Astro Boy coming soon in theaters!

Wow, when I heard that Astro Boy is being made into a CG movie I’m stoked!  First of all, I was thankful that they didn’t do a live-action movie but a CG movie instead.  This is an excellent move.  Since a live-action movie would not do justice to Astro Boy and would just ruin it.  But a CG movie on the otherhand is the next logical step from the original anime.

I’ve been a fan since the anime of the 80’s.  I remember watching it on Sunday afternoons while I’m vacationing in Nanay’s house (BTW, she’s my grandmother but we all fondly call her Nanay).  While watching Astro Boy, Nanay would serve me hot pan de sal with scrambled eggs.  Those were the carefree days!

So hopefully the CG movie would GET it right and I’m hoping that it would be as enjoyable as the original anime.  I could still hear the original theme song in my head: “Soaring high in the sky…”

Excellent Jacket Cover Art for Stephen King’s Under the Dome

Stephen King’s latest novel is coming on Nov. 10th.  In the meantime, feast your eyes on the jacket cover art of this sure bestseller hit!

For more info check out http://promo.simonandschuster.com/underthedome/

Themes for Google Chrome

I love Google Chrome due to its simplistic but efficient and functional design.  But sometimes I wish that Chrome would have something akin to Firefox Personas.  A lightweight way to change the look of the browser.  And after some time, Themes for Google Chrome had been released and my wish had been granted.  My personal favorite is the Marc Ecko theme and I have a screenshot here to display it in its full glory!

Here are the some of the other cool themes for Google Chrome:

If you are not using Google Chrome yet, what are you waiting for?  Download it now at http://www.google.com/chrome

Product Review: PC to TV Converter by CD-R King

I love movies and I love TV series.   And I have a bunch of them in DivX format.  Sure I can watch them in my laptop LCD but nothing beats watching them in TV.  That’s where the PC to TV Converter comes in.  It displays whatever is displayed in your laptop LCD in your TV.  And it works!  Last night, I bought the converter at a nearby CD-R King and I went home, installed it and got it working (Say what they say about CD-R King but I’m still happy and satisfied with their products!).

It’s so easy to install.  The monitor cable connects  to the laptop VGA out port and straight to the converter.  The USB power supply connects from the converter to one of the USB ports in the laptop.  The video (yellow) RCA cable connects from the converter to the TV video in port.  I then connected my laptop audio out to the Aux port of my stereo system.

And the next thing to do — play those DivX videos!

Book Review: Shutter Island

After reading this book all I can say is… Wow!

This is really an excellent book!  I love the atmosphere (the feeling of loneliness, hopelessness and paranoia in the island), the great dialogue between the characters (conversations between Teddy and Chuck, between Cawley and Teddy, between Teddy and the Warden, etc.) and the memorable characters themselves (Teddy, Chuck, Cawley and the Warden, even though appearing in only a few scenes, stood out).

I love the twist at the end which I won’t mention.  Honestly I didn’t see it coming.  And I’m happy that I didn’t since it made a much harder impact than if I did.  And the story stays with me long after I’ve finished the book.  It’s that good!

Now I’ve added added Dennis Lehane to my list of favorite authors.  My next Lehane book to read, Mystic River (which I’ve already watched before but I didn’t know then that it was a Lehane book…).

Shutter Island, the book, is surely a must-read!  I’m hoping that the movie adaptation, with Leo DiCaprio, is a must-watch as well.  BTW, I read the book after seeing the movie trailer so I’m actually visualizing Leo as Teddy, Mark Ruffalo as Chuck and Ben Kingsley as Cawley as I read.  Made it more fun…

So what are you waiting for?  Read the book before the movie comes out in Feb. 2010!

Image United — A crossover to watch out for!

Even though I’m not as big a fan of Image as Marvel or DC, I’m still familiar with some of their characters (Spawn, WildCATS, Witchblade) and their creators (McFarlane, Liefeld, Portacio).  I have not followed any of their comics.  But when I saw this latest crossover featuring their most famous creations, it got me interested.  I also liked the fact that each of the creator will draw his own character in the comic.  Who knows, this might be my jumping point to the Image Universe.  I’ll give this one a try.

Here are some cool images from Image United (from CBR):

On the left is the cover featuring none other than the most famous Image character (at least for me), Spawn, and on the right is a new character by Marc Silvestri, Barricade.

Check out some of the other great covers here at CBR: http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=23121

Vote for Bayan Knights in Komikon

Please vote for the Bayan Knights in this year’s Komikon Awards.  For details on how to vote, please check out this link:

http://bayanknights.blogspot.com/2009/08/vote-for-bayan-knights-in-2009-komikon.html

Checkout the cover of the upcoming Bayan Knights #3

For all the Bayan Knights out there, it’s time again to heed the call of heroes. Check out this link: http://bayanknights.blogspot.com/2008/09/heed-call-of-heroes.html and check out http://bayanknights.blogspot.com for more info!

