Author: torstenvblog

Writer of the strange and everything; lover of horror, literature, comics, and the alien is my spirit animal

Shazam: Origins (new 52, vol.1)

new 52 shazam

Billy Batson is a a cocky troubled pre-teen with a good heart that can’t catch a break. Being an orphan most of his life, he’s done everything he could to find his mom but by doing that he’s kept getting booted from family to family. When dropped off yet again, it isn’t long before he finds himself before an ancient wizard that bestows upon Billy the powers of Shazam, making him the ultimate hero…but Billy was not the only one ever given these power. Dr Thad Sivanna unleashed a long vanished god- like Egyptian tyrant: enter Black Adam…

Does most of this sound familiar? Admittedly, 95% of this story was carried into the Shazam movie. The book has a good mix of feels and goofy moments with some really cool art. The biggest difference between book and movie is the villain. Adam is way more badass and fitting as a villain; Adam is Shazam’s nemesis after all. My only damn issue is Adam’s end, which is clever but anti-climatic as hell and I pray this book wasn’t his only outing in DC’s new 52. Overall, it’s a great example of a origin story done right and a good book to pick up if you loved the movie. May the gaming gods bring you glory.

Resident Evil: Afterlife

re afterlife

Let’s face it everyone, there are plenty of crappy video game movies out there. In fact, 9 out of 10 of them suck super hard. Resident Evil (movie 2002) was a pretty decent movie that could have broken the mold but still stuck a reasonable trilogy- until a fourth came…in 3D!

Picking up where Resident Evil: Extinction left off, Alice and her clone army swarm the Umbrella HQ in Tokyo. After a huge battle, Alice escapes a fight against mastermind Albert Wesker but is injected with a serum that makes her lose her powers. Alone, she comes across a mind controlled Claire and eventually end up in a fortified prison where Claire reunites with her brother, Chris, leading up to the trio facing Wesker for the fate of humanity.

I’m pretty torn here. As a fan of the games, this is a travesty. The characters are awful and there’s stuff pulled from Resident Evil 5 that never is explained and makes no sense what so ever. However, the action is hilariously over the stop with too much slow mo and shitty 3D effects and it’s a fun crap movie to enjoy while drunk or high. This one is basically a question of what you want from it, but honestly this movie is still crap. May the gaming gods bring you glory.

Green Hornet

green hornet

For years now, I’ve come to see the past decade as the age of nostalgia. It started to resonate with me when Duke asked “Jesus, why the hell is this coming back?” One of the first times I heard him say this was when the Green Hornet movie was announced.

Britt Reid is a snotty ass spoiled son of a celebrated newspaper mogul who is wasting his life away on partying and chicks. The day comes when his dad dies from his severe allergy to hornet stings. Suddenly Britt has to grow up fast and control his empire, covering the corruption swallowing his city. A calling comes as he befriends Kato, a badass genius who makes some epic coffee. Together these friends will arm themselves and get a awesome ride as they fight against a plot to rule the city from a violent crime boss and corrupt politician..

Honestly, I don’t know shit about the source material, but I don’t really get the hate this movie got. This movie was no Green Lantern by any means. Seth Rogen wasn’t bad as Hornet and had pretty awesome chemistry with John Chou who was badass as Kato.  There was a good mix of action and comedy and a overall good cast behind it. The 3D comic book visuals aged pretty lame however and while it’s a entertaining movie, there’s nothing really overly special. It’s not as funny as Deadpool or have the powerful storytelling of Iron Man (2008) . In the end, it’s a perfectly enjoyable superhero comedy worth checking out. May the gaming gods bring you glory.

Venom 2 title and release date reveal

Why am I not surprised the Venom sequel would have a title like this. The after credit scene made Carnage certain but knowing there won’t be Spider-man and this movie is going to be Pg-13, I feel like this movie has it’s legs broken from the get go. Time will tell but my hopes aren’t strong.

The Dark Pictures Anthology: The Man of Medan

dark pics 1

The Dark Pictures Anthology: Little Hope reveal trailer genuinely sparked my interest and I have to admit, Until Dawn is one of my favorite horror games in recent years so I had high hopes that Supermassive games would deliver another awesome horror gem. Can lightning strike twice?

