Watch/Play: These birds....are still quite angry!

Just when you thought you might have weened off the addiction after beating the original game....the birds are back and more angry than ever. Check out the trailer for the Angry Birds sequel!

Read: New horror movie review up: Let Sleeping Corpses Lie

So my latest horror movie review for www.alteredrealitiesradio.com has been posted.

Check it out!

Let Sleeping Corpses Lie aka The Living Dead at Manchester Morgue!!!

If you like it, follow me on twitter, @NoCalMike, my podcast @RetroFlickF, and the website I write for @Alteredradio



DO IT!!!!

Listen: NEPHICIDE by JOGGER!

This is all sorts of awesome.  Is it me or does this have an SNL Digital Short feel to it?

Watch: 13 Tzameti

Wanna watch a flick that goes from interesting to "OMG IS THIS REALLY HAPPENING" ?

Check out from 2005:


Gela Babluani's
13 Tzameti

Listen: Retro Flick Fillet Episode #7: Like Vice Like Versa!

Here it is. After a couple of delays in the uploading process, it is now posted. Going to try something new and embed the podcast directly into this post and see how that turns out. Like always, a feed for the show should pop up sometime soon on the podcast feed to the right of this blog, and there will be a facebook and twitter announcement. If you like the show, please become a friend on facebook and follow @RetroFlickF on twitter! We had a special guest Brenden Creecy aka Brendoman of Bagged & Boarded Podcast and Popsickles podcast, as well as www.brendoman.com So be sure to check out all of his stuff, and if you are in or around the LA area, go see his podcasts live at the SModcastle! Follow him on Twitter as well @Brendoman

Enjoy the show and send any and all comments/feedback/questions to retroflickfillet@hotmail.com




Update: It appears the embedded player is not playing the show for some reason. Hmmm. I will work to fix that. In the mean time you can just click on the link to episode #7 in the RetroFlickFillet feed, to the right of the blog. Thanks!

Update: 2 - checked around the help forums, I guess I need to turn on the "quick play" option for the wizzard player, otherwise it makes you wait until the entire file is downloaded to play. Not sure if I can do that under my current account or have to pay for "more options" will look into it.

Watch: "Paul" movie trailer......

This looks pretty funny. The latest from Simon Pegg & Nick Frost. I really enjoy how these guys make movies from a fan's perspective.  A lot of the times when "fans" try to make these sort of films, they end up sucking, but Shawn of the Dead & Hot Fuzz were both amazing.  Check out the trailer for their latest adventure about their road trip with an alien, which by watching the trailer, is sure to include a lot of inside jokes and references to past alien encounter movies.  Hit the road with PAUL

Read: Altered Realities Radio aka my other big news

I was ready to announce this the other day, but I wanted to wait until I actually had some content up to show everyone. This past week I have officially started writing horror movie reviews for the website www.alteredrealitiesradio.com   It is going to be a weekly gig.  Pretty hyped, since as you know, the horror genre is my favorite and what I continue to watch whether it be a masterpiece or something I have to force myself to get through!

My first review has been posted, I reviewed 2010's Altitude...check it out!

This shouldn't effect this blog too much.  It might make me post slightly less than daily as I usually am now, but there should be that much of a dropoff.

Read: Marvel Zombies 5.....

Ok, so it's not like I wasn't going to get it anyway, but take a look who has joined the zombie fray for the fifth series of Marvel Zombie comics....

Howard the F'N Duck! That's who! *SOLD*

Listen: Retro Flick Fillet #7 recording Saturday Jan 21st 2011!!! SPECIAL GUEST!

Very excited to announce that Brenden Creecy aka Brendoman of Bagged & Boarded podcast, Popsickles podcast and brendoman.com will be a very special guest on tomorrow's RetroFlickFillet!  It is our "Out of Body Experience" episode, which is going to be the movies, Trading Places, Vice Versa, and Like Father Like Son.  Should be a fun episode!

Episode will record tomorrow, and should drop sometime Monday.  As always, you can find the feed to the podcast on the right of this blog, or you can go to www.idiotpod.libsyn.com and snatch it directly from the website, in addition I always post a link to it here as a blog entry once it has been posted.

