Sept. 28th at 8:25pm in the U.K. and in the US on Nov. 23rd.

The Last of Us DLC Revealed!

     Naughty Dog has released official details concerning the DLC packs.  Not much information at all concerning the single player campaign add on, but, as I suspected - it'll involve a NEW playable character that ties to the main narrative.

"When we initially talked about the Season Pass we mentioned making our first ever story-driven single player DLC. This is an ambitious story with strong ties into the narrative of The Last of Us. We just wrapped up a long casting process for a new character, and we’re starting our performance capture shoot next week. The single-player DLC is currently planned for release around the December-January timeframe."   -Eric Monacelli [ Naughty Dog- Community Strategist ]

     The first drop of the DLC Season Pass is the Abandoned Territories Map Pack available October 15th.  It'lll include maps of Suburbs, A Bus Depot, and Hometown maps as well as a "stacked bi-level layout" Bookstore map to add a new vertical element.
     The 2nd multiplayer add on will arrive in the first half of 2014, and to make the wait easier- Naughty Dog has added 60 bonus head items (such as a nightmare mask and a pigskin hat) to the DLC multiplayer load for free for all season pass holders.
     The season pass is still available for purchase for $19.99. (a 75% savings)


Source [ Playstation Blog ] 

Bob's Burgers Gets Renewed a 5th Season!

 

     In a great chunk of delicious news, FOX just ordered another 22 episodes of Bob's Burgers mere days before the Bob's Burgers' 4th season premieres- this Sunday. (September 29th)

     This is great news as I've grown tired of the Seth MacFarlane dominated Sunday lineup.  Don't get me wrong, I love American Dad, and Family Guy has been doing well, but even The Cleveland Show got to be bland really fast.  Too much of the same humor got to be an overdose of the MacFarlane brand comedy.  When it comes down to it, The Simpsons has felt pretty boring these last couple years.

“Bob's Burgers is one of those rare finds that just continues to outdo itself, creatively. The show has become a key member of our Sunday Animation Domination family, and we're looking forward to attracting new fans with another season.”  -Kevin Reilly, FOX, Chairman of Entertainment

      It's true, I've Tweeted the crap out of how great the show is. 

Source [ IGN ]

Dumb and Dumber To: Billy in 4C Returns!

     The Farrelly Brothers have Tweeted this image of actor Brady Bluhm, reprising his role as the kid that was sold a duck-tape-fixed headless parakeet from Lloyd Christmas in Dumb and Dumber.

Yes, it's really him---Billy in 4C today! #DumbTo pic.twitter.com/RUh7OUrEkG
— Farrelly Brothers (@farrellybros) September 25, 2013

     Harry:  "Petey didn't even have a head!"

     Lloyd:  "Harry, I took care of it..."

The Last of Us: DLC Will Be Revealed This Week

     Bruce Straley, Co-director of The Last of Us, posted this Tweet on Monday morning:

Ok party people, more #TheLastofUs DLC info to be revealed THIS WEEK! Hang tight.
— Bruce Straley (@bruce_straley) September 23, 2013

     So we are finally getting information on the secretive DLC!  We already know that 2 of the 3 DLCs will be for multiplayer, but for the 3rd- the one many gamers are really waiting for is the addition to the single player campaign.

"For the first time ever we’ll be offering single player DLC. The journey and cast of characters in The Last of Us lends itself to thorough narrative exploration and we’ve got more of the story to tell."  -Eric Monacelli, Naughty Dog Community Strategist [ Playstation Blog ]

     What peaks my interest is how Naughty Dog will continue the story without damaging the subtle and controversial ending the game had.  To me it would be wonderful if they covered parts of the story from another character's perspective.  What I mean is like playing the game as Bill.  Think of the options Naughty Dog has to offer by opening up the tragic and beautiful world The Last of Us created through this type of DLC.  It would maintain the impact of the main game while getting a whole different view.

     Naughty Dog has always done well, and I'm sure this DLC will be another outstanding achievement reflecting upon the human condition.

South Park: The Stick of Truth Release Date and "Destiny" Trailer

     On December 10th we will be able to partake in a wonderment of immature stupidity and crude humor.  I'm not sure if I'll be able to avoid the allure of seeing Randy Marsh's exploits in this game, which are only hinted at in this trailer.  In fact, it's sad to say, but I'll be buying this game and probably laughing far more than I should.

     Here's a snippet from the Ubisoft press release:

Arm yourself with weapons of legend to defeat underpants gnomes, hippies and other forces of evil. Discover the lost Stick of Truth and earn your place at the side of Stan, Kyle, Cartman and Kenny as their new friend. Succeed, and you shall be South Park’s savior, cementing your social status in South Park Elementary. Fail, and you will forever be known… as a loser.

     South Park: The Stick of Truth will be available on Dec. 10th for PS3, Xbox 360, and PC.

TMNT: Out of the Shadows: PS3 Gets ANOTHER Delay

 

     In all honesty I should've seen this coming, but when I got home from work intending to buy Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows on the PSN, it was unavailable.  Sure the Xbox and PC owners got it a month ago, and even though it was said to be buggy as heel, I awaited this release. 


     So I went online to check the official Facebook page only to find this message:

"To our PlayStation community,

With our attention firmly focused on the upcoming launch of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows on the PlayStation Network, it has become clear to us that the PSN version will take longer than we originally anticipated, and as such, the game will not be available on September 24. Everyone’s working hard to get TMNT:OOTS ready for PSN as soon as possible, and we’ll update you once we've locked in a new release date.

Thank you for your enthusiasm and your patience. You've already waited for the game, so we know this is disappointing news. Please take heart in the fact that this is time the developers will spend polishing the PSN build to the highest level of quality possible, and the final experience will be better for it."

      Disappointing news?  So after seeing previews in April, with rumors of a June release (Coming this "Summer"), then finding out it was an August release, but NOT for Playstation 3, now we find out that the PSN release date of September 24th (today) isn't happening?  To top that off there isn't even an estimate of when a completed product might be available, which makes me wonder if it'll just get pushed back so far it is just cancelled.

