Category: Horror

Ju-On: The Grudge

ju on

The Grudge, much like The Ring , was a huge hit when I was a kid. While I heard nothing good about the latest 2020 American incarnation, I wanted to go to the source and experience the film that spawned so many sequels both in Japan and America…

Ju-on follows a series of characters caught in the frightening aftermath of a deadly scene. It begins when caretaker Rika is asked to look in after a catatonic old woman while her family works. During her first stay, she discovers a little boy hiding in the house named Toshio. Things rapidly begin spiraling out of control as the old woman’s children turn up dead and people who’ve gone inside the house either die or go missing, a tragic and malevolent history of the house unfolds and those wronged won’t let themselves be forgotten…

I honestly enjoyed this movie a lot more than I thought I would. I have to say I have to give the music and sounds a huge shout out, combined they do a really good job at building tension without acting as the gaudy jump scares that plague modern horror. Another thing I love, is the camera work and how a lot of things can be seen going on in the background and how there aren’t many ques pointing to it; I actually missed a few and found them rewinding back which was really cool. The imagery and atmosphere are well done; Kayko stands out for me and she grew more unsettling as the movie continued. The only real complaint I have is some of the shadow effects looked cheesy as hell and took me out, plainly being early CGI. In the end, I’d highly recommend this movie but I’m going to warn you, subtitles are a must. May the gaming gods bring you glory.

Suicide Squad: Kicked in the Teeth (New 52, vol. 1)

new 52 suicide squad

Deadshot, Harley Quinn, Voltaic, Black Spider, Diablo, and King Shark: these 6 have have 2 things currently in common. All are super criminals, while some do the deeds for money, others, blood-lust or redemption, they are considered extremely dangerous and a threat. The other thing: Amanda Waller has recruited them all to Task Force X, aka the Suicide Squad. After proving themselves, their first mission is a bloody one involving a stadium where a nano-virus was released, turning the hundreds inside into bio-mechanical zombies. After surviving hordes of monsters, bounty hunters and a meta human prison break, the group is divided by possible treachery and Harley going the warpath after finding out her beloved Joker was allegedly skinned alive. Can the squad reel in the former Dr while uncovering the threat of Basilisk?

I have to say, this was my introduction to the concept of Suicide Squad years before the movie and I was instantly hooked. The Suicide Squad movie took some of the vibe this arc had but honestly, it didn’t do it justice. The chemistry between characters is interesting as well as a great line up; King Shark is hands down my favorite with some great gory moments as well as some great dark comedy moments. While I’m not thrilled with the part of Harley’s new origin where she takes the same chemical bath as Joker, her origin was nice to see and the dialogue was convincing.  There are a great many characters I didn’t mention that I love, like Captain Boomerang and Yo-yo that were cool to see. The art fits well and there are plenty of epic and graphic fight scenes to sink your teeth into. Honestly, this is a great read to intro you into the New 52. May the gaming gods bring you glory.

 

Bulletstorm (Full Clip Edition)

bulletstorm

I have a soft spot in my heart for cult movies, books, and such. This game has a devote cult following that are still patiently waiting for the promised sequel the end credits teases much like the huge wait for Darksiders 3 and Borderlands 3  , which by the way, this game came out after the Gearbox bestseller Borderlands but followed the horrendous Duke Nukem Forever and in a lot of ways feels like a breeding of the two…

Grayson and Ishi were Confederate soldiers under the tyrannical madman General Serrano in his elite Dead Echo company. After discovering they were killing innocent people, Dead Echo became space pirates and Gray became a wicked drunk. During an attack, his crew is killed, Ishi is left needing cybernetics to survive, and they are stranded on a resort planet where all hell has broken loose. Allied with a vengeful woman named Trishka, the trio must survive the planet and get revenge on the general.

So I gotta say, I understand where the cult following for this game comes from. At it’s core, it’s at least its a solid FPS with some cool weapons and a laser leash. I’m going to say the game is lackluster and pissed me off multiple times. The story is full of unlikable characters that have senseless filthy potty mouths that just get annoying really quick. Gameplay gets old quick as after awhile you go into a shooting gallery and the occasional QTE section which usually are pointless in the long run. Using the environment for skill shots in conjunction with the leash is fun but even that get old fairly quick as well. The story is short and not really that memorable and fairly generic. I will say the graphics and sound are great for the Full Clip edition and you get all the DLC but I didn’t really have any gumption to check it out and even the graphics are buggy at times. In the end, I personally don’t like the game and can’t really recommend it. May the gaming gods bring you glory.

