Tag Archives: Gaming

Entertainment Wrap #19

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With the curtain closing on the summer movie season, we usually start seeing movies that weren’t quite good enough for blockbuster status. Luckily, this summer seems to have saved the best for last, with the incredible District 9 last week and this week with the highly anticipated latest from director Quentin Tarantino.  While there isn’t a ton of things going on, it is still a pretty exciting week.

THEATERS

Opening this week are: Post Grad, Ingolrious Basterds, and My One and Only. My One and Only is the story of a housewife in the 50s, played by Renee Zellwegger, who discovers that her husband is cheating so she leaves him and takes her two sons on a road trip across the country to find another husband to provide for her. I don’t really care for Zellwegger too much and the plot sounds even less enticing so this one is definitely low priority for me.

Post Grad stars Alexis Bleidel 9Gilmore Girls) as…wait for it….a post graduate who has recently entered the job market. The movie follows her quest to make it in the real world and find love at the same time. Bleidel is a pretty decent actress and is usually quite witty in most of her roles. Regardless, you probably won’t catch me at this film during opening weekend…or closing weekend for that matter, but it could have video rental potential.

This brings us to perhaps one of my most anticipated movies of the summer, Quentin Tarantino’s Inglorious Basterds. I love Tarantino’s work. Like pizza, even when it sucks, its still pretty good. Early buzz is that this is his best film to date, which is impressive when you take into account his already solid resume. The film is about a group of WWII soldiers, the Basterds, who have taken it upon themselves to hunt down and terrorize Nazis in the most brutal fashion imaginable. There are quite a few more elements to this film, but to be honest I was hooked at “hunt Nazis.”

DVD

New this week on DVD are : Hannah Montana the Movie and The Last House on the Left.  I watched the Hannah Montana movie as I have been on edge since the first trailer- will she continue to be Hannah or will she just choose to be Miley?? Rest assured after watching the movie I can finally sleep in peace knowing her decision. I won’t spoil the cliffhanger for you as it is something everyone should experience for themselves, but trust me when I say that the payoff is well worth it. (Insert sarcasm alert here). Seriously, the  movie is a great kids movie as it is good clean fun that doesn’t resort to toilet jokes in order to get laughs. It also doesn’t feature any pole dancing like in her live performances so it is pretty safe for all ages.

Last House on the Left is a remake of Wes Craven’s original film of the same title. A couple’s teenage daughter is brutally assaulted and raped by a group of fugitives. When the unknowing fugitives seek shelter at the couple’s house during a storm, the couple goes about exacting their revenge once they discover who the fugitives are.  This movie is actually pretty good and it maintains a high level of tension throughout. I will probably get a review of it up sometime soon, as the actual flick was much better than I expected.

GAMING

A fairly slow week in gaming. Most people are still enjoying the Madden goodness from the previous week. New releases this week are: Wolfenstein and Shadow complex.  Wolfenstein is the latest incarnation of the Castle Wolfenstein franchise, which is an FPS where you take on the Nazis in WWII. I know WWII shooters are everywhere nowadays, but what sets Wolfenstein apart is that the Nazis have found a way to tap into another dimension and use occult powers to enhance their weaponry. Of course, you can also use the same powers to your advantage, making this more of a sci fi WWII shooter.  The premise is still the same as it was in the original games and anyone familiar with the franchise will know what to expect.

Probaly the coolest release to come out in a while is Shadow Complex, available via download on Xbox live. Shadow Complex is an original game created by Epic (the makers of Unreal Tournament and Gears of War) which brings full retail production value to a downloadable arcade title. I have not yet tried it out as it just released today, but I will definitely download this one and give you my impressions. The game is a side scrolling action shooter and it has already been generating huge buzz as an example of the high level of quality that downloadable games can be capable of.   the gameplay is supposed to be fast and highly addicting and I can’t wait to give it a shot.

SPORTS

With the NFL preseason underway, there have been two huge developments that pigskin fans have been talking about this week. These are the acquisitions of quarterbacks Brett Farve and Michael Vick.  The indecisively retired Farve has been picked up by the Minnesota Vikings.  This is just wierd that he wound up on the Vikings of all teams and his former Green Bay teammates have voiced their excitement at finally getting a crack at Farve…literally. Even more interesting is what this means for the Vikes, as it gives their offense instant credibility as they are no longer overly reliant on the running game of Adrian Peterson and can now add a legitimate passing attack in there as well. This instantly catapults the Vikings towards the top of the NFC North as the front runners to take their division.

Other NFC news has the Philadelphia Eagles acquiring the troubled Michael Vick. With McNabb seemingly on his last legs as the leader of Philly’s offense, a healthy Vick appears to be an excellent choice a his successor.  Vick has experience with the West coast offense and like McNabb, he is a highly mobile QB that can scramble when needed (and even when NOT needed).  This mobility is definitely welcome, as the Eagle’s already have some injuries to key players on the O-line.   It will be interesting to see just how fast Vick gets back into football shape, both physically and mentally.  Regardless of his extra curricular activities, he was undeniably one of the most exciting players on the field when he was active and healthy and coming in to a strong established organization like Philly can only benefit both Vick and the rest of the team.  As long as McNabb’s choking flu isn’t contagious, expect big things from this years Eagles provided Vick remains healthy.

