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Live Free or Die Hard

die hard 4

I don’t watch many modern action flicks outside of the occasional old fashioned kind like John Wick , and of course superheroes and sci-fi. The reason I do is because I find many of them to be too polished, too fake, and the heroes not cool enough. I’m glad to say Die Hard didn’t suffer from this…yet.

Many years after Die Hard with a Vengeance we again join John McClane doing what he does best, being in the wrong place at the wrong time. He is sent to bring in a young hacker in for questioning involving a string of deaths including hackers. This young man finds himself under fire from a group of highly trained mercs being lead by a unseen force that is manipulating the technology around us and is plotting to break the infrastructure of the US for his own selfish need. Can John protect the kid, save his daughter, and save the country?

At first, I was afraid Die Hard 4 was going to too modern and it would lose the charm and grit of the original trilogy. For the most part it surprisingly doesn’t. It feels like a Die Hard movie in the modern age. Bruce Willis again is awesome as an older McClane who’s weathered but still relate able. The action scenes are pretty awesome but once or twice they jump the shark I admit like the jet scene. Gabriel is an alright villain and Justin Long isn’t a bad sidekick as the hacker Matt. A couple of times the pg-13 rating showed but surprisingly wasn’t invasive until they edited his signature catchphrase at the end. Honestly, I really enjoyed this movie and I think it’s really overlooked and I recommend checking it out. May the gaming gods bring you glory.

American Horror Story: Roanoke

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With Cult coming to Netflix and Hulu soon, I found it time to cover one of the stranger entries of the series. Unlike the previous 5 seasons, the 6th takes it’s method of story telling in a new direction…

Shelby and Matt were a loving couple who move into a secluded home in North Carolina after befalling a tragedy. After outbidding some rednecks, they seem to be on there way to there new happy life but things aren’t as they seem. Like many hauntings, there are strange and lurid sights but it’s not long before the spirits of the savage settlers lead by the Butcher descend upon and lure the daughter of Matt’s troubled sister, Lee, away for sacrifice. By the skin of there teeth, Shelby and Matt escape manage to escape with the girl and leave that horrid place. They tell there story and it becomes famous from the reenactments. Real life drama breaks up Shelby and Matt, but they get an offer neither can refuse- journey back to where they fled for a new reality show with the actors that portrayed them. Will there story prove real?

Essentially I feel Roanoke is 2 stories in one. I enjoyed the first half of the show a hell of a lot more than the second half. The first half is the accounts and reenactment of there first encounter. I liked the history and disturbing imagery. The second half is the reality show which is meta and offer suffers from shaky, found footage tropes at times. Overall though, I liked the season but I couldn’t help but feel it dragged. The performances are great and its filmed really damn well but the found footage aspect annoyed me a bit and the second half drags some. Still, it was a good season that tried something different. May the gaming gods bring you glory.

American Horror Story: Apocalypse trailer

After the American Horror Story: Apocalypse teaser we learned that season 8 was going to be dealing with the horrors of radiation and the Antichrist. The trailer shows that as rumored, there will be a lot of crossing between the Murder House and Coven story lines. So far I like a lot of the scenery and the plot seems fitting for the show ( I was afraid they’d try Mad Max style apocalypse). In the end, I’m anticipating a good season. May the gaming gods bring you glory.

Captain Marvel suit revealed

capt marvel

A while ago I reacted to the first images of Captain Marvel’s costume for the upcoming movie with a bit of unease. As time went on it grew on me a bit but I hoped to see her in the iconic red, blue, and gold. Today I got to see some of the first images and they are freaking awesome! Once again, Marvel made a wise design choice going to the big screen; she looks badass and pretty much like she just walked off of the page.

capt marvel 2 Captain Marvel is going to be a huge addition to the MCU and while I’m not hugely versed in her stories, I do know she’s a hell of a force to be reckoned with. I can’t wait to see the Skrull designs next. May the gaming gods bring you glory.

Halloween trailer 2

Summer is gone for 2018 folks, not the heat exactly, but the season is gone. And soon it’ll be time for tricks and treats galore- and the return of a beloved holiday buddy, Michael Myers. I was in love with Halloween 2018 first trailer and damn if the warm fuzzies didn’t carry over to the new trailer. I’m thrilled to see Michael stalking the streets again and I love the gritty take on a angry, vengeful Laurie Strode. the boogeyman is back after 40 years, and he finally came home.

Die Hard with a Vengeance

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I want to start this review with a special shout out to my Dad, Duke, who got me into Die Hard as a kid. My favorite Die Hard needs to be shared with my favorite badass..

So after the events of Die Hard (1988) and Die Hard 2: Die Harder , John McClane is in a pretty rough place. His wife and family left him, filthy and drunk as a cop in New York fighting to keep his job. After a massive bombing, the terrorist responsible has a demand: he wants to play a game with McClane, but he didn’t count on a good Samaritan, Zeus, saving him. This terrorist named only Simon is driven to kill McClane, putting him and Zeus through insane scenarios while Simon carries out his own agenda, but it isn’t long before John realizes Simon’s vendetta goes back to his first great adventure- Simon was Han’s brother.

