Sunday, November 30, 2014

The Walking Dead S5, Ep. 8 "Coda" Recap


Episode starts with Bob the cop on the run trying to get free from his binds. Rick is running and takes the car to chase after Bob. Bob keeps running and Rick hits him with the car hard. I mean I felt it through the tv, geez! Rick says Bob just had to stop. Rick shoots him in the head and says shut up. He hops back in the car and leaves. Cold Blooded and I loved it. Father Gabriel is walking and scavenging. He finds a bible and sees a leg that was cooked and realize that it is Bob's leg. Gabriel takes off when some zombies break free. He comes up to the tree that has been marked. He makes it back to the church and has all the zombies chasing him. He screams for them to let him in. Carl and Michonne work to get the wood off the door to help Gabriel. Now a crap load of zombies come in the church . Michonne does her best to kill them but they are overwhelmed. They get into the chamber and have to crawl out. Gabriel holds them off and is able to get free. I must say I am pissed at him for bringing those zombies there. They lock the zombies in the church.

 
Rick returns back to the camp. They only have two of the cops. The cops want to live and work with the story that Bob was eaten. Beth talks to Dawn and she opens up about missing her captain. Dawn gives Beth crazy eyes when she talks about her captain losing his way and the need for respect. Michonne asks Gabriel about where he went. He went to the school. The door begins to fail but Abraham shows up with the truck. Eugene is in the back knocked out. Glenn lets Michonne know that Eugene lied. Michonne lets Maggie know that Beth is alive and the group plans to get her back. She is overjoyed. (Do not act like you are happy about your sister. You have not once asked about your sister! You were more concerned with Glenn. Worst Sister Award Winner - Maggie Greene. Dawn talks to Beth who is sitting by the elevator shaft. They are interrupted by another cop who threatens Dawn when he hears about what Beth really did. Dawn was the one that killed her captain and is giving more crazy eyes. Dawn gets into a fight with the other officer. Beth helps and pushes him down the open elevator shaft to be eaten by zombies. 


Beth and Dawn hang out in Carol's room. Dawn offers Beth a drink. Beth talks about how everyone uses everyone in there. Dawn points out that she is not stupid and knows the Beth knows Carol. She says that Beth can be a part of it. Dawn claims she did not use Beth. Carol starts to wake up. Sasha and Tyrese have a talk and he admits to not killing the guy that Sasha ended up killing at the church. Sasha admits that she cannot be the same anymore. They are all in place ready for Rick to meet with the hospital people. Rick meets with two other officers. He says he wants to make a deal. He wants to make an exchange for two of his people. The cops asks where are his people, as a zombie walks up and is taken out with a head shot from the top of a parking deck by Sasha. Rick simply states they are close by. Rick says for them to radio their lieutenant and he will wait. 



Rick and his people are let into the hospital. Beth is getting dressed in her original clothes and hides a pair of scissors in her cast. They set up the exchange in the hallway of the hospital. They do the one exchange of Carol first. Then Rick and Dawn do the individual exchange. Dawn demands Noah. Noah agrees to go back in order to make the exchange work. Dawn says she knew he would be back with a smirk. Beth stabs Dawn and Dawn shoots Beth in the head killing her. Daryl kills her. They offer to let Rick and his crew stay. He says no but makes the offer for anyone who wants to come with him. Abraham and crew show up to the hospital to help. Rick and crew walk out of the hospital. Daryl is carrying Beth's body. Maggie breaks down crying. Sorry too little to late in my opinion. Morgan is still walking and comes up to the school. He sees the supplies from the cannibals. He then comes to the church still following the markings on the tree. He takes a moment to pray and notices a map upon his leaving. He sees Rick's name on it and knows that Rick is still alive. 


My Thoughts: I know some of you will yell at me but I come from the place of reading the comics. I think they need to thin the herd just a little bit more. They are still too cast heavy and some more people need to die. Fun ending just wish I did not have to sit through the first 50 minutes. I think I might just start skipping to the last 15 minutes of the show and save myself some time. Beth's death was at least well done and quick. The death of Dawn was good too. I would have been mad if she lived through all the mess.

Oh and hello what happened with Eugene? We just see his body in the truck. 

I am tired of the Sasha and Tyrese emo sibling conversations. However at least they care for each other and wondered about each other when they were separated unlike Maggie for Beth. Carl does everything it takes to save and care for his sister. Now we get to see Maggie constantly crying for her sister in the upcoming season. What did you think about the episode?

Who do you want to die next?

Post by Vikki
Twitter: ProfessorWhite

Once Upon a Time S4, Ep. 9 "Fall" Recap


Rumple is speaking with the Snow Queen about her curse. He says he will not be touched by the spell. He wants to have her spare his wife and grandson. She agrees. The towns people plan to leave town to avoid the spell but realize that it is useless. Elsa finds Anna's necklace. Belle found a way to undo the spell. They believe that they can undo the spell with Anna's hair. Elsa and Emma plan to find Anna. Past - Anna and Kristof become unfrozen. Hans and his brothers try to attack but they get away. Hook and Rumple meet. Rumple plans to get the fairies to power the hat. The fairies are helping to get the cure but Rumple does not care. He wants to save himself and his loved ones. Regina and Henry go to warn Robin about the curse. Robin and Regina share a moment. Emma and Elsa use Anna's necklace to find Anna. The necklace takes them to the library. Past - Anna talks about a wishing star that is associated with Blackbeard. Elsa is led to a wall of rock and Emma suggest they find a safe way to move it. 