     While I know I should be somewhat thankful that Red Fly Studios is apparently at least attempting to fix the large amount of problems the other systems had, but it just doesn't bode well to have it pushed back again.  Sure we got tiny PSN avatars today, but still not even a demo.  Sad indeed.

     It's like forcing us to watch while everyone else gets to eat cake and making us wait, then on the way to delivering our slice you tell us to wait longer and walk away.  My inner 8 year old is crying right now. 

     It doesn't help that the game based fully on the Nickelodeon TMNT cartoon is only being released on Xbox 360, Wii, and 3DS.  This also makes me wonder why many of the characters appear to look like ones based on the newer show, but the Ninja Turtles themselves aren't. 

Dumb and Dumber To: Full Pics From Jim Carrey and Jeff Daniels

     Thank you Jeff Daniels and Jim Carrey for giving us these wonderful first full pics via Twitter. (Not including Jim Carrey's sneak peek "teeth" pic)

We're Back!!! #DumbTo pic.twitter.com/u2u42yM2hk
— Jeff Daniels (@Jeff_Daniels) September 24, 2013

How Roland Rolls comes out TODAY but it may be a little too sophisticated for Lloyd and Harry! Yep... THEY'RE BAAAAA… http://t.co/bhrYxNPKbv
— Jim Carrey (@JimCarrey) September 24, 2013

     Many of us are looking forward to this film- 20 years of waiting has not shrunk my love of the original film at all- and I believe Lloyd Christmas and Harry Dunne shall not disappoint.  Dumb and Dumber To is set for a 2014 release.  Anticipation for this upcoming Farrelly Brothers film is off the charts.

Dark Souls 2: Multiplayer PVP and Co-Op

No Longer Safe.

     From Software has upped the anti on Dark Souls 2's multiplayer.  Considerably. 

     Now, there is no safety in remaining undead, or hollowed.  You can be invaded at ANY time.  If that was too little, they've added an additional torturous punishment, dying too frequently causes your maximum health to deplete up to around 50% of maximum.  Only using the new Human Effigy can restore the lost health and humanity.  So once you've used your Human Effigies, you could be in a world of dire circumstances.  Less HP means even the smallest enemy is cause for fear.
     What I wonder is why even have the humanity at all now?  Why not just stay in human or soul form and have a sliding health scale.  Perhaps there are hidden reasons to be one or the other now- like Demon's Souls' World Tendency.

     Sure, it sounds like an invader's paradise, BUT, and this is something I highly approve of, if you are part of the "Way of the Blue" covenant another player- a Blue Sentinel- will be called in during an invasion.  The threat is still there, but will be slightly reduced with, hopefully, aid and protection from a summoned reinforcement.  Provided they don't backstab you and help the invader.

     The summoning of helper souls has been changed as well.  Now, when White Soapstones are used, the summoned player has a time limit.  That time limit reduces in duration faster the more the assisting souls kill.  So if the person(s) summoned will only be along for a comparatively short time if they kill a bunch of enemies in quick succession.
     This was done to lower reliance on "assistance" from others.  I think this is a poor choice from the developers.  I enjoyed playing with some people online that were with me for a long time.  They didn't slay everything in their paths, but helped a lot regardless.  How will gamers bond with restrictions in time to help?  Do invaders have a time restriction as well?  I'm very curious about that.

     I hope the PVP doesn't devolve into invaders being 200 levels higher than you jumping in and lag-teleport-backstabbing-spammery.  If I had any real complaints about Dark Souls, that would be it. 

     On the whole, this sounds kind of counter intuitive to gaining new players.  It was a massive problem when I started playing- I had people constantly invade and be 100+ levels higher.  I even had a Fog Ring wearer take me out with a single arrow.  Through my shield.  From across the forest.

     There is a part of me that absolutely hates the idea of constant invasion threats, it was hard to enjoy a game (Dark Souls) when you get to a boss, then have an invader jump in and be completely ignored by all the enemies.  So you have to deal with enemies AND an invader that is damn near impossible to kill.  Biggest annoyance possible and it begs the question of whether they've been able to balance the multiplayer.  Seriously, I don't recall ANY risks to invading, while being invaded posed many, many risks of losing souls.

     Hopefully they'll balance the invader's soul and weapon levels to the player's so they aren't so far above you that you wouldn't stand a chance.  And the part of me that doesn't hate the multiplayer addition will join the Way of the Blue...   or just play offline.
     Although... I did have a couple invaders in Dark Souls jump in, run up to me wave then run and jump off ledges to their death.


From "Prepare to Die" to "Go Beyond Death."

     This is going to be a tough game, as the developer's have invented plenty of  new ways to kill us on top of falling, poison, plague, and swarms of nigh invulnerable enemies.  The lands of Dark Souls feels bleaker than ever, but I look forward to braving it...  despite the double digit death toll I'm sure to rack up before I light my first bonfire.

Sony to "Reintroduce" The Last Guardian

     After years of speculation and getting only the most vague answers, we've been let in on small updates about the future of Team Ico's The Last Guardian.  Supposedly it was going to be released on the PS3, but with the arrival of the PS4 so close and the fading out of PS3 games, many fans are wondering if we should abandon hopes for seeing this title, but...

     Game Informer had asked Shuhei Yoshida about it and here is his reply:

"With the curtain soon to close on the PlayStation 3 generation, is time for fans to give up hope on The Last Guardian ever coming out? 

The team is still there in SCE Japan Studio, [Fumito] Ueda-san is still there, but we are still waiting for the time to reintroduce it."

     So we know for sure that Ueda is still working on it.  We know it's on it's way and with the word "reintroduction" we may be getting a completely overhauled game.  I've mentioned plenty of times how I believe that the graphics may be given a massive increase and it'll probably be ported to the PS4.
     We're only assured that it is still on the way, but will it live up to the years of anticipation and hype?