Finally, as always, you can send any and all comments/feedback on the show, whether it is on the show itself or movies we have reviewed, or suggestions, general comments, anything to our show's email which is retroflickfillet@hotmail.com

Cool!

Watch: Need some cool names for these drawings!

Monica drew these pics of a would-be superhero chick and villian chick.  In need of some ideas for names...have a gander and start spitting names out...

Watch: Das Experiment vs. The Experiment

Sometimes you watch a movie you think you are going to enjoy and it ends up being a mediocre flick. A movie that had potential and a very interesting premise, but you were left disappointed. Then you find out it was a remake and the original happens to be available on netflix instant right now. Well if you are like me, then your first priority in life now becomes to watch the original and compare the two.

2010's The Experiment

Adrien Brody and Forest Whitaker star in this movie based on the Stanford Prison Experiment. (for more on that click the link) The premise is that a bunch of people volunteer for a experiment on the psychological effects of becoming a prisoner or prison guard. The group of volunteers will be divided into prisoners and prison guards. They will then have to live out their roles in a mock prison for two weeks.  If the experiment lasts to the end, everyone will be paid $14,000.  There are rules for the prisoners to follow and the only big rule for the prison guards is that they are to use absolutely no violence to handle any situation that may arise.  Everything starts out normal as you would expect, everyone getting the fact that it is just  role-playing, however it doesn't take long for people to start getting a little too comfortable in their roles, and the situation heads south pretty fast.   

2001's Das Experiment

Nine years earlier, the German flick "Das Experiment" came out. Based on the same prison experiment. The original starred Moritz Bleibtreu as Prisoner #77 and Justus von Dohnányi as Berus the main prison guard protagonist. The Main plot remains the same being that both movies are based on the same true life event, however a lot of the similarities end there.



Like most cases I am really kicking myself for not having seen the original first. A lot of the "twists" in the story are seen coming a mile away in the American version of the film. Something I have found peculiar and often times annoying in American remakes is that the film makers often feel the need to over-explain the situation.  Everyone is doing what they were pre-destined to do because of a very specific back story or reason. The easiest target for this is Forest Whitaker's character. You realize within about five minutes of meeting his character how he is going to turn out, because the writing and over explanation of who he is as a person makes it a no-brainer.   Compare this with the German version, besides the main character, no one else really gets too much of a back story. Everyone else's character simply develops under the situation at hand. It makes it more interesting and more of a shock to see exactly what unfolds ahead. Because I did see the American version first however, much of the spoilers were already known going in, but I found it didn't matter when watching a superior film all that much.

The longer running time of the German version(114 vs. 96) also helped flesh out the story more. Situations escalated a lot slower and in a more realistic manner.  There was a lot more questioning and subtlety to the solutions before it became chaotic. The metamorphoses from rational thinking people just trying to get paid for an experiment, into power-hungry bullies with weapons.  Honestly I am not sure which movie kept true to the actual event more closely, but I am guessing neither.  Of course when it comes to making an entertaining movie, we should all know by now that "based on a true story" is something to be taken with a grain of salt, and you really have to pay attention more to the "based" part than the "true story" part.

The biggest element where I feel the German version excels over it's American counterpart is that the viewer is in regular contact with the scientists the entire time.  We can see and hear their horrified reactions and how much they become conflicted with the entire experiment when signs start showing that not only are things inside the mock prison going south, but they themselves, are starting to lose control of the situation.  Later on in the movie they even get involved a little more intimately with the experiment, which is probably where even the German version jumps the shark a bit too.

Overall, I highly recommend the German version, and make sure you see it first so it is not spoiled, and the American version is merely looked at by me as a companion piece I guess.  It is mediocre, but Forest Whitaker is decent I guess.  Even though you see where he is headed from the get-go.  So there you have it.  Have you seen these flicks? Only one of them?  Leave me a comment!

Watch: No way this movie can't be good!

I quite often enjoy movies that don't take themselves seriously.  This one looks to be a riot, especially with some "visual enhancement"

Play: EA Sports Active 2.0

I'm going to say up front, I am not a fan of "working out." There are a few activities and sports I enjoy playing casually which can be considered working out, but working out for the sake of working out has never been my thing.  Hell, even "it will make you healthier" has never been much of a motivator, although now as I enter my thirties that statement kind of raises my eyebrows a bit more.  I am not quite close to be old enough to where I can't do the things I enjoy, but have reached the age where my body reacts a bit differently when I am doing those same activities.  I have been in the market for a little while for an exercising game, that for one, I can do in the comfort of my own home, and two, at least makes it somewhat "fun" to do.