Anna and Kristof meet with Blackbeard. They ask about the wishing star. Hans shows up. The scooby gang meet and realize that they can dig through the wall or pull the magic dust out of the necklace which can cause the necklace to be broken. They have to decide to either save Anna or the town. Elsa gives up the necklace but faked them out and plans to go back in the tunnel. Emma delivers the necklace and that is when they all realize it is gone. They now realize it is too late to come up with a spell. Elsa uses magic to get through the wall. They end up on the shore and do not see Anna. Past - Hans set them up for a trap. Blackbeard mentions how he knew her parents. The parents did purchase the wishing star. They can only use the star if you have a pure heart. Hans plans to kill them. 


Blackbeard puts Kristoff and Anna in the trunk. Turns out that they were frozen for 30 years. The timeline is happening at the same time. The trunk is tossed over the water. Emma and Elsa walk on the beach when the necklace stops glowing. Anna and Kristoff work to get free. The trunk lands next to the parents' shipwreck and the bottle. Elsa is holding on to the necklace and wishes for her sister to be with her. The necklace was the wishing star. They realize that something is happening. The trunk comes to Elsa on the shore. Anna and Elsa are reunited. The bottle pops up as well. Rumple is able to get Belle out which sets up Hook to use the hat. There is flashing and all the fairies are suck into the hat while the Blue fairy tries to get away. Hook sucks her in. Elsa, Emma, Anna, and Kristoff show up and see the place destroyed and blame the snow queen. Rumple seals Belle into the shop. He gets the hat back from Hook but does not release them. Kristoff reunites with David. Charming, Snow, have a plan to be seperated by being put into jail. Snow gives the baby to Emma to take care of. They trust her to save them. Hook shows up to talk to Emma. He kisses her goodbye. They all wait for the curse. Regina seals the place of her office so that Henry is safe. Regina seals herself into the vault to keep everyone safe from her. The spell finally hits. The mirror dust gets in everyone's eyes. Snow and Charming let go of each other.


My Thoughts: We need to read that message in the bottle the parents wrote. I want to know what it said. I think we all forgot about that bottle. Also how can Hans just claim Arrindele. Even if Elsa is gone doesn't that just make Anna the rightful heir. Hans has no claim. I am happy we see the stupid bottle at least in this episode.  We do not get to see what is in it but I guess we have to wait longer. 

Overall a great episode. What did you think?

Post by Vikki
Twitter: ProfessorWhite

Wednesday, November 26, 2014

Movie Review: The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1


Storyline: Against all odds, Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence) has survived the Hunger Games twice. But now that she's made it out of the bloody arena alive, she's still not safe. The Capitol is angry. The Capitol wants revenge. Who do they think should pay for the unrest? Katniss. And what's worse, President Snow (Donald Sutherland) has made it clear that no one else is safe either. Not Katniss's family, not her friends, not the people of District 12. With the Games now destroyed and in pieces, Katniss Everdeen, along with Gale (Liam Hemsworth), Finnick (Sam Claflin), and Beetee (Jeffrey Wright), now end up in the so thought "destroyed" District 13. Under the leadership of President Coin (Julianne Moore) and the advice of her friends, Katniss becomes the "Mockingjay" and the symbol of rebellion for the people.


My Thoughts: I am going to keep this short and sweet. Everyone played their roles appropriately. They know their characters and how they need to portray them. My problem with this movie is that it is a set up movie. We all know how a story is written. There is a beginning, plot point, climax, plot point, resolution; so when you take a story and break it up into two you are left with the first movie lacking any fun. 


This movie while not horrible was slow and a bit boring at times. I would recommend not watching it at a dine in theater after you ate wings and reclined back. You will find yourself nodding off. This is definitely a wait until it is at Redbox and watch from the comfort of your couch type movie. The next movie will give us the climax and resolution to the Hunger Games Trilogy so go see that one in the theaters. 


If you did go see it, what did you think?

Post by Vikki
Twitter: ProfessorWhite

Tuesday, November 25, 2014

Developer Corner: Emberheart Games


Hi Everyone,

Check out this week's Developer Corner. Fangirl Review gets a chance to actually talk to a developer for an upcoming game. Check out the thoughts of Emberheart Games and definitely download the demo for Courier of the Crypts. 


Tell me a little bit about your company and the founders?
After years of modding and game development of small games/prototypes, I’ve decided to start making my first commercial game under my own emblem. That’s how Emberheart Games was born. It’s a one man team founded in December 2011.