Source [ Game Informer ]

Dark Souls 2: Collector's Edition Meme: Shut Up and Take My Money (Souls)!

     This is the first thing I thought of when I saw the Dark Souls 2 Collector's Edition and the Black Armor edition.  So after giggling like an idiot all day at work- here's a little Dark Souls meme I whipped up for whoever happens to stumble by here.  Hopefully you read it with the sound of using a soul from in the game.

     It seems fitting that I would pay for it with souls and it's more than likely something that "Trusty" Patches the Hyena would sell to me after kicking me into a hole.
     Well, enjoy.  I'll have some comments on the PVP and Co-op announcements tomorrow.  As well as another fairly funny picture I thought of to go along with the Souls series.

Star Wars: Episode VII Ewan McGregor Would Like to return as Obi-Wan Kenobi

     With all the rumors about Episode 7, this one is something I'm actually all for- Ewan McGregor is hoping to reprise his role as Obi-Wan Kenobi for J.J. Abrams.  Obi-Wan is my favorite of the Jedi, and Boushh is my favorite non-Jedi character. (I know we only really got to see Boushh as Leia in disguise)

"I AM the actor you are looking for."

“The problem is that I played the young Obi Wan and they are going to be looking for an old Obi Wan and that’s Alec Guinness’s territory,” says Ewan, 42, who insists he’s still harboring hopes of a return to the franchise made famous by director George Lucas, with original cast members including Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher and Mark Hamill. 

“I’m waiting for that call but I think they’re more likely to want an Alec look-a-like than me.”

     There are plenty of ways to make McGregor look older.  Should I even mention that the ghost of Anakin Skywalker, Darth Vader himself, was made younger in the original films when George Lucas added all manner of CG goodies?  So it shouldn't be an issue either way.  McGregor could easily do this and still honor the original actor Alec Guinness.  Abrams, make this happen.

     Star Wars Episode VII is set to be released in 2015.

Source [ Express ]

Gravity Rush Sequel: "Fall Again..."

     Team Gravity has released this video of a new project with Kat from Gravity Rush falling through the skies.  The video was first shown at the Tokyo Game Show during Sony's sizzle real for upcoming Vita releases.
     With what little I've seen, I'm sold already.  Gravity Rush is a must play game on the Playstation Vita.

     Here's the Official video release:

A NEW Mutant League Football Could be on the Way

     Yes, you read that CORRECTLY.  Michael Mendheim, the creator of the original games has opened a Kickstarter for a new Mutant League Football.  The funding for the project is open until October 16th, 2013.  I also just noticed it's switched to Mutant Football League. 

     As a generally disinterested-in-sports person, I did love the Mutant League games.  Granted I was also a fan of the NBA Jam games and the various Boxing games out there, but the Mutant League games opened up an interest in sports.  Not much, but at least a little. 
     The old Sega Genesis version was a violent, yet hilarious parody of American Football.  I recall getting penalties for booger picking and throwing peoples torn off heads.  I would personally like a new version of Mutant League Hockey, but this is a start. 

     So far it's only planned for iOS, Android, and X Box Live.  I may support it if they port to Playstation or Vita.  And I'd definitely support it if they announce a new Mutant League Hockey.  Hell, if they could make an immense retro 16 bit version of the game, tons of fans would donate just for nostalgic glory.

Mortal Kombat: Legacy Season 2

     It's about time for some Mortal Kombat revival, and Kevin Tancharoen's Mortal Kombat: Legacy series 2 trailer is doing just that.  Renewing my interest in a 20 year old video game that captivated my young mind way back then.

     Mortal Kombat: Legacy Series 1 wasn't bad, I enjoyed a fair amount of it, and next weeks premier of the next season looks promising.  Set for release on Sept. 26th on Machinima.  From the trailer I noticed Kung Lao, Kenshi, and possibly Ermac join the fray.
     My only complaints are 1) Why is Sub-Zero wearing biker armor? and 2) In general the costumes look less than authentic.  They are too plain, it seems like a step down from the last season.  As well as the film quality itself- the trailer looks better than fan films but only a little bit.
     So far, Scorpion looks the best in what appears to be traditional, for Mortal Kombat at least, ninja garb.

     In addition, Tancharoen is also working on a Mortal Kombat film reboot, most likely in it's own separate universe-

"I think everyone's intention is to start fresh because we want Legacy to live on its own possibly for multiple seasons, and when it comes to Mortal Kombat, it's been around for 20+ years. We're going to take the mythology and add another layer on it so it can live on for another 20 years, or more! I think this is a unique opportunity to set that ground work."

Source [ SuperHeroHype ]

HBO Wants Damon Lindelof's Leftovers. (And Where Lindelof Gets His Ideas)

     HBO has officially picked up Lindelof's The Leftovers.  After a streak of films meant to ruin our cinema going experience- Prometheus, World War Z, and Star Trek Into Darkness- Lindelof is returning to television to confound our minds with a senseless and contrived mess I'd now refer to as the Gordian Plot.  A reference to the tangled Gordian Knot of lore- sure it looks intricate and well-planned, but in reality it was probably just a cord that got snarled up by accident.

     And if I'm not mistaken, all his ideas are actually pumped out of that DHARMA pneumatic tube dispenser from the Lost episode, "Live Together, Die Alone. Part 1"



I'm reasonably certain this is where Lindelof gets his ideas.

     The first season is 10 episodes about the people after the Rapture that "didn't make the cut."  So in my mind, it'll be Lost, except everyone is stuck in Purgatory and surrounded by dangling plot threads and unanswered questions.  The Leftovers might even refer to all the ideas he couldn't fit into any of the other projects his name has been pasted on.

     As you may have guessed my hopes for this are slim.  Although the other names attached are keeping me slightly, very slightly, intrigued.  Peter Berg is an executive producer that also directed the pilot.  That's the good news.  Justin Theroux, Amy Brenneman, Christopher Eccleston, and Liv Tyler star in it.  That is the other somewhat good news- a decent cast.

Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons

SPOILER ALERT

Parts of a Whole

     A very interesting thing about Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons is the fact that the game forces you to work as brothers.  Each half of the controller moves a half of the sibling pair.  The left half directs the elder brother, serious and strong, while the right half moves the younger, small and playful.  Distinctly different personas, each representing a half of the whole.
     It took me a while to get used to controlling 2 separate characters at once, but it was oddly connective.  I was both visually and physically connected to holding these two together.  Working in unison to solve problems and overcome small obstacles.  Starting with one brother lifting the other to higher ground, and gradually working to using each other like a pendulum to swing to higher areas.

     The game begins with the younger brother watching his mother drown.  Aside from the fact she didn't even try to hold on to the boat, it starts a journey on a down note- leaving the younger son with a fear of water.  Right after that the father comes down with a sickness- which sends the two sons on their coming of age journey to find some kind of cure from a magical tree.

     Along the way they meet and help individuals, both human and non-human.  They assist a troll, a few human, and even a giant sea turtle.  Their path even comes across a man attempting suicide after his family died in a house fire, in an emotionally moving scene that is hard to find in any other games out there.

SPOILER ALERT REMINDER

Moving On

     Towards the end the older brother dies.  This was something I was fearful of.  Not necessarily about the death itself, but the resurrecting of the character.  I was worried they would make him come back to life to create an overly happy world and all that sparkly business.  Well, I was worried for no reason- as the way they handled it was absolutely brilliant.  Sad and realistic.  Much like the man attempting to hang himself earlier, this was something I didn't expect from the game.
     This particular moment is so wonderful because it is handled in a way that forces you deal with the tragedy.  It cannot just be shrugged off.  It cannot be pushed aside.  There is no reloading save points or restarting levels.  The tragic loss of a close family member.  You essentially lose half of yourself and must continue onward.

     In a truly amazing way, the younger brother makes his coming of age by accepting the challenge of moving on.  By facing his fear, and instead of riding on his older brother back to swim across water like all the earlier parts of the game, he is forced to do it himself.  And it is ingeniously done by using the elder brother's action button.  He must take on the responsibility, must take the action and do what he previously relied on his other half for.  He has to do it himself and the gamer experiences that loss and coping with it.
     This isn't a one time thing either, he has to climb a wall shortly after.  The same exact wall, in fact, that originally necessitated the elder brother boosting him up in a team effort.  It was the brothers' first real obstacle and now he must do it alone.

     Brothers has achieved a game that does so much with so little, it's hard not to be impressed.  There's no real dialogue, and it's to the game's benefit.  I've read that others were disappointed with the short playtime, but really, I believe the brevity is an asset.  Telling the tale in the length of a long movie is more than enough time.  Why aren't there more small games like this?  Perhaps this will inspire others to do something small and meaningful.

     In just over 3 hours I was quite impressed by Brothers.  Not by the simple puzzles or the lush environmental beauty, but by the emotions evoked through the gameplay mechanics being tied directly to the brothers themselves.  The controls were part of the storytelling experience itself.  Starbreeze Studios have made something exceedingly genuine and sublime with Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons.  It is an extraordinary first game, and I'm very much looking forward to whatever else they come up with for in the future.

Star Trek Into Darkness: The Alice Eve Scream is a Carol Marcus Meme

     I felt that I spent a long time bashing Into Darkness with my last post and wanted to do some good for the movie.  So I whipped up a little Photoshoppery and fixed this picture.  I imagine Carol Marcus' father, the devious Admiral Marcus spoon feeding her to calm her down.  Complete with tiny Enterprise noises. 

"Open the shuttle bay-  ppbbbrbrbrlbelbrrbebrlrrrrrr..."

Star Trek Into Darkness: Orci on Writing: To Boldly Groan

     To Boldly Groan...

     After having the masochistic pleasure of rewatching the abominably written Star Trek Into Darkness I have a few more things to say about it.  This post will also contain many things in relation to Bob Orci's comments from an article written on TrekMovie.com called "Star Trek is broken- Here are ideas on how to fix it."
     This could actually be considered a continuation of the post I wrote about this a couple months back found here.  As well as a rehash of many complaints I had when the movie was first released.  My apologies in advance, this could be a long post.

     Most my complaints aren't even related to "Trekkie" type things.  I don't care that Chris Pine's Kirk is far more reckless and much more of a rule breaker than Shatner ever was.  I don't care that Quinto's Spock is only emotionless and logical when the scene calls for it.  Into Darkness' failings are in the writing.  It's just a mad dash from one problem to another.  Nothing is given time for growth.  There is no development.
     What I do care about is the fact that the writers barely have cohesion.  You want a Star Trek that will please fans?  Write a good story.  As a fan I want a good story first, then all the extra things tacked on.  A bad movie is a bad movie, regardless of what it's about.

The General Story.

     About Orci's comments:

"310.   boborci - September 2, 2013 I think the article above is akin to a child acting out against his parents. Makes it tough for some to listen, but since I am a loving parent, I read these comments without anger or resentment, no matter how misguided. 

Having said that, two biggest Star Treks in a row with best reviews is hardly a description of “broken.” And frankly, your tone and attidude make it hard for me to listen to what might otherwise be decent notions to pursue in the future. Sorry, Joseph. As I love to say, there is a reason why I get to write the movies, and you don’t.
Respect all opinions, always, nonetheless."

     The reason you got to write the movies certainly wasn't because of merit.  Star Trek Into Darkness is written like a middle schooler's fan-fiction project with Star Trek names pasted over everything.  You can't directly cut-and-paste the most well written, nostalgic moments of the Trek series onto a piece of crap and not expect to be critiqued on how poorly it's done.  The new film is devoid of the meaning that the previous characters developed over decades.  It's plain and simple- this is a great example of terrible writing in film.

"I wish you knew what you were talking about. I listened more than any other person behind the Trek franchise has EVER listened. And guess what? Glad I did becuase it lead to 2 biggest Trek’s ever.

