The Dark Knight Rises Blu ray+Digibook Review

 
Hey Inter-webers!

Hmm, is that a word even? Ha!

Anyway, I recently picked up The Dark Knight Rises Blu ray+Digibook combo pack that is for sale exclusively at Target.

Hear my thoughts in my first Blu ray movie review below.



Check back soon because I'll be putting up Blu ray reviews and Blu ray/DVD updates on my You Tube channel!

Until then, Laterz!

Trying To Be A Master Mercenary

So, as the title of this blog entry suggests, I am in the process of becoming a Merc!

It's not easy deciding how to get ready to go and pillage unfriendly or friendly territories! For that matter, Mercs never know who is going to hire them and where they might be sent. It could be into the deep jungles of some South American country, or it can be a secluded town located in the Midwestern United States, and with only vague details about people going crazy!

Yes, sir, it's a toughie, no doubt about that! But, when the pay is good, Mercs tend not to ask questions and just do. I mean, for a few days of intense and life-threatening situations that most people will not touch with a ten foot pole -- why not!? It definitely builds character and adds more life-story experiences that makes others, who claim they're living life to the fullest, seem like pansies. Yeah, puts them to shame.

Yep, that's what I'm in for. Am I ready?

HECK NO!

I wouldn't even know what kind of socks or weekend t-shirts to pack!

Don't worry guys and gals I haven't become a gun nut. It might have been interesting though! But, alas, NO, I'm not venturing down that dark path. This is just a Resident Evil 6 news update from me to you. So far I've completed all three main campaigns and I've unlocked Ada's campaign also. However, I haven't tried her campaign yet because I've decided to give the mercenaries mini-games a try.

WHY, you ask? Well, simply because of the video below...



Now I was never one to play through the Mercenaries Mode in a Resident Evil game and the few times I tried during RE5 were met with horrid results, low points and my own disappointing ability to execute enemies and get higher combos.

However, when I saw this clip for an S Rank in the Merceneries Mode in RE6, I was surprised by how much easier it was to do. But, beware, even if it does look easy, trust me it's not! The enemies grow in numbers and can surround you making your task a hell of a lot harder to accomplish. The same can be said of the previous RE Mercenaries games, but with RE6 there are better options - tactics - for chaining a max kill combo and overall score for bonus prizes.

So far, I've gotten a C Rank with 75 total kills and a 25 max combo. Yeah, it's still pretty lame, but I actually found myself having fun! When I played RE5's Mercenary Mode, I found myself feeling frustrated and annoyed at not getting a higher overall rating and trying to unlock bonus characters. I think the reason RE5's Mercenaries Games left me with a bad taste in my mouth was because it really depended on online co-op to achieve max scores. I am not a big fan of online co-op anything, so this was a didn't help my progress.

This time, with RE6, it feels like I can actually accomplish both high score and bonus material while still having fun trying to become a Mercenaries Master!

I'm picking up the tactics, by watching the video, and I'm grasping my own method to accomplish the mission and get the highest score possible. It's a trial and error process, but I'm getting better so I know that eventually I'll have my way, Bwa Ha Ha!

I've been looking around the inter-webs and found pics on the additional characters and their alternate costumes that can be unlocked by completing the necessary objectives. Man, let me say that there are some unlockables that I want to achieve but know it will be a long and grueling task. One of them happens to be Helena's alternate costume!

Wow, that is quite a look and I like it! Some of the others include Sherry's original costume from RE2 and Leon's pirate costume. All-in-all, I just want to get better at playing through these modes and chaining combos for max scores, and getting those extras as rewards.

Well, that's all for now. It's a small part of my life, but rest assured that I will continue to practice and achieve that ultimate goal of Mercenaries Master Ranking like all the others before me!

Later, Gators!

Zombie Movie Collection

 
Hey, Y'all

Well, I'm finally back with part two of my Halloween related videos.

You can't believe how long this took to upload in YouTube! 5 HOURS!!!

Yes, it took 5 hours to upload this video. Why? Well, because the video is 40 mins. in length and about 1.65gigs in size.

Still, it is worth every minute to go over my zombie films collections. Originally I say that I won't talk in length about each movie, but I end up doing that anyway. Ha!

It was a lot of fun doing this and I hope you all enjoy it!

Plus - I put some background music bonuses for certain films so keep you ears open for those!


As always, leave comments and recommendations!

Until next time, take care!

Happy Halloween! I'm taking a nap!

Resident Evil Collections Vlog

 
Hey, Guys & Gals

Yes, I know, it's been forever since my last blog post.

Yep, you are all probably thinking, where the hell is this guy? He only posts once in a blue or every six months or something. Ha!

Well, I'm okay.

First off, Hurricane Sandy came by and left. As most of you know I live in NYC and we were hit pretty hard, as was most of the north east.

I'm wishing everyone affected by the hurricane to find themselves well as they begin the recovery process.

