Editorials
The body count piles up, so does the pastiche.
DVD Fail. – Tarantino’s Kill Bill Vol. 1 & 2
Gerry offers readers the first “DVD Fail.” The home entertainment release of Tarantino’s fourth film offers nothing but empty references and non-existent special feature.
The death of a gamer.
College Killed the Hardcore Gamer in Me
Gerry looks at his journey from his life as a hardcore gamer into that of the casual gamer. How could this happen? How is responsible for such an atrocity? Find out the culprit and read his insights on the “Video Games as Art” debate.
Don't throw out that Walkman...
On The Practice Of Musical Monogamy
Could having a 120 GB ipod packed to the brim with mp3s actually be less desirable than using a simple Walkman?
Venture into the mind of a cinephile.
Gerry’s Top 10 Favorite Movies…Ever
Gerry offers you his own top 10 list of films. Now next time he sounds off on any particular film you have a list to judge and ridicule him.
Watchoo know 'bout Herodotus?
Going Podcast Crazy
Thomas takes a look..er…listen to some high quality podcasts.
A video game based on a movie actually worth playing.
Ghostbusters: The Video Game – It’s All in the Avatar
Guest contributor Chad Wyszynski offers his insight on what made the video game adaptation of the Ghostbusters franchise a resounding success. While gameplay and storyline played important roles in making the game work, it was the developers choice in avatar that put it above the rest.
A modern animation masterpiece.
DVD Win! – Henry Selick’s Coraline
With Gerry’s second installment of his “DVD Win!” column he recommends the stop-motion film Coraline. Take a gander and see why the two-disc edition is worth your extra hard-earned cash.
A feature-less app store is more like a crap store.
5 Crucial Features the App Store is Missing
We all lurv the app store. Yes, this virtual bazaar is jam-packed with every imaginable goody you could ever want taking up space on your precious iDevice/s. But alas, I’m a stickler for perfection, and there are certain aspects of this 21st century flea market that make me want to chuck my iPhone at Timothy Cook’s wholesome mug.
Aging (and retiring) gracefully is a bit more difficult for franchises.
Franchise Frenzy: When is Enough, Enough?
Balloo takes a look at some long standing franchises and talks about why sometimes calling it quits, even at the height of success, is better than running something into the ground.
A Rankin/Bass classic.
DVD Win! – Rankin/Bass’ Animated Hobbit
Gerry begins the first in a series of columns entitled, “DVD Win!” where he will present a film you may have missed that he thinks is worth your viewing time. The first in this series is the 1977 animated version of The Hobbit.
Iranian face police brutality for exercising rights of protest
Beating the Blackout – Online Social Networks and New Media Mediums
Guest Contributor Alex Graves discusses the importance and implications of new media sources and communication tools during the turbulence and protests in Iran for the past weeks.
Rock Revolutions and Gameplay Revelations
Gameplay or Story Quality, the Sad Revelation
Balloo identifies the tradeoff that occurs in game development between gameplay and game plot. It all started with Brutal Legend at E3 and took him back to Metal Gear Solid 4 last year.
Where magic is made.
What Makes Pixar So Damn Special?
Gerry sings the praises of the Northern California-based studio and examines what exactly sets their films apart from all the rest.
Project Natal = 2nd Grade Science Project: cute, but ultimately forgettable
Project Natal – Screw Clever Headlines, it’s Going to Suck
Balloo lets fly a surprisingly SFW rant about why the Project Natal is a clever idea, but destined to fail at being the revolutionary next step in gaming that many are hailing it as.
So many screens, so little time.
The Stretching of Generation Net
Gerry offers his insights on the ways in which our desire to maintain consistent communication actually results in isolating us from the real world.
Sandbox Gaming and YOU
New Genre Coming Through: Welcome to the Sandbox
Balloo stopped raving about InFamous long enough to talk about something vaguely different in his argument of why Sandbox gaming is now a unique and distinct gaming genre.
Because I Like Having 2 Epic RPGs to Wait Forever For
Final Fantasy XIV Online – XI’s Redemption and Why Now’s the Time For It
Final Fantasy XIV Online was announced at E3 when Final Fantasy XIII’s release gets pushed firmly into the 2010 quarter? Perplexing as this may be, now is the time to be excited for Square’s attempt at an Online MMORPG epic.
Mario not so super without his groovy soundtrack.
Game Music
Most of us still remember the days when Super Mario 64 came out in 1996. I was in fourth grade, and some of you whippersnappers might have just been wee little first graders. Long after even this magnificent classic’s gameplay became tiring, its soundtrack remains a joy for throngs of game enthusiasts to listen to.
Fanboys, back off.
Who Watches the Fanboys? Rethinking Critiques of Zack Snyder’s Watchmen
Gerry takes the fanboy criticisms of the graphic novel film adaptation head-on. He notes that lovers of the Moore/Gibbons classic are too infatuated with the source material to really give the film a chance. They will also find that their criticisms of the film actually reinforce the themes found in the text. Go figure, Zack Snyder might actually be a visionary.
The Film Junkie in his element.
Declaration of a Film Junkie
Gerry discusses his love of watching and making films, reminding readers films are always a matter of opinion no matter how many fancy words someone uses to express theirs.
Kind of a tool.
A Film Snob’s Double Standard or How I Learned to Hate Michael Bay Less and Hate Tarantino More
Gerry reveals how two of Hollywood’s biggest director’s have much more in common than you might think. Take a gander and look at the ways both director’s enjoy stealing from other filmmakers.
Speed Racer - A Movie for the Video Game Generation
Gerry reexamines the Wachowski brothers’ film and explains why this film is the future of American cinema. Don’t panic yet! This may not be a bad thing…
Watch out, this iPhone is an iConoclast.
The Grand Preface
Hello world. For the purposes of this site, my name is Sam Sles. I’m an 80’s baby with a whole lot of spunk and a decent amount of flair. I grew up smashing bricks and saving princesses, but now I’m a senior in college, and I’m trying to make something of myself, so I don’t have the time or the patience for the sit-down, peacepipe-smoking console sessions of my yesteryear
Where my Oscar at?
Someone Needs to Put the Academy Out to Pasture
Gerry critique’s Hollywood’s choices for the 2009 Academy Awards. His verdict? They overlooked the actual best films of the year. What a surprise…
Because Reviewing Games is TOTALLY communist
Video Game Reviews 101
Balloo lays it on the line and explains his method and guiding criteria for his games reviews.
Rock and Roll the Night Away
Lullabies For Little Rockers
Thomas Sounds off on what music is best for you to rock out with your baby out.
Classic not old, there's some magic in this
Hum: A Retrospective
Thomas takes a look back on a unique artist from the 80’s, Hum and encourages us all to do some bargain bin diving to grab these LPs.
A pirate with a flaming beard, What more could you ask for?
Whatever Happened to Quality Adventure Gaming?
Thomas takes a look back to his youth spent at his PC with classics such as The Curse of Monkey island, and wonders how the genre slid downhill since then.