You think action and thinking are mutually exclusive. Ok, then. Pitch me Into Darkness. Pitch me the plot, and let’s comapre it to other pitches. Go ahead. Let’s see if you actually understood the movie. Tell me what happened?

318. boborci - September 2, 2013

STID has infinetly more social commentary than Raiders in every Universe, and I say that with Harrison Ford being a friend. You lose credibility big time when you don’t honestly engage with the FUCKING WRITER OF THE MOVIE ASKING YOU AN HONEST QUESTION. You prove the cliche of shitty fans. And rude in the process. So, as Simon Pegg would say: FUCK OFF!"

     Into Darkness has infinitely (I can at least spell that) more social commentary than Raiders of the Lost Ark?  Is the commentary that all the screen writers these days are crap?  Is it that viewers are more accepting of poor movie standards because Hollywood is pumping out a stream of rehashed garbage at a constant rate?
     I really wonder if Orci took into account the inflation of viewing costs into the "biggest" 2 Trek films.  Not kidding here, one can double the cost to see it in 3d.  Which is a joke for this film.  It wasn't worth the money I paid for such pitiful 3d work.
     If people lost credibility by not engaging with the writers, there would be a lot less critiquing going on.  I have zero access to these writers.  If I tried to contact via email or twitter, I would almost 100% sure to be disregarded, and it would be understandable because I'm a nobody blogger.

     As for his quoting Simon Pegg- That Fuck off! is something I do agree with... from Mr. Pegg.  Because it was about people guessing things in the film and him not "owing" answers.  Which is true for the actors, while Orci does owe answers as a writer.  Which he asks to be asked in the above quotes.

"398. boborci - September 2, 2013

don’ take me too seriously. if you’ve been on this board for the lar 5 years (as I have beeb) you know that twice a year I explode at the morons. today, there seemed to be a congregation, so it seemed like a good time.

you are the most listened to fans ever. That doesn’t mean you will get is to do what you want. just means what I said: I listened. Then we decided, having heard as many opinions as possible. To paraphrase of one of my great and beloved heroes, George W. Bush, 'we’re the deciders….'"

     Sure- quote one of the most notably idiotic people on the planet.  Yeah, you may be the "deciders" now, but that can be changed.  It should be changed to give a chance to others that won't make such elementary storytelling mistakes.  They listened to the fans?  Obviously not- because many fans lamented the lack of real depth in the first film.  And those same fans are pissed because of the massive lack of depth in this one. 

     So writing a movie that is boiled down to - EXPLOSION!  (Insert famous Star Trek movie quote here) Exposition.  EXPLOSION!  Exposition. (Insert famous Star Trek movie quote here)  Repeat x 100 - somehow makes it tolerable?  They should just call it "Explosition."  It is very poor storytelling when the characters have to explain everything.  Oh Khan is bad, however would we know that?  Because Spock Prime said so!  Ludicrous.

     I mean really, there are people that defend it saying "you can't keep camparing it to Wrath of Khan!"  Yes, we can.  Want to know why?  Because not only did the writers use Khan, they directly ripped plenty of quotes right out of that script and pasted them in their own.  If someone like Michael Bay were to, oh... I don't know... make a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie, he WILL be judged using the original.  And you know why?  Because he's using those pre-existing characters.

     Some Plot Problems.

     -If the Enterprise had to hide underwater instead of space, how did they get the shuttle into the volcano without IT BEING SEEN?!?!  They had to fly the shuttle DIRECTLY over the inhabitants that were between the volcano and the underwater Enterprise.  Both ways.

     -Once the timeline was changed, why wasn't Khan the same?  He was LONG BEFORE the time of Nero's arrival.  Plus what's with the name cover up?  No one in the Star Trek current time knows who the fuck Khan is- which is why he has to explain his whole story.

     -Khan can beam to Qo'noS (NOT Kronos) from Earth but they can't beam a damn cold fusion (which actually isn't cold) bomb into a volcano?  Why the hell would Khan go there, other than the writers needed someone to go there to instigate Marcus' war plan, instead of directly into Marcus' damn super ship?

     -Kirk's cell phone can reach Scotty across the galaxy?  But calling Spock Prime gives them question?

     -Admiral Marcus beams Carol off the Enterprise through the shields, so why can't Khan just take back his "family?"

     -Exactly where was all the security around the super secret military ship Marcus was building?  Scotty literally just flies right up and boards it.  And on the topic of security, does Earth and Starfleet have NO defenses setup?  Where are all the ships to prevent the "oncoming Klingon threat."

     -Scotty only quits so he can be elsewhere when Kirk needs him to investigate Marcus' project.  An oddly convenient plot device employed many times in the film. 

     -I've mentioned this one plenty of times- why do they need Khan's blood with 72 other super-human, magic-blooded popsicles sitting 10 feet away.

     -Why do the ships fall through space?  Gravity isn't that powerful from that distance.  We couldn't have any satellites at all if it was that strong.

     -All the collateral damage.  Vengeance upon Khan cost how many lives on Earth.  Mass devastation.  (which reminds me, why didn't the transport Spock AHEAD of where Khan was heading on the streets?)

     Out of all 3 writers -Roberto Orci, Alex Kurtzman, and Damon Lindelof- not a single one of them fixed ANY of the glaring errors and plot holes?  Do none of them know how to edit their work?  There's nearly as many plot holes as Abrams' beloved lens flares.  (Here's a link to a few on IMDB.)  Maybe the flares are there just to try and blind us to how stupid some of the story is.

     I can forgive only so much, only suspend so much disbelief.  Hopefully the rumors of other writers being brought in is true.  We need writers that can handle an actual story, whether new or old- if the story sucks the film sucks.  Why not hire the amazing John Scalzi, whose novel Redshirts shows he knows both how to handle the Trek Universe and tell a coherent story.  Maybe tap old Trek writers- like Ronald D. Moore and Brannon Braga who wrote Star Trek: The Next Generation's finale All Good Things... 
     We need to find people that are not only fans, but good writers.

