2018 Top 10 Films

by AnalogJonesTOFJanuary 22, 2019

Listen to Matt and Steve’s 2018 Top 10 Films!

Steve’s Honorable Mentions
Won’t You Be My Neighbor?
Halloween 2018
BlackKklansman
Dead Ant
Annihilation
Black ’47

Matt’s Honorable Mentions
Cam
Strangers: Prey at Night
Soft Matter
Permission

Steve’s Top 10

10. Avengers Infinity War
The Avengers and their allies must be willing to sacrifice all in an attempt to defeat the powerful Thanos before his blitz of devastation and ruin puts an end to the universe.

9. Mission: Impossible – Fallout
Ethan Hunt and his IMF team, along with some familiar allies, race against time after a mission gone wrong.

8. Searching
After his 16-year-old daughter goes missing, a desperate father breaks into her laptop to look for clues to find her.

7. Hereditary
After the family matriarch passes away, a grieving family is haunted by tragic and disturbing occurrences, and begin to unravel dark secrets.

6. A Quiet Place
In a post-apocalyptic world, a family is forced to live in silence while hiding from monsters with ultra-sensitive hearing.

5. Revenge
Never take your mistress on an annual guys’ getaway, especially one devoted to hunting – a violent lesson for three wealthy married men.

4. Blindspotting
While on probation, a man begins to re-evaluate his relationship with his volatile best friend.

3. Deadpool 2
Foul-mouthed mutant mercenary Wade Wilson (AKA. Deadpool), brings together a team of fellow mutant rogues to protect a young boy with supernatural abilities from the brutal, time-traveling cyborg, Cable.

2. Upgrade
Set in the near-future, technology controls nearly all aspects of life. But when Grey, a self-identified technophobe, has his world turned upside down, his only hope for revenge is an experimental computer chip implant called Stem.

1. Sorry To Bother You
In an alternate present-day version of Oakland, telemarketer Cassius Green discovers a magical key to professional success, propelling him into a universe of greed.

Matt’s Top 10

10. The Dark
An undead teenage girl befriends a blind boy that she meets in a forest she haunts and hunts in. Both have been victims of unimaginable abuse, and each finds solace in the other. There may be a chance of light at the end of their tunnel, but it will come with a body count.

9. Anna and the Apocalypse
A zombie apocalypse threatens the sleepy town of Little Haven – at Christmas – forcing Anna and her friends to fight, slash and sing their way to survival, facing the undead in a desperate race to reach their loved ones. But they soon discover that no one is safe in this new world, and with civilization falling apart around them, the only people they can truly rely on are each other.

8. Overlord
A small group of American soldiers find horror behind enemy lines on the eve of D-Day.

7. Halloween (2018)
Laurie Strode confronts her long-time foe Michael Myers, the masked figure who has haunted her since she narrowly escaped his killing spree on Halloween night four decades ago.

6. Eighth Grade
An introverted teenage girl tries to survive the last week of her disastrous eighth grade year before leaving to start high school.

5. Mega Time Squad
A small-town crim finds an ancient Chinese time-travel device that can help him pull off a heist and start a new life-but he may not survive the consequences of tampering with time. The Castle meets Looper, Mega Time Squad is a study in high-meets-low, combining elements of the sci-fi, the crime thriller and the comedy to make a comedy heist film with a time-traveling twist.

4. Mid90’s
Follows Stevie, a thirteen-year-old in 1990s-era Los Angeles who spends his summer navigating between his troubled home life and a group of new friends that he meets at a Motor Avenue skate shop.

3. Love, Simon
Simon Spier keeps a huge secret from his family, his friends and all of his classmates: he’s gay. When that secret is threatened, Simon must face everyone and come to terms with his identity.

2. A Simple Favor
Stephanie is a single mother with a parenting vlog who befriends Emily, a secretive upper-class woman who has a child at the same elementary school. When Emily goes missing, Stephanie takes it upon herself to investigate.

1. Upgrade
Set in the near-future, technology controls nearly all aspects of life. But when Grey, a self-identified technophobe, has his world turned upside down, his only hope for revenge is an experimental computer chip implant called Stem.

Matt and Steve’s Funny Bad

Gotti
The story of crime boss John Gotti and his son. Travolta is CREEPY!

Acrimony
A faithful wife, tired of standing by her devious husband, is enraged when it becomes clear she has been betrayed.

Do you disagree or agree with our list? Let us know on our Facebook group or email us at analogjonestof@gmail.com.

You can also listen to us on iTunes, Podbean, and Youtube!

Geekscape Roundtable: Our Favourite Films of 2018!

by GeekscapeStaffDecember 31, 2018

Can you believe that 2018 is coming to a close? In just a couple of days, we’ll abolish that dreaded eight for ten more years, and a cool, clean, sexy nine will take its place.

We say it every year, but 2018 has been an absolutely stellar year for all forms of media, so we rounded up some of our writers and podcasters to share their favourite movies of the year! You’ll see some individual lists for other topics coming down the pipeline as well, so be sure to be on the lookout for those, too!

Take a look at everyone’s top 10, top 5, or favourite film altogether, and be sure to let us know yours in the comment section below!

Matt Kelly

10. Christopher Robin 

Spoiler Alert right out the gate, Disney has 3 films that made my top 10. Christopher Robin is a movie that I did not anticipate affecting me as hard as it did. I never had a ton of love for Winnie the Pooh, I certainly watched it as a kid but only started to love the character after reading Tao of Pooh. Christopher Robin is one of my favorite film message, someone rediscovering the childhood they lost. It starts with a dark and heavy opening sequence in which our titular character is sent to war and forced to grow up quickly. It’s only when he’s revisited by his childhood friends of fantasy that he’s able to truly find happiness inside himself.

https://youtu.be/0URpDxIjZrQ

9. Thoroughbreds

I missed this one during its theatric release and I’m still upset about it. The movie had what felt like a 2 day release at best but proved to be one of the most interesting dark comedies in years. I often hear the movies described modern-day Heathers but no film has been more deserving of this comparison. Since it’s likely most people still haven’t seen this I’ll keep the plot summary short; the film follows two estranged high school friends. One is pour and emotionally disconnected while the other has a fantastic life minus her emotionally cruel step-father, they reconnect over a mutual desire to see the Step-father dead.

8. Searching…. 

This movie should not have worked, I should have been annoyed in the theater. The entire structure of the film is based around staring at someone’s computer screen for 90 minutes. Instead the film is one of the most intense thrillers I’ve ever seen. The “inside a computer screen” concept has been done multiple times before but this is the first time it truly worked. The film follows a desperate father trying to find his daughter and manages to have fun twists and turns throughout. It’s the under-appreciated film of the year for sure.

7. Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse 

I have never seen an animated film quite like Into the Spider-Verse but I genuinely hope I see many more. The premise should be hard to follow, it should be too complicated. Instead it’s a fun and quick-witted film that’s not afraid to be bizarre as all hell but avoids speaking down to the audience. The way various art-styles meld together and the films non-stop Easter Eggs made this the best super-hero film of the year by a long shot.

6. You Might Be the Killer 

This was easily the best horror film of the year for me. I saw it in a midnight screening while I attended Fantastic Fest and immediately fell in love with it. I managed to meet the director and strike up a decent friendship with him but this is not a bias choice. Whether him and I met each other or not I would have still praised this movie. It’s everything you ever wanted to get out of a meta horror comedy. When Sam (Fran Kranz) wakes up at his camp with all his counselors slaughtered he has no choice but to call his friend Chuck (Alyson Hannigan) to help him survive the night. During their conversation they both get a sneaking suspicion that Sam might be the killer. What follows is an incredible mystery full of hilarious gags.

5. Love, Simon

I adore teen flicks, always have. Love, Simon was the perfect modern teen flick. It captures all your memories of High School (both the good and the bad), when I first saw this movie I remember being a little annoyed by the audience but in retrospect I’m glad I saw it in a theater filled with vocal teenagers. The movie spoke to them just as much as it spoke to 33 year old me. That’s always a sign of a great film that speaks to a wide audience.

4. Ralph Breaks the Internet

Disney always has a fantastic ability to tackle heavy adult themes in their light-hearted children’s films. Ralph Breaks the Internet is no exception. On the surface, it’s a delightful sequel in which your favorite characters from the original travel around the internet with lots of meme jokes and pop culture references. While that’s there, it’s also a touching story about friendship.

3. A Futile and Stupid Gesture 

I saw this on the recommendation of my brother. I loved it so much that I watched it three times. From everything I’ve read it’s highly inaccurate but it also seems like the subject was a firm believer in “never let the truth get in the way of a good story” so it seems fitting for this bio-pic to be so outlandishly inaccurate. It tells the crazy story of National Lampoon’s founder Doug Kenney and the early days of the magazine and National Lampoon films.

2. Mary Poppins Returns

There is no film that captured my imagination this year quite like Mary Poppins Returns. It’s been a rough year for a lot of people but for 2 hours I had a permanent smile on my face and tears of joy down my face. The original Mary Poppins holds a special place in my heart, it reminds me of people who are no longer with us. Mary Poppins Returns is about holding on to the magic in our lives after losing very special people. It’s as perfect of a sequel I could imagine. I’ve read many reviews of people who disliked the film and while I understand their complaints I disagree on all accounts. Mary Poppins Returns was nothing short of fabulous for me and is easily the best movie of the year.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-3jsfXDZLIY

1.Won’t You Be My Neighbor 

Everything that made me love the fictional narrative in Mary Poppins was very much alive in the documentary Won’t You Be My Neighbor. The film captures the incredible achievements of Fred Rogers. I heard someone describe it as a guide to living life. No film made me want to go out and try to make the world better like this documentary did. It is nothing short of wonderful.

