Don't know what influenced my thinking about this -- the "Grindhouse" film or playing the retro "Metal Slug Anthology" games.
Okay, say I'm Rockstar Games, or Midway, or somesich. A game programmer with some disposable income.
Snap up licenses to a bunch of different films - horror, kung-fu, action, etc. Then just develop some 2D games - racers, shooters, fighters, etc. Call the whole game collection "Cineplex" or something.
"Death Race 2000" - A racing game akin to Roadblasters, where the goal is to specifically run over as many pedestrians as possible, while also coming in first in the race and/or destroying your competition.
"Danger: Diabolik" - A Metal Slug themed side-scrolling game where Diabolik has to defeat the evil Vollin while stealing stuff.
"Fearless Fighters" - A Street Fighter II/ Samurai Shodown style fighter.
"Black Belt Jones" - A Double Dragon style game.
Any observations on some games that might make the cut?
Friday, April 06, 2007
Video game idea
Grindhouse--what did I think??
I went to see the movie or I guess I should say movies today--opening day.
I cannot really say I was disappointed. The movies did keep my interest and the fake trailers, commercials, etc. were a really neat idea to experience the full double bill grindhouse cinema 70s feel. I will say that I enjoyed "Planet Terror" more than "Death Proof". Not that the latter was bad but I am more into nonstop action. "Planet Terror" really presented a good story with tons and tons of gore and some humor. I enjoyed the actors that were in both movies that are staples in Tarentino movies. Michael Parks character especially. The women were hot and did a great job. I like Rose McGowan and she did a great job with her character as well.
"Death Proof" was good but I did not like the talkie talkie talkie aspect of it. The chicks spend so much time around a diner table discussing issues. Now, I know "Reservior Dogs" had the same aspect but this was no "Reservior Dogs" I could tell Kurt Russell was enjoying himself. It was good to see him in that element again. There just was not enough action in it.
Would I buy these movies??-- Bones yeah, I will!!!!! I hope they come out together but they will probably come out as seperate movies in order to drain as much money as possible out of me. I guess I need to break down and buy both "Kill Bills" since their does not seem to be one set of those coming out anytime soon.
Bottom line-- Planet Terror- 3 count
Death Proof - 2-3/4 count
but again it is my opinion. Go see it and let me know what you thing.
I didn't get the job
Tusculum jobbed me out. Went with the person who was already there as a visiting professor (I think).
Ugh, gag and vomit.
Wednesday, April 04, 2007
Rotten Tomatoes: Grindhouse A to Z
With "Grindhouse" hitting theaters this Friday, I stumbled across what seemed like a pretty cool tutorial on grindhouse cinema. Some of these films I have in my movie collection, and I can attest to their cheesy over-the-top style of cinema verite (looking at you, "Death Race 2000").
Job Market Woes
There are times that I just can't calm down.
The academic job market is the most ruthless enterprise I've ever experienced. The search process is so vague and convoluted that it is a wonder that anyone gets hired for any job any where. I had an interview last Monday at a school and was told that I would hear from them by early this week. The week is halfway over, and I have yet to hear from them. Either a) they are slow on meeting and have yet to make a decision or b) I am not top choice and they are seeing if/negotiating with top choice for their job. I'm going to call the school in a minute and see if I can get some answers out of the secretary. I'll keep us updated.
Tuesday, April 03, 2007
Alanis's best performance since her Unplugged show
This defies description...
Seriously, watch this now
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W91sqAs-_-g
Monday, April 02, 2007
[Movie] Night of the Comet on DVD
You can snatch this up at Wal-Mart for under $10.
Check it out, but don't believe what the box says about this film being a cross between George Romero zombie films and "Valley Girl." In fact, "Night of the Comet," if you go in expecting a comedy at all, will disappoint you. It's a good horror/ zombie film that happens to have the occasional elements of humor. It shares a lot in common with "28 Days Later," in that there's a worldwide event that results in a lot of humanity being lost, and it's a story told in a general four-act structure.