Previously I considered wii fit, which seemed like an acceptable option, but the main criticism of that I heard was it was more like an activity than a workout.  If I am going to invest money and time into a workout game, I at least want it to work me out and make me feel like I am not wasting my time aka FEEL THE BURN!

A couple nights ago, we decided on EA Sports Active 2.
 We bought also the fitness bundle which includes a jump rope, floor mat, extra hand weights and more resistant exercise stretch bands. The game includes heart monitors for your arms and leg.  I must say they work pretty well.  The motion detection is pretty spot on.  This really comes in to play when your legs start to get soar and you try and not bend or squat all the way down, the trainer will let you know you aren't doing it right.(fitness bundle pictured below)

After the initial setup where you enter in all your info you can either do a pre-selected workout or choose from a list of 75 workout options.  I went with a pre-selected, trainer-driver workout.  It will also setup a workout schedule for you and some goals to meet for the next six days.  I enrolled in the 9 week program.  So this is really the beginning for me.

I am two workouts in and let me tell you, this game is no joke. The workouts are legit, and they can also be customized depending on how in shape you already are(or aren't in my case).  The interactive aspect helps push you and keep you motivated, the way it reacts to what you are actually doing. It isn't simply a workout video playing in the background where you can stop and cheat whenever you feel like it.  If you aren't following the instructor or doing the movements right, he or she, will let you know and they will wait on you or ask if you need to be re-shown how to do it properly.  Of course like any motion control game, I am sure you can find ways to cheat the actual workouts on certain ones, but what would be the point really?  Why even get the game if you are going to do that?

The one thing I am going to need to look into and recommend anyone else with the same predicament is to invest in a better floor mat.  I happen to have hardwood floor in my living room and the mat, while providing a tiny bit of relief, is really not adequate for some of the ground-based exercises.  Especially when you need to be on your knees.  I often finding myself getting pillows for extra comfort.(and no I wasn't cheating the exercise, just making it bearable, lol )

Once your scheduled workout is done, you have the option to continue to workout on your own, making a custom workout. I did those both days so far.  I added the boxing workout, where you are basically throwing punches.  I think I might add the wrist weights next time I do this to add some intensity.  So far I have done everything at "easy" level, but for someone in my situation, it wasn't easy at all.  Like I said I am in the nine week program so from time to time I will update on my progress...(maybe).

Whether are you looking for a little exercise or want the full workout, this game looks like it is going to get the job done.  I am hoping to see some DLC released in the near future with even more different types of workout. I would really love to see more of the boxing/sparring type exercises expanded because to me that kind of workout is fun on top of being good for me. And anytime you can get me to say "workout" & "fun" in the same sentence, you have a winner on your hands!

(I totally forgot to snap a post-workout pic of me looking exhausted but fulfilled, maybe next time, haha)

Misc: Are the days of a single "Must have Phone" over?

With the latest news of the iphone finally becoming available as an option to Verizon customers, comes a couple questions.  For starters, is this a case of being too little too late, but more importantly, is the iphone still the "Must have" head and shoulders above the rest, cell phone it used to be?
(iphone 4 pictured below)

There is no question about it, when the iphone first hit the market so many years ago, it was a revolution. Hot off the succes of the ipod and other various apple products, Apple put out another bit of technology that would take the tech world by storm.  The features offered some brand new functionality for cell phones. It was one of the first signs that cell phones were truly on their way to becoming little computers we could fit in our pocket.