What made you decide to get into your field?
I always had a huge passion for games since I was a kid. When a game had an option for modding, I did that. I was making maps for Sokoban (1982), did a lot of modding on Duke Nukem 3D, Doom and Quake series, maps for strategy games like Red Alert, Settlers 2 and more. After I’ve learned programming basics I’ve started my game development path. I knew what I want to do when I grow up since I was a kid, game development is my passion for sure.

What is the vision of your company? What do you hope to achieve?

I want to create games which will stay in players’ hearts for years after finishing them. I believe that can be made only with a huge passion which I share with players through my games. Nowadays I see that “idea development craze” where developers create games of popular genre. Eg. zombies, horror, roguelike...I don’t want to do this, I want to create what I feel like doing, something unique, something personal.

What are your thoughts on the Gaming Industry and rise of the Indie Companies?

I see more and more games being developed for money instead for fun. We all need to eat of course but everything is getting out of control. Huge amounts of money are spent on top notch graphics instead on the gameplay. That’s exactly why Indies are rising. I can’t explain how much I’ve enjoyed VVVVVV and yes, I rather pay 10$ for that game than 50$ for Far Cry X. Of course, Indie side isn’t that shiny as well. With rise of the mobile games, people are entering this field to create clones, low quality games in hope to get rich. Market is getting flooded with everything, I’m afraid games are getting devalued because of the bundle. I have like 220 games on Steam and I still didn’t try like 180 of them. Us Indies will have to work harder than ever to get our games out in front of players.
Overall I’m quite sure Indies carry the future of video games.


Tell us all about Courier of the Crypts?

Courier of the Crypts is no ordinary 2D pixel art dungeon crawler for the PC. It’s an action adventure game about a Courier, a magic torch and a letter.

In this game you have to survive as a courier on his first errand to the guardian of the crypts. Your main tool to achieve your mission is a magic torch which you use to illuminate your path, defend from evil spirits and solve puzzles.


In Courier of the Crypts you don’t level up or gather equipment for your hero. There are no swords, axes, and awesome blizzards to destroy your enemies. Instead you are equipped with a magic torch which is the core mechanic in the game. Environment reacts differently to the state of your torch. You must make sure you don’t lose all the flame which forces you to turn off the torch throughout the game but that’s not always a safe thing to do. Some enemies will leave you alone as long as your torch is on fire while others will try to drink your light if it’s on. There are also many puzzles that requires you to handle the torch flame wisely. You can use everything you learn in your advantage. Turn off the light and let the spiders follow you into the trap. Next to your torch you can find some rocks and oil urns which you can throw at your enemies.


So, rather than hack-and-slashing through the crypts you’ll have to use your mind and progress carefully watching over your flame and survive. All the maps are carefully crafted without random generation and I’m doing everything I can to give the players an awesome ambient and challenging maps. Game will feature a lot secrets (including secret and bonus maps) so the true explorers will have lots of fun with the game.

I’m developing the game for almost 4 years now. Since I’m a solo developer and working on the game next to full time job and studies the development progressed slowly. Of course there was also a long prototyping phase where I was looking for the right style and game mechanics. Now I have the final idea and I’m ready for the final push which is why I started an Indiegogo campaign 2 weeks ago.

Words are hardly enough to tell you about the game so I invite you to download a demo preview version and give it a spin. 


What is your website? Contact information? And Indiegogo URL?

Official game website: http://www.courierofthecrypts.com
Greenlight: http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=339621580

Download demo: http://emberheartgames.itch.io/courier-of-the-crypts-preview

Fun questions time! What is your first memory of gaming?

If we are talking about the PC or Console games then it must be when I was 8 or something. Dad bought our first PC (Intel 486) at that time. His co-worker gave us those big floppy disks where we found 3 of the first games I’ve played. Pentix, Sokoban and Epic Pinball. My sister was the best at Pentix and at some point I’ve found out about the highscores file and deleted it. I won’t forget how mad she was. Epic Pinball will stay in my mind forever as well because it was a shareware version with one map (Android) and when you quit the game you can see what maps are there in the full version. I wanted to have those so badly.

Favorite Video Game of all time?
That’s one of the hardest questions I could get ever. And I answer differently every time. I’ll mention 3 but there are many many more.
- Settlers 2 (the most unique strategy I ever played)
- Gothic 1,2 (my favourite RPG games)
- Bastion (one of the best Indie Games)

Additional Comments?
I would like to thank you Victoria, for the interview opportunity and invite everyone to try out the preview version of the Courier of the Crypts. Cheers! ;)

Thank you to Emberheart Games for the awesome interview and showing us the insight into the mind of a game developer. 

Post by Vikki
Twitter: ProfessorWhite

Sunday, November 23, 2014

The Walking Dead S5, Ep. 7 "Crossed" Recap


Sasha is working out some anger destroying pews for supplies. While the rest work to fortify the church. They are boarding up the windows. Michonne stays back at the church with Judith and Carl while the rest of the team goes to save Carol. Gabriel has a little "out cursed spot moment" and tries to clean the blood from the church floor. Sasha and Tyrese have a sibling moment in the back of the truck. Beth is at the hospital and checks in on Carol. Abraham and his crew are still at the same spot. Abraham is still sitting on his knees and staring at nothing. Eugene is not waking up. Abraham finally stands up after Rosita yells at him but then he goes back to his knees. Rick and crew make plans on how to get Carol and Beth out. The plan is to go in quiet but Tyrese is worried that it may not work out like that and suggests grabbing some guards and doing a trade. 