The two heroines are as unlikely a pair of heroines as you're likely to find in most any horror film. But, as much as "Alien" and "Scream" and "Halloween" are lauded for featuring women in strong, survivor roles, this film deserves to be mentioned in the same breath. Good scary make-up in this one, and some genuine suspense. And, odd as it may sound, there's a genuinely good reason why this movie usher chick would know how to shoot an AK with pretty solid accuracy.
I want to go on record, too, that Geoffery Lewis is every bit as good a horror movie superstar player as Lance Henriksen and John Saxon are.
A 2 3/4 count.
All my cryptozoologists, holla!
Unlike normal jellyfish, which drift in the ocean current, box jellyfish are active swimmers that can rapidly make 180-degree turns and deftly dart between objects. [more]
Wrestlemania 23 review
I was sick, thanks to my liver enzymes being 6x higher than anyone else's who may be reading this, unless you have cirrhosis or hepatitis (neither of which I have, har-de-har), so I didn't get to watch this with my boys.
Ken Kennedy wins the Money In The Bank - A 2 1/2 count. Can't say I didn't call the outcome, even though on here, I had 3 guys picked to win it. But my money was on Kennedy the whole time. His post-match interview made my wife a huge fan, between "blah blah blah blah BLAH~!" and "Misteeeeeer Money in the Bank .... bank." Oh yeah, and "Nice guys always finish last ... thank GOD, I'm not a nice guy," which should be a Quote to Live By. I kept thinking how much more interesting a ladder match would be if they used one of those 8-ladders-in-one things that's always getting pitched on QVC.
Khali d. Kane - Whew, a sub-1 count.
My wife: "This is the 'gotta check the laundry' match."
My wife, re: the Great Khali: "His chin gets in the ring about a foot before he does."
My wife, re: the Great Khali: "I'd rather watch Khali fight Big Show."
My wife, re: the Great Khali: "Look at his teeth. I bet he has trouble with corn on the cob."
My wife, re: the Great Khali: "Why does he go by the name of a dog?" Me: "A dog's name?" My wife: "Yeah, like Lassie; wasn't Lassie a collie?"
(I think this was her first time seeing the Great Khali.)
Chris Benoit d. MVP - I'm saying this is a 2 3/4 match; if the crowd was more into it, and there was a better storyline going into it, it would have been a 3 count, hands down. MVP looked AMAZING, definitely bringing his Mania game to the dance. Good psychology, good use of 10-15 minutes of match time, good counter- and chain-wrestling, this one may have had it all.
Undertaker d. Batista to become the World Heavyweight champion - 2 3/4. Strong brawling match, but again, the outcome was mighty expected. The powerslam through ECW's announce table was nice. During the Taker/Batista punch exchange, the crowd worked in a nice "boo" / "yay" / "boo" / "yay" chant. And yes, they were saying "yay." Who says "yay" anymore?
ECW old school d. ECW new breed - 2 count. This was just there. I started thinking that, if I actually thought Sabu was going to be asked to stick around for a while longer, I'd love to see him and Khali as a tag team. Sandman clotheslined Elijah Bjork over the top rope and Bjork's braids EXPLODED! No POOOUUUNNNCE-AH! at the big dance, though.
Lashley d. Umaga, so Trump d. McMahon - 2 count. Actually, not a bad bit of brawling between Lashley & Umaga, so by itself it would have probably been a fine match. Umaga made me super happy by spiking Austin, and it played out psychology-wise as what Austin deserved for fishhooking Umaga's eye ... Umaga thought he was swinging at Lashley. This unfortunately led to some overbooked shit, but in the end, Mcmahon went bald & looked like a drive-by bukkake victim with all the shaving cream on his head and face, and Austin stunned Trump. Austin's shirt should read, "Arrive. Pretend it's 1998. Leave."
Melina d. Ashley - 1 count. I kept begging during the all-girl brawl, "C'mon titty, c'mon TITTY!" Alas, nothing.