David Traverso

Honorable Mention: Sadie, Thunder Road, Vice, Won’t You Be My Neighbor?, Halloween, First Man, If Beale Street Could Talk, The Wife and Borg McEnroe

10. Boy Erased

This tenth spot on the list was up for grabs. I could have just as easily went with indie delights Sadie or Thunder Road, but I decided to go with a more mainstream film with Joel Edgerton’s Boy Erased. The well-known Aussie actor completely blew me away with his directorial debut The Gift a few years back, and follows it up with a more character-driven, but still highly successful, true story. Lucas Hedges stars as Jared, the son of a pastor (Russell Crowe) who agrees to undergo a gay conversion therapy when he begins to question his sexuality. Rather than dwell on the ugliness of those who refuse to accept homosexuality, Boy Erased stays committed to this young man’s personal journey and its impact on his devout parents (Nicole Kidman and Crowe).

9. Thoroughbreds

I fell in love with Olivia Cooke’s remarkable acting talents the moment I saw Me and Earl and the Dying Girl in 2015. She hasn’t let me down since, but Cooke’s work reaches new heights alongside her co-star Anya Taylor-Joy (Split) in the darkly comedic crime drama, Thoroughbreds. Cook and Taylor-Joy star as former childhood friends who reconnect in their teens while living in upper class Connecticut. But when the two girls devise a plan to murder, their true inner colors begin to appear and we see them for who they really are. Thoroughbreds is a surprising treat with its devious plot and fascinating characters. But how it all unravels, that’s the real treat of the film!

8. Leave No Trace

Debra Granik got the attention of Hollywood with her dark 2010 indie drama, Winter’s Bone. The film went on to earn 4 Oscar Nominations (including Best Picture) and introduced the world to a young star-in-the-making, Jennifer Lawrence. Eight years later Granik gives us another phenomenal unknown talent, Thomasin McKenzie, in Leave No Trace. Ben Foster and McKenzie star as a father and daughter living off-the-grid deep in the Oregon wilderness whose peaceful and ideal existence becomes disrupted when someone discovers them out there. Granik once again delivers a stunning example of indie filmmaking where big budgets and gaudy effects become unnecessary thanks to authentic characters and a truly emotional story.

7. The Favourite

Filmmaker Yorgos Lanthimos has long been described as one of the most unique visionaries alive. The director’s odd, yet captivating, stories always come to life through an unparalleled lens, and the trend continues with his first real Oscar contender, The Favourite. Set in the early 1700s, Queen Anne (Olivia Colman) rules over England with the aid of her loyal confidant Sarah (Rachel Weisz). But when Sarah’s downtrodden, albeit charismatic, cousin Abigail (Emma Stone) arrives in search of employment, she quickly latches onto the Queen and immediately threatens Sarah’s influence as the two women rival over their majesty’s favor. Lanthimos takes his career to a whole new level with this hypnotic tale that checks all of the appropriate Oscar boxes.

6. Hereditary

This year’s SXSW lineup was fantastic and right near the top of the list you’ll find Ari Aster’s unsettling and creepy horror masterpiece, Hereditary. The film offers an unforeseen “bang” early one and refuses to take the pedal off the throttle from that point forward. Annie (Toni Collette) is a married mother of two whose sanity slowly starts to unravel as she unlocks an insidious family secret following the death of her own mother. Collette is nothing short of terrific and she even earned some legitimate Oscar buzz, which is rare for a horror performance. Needless to say, she is absolutely deserving of the high praises and I promise you that Hereditary is an uncomfortable watch late at night with all the lights off.

5. Avengers: Infinity War

Rarely does a superhero film make it into my Top 10, but Joe and Anthony Russo’s Infinity War is far from your standard summer blockbuster. The ever-expanding Marvel Cinematic Universe come together in this “part one” film which finds The Avengers and other superhero allies working in tandem to prevent Thanos (Josh Brolin) from acquiring all six Infinity Stones and annihilating half of the galaxy’s population. What Infinity War does so well is it humanizes the villain and rationalizes his motive to create a moral dilemma unlike anything the film genre has ever seen.

4. Can You Ever Forgive Me?

Prior to viewing the film, much had been made about Melissa McCarthy’s wonderful turn as biographer Lee Israel, who struggles financially after a successful career as a bestselling writer. While researching a new subject, Lee comes across a personalized letter from the author and decides to sell it off to a collector. This sets off a reckless string of forgeries that begin to catch the eye of the authorities. Can You Ever Forgive Me? stands a surprisingly heartfelt dramedy that forces you to sympathize with characters who are completely in the wrong.

3. A Star Is Born

Bradley Cooper’s directorial debut is certainly a strong one. By now I’m sure you’ve heard plenty of chatter regarding A Star Is Born and all I can say is, the movie doesn’t disappoint. Cooper stars as fading rock star Jackson Maine who unexpectedly discovers the gifted voice of Ally (Lady Gaga) and he instantly falls head over heels for her. But their love becomes tested when Ally’s singing career begins to blossom, and Jackson’s slowly comes to a close. A Star Is Born is carried on the shoulders of sensational performances and Cooper’s sharp direction.

2. Blindspotting

Carlos Lopez Estrada’s compelling Sundance Film Festival Opening Night selection, Blindspotting, catapulted to the top of my yearly list and held firm for quite some time. This wildly original examination of human perception is set against the backdrop of a modern-day Oakland undergoing mass gentrification. It’s here we’re introduced to Collin (Daveed Diggs), a felon with three days left on probation, who experiences deep introspection when he witnesses a cop kill a fleeing black man one night. Trust me when I say you’ve never witnessed anything quite like Blindspotting. The film straddles the line between hilarious comedy and intense drama, reminiscent of Spike Lee’s Do The Right Thing, and its deep-rooted message is something we all could learn from.

1. Green Book

Peter Farrelly takes his natural knack for comedy and splices it with a Civil Rights Era backdrop to deliver 2018’s clear-cut number one film. Tony Lip (Viggo Mortensen) is a bouncer from Brooklyn who takes on a well-paying job as both the driver and muscle for a world class pianist (Mahershala Ali) touring the deep south in the early 1960s. Despite Green Book’s unoriginal premise, the film truly stands out thanks to a pair of superbly acted leads that make this a bro-mance comedy first, and a worthwhile drama as a distant second. The laughs are endless and the characters are vividly memorable in 2018’s best film of the year.

Analog Jones’ Stephen Bay’s Best Direct To Video Rentals Of 1993

Were you expecting a list of the best movies of 2018? Nope! Analog Jones and the Temple of Film doesn’t do that; we watch VHS. Let’s take
a trip to the phone booth and dial up 1993! This is my list for 1993’s Best Direct To Video Rentals.

Honorable Mention: Time Runner (1993)

Get ready for Mark Hamill and Brion James! Hamill had a hard time getting work after playing Luke Skywalker, so he paid the rent with a lot
of direct to video work. Most of the movies he appeared in were just
quick cameos, but not Time Runner – he stars in this one. Like most of
these low budget action films, the story is confusing. I know the film takes place in 2022, but we don’t stick around in that time period. In Time Runner we watch Mark Hamill travel back to 1992 and battle aliens. Not his best work but worth a watch. Now, on to the top five picks!

5. Remote (1993)

Who loves Home Alone rip-off films? This guy! Home Alone with Macaulay Culkin is still one of the best Christmas movies ever made. Iconic films like Home Alone always spawn a bunch of direct to video rip-offs, and a few weren’t that bad. Sure, Remote doesn’t have anywhere near the budget of Home Alone, but it’s got twice as many gadgets, like a remote control helicopter dropping Coke cans on nincompoop criminals. This film even finds a way to get a fire-breathing Godzilla toy in it to stop the thieves from getting away. If you are interested in Remote, you can see it on Full Moon Streaming.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PPpDvrgnhc8

4. Prehysteria! (1993)

If you were a kid in the early ’90s, then you remember the tidal wave
of dinosaur movies. It was a great time to be a kid in the rental store on a Friday night. One film that immediately drew attention from my brothers and I was a little film called Prehysteria! The cover had
small dinosaurs on it, so of course it was getting rented. The best part
is the dinosaurs were named after famous singers like Elvis and Jagger. Just like Remote, Prehysteria! is available on Full Moon Streaming.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oQowzNDi6WI

3. Puppet Master 4 (1993)

I swear to you this isn’t the Charles Band movie list of 1993. For
those of you who don’t know who Charles Band is, I don’t have to time
to get into that mad scientist of a filmmaker. Short story, he is the
man behind Moonbeam Entertainment and Full Moon Entertainment, which did Remote, Prehysteria! and Puppet Master 4.

Anyway, let’s dive into Puppet Master 4 and the murderous dolls we can’t help but love. This film is about little demons sent to Earth to kill nazi murder dolls. I know what you are thinking, take my money!

Again, you can catch this on Full Moon Streaming. Alright, enough Charles Band films, seriously, I’m not kidding.

2. TC 2000 (1993)

As I said above, Dinosaurs were enormous in the early ’90s! But, you know what else was cool to rent? Futuristic fighting movies with robots or androids like Robot Wars and Nemesis. You’ll notice very quickly that this film feels like a low budget Robocop world. The story takes place in 2020, not 2000 like the title would suggest. Already my kind of story! A disaster has killed most life on the Earth’s surface, and the rich have moved underground to survive. You don’t need to know much more than that. Just enjoy Billy Blanks and Bolo Yeung fighting, sweating and kicking butt.

https://youtu.be/Dy7GPKw4KBg

1. Cyborg 2 (1993)
Every once in a while you will see an older film with a present-day megastar in it and wonder, WTF? A perfect example is Cyborg 2 and
Angelina Jolie. She’s an android assassin that kills her target by exploding during sex. SOLD! You’ll notice I said android and not a cyborg. The movie doesn’t know the difference between the two, but we
will let it slide. Jack Palance is hamming it up in this, and it’s a joy to watch. He was barely on set, but Palance still is a blast here. This movie also has one of my favorite VHS covers! You can even listen to our review of Cyborg 2 right here.

Thanks for reading! Enjoy your holidays and remember you can listen to Matt Storc and I review old VHS tapes on Analog Jones and the Temple of Film right here on Geekscape!

Derek Kraneveldt

5 . Ready Player One

Ready Player One is the most fun that I had watching a movie this year.