     And I'm sorry Mr. Abrams, but I know you were always a Star Wars over Star Trek-er, but please, don't do to the new Star Wars what you've helped do to Trek.  It was an optimistic beginning and a swift kick in the genetically enhanced, CG junk.

Source [ Tor Books ]

     Because I have so many negatives in this post, I started a small draft of things Star Trek Into Darkness did right.  It's really short so far, it'll probably be done tomorrow.  In addition I threw together a quick Photoshop job of the Alice Eve scream picture.  I'll post that right after this one is finished.

     Here's a some much better written articles and posts on this subject.  Written by people far more talented than I.  I would highly suggest reading the comments sections as well.  There are some very interesting things brought up in them.  Plenty of others have noticed a bunch of other issues, and there are some good suggestions for the future of Star Trek movies.

Shall We Begin? Star Trek Into Darkness Spoiler Review [ Tor ]

The Braver, Better Movie That Star Trek Into Darkness Could Have Been [ Wired ]

Star Trek Into Dumbness [ io9 ]

Into Darkness Review [ Badass Digest ]

Into Darkness Review [ Volokh ]

X-Men: Sega Genesis: Reset the Computer

     This is one gaming moment I recall with vivid frustration.  Almost as terrible as my experiences with E.T. for the Atari.  The game itself wasn't so much the problem as a later level in the game.  Anyone that was lucky enough to play this gem will likely have the same story of hitting a brick wall in the Mojo level.

     In the second to last level after the Mojo boss fight, one finds a computer screen to destroy.  Then you are told to: "Reset the Computer."  My friends and brothers spent an entire summer looking for a button.  We scoured the level in the game to press and continue.  The solution to this puzzle is quite the astonishment.

     Now years after attempting, failing and just moving on to other games, I happened to find the answer.  This was years ago, by the way.  To reset the computer- the player had to press reset on the Sega Genesis console.  Yes.  I was taken aback.  It felt like a slap in the face.  Not only was the player supposed to think outside the game cartridge, but they were supposed to do something NO gamer in their right mind would ever think of doing for fear of losing progress in the game.
     And to top it off- if you pressed it for even a fraction of a second to long, the game would do exactly that- reset the system and you'd lose your progress.  So gamers were supposed to tap the reset button which brought up a screen full of numbers and then moved you on to the next level.

     Absolutely brilliant for breaking the 4th wall for gamers, as well as being a horrible dilemma for kids that would never think of risking their gameplay by pressing the damn reset button.  Are there ANY gamers out there that genuinely discovered the answer to this puzzle?  Any brave kids that ventured to press the button that was typically off-limits to even think about touching?

     Anyway, while this game was an average game to play, I always wondered why they didn't just port the X-men 6-player arcade game that was released a year earlier.  Either way the next X-men game to arrive on the Sega Genesis, X-men: The Clone Wars, was a vast improvement.  Better gameplay, better animation, better story.  It even gave players unlimited mutant powers!

Star Trek Into Darkness: Another "Bones" McCoy Meme

     While I finish up a another post about the Star Trek Into Darkness film, I made another meme about the greatest Doctor ever- Leonard McCoy.  This is one of the things I mentioned in a post right after I saw the movie in the theater.  Yet another one of the preposterous occurrences that flood the story.  I hope you enjoy the pic. 

     As a Doctor, one would think the scientific method would hold true to laboratory testing even in the future, but Bones goes the extra mile and does something so ridiculous it's quite a wonder that ANY of Into Darkness' 3 writers would've thought this up at all- the "experiment is to inject the single vile of Khan's super blood into a tribble.  A dead tribble to top things off.


I'm a Doctor, not a scientist.

     As a patient care worker that frequents the Cardiac Cath Labs, I see pig valves used in people decently often, and a variety of other cross species uses for medical procedures.  I've even read of sea coral being used as bone replacement.  But what gets me is, what would posses McCoy to put the sample of genetically engineered human blood into a dead wad of fur?  It makes no sense, like most of the rest of the movie in general really.  So much for the scientific method.

Dumb and Dumber To: Jim Carrey Posts First Actual Picture

     In the first actual "proof" that the writer/director team of Peter and Bobby Farrelly have indeed started filming Dumb and Dumber To this month as promised previously- Jim Carrey released this picture on Whosay with the message, "GESS HUUZ BAK BICHEZ?"

     In the 20 years since the last film, Lloyd Christmas and Harry Dunne apparently have formed a new plan that will inevitably lead to much hilarity and embarrassment, "This time around, they’ll be searching for one of their long-lost children in hopes of acquiring a new kidney."

     If they can achieve even a fraction of the humor that they did in the first film, this movie will be a new comedy juggernaut at the theaters.  I am soooooooo looking forward to this.

Source [ The Wrap ]

BBC One's Atlantis: First FULL Trailer and Thoughts



     My worst fears for this show are already coming true.  A Greek Mythology laden show titled Atlantis, for no reason I can tell, starring three heavy weights of History/Mythology cast with actors seemingly NOTHING like the legends about them.  Jack Donnelly as Jason, Robert Emms as Pythagoras, and Mark Addy as...     ...Hercules?  Sure I loved Addy in Still Standing, but after Game of Thrones, one would guess he'd be up for slightly better roles than a campy sword and sorcery show.

     I know I liked Misfits, which was done by the same creator Howard Overman- so what in Hades name is going on here!  Seriously.  Can anybody tell me how Overman goes from a show that's decently well thought out, fairly well written, and has good directors can churn out something that looks as sloppy as this Atlantis trailer?

     It's true- in my last post about BBC One's Atlantis I said I wouldn't judge until I saw an episode, but the full trailer makes the show look like a complete joke.  My remaining hopes for Atlantis are dwindling swiftly.

I guest posted over at Grumpy-Gurumi- Ted Turnip

     I guest posted this small story over at Grumpy-Gurumi for Ashley, who made this turnip from the general pattern in Yummy Crochet.  It wasn't much but oh, well.  Go check out her blog for some fun stuff.