Cena d. Michaels - 3 count. This match delivered and then some, but honestly, it could have learned a thing or two from Benoit/MVP, namely selling (Cena's leg has mutant healing powers) and a bit of pacing, as Cena & Michaels padded out their near-30 minutes on the grand stage with a whole lot of stalling. They must have known Cena would get the ass-end of the fan response and said, "Uh uh, fuck that," and Michaels built up Cena as a hero, which I kind of expected. The piledriver(!) on the steps(!!) came out of nowhere. Cena goes to make up with his boyfriend Shawn at the end, but Michaels is all "Hell, naw, my job was to make you look good and that's over so I'm going to go read the bible," and Cena's all, "Well, I salute you, even though I've never seen a minute of military service," and now there's gonna be drama on Monday night.
In the off chance this is the last Wrestlemania I ever see, I can't say I was disappointed.
Saturday, March 31, 2007
Wrestlemania discussion, one day before the big show
Here's the card. Who do you think's gonna win between ...
World Heavyweight Championship
Batista vs. The Undertaker
WWE Championship
John Cena vs. Shawn Michaels
Hair vs. Hair
Bobby Lashley
(representing Donald Trump)
vs.
Umaga
(representing Vince McMahon)
*Manager of the loser gets his head shaved
Money In The Bank Ladder Match
Edge vs. Punk vs. Booker vs. Finlay vs. Jeff & Matt Hardy vs. Ken Kennedy vs. Randy Orton
Tommy Dreamer, Sabu, Rob Van Dam, and the Sandman
vs.
Elijah Burke, Monty Brown, Kevin Thorn, and Matt Striker
Lumberjack Match for the Bitch's Championship
Melina vs. Ashley
* At ringside will be: All them other womens
Kane vs. the Great Khali
US Title
Chris Benoit vs. MVP
* For a point of reference, Wrestlemania III, which WWF is indirectly cramming down our throats with this pay-per-view, had twelve matches, every top wrestler was represented and the tag belts were on the line. Definite downgrade.
Throw up some comments.
Wednesday, March 28, 2007
On the road yet again
I feel like it is 2001 all over again.
Back when I was full time with Office Ghetto, I was asked to travel a lot. In 2001 I believe I actually spent more weeks on the road than at home, but if I didn't it was sure close. Needless to say, a few years in Gainesville have gotten me out of the road-warrior lifestyle, but now I'm back with a vengance.
Friday, I drove from G'ville to the 423 in advance for an interview at a school in the area. Out the door at 5 am, in the 423 by 2. Pretty good time actually. It was a good thing that I have family there, as this school had no concept of the Nascar race at Bristol or the fact that a crowd of 170,000 does not fit well with a region that has tops 15,000 hotel rooms. I guess I would have been staying in the dorm if the family wasn't there.
Weekend was spent working on my interview materials. Monday I interviewed. It went well. Will here from them next week.
Tuesday, it was back to G'ville from the 423. Traffic was slightly worse due to a horrible crash on the opposite side of I-75. Tractor trailer ended up aiming south in the northbound lane and barely resembled a semi by the time I got past it. People have such difficulty driving these days.
Today, and the point of all of this text, I am flying to Minnesota for a conference. It is no secret that I hate to fly. I have even been seeing a "fear and anxiety specialist" to cope with it (my last flight I couldn't get on the plane...ugh). So my beautiful girlfriend takes me to the airport and we leave three hours before the flight heading to JAcksonville, which is one hour from G'ville. All is well through the redneck speed trap towns (which are so bad that AAA has put up billboards saying "Waldo, Speed Trap, 2 miles ahead) and then we hit I-10.
Bumper
To
Bumper
Another horrible wreck that took 3 hours to make up. I missed my flight. I am now sitting in the Jax airport (which thankfully has four pinball machines and free wi-fi) catching up on the blogging and the reading. Fear of flight is still present, but I'm sure I can make it through this time, Lord willing.
Peace out, word to your mother.
Tuesday, March 27, 2007
Quick hits...
Coming soon to a retailer near you: Strawberry...
Meth!Reports of candy-flavored methamphetamine are emerging around the nation, stirring concern among police and abuse prevention experts that drug dealers are marketing the drug to younger people.
...
Among the new flavors are strawberry, known as "Strawberry Quick," chocolate, cola and other sodas, Robertson said. One agent reported a red methamphetamine that had been marketed as a powdered form of an energy drink, he said.
...