Carl offers to help Gabriel to defend himself while he makes with the crazy cleaning the blood stains. Beth has to step in and save Carol. Dawn provided her with the keys to the drug cabinet. Tara, Rosita, and Glen head off in search of water. Maggie stays back with Eugene and Abraham. Maggie grabs the ladder and a blanket and makes a makeshift shelter for Eugene so he is out of the sun. Maggie tells Abraham (still starring at nothing) to get over himself. Beth talks to Dr. Steven on the right type of drugs for Carol to wake her up and keep her alive. The hospital people chase down Noah who set them up to be captured by Rick's people. They effectively capture them but a car comes barreling down and takes the guards. The guards abandon the car and Daryl stays behind to take on the one guard. Daryl rips off the one zombie's head and knocks the guard with it. Rick comes back and the subdue the guard. Daryl has to talk Rick down from shooting the guard. 


The guards plead for their lives but the one guard says that the deal can work. Glen, Tara, and Rosita scavenge and are able to capture fish for them to eat. Gabriel is holed up in his room digging a hole into the ground. Beth is able to sneak the drugs into Carol. Tyrese tries to have another moment with Sasha who is not dealing with the loss of Bob well. Gabriel climbs into his hole and crawls out from under the church and steps on a nail. He hobbles off. Gabriel is walking in the woods and comes face to face with a zombie. He sees she has a cross on and cannot kill her. Sasha sits down to talk to one of the guards who's name happens to be Bob. He starts talking sadly about one of the guys that he saw as a zombie outside. He directs her to where she needs to go to shoot him. 


Maggie is able to get through to Abraham. Eugene starts to make noises and she goes to check on him. Glen, Rosita, and Tara make their way back to the truck. Sasha walks with the guard who shows her where his friend is. She lines up the shot and he knocks her out and takes off.

My Thoughts: Wow could Sasha be any more stupid? Why would you let that dude stand behind you? You should have kept him secure at all times, I do not care that his name is Bob. Also is it just me or is Rick compensating for that big gun that he is toting. Geez that canon is ridiculous. 

I tip my hat to Abraham for maintaining that yoga pose for so long and without water. That takes skill. Overall the episode was okay we know all the real action will happen next episode as it is the mid-season finale. What do you think will happen? Is Eugene alive or a zombie? Leave your thoughts in the comments. 

Friday, November 21, 2014

Lego Batman 3: Beyond Gotham Review


Amazon Story Line:
The best-selling LEGO Batman videogame franchise returns in an out-of-this-world, action-packed adventure! In LEGO Batman 3: Beyond Gotham, the Caped Crusader joins forces with the super heroes of the DC Comics universe and blasts off to outer space to stop the evil Brainiac from destroying Earth. Using the power of the Lantern Rings, Brainiac shrinks worlds to add to his twisted collection of miniature cities from across the universe. Now the greatest super heroes and the most cunning villains must unite and journey to different Lantern Worlds to collect the Lantern Rings and stop Brainiac before it's too late. The game is available on PS4/3, Xbox One/360, 3DS, Vita, and Wii U. 


My Thoughts: Great installment into the series. Enough little tweaks to make it worth it and enough classics to bring in and hold the fans attention. The best thing about this new installment of the Lego Batman franchise is the fact that all the suits stay available to you once you unlock them. In other words you no longer have to run around looking for a suit, instead you just push and hold the character switch button and can choose one of the suits that you have unlocked. It makes playing the game easier and more enjoyable. 



Puzzles: The ongoing Tron puzzle is awesome. As you find yourself doing a puzzle to unlock a part of the stage, you will have your characters transported into a Tron like puzzle. You have to run and hit certain triggers to move on in the board. It got a little complicated but overall it was enjoyable. The only thing that made me mad is that when you have to save the citizen, Adam West, it feels like it is a bit more complicated than usual.

Pick it up and let me know your thoughts.

Post by Vikki
Twitter: ProfessorWhite

Thursday, November 20, 2014

Throwback Thursday: Ikari Warriors


Ikari Warriors is a vertically scrolling, shoot 'em up style game developed by SNK and released in 1986. This game was distinct in the fact that it is was two player co-op game. The playable characters are Colonel Ralf (red) and Second Liutentant Carl (blue). The characters did look very Rambo-like as they had black pants, no shirts, and colored bandannas. This game was one of the few games that let players play cooperatively at the time.


You utilized a gun and were able to throw grenades which was always fun. You could also commandeer enemy tanks which was the best. It was sad when the tank would explode after taking on too much damage but luckily you can exit before it blew. 