However, it is 2010 now. The iphone is hardly alone anymore in tricked-out phones with an abundance of geeking-out type features. In fact there are other phones out there now that some would argue run a lot of the similar features smoother and better than the iphone itself.(Not to mention the continuing call-dropping issues that still persist with a lot of iphones to this day)
(Palm pre plus pictured below)
With other phones such as the Palm Pre Plus, Samsung Galaxy,Android, HTC Touch Pro II(among many others) currently on the market, and the Google phone, Playstation Phone, Palm/HP's next phone and even a newer model of the iphone on the horizon, does the iphone itself hold the same exclusive luster it once did.  I am not anti iphone. I think it is a wonderful piece of technology and will continue to be regardless of the competition.  It will only result in an even better iphone in the future as well as better phones from the competition. I am simply posing the question, as to whether the iphone is as coveted as it once was.(Samsung Galaxy pictured to the right)
Truth be told, the majority of smartphones within the same price range all do about 98% of what every other similar phone can do.  It might merely come down to which features your particular phone does the best.  Are you someone who is an apps-hoarder. Do you like to play games on your phone? Do you use your phone mainly for emailing & messaging? Is a feature such as multi-tasking(and I mean legit multitasking not the watered down version). Personal preference is probably what it is going to come down to in the future for cell phone purchase.

With that said what do you think? Am I crazy? Do you think the iphone is still way ahead of the pack? Do you think it has fallen behind the pack? I am somewhere in the ballpark here?  Let me know!

Watch: My Top 10 Movies of 2010

I've been holding off on making this list for awhile because I knew that there was going to be a few movies that could potentially make the list that I haven't seen, due to a variety of reasons. Now that we are about halfway through January 2011, I decided, the hell with it, I am making the list and I will also give a short list of movies I think could make it on once I see them.Not going to really talk about each one individually, but I may have some general comments about the list in general. So without further ado...

Read-Listen-Watch-Play
Top 10 Movies of 2010

10. Buried

9. Scott Pilgrim vs. The World

 

8. Shutter Island

 

7. Machete

6.A Prophet

5. Exit Through the Gift Shop

4. Black Swan

 

3. Inception

 

2. True Grit

 

1. Micmacs

So there you have it.  Honestly going into 2010, I thought Shutter Island would have ended up higher on the list, but the bottomline is I felt the other films were better.  The lower third of the list was tinkered with a lot in the last few weeks as I had a lot of catching up to do if I wanted to make some sort of honest list.  There are still a handful of 2010 flicks I haven't seen that could once again alter the list, but like I said before, I am pretty happy and confident in this list.  The next two lists I provide will be the honorable mentions list and the films I have yet to see that could make the list. (Text only):

Honorable Mentions:

* Kickass

* Never Sleep Again

* The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

* The Square

* Harry Brown

Movies I haven't seen that could potentially make the list:

* Get Low

* The Social Network

* The Town

* Cyrus

* 127 Hours

* Animal Kingdom

* Four Lions

* Blue Valentine

As you can see, many potentially great films to see, and I am ready to get started on 2011 as well.

Watch: Simpsons as you've...never wanted to see them?

Say it aint so Marge:

Well, it was certainly bound to happen....and it finally has.  I must admit, whoever is doing Homer's voice isn't half bad.  Another XXX Parody to laugh at.  This is the SFW version.  The NSFW version can be found online, but I will leave that hunt up to you.  Enjoy!

Watch: Bob's Burgers...does FOX have another winner?

New episodes of animation domination resumed yesterday along with a program realignment which was part of the way to introduce a brand new 'toon to the two hour block.  American Dad was bumped.  Not sure for how long, but out of the four, I will miss it the least.  It wasn't bad at all, but it was the one show out of the four show block that I feel indifferent to.With that said, on to today's topic


Bob's Burgers!

 

Fox has been previewing this show with promos during other similar programming for a few months now (if not longer). Me and my wife were in agreement that the previews looked pretty funny so we decided to add it to our DVR.  Every Sunday is a little different for us.  Depending on what other programming is on (such as all the original programming on premium cable networks) sometimes we all the FOX 'toons get DVR'd, sometimes we watch them as they air.

For a little research as to where this show came from, I turned to a little help from the pros:

Badassdigest.com says,

"Benjamin(who voices Bob on the show) started as a comedian in Boston (along with BB‘s Sam Seder he was previously in the comedy troupe Cross Comedy, started and led by David Cross) and first worked with the BB‘s writer Loren Bouchard in 1995 with the highly influential, highly comedy-nerd-pornish Dr. Katz and later on the adorably hysterical Home Movies."

credit:  http://www.badassdigest.com/2011/01/10/tv-review-bobs-burgers 

So right off the bat, we know this show is coming with some good credentials.