"Strawberry Quick," the bulletin said, "is popular among new users who snort it because the flavoring can cut down on the taste. Teenagers who have been taught meth is bad may see this flavored version as less harmful. 'Strawberry Quick' is designed for the younger crowd."
That's awesome. And seriously, any kid that thinks Strawberry Meth is less harmful should be given all the Strawberry Meth they can snort, smoke, shoot or eat. That fuckup needs to be out of the gene pool as quickly as possible.
Jenna Fisher, naked:
Close, but not enough. Damnation. Apparently, Jenna did the shoot fully nude. A just and loving God gives me outtakes. Uncensored outtakes.
I try to avoid talking about That Other Site, because it feels like sour grapes and needless griping, but I've been keeping an eye on lulls in the posting since the October Exodus. January saw a quiet period of 14 days (01/05 - 01/19). February saw 20 days (02/03 - 02/23). March went 14 days again (03/05 - 03/19). Interspersed have been a number of shorter breaks. I'm predicting that before the end of July, That Other Site will finally reach one full month of silence.
Monday, March 26, 2007
More Wrestlemania discussion: Trump vs. McMahon
Or, rather, Bobby Lashley vs. Umaga. Oh yeah, with "Stone Cold" Steve Austin in there to shill his new movie be the guest referee.
With Austin there, I can't believe that it'll end with anything other than EVERYONE getting stunned ... hell, even Trump. Why not? Although, no shit, I'd be the biggest fan of Umaga for-fuckin-EVER if he no-sold the Stunner and just for fake/real handed Austin his ass.
The ramifications of this match are:
- Well, let's get it out of the way, I can't see Trump going bald on this one.
- However, McMahon going bald on this one seems odd too.
- It's April Fools Day when Mania is held, but the chances of them pulling one over on the fans like that ... brrrr.
- For Trump to win, Umaga would have to lose, which would have meant more if Cena hadn't beaten him twice already.
- For McMahon to win, Lashley would have to eat a loss, which would have meant more if Booker T hadn't beaten him already.
- Lashley is the ECW* champion, Umaga the IC champion, so neither of these belts are up for grabs to any other brand-specific competitor. Something about that kinda sucks, but oh well ... none of the tag titles are on the line, and in the past three years have only been defended once (and that was Big Show & Kane vs. Masters & Carlito).
My prediction: McMahon goes bald at the end. They wouldn't dare risk an April Fools Day joke on a match of this magnitude. Austin calls McMahon a "bald-head sumbitch," stuns everyone incl. Lashley who just won the thing, then pours beer on his shirt for old times sake. Everyone goes home happy, 'cause life is just how it should be, in 1997. I mean, 2007.
Sunday, March 25, 2007
CD- you are listening to
What CDs are you currently listening to???
I am just trying to get some ideas on CDs to buy. I really like music in the style of Jurassic 5. Will Chali 2na come out with a legit album--not mix tape???
Give me some suggestions.
Saturday, March 24, 2007
March's podcast is available now.
breakdown. the for below Click
0:00 - 1:45: Crazy George Zucco gives a passionate discourse on the benefits of a werewolf frontline; listen to it again in the present context, and I defy you to tell me that he doesn’t make a good argument.
1:45 - 5:32: Big Daddy Kane drops so many gems in this one, he’s like an overloaded jewel thief, among which is arguably the best one, "My rhymes are like spandex, they make any ass seem good." Goddamn ...
5:32 - 7:14: Freddy’s Pizzeria, open all night, and Satan suggests a diet plan ... This message is Ric Flair approved!
7:14 - 10:20: James Brown finally got buried; even in death, he paid the cost to be the boss.
10:20 - 14:30: Son Seals - "I Believe to My Soul"
14:30 - 15:53: The beat to EPMD’s "So What’cha Sayin’"
15:53 - 17:00: Unicron creates Galvatron, over some sinister, yet familiar, music
17:00 - 20:15: Bertha Butt Boogie, Geto Boys’ "Declaration of War," and Public Enemy’s "Resurrection," blended up and served raw. I made this.
20:15 – 23:40: Special Ed – "I Got It Made"
23:40- 27:11: I wrote my way through half a screenplay involving a western theme, demons from hell, and a few luchadores; this was the music playing over the opening credits, in the movie in my head.