I simply couldn’t put the novel down when I first read it back in 2011 (back before everyone hated nostalgia trips), and I was so engrossed with this adaptation that my full bladder nearly exploded in the theatre as I simply couldn’t look away.

I wasn’t exactly sure just how the film would handle the transitions between the tired and crumbling real world and the computerized land of the OASIS, but the virtual world that Spielberg and company crafted was overflowing with passion and visual splendor. Much like Ready Player One’s characters, I simply wanted to spend as much time in the OASIS as I possibly could.

From every Easter egg, to every reference (I still cannot believe all of the different IP featured in this film), to the insane chase scenes and tearjerking moments between Parzival and Art3mis, Ready Player One is a popcorn hero’s journey that connected with me like very few can, and one that I’ll be watching over and over again for years.

4 . A Star Is Born

I went into A Star Is Born without knowing all that much about it. I vaguely remembered the film looking like a fairly standard romantic drama, and I could not have been more freaking wrong about it.

I wasn’t expecting the incredible chemistry between Bradley Cooper and Lady Gaga. I wasn’t expecting the heartbreaking relationship between Bradley Cooper and Sam Elliot’s characters. I wasn’t expecting the beautiful original songs (and the sultry, raspy, way better than expected singing voice of Bradley Cooper), and I certainly wasn’t expecting to listen to ‘Shallow’ on repeat for several weeks after I left the theatre.

No, I wasn’t expecting all that much from A Star Is Born, and it ended up being one of the most memorable films that I watched this year. It’s a film that expertly lifts your spirits and breaks your heart numerous times over its two-hour duration, and one that I’ll be recommending for years to come.

3 . Searching

Searching absolutely terrified me.

The film’s presentation is beyond impressive — the entire movie is shown through computer/phone displays (an idea that I first saw back in 2015’s Unfriended, taken to another level here), putting you front and centre into the unorthodox, often illogical conversations and attempts at coping of a desperate father on a near impossible search for his missing 16-year old daughter.

With an incredible, heartbreaking performance from Jon Cho, and a myriad of unexpected twists and turns throughout, Searching had me in tears during its opening scene, and on the edge of my seat until the credits started to roll.

Searching marks one of the best thrillers that I’ve seen in years, and is an absolutely underrated gem of 2018.

2 . A Quiet Place

I never could have imagined that Jim from The Office would become a bad-ass action hero and direct one of the very best films of 2018 (and probably one of the most intense films that I’ve ever seen).

A Quiet Place may have been the most impressive theatregoing experience that I had this year. I’ve never heard a packed auditorium become so absolutely silent before in my life – almost as if the audience themselves were trying not to alert the film’s terrifying creatures. I heard no chatter, no crunching of popcorn or laboured opening of M&M’s packages – you could feel the tension in the building, and nearly everyone freaked the hell out during the film’s early jump scares.

A Quiet Place is simply a horrifying tale of the lengths that one will go to to protect the ones they love. It’s chock full of incredible visuals, memorable performances, and has some of the best sound design in recent memory. It truly freaked the shit out me, and I cannot wait to visit this world again.

1 . Eighth Grade

Eight Grade was such a powerful, moving feature that I don’t even know where to begin.

The film is a scarily accurate portrait of growing up. From anxiety to introversion to trying (and failing) to put yourself out there and the repercussions of all of it, there wasn’t a moment of Eighth Grade that didn’t resonate with me; the scene with Kayla and Riley in the car may just be the scariest and most disgusting scene of any film that I saw this year, while watching Kayla befriend and look up to Olivia the twelfth grader warmed my freaking heart. Seeing Kayla and her father truly connect (after failing to for most of the film) was both heartwarming and heartbreaking, and definitely made me wish that I could cultivate deeper relationships with my own family.

Eighth Grade was my favourite film of 2018, and I think its one that will be revered for a long time to come. Bo Burnham has crafter a nearly perfect, hard hitting, coming of age drama, and the fact that I’m tearing up just thinking about the film almost six months after I last saw it is probably the best commendation that I could possibly give it.

Honorable Mention: First Man – Those scenes on the moon certainly looked spectacular in IMAX, but the most impressive part of First Man was Ryan Gosling’s performance. As someone who has lost a daughter (though in my case, one that I never really got to meet – a stillborn, to make a long story short) watching Gosling’s Neil Armstrong trudge through his life and his relationships as an absolutely broken man felt like looking in the mirror at times. To watch him achieve and achieve and literally change the world, and to so rarely look proud or even crack a smile doing it even years after the loss of his daughter resonated deeply with me, and watching the relationships with his partner, his kids, and his friends and colleagues certainly reminded me to focus on what’s really important when dealing with one’s grief. For me this year, there was no more impressive, or more important performance, than this one.

Mikaela Maxwell

5. Life Itself

Last year Derek and I watched The Glass Castle, which was a super poignant story about a family and how confusing and painful it can be to be a part of one, and I soooobbed the whole way through. I figured that was a one off. Turns out I was wrong, because I sobbed a whole dang lot during Life Itself, too.

This movie swerves you at the beginning as you are trying to figure out who’s who in the zoo, and then you jump into another tangle of family dynamics. I think looking at family dynamics is always interesting to me and pulls at my heart strings, cause I come from a family made up of so many different bits of different families and people who just want to love and be loved and have to fight through so much pain to do that. That is the kind of feeling this movie captures.

This movie does a wonderful job of telling a story about people and their lives and the events that shape them. It shows us the power of perspective and how no one can ever really know someone else’s whole truth.

4. Ralph Breaks The Internet

I saw the original Wreck it Ralph way after it came out, and I had no idea what I was missing! I enjoyed that movie so much, and was so excited for the new one, that I became a little nervous it wouldn’t be able to live up to the hype in my head. I needn’t have worried, as Ralph Breaks the Internet was amazing!

The story is about following your dreams and letting go a little so the people you love can follow theirs, and it is so well done. I am always so amazed when a “kids” movie can be so fun and entertaining while dealing with concepts that feel so adult. Navigating through friendship and feelings and figuring out who you want to be, all feel like big adult problems, but are really things we starting having to do and learn from a very young age.

I really enjoyed how cleverly this movie nods to sooooo many internet cliches. It’s like they found the perfect mix of child and adult humour and it is all based on real life stuff from this bizarre, fickle, internet obsessed culture we live in. I also liked that this movie did not revolve around a romantic relationship. It seems like so many movies are focused on that, which makes sense cause it is a big part of our lives, but this one didn’t and it was so perfect without it. It is just such a refreshing feel good film!

Whether you have kids in your life or not, I definitely recommend making this one a priority!

3. Hereditary

It is kind of surprising to me that I am so eager to put a horror movie on my favourites list, until a few years ago I probably hadn’t watched a horror movie since I was about 14. With Derek in my life I started watching them again, and have come to really appreciate some of them! This one I was super extra excited for, like to the extent that I was the one pestering everybody to see it immediately when it came to theatres.

This movie did not disappoint.

I was so uncomfortable the entire time we were watching it.

Every aspect of Hereditary is designed to make you uncomfortable, from the eery sounds, to the camera angles, the characters and the creepy art. The story takes turns you never expected and you spend the whole time trying to catch the clues you know you are missing. I walked out of there wanting to go back and rewatch immediately so I could see how the story was spelled out without me even realizing it, but also feeling too disturbed to handle sitting through it again.

I’m probably almost ready to watch it again, though my tummy is twisting a little just thinking about it. But if you have yet to watch it, and are up for the challenge of a truly horrifying movie, I highly recommend this one!

2. A Star Is Born

I went into this movie not even knowing that there had been multiple versions of it previously, so it was all new and wonderful. I wouldn’t say I go out of my way for Bradley Cooper or Lady Gaga, but I definitely will now. I was interested to see Lady Gaga’s acting performance, and to hear Bradley Cooper’s singing, and both were phenomenal. I was engaged from the moment this movie started.

The music is so well done in this movie, and was a big draw for me, their voices are simply incredible. I definitely listened to the soundtrack repeatedly after watching A Star Is Born. The story is hopeful and heartbreaking all at the same time. It looks at the hardships of mental health and addiction, demonstrating not only the impact on the person who is struggling, but also the people around them who love them the most.

1. A Quiet Place

I remember walking out of the theatre feeling totally amazed that I could be so emotionally invested in a scary movie. This movie made me cry too many times for a movie about some sort of planet invasion by an alien species, but that’s not really what it was about in the end anyways!

This movie shocks you right from the beginning and you have to wonder how anyone survives what they go through. Monsters that can only find you by hearing you and having to live in complete silence seemed like a clever twist on an alien movie. And then you find out this movie is actually about the love of a family, and people who would do anything to give their kids the best life possible in the worst of circumstances. I’m sure I spent a good portion of the movie wishing they had just used some danged birth control because how in the hell are you supposed to go through labour without yelling, and how are you supposed to stop a danged baby from crying?!

The movie was super well shot, the sound design of a silent movie was pretty incredible, and the acting was on point. This movie had so many things going for it , and it totally delivered. Do yourself a favour and go watch it.

Honourable Mentions:

Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse
Unsane
Searching
Eighth Grade

Jonathan London

A Quiet Place

Avengers: Infinity War

Three Identical Strangers

Eighth Grade

Juliet, Naked

Mid90s

Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse

Won’t You Be My Neighbor?

Green Book

Game Night

Geekscape Roundtable: Our 2018 Holiday Wishlist!

by Derek KraneveldtDecember 5, 2018

The holiday season is here, and regardless of the exact holiday that you plan on celebrating this year, we know that you’re just in it for the presents (well, and the family/friends, and the food, and some other things too, but mostly the presents).

Instead of doing a traditional gift guide (if your giftee likes x, get them y, etc), we thought we’d take another route: tell you what we‘d want for our holiday gifts. You know our writers, so chances are that if you need to pick up a gift for someone similar, they’ll probably be into the same stuff!

Here goes! Enjoy, and be sure to let us know what gifts you’re hoping for in the comments below!

