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Monthly Archives: December 2014
An Introduction To The Films Of Nikkatsu
Dark shadows, youthful sensibilities, deadly gangsters, modern idealism and foreboding film noir atmosphere. These are the characteristics one sees in the films of the Nikkatsu studio during the late ’50s and into the ’60s. The films Nikkatsu produced during this time were elemental sums of all genres, mixed in to a hybrid version of B-grade films. They contracted Japan’s rising new filmmakers and were used to great effect. Suzuki Seijun, Takashi Nomura and Takumi Furukawa were all able to turn out quota quickies to hone their skills in which they would be able to utilize later on in their careers.
California Company Opens World’s Largest Solar Farm
Mid-American Solar has teamed with First Solar to create the worlds largest solar farm, Topaz. Continue reading California Company Opens World’s Largest Solar Farm
Iron Sky: The Coming Race – Potential Sequel Seeks Crowd Sourcing
We all remember Iron Sky right? The very tongue in cheek cinematic experience from 2012 about Nazis on the Moon? In the movie, Timo Vuorensola (director) and Tero Kaukomaa (producer) gave us an alternative version of America, one where the decision to use the moon as an advertising base alerts a bunch of moon Nazis and from there chaos ensues. Well Timo and Tero want to revisit this universe and they need our help to make it happen.
Timo and Tero have teamed up with fundraising website Indiegogo to raise funds for their sequel titled Iron Sky: The Coming Race. Wondering how the team can out do the retro campiness of the original? Well have a read at what they have planned as a synopsis below;
Twenty years after the events of Iron Sky, the former Nazi Moon base has become the last refuge of mankind. Earth was devastated by a nuclear war, but buried deep under the wasteland lies a power that could save the last of humanity – or destroy it once and for all. The truth behind the creation of mankind will be revealed when an old enemy leads our heroes on an adventure into the Hollow Earth. To save humanity they must fight the Vril, an ancient shape shifting reptilian race and their army of dinosaurs.
Much like Iron Sky before it, the film has some great artwork to back it up. The promo poster looks especially enticing, while drawing similarities to the artwork for Steven Spielberg’s War of the Worlds movie.
As enticing as this all is, the cast list looks even better. Returning for duty are Iron Sky stars Julia Dietze and the legendary Udo Kier, with Stephanie Paul as the President of the United States and a shape shifting alien to boot (looks like David Icke may have been right all along!). Joining the team is oddball comedian Tom Green (Road Trip) as a cult leader, and trash fiends around the world can rejoice with the inclusion of Troma founder Lloyd Kaufman, who was seen most recently in this summer’s Guardians of the Galaxy.
Finally we have a few video shorts to give anyone unfamiliar with the exciting visual style of the Iron Sky universe a brief taster of that world.
Suffice to say, if a Dinosaur riding Hitler and an enraged gun touting Jesus don’t rev your engines, then this movie isn’t for you. However, for the fans of the original, and new comers who like a bit of humor and silliness to their sci-fi, this could be promising. Now all we need to do is make it happen. With only a couple weeks to go before the deadline, you’ll need to put your hands in your pockets to get this under-way. On the website (as per usual for these fundraising sites) there is a selection of incentives available for people who help out the project. For more videos on the projects progress you can view their YouTube channel and help make this film a reality.
https://www.indiegogo.com/project/iron-sky-the-coming-race–2/embedded
Images: Universal Pictures, Timo Vuorensola, Tero Kaukomaa.
Stop, Police! Exploring the World of the B-Movie Cop
Police movies are nothing new. Since they arrived on our screens in the blundering form of the Keystone Cops, they have delighted us, thrilled us and sometimes downright terrified us. There are so many variations of the cop movie, it seems to fit into any genre. Take Dead Heat (1988) for example, a buddy cop movie that turns into a horror flick with zombies – It indulges us on so many levels! The thrill of cop shootouts, mixed with humorous banter and topped off with zombie policemen.
So what other movies are out there that could indulge in this way? Grizzly Bomb has compiled a few of our favorites.
Continue reading Stop, Police! Exploring the World of the B-Movie Cop
Lara Croft and the Temple of Osiris Review: More of The Same Co-Op Raiding
Square Enix and Crystal Dynamics gave longtime Tomb Raider fans a fun sidequest to enjoy with friends back in 2010, Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light . Introducing Lara Croft to the world of top-down, twin-stick gunplay and co-op puzzle solving, this winning formula breathed some life into the stagnant Tomb Raider series that was one so highly regarded by gamers. In 2014, Square Enix and Crystal Dynamics have once again decided to adopt this formula for Ms. Croft and her accompanying adventurers. 4 players now have the ability to battle an evil Egyptian God in Lara Croft and the Temple of Osiris.
The Lara Croft that ’90s followers have become accustomed to returns here, and this time she has three other allies in tow. All four heroes must deal with the wrath of an angry Egyptian God named Set, which means they are tasked with retrieving the idols of a kinder God and putting an end to Set’s plans. The increased player count makes this missions a lot more fun to engage in and introduces new powers for each player to utilize. Lara and her friendly rival Carter get around using a grappling hook that gets them to higher ledges and allows other players to climb up to them. The two magic-powered characters, Isis and Horus, can lift up specially marked platforms and create shields through the use of their magic staffs. Watching how all four characters and their associated powers work together is one of the better elements of this fun adventure.
The bulk of this sequel features the same great gameplay seen in its predecessor – action-packed shooting sequences, intricate puzzle solving sequences and plenty of opportunities to collect gems and score more points than your allies. One of the newer wrinkles for this release is the addition of stat-boosting rings and amulets. While the introduction of these items is a nice change of pace, they don’t do too much to drastically alter the gameplay. While these equipped items offer nice bonuses such as increased weapon damage, your chosen character won’t be impacted as much by them. Later sections of the gameplay don’t get too difficult or include moments where your items are dire, so these rings and amulets won’t make much of a difference.
Lara Croft and the Temple of Osiris is fun, no doubt. The online co-op, and ‘short but sweet’ campaign provide a nice bit of fun. Solving intricate puzzles and besting the huge bosses you encounter with your buddies is always entertaining. Fans of the past game will certainly enjoy their time here, while others looking for something newer and a lot more improved will be disappointed here. The visuals, audio and gameplay elements of The Guardian of Light are clearly evident here, yet the only real change is the addition of two extra characters. This newest installment in the Tomb Raider series may be enjoyable for some, but its repeated gameplay elements bring this game’s replay value down just a tad.
Images: Square Enix, Crystal Dynamics
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