27:11 - 27:21 See you in 30!
Friday, March 23, 2007
"Can the Geico cavemen make it in prime time?"
No, no, no.
Just when you thought movie remakes had pushed cinematic entertainment to all-time lows, here's this news. As if there's not enough shit entertainment out there, Geico apparently believes we need a 30-min commercial for their services.
Do you know how expensive Geico is in South Carolina? Extremely; I had Geico for the whole time I lived in Virginia because it was relatively cheap. Moved to South Carolina, the payments jumped by almost 200%. For the first few months of my time living here, I saw Geico commercials made especially for the South Carolina market; they didn't last long, mind you, but I saw them, and they were practically begging for South Carolinians to try Geico. I'd love to see some numbers on how high or low their percentage of covered South Carolina drivers is.
This means, of course, that for the show to work, you'd have to believe that enough people trust in the Geico product. And, if things have remained the same since I tried to switch to Geico from one state to another, that could exclude the whole state of South Carolina.
Plus, I just can't believe that this Geico cavemen show would be that funny, or that good. As a litmus test, I mentally plugged the Geico cavemen into a variety of sitcom milestones, in place of the original protagonists:
- The "Fresh Prince" episode where Will & Carlton are arrested for DWB;
- the "Family Ties" episode where Alex is on drugs;
- the "Taxi" episode where Reiger brings his old dog to the dispatch;
- the Seinfeld "Contest" episode;
- the "Friends" episode where that one chick gets married, and the other chick is pregnant; and,
- any one of the thousands of episodes of "Night Court" where they had to finish so many cases by midnight, or something terrible would happen.
In each reimagining, I moderately chuckled at the idea of cavemen being stuck in these situations, but the fun stopped there. And those are cleverly written episodes ... how funny are the writers going to be that do get hired for the caveman show?
I can't imagine anything good coming of this.
Monday, March 19, 2007
More Wrestlemania discussion: Money In The Bank
Edge vs. Finlay vs. Jeff Hardy vs. Matt Hardy vs. Ken Kennedy vs. King Booker vs. CM (Chick Magnet ... betcha didn't know that, did'ya?) Punk vs. Randy Orton
A ladder match, winner gets a one year open contract where they can meet any brand's champion, at any point in time.
Let's look at it.
The stats are as follows:
- Edge has never lost at 'Mania;
- The winner of Money In The Bank has gone on to win the title they challenged for (Edge & Rob Van Dam);
- The changing of the title to the MITB winner has resulted in a spike in ratings (although, for RVD's win it was short-lived, due to his love of marihuana).
There's only three options they have here, in my book. Edge wins to keep his own streak alive; CM Punk wins and switches brands; or, Kennedy wins.
I know I'm all "Kennedy, Kennedy, Kennedy," but I see in that fucker a lot of what I really liked about Curt Hennig, and anyone that knows me, knows that I love me some Curt Hennig as a wrestler. Watch his match against Batista at the Rumble ... if he'd kicked out of the Batista Bomb, the building would have gone Hiroshima. Imagine if Kennedy (or whoever, really) wins, and goes on to tackle, and defeat, the winner of the Smackdown or Raw title match, at Mania. A nice little Mania moment. Plus, as he's becoming more popular, it would be a ratings boost.
CM Punk wins, there's no way on God's green earth why, storyline wise, to Joe Casual, that he'd want to stick around ECW. So I'm counting on, if he wins, he makes a jump to Smackdown. Punk is a good wrestler, but he falls in that RVD area, where he gets more entertaining the more he gets to stall, jaw with fans, etc. RVD in ECW = CM Punk in ROH. Plus, Punk is charismatic & skilled in the ring, so he'd make good ratings too.