Matt Storc – Analog Jones and the Temple of Film

5. Silent Night Deadly Night 2 (Scream Factory Blu-ray)

I’ll start with my most conventional pick here. The mad geniuses at Scream Factory are putting the movie that “Garbage Day!” comes from on to a feature packed Blu-ray. What a world. I actually love this film a whole lot and I would love to hear more about what went into making it. This release may not be for everybody, but it’s tailor made for my tastes.

4. Winterbeast (on VHS)

Winterbeast is one of my “white whale” titles that has eluded me for years. I love the output of the 1990s from indie video label Tempe Video. Ozone, Bloodletting, and Skinned Alive are some of my all time favorite films. Winterbeast was put out some time in the early/mid 90s, and I have never actually seen it in person. Completing my collection would really fill me with the holiday spirit if I tracked this one down this year.

3. Freaked Action Figures

In 1993, Alex Winter of Bill and Ted helped birth a film that would shape me as a film fan. Freaked features an eclectic cast of characters such as the cowboy, the beast boy, and the bearded lady among others, played by actors like John Hawkes, Keanu Reeves, and Mr T. The characters, naturally, would make for some excellent toys. Fortunately, there is a small run of action figures that were made for the film. They’re extremely hard to find, but I would lose it if I ever found any of them out in the wild.

2. Beetlejuice Baseball Hat

Beetlejuice is another defining film for me. I’ve been obsessed with this film for my whole life. I’m not a person who likes to have a lot of “stuff”. I like to have the movies, but shirts, posters, lunchboxes, and the like are not for me. I used to have a white and purple snapback hat with this very Beetlejuice logo as a kid, and I loved it. It was mine until one fateful Halloween night in the early 2010s when it got lost on the way to a party. I would love to have this again and sport it to every weird film festival I attend (as long as it’s not on Halloween night.)

1. Castle Freak Barf Bag

I saved the weirdest for last. Back in the day, theaters would pass out barf bags, similar to those found in airplanes, to unsuspecting patrons when they came to see movies like gross out movies like Lucio Fulci’s Zombie or Tombs of the Blind Dead. In the late 80s, that all but died. However, for a German release of Stuart Gordon’s Castle Freak, which he made for (my favorite) Full Moon Pictures in the 90s, there were these little promo items made. I would really love to come across one of these, preferably not filled.

Derek Kraneveldt

Keyforge: Call of the Archons Decks

After spending a couple of hours with Valve’s just-released Artifact back at PAX West (read about it here), my long-dead love for card games was suddenly reinvigorated. The Elder Scrolls: Legends now gets daily playtime on my phone, and I’ve also become nigh-obsessed with a new physical card game from Fantasy Flight Games called Keyforge: Call of the Archons.

Keyforge is designed by Magic: The Gathering Creator Richard Garfield (who also designed Artifact), and it’s bonkers. Rather than needing to buy cards and booster packs to build your own decks, every deck in Keyforge is unique (with 104,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 combinations possible in this first set).

Magic: The Gathering events often felt like an “I spent more money than you, so I win,” situation, and the very core mechanics of Keyforge ensure that this simply can’t be the case. You just grab a $10 deck, and learn how to best play it on the fly.

I’ve already picked up a starter set (including two training decks, two unique decks, and a bunch of counters and tokens), and four additional unique decks. I’d likely have even more at this point, but the game is sold out pretty much everywhere!

Fallout: The Board Game

As much hate and backlash as Fallout 76 has been getting since its release, I’m over 30 hours into the title and am mostly having a ton of fun (read my impressions of the game following my first four hours of play right here).

While browsing Amazon for Fallout merchandise a couple of weeks back, I learned that there’s an official Fallout board game adaptation, and that based on the reviews I’ve read since, it’s really good.

The game supports 1-4 players, and is apparently a fantastic solo experience as well. Players will explore the wasteland, complete quests, battle creatures, and deal with factions, and while each player has their own win conditions, each action can affect the rest of the board as well.

I didn’t realize that solo board games were even a thing, but I’d be excited to check out Fallout: The Board Game with some friends, or even as a lone wanderer.

MoKo JoyCon Grip For Nintendo Switch

This one’s pretty simple. As amazing as the Nintendo Switch is, its JoyCons are tiny, and my hands cramp up to hell after just a few round of Mario Kart 8.

These grips look to make the JoyCon feel much closer to a standard gaming controller, and I can’t even imagine just how much more comfortable gaming with a single JoyCon could be when inside one of these.

Xbox Game Pass

You’ve probably heard me throwing down praise about Xbox Game Pass on Geekscape Games like the show was sponsored by Microsoft (I wish), but the service really is one of the best values in all of gaming, and I simply can’t get enough of it.

Xbox Game Pass gives you unlimited access to over 100 games at a time for a low subscription fee. Through the service, I’ve discovered some amazing titles that I otherwise would have never even looked at, and because every Microsoft Studios published game is on the service on the very day it releases, I’ve saved a ton of money by playing titles like Sea of Thieves (review here), State of Decay 2 (review here), and Forza Horizon 4 through Game Pass instead of buying them individually.

Microsoft has been pushing Game Pass hard, and also has some great deals on the service over the holiday season. In Canada, an entire year will cost you just $90, which works out to just $7.50 per month. Unreal.

A Vacation

Yeah, I asked for one last year. We couldn’t really make it happen, so I’m hoping that we can make something happen in the next twelve months.

Stephen Bay – Analog Jones and the Temple of Film

Hi, my name is Stephen Bay, and you can hear me with Matt Storc on our podcast Analog Jones and the Temple of Film right here on Geekscape, where we break down old VHS tapes from your past.

Since we are a VHS-focussed podcast, I thought I would talk about some of the VHS covers I would love to add to my collection this Christmas.

I spread the love around and tried to include all kinds of genres, enjoy the list!

Heartbeeps (1981) (Sci-fi/Romantic Comedy)

Heartbeeps isn’t a rare VHS, it’s going on eBay anywhere from $5-$12, but it is a weird one. I had never even heard of this movie until I saw this cover in the book “VHS Video Cover Art” from Thomas Hodge. Once I realized that the film was about two robots (Andy Kaufman and Bernadette Peters) that fall in love, make a baby robot from spare parts and run from a police robot hot on their tailpipes, I knew it needed to be in my collection.

Gremloids (1984) (Sci-fi/Comedy)

The first time I saw this movie was on a YouTube channel called Good Bad Flicks, but sadly
that video has been taken down. Still, I suggest watching his videos if you’re into lovable bad movies. It’s a parody of Star Wars that predates Spaceballs believe it or not by three years. If you do your research on this film, you may find it under the title Hyperspace.

Prepare to fear Lord Buckethead and go on an adventure with Captain Starfighter (what a creative name)!

Dead End Drive-in (1986) (Sci-fi/Post Apocalyptic)

SO MUCH PINK. If you ever walked past this VHS cover, you couldn’t help but look and figure out what’s going on. A giant female 80’s punk is slashing at a truck smashing through a drive-in sign. SOLD! Even the back of the VHS is interesting with the movies still shots being placed in geometric shapes that may be spelling out DED END in front of brick. Dead End Drive-in is a fantastic piece I would love to add to my collection.

Wizards of the Lost Kingdom (1985) (Action/Adventure/Family)

I own this one but then again, I don’t. I have a VHS rip of this on DVD from VHSPS. I’m not going to count that as really owning it because I can’t put that on my VHS media shelves. The cover of Wizards of the Lost Kingdom has everything to attract a teenage boy on it. A castle in peril, a kid, holding up a sword on a flying lion/werewolf dragon and the hint of magic. Hell, I want to go on this adventure, and I’m a guy in my 30’s!

The Video Dead (1987) (Horror/Comedy)

Here it is, my holy grail VHS, and The Video Dead is a hard one to find on VHS. The last eBay bidding war I got into with this one ended somewhere in the $90 range. I gave up on the bidding war around $45, but I enjoyed watching two nerds fight over a piece of dead media.

The first time I ever saw this movie was on a poster in the adult section in my little town’s rental shop. My conservative hometown or at least the conservative owners on this particular rental shop put some of the horror movies behind the curtain with the adult films. Missouri is a special place! One day as a young boy I got the courage to peek behind the curtain and to the right on the wall was this poster taped
up. My courage ended real quick, and I ran off after seeing that zombie burst through that TV with bolts of electricity flying everywhere. No matter what you think of the movie, you’ve got to admit that is one of the best VHS covers out there!

Thanks for reading and remember to listen to Analog Jones and the Temple of Film on Geekscape!

Jonathan London

Fireball Island

In the last 10 years our community has seen an overwhelming surge in the popularity of board and tabletop gaming. And other than my monthly D&D group (RIP) or the occasional game of Pandemic with friends, I’ve been satisfied with just being witness to the recent craze. Well, that ends now because Fireball Island is back! Last year, the team at Florida’s Restoration Games launched a Kickstarter to raise $250,000 to bring back a new and improved version of the 80s boardgame classic Fireball Island. The campaign went on to raise over 10 times that! Now the complete game, with fireball marbles, giant volcano head, adventurer figures and various support decks has been released. I finally saw the game in person last week and felt like I was 8 years old all over again (as if any of you ever believed my maturity levels had progressed past that point)! This looks like my kind of game night, hanging out with friends and traversing and discovering the island’s endless traps and treasures as we try to escape a fiery death!

Coração de Cowboy on iTunes and VOD

In late 2016, fellow Geekscapist Gui Pereira and I went to his hometown of São Paolo, Brazil and shot his feature film Coração de Cowboy. Gui and I wrote the script together and Geekscape acted as a promotional partner in the film’s Brazilian wide release this past September (which as of the writing of this list has stretched to 11 weeks and counting)! I don’t know how much the story of a popular country musician returning to his small town roots in order to rediscover himself will speak to you, Geekscapists, but it is a beautiful film, full of incredible music (and some Geekscape shirt placements here and there). If you’re okay reading subtitles (the film is in Portuguese) would be a perfect film to watch with your family for the holidays. Keep your eyes peeled to this site and ears to the podcast for news on the iTunes and VOD release dates this month!