Four friends charter a boat captained by Fliss and venture off into the seas in search for a uncharted shipwreck. During the night they are captured by a group of pirates. During a botched escape attempt, their ship uncovers the remnants of a WW2 freighter that supposedly contains gold, or something much darker in it’s rusted halls…

So to answer my query, no lightning sure as hell didn’t strike twice here. What really killed this game is how fast this game ended, completing it in about 4 hours to an abrupt ending. The characters are fine but I only really cared about 2 of the 5 main characters and I wasn’t really into the pirates, who are basically generic bad guys. The scares are really hit and miss but admittedly, like much of the game, it feels lifted from Until Dawn. The score and atmosphere was nice as were the graphics but the facial animations bothered me and there were some frame rate drops. In the end, Man of Medan is a meh experience I’d think about at discount price. May the gaming gods bring you glory.

The Dark Pictures Anthology: Little Hope reveal trailer

I’m sad to say I missed the last installment of this blooming anthology, Little  Hope looks pretty promising. I’m a huge fan of Until Dawn and I’m curious to see what kind of horror we can see next. I’ll definitely keep an eye on this one. May the gaming gods bring you glory.

Resident Evil 4

re4 It’s been 15 years since this particular legend dropped and it’s influence not only influenced the DeadSpace trilogy as well as the series leading up to the remakes of 2 and 3.

After the destruction of Raccoon City, it seems the Umbrella Corporation has finally fallen. Leon Kennedy, the once rookie cop of Resident Evil 2 ( classic) , has become a highly trained government agent on assignment in Europe- find Ashley Graham, the president’s missing daughter. Leon discovers a town overrun by a deadly cult under the influence of the Las Plagus, a mysterious parasite and masterminds Salazar and Saddler. Even with a host of new survival skills and some new weapons, can Leon save Ashley and survive the secrets of this grand conspiracy?

Resident Evil 4 took a lot of risks and made a lot of changes to gameplay and story and it was fantastic. The story is great and after completion, there’s plenty of extra modes to play which are really solid as well; Mercenaries, with a great list of characters, took weeks of my life alone. Gameplay was a humongous improvement and the game found a damn good balance between horror and action unlike Resident Evil 5 and Resident Evil 6 . The bosses are some of the most memorable of the series and Leon is badass hero. So where is the downside? One Word: Ashley. She’s a pain in the ass who will frequently make you want to drink, but hey, fan favorite Ada Wong returns and at least you can usually hide Ashley’s whiny ass in a dumpster. The game has aged over the years but there is still a shit load of fun to be had. May the gaming gods bring you glory.

 

American Horror Story: 1984

ahs 9

Ah the 80’s, a time of hair, blow, and slasher movies. Brooke and her new friends are off to be camp counselors at Camp Redwood, which is reopening from a tragic massacre years before. Legend has it, a maintenance man called Mr Jingles snapped and brutally murdered the campers and counselors, stealing there ears as his trophies. Margret Booth, the sole survivor of Camp Redwood’s previous massacre, pledges to open the camp and launch a new legacy based off of her tragedy; Brooke is no stranger to tragedies. But secrets emerge as Mr Jingles returns and there lives won’t ever be the same.

American Horror Story: Apocalypse was a low point for most of us but I’m happy to say 1984 was pretty awesome. I love the cheese of a 80’s sitcom mixed with the exploitation of classic Friday the 13th . I like the twists and turns the series takes. The acting is really good and everyone seems to be having fun with this season. Like many of the seasons, there is a lag in pacing between the overall second and third act and while normally I’d be pissed how this is the shortest season yet with only 9 episodes, it doesn’t overstay it’s welcome. Honestly, with the host of great music and cheese it might be the most fun AHS yet. In the end, it’s a simple story but really fun season I’d definitely recommend checking out.

 

Doom: Eternal

doom eternal

Like many people around the world, these are trying and troubling times. Some cope with technology, some with diving into fantasies. I dove into Hell.

At the end of Doom , the legions of Hell have nearly taken over Earth after escaping Mars. It’s up to the badass Slayer to fight back alone against the Khan Makyr and her Hell Priests as she tries to sacrifice our world for hers. Armed to the brim with his fimilair but upgraded arsenal, new weapons and abilities the Doom slayers futures on a bloody, ultra-violent quest that pulls back to the enigmatic Doom Slayer’s origin as he faces the Khan Makyr and the Icon of Sin…

Doom: Eternal is simply phenomenal and a superior sequel to the reboot. Everything that was great from the Doom 2016 game is carried over and the patchy stuff like platforming and relevance on certain weapons is cured. Platforming is smoother and crazier. Guns that weren’t great before are amazing now with easily switched alternate fires; every weapon you acquire is needed in this game. The demons are way more intense and the variety is insane; playing this game on normal is way harder but a lot more rewarding. The music and graphics are outstanding with awesome collectibles. Eternal will likely be my favorite game this year for damn good reason that I couldn’t recommend more. May the gaming gods bring you glory.