G.I. Joe Moview Review from a Long-Time G.I. Joe Fan!

I TOTALLY ENJOYED THE LIVE-ACTION G.I. JOE MOVIE!

That totally sums up my general feeling for the movie.  Actually I have been waiting for a live-action Joe movie for a very long time.  Since I’ve started collecting the 3 3/4″ figures in 1990, I’ve been wishing and waiting for a Hollywood version of my favorite toy line.  In the 90s, I buy new figures every week, I record the cartoons in our old Betamax, I enjoyed watching the first animated G.I. Joe the Movie, I bought the original VHS tape of that movie, etc., etc…

I could not believe that 19 years later I would be watching a live-action movie and an excellent adaptation as well.  The main characters this time around are Duke and Ripcord.  Ripcord had a figure but didn’t appear in the cartoon, AFAIK.  In the cartoons, the main characters are usually Duke or Flint.  I have a Flint figure and I like him better than Duke.  But anyways, Channing Tatum is excellent as Duke and Marlon Wayans as Ripcord is very likeable.  I thought that he would be annoying like in some of his previous movies, but I was surprised that I really liked his character and I liked the comic relief that he provided.

The action sequences are top-notch especially the chase in Paris — it’s un-freaking-believable!  It’s worth the entrance fee alone… I would watch the movie again just for that action sequence.

I love the way they interspersed the movie with flashbacks.  It provided additional characterization without ruining the flow of the movie.  And unlike the last Wolverine movie, which treated years of character history like crap, this movie respected the source material, drew from it, improved on it and even though it altered some of the stories behind the characters they are integral to the advancement of the plot.  And some of the characters have stayed true to the source material like Snake Eyes and Storm Shadow (Snake Eyes, incidentally is my all time favorite Joe!).

For a long time fan like me, I appreciated those little things that they’ve put in there just for the fans.  For example, Hawk saying those classic lines “Knowing is half the battle”, Ripcord calling someone Bill (He could be Wild Bill) and Heavy Duty yelling out that classic battlecry, “Yo Joe!”.

For the inevitable sequel, here is my wish list:

• Improve the mask of Cobra Commander, since the mask is part of his character.
• Feature more Joes (Roadblock, Flint, Lady Jaye, Beachhead, etc.)
• Feature classic vehicles (H.I.S.S. tanks, X- Wing, Rolling Thunder, etc.)
• Feature the classic Cobra Guards and Crimson Guards
• Remove Snake Eyes’ mouth!

Well, that’s it.  I’m now heading back to the movie theaters for another viewing

Twister Fries at McDo!

One of my all time favorites in McDonald’s is the Twister Fries.  Too bad they’re available for only a limited time.  Hopefully they’ll be in the regular menu.  The P25 upgrade is truly worth it!

Excellent Iron Man 2 Cover of Entertainment Weekly

Check out the excellent Iron Man 2 cover of Entertainment Weekly.  Tony Stark aka Robert Downey, Jr. is looking good as usual,  as well as co-stars Scarlett Johannson and Mickey Rourke who star as the sultry Black Widow and the menacing Whiplash respectively.

I’ve also seen the much-talked about 5 minute video footage of Iron Man 2 straight out of Comic Con 2009 and it’s so freaking good!  Just wait till the last scene and you’ll have goosebumps… I officially can’t wait for 2010 to arrive and to have Iron Man 2 invade our cineplexes once again!

What are you waiting for, check out the video footage here:

http://azraelsmerryland.blogspot.com/2009/08/iron-man-2-video-trailer-footage.html

Cool Cover for Bayan Knights #2!

Looking for Bayan Knights #2… Hope to find a copy this weekend.

Bayan Knights — Excellent Pinoy Komiks!

I was in National Book Store this evening and looking for the latest DC Superheroes and Marvel Heroes comics when I saw Bayan Knights in the same shelf.  It immediately caught my attention.  The cover art is great!  When I turned to the back cover I saw the signature of Gilbert Monsanto and that was it, I have to buy this comics…

When I got home, I read the comics and enjoyed it — both the art and the story.  Now, I’m stoked and excited for issue #2.  I also checked out their official site at http://bayanknights.blogspot.com and their site at deviantART http://bayanknights.deviantart.com.  They’ve got nice preview art, even cosplay pics and other interesting stuff.  What got my attention is that I can submit my own Original Character (OC)!  Hopefully, they’re still accepting since I have some character ideas playing in my head.  Who knows, my character might be showing up in one of the future issues of Bayan Knights

Mario = Fun!

I’m having a blast playing my DS Lite!  Maybe because I’m playing all things Mario!  Mario has been my favorite since the Family Computer (or NES) days.  It was the first video game which totally blew all my expectations away.  Imagine being used to the blocky graphics of the Atari and then one day I was able to play Super Mario Bros. in the then-new FamiCom console and that changed everything for me.  So I guess it could be nostalgia but it could also be that Nintendo still knows how to pack fun in their games for the DS Lite.