Gold Fold AD Wallet

Geekscape is off and running on its latest co-production ‘Chasing Fletcher Allen’ and this Gold Fold wallet, given to me by my fellow co-writer, producer and the film’s star (and regular Geekscape guest) Heidi Cox, has been in my back pocket the whole time. We have a lot of filmmakers who visit our site or listen to our podcasts and I’m here to tell you that the Gold Fold is a lifesaver, even if you’re not an Assistant Director. I have my director’s notebook by my side filled with my sketches, shot lists and notes. But over the course of a production day, you pick up various call sheets, notes or other pieces of paper that just end up getting jammed into your pockets. You need them at a moment’s notice and it’s often not helpful to be flipping through your production notebook to find what you’re looking for. The Gold Fold is a perfect place to put those documents you need to reference at a moment’s notice to give out a line, look up a note or find a number on a call sheet. It’s pricey, but I won’t tackle another production day without it.

Mikaela Maxwell

I’m a last minute kinda gal, and as we were reaching the last minute of being able to write this wishlist, life kinda exploded. So… flash to me sitting in the airport rapidly trying to pin down all of my biggest and smallest dreams and put the metaphorical pen to paper.

As I look back at last year’s wishlist I realize that I continue to long for many of the same things, and I actually received a couple of them, too!

So I guess sometimes wishes do come true…

A Trip To Bali

This is definitely a repeat, and a more clearly defined wish from last year. Well, actually it’s a wish from about the last 5 years, but this year it has become a goal, and is becoming attainable! I have wanted to go to Bali for sooo long. I think this stems from hearing amazing stories from friends who have been and seeing amazing photos, and probably subconsciously from watching Eat, Pray, Love (side note, if anyone has any recommendations for a place with similar vibes but less trashed by tourists, please holla and give me the inside scoop!)

I have been longing to go on an adventure to an exciting new place, but this year I am actually making strides towards turning this into a reality. That said, if Santa wants to give me a break from working overtime shifts and just pop some plane tickets under the tree, no complaints here!

Luxurious Hair Care for 1 Year (or heck why not dream real big and say life?)

So, I was a bit of an awkward teenager, who didn’t really find my stride beauty wise until my early 20’s. This is when I followed my heart, chopped all my hair off, and became a bad ass b*tch! Ok well I don’t know about that last part, but my hotness vibes definitely skyrocketed (except to my family, who were attached to the idea of long blond hair, and became pretty convinced that I had decided to bat for the other team?!)

A few years ago I decided to grow my hair out for a friends wedding, and once I had those long locks again I decided to experiment a bit before going back to old faithful hair cut! So I got it died blonde (pretty great) and then I went red (also great), and then I got it chopped off and to my horror IT WAS AWFUL! So a year later I have grown it out a bunch again, but am terrified of risking the chop again, and it turns out that red is hard and / or expensive to get away from 😳

So now I am in desperate need of some hair expertise, but as per my above wish list item I have other money priorities and cant go around spending all the $$$ on my hair this year! I just wanna feel like a bad ass b*tch again!

https://www.instagram.com/p/BoZOj9ggKNK/?utm_source=ig_web_options_share_sheet

A Personal Trainer/Gym Membership

The past few years, not much effort or care has been given to my body and taking care of it. Although I am not going to hold this against myself, I recognize that in coping with grief and loss over the past couple years I could have done worse things, it is time to smarten up and get my act together. That being said, I’ve never been an overly active kinda guy, and don’t really know the best way to go about taking better care of my body.
To this end it would be very helpful to have someone I could ask for guidance in this area, and who could help me to make sure that I am doing things properly, while also helping me to feel more comfortable and confident getting sweaty around people who have been doing this for all the years!

Black Boots

Mid-calf to tall black boots are basically a staple in every girl’s wardrobe! My personal faves are slouchy black boots, usually flats so I don’t have to be coordinated, and not too shiny, but not suede. My biggest issue in the hunt to find the perfect pair is having big calves! It’s really hard to find boots that fit perfectly when you’re legs are somewhere between a size 2 and plus sizes!

I used to have the perfect pair, found at Target, if only I had known they would up and disappear from Canada I woulda bought another pair. Sadly, after many faithful years of wear, through all the seasons, it was time to let them go to their new home… the garbage.

But now I have been on a fruitless hunt for the perfect pair for years. So if anyone has any tips on where to find the best basic boots, again, holla at me!

So Many Make-Ups

The day before I started writing this I realized that I had miss placed my entire travel makeup bag. Which means that I had lost all of my very favourite makeup/applicators/jewelry etc. Like for real, you don’t really realize how much money you have sunk into makeup until you lose it all in one fell swoop. I kept thinking of another thing that was in that bag valued somewhere between $20-50 and it was all adding up to waaay too much.

Luckily, mid writing I found out my precious lost makeup bag had been FOUND!!! Glorious!

So, while I no longer need a Christmas miracle to replace all of my basics, I certainly am gonna stick to wishing for a few more favourites to add to the collection!

In the past few years I have found my love of Sephora, it is makeup heaven. So I always point my in-laws in the direction of Sephora gift cards when they are looking for gift ideas, and this year will be no different. I’m not really in need of anything specific, but am always searching for the perfect red lipstick/balm/stain. I’ve heard good things about Huda Beauty and I think that’ll be my next trial for a long wear red lip, or they have a pretty coral eye pallet that might be nice!

Sewing Accessories

Last year I listed a sewing machine as one of my wish list items, AND I ACTUALLY GOT IT! So exciting! And then I promptly never touched it for almost the whole year. Until the week before Halloween when I made a badass Stranger Things dress (you know, the iconic pink one that Eleven wears)! I cant even lie, after 20 hours, over 4 days, and one million phone calls to my mom to ask how to even sew, I am suuuper proud of that beast. And Derek is basically the cutest Eleven ever.

I also made a skirt to wear to my staff Christmas party, and it turned out pretty danged good if I do say so myself!

So now I’ve got the bug! I wanna sew all the things! Including another skirt, that isn’t so sparkly so I can actually wear it on the regular, and maybe even try my hand at quilting! I’ve also realized the value of having some proper sewing equipment. I’m hoping for a self healing cutting mat, a rotary cutter, a proper sewing/quilting ruler, and maybe my mom or sister will take me on a fabric shopping date!

Chara Expo 2018: The Details Behind Kenny Omega’s ‘BanG Dream’ Commercial

by Josh JacksonNovember 15, 2018

Back in July, I was lucky enough to attend the New Japan Pro Wrestling G1 Special In San Francisco show. Expecting to walk away with some amazing live matches from the likes of Hiromu Takahashi, Kazuchika Okada, Tetsuya Naito, and the newly crowned IWGP World Heavyweight Champion, Kenny Omega, the show delivered on each of those fronts.

However, what I didn’t expect, was to get hooked on a new mobile game by NJPW’s parent company, Bushiroad. During intermission, a hilariously absurd commercial kept playing of Omega intensely playing a rhythm game in the ring in between performing his signature wrestling moves. Simultaneously showing off the skill needed to be the best all-female band and the level of physical fitness needed to full clear a Roselia song, the absurd premise stuck with me. Soon after, a friend sent me the commercial to make sure I had seen it, and suggested I try playing the game since he was already a big fan of the game. The game was BanG Dream: Girls Band Party, which is unironically one of my favorite games of the year. As for the commercial… See for yourself.

Fast forward to Chara Expo 2018, a convention that housed both NJPW AND BanG Dream fans in celebration of everything Bushiroad. After being victorious against David Finlay and cutting a BanG Dream related promo, Omega moved on to a meet and greet autograph session with his fans. Not one to pass up a “golden” opportunity, I made sure to tell him that I got into the game because of his commercial in San Francisco. To my surprise and delight, he took an extra minute or so to tell me some details behind the commercial that reflected on his well known love of video games and anime.

Despite being part of the same parent company, Omega didn’t know what BanG Dream was until he was approached to do the commercial.
Omega was asked to learn how to legitimately get a full clear on Louder by Roselia, the song featured in the commercial.
The footage in the commercial was really him playing the featured song on Hard difficulty. As a fan of rhythm games, this lined up with his typical interests.
After preparing for and shooting the commercial, Omega became a legitimate fan of the game and the music behind it, to the point where he would later perk up and try to catch Roselia on stage during their concert a few feet away.
During his post-match promo, he said he had requested to wrestle at Chara Expo specifically so he could bring together fans of NJPW and BanG Dream, since he’s apart of the anime, wrestling and gaming fandoms himself.

Kenny Omega with Aiai Aiba (AKA Yukina Minato of Roselia) at Chara Expo 2018. Photo source: @kennyomegamanx on Twitter

As a fan who was only expecting to exchange pleasantries and an autograph, it was so cool to geek out as gamers with the world champion of one of the biggest pro wrestling companies in the world. Big thanks to Kenny for providing the details behind the commercial, which was a gesture that went above and beyond the typical autograph experience.

Omega is looking to “change the world” through wrestling, so maybe it’s anime girl bands that can help him take that next step towards world domination. Until then, I’m waiting for someone to make their full fledged wrestling gimmick a J-Rock goth girl who intensely plays mobile games while wrestling.

Fantastic Fest 2018 Review: ‘FP2: Beats Of Rage’

by SaintmortSeptember 26, 2018

When Jason Trost released The FP back in 2011, I don’t think anyone could have predicted the influence it would have on some people. Some fans made life-long commitments with The FP tattoos (Like Geekscape’s own Frank Sanders), some made life-long commitments with marriage (more on that later), and many allowed the film’s dialogue to become part of their every day vernacular. I know I’ve often ask someone “What are you being for Halloween this year? A Bitch!?” and for that I’ll always be appreciative of Jason “J-Tro” Trost.

Not pictured: Frank’s awesome The FP tattoo

I was thrilled when I looked at the films playing this year’s Fantastic Fest and saw FP2: Beats of Rage would be screened. It played midnight Saturday for a rowdy crowd of fans and a newlywed couple (seriously listen to the interview at the bottom of this page for more information on this). The Alamo has a strict no-talking rule – with one exception, because if you’re watching the FP2: Beats of Rage and you’re not chanting J-TRO and yelling about at the screen… you’re not doing it right.