The game had the most classic cheat ever. When you died and it was game over if you pressed A, B, B, A, you would be revived. I remember many times saying A, B, B, A and pressing the buttons repeatedly hoping for my character to respawn. The worse let down is when you did not come back. Check out some gameplay footage below. 


What are some memories that you have of this game?

Post by Vikki
Twitter: ProfessorWhite

Tuesday, November 18, 2014

Chiller Theatre Halloween Weekend Convention 2014

Parsippany, NJ
October 24, 25 & 26, 2014


Tell me a little bit about yourself?

I'm Dana, a girl who's into horror movies and extreme metal music. I work at the Division of Developmental Disabilities, and I'm also working on my Master's degree at Montclair State University. I have been going to Chiller since 1997. My boyfriend (Les) is also a huge horror movie fan. He likes everything from the Universal monster classics to the current horror films. He is also an avid collector of memorabilia, vintage toys, dvd's, books, records and cd's. He is an old school punk rocker. He is a retired Division of Developmental Disabilities Director, and has a Master's degree from Montclair State University. He has been involved with Chiller Theatre since its inception (1990). This is the 53rd Chiller convention.

Why did you decide to go to this Chiller Theater 2014?

The Chiller Theatre convention is held twice a year (Spring and Fall), We never miss a convention! It is a three day horror convention: Friday night, Saturday (and a concert/costume party Saturday night), and Sunday. We are there from open to close all three days. The Chiller Theatre convention started in 1990, and has been going strong ever since. The focus is Horror, but it also features sci-fi, fantasy, rock-n-roll, TV, movies, wrestlers, art, authors and all aspects of pop culture.

Were there any panels you were looking forward to in particular?

Although there are some panel discussions at Chiller, they are not the biggest attraction for us. I am much more interested in shopping in the dealers rooms and meeting celebrities. At this convention, We attended a presentation panel by Victoria Price talking about her father, Vincent Price. We enjoyed it very much. She gave an insider's overview of her father's life and career, as well as home movies, slides, and many personal stories and memories.

We also enjoyed the Chiller Theatre charity auction on Saturday afternoon. Guest auctioneer Ted Bohus (writer/producer/director) is very entertaining...and we won some cool stuff.

Is there anyone that you met that you had a total fan moment with?

We really enjoyed meeting and speaking with Ryan Hurst, Mark Boone Jr. and Chuck Zito, since we are big fans of the TV show Sons of Anarchy. We had a fun, lively conversation with Lizzy Borden (singer from the heavy metal band Lizzy Borden) about the real Lizzie Borden... he was very impressed that we had spent two nights in Lizzie Borden's historic house. Les was very happy to meet and speak with Teri Garr. He also liked visiting with Marky Ramone again. Patty Mullen (Frankenhooker) was awesome! She liked my nails so much she took pictures so that her manicurist could do the same Halloween designs for her! 

 

The Saturday night concert was a fan's dream come true. Lita Ford and Cherie Currie reunited on stage and played "Cherry Bomb" from their days in the Runaways...with Marky Ramone on drums and Alan Robert (Life of Agony) on bass! Lizzy Borden sang “Master of Disguise” and “Born to Be Wild”. It was awesome! Also, where else could you see The Cowsills (the real life band that was the inspiration for The Partridge Family) singing with the Smithereens and the Dead Elvi... with Marky Ramone drumming! The Cowsills sounded fantastic and were so energetic, and so much fun. They enjoyed themselves so much that they often broke out acoustic guitars and sang at their autograph table during the convention when they were not on stage.

Were there any exclusives you were looking forward to? Were you able to get them?

Although there are occasionally "exclusives" at Chiller, it is really not that type of show. Chiller is a fan run show, not a corporate show. There are no corporate sponsors. The three large dealer’s rooms have lots of vintage, and some one-of-a-kind collectibles, as well as cool new stuff. There are also lots of movies, posters, toys, memorabilia, model kits, jewelry, shirts, art, figures, books, stills, oddities, props and so much more. Shopping at Chiller in the dealers rooms is one of the highlights of the weekend for us!

How crowded was it?

The show was VERY crowded on Friday, and EXTREMELY crowded on Saturday. Sunday was calmer, but still very busy. This is how it usually always is at Chiller.

Did you meet any celebrities?
Meeting celebrities (and getting autographs and pictures) is one of the main points of Chiller! There were 150 (literally) guest celebrities at this show. Almost all celebrities are there all day, on all three days of the convention. Chiller does not book any celebrity who is not willing to meet fans, sign autographs, etc. They always strive to have a very wide variety of guests, so that there is always someone you will be happy to meet.


Our very favorites at this show were Ryan Hurst, Mark Boone Jr. and Chuck Zito (from Sons of Anarchy), James Remar (Dexter), Teri Garr (Young Frankenstein), Doug Bradley and Ashley Laurence (Hellraiser), the Good Times reunion (especially John Amos and Jimmie Walker), Glenn Hetrick (Face Off), Gerritt Graham (Phantom of the Paradise), Jodi Lyn O'Keefe (Prison Break), Patty Mullen (Frankenhooker), Marky Ramone (Ramones drummer), Cindy Williams (Laverne & Shirley) and Marion Ross (Happy Days).