Edge, we've discussed a bit already. If he wins the match, I see a jump to Smackdown also. It would be nice to see some fresh stuff with Edge, like vs. Finlay, vs. Matt Hardy, vs. Benoit, vs. the Boogeyman. Okay, maybe not fresh, or even halfway interesting, but it would probably mean another personality would go to Raw, and we'd get some interesting shake-ups in the rosters. Plus, heel with a title is always more fun to watch than a face, 'cause the title should always be the source of pursuit. I don't want to see Cena & Michaels defeat every tag team on the roster in one night, I wanted to see Umaga unmercifully beat the shit out of Cena until he couldn't move and had to take about four weeks off to sell the injury. Meanwhile, Umaga beats the shit out of everyone, and then the fans have to wait until Cena "heals," makes it to Mania and wins. Yay, wrestling!! Then have Edge come down and beat Cena, again. Edge vs. Cena ... like that's ever happened.
Using the ratings & liklihood scale: Neither of the Hardys will win. Orton shouldn't win, 'cause thanks to the Undertaker, Triple H, and Hogan, no one gives a fuck about the guy who can't back up his shit in the big matches. Finlay wouldn't win, but that would be really interesting ... until you realize, oh shit, it's Finlay, what the fuck are we gonna do? Booker T might win, but I'd be very surprised.
Now, another talking point is -similar in scope to the Undertaker question - how many wins should the MITB winner (whoever it will ever be) have against champions, until the first MITB winner loses on his one shot? In other words, 'cause that question reads unnecessarily convoluted, Edge had to win the title, or the MITB honor would have been a joke from the outset. RVD won, in controversial fashion, for the sake of Extreme. Presumably, the MITB winner this year will win a title. So how many times do you see the MITB winner becoming champion, until he, y'know, doesn't?
Now, I need sleep.
Saturday, March 17, 2007
A little Wrestlemania discussion, anyone?
I just wanted to open the floor to some responses to a question I had while watching Smackdown! tonight:
Should the Undertaker ever be defeated at 'Mania? He's 14-0 at this writing, going into Wrestlemania 23 facing Batista for the World Title.
This leads to another question: Should it be Batista that beats the Undertaker at Wrestlemania? Or do you think 'Taker will go 15-0?
Let me know what you think. I'll post my opinions after a day or two.
Wednesday, March 14, 2007
Wrestling Society X
Who has watched this??
OK, it comes on MTV and it is on for 30 minutes. IT is okay but nothing to really get excited about. It has 2-Pac from WWE, who used to be X-PAC.
You should check your listings and see if you like it.
Sunday, March 11, 2007
Spring Training with the Braves
Spring training games are fun and yield the opportunity to see unbelievable things.
Yesterday, I drove to Orlando to watch the Braves play the Blue Jays. With it being a training game, it is usually hard to tell what you will see on the field, as well as off. The Braves didn't disappoint and played their regular line-up with the scrubs coming in in the 7th inning. Mark Redman (who was recently signed from the Royals) was the starting pitcher. I heard tale that the Braves paid $750,000 for him and I can assure you that they got ripped off. He hit two batsmen and looked erratic. For those who care, the Braves won 4-1 with back to back homers from Andruw Jones (who for once didn't show up to camp overweight and with more chins than a Chinese phone book) and Brian McCann.
Off the field, there was fun to be had by all. I was sitting immediately behind a family of four. Dad, mom, older daughter, younger son. Kids were probably 4 and 3. The father of this family must have a really, really hard job and enjoy his free time because he was the most detached father I have ever seen. Innings 1-2, while mother was in line buying grub, he let the kids tear open a big bag (i.e. not a single-serving bag like you get at Subway, but a full-size bag) of Doritos and go to town. By the time that Andruw Jones grounded out in the bottom of the second the son was covered in Dorito dust. All 10 of his fingers were covered, and his mouth had a halo of cheese powder. Not once did the dad say anything, reach into the baby bag at his feet and get a wipe, or attempt to take the chips away. In between the second and the third, the mom comes back with a big tray of food and is appalled that her son is wearing processed dairy products but, rather than wipe the kid off, she tells the kid "Let me get your daddy his food." She hands him a burger and then wipes the kid off. Dad doesn't flinch. The hilarity continued into the 7th when the mother pulled out a digital camera and tried to get a pic of dad and his two offspring. The father (wearing a shirt that read "Life begins when the season starts" and a Corona sun visor) turns and says "Wait until the game is over." Mom doesn't say a word. My girlfriend informed me that if I ever did that she would drop her drink on me.