So is it good? It is. Is it better than the original? For me not quite, but it’s still damn good. It’s also worth noting that this was my only watch of FP2: Beats of Rage so far, while my love of the original grew with more viewings. I have a strong feeling that FP2 will also be a grower.

The film takes place a few years after the original FP ends, J-Tro is alone again, isolated from his friends, mostly spending his time in a garage fixing old technologies like a Bop-It (not to be confused with Skip-It) and stealing alcohol to get drunk in a drainage pipe. When his former trainer BLT is 187ed by AK-47 of the Wastelands, JTRO must go on a journey to his birthplace to compete in the ancient Beat-Beat tournament Beats of Rage.

While the original film took its comedic beats by very seriously paying homage to films like Rocky IV and Rambo: First Blood Part II despite the outrageous subject matter; Trost does more of the same here, but this time parodying the outrageous sequels like Temple of Doom, Beyond Thunderdome and just a slight dabble of Krull. It allows the film to not just be a carbon copy of the original and is a giant breathe of fresh air for the budding franchise.

During the Q&A following the screening, Trost promised that Part 3 will be on the horizon. Until then I eagerly await the next installment. Learn more about the movie and the newlyweds that attended the screening by checking out the interview below, and be on the lookout for more Fantastic Fest coverage!

Fantastic Fest 2018 Review: ‘LadyWorld’

by SaintmortSeptember 26, 2018

Fantastic Fest 2018 had a lot of movies vying for your attention, but LadyWorld was the only thing at Fantastic Fest that I could call an experience.

Amanda Kramer’s directorial debut is a brave and challenging attack on the audience’s psyche. She knows that she’s created a divisive movie and she’s damn proud of it – and she should be.

LadyWorld tells the story of 8 teenage girls who survive an off-screen earthquake. The title sequence is a black screen with actresses names appearing in small font in the corners while we hear the Earthquake happening. It’s impressive something so minimal can be so effective in setting a tone and building dread before a single shot of the film has been shown.

https://youtu.be/1lVrGz8rX3c

The eight girls, now trapped underground in a house start their survival game which quickly devolves into Lord of the Flies. No character is specifically good or bad but some are more bratty or cruel than others. Some characters start off likable but time and lack of food make them crazier and meaner, while others attempt to hold the moral high ground.

It’s simply incredible that Amanda Kramer managed to get such powerful and real performances out of the young cast. Each actress is absolutely fearless in their performance and all have the potential to be up and coming superstars in the future. That being said, the true star of LadyWorld has to be its sound design.

Throughout the movie, off in the distance you just hear constant rumbling that grows a feeling of doom and gloom as the film builds. On top of that the soundtrack is entirely acapella, and is scattered with sighs, yells, and vocal harmonies layered onto each other and other noises. While I doubt it was a direct influence, the soundtrack reminded me of the bizarre soundtrack Pino Donaggio did for the 1979 slasher film Tourist Trap.

Amanda Kramer has leaped to the top of my directors to follow list. I can not wait to see what she brings to us with her sophomore film.

At Fantastic Fest I had the opportunity to talk to Kramer about life, people and of course the movie LadyWorld. Give it a listen right here, and be on the lookout for more Fantastic Fest 2018 coverage.

Fantastic Fest 2018 Review: ‘You Might Be The Killer’

by SaintmortSeptember 26, 2018

Camp owner Sam (Fran Kranz) wakes up in the middle of the woods to discover someone has butchered his counselors. He runs to a cabin and immediately calls his best friend Chuck (Alyson Hannigan), a comic shop employee and horror buff. Originally intending to get advice on how to survive the night, soon Sam is seeking Chuck’s help to jog his memory and make that sure he’s not the person who committed these violent acts.

I didn’t know what to expect when I sat in a theater at 12:50pm on Friday. All that I knew about You Might Be The Killer was what the three sentences on Fantastic Fest’s website told me, and it sounded like it could be right up my alley.

What I got was my favorite horror film in years.

When you’re a horror fan, you tend to have specific sub-genres you consider yourself an expert in. For me, it’s slasher movies – I don’t think there’s a slasher film in existence that I haven’t watched. I blame this on Scream being my first real horror movie, it lit a fire in me that I didn’t even know was waiting to be sparked. I rented every slasher film I could get my hands on, I bought every slasher movie documentary released, and I read countless textbooks on the genre. It’s obvious that You Might Be The Killer director Brett Simmons did the same.

There is a beautiful visual style scattered throughout this movie that highlights the two sides of the film. Our two leads are shot in starkly different places; whenever you see Sam or the camp it’s always in a grainy style. It looks exactly like the 1980’s VHS tapes you and your friends used to watch at sleepovers. With the exception of some flashbacks, Sam’s scenes are all masked in darkness and dim lighting. Chuck, however, being separated from the craziness of the camp massacre in a brightly lit comic book shop full of lively and chatty characters. The picture is of a modern HD quality that you’re used to seeing.

This is because we are Chuck. We’re in the modern day listening in on Sam’s experience and how it brings back the 80’s nostalgia we all harbor.

You Might Be the Killer is a film that would fit in with modern meta-horror films like Final Girls and Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon but also would not be out of place being marathoned along side classics like Friday the 13th Part 5: A New Beginning, Sleepaway Camp or the still painfully under-appreciated There’s Nothing Out There.

Sorry Hereditary, A Quiet Place and Suspiria… this is my favorite horror film of 2018.

At Fantastic Fest I was lucky enough to get to sit with director Brett Simmons and Producers Thomas P Vitale and Griff Furst. We sat outside an ice cream parlor talking about our favorite horror films and how this film was inspired by a twitter conversation between two famous comic writers during an unreasonably windy Saturday in Austin. Enjoy, and stay tuned for more Fantastic Fest coverage!

Geekscape Games Podcast: Level 167 – PAX West Day 1

by Derek KraneveldtAugust 31, 2018

Courtney, Mikaela, Derek, and Jake break down what they saw and played during the first day of PAX West!

THIS EPISODE:

Derek is sick, but LOVES With Friends Like These. Jake plays Ace Combat and won’t let Courtney talk. Mikaela plays some AMAZING VR on Oculus Rift and gets FOMO because there are so many games at PAX West!

The group chats about these games and more:

The Gardens Between
Soundfall
Stormland
Battletech Panel
Marvel Battle Lines
Driftland
Aground
With Friends Like These
Fortnite Offsite

We’ll be posting two addition PAX West episodes while we’re here, so stay tuned tomorrow night, and Monday!

https://soundcloud.com/geekscape-games/167-pax-west-2018-day-1

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Geekscape Games Theme Song: Winter Frosts – MmcM

Outro – The Safety Dance

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PAX West 2018: ‘With Friends Like These’ Is Weird, Adorable, and Super Cooperative

by Derek KraneveldtAugust 31, 2018

I’ve just barely begun to walk the expansive show floor at this year’s PAX West (my first time at the expo, aside from that time I borrowed a badge for like 30 minutes), and it’s freaking tough not to be immediately overwhelmed.

There are incredible, unreleased games everywhere. As far as the eye can see, in absolutely any direction, you’ll see a myriad of titles that you’ve never heard of that look like the coolest things that have ever existed in your entire freaking life.

Seriously, this place is amazing, and I’m so excited to peruse the floor, to play more games, and to buy buy buy buy buy (or pre-order).

But today, I fell in love with a beautiful, simple, weird co-op game called With Friends Like These.

The game comes from Shy Kids Club (which I accidentally labelled as simply Shy Kids Games in my still to come audio interview, so apologies for that), the husband and wife duo of Nicole Lawson and Craig Brown from Canberra, Australia. With Friends Like These is set to be their first retail release after finding some success with game jams in the past, and I think that it’s pretty clear that they’ve come across something special with the mechanics at work here.

See, With Friends Like These is a co-op title (there is also single player, so if you’re all alone, don’t worry) where two players control parts of the same ship. One player can move the ship, while the other controls the ship’s single gun. It sounds really simple, but can get complicated really quickly, as who is doing what changes depending on whether the ship is in the air, or in the water.

To start, it’s pretty hard to get used to. In many instances I had just been controlling the ship, and it took way too freaking long for me to figure out that this was no longer the case. As time goes on, however, your brain gets used to it, and you begin to better anticipate and prepare for just when these switches will happen. The game does a phenomenal job of forcing verbal communication between you and your gaming partner, as timing is crucial – near the end of our demo, a giant, angry monster was chasing us and frequently shooting different coloured projectiles (one player is blue, one is pink, and each can only destroy enemies or projectiles of their respective colour), we had to time just when our controls would switch (again, the players have no control over this, it happens automatically when you switch between moving through water and air) so that we could keep our momentum, and so that the player who would become the gun could immediately shoot the already incoming projectiles.

I just made it sound way more complicated than it is. As I said, after a few minutes of play, you’ll get used to the mechanics, and it becomes all about timing, teamwork, and communication, and it’s so much fun.

Naturally, it’s beautiful too. Nicole does all of the gorgeous art for the title, and Craig says that she’s pretty weird, so, for instance, in an area that needed a gate, she added a slug that was vomiting rainbows instead. Even during the short demo, there were a lot of interesting, hilarious moments that you could easily miss if you weren’t paying attention.

Also, that story tho. Here’s the synopsis:

Everyone on your home planet is super bored and over worked! So you and your bestie have decide to take everyone on a trip to crazy time planet where everyone can let off some steam. Unfortunately, things go wrong and you crash into Super Chill world, your friends don’t realise they’re on the wrong planet and start to cause chaos. It’s up to you to collect up all your friends before they cause too much damage and drive the super chill residents insane.

Super Chill planet is made up of water and air floating around everywhere. Players have to work together to navigate their way around and find their crazy friends. While the blue player flies the ship in water, the pink player will zap pink ‘bullets’ that teleport your friends back to the bus. When the ship flies into air, the roles will swap, the pink player will then fly and the blue player will zap blue bullets. You also have to match the colour bullets to the colour of your friends eyes.