Die Hard with a Vengeance is pretty much what a action movie sequel should be. Bruce Willis, Samuel Jackson, and Jeremy Irons give great performances. The action scenes are truly badass and for the first time in the series, we get a lot of different locations so nothing ever feels stale. What helps too is the chemistry between Willis and Jackson which carries the film. What I truly love about the first 4 Die Hard films is how beat to shit McClane is by the end. I can’t stand action movies where no one gets dirty, just maybe a cut or two; in Die Hard, you know John McClaine ain’t Superman and the tension mounts because he wins every fight by the skin of his teeth. I seriously recommend tthe third Die Hard as much as the first and with that: may the gaming gods bring you glory and yippie-ki-ay motherfucker everyone ( even though it’s not Christmas)

Graveyard Shift

graveyard shift

If Pet Sematary was my first introduction to King’s work, Graveyard Shift- circa the short story collection Night Shift – would be my second. The story, while brief, is about a textile mill with an massive rat infestation. They practically pour out of the floors and walls, but what happens when you try to exterminate the pests? A freak of nature lurks in the catacombs under the dying mill, a creature half rat and half bat. After grisly deaths happen at the mill, a new guy in town, the girl he falls for, the bastard foreman, and a group of workers have to journey into the basement to clear the rats, only to find the beast underneath…

This is basically a B movie creature-feature from Stephen King and it’s pretty solid. The story is quick with some good atmosphere and it’s got a darker ending then the movie, though the movie ain’t exactly cheery by the end. As for the movie, it’s a decent horror movie. There is some fair kills of some pretty forgettable characters and the creature doesn’t look bad for the time. Brad Douriff is over the time and funny as hell as the exterminater but I’m kind of pissed his character doesn’t really go anywhere. If you are scared of rats, this movie will terrify the hell out of you but other than that, it ain’t a bad movie. May the gaming gods bring you glory.

Await further instructions trailer

Isn’t Christmas time magical? Well, this trailer looks like a tense meet and greet during the holidays turns into Saw on acid it seems. With all this heat and mugginess, a little Christmas horror is welcome so during the holiday it can be a cool watch. May the gaming gods bring you glory.

5 long ass King reads

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I find that reading can be my little pleasure in life when things get shitty; my dad, Duke, always told me who cares how long a book is as long as it’s good. Stephen King is known for his massive books; I previously covered 5 short King reads so today we do the opposites. I’m going to focus on books that go past the 800 page mark, in no particular order, starting with..

tower 7 1. Dark Tower 5: Wolves of the Calla / Dark Tower 7: The Dark Tower – I’m giving the 5th and final entries in King’s Dark Tower series the first slot. The 5th book totals roughly at about 900 pages while the final book is just about 1,000. For a while it was the longest book I’d ever read.

2. Insomnia- I admit to have the book but not having read it. I know it’s considered one of his best and I can tell you it’s a massive book at almost 800 pages.

It2 3. It- whether you’re a fan of It (1990) or It (2017) and you decide to dive into the book, keep in mind it floats at around 1,260 some pages.

4. Under the dome- Ok, I have a hard love/hate relationship with this long ass King tale of a small town trapped under a mysterious dome but I can tell you it’s well over 1,100 pages. I’ll be getting to this someday…

the stand uncut 5. The Stand (uncut)- Besides the dark tower series, this maybe my favorite of King’s works. Standing at nearly 1,400 pages its a juggernaut but is well worth the time.

If I’m going to add a few honorable mentions I’d include Christine, Sleeping Beauties, 11/22/63, Dreamcatcher, and Talisman and Black House with Peter Straub. May the gaming gods bring you glory.

5 short King reads

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So the other night during a “staff meeting” for Saviorgaming (we played Titan Fall 2 (PS4) ) and Savior told me a reason he doesn’t read much of King’s work because of the sheer size of most of his work and how sometimes they take a long time to really get into. This is a common complaint I hear. So I want to give a list of King books under 500 pages for those who don’t have the patience for giant novels, so in no particular order let’s begin with..

1. Carrie bk Carrie – King’s 1st major novel and a totally powerful first hit for the future legend. Around 200 pages, I couldn’t put it down.

Salems lot 2. Salem’s Lot – One of the better vampire stories out there, King’s 2nd major story is a little over 400 pages and it’s a slower read but suspenseful read.

tower1 3. The Gunslinger: the Dark Tower , The Drawing of the Three: Dark Tower 2 , Dark Tower 3: the Wastelands – I’m counting the first 3 books in the series in this slot. They are my favorites of the series; the first book is roughly 200 pages and books 2 and 3 are around 400 each. A must read for King fans.

4. Pet Sematary – My first intro to King and one of the rare movies that never stopped creeping me out. The book is somewhere 300 pages and is just as creepy as the movie.

cujo book 5. Cujo – Another one of my favorites, this story of a good dog gone bad stacks up with about 350 pages and moves pretty fast as the bloodthirsty fiend himself.

I hope you enjoyed my list. This time I do have a few honorable mentions including Misery , Dark Tower 6: Song of Susannah , Revival, and Cycle of the werewolf . May the gaming gods bring you glory.