Well, this video was long overdue. I planned video months ago and only now finished it and uploaded it. So, here you go for your viewing enjoyment, my first of two Halloween related videos! I think this is the first video where most of you will see who I am. Scary, Ha!

Also, I shot video this during the hurricane so listen carefully and you'll hear the wind blowing pretty hard in the background.



Leave comments and I hope you enjoy!

Stay tuned because my second Halloween related video will be up later today. It's going to take a while because it's big!

Until then, take care!

100th Post: Linkin Park & The Cinematic Art of Video Games

 
So, it's been a little over two years, I think, since I started this blog and I'm proud to say that this will be post number 100!

Way back when I started I never thought that I would make it this far, but I continued to blog about all kinds of stuff that interested me or caught my attention. I ranted on just about anything that mattered to me, spoke words of encouragement or sadness to push myself forward. And, even though I say "me", in honesty I also include you, the internet surfers and readers that have either followed me here to this point or stumbled upon it.

Thank you for being the anonymous readers that you are.

Creativity is nourished by what we are exposed to. For me, it comes from my hobbies, talents and emotions. And believe me, that creativity comes from somewhere. It has a voice that speaks and it claws its way from the depths of my inner most mind to become a reality through my genre fiction writing or onto this blog.

Alright, enough of my preaching or rambling! Let's get on with this 100th post!

I thought I'd do something unique by sharing what gets my vibes pumping and my blood flowing with the excitement and thrills that spark my creativity. Most of you know that I'm a gamer. Have been for years. I love playing Dead Space, Resident Evil, Super Street Fighter 4, Gran Turismo 5, etc. I love being immersed into the story of a good game, just like a book, and fighting my way through to the end.

But more importantly, I love the cinematic art that these games have presented over the years. They're majestic, gritty, brutal and beautiful, and sometimes, they capture the tone and climax of storytelling better than actual films. I get so caught up in them that they leave an impression on me which later sparks an idea that morphs into something uniquely my own.

However, that impression is never left alone. Music also adds an extra flare or ingredient which allows it to further take shape into the thing I want most out of that idea. I've been a fan of Linkin Park since their first album Hybrid Theory and many of their songs have hit me on a personal level. Their songs know me so well, and understand my thoughts and feelings.

I appreciate Linkin Park and their music for that.

Okay, before I go on forever. I present my Top 5 Linkin Park & The Cinematic Art of Video Games countdown. I searched through Youtube and went through many GMV's to find these and I most say that I give total applause and credit to the creative visionaries that put these together.

You Guys or Gals ROCK!

[5]. Linkin Park - By Myself, featuring: various games
Well, I needed to start with something that grabs immediate attention, and what's better then cars and hot nuns with guns ready to shoot the shit out of you.



[4]. Linkin Park - Numb, featuring: more various games
Soaring eagles, Assassins influencing the American Revolution, Final Fantasy, and Robocop? Yeah, enough said.



[3]. Linkin Park - New Divide, featuring: Prototype
I love this song. A nice blend of emotion and destruction which compliments the song's lyrics and the narrative story behind Alex Mercer. Check out the second verse and at 2:45. When Mercer tears those soldiers apart, it grips me with intensity. Sometimes I like to pretend I'm Mercer, ha!



[2]. Linkin Park - Lost in the Echo, featuring: Resident Evil 6
What can I say about this? It's Resident Evil 6, man!!! Linkin Park's song almost provides a narration for the action sequences and makes it that much more effective to watch. With Ada Wong lurking behind the scenes the story may finally come full circle. I can't wait for this game!



[1]. Linkin Park - Burn It Down, featuring: A Majestic Ensemble of Games
Another great song! This was a tough one. It came down to two videos with the same song, but this video proved a more glorious effort by the creator to match visuals with lyrics. It's simply beautiful. I won't even try to describe it, just watch.


Well, that's my Top 5 Linkin Park & The Cinematic Art of Video Games countdown. I hope you all enjoyed looking into a small piece of what makes my mind tick.

Again, I want to give credit to the creators of these videos because they have put together unique gaming visuals that capture lyrical emotion. Each, in its own way, is an inspiration to me, and I hope to you all as well.

Until the next countdown or something, ha!

The Dark Knight Rises: Podcast Movie Review

 
It's the Dark Knight! Batman!!!

Yeah, you all knew this was coming!

Jose and I have seen Christopher Nolan's final entry to his Batman series, and we have stuff to say about it!

My overall opinion? I really liked it! Primarily because of Bane, but it did have it's moments that were truly genuine. Of course, it did also have it's flaws but that did not deter it from being an adequate close to the franchise.

Anyway, there are some spoilers ahead! Wait, honestly, everyone and anyone reading this post should have seen this movie by now so nothing should catch you off guard. Still, just in case--you have been warned.

Enjoy our ramblings!



Well, that's it for now!

Until next time!

Get Ready For The Resident Evil Overload!