That’s the week in entertainment and that’s a wrap.

Entertainment Wrap #12

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I’m super psyched about everything going down in the entertainment world this weekend, so this week’s wrap comes a little early! ( although some weeks it doesn’t show up at all lol) So without further ado…let’s get to it!

THEATERS

The summer blockbuster season is officially in full swing. to say that I’m pumped about this week’s releases is a bit of an understatement. On the big screen this week we have: Night at the Museum II, Dance Flick, and ….wait for it…wait for it…Terminator: Salvation! Night at the Museum is the sequel to the Ben Stiller flick where the entire museum comes alive due to a magic curse.  The original had some pretty good laughs and was pretty entertaining. The sequel seems a bit corny and overdone, but still worth watching. This seems like one of those rare movies that adults will be into just as much as the kiddies.

Then there’s the Wayans brothers’ Dance Flick. I’m not a huge fan of these slapstick satire movies that spoof a whole genre ala Disaster Flick. However, I’ve been laughing at the Wayans’ humor since the In Living Color days. Seeing as how they started this whole trend with the insanely funny Scary Movie  and Scary Movie 2 (every one after these two was just junk) I’m actually eager to see what they can bring to the table with Dance Flick. While the previews look a bit on the stupid side, they are funny stupid as opposed to stupid stupid.

Then there’s the movie I’ve been waiting for, perhaps my most anticipated film this summer, second only to Transformers 2, Terminator: Salvation. When I first found out it was going to be directed by Mc G (director of both Charlie’s Angels flicks) I was a bit worried. I thought enough damage had already been done to the franchise with T3 Rise of the Machines.  It wasn’t a bad movie, but nowhere near the standards of the first two. Then I saw the trailers for Salvation and I started to get excited. Now that the hype machine is in full swing and previews are everywhere, this movie looks sick! Not to mention Christian Bale as John Connor, which adds another layer of credibility to the flick in my book.

DVD

With such a killer week on all fronts, something’s got to give. That something is this week’s DVD releases. Out this week are: Valkyrie, Paul Blart : Mall Cop, and My Bloody Valentine.  I posted up a review for Valkyrie when it was in theaters. It’s actually a pretty decent thriller so for more info, look up that review.  Paul Blart: Mall Cop is pretty self explanatory. If you’ve seen the previews, you know everything that happens in this movie. If you haven’t, then its about a fat mall cop whose mall gets overrun by terrorists. Think Die Hard but instead of Bruce Willis it’s a fat mall cop running around trying to stop them.  My Bloody Valentine looked cool in theaters, but only for the fact it was in 3d. The DVD version comes with 3d glasses but they are the crappy red and blue lens ones that give more of a headache than anything.

GAMING

The gaming gods have heard our cries, and they have answered. the drought is now over. Out this week: UFC Undisputed, Bionic Commando, and Punch Out! UFC Undisputed looks to be a solid game. I can’t remember the last time I spent so much time playing a demo, but I was hooked on this one. They seem to have finally got MMA right in a video game. The game has a solid ground fighting component, the stand up fighting is crisp, and overall the controls and gameplay are pretty deep showing each fighter’s unique style. Although the demo only featured Chuck Lidell and Shogun, you could really get a feel for their individual styles, which the game captured perfectly.  For MMA and gaming fans, this is the best of both worlds and definitely worth picking up and its available for PS3 and 360.

Bionic Commando is the modern revamping of the classic 8 bit game featuring a commando with an Inspector Gadget arm who could swing from platform to platform. This new Bionic Commando is just awesome. The game features intense gunplay combined with the free swinging feeling of a Spiderman game. Its a bit hard to put into words, but after spending some time with the multi-player demo, this game has all the potential to be the next big game from Capcom and its also availalbe for Ps3 and 360.

Speaking of blasts from the past, Nintendo resurrects one of its greatest games of all time with Punch Out for the Wii.  I haven’t even tried a demo, but needless to say this game makes me overjoyed that I have a Wii. From the previews, players once again play as Little Mac and fight their way up through the ranks against Glass Joe, King Hippo, and a bunch of new opponents in classic Punch Out fashion. Sadly, there is no Iron Mike in this one, but it still looks like a blast to play.

MMA

This weekend is UFC 98. There is a UFC event just about every month. While the cards keep getting better and better, this one is unique in that it features a championship bout in which both the Champ, Rashad Evans, and the challenger, Lyoto Machida, are undefeated. What is even crazier is that the Champ is the underdog. While I don’t really care for Evans, he has beaten some of the best MMA fighters in the world. No one can argue that the man definitely earned his title. Then we have Machida, who is just an anomaly. He is an elusive striker who uses his point karate style of fighting to knock people out. So far, no one has been able to figure out him out.  Just when opponents seem to have got a lock on him, he side steps strikes.