Yeah. I love it (and you can hear me gushing over it on today’s Geekscape Games episode).

With Friends Like These will launch in 2019 for PC and Switch. Take a look at the trailer below, and be sure to let us know what you think! Look for my audio interview with Craig on Geekscape Games later this week!

Emerald City Comic-Con Was An Overwhelmingly Beautiful Celebration Of Art, Fandom, And So Much More!

by Mikaela MaxwellMarch 15, 2018

This year’s Emerald City Comic-Con was by far the biggest convention (or event in general) that I have ever been to, and it was pretty amazing… and overwhelming… and so freaking exciting! Due to constant studying on how to help save lives better (I’m an Emergency Room Nurse currently doing some pretty intense additional schooling and certifications) I was only able to make it to the show floor for Saturday and Sunday, which was a super bummer, but still so worth it to make the mini trek down to Seattle. I definitely hope that I get to attend again in the future, and spend all four days at the convention centre!

This was my journey to and at Emerald City Comic-Con 2018. I hope that you enjoy it!

Mid afternoon on Friday I hurried out of the hospital and started my mini-roadtrip to meet up with Derek in Seattle. I have to say, this was actually an unexpected treat! I spend a lot of time transiting/driving, and have come to love listening to an audiobook while commuting. This time around I just wasn’t feeling my current book, so I listened to an episode of Geekscape Games, and then turned on a 90’s pop playlist that had recently been recommended to me (by Derek). This immediately led to a very animated and prolonged Careoke dance-sesh. It. Was. Great. I used to dance in the car all the time, and for some reason have fallen out of the habit, which I see now is an obvious mistake. I wasn’t even sad that I got stuck on an exit for half an hour trying to get into town, I just kept right on singing. If you’re an Apple Music subscriber, you can grab the playlist yourself right here.

I also stopped for a lil’ McDonald’s snack along the way so I could try this much anticipated Szechuan sauce. Spoiler alert, its just meh and Derek is wrong.

On a super cute side note I rolled up to our Airbnb to find that Derek had been standing outside waiting for me for half an hour. Ridiculous. Heart. Melt.

By the time I got into town Friday the convention was shut down for the night. But we had gotten an invite to a sweet lil’ partay, put on by Skybound Entertainment to celebrate The Walking Dead’s 15th anniversary, so we decided to head over there right away. I was pretty excited… and a little bit nervous. The venue was super rad — the space was beautiful, all exposed brick and wood beams, featuring a photo booth, yummy snacks, and bar featuring various The Walking Dead themed cocktails, and wine bottles that moved (in augmented reality, of course)! It was super neat, there were quite a few people there, and according to Derek there seemed to be a good amount of artists, and writers, and other important people that other folks may have recognized. I was pretty stoked when I spotted a cosplayer I had discovered at Fan Expo Vancouver, and can’t even imagine how star struck I woulda been if I had recognized half the people in there. This party is also where I discovered instagram stories, which is pretty neat once you get the hang of it, you can check out @geekscapeforever on Instagram if you want to see what we’ve been up to. (Hint hint: go follow us already!)

Super cool bottle, made even cooler in AR!

Saturday morning I woke up to Derek podcasting. One thing I love about this convention is that it doesn’t open until TEN! Which means I can get my beauty sleep! And it means Derek can get on that Wrestling Podcast! (#DoubleCountOut You are probably already checking it out, but if not, now is the time when you take a little gander over on the iTunes or where ever you get your podcasts and take a listen! — unless you aren’t into wrestling, cause then you wont understand what they are talking about, and it probably wont make much sense or be very fun to listen to… unless you just like listening to the sounds of young men’s voices, then it’ll still be a treat!)

Upon getting to the convention centre we entered a line up to go upstairs, and this line up was simply magical. Like people just kept coming out of nowhere. Then funneling into this teeny line, where literally one dude was checking if you had a badge and letting you get onto an escalator to ascend into the madness. Somehow, I don’t know how, this process actually moved pretty pretty pretty quickly. Like we weren’t at a stand still for more than 30 seconds, ever!

At my request we went to see a Cosplay panel Saturday morning, about the basics of getting into cosplay. I was a little apprehensive when it started, as I’ve previously had some kinda meh experiences at panels, but it actually turned out to be really useful and informative! They talked about how to budget for building cosplay, and their various experiences of starting it themselves. There were 5 different young women there, who all had different cosplay styles and had been doing it for varying amounts of time. It was great to listen to people talk about something they are so passionate about, and to see how inclusive this community can be.

We also had a bunch of time to walk around the show floor on Saturday. I thought I knew what I was getting into with this, but I was mistaken. Now, the conventions I have been to in the past have evidently been on the smaller side of things. The first place we went was the main show floor, which was one of many levels (through several buildings), each strategically housing certain things such as the cosplay centre, the photo op and autograph area, the gaming floor where you could experience new board games or set up a round of DnD or Magic: The Gathering, and way, way more. We started walking around the show floor and I was immediately overwhelmed. There were just so many things, and even more people. And then around the corner there was more show floor, and through the doorway even more, and across the hallway, you guessed it, even more…

But it was an overwhelm in the most wonderful way. I have never in a singular place, experienced so many different kinds of beautiful, curious, interesting things and people! One of my most favourite aspects of being at a convention is looking at all of the art. There are so many different kinds of artists, creating so many different and wonderful pieces of art, from books, to postcards and magnets, to canvas paintings and prints, to leather work and jewelry, and so so so much more. Each booth is filled with treasures of every variety, and most of the time the artist who created this brilliance is sitting right there just waiting for you to ask them about their work! How often in life do we get an opportunity like that, to just openly admire the hardworking these people are doing and talk to them about these things which they are so very passionate about?! I went into this convention knowing that I would want to buy a print or two. I like the idea of taking a piece of this experience home with me, and a beautiful piece of art is a great way to do it, especially if its fairly affordable print! On Saturday we ended up walking past this beautiful painting of a women letting her breath go underwater and I knew I wanted to be able to look at that every day. But I didn’t want to make a decision without knowing all of my options, so I waited until the next day, after meandering through Artist’s Alley (forever, because it’s huge and has its own floor) to find my way back to that booth and take home my own copy of that beauty.

Some of my haul… time to buy some frames!

While exploring the show floor we had the opportunity to demo a couple of games at the Skybound Games booth. It was great fun! At first I was intimidated by the demo guys wanting to get you into a game, but actually this might be my new favourite way to buy a game! We literally got to play a few rounds of a game I had never heard of (which it turns out had just released after a successful Kickstarter campaign), and I walked away trying to adjust my budget so I could bring it home. Who am I kidding, budgeting is not my strength, a week later and my third day of eating Kraft Dinner is telling me I didn’t do a very good job of budgeting… But my super fun games day is telling me it was totes worth it! We ended up picking up The Grimm Forest and Superfight.

The Grimm Forest is kind of like a mashup of every fairytale woven into your memory and a little bit of Settlers of Catan. I was super stoked to bring this one home. You are descendants of the 3 ( or 4) little pigs competing to build your houses, while constantly being thrown off track by monsters and big meanies. It’s great fun, and can be played in under an hour, which in my books is a huge plus (because there is usually a WWE Pay Per-View to get to when people come over)! Superfight feels kind of like a mashup between Cards Against Humanity (but seemly less dirty so far) and Exploding Kittens, with a dash of… whatever games makes you tell a story about characters! You literally pick cards and have to combine a character with a ‘super power’ and then explain why it would win in a fight against the other person’s character… I will admit I was a bit of a sore loser at this one. There are also so many different expansion packs for this one (and even an expansion pack subscription program), so I am sure we will add on to it in the future. I am looking forward to playing it in a group with more people, and more adult beverages, I am pretty certain hilarity will ensue.

Oh man, I feel like I am talking so much already, but there were so many good things, and I have so much to say!

I also had the opportunity to visit the Espionage Cosmetics booth, which specializes in nerdy nail decals, and got to try some on! There were so many different styles of nail art, most of which I was a little clueless to, but the lovely lady at this booth helped by pointing out what a few of them were! She also applied one for me, and it was so simple and easy, but glammed me up so much! I walked away with a little sample and can’t wait to have days off so I can give them a go! (Though I probably won’t be sharing photos of that, cause I have chapped nurses hands!). Their demo station also had glitter available so they could add a little sparkle to the bearded gents who were in attendance. I think this may have been the first time in my life I almost wished for facial hair! I tried to convince Derek to try it, but as you can probably guess, he was having none of that! Lame.

We got to watch a Twisted Toonz, which I had seen before at the convention we went to in Vancouver. It is actually pretty hilarious. A bunch of voice actors (I don’t know why they are called voice actors, they also do the body moving stuff, but they do video games and their characters are animated so I guess you don’t get to call them actors?) get together and read from a script, but each of them takes on a different celebrity (or character’s) accent for each scene. We literally had to stand for an hour and a half just watching giant screens from the back of the room packed with thousands of people, but it was so worth it! They were reading from Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, and it was hilarious. I feel like I need to go back and rewatch that movie, I just could not believe how inappropriate some of the lines were!

https://youtu.be/-XUluDsQkk4

I don’t know if anyone has noticed the activity on our Instagram feed @GEEKSCAPEFOREVER, but it has been taken over lately by yours truly, and that means so many many photos of amazing ECCC cosplay! Which leads me to, Saturday night and my most anticipated event… The ECCC Western Championships of Cosplay!

https://instagram.com/p/BgAISGWgL-U/

We stood in line an hour and a half before the event started, which meant lining up outside in the cold (which actually wasn’t that cold considering its the beginning of March). It also meant a very whiney Mikaela who did not bring a sweater with her, but it was soooo worth it! There was a crowd of over 2000 people and we managed to get pretty great seats (although not great enough for pictures). I can not even put into words how amazed I was with these costumes. There was someone who had made the Doof Warrior outfit, and musical transportation platform from Mad Max: Fury Road (WTF?! so Amazing, and totally one of my favourite movies/characters!). There was also an amazing Dark Pit with movable wings from Kid Icarus: Uprising, and even giant guy who was dressed as an even more giant guy (some sort of Brute from Halo, according to Derek), and I couldn’t even believe this was real life. This competition was definitely one of my ECCC highlights, and if I get to go again, I hope I am able to grab some photos so I can share it with y’all.

https://instagram.com/p/Bf6zjMFAT2M/

Saturday night after dinner, I tried to stay awake to take advantage of being out and about and young and hip and… I fell asleep before midnight, and before even getting into bed.

