Author: Shmee

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Shmee Visits 10 Cloverfield Lane!

The Cloverfield franchise is shaping up to be a strange one.  First a found footage kaiju monster movie in 2008, and then a bunker/abduction film with 10 Cloverfield Lane in 2016.  The third film, that they are doing their best not to talk about, is coming out this October which is supposed to be different still.  I am guessing with its October release date it will delve more in to the horror genre.  What do the films have in common thus far?  They are very good.  Though specifically today I am reviewing 10 Cloverfield Lane.

The plot is minimal.  Michelle (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) gets in a car accident and then wakes up in a bunker chained to a wall being told the world has ended.  Her captor/savior, Howard (John Goodman), is kind of creepy, so she is having a hard time trusting him.  They are not in there alone.  A local to the area, Emmett (John Gallagher Jr.), forced his way in to the bunker seemingly confirming Howards story.

10 Cloverfield Lane’s stripped down nature really serves it well.  There are only three main actors, and the plot only has one major question: Can you trust someone who kidnapped you?  But the tension these three people achieve while exploring that question is fantastic.  Had they added anything else to the mix it probably would have been worse.  This is not the type of movie that needs an A, B, and C plot.

Of course it helps when you have John Goodman as your morally questionable survivalist.  The man is an acting tour de force.  Winstead pulls off the cagey and smart Michelle quite well.  She knows something is not as it seems and she will figure it out.  Meanwhile Gallagher’s Emmett is just around to provide some laughs so the whole flick doesn’t get too overwhelming and melodramatic.

If you are getting a little tired of bombastic blockbusters and need something a little smaller, 10 Cloverfield Lane might be just the sort of film you need.  Don’t worry, knowledge of the first Cloverfield movie is not required since they are barely related.  They are more like third cousins to each other instead of siblings.  Though you should still see Cloverfleid, but only because it is a good movie.  I look forward to Cloverfield Whatever this October.

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What Is Sony Doing With Their Spider-Man Universe?

A few days ago Sony dropped the bomb that Tom Hardy was going to be the new Venom, and I instantly started to wonder how an almost forty year old Eddie Brock was going to be in “competition” with a teenage Peter Parker, but then Sony dropped the next bomb that there will be no Spider-Man in their newly minted Sony Marvel Universe.  How can this be?  Sony is making an interconnected Marvel Universe without their one hero.  In other words, Sony is making a villains universe.

Part of me thought that maybe Venom was going to be a one shot deal, but no, Sony has doubled down with their next Marvel movie Silver and Black featuring Silver Sable and Black Cat.  Who are Silver Sable and Black Cat you ask?  Silver Sable is a generic sexy morally gray mercenary from 90’s.  A time that featured a ton of generic sexy morally gray mercenaries, and Black Cat is Catwoman.  Not like Catwoman, but just Catwoman.  I can’t wait for the Cardiac solo flick.

I am not sure how any of this is going work, but I have an idea to try and tie it all together.  A different Spider-Man.  There are several Spider-Man universes, so why not pick one of their Spider-Men.  There are a lot of good options:

  • Spider-Gwen, this would make up for killing her recently, and she is sooo popular right now.
  • Spider-Woman, she would change things up, and let Sony use a popular hero to anchor their Universe.
  • Old married Peter Parker, because then having an old Venom makes sense.
  • Miles Morales, because then old married Peter would be dead and the older villains still make sense, and everyone loves Miles.  Even more than Peter.

And of course there are still more Spider-Men to choose from, and they are all pretty good choices to lead Sony’s Marvel Universe.  Better than Spider-Man’s villains anyway.  Especially villains like Silver Sable and Black Cat (to be fair Black Cat is pretty cool, but so is Catwoman).  We will see how Sony does, and I am pulling for them, but considering the last few Spider-Man movies, I am going to be very cautious.  This from a guy that just pre-ordered Wonder Woman tickets, and the last couple of DC movies have been less than great, or even good.

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Injustice 2 Drowns Players In Content!