     Things were not well during high school for rebellious young Theodore "Ted" Turnip.  Leather jackets, switchblades, and slicked back hair covered Teddy's distant familial troubles hidden.  He wasn't accepted among be any of his peers at Rootdell High.  There was no singing and dancing his feelings.  
     Eventually his long standing feud with Rickie Raddish, rich born Captain of the Rootdell Produce Football team, culminated in the fateful race at Deadman's Curve near Stovetop Gorge.

     Rickie had cut the brake lines on Teddy's 1964 Roadmelon leading to his tragic death after winning the race.  Teddy may have lost his life, but his will to live kept on...

     ...and now he has returned as a wraith seeking vengeance on the guilty vegetables.  Some say the wreckage and ghost can be seen at the bottom of Stovetop Gorge, near a little cave called the Kitchen Floor. 

James Purefoy: John Carter of Mars Meme

     Yep, I'm up to some stupidity again.  Today is a 2-for-1 Meme, both showing my love of the film John Carter, and my man-crush on the always amazing James Purefoy.

Sony Promises "News you've been waiting to hear" - Possibly The Last Guardian?

     While I certainly won't be holding my breath over this, Sony revealed they have something big to reveal tomorrow at their pre-TGS conference.  It's said to be a large dose of surprise "beyond our expectation."

     Here's the statement that came with the image above:

 “Finally, it’s coming to #TGS2013. Like before, SCEJA will have a press conference before the game show. I could only say: The news you’ve been waiting for, and the information beyond your expectation will both be revealed officially. So tomorrow, please do watch the live-stream and keep follow @PlayStation! Promise to bring surprise to you!”

     The show can be watched at this link at 7am UK time tomorrow morning.  Note: the original post has been taken down, but GAF member Gskyace had already translated it.


     It seems odd that the post would be already removed, but we can be hopeful anyway.  From earlier news about the Last Guardian we know it's still being worked on and release date news is solely in Sony's hands as stated by Fumito Ueda's own blog post.

"While it’s been a long time coming, THE LAST  GUARDIAN remains under my creative supervision and is still in development by an incredibly talented team. 

I should also mention that details regarding THE LAST  GUARDIAN's release is solely decided by Sony Computer Entertainment, not myself. Please keep an eye out for their official announcement."

     I know it's a long shot- and that The Last Guardian was officially listed on the E3 website earlier this year, but was later removed.  Could this be the announcement we've been waiting 5 years for?
     And if it is- will there be multiplayer options, will it be on PS4 or have PS Vita portability?


Source [ The 6th Axis ]

Star Trek: Into Darkness: Leonard "Bones" McCoy Meme

     I had a few minutes of time to whip up a small meme of my long time favorite, and quite cantankerous, Star Trek character- Leonard "Bones" McCoy.

     I figure now is a good time because the film is releasing on DVD and Bluray this coming Tuesday, and has been available for about the last two weeks digitally.  It's also worth mentioning that I, and many, MANY others are pissed about the idea of separating all the special features amongst the distributing chains like Best Buy, Target, and iTunes.  Really, I just want the commentaries. 

Metal Gear Solid 5: Erotic Gear... Solid? Kojima and Sexy Cosplay

Quiet: A Sniper Deprived of her Words Clothes

     Kojima had requested that the MGS5 designer, Yoji Shinkawa, to make certain characters more erotic to encourage cosplayers and to help sell more figures based on those likenesses.  As anticipated, the reaction is mixed.  Hell, as a male, I think it is definitely a "sexy" look , but as a Metal Gear fan, I am struggling to wonder how this character's story and circumstances would allow for this manner of dressing.  Here's the Tweet where Kojima shows the backside of the Sniper Quiet.

     Kojima later Tweeted that the character he asked Yoji Shinkawa to make more erotic may not be cosplayable, and had this to say in an interview with Polygon:

"Maybe the phrase 'erotic' wasn't really [the correct word for] what I was trying to say," Kojima said through a translator. "What I'm really trying to do is create unique characters. One of those is, of course, Quiet. She's a really unique character, I wanted to add that sexiness to her. It wasn't really supposed to be erotic, but sexy."

     Even the motion capture/model Stefanie Joosten had some things to say about the character.  There are reasons why she is dressed that way, and we'll get to see them when we play the game:

"Of course, I was surprised to see Quiet's outfit at first," said Joosten. "But, you know, it fits in the Metal Gear universe, I think. I don't think I'm allowed to say a lot about this, but, well, Mr. Kojima has his reasons for deciding why Quiet [is] wearing what she's wearing."

     Personally, I trust Kojima, he's always made stand out games and wonderful characters to fill those games.  Sure this "erotic/sexy" issue may be a problem, but I won't really judge until after I've played the game.  In the mean time, shouldn't she have a massive tan?  Because there isn't much in the way of coverage on her skin.  (Also- anyone else notice the strange Zartan-like effects around her eyes on the trailer that dissipate as the camera zooms in?)

She better have a LOT of sunblock.

Source [ Polygon ]

The First Robocop Reboot Trailer is Finally Out...

 

     ...and it doesn't look too bad.  Much better than I was expecting, in fact.  I like how there seems to come in more than one color, or perhaps the armor can camouflage on command.  It looks good either way. 
     The voice modulator is a nice touch and there are plenty of nods to the original film here.  Plenty of good cast members- this could be a fair hit next February.  And that's coming from someone that is generally against all the damn remakes Hollywood repeatedly insists on subjecting us to.

 

 

     After the last pictures I saw, the new suit's design is actually pretty decent.  It seems much better than the illustrated versions previously shown.  I want to also point out what appears to be the new OCP ED-209 looks pretty damn good as well.  This is a film I will be attending for sure.  As sure as that still-human hand of Robocop's will be getting severely damaged during the movie.

 

Looks like OCP's New ED 209

 



Pokemon X and Y: SQUIRTLE!!! and "The Bank"

     There's been a ton of Pokémon news for the upcoming X and Y games.  Firstly, I posted a few days ago about Nintendo repeating the past and well, here's another shining example of it.  Although for this I'll make an exception- because I won't be buying either of these games, but I may play on a friend's copy to see how it is. 