Sunday I was determined to see the rest of all of the floors. I was super invested in checking out autographs or photo ops, but I ventured over to the cosplay areas and checked out the gaming area options. Then wandered through Artist Alley with my jaw on the floor as I tried to take in all of the crazy beauty. It was so neat to walk past booths and see people sketching or colouring or whatever, just making their art right there in front of everyone. It definitely brought me back to the budgeting thing, and wish I was better at it, so I could bring home more beautiful things. I picked out some post cards, and found a neat print of a Narwal ( which I had to have.), and walked away sadly from at least 5 prints that I wish I could look at every day. I also nabbed a little independent comic with super beautiful art, and even found the perfect Mother’s Day present!

We also went to check out the Cosplay floor, which had some handy booths for makeup touch ups and demos, as well as places where you could fix your outfits. There were a few Cosplayers who had their own booths, and a green screen set up for photos. The lighting in this area was not great, so I didn’t get as many photos as I would have liked, but it was super nice to see a place set up for the people from this part of the community.

I spent a couple hours on Sunday searching for and photographing some of the most amazing cosplay. The convention centre in Seattle is a beautiful building and has this great little courtyard that was the perfect back drop for so many photos, which you can see on instagram by @geekscapeforever and so many other people. We managed to get out there before the rain started, and still got some great photos inside once everyone was escaping the rain. Every time we go to a convention I am amazed by the amount of time and talent people put into these outfits, and ECCC did not disappoint. Go check out our Instagram and you will see what I am talking about.

https://instagram.com/p/BgMfJgQnDe0/

One thing that I became aware of at ECCC was the amount of respect and kindness the people of this community show each other. This convention even had a beer garden in the same building as the main show floor (!!!), but even with this awesome feature, I did not notice any drunk or belligerent people over the entire weekend! At most big events that host thousands of people there are usually a few rotten eggs in the bunch, and I am sure they existed here as well, but I never came across them. It was so lovely to be surrounded by people who are so accepting and kind towards each other. To be in a place where children and elderly and everyone in between are able to exist and make space for each other (metaphorically, not physically, that place was packed!) was pretty magical.

Thank you Emerald City Comic Con for putting on an amazing event.

I am so happy to have found this super interesting, beautiful, artistic, amazing culture of people, and I can’t wait to venture into this community again in the future.

Double Count-Out Wrestling Podcast – Episode 002: Predicting the Rumbles

by SaintmortJanuary 21, 2018

We made it! A second episode. We’re officially a show.

This week Matt, Derek and Josh breakdown the upcoming NXT Takeover and Royal Rumble pay-per-views with predictions and thoughts. Additionally we discuss Brawn Strowman, Bobbe Roode, Enzo Amore and the last 30 Rumbles.

Check out more music from Mega-Ran who does our theme at http://megaranmusic.com

Megaman 30th Anniversary News: Capcom Announces ‘Megaman 11’, ‘Megaman X’ 1-8, & More!

by The_aczDecember 5, 2017

Yesterday was a big day for Capcom.

Monday, December 4, 2017, marked a special 30th-anniversary stream for the Megaman where Capcom dropped some big bombs about the future of our beloved robot hero. The first news was that all 8 Megaman X games are coming to current-gen consoles, PC, and even the Nintendo Switch. The second piece of news was that the recent Megaman Legacy games will finally be arriving on the Switch with Amiibo support sometime in 2018. No exact date was given, but it can be safely assumed that it’ll release sometime in the first half of the year.

The last big bombshell of the celebration stream was none other than the announcement that Megaman 11 is real and is officially in development for all current-gen consoles and PC. The game is expected sometime late 2018. With the announcement also came with a pretty sweet trailer that gives us a taste of what the art and gameplay will look like. The game is what you’d traditionally expect out of the first 10 games, but the art style is a bit different. instead of using pixel art, the game instead is trying something new and using a more 3D hand-drawn style for the game. Check out the trailer below and enjoy the reunion.

Everyone Assembles For The First Official ‘Avengers Infinity War’ Trailer!!

by The_aczNovember 29, 2017

Well, it took 10 years and 3 phases in the making, but Avengers Infinity War is now closer than ever.

It seems as though we’ve known about this movie since the start of the MCU, just patiently biding time until we get up to this point. While other companies try and rush out cinematic universes for quick cash, they’ve all paled in comparison to the time, care, and planning that goes into the MCU. The first official trailer for the film dropped just this morning and fans are already going nuts. The video already has over 10 million views and been trending like crazy. No trailer play by play this time, just sit back and enjoy the trailer. Avengers Infinity War will release on May 4th, 2018.

Disney Dropping ‘The Incredibles 2’ Teaser Tomorrow!!

by The_aczNovember 17, 2017

Well, looks like the time has finally arrived.

Announced just a couple of hours ago, Disney will be releasing the first public teaser for The Incredibles 2 sometime tomorrow on Saturday, November 18th. The announcement was just a short video with text with a brief Jack Jack laugh at the end, but nonetheless, people are excited. If there’s only one sequel that people have wanted Pixar to make in the midst of all their other completely unnecessary sequels, this one was the most necessary and seemed to have the most potential. What are your thoughts on the original Incredibles? Are you excited about the sequel? Tell us in the comments below!

Tomorrow. pic.twitter.com/86bHgxuqto

— Disney (@Disney) November 17, 2017

The Teaser Trailer For ‘Black Panther’ Is Finally Here!

by The_aczJune 9, 2017

After 25 years of trying to get made, Black Panther has finally gotten its long awaited teaser trailer. The teaser features some beautiful shots of Wakanda, as well as some nice shots of T’Challa, the Black Panther (played by Chadwick Boseman).

Ever since his role in Civil War, people have been anxious for the character to finally get his own solo film. Or will it? Slight Spoilers from Civil War if you haven’t watched it. We all know that Steve Rogers and Bucky are hiding out in Wakanda, so it’s very likely, if not certain, that they’ll appear in the movie.

Marvel definitely isn’t pulling any punches with the cast. The trailer starts with Everett K. Ross (played by Martin Freeman with an American accent!?) questioning a chained man, who tells him about the hidden country of Wakanda. The Black Panther (Boseman), and his trusted warrior Zuri (Whitaker), are up against a host of villains Nakia (Lupita Nyong’o), Erik Killmonger (Michael B. Jordan), and Okoye (Danai Gurira).

As if the glamor shots of Wakanda weren’t enough, the snippets of fight scenes show that this is definitely going to be action packed, while still giving some insight into the secretive culture of Wakanda.

The Black Panther is scheduled to debut on February 16,2018, which in our opinion, can’t come soon enough.

What did you think about the trailer? Have a look and let us know in the comments below!

Nintendo Switch Online Update: Free Multiplayer through 2018, Delayed Voice Chat, & More!

by The_aczJune 1, 2017

When first announced earlier this year, many people were very skeptical of Nintendo’s online payed service arriving in the Fall of 2017 for Nintendo Switch. Many issues arose such as problems with using Voice Chat through a phone app (an absolute horrible idea.), how pricing for the payed service will work, problems with free monthly VC downloads, and more. Now, Nintendo has just delivered us an update to address some of these concerns.

First things first, Voice chat & the monthly subscriber games have been delayed 2018. While this at first may seem to be bad news, it could actually very much benefit Nintendo is some great ways. This could possibly mean that Nintendo realized how terrible of an idea using voice chat through a phone app actually is, and might be working on ways to change it. While this does sound hard to believe, Nintendo does seem open to change.

The best news out of this has to be the change of how Nintendo will handle free Virtual Console games to subscribers. Originally, the service was going to be one pitiful NES or SNES game only playable for that month, but now the newer service is much more interesting and awesome. Now instead of only 1 VC game a month, you will gain access to a netflix style service called Classic Game Selection. This will feature a number of NES/SNES titles to choose from including Super Mario Bros. 3, Balloon Fight, Dr. Mario, and more that will be available for selection. Not only that, but some of these games will now also include online play.

Nintendo Switch Online includes ongoing access to a library of classic games you can take anywhere! pic.twitter.com/TtRKcImCiS

— Nintendo of America (@NintendoAmerica) June 2, 2017

The service will also still include regular E-shop discounts much like how PSN and XBL have weekly subscriber discounts. Also as one last gesture of good will, Nintendo has decided to extend the free online multiplayer trial for all Switch users into 2018 until the online service is ready to go. Last, but not least, the service will only cost $20 a year, which is the lowest price for an online subscription as compared to XBLG & PSN. What are your thoughts on the service overhaul? Tell us in the comments below!

Marvel And Square Enix Assemble For The Avengers Project!

by The_aczJanuary 26, 2017

This morning Square Enix and Marvel surprised people by announcing a multi video game partnership with their companies.

That’s right, this deal not only covers one, but multiple MCU video games headed up by Square. The first of these projects was announced this morning. Simply titled, The Avengers Project, not much is known about this trailer aside from the team apparently having been split apart and now having to reunite them. I say apparently because the trailer really isn’t that good. I mean, say what you want about DC’s films, but they do know how to make some pretty great games and trailers (Example: Batman Arkham series, and Injustice.).

What’s worse is that we apparently won’t be finding out any new info on these games until 2018. Really? Not even E3? Seems a bit premature to be announcing this, doesn’t it? Nevertheless, we all remain excited to see what a company like Square has planned for our favorite superheroes. What kind of MCU games would you like to see? Tell us in the comments below!