Other great guests we met this Chiller weekend were musicians Lita Ford, Cherie Currie, Lizzy Borden (the band, not the psychopathic murderer who is dead), The Cowsills, Tony Orlando, The Smithereens, Debby Boone, Debbie Gibson, Bobby Steele (Misfits), Ian Lloyd (Stories), Ace Frehley (Kiss), horror host John Zacherley, Sara Karloff (daughter of Boris Karloff), Victoria Price (daughter of Vincent Price), Tatum O,Neal (Paper Moon/ Bad News Bears), five actors from the Sopranos, six actors from the Terminator movies including Linda Hamilton, Kristianna Loken & Michael Biehn, Butch Patrick (Munsters), Barbara Steele (Black Sunday/ Pit & the Pendulum), Traci Lords (Serial Mom, Cry Baby), Henry Winkler ("Fonzie"), Dawn Wells (Gilligan’s Island), William B. Davis (X Files), Sally Kellerman (Star Trek), Trini Alvarado (Frighteners), Lane Hughes & L.C. Holt (You're Next), Stephen Blickenstaff (artist & musician), Ann Cusack (Tank Girl), wrestlers Hulk Hogan and Jimmy Hart, artist/sculptor Daniel Horne, Larry Thomas ("soup nazi" from Seinfeld), William Forsythe (Devil's Rejects/ Boardwalk Empire), Kristy McNichol (Nash Bridges), Louise Fletcher (One Flew over the Cuckoo's Nest), Joe Pantaliano (Matrix/ Sopranos), Diana Canova (Soap), Lisa Marie (Mars Attacks), Bill Randolph (Friday the 13th part 2), Analuka Dziubinska (Vampyres), legendary Godzilla actors Nakjima, Satsuma & Kitagawa, Godzilla artist Nishikawa, Joel Hodgson (Mystery Theater 3000), boxer Ray Mercer, Robert Kerman (Cannibal Holocaust), Yaphet Kotto (Aliens), Mark Rolston (Saw VI), Martin Stephens (Village of the Damned), Kelly LeBrock (Weird Science), Barbara Leigh (Vampirella) ... and many, many more!


Anything else that you enjoyed about Chiller?

It is always a fun weekend with plenty of surprises, and cool stuff. The show has changed venues as it has gotten larger over the years. It is currently in the Parsippany Sheraton Hotel ("The Tara"), which is a perfect setting since the hotel looks like a large gothic castle. It is a fun weekend with blood, guts & gore, great celebrities, cool merchandise, rock and roll, costumes, exhibits, film screenings, autographs, photos, Q&A's, model and art contest, charity auction, and more. You never know what might happen at a Chiller weekend... or who you might meet.

Anything else you would like to share?

If you go to Chiller, allow plenty of time. It is a busy, crowded convention with a lot to do and see! It is a convention created and run by fans...for fans.

You can get more info about Chiller at the web site at www.chillertheatre.com. The guest list for the next show will start to develop about two months before the show, and continue to grow until show time.

Post by Vikki
Twitter: ProfessorWhite

Monday, November 17, 2014

The Walking Dead Vol. 22 "A New Beginning" Review


Amazon Story line: They've survived the walkers. Survived war with a ruthless enemy. And now, in THE WALKING DEAD, hope for the future emerges. A perfect jumping-on point for readers, Volume 22 of the New York Times bestselling graphic novel series marks a new era for THE WALKING DEAD as the survivors pick up the pieces of their shared humanity to create A NEW BEGINNING. In the aftermath of ALL OUT WAR, Rick Grimes and his allies begin to rebuild their communities. But in the world of the dead, tranquility is only temporary. How long will it be before a new, unexpected foe emerges? Find out in A NEW BEGINNING. Collects THE WALKING DEAD #127-132.

My Thoughts: We are all happy that the drama of Neegan is over. Everything is good. Rick runs his land as Maggie runs hers. Rick is a hero to everyone. Carl wants to be more of a normal kid and learn a trade. Everything is right in the world. Yet, Robert Kirkman could not let that be. We could not have our group just be happy. 

I enjoyed seeing everyone return back to as normal life as possible. Seeing Eugene and Rosita with their relationship drama. Seeing Rick, Carl, and Andrea play house was nice. Even having Carl calling Andrea mom was sweet to read. Rick even set up a great system to move a zombie horde using horses which causes them to come across a new group. This new group may cause internal drama but for now they are welcome. I also enjoyed the relationship between Carl and Neegan. That relationship was established in the past and it is good to see it still progressing. 


As always the illustration is wonderful by Charlie Arlard. The last couple of pages were shocking as always. Kirkman knows how to weave a story that leaves you shocked and asking questions. What did you think?