It’s almost impossible to try and pick a winner for this one, but I’ll try.  I like Machida and I don’t like Evans, but I’m going to go with Evans on this one. So many times I’ve thought he was outgunned and just outclassed, but he manages to pull out a victory, and often in devastating fashion. It wouldn’t surprise me if Machida took this fight, but I’m going to go with Evans.

Prediction: Evans round 3, TKO

The other highly touted matchup on this card is between Matt Serra and Matt Hughes. While both fighters seem to be in the twilight of their careers, this one is interesting because it’s a grudge match that’s been in the making for a few years now and is ust finally going down. Neither fighter is a contender for the belt, but they should definitely bring the heat to each other.  This fight is also difficult to call. In his prime, Hughes was a beast, and if they met back then I would choose him to win hands down. He’s lost a bit of his fire and has become a highlight reel for his opponents in his last couple fights. 

Serra is a bit of a wild card. In my opinion, Hughes has beaten the better competition overall, but you can’t discount Serra at all.  Serra shocked the world when he crushed GSP, which is no easy feat.  Although Serra went on to lose the rematch, the fact that he is unpredictable and explosive enough to take out GSP says a lot. This is definitely a tough call, but I’m going to go with Serra because his jiu jitsu will be the deciding factor. Both fighters look fairly even on their feet, but I think Serra’s jits is better than Hughes’ wrestling.  this fight could easily go either way, but that’s my pick.

Prediction:  Serra  round 3, TKO

Like I said before, this week is stacked in terms of entertainment. That’s the week and that’s a wrap.

Entertainment Wrap #11

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This week officially kicks off the summer blockbuster season with the long anticipated release of X-Men Origins: Wolverine.  Other movies coming out this week are: Ghosts of Girlfriends Past, Terra, and The Limits of Control.  I’m excited for the release of Wolverine and I should have a review up soon. I’m a huge x-men fan, but I hated X3 and hope that this latest movie can redeem the franchise.

Ghosts of Girlfriends Past is a take on the classic Christmas Carol formula, however this time around Scrooge is replaced by a womanizing Matthew McConnaghey who, with the help of 3 ghosts, is forced to revisit his dating past. The film also stars Jennifer Garner and Michael Douglas.  As corny as the premise may sound, it looks like it might actually be pretty entertaining.

Terra is a computer animated movie about a roving group of space humans looking for a new planet to settle on. This is a relatively low key release here in the US.  I’ve heard that the animation is top notch in this film and that the storyline is a bit similar to Wall-E. I love animation but didn’t really care too much for Wall-E so this will be a rental if anything for me.

The Limits of Control is the newest film from abstract director Jim Jarmusch. I can’t really tell you what the film is about. I doubt I would be able to even after watching it as Jarmusch’s style often leaves many ends wide open. I can appreciate the artistry of his direction, but his pacing is a bit too slow and plodding for my tastes.  If you like interesting movies that are extremely slow and not really headed anywhere, this film should be perfect for you.

DVD

There are quite a few new DVD releases this week. Out now we have: What Doesn’t Kill you, Nothing But the Truth, Bride Wars, Hotel for Dogs, and The Uninvited.  What Doesn’t Kill You is a crime drama set in South Boston.  I haven’t seen it yet, but I normally enjoy these types of films so I really want to check this one out.  Nothing But the Truth is loosely based on what happened a few years ago when a reporter exposed the identity of an undercover CIA agent and wound up placing the agent’s life in jeopardy.  It has a great cast featuring Matt Dillon, Kate Beckinsale, Angela Bassett, and Vera Farmiga.

Bride Wars is a movie about childhood best friends who want nothing more than to get married. When the time finally comes and a scheduling error results in both of their weddings being scheduled on the same day, conflict ensues as to who gets to keep the date.  I won’t spoil anything but if you’ve seen the previews, you pretty much know almost everything that is going to happen in this movie.

Hotel for Dogs is about a hotel….for dogs. That’s about all I know about this one, but kids really seem to like this movie. My son who is super picky when it comes to kids movies was watching this one with some friends and they were having a blast.

The Uninvited is a remake of a Korean horror flick (whose name I can;t remember now and am too lazy to google).  Its the story of two teenage girls whose mother just passed away and their father has since started a relationship with the young nurse who used to care for his wife. Strange and freaky events start occurring throughout the house. This is actually a decent remake of a realy good film. I should have a review for this one up pretty soon.

GAMING

The gaming drought continues on for yet another week. One thing worth mentioning was the release of the UFC:Undisputed demo. This game is a lot of fun, and surprisingly deep in the control department. Although the demo limits you to playing as either Chuck Liddell or Mauricio Shogun Rua, the full game boasts the entire UFC roster.This will definitely be one to watch for when it drops on May 19.

BOXING

Manny Pacquiao is set to take on British boxer Ricky Hatton. This one has fireworks written all over it, as Hatton loves to get in the pocket and bang. As solid as hatton may be, he doesn’t have the visciousness of Pacquiao and I don’t think he can hang with him for the entire fight. One thing is for sure and that is that one of these fighters will fall and I predict it will be Hatton.  he may survive till the later rounds, but Pacquiao is going to prove to be way too much for him to handle.

Thats the week in entertainment and thats a wrap.