Category: Entertainment

Categories
Entertainment

Beyond the Black Gate…

…in which I talk about writing, gaming, and the new-found service that brings those two together.

I am not one to choose favorites, whims and moods are far too fickle to pick one thing above all others for all time. But, were I to be forced to pick a favorite pass time, gaming would be in the top three choices. I game often and avidly, I dedicate more time and effort to it that nearly anything else (and probably more than I really should). A part of this obsession may be my deep seated desire to be a writer, but without the dedication to the craft, I’ve never really gotten anywhere with it. You see, writing is something I would much like to do, if not as a profession, than as an artist. The problem is, I don’t have the dedication to myself, or writing in general to maintain it – though this blog is an attempt to make that change.

But, as I was saying, gaming is my primary creative outlet and it has often filled the void of writing, as it shares a lot with creative writing. And to that effect, I didn’t realize what I had stepped into when I discovered the Obsidian Portal.

Continue reading “Beyond the Black Gate…”

Categories
Entertainment

It Was Unequivocally Designed To Make Your Body Rock…

…in which I talk about our latest adventure into Dallas.

In my recollection, it was about two months ago in the sleepy town of Denton that we first became aware of the fact that Gogol Bordello was to depart from a faraway land and return to the nation of their birth, the United States. Such an return as this was deserving of a most excellent party, and they kindly decided to share it with all the peoples of this country. As a part of this celebration, they would not only bring around vodka and marinated herring, but also they would bring an nearly illegal amount of gypsy punk!

I’ve been listening to Gogol Bordello for maybe a year now, and while I am no superfan, I am pretty fucking fond of their music. I am not, however, one to go to a concert stag style. I didn’t really give the idea of going to see them much of a second thought because I figured I could find no one to go with me. It turns out that I should maybe have made the suggestion to Heather earlier.

Continue reading “It Was Unequivocally Designed To Make Your Body Rock…”

Categories
Entertainment

Bigger and Badder…

…in which I talk about board games and how much better they’re getting.

So, I’ve been buying a lot of board games lately. Part of it has to do with the somewhat increased salary coming in – though most of these were purchased before that – but also because they’re just getting so much better. Most recently, I picked up Wrath of Ashardalon and Mansion of Madness. These are massive, board games, rivaling anything I’ve ever owned before, and unlike some of the very interesting and entertaining games I’ve got on the shelf, these are seeing a distinct increase in play. Is it because I’m demanding to play them, or because they’re just more appealing than, say, Monopoly.

Continue reading “Bigger and Badder…”

Categories
Entertainment

Movie Night this week – Righting a Wrong

A few weeks (months?) back, we tried to show Blues Brothers for movie night,
but attendance was bad and we decided to watch something else instead. This
week, we’re going to try again and reunite the band. So this week at 7:45pm
we’ll be watching Jake and Ellwood do their thing.

For all the parent types, this movie is rated R. For more information, you
may visit the following parents’ guide: http://bit.ly/1oaijb

Categories
GATW Archives Movies

Theatrical Review: GAMER

Rating: 8/10

Writer/Director: Mark Neveldine and Brian Taylor
Cast: Gerard Butler, Michael C. Hall, Logan Lerman, Chris ‘Ludacris’ Bridges, Amber Valletta
Studio: Lionsgate

Summer blockbusters, a genre unto themselves, rarely extend beyond the borders of a flat plot and big explosions into anything more thought-provoking. Yet, they entertain us in a popcorn-munching mindless daze. GAMER, brought to us by the dynamic duo behind such previous summer fare as CRANK and CRANK 2, manages to at least scratch beyond the high gloss surface and attempts to pass itself off as a bit of a social commentary. The premise is this: in a world of overpopulated prisons and an increasingly introverted, desensitized public, a new game is created in which players can safely sit at home controlling live humans in a mortally devastating internationally broadcast battle. Kable, played by Gerard Butler (300), is our star “icon” in this scenario, controlled by an appropriately cocky Logan Lerman (3:10 TO YUMA), on their way to record-breaking fame. The prize is Butler’s freedom from the game, but the closer he gets, the further out of reach the prize falls. That is, until a radical anti-game group appears on the scene to begin sabotaging the greatest media sensation the world has ever seen.

Continue reading “Theatrical Review: GAMER”
Categories
Entertainment

Once Upon a Time in Nazi-Occupied France…

…in which I talk about those Inglourious Basterds.

Meet the Inglourious Basterds

I am going to make the bold assumption up front that if you are reading this, you are at least familiar with the upcoming Quentin Tarantino movie Inglourious Basterds. Wednesday, I had the privilege of seeing Tarantino’s take on WWII. While it is from historically accurate, I can hardly concern myself with that because one thing I’ve come to expect from Tarantino is the importance of style and story. Everything else comes second. Why should the fiddly facts of human history be any different.

Continue reading “Once Upon a Time in Nazi-Occupied France…”

Categories
Entertainment

They keep Transforming and Rolling out…

…in which I talk about our advance screening of Transformers 2, and pretty much nothing else.

Last night we had the opportunity, thanks to Chase at Gordon and the Whale, to see Transformers 2 in an advance screening. It wasn’t too much in advance since people will be able to see it tonight at midnight, but we got to go for free, and got to see it at a reasonable hour, so it was still a great deal. Thanks again, Chase, for hooking me up!

Continue reading “They keep Transforming and Rolling out…”

Categories
Entertainment

Six Blades of Death…

…in which I talk about X-Men Origins: Wolverine

As luck would have it, Wolverine came out on May first so I would actually have money to go see it opening weekend. Had it come out any earlier or any later I would have likely missed it and just waited for it to come to DVD. But having seen it in the theater, I know now that I would have been disappointed if I had been forced to wait.

Continue reading “Six Blades of Death…”

Categories
Entertainment

It’s a Free Action to Drop a Weapon…

…in which I talk about my first real miniature alteration.

I’ve been playing in my first 4th edition D&D game for a few months now and I’ve been using the mini that I found best represented my character. The only downside to him, was that he was wielding all the wrong weapons. So, when I purchased the mini, I also purchased a package of weapons to be swapped into his hands. I’ve researched miniature modification online and learned the best and easiest practices for swapping weapons cleanly, so I was all ready to do it. I even spent twice as much on the weapon pack as I did on the figure itself so that he could be carrying that vicious khopesh.

Continue reading “It’s a Free Action to Drop a Weapon…”

Categories
Cycling Entertainment

A Lack of Lazy Sundays…

…in which I talk about my complete lack of genuine “free” time.

I’m not going to say that I don’t have an adequate amount of time away from work. I work a 40 hour week, like most people in my tax bracket, and on top of that, I actually eat lunch on the clock so I can maximize my time and go home an hour early. I’m probably coming out ahead of a lot of people, and yet I still feel like I’m fighting for time every day, every week.

Continue reading “A Lack of Lazy Sundays…”