Bob is married with three children. He seems pretty indifferent towards his wife, children, and even his own burger joint. You can see the disappointment all over his face. He is has sarcastic tendencies and has a lot to say in a sort of "under his breath" manner, especially when faced with the task of reacting to things his children do and say.  His children are his employees at the moment, and there looks to be plenty of line-drawing between parenting and being the boss-type situations to come in future episodes.. Each of the kids are funny in their own way and all have a unique sense of humor of their own, while the wife seems sort of oblivious and is just sort of interested in getting through the day.

I really enjoyed the writing in the pilot episode. There was a nice blend of comedy.  Some jokes were pretty crude and over the top, but the show never felt the need to rely on those gags to be funny.  I am very interested to see where this show goes in the future, especially if it makes it past a season or two.  I really hope people tune in to support this show, at least give it a chance.

I guess at only one episode in there is not much more to say for the moment, besides the fact that I really dug the show and look forward to making it the latest Sunday evening tradition!

Watch: The Square

What happens when a seemingly small decision, leads to consequences, which leads to more consequences, and continues to build until you are too far over your head to simply walk away from the situation? We've seen this formula before, plenty. Tonight we have another go-at-it with 2008's:

The Square

David Roberts plays Raymond Yale who is having an affair with Carla Smith played by Claire Van der boom. As you could probably guess, Carla wants to run away with Raymond who initially has his hesitations but eventually gives in. Part of the reason he gives in is because Carla finds a big bag of money stashed in her attic. The money is not hers of course, and the source of it is a mystery as well. All we do know is that it probably is shady money and not safe for anyone to possess. Ahh...money....the great equalizer, right?

As Raymond & Carla start to finalize their plans, little things start to come up and get in the way. A small problem turns into a big problem, which turns into a bigger problem etc etc...By the time the movie reaches the final act we are not really sure how it is going to end, but it's not looking good for Raymond, that's for sure. The conclusion of the film is a showstopper if you ask me. While some may argue the film has a slow pace and a less than steady build, I think the conclusion makes up for any reservations.

I also like the fact that no character in the movie is too over the top. Raymond isn't involved with the mob, the money isn't stolen from Columbia drug lords or anything of that sort. It is moreso a case of bad decisions being made that lead to consequences and more bad decisions....like I said, not a new formula but all the same, an effective one. This was not as good as a film such as say, A Simple Plan,(which happens to be an all-time favorite of mine) but I still enjoyed it and thought it got the job done as entertaining cinema.

This film is officially endorsed and recommended by this blog!

Watch: Saved by the Belding aka reason #5345345 I love the internet.

Fellow Saved by the Bell fans rejoice. We have an explanation of what became of Rod Belding. Did he change for the better, or is he still the same old Rod Belding? The following video will provide you will all the answers you need!


Saved By The Belding
Uploaded by STEproductions. - Full seasons and entire episodes online.

Awesome!

Watch: Gorillaz - Stylo

I'd rather watch this than sit through Avatar.

Play: PS3 - To Move or not to Move?

I initially had little interest in motion control for my PS3.  Already owning a wii, I have seen first hand how it is initially pretty fun because it was something new, but after the "hey this is neat" effect wears off, it comes down to the games themselves, and it started to feel gimmicky.   Supposedly the Move's motion detection is off the charts compared to the wii.  Also the games look much better, not to mention there is support for one game I already own which is Resident Evil 5.

Also, the starter pack is $100, which is not bad for the Camera, controller, & game.  Most of the move's games are only $40 as well instead of the $60 price point of the standard games. Now the only downside for me personally, is that I already own the PS3 eye camera.  I bought it for purposes other than gaming.  I like to do video chat on it cause my best friend lives out of state for the time being.  The price for the sports game and controller comes to only $10 less than the Move bundle.   If I could find an interested party to buy my PS3 eye, ten that would help, but at this stage in the game, not sure anyone who would just want the camera alone.

Like I said, still not 100% sure I want to get the move, but the fact that it is really just buying a controller and a game, rather then having to buy a new console, makes me think it is at least worth checking out.

What say you, To move or not to move?