With the success of Injustice: Gods Among Us it was only a matter of time before Warner Brothers and NetherRealm Studios released a sequel, and they really went for it this time.  Just about all of your favorite characters are available in this twisted take on the DC Universe, and you will not run out of things to do any time soon.  My only complaints are:

  • I am really bad at fighting games
  • They really push the micro-transactions

If you unfamiliar with the DC Injustice Universe let me fill you in: The Joker killed Lois Lane and that sent Superman down the path to the Darkseid, so Batman and a group of reformed villians needed to take down Superman and his Regime that wanted to murder all bad guys.  Injustice 2 starts some time after Clark’s defeat, but now Brainiac has shown up and the world may need Superman again.

If you are thinking that is a pretty involved story for a fighting game, you would be right.  The single-player story is excellent in Injustice 2.  I would almost call it a must play for any DC Comics fans out there.  Even if the Injustice Universe is a dark mirror to the actual DC Universe (though Batman v Superman did hint at it).  The story and cut-scenes are just great!

As I said, I am terrible at fighting games, so I am probably not the best person to extol a fighting system, but Injustice 2’s feels intuitive to the point where it is easy to understand, but I am still trying to get the hang of the finer points, so my combo game is not on point.  What I am saying is, it feels good even if I have to play the game on easy.

Besides single-player, just about every mode you can imagine is available.  Including a new Multiverse mode that changes up the game’s mechanics, but the real addition is the loot.  There is tons of loot to customize the characters with.  If is fun to open Mother-boxes and see what is inside to slap on to my fighters.  Even if most players online force you to turn off all the equipment’s bonuses.  Not to mention you will need to level your heroes and villains to just put on a lot of the stuff you get.  Meaning you will have to play Injustice 2 a lot to get the most out of the ‘Gear’ system.

The biggest flaw this game has is all the focus on micro-transactions.  There are like five types of currency in this game, and you can pay for four of them.  I just paid $60 for this game, I don’t want to be nicked and dimed for other crap.  New characters is one thing, but paying to trade in ‘Gear’ is another.

I have been loving this game, and I am trying to get better at it, so that I can enjoy it more.  The terrible micro-transaction system is not enough to keep me from playing it.  If you like fighting games or DC Comics, Injustice 2 is well worth checking out.  Maybe you will see me online, and you can destroy me.

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Kimmy Schmidt Is Still Unbreakable In Season 3!

Season 3 of Kimmy Schmidt is now on Netflix, and it is a return to form after the funny, yet slightly disappointing second season.  Now Kimmy is trying to move her life forward by going to college and continuing to do odd jobs, but her life in the bunker just won’t let her go.

Things like her bunker-mate’s cult threating to get violent to The Reverend needing to get a divorce so he can marry a very misguided woman just keep getting in the way, but it is all handled with Kimmy’s overly positive go-get-’em attitude.  That is not to say she still doesn’t have to deal with some issues, because she definitely does, but she and her show are moving forward quite well.

I was very happy to see Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt get back on track, and I hope it stays there.  The only problem is that now I have to wait another year for more Kimmy, and that doesn’t seem fair.  At least it is something to look forward too.

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So I Hear You Want Overwatch In Your Quake!

Are you old enough to remember Quake?  The game where memorizing the map and running a circuit to maximize weapon and armor spawns was vital to staying alive and climbing the leader board?  Well Quake Champions is still that, except now you have the titular “Champions” with special abilities.  So while you are running your circuit, every now and then you can pop your ability and go invisible, teleport or leave a stream of plasma in your wake.

There are a couple of new modes: Duel, where you pick your three favorite Champions and then go one on one with another player.  Kill the other player’s three Champions and you win!  But since I am terrible, this is not a mode for me.  However, Sacrifice, which is center flag but like LawBreakers you need to guard the “soul” in your area for a while before you get the point, is a lot of fun.

My only reservation about Quake Champions is the price.  It is “Free”, but that only gets you one Champion.  There is going to be a deal to unlock all the Champions from the start, but they haven’t said how much that will be yet.  In my mind it should be like $20, and then they can nickel and dime you for chests and backpacks which give you Champion customizations and whatnot.

Quake Champions is a fun game, and it feels like its namesake.  I just hope that the free2play aspects of the game don’t ruin it.  If you can get the base heroes for a reasonable price I can see this becoming a hit.  If Bethesda overcharges for the Champions, there are a lot of other games to play, and the draw for Quake Champions will just not be there.  Especially considering  I can get Quake 3 for just a few bucks.