Post by Vikki
Twitter: ProfessorWhite

Sunday, November 16, 2014

The Walking Dead S5 Ep. 6 "Consumed" Recap


Show starts with Carol driving away from Rick when he asks her to leave. She takes up shelter in a building. She sees smoke and takes off to the prison. This is a flashback of her time before she reunited with Tyrese after everyone separated with the downfall of the prison. Present Day - Daryl tells Carol about Beth going missing and seeing the car with the white cross. Daryl wants to follow them to see if they can figure out who the group is and get Beth back. He drove with his headlights off. They abandon the car and take up shelter in a building that Carol claims she is familiar with. It is a shelter for abuse victims, she stayed there with Sophia one time. . The hear banging and realize that its zombies of a mother and child. 


The next morning Carol sees Daryl burning the bodies and giving them peace. Carol tells Daryl thank you. Carol and Daryl make their way downtown where they believe the car was heading. As they make their way though the building we see someone looking at them through a dirty window. They end up in an office building high up. Carol asks him why didn't he ask her about her time with Tyrese and the girls. Daryl says they should just start over. They spot a van with the crosses. Daryl and Carol run into Noah and he takes their weapons and takes off. They chase him down but he gets away. 


Flashback to Carol burning the bodies at the prison. Present day - Carol and Daryl are making their way to the van with the crosses. They check the van and see a lot of walkers coming. They take off and have to fight their way though the zombies. They get overrun and end up trapped in the van. They put on their seatbelts and let the van fall off the bridge. The zombies start to fall as well and die from the impact. Carol and Daryl survive and walk away. Carol and Daryl scout out the hospital. They hear noise and realize Noah is nearby as they hear gun shots and see Noah. Daryl leaves Noah trapped but Carol begs for him to help. 


Flashback to Carol being tired after the ordeal at Terminus. She is wiping all the crap off and is making her way back to Tyrese. Present - They help Noah get free. They realize Noah got out from the place where Beth lives. Daryl watches Carol get hit by the car with the cross. Noah holds him back and says that they will be able to help Carol. Noah says it will take a lot to get her back, bigger guns and people. Daryl says they have that. Daryl and Noah grab a truck and take off from the city. I guess when Daryl comes out of the woods to meet Michonne he brings Noah back with him. I guess we still do not know where Morgan is lurking. 


My Thoughts: Daryl must be really torn up to have lost two chicks. At least now he has his group to go and get Beth and Carol. Frankly they should have went back to get the crew once they realized the hospital would be the most likely place for Beth.

I enjoyed the Carol flashbacks. We saw all that she went through and have to remember that she came from an abusive relationship and has grown so much. She may be over compensating due to the abuse she suffered previously but lets not go to deep with the psychology behind the episode. We will hopefully get some action next episode as Rick and the Scooby Gang storm the hospital and demand their people back.

Post by Vikki
Twitter: ProfessorWhite

Thursday, November 13, 2014

The Vampire Diaries S6, Ep. 7 "Do You Remember the First Time?" Recap


Elena and Damon speak and he begs her to remember. She sadly does not remember the good in him. She apologizes for not remembering him. Damon shows up to Alaric's hospital bed messing around with him. They have a bro moment. Alaric's doctor, Jo, springs him from the hospital. Tripp has been captured by Matt, Enzo, and Stefan. They want to know who Tripp has been working with. He reveals that Caroline is being tracked. Elena is speaking with Caroline and letting her know that she does not remember loving Damon. Liam and Elena are going to the hospital function together. Bonnie wakes up with Kai there. He is trying to put the key back together so he can get out. She stabs him with a pen and takes off running. Stefan shows up to offer protection for Caroline. Caroline gets a call from her mom saying that she will be killed by Tripp's men if they do not get him back. 


Bonnie raids the pharmacy for pain killers and antibiotics while she works to put the key back together. Damon shows up to crash the party. He notices that Elena is there with Liam. Stefan and Caroline show up to spring Tripp. Enzo points out the obvious that Caroline cares for Stefan. She says she does not want to talk about it. Damon is dancing with Elena after compelling her date away. Damon begs her to remember and Elena flees claiming she needs air. Jo claims she relinquished her powers to get away from her dysfunctional family. Bonnie has made a lot of progress putting the key back together. Kai shows up with the missing piece. She zaps him and runs off but cannot get away. Elena talks to Damon and says she wants to remember. She says she wants to get that piece of her memory back. She thinks if she unwinds the memory backwards that she maybe able to remember. She asks him to take her back to the last place she told him I love you. 


Kai admits that he wants to honestly get his family back. Bonnie decides to give in and use the key to help them go home. Caroline and Stefan do the meet to get Tripp back. Tripp comes across and his neck splits open. Enzo turned Tripp into a vampire so when he crossed the lines he died. Bonnie starts the spell but she moves her magic to the bear and locks her and Kai both in the prison. Damon takes Elena back to the Mystic Falls and when they drove into the bar. Damon starts to recall all the great times they had especially a night in the rain watching a meteor shower. Sadly Elena cannot remember even after all his tries. Elena walks across the town line and gets a flash and Damon runs and grabs her. She says she can get her memories back he doesn't want her to risk killing herself. 