I’m having a blast playing the New Super Mario Bros., Mario Kart, Mario Hoops 3 on 3 and Tetris DS (which has Mario in a NPC capacity).  Just the sound of the classic theme song is enough to make me smile.  Not to mention the still cool albeit classic gameplay of the New Super Mario Bros.  I love the music, I love the characters (Donkey Kong is my other favorite), I love the gameplay… and like a kid at heart, I could still say that I love Nintendo!

G.I. Joe is almost upon us!

Opens August 7th! That’s next week… Can’t wait

Mythology: The Game — Excellent Board Game

My Bro was able to spot a cool-looking board game called Mythology: The Game.  And last night we were able to buy.  It was a very long time since we last played a board game.  The funnest time I ever had was playing the old Mad Magazine Game.

Now on to Mythology: The Game.  First off, the first thing you will notice is the very cool packaging — complete with 3 gems, an excellent illustration of a battle with a Hydra and a sturdy looking-box which you can open to reveal another excellent illustration of the Labyrinth with the Minotaur in the center.

The next thing that would grab your attention are the game pieces themselves, which are like mini-busts of Greek heroes plus the Minotaur itself, looking proud and mighty.  The detail and quality are excellent!  You can even remove the helmets!  The other game pieces are also good – the lightning-shaped spinner, God cards, dice, etc.

How about the gameplay?  After reading through the manual, I was able to get the gist of the rules.  Unlike the boardgames when we were younger, where it’s just a race to the finishline, this game offers a twist.  You still have to race towards the center and battle the Minotaur.  But along the way you could pick up God cards who can help you defeat the Minotaur.  And just like the myth wherein Theseus would use a ball of string to help him track his path, in this game you leave circular ball of strings to mark your journey in the Labyrinth.

One aspect of the game which I liked is the concept of Tempt Fate.  If both you and your opponent are on a changeable square on the boardgame and you landed on a Tempt Fate area, you can then rotate the boardgame in a clockwise motion and you have to follow the rules on whichever square you will land on.  You could land on a safe square, like the Mt. Olympus or you could land in Hydra or Cerberus square where you would have to give up a card.

After defeating the Minotaur, the fun part is the race to the exit of the Labyrinth.  You can either use a Zeus card to remove your ball of string so you could just dash away to the exit or you could use a Dionysius card to block your opponent’s path with Walls.  My Bro use this technique on me but fortunately I had a Hermes card which allows me to go through Walls thus enabling my escape.  IN the end my Bro had 2 wins to my single win.

This is the most fun I had playing a board game since the old Mad Magazine Game.  Excellent packaging, excellent game pieces and excellent gameplay make this a must have!

Dressing Up My DS Lite

Just dropped by at Gameline earlier this evening, I mean, yesterday evening. Bought several stuff for my DS Lite — crystal case, LCD protector, hard foam case & charger. Now it looks brand new!

Nintendo DS Lite for P1,700

Yup, it’s true!  Got one last week… it’s pre-owned and it doesn’t have a charger or a USB cable, but who cares it’s only P1,700…

I love my PSP and for me, at least … I think, that the DS Lite pales in comparison with the technical aspects of the PSP (Just compare the flimsy directional buttons of the DS Lite with the sturdy counterpart in PSP or the large screen LCD display of the PSP with the smaller, albeit two screens, of the DS Lite)

But the one thing that the DS Lite has it going for itself is NOSTALGIA!  Yup, nostalgia.  Games I grew up with are in the DS Lite.  Games like Super Mario Bros., Castlevania (3 in DS Lite compared to 1 in PSP), Donkey Kong, Yoshi, Zelda, Kage, etc., etc…

So together, PSP and DS Lite compliment my portable gaming needs!

M. Night’s still Happening

I’m still a fan of M. Night Shyamalan.  Even though most people diss M. Night nowadays, I still eagerly wait for his movies.  I previously enjoyed The Sixth Sense, Unbreakable, Signs and The Village.  I least like Lady in the Water.  So when The Happening opened, I’m there for it.

The movie is good.  The suicides are really shocking particularly the jumping construction workers and the bodies in the trees.  Mark Wahlberg is good as well.  The movie moved somewhat slowly but still OK.  And just when you thought that everything ended well, the last scene shows a similar scene identical to the first scene in Central Park, but now, I guess, in Russia or another European city.

Excellent Season 2 for The Tudors

I was moved by the season finale of The Tudors Season 2.  Anne’s last few hours was truly riveting.  She was unjustly punished.  Some would argue that she brought it upon herself.  That she was just sowing what she did to Katherine.  But I digress.  If anyone needs to be blamed, i guess it would have to be the king.  Can’t wait for Season 3.