Ant-man: Second Chance Man

ant man comic

The Ant-Man movie influenced me a lot more than I want to admit and was much better than anyone really any right to expect so I was really damn curious how reading one of his comics was going to be like. Well, this is around Why I fell out of favor as a Marvel fan. started coming into play, so the question is where does this book lie?

Scott Lange has some of the worst luck. Being an ex con to take up the mantle of a less sorted hero with no job, no home, with a ex wife that hates him isn’t a fun time; Scott’s daughter, Cassy keeps him going. He tries going for security director for Tony Stark, barely getting the job but life intervenes and Lange has to set up shop in Miami. He establishes his own security business with ex super criminal Grisly, starting small and coming up against Taskmaster as well as Darren Cross, the villain who started Lange as Ant-man in the first place. Can Lange get his crap together before the superhero craziness ruins his life?

I’ve read this book twice and I admit I enjoyed it way more the second time around but some of what I dislike about modern Marvel comes out. First, there are some cool action scenes and the fight with Cross at the end is pretty cool. Grisly and Ant-man are a fun pair to follow and honestly, I’d read a series about them. The heartfelt stuff is well written and I like the variety of characters we get in this book. I don’t like how this book feels like it’s trying to imitate the humor and even design of Ant-man from the movie; the humor falls flat in a few places and Lange starts to feel like a dumbass instead of a likable screw up. Darren Cross in the comics is essentially a big pink sumo wrestler looking bastard and I kinda wished for his MCU counterpart. In the end it’s a fine book, but I wouldn’t go far out of my way for it. May the gaming gods bring you glory.

 

Crash 4: Its about Time reveal trailer

I’m so damn happy to see this and to say it looks faithful as hell to the originals. I hope we see more platforming games return next console gen. The graphics are beautiful and the colors are a sight for sore eyes in these dreary days. I can’t wait. May the gaming gods bring you glory.

Outlast Trials reveal trailer

What the hell is going on with this series? Awhile back I covered something I thought was the Outlast 3 announcement trailer and I guess its not? This trailer really doesn’t tell anything except the grisly torture the series is known for. Of all the trailers I’ve seen revealed so far, this is the weakest in my opinion. May the gaming gods bring you glory.

The Ultimate Horror Villain?!

horror villains

I have to say this post goes out with a heavy heart from Savior and I. April, 4th, 2020 my father, Duke, passed away. The man was a legend, hilarious, smart, and loved action, superheroes, horror and passed this love to me and for that I’ll be eternally grateful so this post goes out to him…

A lot of the time me and my dad spent together was watching movies and movies and either riffing them a new asshole or losing ourselves the worlds before us. So you see the title of the post and wonder who I’m naming the ultimate horror villain? Is it Michael Myers, the masked Shape of Haddonfield, that stalks the streets on Halloween. Is it the Alien, the perfect orgasm that exists and is biologically designed to be a heartless killing machine? Pennywise the Dancing Clown, Freddy Kruger, Dracula, Candyman, the Cenobites, Jaws? While I admit the topic is subjective and everyone is free to there own opinions, Duke and I had a peculiar candidate in mind years and years ago. A killer so diabolical, not only were they never apprehended but is seen as a positive force in there killing field. That is the most frightening thing of all, there is no fear of them, only admiration and recognition that disguise the wells of blood they spilled across the US. So who is this mastermind, you ask? Jigsaw? No. Hannibal Lector? Nope. The answer (drum roll please)….is…

murder-she-wrote

Jessica-motherfucking-Fletcher. Yes, the main “protagonist” of the hit show Murder She Wrote. For those unfamiliar, Murder She Wrote is about Jessica (J.B.) Fletcher who’s a widow, mystery writer, and sleuth in her cozy town of Cabot Cove. She’s a hometown hero, but I believe different. Why do people die wherever she goes? There is always a murder afoot and of course the police sheriff and town coroner need her aid to solve the deaths, despite both of them being close friends of the charming, sweet Ms. Fletcher. I’m saying it’s really suspicious the amount of deaths that have accrued in Cabot Cove, certainly wouldn’t the town be vacant after 12 seasons of Jessica’s bloodthirsty rampaging. Don’t let the cheery opening music and charmingly disarming performance by Angela Landsbury as Jessica Fletcher fool you, Murder She Wrote is a brilliant work of horror that gave us one of not only horror’s greatest villains, but fiction’s as well. May the gaming gods bring you glory.