Stefan stops Caroline and asks her about why she has a thing for him. He doesn't understand how he missed it. Stefan apologizes for how he treated her. Caroline is the bigger person and accepts his apology. She says she still hates him for ruining their friendship. She walks away. Elena admits to Damon that she saw bits and pieces. Damon admits that he is happy that she is thriving and she is better off without him. Damon wants her to live her life and says I love you and is letting her go. Damon walks away leaving Elena struggling to remember the one moment about watching starts with him. Alaric is back at Jo's place. He sees a scar on her stomach. She admits her brother tried to kill her when she was a kid...(Kai?). Jo and Alaric begin to hook up. Liam shows up to speak to Elena. He questions all the lies Elena has been spinning and storms out. Damon is walking in the woods and is in the cemetery and drinking. He remembers the night with the stars with Elena. They stood in the rain kissing. She made him promise that they are forever. Damon continues to drink and wander the woods. He walks back to the mausoleum and sees the bear and he realizes that Bonnie is still alive.

My Thoughts: I still do not think Jo is a witch. She is being very cryptic about her past and who she truly is. I think there is way more to her story and no one should believe that she is just an ordinary witch. Or she is one of the people Kai tried to kill.

The Damon and Elena (Delena) scenes were sad but good. I am happy that Damon found the bear and he now has a mission. He will focus all his energy into getting Bonnie back and put the Elena drama on the back burner. What do you hope happens next?

Post by Vikki
Twitter: ProfessorWhite

Smash Bros for 3DS sells over 1 million units


Yes you read the title correct. It’s official: Smash is a smash. Despite only being on the market for a little more than a month, Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS has already sold 1.2 million combined physical and digital units in the U.S alone making it the 10th Nintendo 3DS title to sell over 1 million units. With Smash Bros being hit how do you think Smash Bros for the Wii U will do?

The full list of million-plus sellers on Nintendo 3DS in the United States is as follows:

Title Total Units*
Mario Kart 7 3.62 million
Super Mario 3D Land 3.34 million
New Super Mario Bros. 2 2.33 million
Pokémon X 2.11 million
Pokémon Y 2.03 million
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D 1.41 million
Luigi’s Mansion: Dark Moon 1.36 million
Animal Crossing: New Leaf 1.42 million
Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS 1.20 million
The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds 1.06 million


*Nintendo 3DS software sales include both physical and digital sales, as well as software bundled with hardware.

**Data regarding physical sales of games in September are from the NPD Group. Data regarding digital downloads of games and combined physical/digital life-to-date numbers are from Nintendo’s internal sales figures. All numbers, unless otherwise stated, are specific to the United States only.

Post by Vikki
Twitter: ProfessorWhite

Throwback Thursday: Section Z


Hi Everyone,

This week's Throwback Thursday is Section Z. This game I remember loving and being frustrated with. Section Z is a side-view shoot-em up style game. It was first released by Capcom in the arcade in 1985 and then on NES in 1987. The basic story line is you are an astronaut in the third millennium. You are sent to destroy an alien base that is orbiting the Earth.


NES version had three stages, each with 20 sections, luckily you did not have to visit all sections to complete the game. The first stage begins at Section 00, which is the outer perimeter of the space station and then proceeds to enter Section 01, the first actual corridor of the base. The arcade version went through the alphabelt which made sense when you got to Section Z. At the end of most sections, the player will choose to enter one of two transporters, each taking player to a different section of the base. You are able to upgrade your weapon and even obtain a shield which is sweet. I remember having the astronaut walk across the ground. His little feet were funny and I loved to fly around in circles. Check out the video below for nostalgia.


Remember playing this game?

Post by Vikki
Twitter: ProfessorWhite

 


Tuesday, November 11, 2014

Resurrection S2 Ep.7 "Miracles"


Recap: Rachael and Margaret have the same dream about the factory fire. Rachael refuses to take the medication. Tom tries to get Maggie to give Rachael the medication while she is unconscious, but she refuses. Tom convinces Agent Bellamy to use some of his supply on Rachael after he tells him he is one of the "Returned." Maggie catches Tom before he can inject Rachael. Agent Bellamy finally reveals his secret to Maggie. Tom's wife prays for Rachael and she wakes up seeming to be healthy.


Henry starts planning the factory renovation with Brian. Brian takes Margaret to dinner to discuss business. She reveals how she married into the Langston family and her role in the business. She goes back to his home, recognizes his family from pictures and leaves. She finds an upside down cross painted on her door. Carl joins Ray's True Living group, which is increasing in numbers. Ray is infected with the virus.


Review: Looks like Brian's grandfather was one of the Langston factory fire victims. He must be back for revenge. Maggie was hurt that Agent Bellamy didn't trust her with his secret right away. How crazy was it when Tom almost injected Rachael? His wife had faith when he did not.

The virus is starting to infect people that aren't "Returned" now?? Things are about to get crazy! I can't wait until the next episode. Too bad it won't be on until November 30th.

Please let me know what your comments or thoughts are?

Post by Veronica Fitzpatrick
Twitter: @RonnieLauren