     Anyways, not only will there be three generation 6 starter Pokémon (Chespin, Fennekin, Froake), there'll also be our familiar friends, the 3 Kanto starters from Red and Blue- Charmander, Bulbasaur, and my personal favorite Squirtle.  In addition to that the 3 Kanto starters will be able to "Mega evolve."

My favorite Squirtle moment.

     The Pokémon Bank.  Yet another way for Nintendo to nickel and dime customers to death.  Really, it's not bad enough they need to sell 2 barely different copies of a game to customers, but now they offer charge $5 a year for online storage of up to 3000 Pokémon.  The fee would be because the servers would need "constant maintenance."  Apparently, Nintendo must not be using hardware that can compete with the X Box and Playstation if they need to do this.

     The Pokémon Bank will use a "Poke Transporter"- which, if I read correctly, will also be a necessity to transfer old Pokémon as well.  That's what I'm really curious about- are they actually making this a requirement to transfer from old games?  Almost forcing people to buy it to continue enjoying the games they've already paid for?  And really, the amount of data this would take could easily fit on the game. 
     Should I even mention that online cloud storage should already be available like PSN's?  I mean sure I pay for it, but I also get TONS of good free games as well.  And I have the ability to save to USB sticks as well- creating unlimited free storage.

     Come on Nintendo- you're already making a bazillion dollars a year off this series by selling customers essentially 2 of the same game, do you really need to charge for something like this?  People will just have to wait until a server crashes or gets hacked- and perhaps see that Nintendo is ripping people off.  I feel that Nintendo is monetarily preying on the children that love this series.


Source [ Pokémon X & Y ]

Benedict Cumberbatch will NOT appear in Star Wars VII

     Despite the circulating rumors of J.J. Abrams casting Benedict Cumberbatch in the next installment of the Star Wars saga, it has been officially denied by a spokesman for Cumberbatch himself:

“There is no truth to the rumour Benedict has been cast in Star Wars,” a spokesperson for the 37-year-old actor told the News. “I think the rumours are circling because JJ and Benedict have just recently had a wonderful time working together on Star Trek.”

     It would seem pretty convenient that timing that Cumberbatch recently withdrew from Guillermo Del Toro's Crimson Peak.  I'm grateful for this news- as wonderful as he is, there's an over saturation of Cumberbatch right now.  It would be even more convenient that it Star Wars: Episode VII will begin filming in his own home in the U.K.

     Cumberbatch himself had previously mentioned loving the Star Wars saga as a kid, and joked about being in talks to play a lightsaber and how much it would cost to make the lightsaber's iconic whirring noises with Total Film.

     Personally, I think this is a very good thing- to keep him from being a big villain in both new series' movies.  Then again, I do recall being assured that he was most definitely NOT playing Khan in Star Trek Into Darkness, but that turned out to be a huge marketing lie.  So hopefully this is true and he won't be boldly going over to The Force.


Source [ NY Daily News ]

Transformers 4: Age of Extinction (Dinobots also confirmed)

     It looks as if Michael Bay's next Transformers installment has an official title and teaser poster.  Considering the title is Transformers: Age of Extinction, having dinobots makes a bit of sense.  Presumably taking place in both the now and, I would guess, prehistoric times- to cover the extinction part of things.  It would be interesting to see fan-favorite Grimlock fighting a bunch of T-Rexs.

"I cannot disclose the specifics, but you can be sure that the arrival of the Dinobots will give the audience a lot to be excited about," said Producer Lorenzo di Bonaventura.

     What we know other than this small new information is that Mark Wahlberg is replacing Shia LaBeouf in the leading role, and that the always amazing Stanley Tucci, as well as Kelsey Grammer, Sophia Myles, T.J. Miller, and Nicola Peltz also star.

     It's good to see news that isn't about Mr. Bay damaging the Ninja Turtles' reputation!

     The film is set to be released on June 27, 2014.


Source [ Yahoo! Movies ]

BBC's Atlantis

     When I first saw tidbits about BBC One's upcoming show Atlantis I was very intrigued.  They had a wonderful ad campaign.  Well... they did until recently.  All the new teasers and still shots are starting to look a bit goofy.  Too day-time television and not nearly as wonderful as the show Misfits, which was penned by the same fellow- Howard Overman.  It would be worth mentioning here he also did some episodes of Merlin, which is what Atlantis is presumably replacing.

     Then, what next gets me a little worked up for the worse is that it's called Atlantis, but many of the ads are referencing Greek Mythology- specifically the things occurring on Crete, the island of the Minotaur and Daedalus' Labyrinth. (Crete is East of the Pillars of Hercules and Atlantis was West of them)  The fact the main character is named Jason won't have me angry yet because there could be many people with that name then.  It doesn't necessarily mean he's the one that goes on the quest for the Golden Fleece aboard the Argo. (Jason and the Argonauts)

     Are they just smashing the stuff together?  Because if it is Jason of the Argonauts, and on Crete with the Minotaur, they're chronologically at least a generation apart.  As a mythology enthusiast these things bother me a LOT!

     This show reeks of Hercules: The Legendary Journeys, and not for the better.  We've gotten better cameras and special effects so television watchers would like to expect something at least as good looking as Misfits, and hope for something as amazing looking as Game of Thrones, with writing somewhat on par with BBC's Sherlock.  We certainly do not wish to be watching an even worse version of the more recent Clash of the Titans films, dumbed down even further and made for the small screen.
     I suppose I'll suspend my issues and complaints until I watch an episode, but I sincerely hope this starts looking much better than the ridiculous promo clips I've seen.  Each new clip looks more terrible than the last.

     PS: Using the Riddle of the Sphinx from the Oedipus myth is also confusing, because it, too, was not only in a different time, but in a completely different place than both Minoan Crete and Atlantis.


Source [ BBC Atlantis Tumblr ]