 
Well hello there folks!

Yes, I've been on hiatus since my last post about a month ago, but here I am to drop some movie news, trailers, whatever that interests me. On that note, it should interest you as well!

The San Diego Comic Con happened a couple of weeks ago, and no, before you jump with curiosity, I did not go. However, the internet has been alive with news on all sorts of information concerning movies that I am ultra hype about!

Unfortunately, I will not talk about those films now as I do not have enough credible information, mainly video, to show so I rave about these other films. I know, booooo!

Fear not, however, as I will talk a bit about a certain franchise that will have a huge release during the months of September and October!

Know what it is? I kind of gave it away already. Doh!

Either way, those of you out there who know me very well, know what I'm getting at. Here's a hint.

That's right, Folks. It's Resident Evil. Now, I've been a huge Resident Evil fan since I played the original PSX Resident Evil over 12 years ago, hmm, it's probably more like 15 years ago. Ahh, I've lost count. Anyway, I've played them all - just about - but I've played every core game and side iteration that appeared of my all time favorite zombie and B.O.W. shooter.

So, with that being said, I'm really excited about Resident Evil 6 which will be arriving on October 2, 2012. There is a lot happening with this game that I am eager to try out and rest assured that I'll have something to say about it after I've maliciously neutralized zombies and whatever other mutated baddie that crosses my path.
 


The above trailer is an older version which shows the release date in November, but trust me it's coming out 10/2/2012. However, it does show the three primary campaign characters and the grand scale of each scenario.

Below is the Comic Con trailer. While it is smaller in length, it does show more of that creepy atmosphere we've enjoyed from the original games and the return of an old foe.


It's the Yawn from Resident Evil 1! The huge snake reappears in RE6; although he looks more menacing, it'll be fun to fight him again. I hope this means that maybe there will be a few surprise appearances by some old foes, namely: Hunters, Tyrants! Only time will tell.

I'm going into any detail about the gameplay mechanics here, but you can find it and more demo videos on the campaigns from Comic Con on Youtube.

Next, RE6 doesn't come out until October, but before that two Resident Evil movies will be released to keep us satiated until then.

Milla Jovovich returns to reprise her role as Alice in Resident Evil: Retribution 3D. I don't care for the 3D element, but it's good to see a new film in the RE movie franchise. By the looks of the trailer below, we're all going to get our heads turned upside down.


None of it was real! The events of RE1, Apocalypse, Extinction and Afterlife were implanted into her mind! Oh, man, I think we will all got mind-jacked or perhaps Inception reaches far beyond what Leonardo DiCaprio could have ever imagined. Either way, this new entry looks like it will definitely entertain and keep us on our seats. I mean, Leon S. Kennedy finally makes his screen debut along with the lovely and mysterious Ada Wong. I'm hyped I tell you!!!

The one element of the film that I'm a bit unhappy about is the fact that the trailer shows a big Licker causing mayhem. If you don't know what I'm talking about, look at the picture of the monster above. I can't tell you how tired I am of the Licker B.O.W. monster(s) showing up in every movie. Geez, Paul W. S.  Anderson, I know you wrote each of those scripts, but give some other monsters from the RE universe a chance to live on screen.

I'm hoping that since this film is taking the position that none of the other films happened then maybe we'll see some other monsters appear or reappear! A Hunter, Tyrant, Nemesis... a big snake or shark! Please!!

Anyway, I'm still hyped for Resident Evil: Retribution 3D which hits theaters September 14, 2012!

Finally, back in 2008, Capcom released a full-length CGI RE movie entitled Resident Evil: Degeneration. Despite the fact the movie had its flaws it was still enjoyable. Seeing a fully rendered CG Leon S. Kennedy and Claire Redfield, two of the game series' most memorable characters, fighting zombies and monsters was pure bliss. Then two years ago, the internet world was feed a teaser trailer for a new CGI full-length movie. It showed Leon, again, this time in a crumbling city fighting against Lickers. Yup, dammit, even here!

Okay, before I lose it. At Comic Con they released a new trailer for upcoming sequel titled Resident Evil: Damnation.


Oh those Lickers. You just can't get enough of them even though I keep hoping that a Hunter will show up. At least, we get a fully CG rendered Ada Wong now! This movie will not hit theaters, but it will be released on Blu-ray and DVD on September 24, 2012.

Well, Resident Evil will own the months of September and October on both your home consoles and on the small and big screen.

I can't wait. I'm literally going to burst into flames from the sensory overload of Resident Evil goodness. Or, I'm going to fall ill from infection by the T, G, T-Veronica, Las Plagas, Oroborous or the new C virus! Damn how many viruses has Umbrella created?

Stayed tuned folks as I reveal more information surrounding those other film trailers that were showcased at Comic Con. When I get more news on them, or course!

And, keep your eyes pealed for my massive look into the Resident Evil game and movie franchises. Whenever I get around to compiling that beast.  

Until then.